Science X Newsletter Thursday, May 14

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 14, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Left-handed cosmic magnetic field could explain missing antimatter
- Host, heal thyself: Immune system self-organizes to minimize biological cost of pathogenic infections
- New research reveals first warm-blooded fish
- Octopus arm inspires future surgical tool
- Study reveals fruit flies exhibit the building blocks of emotion
- Signaling pathway revealed through which a promising anti-leukemia drug kills cancer cells
- Three perspectives on 'The Dress'
- Further assessment needed of dispersants used in response to oil spills
- New trigger for volcanic eruptions discovered using jelly and lasers
- Climate change helped to reduce ozone levels, study says
- Findings reveal clues to functioning of mysterious 'mimivirus'
- Researchers hone technique for finding signs of life on Mars
- 'Hydrogels' boost ability of stem cells to restore eyesight and heal brains
- CLAIRE brings electron microscopy to soft materials
- Hubble catches a stellar exodus in action

Astronomy & Space news

	Left-handed cosmic magnetic field could explain missing antimatter The discovery of a 'left-handed' magnetic field that pervades the universe could help explain a long standing mystery – the absence of cosmic antimatter. A group of scientists, led by Prof Tanmay Vachaspati from Arizona State University in the United States, with collaborators at the University of Washington and Nagoya University, announce their result in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	Asteroid's distant 'flyby' Thursday An asteroid, designated 1999 FN53, will safely pass more than 26 times the distance of Earth to the moon on May 14. To put it another way, at its closest point, the asteroid will get no closer than 6.3 million miles away (10 million kilometers). It will not get closer than that for well over 100 years. And even then, (119 years from now) it will be so far away it will not affect our planet in any way, shape or form. 1999 FN53 is approximately 3,000 feet (1 kilometer) across.
	Comet Wild 2: A window into the birth of the solar system? Our solar system, and other planetary systems, started as a disk of microscopic dust, gas, and ice around the young Sun. The amazing diversity of objects in the solar system today - the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets - was made from this primitive dust.
	Researchers hone technique for finding signs of life on Mars For centuries, people have imagined the possibility of life on Mars. But long-held dreams that Martians could be invaders of Earth, or little green men, or civilized superbeings, all have been undercut by missions to our neighboring planet that have, so far, uncovered no life at all.
	Hubble catches a stellar exodus in action Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have captured for the first time snapshots of fledgling white dwarf stars beginning their slow-paced, 40-million-year migration from the crowded center of an ancient star cluster to the less populated suburbs.
British soprano suspends plans to sing in space British singer Sarah Brightman said Wednesday she was suspending plans to launch into space to perform on the International Space Station due to "family reasons".
	What happens to an astronaut's body temperature in space? It started with a simple question that ended with a surprising answer and new technology that is being used in cutting-edge heart surgery and could save millions of euros in hospital bills.
	COSMIAC's third CubeSat mission will study ionosphere The University of New Mexico's Configurable Space Microsystems Innovations and Applications Center (COSMIAC) is preparing its third CubeSat, a small, cube-shaped satellite, for a space launch.
	Does the red planet have green auroras? Martian auroras will never best the visual splendor of those we see on Earth, but have no doubt. The red planet still has what it takes to throw an auroral bash. Witness the latest news from NASA's MAVEN atmospheric probe.
Russia races to replace British singer Sarah Brightman as space tourist Russia's space officials on Thursday rushed to find a replacement for British singer Sarah Brightman after she pulled out as the next space tourist four months ahead of her planned trip.
	Circular orbits for small extrasolar planets Orbits of 74 small extrasolar planets are found to be close to circular, in contrast to previous measurements of massive exoplanets. The results, to be published in the Astrophysical Journal are obtained by the SAC researchers Vincent Van Eylen and Simon Albrecht.
	Image: Orion test lab mockup for next flight completed The construction of an Orion crew module and crew module adapter full-scale mockup has been completed at the Lockheed Martin Littleton, Colorado facility. This mockup was transferred to the Orion Test Lab (OTL) on May 13, 2015 where engineers will configure it with the exact harnessing, electrical power, sensors, avionics and flight software needed to support Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1).

Technology news

	Octopus arm inspires future surgical tool A robotic arm that can bend, stretch and squeeze through cluttered environments has been created by a group of researchers from Italy.
