Science X Newsletter Monday, May 18

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 18, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Study proposes common mechanism for shallow and deep earthquakes
- Population benefits of sexual selection explain the existence of males
- Best of Last Week – Study backs Standard Model, splitting an electron and human attention span now shorter than goldfish
- Wearables may get boost from boron-infused graphene
- Computing at the speed of light: Team takes big step toward much faster computers
- Discovery lays the foundation for yeast-based drug synthesis
- Brain scans show birds of a feather do flock together
- Efficiency record for black silicon solar cells jumps to 22.1 percent
- Researchers create first hidden, real-time, screen-camera communication
- Imagination beats practice in boosting visual search performance
- Scientists discover how microbes acquire electricity in making methane
- Researchers find brain area that integrates speech's rhythms
- New device successfully captures metastasis-associated circulating tumor cell clusters
- US West's power grid must be prepared for impacts of climate change
- Study highlights ways to boost weather and climate predictions

Astronomy & Space news

	Russia loses Mexican satellite after rocket failure (Update) Russia on Saturday lost a Mexican satellite on launch just hours after a glitch with a manoeuvre involving the International Space Station, the latest in a string of embarrassing failures for its troubled space programme.
	Russia restarts spacecraft after embarrassing failures Russia on Monday managed on a second attempt to restart the engines of a Progress spacecraft attached to the International Space Station (ISS) and shift the station's orbit.
	The first Martian marathon On Earth, the fastest runners can finish a marathon in hours. On Mars it takes about 11 years.
	Russia probes space failures after rocket carrying satellite falls to Earth Russia on Sunday began investigating the loss of a commercial satellite and a separate glitch on the International Space Station, sparking fears over the industry's safety.
Russia looks to space future after bruising failures Russia's recent string of space failures—including the embarrassing loss of a satellite after the rocket carrying it fell to Earth—come as the country tries to restructure its ageing programme.
	NASA challenges designers to construct habitat for deep space exploration NASA and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as America Makes, are holding a new $2.25 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency's journey to Mars.
	NASA image: Astronauts at work on the International Space Station This week, the six-member Expedition 43 crew worked a variety of onboard maintenance tasks, ensuring crew safety and the upkeep of the International Space Station's hardware.
	A conversation with astronomer Dimitri Mawet Associate Professor of Astronomy Dimitri Mawet has joined Caltech from the Paranal Observatory in Chile, where he was a staff astronomer for the Very Large Telescope. After earning his PhD at the University of Liège, Belgium, in 2006, he was at JPL from 2007 to 2011—first as a NASA postdoctoral scholar and then as a research scientist.

Technology news

	'Cicadas': US military's new swarm of mini-drones US military scientists have invented a miniature drone that fits in the palm of a hand, ready to be dropped from the sky like a mobile phone with wings.
	US pushes pedal on car-to-car communication Engineers have known for some time that if cars could only "talk" to each other, they could avoid a lot of accidents.
	Wolfram's ID project launch touts ImageIdentify function You see a picture but you cannot name it. "What animal is this?" "Hmm, sort of looks like a guitar, not a cello—what is this instrument?" The Wolfram Language Identification Project was launched on Wednesday to answer such questions. The project page invites visitors to drag any picture from a group (drag a pic from a web page, snap it on your phone, or load it from a file) and find out what ImageIdentify thinks it is: After you drag a chosen image over to the square, you immediately get a list of facts about the object and if you want to know more, it takes you to the Wolfram|Alpha page where you can ask anything beyond the information you got.
	Polysis is marketing a plastic that turns to clay Polysis is showing a plastic that can turn to clay when heated, according to a story on DigInfo TV. Polysis is described as a specialist developer of polyurethane resins and resin products, and they are marketing haplafreely, presented with a lower-case "h," as a plastic that turns to clay when heated to temperatures above 60 degrees Centigrade.
	Well-funded Jet.com may be ecommerce game-changer Jet.com has yet to launch its online retail site to the public, but has already drawn attention as a would-be game-changer that could take on Internet giant Amazon.
	Solar initiative in Africa has rotating dishes to follow the sun Writers in Inhabitat and The Guardian are both looking at a solar system and asking the same question: Could this be the world's most efficient solar system? They are talking about a solar electric project in South Africa, located in the Kalahari Desert. Colin Payne, in Inhabitat, said the intense South African sun is made use of by the Swedish company, Ripasso Energy.
	CEO: Nissan will be ready with autonomous driving by 2020 Nissan Motor Co. will have vehicles packed with autonomous driving technology by 2020 but whether people will be able to drive them on roads is up to government regulators, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said Monday.
	College watercraft project Jet Blade has three-ski design A four-person team from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, have come up with a unique personal watercraft dubbed The Jet Blade. In terms of being durable, stable and agile, which were the project's goals, the Jet Blade prototype looks promising as a product that could provide good rider experiences in water sports.
	Self-folding structure could slash energy use in buildings Princeton student Denisa Buzatu's vision for an environmentally sustainable building is a sort of shape-shifting origami façade. For her senior thesis, Buzatu, a civil and environmental engineering major, is designing and prototyping a structure that shades the façade of a building by folding and adapting its shape in response to sunlight.
	US West's power grid must be prepared for impacts of climate change Electricity generation and distribution infrastructure in the Western United States must be "climate-proofed" to diminish the risk of future power shortages, according to research by two Arizona State University engineers.