	GE engineers make engine using additive manufacturing process GE engineers have been getting firsthand insights about additive manufacturing as applied to jet engines. News of their success in 3D-printing a mini-jet engine has gathered some attention. The team made a simple 3D-printed engine that roared at 33,000 rotations per minute, said a report. The team who built it are at GE Aviation's Additive Development Center outside Cincinnati. The focus there is on techniques in additive manufacturing for making 3D structures by melting metal powder layer upon layer.
	'Venom' vulnerability found in virtualization platforms allows complete access to all user data Security firm CrowdStrike has found a potentially serious vulnerability in a type of virtualization platform that could allow a hacker to breakout from its own virtual space and into the space of other users on a shared server. That means that millions of uses relying on the security of data stored "in the cloud" could be put at risk.
Periscope goes back to the sea in around-the-world race A baseball game lasts a few hours, and a golf tournament can run a long weekend. But sailors in the Volvo Ocean Race are at sea for nine months, enough time for entire technologies to come and go.
	US House passes bill ending NSA bulk data collection The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to end the NSA's dragnet collection of telephone data from millions of Americans, a controversial program revealed in 2013 by former security contractor Edward Snowden.
	China warns soldiers against wearable gadgets China has warned soldiers against using smartwatches, high-tech spectacles and other Internet-connected wearable gadgets, saying they could "endanger security" after a recruit was caught trying to take a photograph of troops.
	Senate under pressure after House votes to end NSA program After the House's lopsided bipartisan vote to end the National Security Agency's bulk collection of Americans' phone records, the Senate is under considerable pressure to pass a similar measure. If it doesn't, lawmakers risk letting the authority to collect the records expire June 1, along with other important counterterrorism provisions.
	Microsoft releases lineup of planned Windows 10 editions Windows 10 will be released with at least six different variants, with features tailored for businesses, personal users and mobile devices, Microsoft said Wednesday.
	In land of fakes, Chinese e-commerce giant sells trust Before he became a billionaire in e-commerce, Richard Liu was a failure.
	Artbot app engineers the discovery of art Is it possible to engineer the discovery of art? In 2013, two graduate students in MIT's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) set out to answer that question, and today, thanks to their work as research assistants—there's an app for that!
	The Apple Watch heralds a brave new world of digital living "The Watch is here" touts Apple's slogan for its wearable computer, implying that the one and only time-piece that really matters has arrived. So much for the Rolex Cosmograph and Seiko Astron when you can buy a stylish digital Apple Watch Sport, or even Apple Watch Edition crafted with 18-karat gold.
	Online voting is convenient, but if the results aren't verifiable it's not worth the risk In one of the most fiercely contested elections in years, the turnout of the 2015 British general election was still stubbornly low at 66.1% – only a single percentage point more than in 2010, and still around 10 points lower than the ranges common before the 1990s.
	'On-demand' startups see surge in venture capital Startups in the "on-demand" sector—such as Uber and Instacart, which offer speedy services on a smartphone app—are seeing an unprecedented surge in venture capital, a new report showed Thursday.
Rdio ramps up streaming music effort Music-streaming service Rdio on Thursday ramped its offerings with a subscription that allows people to keep a selection of songs for off-line listening.
	Device may allow sensations in prosthetic hands To the nearly 2 million people in the U.S. living with the loss of a limb, including U.S. military veterans, prosthetic devices provide restored mobility yet lack sensory feedback. A team of engineers and researchers at Washington University in St. Louis is working to change that so those with upper limb prosthetics can feel hot and cold and the sense of touch through their prosthetic hands.
Judge lets Russian man charged with hacking fire his lawyers A Russian man who prosecutors say made millions as a prolific computer hacker and credit card thief was allowed to fire his lawyers on Wednesday, just minutes before the start of a two-day hearing to decide whether his arrest in the Maldives was legal.
	Safety technology might have prevented deadly Amtrak crash The deadly Amtrak derailment near Philadelphia appears to be yet another accident that didn't have to happen.
Spain to offer free, unlimited Wi-Fi in 46 airports Spain's airport authority says it will start providing free and unlimited Wi-Fi in 46 airports across the country by the end of the year.
	Robot Rodeo at Sandia Labs showcases bomb squad expertise Bomb squads from across the country saddled up their robots and are duking it out at the ninth annual Western National Robot Rodeo and Capability Exercise at Sandia National Laboratories. The five-day event offers a challenging platform for civilian and military bomb squad teams to practice defusing dangerous situations with robots' help.
	Smart transportation model can save 200 million euros The Netherlands spend 1 billion euros a year on target group transportation. This type of transportation is meant for those people who are unable to make use of own means of transportation or regular public transportation, such as the elderly or persons with a handicap. Given the high costs involved, it is crucial to plan this type of transportation as efficiently as possible. Mathematics student Inge Tensen of the University of Twente developed a transportation model that organizes all transportation flows for vulnerable people in a smarter way. This enables cost savings of at least 20%, without loss of quality.
	How to turn a basic electronics lab into a low-cost, advanced telecommunications one A piece of work by the NUP/UPNA-Public University of Navarre on how to turn a basic electronics lab into a low-cost, complete telecommunications lab has received the best paper award in the category of "Innovative Materials, Teaching and Learning Experiences in Engineering Education" at the 6th IEEE Global Education Conference (EDUCON). The conference, held recently in Tallinn (Estonia), is regarded as one of the main events worldwide in the field of engineering education.

Medicine & Health news

	Host, heal thyself: Immune system self-organizes to minimize biological cost of pathogenic infections (Medical Xpress)—The adaptive immune system – a subsystem of the overall immune system – comprises specialized cells and processes that eliminate or prevent pathogen growth by using the experience of past infections to prepare its limited repertoire of specialized receptors to protect organisms from future threats. Recently, scientists at CNRS and Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris and the University of Pennsylvania developed a general theoretical framework from first principles that allowed them to predict the composition of receptor repertoires optimally adapted to minimize the biological cost of infections from a given pathogenic environment. Their theory predicts that the immune system will have more receptors for rare antigens; individuals exposed to the same infections will have largely different repertoires; and competitive antigen/receptor binding and selective amplification of stimulated receptors are key to creating o! ptimal repertoires. Their findings explain how limited populations of immune receptors can self-organize to provide effective immunity against highly diverse pathogens, and moreover inform the design and interpretation of experiments surveying immune repertoires.
	Study: Vitamin B3 may help prevent certain skin cancers For the first time, a large study suggests that a vitamin might modestly lower the risk of the most common types of skin cancer in people with a history of these relatively harmless yet troublesome growths.
	New age of genome editing could lead to cure for sickle cell anemia UNSW Australia researchers have shown that changing just a single letter of the DNA of human red blood cells in the laboratory increases their production of oxygen-carrying haemoglobin - a world-first advance that could lead to a cure for sickle cell anaemia and other blood disorders.
	Every bite you take, every move you make, astrocytes will be watching you Chewing, breathing, and other regular bodily functions that we undertake "without thinking" actually do require the involvement of our brain, but the question of how the brain programs such regular functions intrigues scientists.
	Study shows Ebola virus in Sierra Leone mutated at a normal rate A new genetic analysis of the Ebola virus suggests that it has evolved considerably since its introduction into Sierra Leone in 2014 - but that its rate of change has been similar to that observed in earlier outbreaks.
	Researchers identify new target for anti-malaria drugs A new target for drug development in the fight against the deadly disease malaria has been discovered by researchers at MIT.
Signaling pathway revealed through which a promising anti-leukemia drug kills cancer cells Inhibiting a protein called BRD4 critical to the survival of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells has shown to be an effective therapeutic strategy. However, the mechanism that explains how the protein works has remained a mystery. Now, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered the larger cancer-causing pathway that the protein fits into.
	Three perspectives on 'The Dress' When you look at this photograph, what colors are the dress? Some see blue and black stripes, others see white and gold stripes. This striking variation took the internet by storm in February; now Current Biology is publishing three short papers on why the image is seen differently by different observers, and what this tells us about the complicated workings of color perception.
	Frontline immune cells can travel for help A new Australian study shows that cells which form the bulk of our fast-acting 'innate' immune system behave differently, depending on whether an injury is infected or not.
New mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia gene Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have developed a mouse model that exhibits the neuropathological and behavioral features associated with the most common genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which are caused by a mutation in the C9ORF72 gene.
	'Hydrogels' boost ability of stem cells to restore eyesight and heal brains Toronto scientists and engineers have made a breakthrough in cell transplantation using a gel-like biomaterial that keeps cells alive and helps them integrate better into tissue. In two early lab trials, this has already shown to partially reverse blindness and help the brain recover from stroke.
	Common hospital soap effective in preventing hospital-acquired infections Holding hope for a relatively inexpensive way to improve care and prevent the spread of deadly hospital-acquired infections, a new study reports that bathing patients in a common hospital soap, called chlorhexidine, was equally effective in preventing the transmission of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the common practice of having healthcare workers avoid physical contact with the patients.