	Researchers create first hidden, real-time, screen-camera communication Opening the way for new applications of smart devices, Dartmouth researchers have created the first form of real-time communication that allows screens and cameras to talk to each other without the user knowing it.
	Mixed decision for Samsung appeal in Apple patent case A jury must recalculate the $930 million verdict against Samsung in the blockbuster patent lawsuit from Apple, a US appeals court ruled Monday.
	Vortex Bladeless aims for lower-cost wind energy approach A technology leap forward in wind energy? Or, as the company in charge calls it, a "new paradigm" of wind power, lowering costs, requiring no training, using fewer supplies? They believe they have a great idea and they aim to bring it to market. They will start crowdfunding next month. The company is Vortex Bladeless.
	Android promotes Japan cinema at Cannes Film Festival Asuna has skin that will never age, can read a script in several languages, and knows how to attract attention at the Cannes Film Festival—but she's no star actress on the red carpet.
	Online dating scams top Australian financial fraud Australians were tricked out of Aus$82 million (US$66 million) last year, with online dating scams accounting for the biggest losses, the competition regulator revealed on Monday.
	Satellites make a load of difference to bridge safety When extreme weather comes our way, realtime information from space can help us to decide if closing a bridge is the right thing to do.
Real-time data sharing can make airports greener and more efficient Aviation engineering experts have revealed a new framework that could reduce delays, improve efficiency and cut pollution at major international airports.
	How we made an octopus-inspired surgical robot using coffee The unparalleled motion and manipulation abilities of soft-bodied animals such as the octopus have intrigued biologists for many years. How can an animal that has no bones transform its tentacles from a soft state to a one stiff enough to catch and even kill prey?
	Singapore Games to be streamed live on mobile apps, YouTube The Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to be held in June in high-tech Singapore will be streamed live on dedicated mobile apps and YouTube, organisers said Monday.
	'Euro-drone' project gets lift-off to challenge US A European project to build a military drone by 2025 took wing on Monday as Germany, France and Italy signed a deal to start technical work and end their reliance on US- and Israeli-made models.
Trading in bitcoin made simpler through new exchange Investors can for the first time bet on the value of bitcoins through an established stock exchange after Nasdaq launched an index based on the cybercurrency in Stockholm, Sweden.
	Cyberattacks targeting oil sector, researchers say A series of cyberattacks has been targeting the oil and gas sector in what appears to be an effective variant of the so-called Nigerian email scam, security researchers said Monday.
	44 percent of parents struggle to limit cell phone use at playgrounds A new University of Washington study finds that cell phone use at playgrounds is a significant source of parental guilt, as well as a powerful distraction when children try to get caregivers' attention or ask to them to watch a monkey bar trick for the hundredth time.
	Global energy subsidies to hit $5.3 tn this year: IMF The International Monetary Fund voiced alarm Monday about energy subsidies across the world, saying they were expected to reach $5.3 trillion in 2015, more than government health spending.
Security expert said he accessed plane controls mid-flight A security researcher reportedly told authorities he's been able to hack into aircraft computer systems mid-flight through the in-flight entertainment systems.
	Turkey delays 4G tender after Erdogan confusion Turkey has delayed its planned tender for 4G mobile technology licences, reports said Saturday, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sowed confusion by saying the country should skip straight to 5G technology.
Luxury fashion brands accuse Alibaba of profiting from fakes (Update) The owner of fashion brands Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent has accused Alibaba Group in a lawsuit of profiting from sales of counterfeit goods despite the Chinese e-commerce giant's pledge to combat the trade in fakes.
	World's smallest micro-camera promises to revolutionize smart sensors Swiss researchers at CSEM in Neuchatel have developed the smallest-ever complete vision system on a chip, called Vision-In-Package (VIP). With a variety of potential uses—including brand recognition, robotic surgery guidance, driving assistance, and even home security—the optics, processor and wireless transmitter are combined into a single easily-integrated package. The concept and complete packaging, to be unveiled at the Sensor+Test Fair in Nuremberg on May 19, is a camera three times smaller than the very latest in optic sensors and eight times smaller than what is currently used in motor vehicles for assisted driving—less than one cubic centimeter in total volume; not much bigger than a 10-cent euro coin.
	Obama gets his own @POTUS account, joins Twitter age President Barack Obama is embracing short-form communication. Twitter has a new @POTUS account.
	UMD scientist to develop virtual 'CyberHeart' to test, improve implantable cardiac devices A University of Maryland expert in the model-based testing of embedded software is working to accelerate the development of improved implantable medical devices used in the treatment of heart disease.
	Appeals court sides with Google in anti-Muslim film case A federal appeals court panel should not have forced YouTube to take down an anti-Muslim film that sparked violence in the Middle East and death threats to actors, a larger group of judges ruled Monday in a victory for free speech advocates.
	Filmmakers look to Twitter, Facebook for stars Looking for a tattooed demon to be killed by an undercover virgin in your sex club? Well, as any good horror film producer knows, the best place to look these days is on Facebook and Twitter.

Medicine & Health news

	Brain scans show birds of a feather do flock together The hottest hairstyle, the latest extreme sport, the newest viral stunt—trends happen for a reason and now scientists have a better understanding of why.
	New screening method for prostate cancer recurrence The American Cancer Society estimated that 220,800 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2015. Approximately 27,540 men will die of the disease, accounting for 5 percent of all cancer deaths.
	Drug combo helps people with common cystic fibrosis A combination of two drugs has shown promise toward improving the health of people with the most common form of the incurable lung disease known as cystic fibrosis, researchers said Sunday.
	Youth dance classes score low in physical activity For parents who send their kids to dance classes to get some exercise, a new study from researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests most youth dance classes provide only limited amounts of physical activity.
	Shift work can affect your health Shiftwork is an occupational health risk of growing significance because it is becoming more common and because of its potential influence on health outcomes, possibly increasing health differences between workers of higher vs lower socioeconomic status. A new study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health determined that employees who work shifts outside of a 9-to-5 schedule are more likely to be overweight and experience sleep problems, and possibly more likely to develop metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, compared to workers following traditional work schedules. The study is published in Sleep Health, journal of the National Sleep Foundation.
	Modeling memory in the brain Scientists at EPFL have uncovered mathematical equations behind the way the brain forms – and even loses – memories.
	Inflammation stops the biological clock Researchers at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Pennsylvania have uncovered an important link between our body clock and the immune system that will have relevance to the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases.
	Study explains how early childhood vaccination reduces leukemia risk A team led by UCSF researchers has discovered how a commonly administered vaccine protects against acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common type of childhood cancer.
	Researchers find brain area that integrates speech's rhythms Duke and MIT scientists have discovered an area of the brain that is sensitive to the timing of speech, a crucial element of spoken language.
	Imagination beats practice in boosting visual search performance Practice may not make perfect, but visualization might. New research shows that people who imagined a visual target before having to pick it out of a group of distracting items were faster at finding the target than those who did an actual practice run beforehand. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
	Neurobiologists restore youthful vigor to adult brains They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. The same can be said of the adult brain. Its connections are hard to change, while in children, novel experiences rapidly mold new connections during critical periods of brain development.
	A molecule important in blood vessel formation, brain wiring is also essential for onset of puberty A molecule important in blood vessel formation and brain wiring is also essential for the onset of puberty, finds new research led by UCL and the University of Milan.
	Study discovers how pancreatic cancer spreads to the liver An international team led by Weill Cornell Medical College investigators has illuminated the precise molecular steps that enable pancreatic cancer to spread to the liver—the event that makes the most common form of the disease lethal. By understanding this process, investigators say their discovery can lead to targeted treatments that delay metastasis, and could offer clinicians a new biomarker to test for the earliest signs of pancreatic cancer.
	'Imperfect drug penetration' speeds pathogens' resistance, study finds Prescribing patients two or more drugs that do not reach the same parts of the body could accelerate a pathogen's resistance to all of the drugs being used in treatment, according to a new study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Regular aspirin use may slow progression of early emphysema Regular use of aspirin may help slow the progression of early emphysema, according to new research presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
	Many children with asthma have reaction to peanuts, but do not know it In recent years and months, peanut allergies in children have been in the news frequently, as scientists reveal new insights into why more and more children are developing them and what can be done to avoid them. However, until now, few have studied the connection between peanut allergy and childhood asthma.
Newer method of oxygen delivery for patients at risk of respiratory failure after surgery A relatively new, easier to implement, and better-tolerated method to provide supplemental oxygen to patients at risk of respiratory failure after surgery did not result in a worse rate of treatment failure compared to a more commonly used method, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released to coincide with its presentation at the American Thoracic Society 2015 International Conference.
	Curing hepatitis C could yield huge economic benefit While a new generation of safer, more effective oral medications to treat hepatitis C patients may cost tens of thousands of dollars for a 12-week regiment, investing in these new therapies could generate savings estimated at more than $3.2 billion annually in the U.S. and five European countries, according to a new study (abstract 228) released today at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2015. These savings would have a significant economic impact on society.
Potentially hazardous effects of mechanical and chemical characteristics of e-cigarettes Unlike standard cigarettes, the components of electronic cigarettes are not regulated and standardized, thus they vary widely between products. The characteristics of these e-cigarette elements, including their delivery systems, combustion apparatuses, and the composition of the nicotine solutions they contain may affect the levels of potentially hazardous substances in the vapor they produce, according to a new study presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
One exposure to e-cigarette use diminishes cough reflex sensitivity With just one exposure to electronic-cigarette (e-cigarette) vapor, participants in a study of 30 healthy subjects demonstrated a diminishment of cough reflex sensitivity. The study was presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Electronic cigarette flavorings alter lung function at the cellular level Certain flavorings used in electronic cigarette liquid may alter important cellular functions in lung tissue, according to new research presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference. These changes in cell viability, cell proliferation, and calcium signaling are flavor-dependent. Coupling these results with chemicals identified in each flavor could prove useful in identifying flavors or chemical constituents that produce adverse effects in users.
Evidence that electronic cigarettes are effective for smoking cessation long-term is lacking There is little reliable evidence that electronic cigarettes are effective for long-term smoking cessation, according to a new analysis of the currently available research which was presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Shorter stature appears to lead to higher mortality rates, longer waiting times for lung transplant Lung transplant candidates who are about 5'3" or shorter have longer waiting times than taller candidates and are more likely to die within a year while waiting for a lung transplant, according to a study presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Substance abuse risk not greater in those using medical marijuana with prescribed opioids Among people who use medical cannabis for chronic pain, those who also take prescription pain medications are not at increased risk for serious alcohol and other drug involvement, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
	Study validates effectiveness of genomic test for lung cancer detection A new test co-developed by a Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researcher will allow patients suspected of having lung cancer to be subjected to fewer and less-invasive tests to determine if they have the disease.