	Researchers identify positive, negative effects of smartphone use and exercise Kent State University researchers Jacob Barkley, Ph.D., and Andrew Lepp, Ph.D., as well as Kent State alumni Michael Rebold, Ph.D., and Gabe Sanders, Ph.D., assessed how common smartphone uses - texting and talking - interfere with treadmill exercise.
Study matches infant stiff-joint syndromes to possible genetic origins A study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has for the first time matched dozens of infantile diseases and syndromes involving muscle weakness and stiff joints to their likely genetic origins.
	Testing hand-grip strength could be a simple, low-cost way to predict heart attack and stroke risk Weak grip strength is linked with shorter survival and a greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to an international study involving almost 140000 adults from 17 culturally and economically diverse countries.
Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy achieves better overall survival than surgery for early lung cancer Patients with operable stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could achieve better overall survival rates if treated with Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) rather than the current standard of care—invasive surgery—according to research from a phase III randomized international study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
	New insight into inflammatory bowel disease may lead to better treatments Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) afflicts 1.6 million people in the United States, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, rectal bleeding and other potentially debilitating symptoms.
Variations in liver cancer attributable to hepatitis virus variations Significant clinical variations exist among patients with the most common type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), depending on the viral cause of the disease -hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). These differences suggest that hepatitis status should be considered when developing treatment plans for newly diagnosed patients, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Tumor sequencing study highlights benefits of profiling healthy tissue as well As the practice of genetically profiling patient tumors for clinical treatment decision making becomes more commonplace, a recent study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests that profiling normal DNA also provides an important opportunity to identify inherited mutations that could be critical for patients and their families.
Smaller volumes in certain regions of the brain could lead to increased likelihood of drug addiction An article publishing online today in Brain: A Journal of Neurology has found that individual differences in brain structure could help to determine the risk for future drug addiction. The study found that occasional users who subsequently increased their drug use compared with those who did not, showed brain structural differences when they started using drugs.
Immune approach is new tool against multiple myeloma cancer A new kind of immune therapy has shown promise against the third most common blood cancer, multiple myeloma, researchers said Wednesday.
	A nail in the eye, a lucky landscaper left without a scratch A 27-year-old landscaper is one lucky guy: The Boston man escaped with barely a scratch after a nearly 3-inch nail hurtled into his eye when he accidentally hit it with a weed-whacker.
	Brazil doping lab gets Olympic all clear: WADA Brazil's drug-testing laboratory has had its status as an Olympic-standard facility restored, two years after being stripped of the elite ranking, the World Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday.
Giving HOPE: US has nearly 400 HIV-positive potential organ donors In the first-of-its-kind study since the passage of the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act (the HOPE Act), which lifted the ban on organ donations from one HIV-positive person to another, Penn Medicine researchers report on the quality of these organs and how their use might impact the country's organ shortage. The study, published online ahead of print May 14 in the American Journal of Transplantation, revealed that there are nearly 400 HIV-positive potential organ donors who could be sources of donated organs annually for HIV-positive patients waiting for organ donations.
	USDA develops new government label for GMO-free products The Agriculture Department has developed a new government certification and labeling for foods that are free of genetically modified ingredients.
Narrative medicine program helps heal mind and body Storytelling has always been an essential part of the human experience. From prehistoric tales of the hunt, to fairytales, and even modern blockbusters, stories have reflected the culture, values and experiences of not only the characters but the storyteller himself.
How electrical stimulation accelerates wound healing The most detailed study to date showing how electrical stimulation accelerates wound healing has been carried out in 40 volunteers by University of Manchester scientists.
Researchers hope to forecast novel psychoactive substance use by the public The use of novel psychoactive substances – synthetic compounds with stimulant or hallucinogenic effects – is on the rise. The diversity and breadth of these substances has led policymakers, law enforcement officers, and healthcare providers alike to feel overwhelmed and underprepared for dealing with novel drugs. A recent article published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse proposes a "forecasting method" for policymakers and researchers to focus on what is likely to happen with new recreational drugs.
	How dangerous liaisons between human and animal parasites generate new strains of disease New strains of the human pathogen responsible for African sleeping sickness can arise by swapping genes between human and animal variants of the parasite, new research from the University of Bristol has found.