	Stem cell 'Wild West' takes root amid lack of US regulation The liquid is dark red, a mixture of fat and blood, and Dr. Mark Berman pumps it out of the patient's backside. He treats it with a chemical, runs it through a processor—and injects it into the woman's aching knees and elbows.
	Why Big Pharma is not addressing the failure of antidepressants Around a quarter of people experience depression at some point in their lives, two-thirds of whom are women. Each year more than 11m working days are lost in the UK to stress, depression or anxiety and there are more than 6,000 suicides. The impact of depression on individuals, families, society and the economy is enormous.
	Small changes to a child's head size should not concern parents Measuring the size of a child's head is done routinely worldwide to screen for possible learning or developmental problems but new research out today [18 May] suggests that differences within the normal range of measurements are common – and mainly due to human error – and should not unduly concern parents.
	Taxes on goods and services 'linked with increased infant mortality' A new study published in The Lancet suggests that taxes on goods and services could potentially increase infant mortality in developing countries because they make it harder for poor families to afford food and basic health care.
Study clarifies best treatments for uncommon kidney cancers A head-to-head comparison of two biologic therapies used to treat a subset of patients with advanced kidney cancers provides much-needed clarity on the preferred treatment for the first line of attack.
	Lives could be saved with hepatitis C treatment In a letter to the Medical Journal of Australia published today, a Monash University-led team is asking for hepatitis C virus patients to gain improved access to drugs to prevent liver related deaths.
	What rats in a maze can teach us about our sense of direction London's taxi drivers have to pass an exam in which they are asked to name the shortest route between any two places within six miles of Charing Cross – an area with more than 60,000 roads. We know from brain scans that learning "the knowledge" – as the drivers call it - increases the size of their hippocampi, the part of the brain crucial to spatial memory.
	Study shows non-memory Alzheimer's symptoms more likely in younger people New research has shown that people with Alzheimer's may not always experience memory loss as their first symptom of the disease, with younger people more likely to have problems with judgement, language or visual and spatial awareness than older people. The study of 7,815 people – one of the largest of its kind to date – suggests a need for greater awareness of the different symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia. Led by a researcher at UCL (University College London) and part-funded by Alzheimer's Research UK, the UK's leading dementia research charity, the research is published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.
	Meditation promotes adaptability Certain meditation techniques can promote behavior to vary adaptively from moment to moment depending on current goals, rather than remaining rigid and inflexible. This is the outcome of a study by Lorenza Colzato and Iliana Samara from the Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition at Leiden University, published in Consciousness and Cognition.
Tuberculosis drug can improve effect of CBT A new study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet shows that the effect of internet-based CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) for people with people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be boosted with a drug called d-cycloserine, which has long been used to treat TB. According to the results, which are published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, this enhancing effect is counteracted by antidepressants.
Early detection and treatment of type 2 diabetes may reduce heart disease and mortality Screening to identify Type 2 diabetes followed by early treatment could result in substantial health benefits, according to new research published today in Diabetes Care that combined large scale clinical observations and innovative computer modelling.
	Hard to understand, harder to remember Struggling to understand someone else talking can be a taxing mental activity. A wide range of studies have already documented that individuals with hearing loss or who are listening to degraded speech—for example, over a bad phone line or in a loud room—have greater difficulty remembering and processing the spoken information than individuals who heard more clearly.
Immediate care doctor talks about bronchitis When a cold has lasted too long or a cough is especially bothersome, it's important to see a medical professional.
	Orange juice could help improve brain function in elderly people Drinking orange juice could help improve brain function in elderly people, according to new research from the University of Reading.
	Are expectations more important than sound for auditory processing? What affects how we hear? Do we hear sounds as they are, or do our expectations about what we are going to hear instantaneously shape the way sound is processed? These are questions that Bournemouth University's (BU) Dr Emili Balaguer-Ballester and colleague Andre Rupp of Heidelberg University have been considering in their research into auditory central processing.
	The epidemic of burnout, depression and suicide in medicine The suicides of two medical residents in New York City last fall have thrown a spotlight on a real problem among health care professionals, particularly physicians. Medical students, residents and practicing physicians commonly report symptoms of burnout and depression. Rates vary depending on the group, but range from 20-60%.
	First time fathers need more support Fathers who want to be more involved with their newborn children feel held back by lack of support from health staff, government and society, a study by Oxford University researchers has shown. The team also identified other issues such as financial and practical concerns, as well as dads' own beliefs about what makes an ideal father.
	A blood test for early detection of breast cancer metastasis Research findings from Lund University in Sweden now provide new hope for a way of detecting metastases significantly earlier than is currently possible.
What hundreds of biomolecules tell us about our nerve cells Researchers at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), of the University of Luxembourg, have, under Dr. Manuel Buttini, successfully measured metabolic profiles, or the metabolomes, of different brain regions, and their findings could help better understand neurodegenerative diseases. The metabolome represents all or at least a large part of the metabolites in a given tissue, and thus, it gives a snapshot of its physiology.
Researchers quantify the proportion of different genetic mutations contained within individual bowel cancers A study published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology has, for the first time, quantified the different mutational profiles of clusters of cells in individual tumours in patients with bowel cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. The research could have important consequences on the efficacy of therapies: in these "mixed" tumours, some tumour cell clusters might be sensitive to a targeted therapy while others are resistant.
	Could a new computer program help your baby stay healthy? A new computer programme will help health visitors to calculate the likelihood of babies becoming overweight in later life.
	Suicide trends in school-aged children reveal racial disparity Suicide is a leading cause of death among children younger than 12 years. Suicide rates in this age group have remained steady overall for the past 20 years, but a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics from The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital is the first national study to observe higher suicide rates among black children compared to white children.
Evaluating adverse cardiac events in patients with chest pain at hospital admission Patients with chest pain who are admitted to the hospital after an emergency department evaluation with negative findings and nonconcerning vital signs rarely had adverse cardiac events, suggesting that routine inpatient admission may not be a beneficial strategy for this group of patients, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Study examines concussion, cognition, brain changes in retired NFL players A preliminary study of retired National Football League (NFL) players suggests that history of concussion with loss of consciousness may be a risk factor for increased brain atrophy in the area involved with memory storage and impaired memory performance later in life, according to an article published online by JAMA Neurology.
	Urine-based test improves on PSA for detecting prostate cancer A new urine-based test improved prostate cancer detection - including detecting more aggressive forms of prostate cancer - compared to traditional models based on prostate serum antigen, or PSA, levels, a new study finds.
Researchers make progress engineering digestive system tissues New proof-of-concept research at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine suggests the potential for engineering replacement intestine tissue in the lab, a treatment that could be applied to infants born with a short bowel and adults having large pieces of gut removed due to cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.
Air pollution and impaired lung function are independent risk factors for cognitive decline Studies have shown that both air pollution and impaired lung function can cause cognitive deficits, but it was unclear whether air pollution diminishes cognition by reducing breathing ability first or whether air pollution represents an independent risk factor for cognitive deficit. Now a new study conducted by German and Swiss researchers has answered that question: air pollution directly affects cognition and is not mediated by lung function.
	Sleep apnea common among patients undergoing heart procedure Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a coronary artery widening procedureused to treat heart disease, are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to new research presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Sleep apnea linked to depression in men Severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and excessive daytime sleepiness are associated with an increased risk of depression in men, according to a new community-based study of Australian men, which was presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Study finds wide variation in carotid artery stenting outcomes Hospitals performing carotid artery stenting vary considerably in rates of in-hospital stroke or death—from 0 to 18 percent overall and from 1.2 to 4.7 percent when accounting for variation in health of patients at admission, according to a study published today in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
	Gene breakthrough sparks 'home-brewed morphine' fears Scientists on Monday said they had unlocked a pathway for producing opiates from genetically-engineered yeast but feared the discovery could one day be a bonanza for drug lords.
Report recommends new approach to college drinking Social media messaging, screening and interventions offer new tools to help colleges prevent and reduce excessive drinking, according to a report authored by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher, working with a group of experts.
Going my way? We think so, if we really want to get there, study finds Whether we're buying a ticket to a movie, catching a train, or shopping for groceries, the more committed we are to achieving that goal, the more likely we are to assume others have exactly the same objective, a study by New York University psychology researcher Janet Ahn shows.
	Men with asthma less likely to develop lethal prostate cancer In what they are calling a surprising finding in a large study of men who completed questionnaires and allowed scientists to review their medical records, Johns Hopkins researchers report that men with a history of asthma were less likely than those without it to develop lethal prostate cancer.
	Temper, anxiety, homework trouble are medical issues? Many parents don't realize it Parents often bring their school-aged children to check-ups or sick visits armed with questions. What should he put on that rash? What about her cough that won't go away?
Novel insights in MET-proto-oncogene might lead to optimizing cancer treatment The MET-proto-oncogene is involved in the pathogenesis of several tumors and therefore represents an interesting target for future therapies currently tested in dozens of clinical trials. Veronica Finisguerra, Andrea Casazza, Max Mazzone and colleagues from VIB, KU Leuven and UZ Leuven now reveal that MET is needed for the recruitment of anti-tumoral neutrophils and puts a mechanism into action that promotes the killing of cancer cells. This means that the efficacy of a cancer therapy targeting MET in cancer cells will partly be countered by the pro-tumoral effect arising from MET blockade in neutrophils. These insights can lead to an optimization of the currently tested therapies based on MET-inhibitors and were published in the journal Nature.
Diagnostic errors linked to high incidence of incorrect antibiotic use New research finds that misdiagnoses lead to increased risk of incorrect antibiotic use, threatening patient outcomes and antimicrobial efficacy, while increasing healthcare costs. The study was published online today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Cooling children after cardiac arrest provides no significant benefit Although body-cooling has long been a standard of care in treating adults after heart attacks, a recently published multi-center study has concluded that the same procedure—known as "therapeutic hypothermia"—does not confer any survival-with-quality-of-life benefit for children who are resuscitated after suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The study noted hypothermia is no more effective than maintaining normal body temperature by preventing fever in the children being treated.
Research community comes together to provide new 'gold standard' for genomic data analysis Cancer research leaders at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Oregon Health & Science University, Sage Bionetworks, the distributed DREAM (Dialog for Reverse Engineering Assessment and Methods) community and The University of California Santa Cruz published the first findings of the ICGC-TCGA-DREAM Somatic Mutation Calling (SMC) Challenge today in the journal Nature Methods. These results provide an important new benchmark for researchers, helping to define the most accurate methods for identifying somatic mutations in cancer genomes. The results could be the first step in creating a new global standard to determine how well cancer mutations are detected.
	Computational design improves potency of a broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibody Thirty-five million people worldwide are currently living with HIV-1/AIDS. Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) have been isolated from some patients with HIV-1, and these antibodies recognize and inhibit a range of HIV-1 variants. Strategies to enhance the potency and breadth of these bnAbs have the potential to inform the development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.