	Researchers uncover new mode of cardiovascular communication Scientists have found that blood vessel cells have a deeper level of communication than previously believed – a discovery that could lead to new diagnostics and more targeted treatment for cardiovascular disease.
	Persistence yields progress in AIDS vaccine research Phil Berman has been working to develop an AIDS vaccine for nearly 30 years, first at the pioneering biotech company Genentech, then as cofounder of VaxGen, and now at UC Santa Cruz, where he is the Baskin Professor of Biomolecular Engineering. Since his arrival at UC Santa Cruz in 2006, Berman has established a major vaccine research effort funded by a series of grants from the National Institutes of Health, including two new grants in 2014 totaling $2.6 million.
	New model predicts readmission of congestive heart failure patients Readmission of patients with chronic diseases is a growing problem, costing the U.S. health care system about $25 billion each year. Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas developed a predictive analytics model that can identify congestive heart failure patients with high readmission risk and potentially help stymie those costs.
Questions still outnumber answers on bullying, says researcher A leading researcher says remedies for school bullying remain elusive, although four decades of study have yielded many more clues to its devastation.
	A wearable robotic sleeve for upper limb rehabilitation A wearable FES-robot hybrid training system has been designed for multi-joint upper limb rehabilitation. With successful combination of the two technologies' advantages, recovery achieved by the hybrid system was more prominent than using either technology alone in pilot clinical trials.
	Experts say 'guilt by association' approach helps detect silent aneurysms Yale researchers outlined a new, more aggressive strategy for detecting silent but deadly aortic aneurysms in an article published April 24 by Open Heart, a publication by the British Medical Journal and British Cardiovascular Society.
	Researchers solve multiple sclerosis puzzle Evidence has long suggested multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease, but researchers have been puzzled because they found the same T cells that attack the myelin sheathing around nerve cells in MS patients are present in healthy subjects as well.
	Online smoking intervention shows cost-effective way to distribute health resources worldwide An online smoking cessation program that offered personalized guidance and support free of charge to smokers worldwide prompted thousands to quit, and should be used as a blueprint for other global health initiatives, according to one of its founders.
	Breakthrough opens door to safer lupus drugs A ground-breaking discovery by Monash University researchers could revolutionise treatments given to lupus sufferers, saving thousands of people each year from serious illness or death caused by secondary infections.
Technology could be the key to help people improve and maintain positive mental health Technology could be the key to help people improve and maintain positive mental health according to researchers at the University of Sheffield.
UK experts urge $2bn global fund to develop antibiotics The global pharmaceutical industry should set up a $2.0 billion (1.8-billion euro) global innovation fund to help kickstart research into developing more resistant antibiotics, experts said on Thursday.
	Smoking induces early signs of cancer in cheek swabs DNA damage caused by smoking can be detected in cheek swabs, finds research published today in JAMA Oncology. The study provides evidence that smoking induces a general cancer program that is also present in cancers which aren't usually associated with it - including breast and gynaecological cancers.
New release of Glioblastoma Atlas sheds light on deadly disease Robust new data added to the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project (Ivy GAP) changes the scope and impact of this publicly available resource for researchers and clinicians searching for treatments for this most deadly and aggressive of brain cancers, glioblastoma multiforme.
Safety switch preserves beneficial effects of cell therapy Researchers in the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist and Texas Children's Hospital have found that a single dose of an otherwise harmless drug can safely control the severe and often lethal side effects associated with haploidentical stem cell transplantation.Due to the immune-compromising nature of haploidentical stem cell transplantation, where the stem cells are only half matched, patients are at an increased risk of viral infection and of a lethal complication called graft versus host disease, when the graft cells, which have immune potential, attack the tissues of the person whose original immune system has been eliminated as part of treatment. Investigators have now shown how a molecular "switch" (inducible caspase 9 or iC9) that is activated by a single dose of a bio-inert chemical is able to clear all symptoms of graft versus host disease without jeopardizing the ability of t! he infused graft to fight infection.
	Minimal residual disease alone not predictive in T-cell leukemia Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer. This disease includes two subtypes, B-cell and T-cell leukemia, depending upon the type of white blood cell where the leukemia originates. For B-cell ALL, the presence of a small number of remaining leukemia cells, called minimal residual disease (MRD), predicts risk of relapse and is therefore used to guide treatment decisions. A team of investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, led by Hisham Abdel-Azim, MD, conducted a historical cohort analysis and found that MRD alone, at the end of induction therapy, was not predictive of risk or outcome in children with T-ALL.