ACP releases High Value Care screening advice for five common cancers In a paper published today in Annals of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians (ACP) issued advice for screening average risk adults without symptoms for five common cancers: breast, colorectal, ovarian, prostate, and cervical.
Menopausal hormone therapy increases risk of gastrointestinal bleeding Current users of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) are more than twice as likely than non-users to develop lower gastrointestinal bleeding and ischemic colitis, especially if they use the therapy for longer durations, according to a study (abstract 783) that was released today at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2015.
Readmissions in severe sepsis are as common as those in heart failure and pneumonia Severe sepsis is a significant cause of rehospitalization along the lines of nationally recognized outcome measures and more commonly discussed conditions such as heart failure (HF) and pneumonia, said Darya Rudym, MD, New York University School of Medicine, New York, lead author of a study presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
	Preschoolers get too little physical activity in child care (HealthDay)—Kids in daycare and preschool may not be getting enough physical activity, according to a new study.
	FDA issues warning for type 2 diabetes drugs (HealthDay)—A certain class of type 2 diabetes drugs can lead to a life-threatening condition called ketoacidosis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
	Parents of child cancer patients prefer honesty, study finds (HealthDay)—It's better for doctors to be open with parents about their child's cancer prognosis, even if the news is bad, researchers say.
	Brain differences seen in teenage heavy drinkers (HealthDay)—Teens who drink heavily appear to have significant abnormalities in brain development, a new study finds.
	Prompt treatment of kidney stones keeps costs down (HealthDay)—Delaying surgery for kidney stones can increase the risk of complications, raising health care costs, a new study finds.
	AAFP urges CMS to safeguard continuity of care for seniors (HealthDay)—In a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and other organizations emphasize the importance of encouraging Medicare beneficiaries to engage with their primary care physician in an annual wellness visit.
	Early insulin initiation beneficial in seniors with T2DM (HealthDay)—For older Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), early insulin initiation offers clinical benefit, according to a study published online May 8 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Histopathologic features not linked to clinical rhinophyma (HealthDay)—For patients with rhinophyma, histopathologic features are not associated with different clinical expression, according to a study published online May 6 in the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology.
	History of teenage acne tied to increased risk for melanoma (HealthDay)—Having a history of teenage acne is associated with an increased risk of melanoma, independent of known risk factors, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of Cancer.
	'World's smallest pacemaker' appears promising in human trial (HealthDay)—The world's smallest pacemaker is safe and effective in patients with symptomatic bradycardia, according to the first human clinical trial of the device. The findings were scheduled to be presented at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society, held from May 13 to 16 in Boston.
	Smartphone ECG can detect atrial fibrillation (HealthDay)—Smartphones could help improve detection and management of atrial fibrillation, researchers say. The findings were scheduled to be presented at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society, held from May 13 to 16 in Boston.
	AUA: Botox injections may reduce urinary incontinence (HealthDay)—Botulinum toxin A (Botox) injections may be a useful treatment for urinary incontinence, according to two studies scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 15 to 19 in New Orleans.
Blood thinner safe for cancer patients with brain metastases Cancer patients with brain metastases who develop blood clots may safely receive blood thinners without increased risk of dangerous bleeding, according to a study, published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology
	Pactamycin analogs offer new, gentler approach to cancer treatment Researchers at Oregon State University are pursuing a new concept in treatment of epithelial cancer, especially head and neck cancer, by using two promising "analogs" of an old compound that was once studied as a potent anti-tumor agent, but long ago abandoned because it was too toxic.
	Adolescents, drugs and dancing In recent years, the popularity of "electronic dance music" (EDM) and dance festivals has increased substantially throughout the US and worldwide.
	Stereotactic body radiation therapy appears to help some patients with pancreatic cancer Two studies from Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers add to preliminary evidence that high-dose radiation treatment, called stereotactic body radiotherapy, appears to be safe and as effective as standard radiation treatment for certain patients with pancreatic cancer whose tumors are advanced but have not spread.
California suicide prevention program demonstrates promise, studies find A mass media campaign intended to help prevent suicides in California is reaching a majority of the state's adults and appears to be increasing their confidence about how to intervene with those at risk of suicide, according to new RAND Corporation research.
Atrial fibrillation after surgery increases risk of heart attacks and strokes As many as 12 percent of patients undergoing major, non-cardiac surgery experience an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
Association found between sleep patterns and alcohol or marijuana use in adolescents Adolescents who sleep less or stay up later are significantly more likely to have used alcohol and marijuana over the past month when compared to their peers who report better sleep patterns, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
	Microclinics help keep Kenyan HIV patients in care A team led by researchers from UC San Francisco, Organic Health Response, and Microclinic International is reporting results of a study that showed significant benefits of microclinics—an innovative intervention that mobilized rural Kenyan HIV patients' informal social networks to support their staying in care.
	Maternal obesity compromises babies' immune system at time of birth Almost 60 percent of women of childbearing age in the United States are overweight or obese. Obesity is a major public health issue, and has been linked to health problems like heart disease, cancer and hypertension. It can complicate pregnancy by increasing the mother's risk of having gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth or a baby with birth defects. Maternal obesity is also linked to several adverse health outcomes for the infant that can persist into adulthood, such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease and mortality.
	Collaborative research team solves cancer-cell mutation mystery More than 500,000 people in the United States die each year of cancer-related causes. Now, emerging research has identified the mechanism behind one of the most common mutations that help cancer cells replicate limitlessly.
Morocco king eases restrictions on abortion for incest, rape Moroccan King Mohammed VI has ordered that laws restricting abortion be loosened, allowing it in the case of rape, incest, danger to the mother's health or fetal malformation.
Pioneer in spreading Lamaze childbirth method in US dies A physical therapist who popularized the Lamaze method of childbirth in the United States and helped change the way women and doctors approached the delivery room has died at her New York home. Elisabeth Bing was 100.
Study suggests need for renal protective care in pediatric lung transplant patients Caucasian and Hispanic children who undergo lung transplantation appear to be at greater risk for developing chronic kidney disease, or CKD, according to a small retrospective study conducted at Texas Children's Hospital.
Indian nurse dies after 42 years in coma after rape A Mumbai nurse who was in a vegetative state for 42 years after being sexually assaulted while working in a hospital has died, authorities said Monday.
	Study into nursing home deaths The first comprehensive study into injury related or premature deaths of residents in nursing homes has found that more than 80 per cent are from falls.
	Research addresses the burden of liver disease Chronic liver diseases are steadily growing conditions, estimated to affect one in 10 Canadians.  Most chronic liver diseases are "silent", attacking the liver for decades without symptoms until revealing themselves through end-stage liver diseases such as cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer.
Endo to buy Par Pharmaceutical for $8.05 bn Endo International will buy Par Pharmaceutical Holdings in a $8.05 billion deal that will strengthen Endo's generic drugs business, the companies said Monday.
Patients seek greater ownership of health-care decisions Patients faced with a choice of surgical options want to engage their physicians and take a more active role in decision-making, according to a study (abstract 567) released at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2015. Further, those physicians must provide better support tools to help patients participate in the decision-making process. The study found that patients consult multiple sources (Internet, family, friends, doctors, etc.) and say that while doctors provide the most believable information, it was also the least helpful.
Predictors of risk for COPD exacerbations in patients using inhaled medications Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), being female, and certain scores on the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) were associated with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in subjects using long-acting controller medication, according to a study presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Pulmonary rehabilitation helps patients newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) treatment could be a valuable addition to comprehensive therapy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome, according to a new study. The study was presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Adding genetic information to risk profile of smokers improves adherence to lung cancer screening Researchers have found that adding genetic information to a former or current smoker's clinical risk profile results in a reclassification of their risk for lung cancer in about one in four patients. Preliminary findings from their lung cancer screening feasibility study also suggests that those whose genetic and clinical risk placed them in the highest risk category were more likely to adhere to follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans during screening.
Study finds non-invasive colon cancer screening may be promising for African-Americans In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, physician-scientists at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that a new non-invasive technology for colon cancer screening is a promising alternative to colonoscopy for African Americans. The study recruited patients to compare the effectiveness of stool DNA (sDNA) testing with colonoscopy for detecting large colon polyps.
Austerity hits healthcare access in Europe: NGO Austerity measures in Europe have hit the poorest hardest by limiting access to healthcare, a medical charity said Monday, as it called for every EU resident to have equal access to public health facilities.
	Lung cell phenotype reverts when seeded onto decellularized lung matrix Researchers seeded type II lung epithelial cells into a decellularized lung matrix to study their function and report the unexpected finding that instead of differentiating into type I lung cells, they instead transitioned to become mesenchymal cells, as would occur in wound healing. The design and results of this study and its implications for the development of protocols and cell culture environments to support the growth of functional lung tissue are presented in an article in Tissue Engineering, Part A.
WHO chief announces shake-up of organisation after Ebola shock The World Health Organization will dramatically reform its emergency response operations this year, its chief said Monday, after the UN agency faced blistering criticism for its slow Ebola response.
New school-based program helps reduce absentee rate for urban minority children with asthma Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, and it can only be managed, not cured. It affects a disproportionally higher percentage of low-income, urban minority children, and is also the most common disease-related reason for children missing school. This can have a negative effect on their academic achievement, as well as later success in life.
Academic medical centers at risk of a 'Kodak moment' if they fail to adapt Today's academic medical centers (AMCs) need to embrace the changing healthcare marketplace or run the risk of becoming the next Kodak - a former industrial giant that became obsolete when it failed to adapt to a shifting technological landscape.
	Blood test to detect traumatic brain injury could reduce unnecessary CT scans New study results show that a simple blood test to measure brain-specific proteins released after a person suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can reliably predict both evidence of TBI on radiographic imaging and injury severity. The potential benefit of adding detection of glial fibrillary acidic protein breakdown products (GFAP-BDP) to clinical screening with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is described in an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma.
	AUA: Medical clowns may benefit pediatric surgical outcomes (HealthDay)—If laughter is the best medicine, that may be doubly true for children undergoing surgery who are cheered up by visiting clowns, according to research scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA), held from May 15 to 19 in New Orleans.
Noted urologist calls attention to implications of flawed prostate specific antigen data in SEER The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently announced that it had removed all prostate specific antigen (PSA) data from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) and SEER-Medicare programs. The PSA data were removed after quality control checks revealed that a substantial number of PSA values included in the programs were incorrect. An editorial published in The Journal of Urology explores the ramifications of the removal of these data for researchers, clinicians, and administrators within the health care community, as well as the use and accuracy of large administrative datasets in general.

Biology news

	Discovery lays the foundation for yeast-based drug synthesis Fans of homebrewed beer and backyard distilleries already know how to employ yeast to convert sugar into alcohol. But a research team led by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, has gone much further by completing key steps needed to turn sugar-fed yeast into a microbial factory for producing morphine and potentially other drugs, including antibiotics and anti-cancer therapeutics.
	Population benefits of sexual selection explain the existence of males New research from the University of East Anglia shows that an evolutionary force known as 'sexual selection' can explain the persistence of sex as a dominant mechanism for reproducing offspring.
	Grass plants can transport infectious prions Grass plants can bind, uptake and transport infectious prions, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The research was published online in the latest issue of Cell Reports.
	Jumping spiders are masters of miniature color vision Jumping spiders were already known to see in remarkably high resolution, especially considering that their bodies are less than a centimeter long. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on May 18 have figured out how spiders in the colorful genus Habronattus see in three color "channels," as most humans do.
	Agriculture, declining mobility drove humans' shift to lighter bones Modern lifestyles have famously made humans heavier, but, in one particular way, noticeably lighter weight than our hunter-gatherer ancestors: in the bones. Now a new study of the bones of hundreds of humans who lived during the past 33,000 years in Europe finds the rise of agriculture and a corresponding fall in mobility drove the change, rather than urbanization, nutrition or other factors.
	Ecosystem management that ignores 'taboo tradeoffs' is likely to fail Research published today recommends a new approach to the difficult tradeoffs that environmental managers face when choosing between environmental sustainability and profitability. The findings could help to protect marginalised people and improve conservation success.
	Forecasting future infectious disease outbreaks Machine learning can pinpoint rodent species that harbor diseases andgeographic hotspots vulnerable to new parasites and pathogens. So reportsa new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences led by Barbara A. Han, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of EcosystemStudies..
	Study finds evidence of non-adaptive evolution within cicadas University of Montana Assistant Professor John McCutcheon has once again discovered something new about the complex and intriguing inner workings of the cicada insect.
Great white shark cruising East Coast becomes Twitter star They're gonna need a bigger Twitter. An organization studying great white sharks is enjoying some welcome attention after one of the creatures they've been monitoring started gaining a loyal social media following. @MaryLeeShark is the fake Twitter handle for a very real, nearly 3,500-pound great white whose movements can be tracked online and in real time.
	Study questions existence of housekeeping genes In a study to better understand the role of the body's "housekeeping" genes, scientists in the Departments of Chemistry and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University scoured every existing database of these genes, to isolate the bona fide genes responsible for basal and essential cellular functions.
	How the Burmese python grows and shrinks after it eats The Burmese python's body undergoes massive reconstruction followed by complete deconstruction every time it eats. Within three days of eating, its organs expand up to double in size and its metabolism and digestive processes increase 10- to 44-fold. Ten days after eating, the snake's meal is digested and these changes have reversed, allowing the body to shrink and return back to its pre-meal state. In a new study published in Physiological Genomics, a team of U.S. researchers tracked in detail how this extreme makeover is controlled by changes in gene expression.
	A great big new forest park won't save Leadbeater's possum The recent change to the conservation status of Leadbeater's possum from endangered to critically endangered has renewed calls for an extended national park, because some experts argue that both the possum and the forests on which it depends are threatened by clearfelling and bushfires.
	New analysis of archived calls of North Atlantic right whales reveals distinctive traits Human beings have unique voices—from the deep, resonating bass of James Earl Jones to the raspy melodies sung by Broadway star Carol Channing—and we routinely recognize individuals based solely on the way they sound, for example over the telephone, on a music CD or in an animated film.
	New species of marine roly poly pillbug discovered near Port of Los Angeles A new research paper published in the open access journal ZooKeys reports on a discovery made during a Los Angeles class fieldtrip—a new species of marine pillbug (Crustacea: Isopoda). While documenting that new species, a second new species of pillbug originally collected 142 years ago by biologists on a wooden sailing ship in Alaska was discovered in a collection room at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) by researchers Adam Wall and Dr. Regina Wetzer.
	'Island' grevillea drifts through time Genetic testing of the bird-pollinated Grevillea georgeana (Proteaceae) on 'terrestrial islands' in WA has found most are so isolated that their evolution has become driven by genetic drift.
Seals threaten Scottish cod stock recovery Predatory seals are constraining the recovery of cod stocks in Scottish West coast waters, research led at the University of Strathclyde suggests.
	New cryptic amphipod discovered in West Caucasus caves An international team of scientists have discovered a new species of typhlogammarid amphipod in the limestone karstic caves of Chjalta mountain range—the southern foothills of the Greater Caucasus Range. The study was published in the open access journal Subterranean Biology.
	Chronic illness causes less harm when carnivores cooperate Gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park have given researchers the first scientific evidence from wild mammals that living in a group can lessen the impacts of a chronic disease. The research also is one of the first studies to measure the costs of infected non-human individuals of any species on members of their group. A paper describing the research will be published in Ecology Letters on May 18, 2015.
	Japanese aquariums rely on controversial dolphin hunt: report Nearly half the dolphins in Japan's aquariums are caught using a controversial fishing method that sees dozens more slaughtered every year, a newspaper reported Saturday.
	Sensory properties, another criteria for wheat breeding A new study from UPM suggests that bread from certain spelt wheat varieties have differentiated sensory properties that could be considered for future breeding works.
	Britain 'turning grey' as front gardens paved over The English are famous for their love of gardens but many homeowners are now paving over theirs, turning Britain "grey", the Royal Horticultural Society warned on Monday.
	Mystery over 1,300 birds found dead on Chilean beach Chilean authorities said Monday they are investigating what killed some 1,300 seabirds that mysteriously turned up dead on a beach.

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