	New form of inherited blindness discovered Scientists from the University of Leeds, in collaboration with researchers from the Institute of Ophthalmology in London and Ghent University in Belgium, have discovered that mutations in the gene DRAM2 cause a new type of late-onset inherited blindness.
Study estimates prevalence of glaucoma among Singapore Chinese A study of Chinese adults in Singapore suggests the prevalence of glaucoma, a disease of the eye that can result in blindness, was 3.2 percent, with no difference from a previous study conducted in 1997, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology.
Study examines treatment factors associated with oral cavity cancer survival The surgical procedure known as neck dissection to remove lymph nodes and receiving treatment at academic or research institutions was associated with improved survival in patients with stages I and II oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OCSCC), according to a report published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
	Bile acid microcapsules shows promise in drug delivery Bile acid microcapsules have the potential to effectively deliver diabetic drugs by remaining stable and controlling their release once ingested.
	No adverse pregnancy outcomes for Tdap at 32 weeks (HealthDay)—Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination at 32 weeks of gestation is not associated with adverse pregnancy or neonatal outcomes, according to a study published online May 6 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Positive plus negative treatment recs cut antibiotic Rx (HealthDay)—For children with viral acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI), combined use of positive and negative treatment recommendations is associated with reduced risk of antibiotic prescribing, according to a study published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
	Lower sleep quality for patients with psoriasis vulgaris (HealthDay)—Compared with controls, patients with psoriasis vulgaris do not have significant differences in general psychiatric symptoms and strategies for coping, but do have lower sleep quality, according to a study published online May 6 in the International Journal of Dermatology.
	Multimodal strategy improves ovarian cancer detection (HealthDay)—Screening with a multimodal strategy (MMS), in which annual serum cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) is interpreted with the risk of ovarian cancer algorithm (ROCA), improves detection of invasive epithelial ovarian or tubal cancers (iEOCs), according to a study published online May 11 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Definitive tests for irritable bowel syndrome developed Millions of people afflicted by irritable bowel syndrome can now be diagnosed quickly and accurately with two simple blood tests developed by a Cedars-Sinai gastroenterologist.
Recommended levels of activity rarely achieved in busy workplace environment Even a busy job may not provide enough exercise to meet current activity recommendations for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, according to a study reported today at the EuroPRevent congress in Lisbon.
	Educating the immune system to prevent allergies With the arrival of spring, millions of Canadians have begun their annual ritual of sneezing and wheezing due to seasonal allergies. A research team at the Montreal Children's Hospital from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is bringing them hope with a potential vaccine that nudges the immune response away from developing allergies. The findings published in the journal Mucosal Immunology have major clinical implications since allergies and asthma are lifelong conditions that often start in childhood and for which there is presently no cure.
Medicaid patients need support to use primary care rather than emergency rooms More than half of all Medicaid enrollees prefer the "one-stop shop" of a hospital emergency department to receive care for conditions that could be treated effectively at a primary care clinic, according to an article by a researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Study finds those who believe in pure evil support more harsh criminal punishments Our belief in pure evil influences our feelings about capital punishment, finds a Kansas State University psychology study.
	Study finds support for obesity designation as disease In the first assessment of public opinion since obesity was formally classified as a disease, a new study from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut has found that a majority of Americans support the designation.
	Contraceptive and cholesterol-lowering drugs used to treat cancer The combination of a cholesterol-lowering drug, Bezafibrate, and a contraceptive steroid, Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, could be an effective, non-toxic treatment for a range of cancers, researchers at the University of Birmingham have found.
Adding chemotherapy to standard prostate cancer treatment may extend life expectancy New research led by the University of Warwick shows newly diagnosed advanced prostate cancer patients who received the chemotherapy drug docetaxel with standard hormone therapy lived ten months longer on average, compared to those who received standard therapy alone.
	Experimental immunotherapy shows high response rate in advanced lung cancer An early phase study testing an anti-PDL1 agent in combination with standard chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer has provided promising early results, prompting multiple phase III studies in lung cancer. The findings are being presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
	Unemployment linked to rise in prostate cancer deaths The knock-on effects of the economic downturn have been explored in economy and psychology. Now researchers are examining the effects of unemployment on an even darker subject - cancer mortality.
	How healthcare is organized may affect how well blood pressure is controlled For medical practices, having more unique doctors on staff and having doctors see more patients doesn't necessarily lead to improved patient outcomes—and in fact, may have the opposite effect, according to a brief report in the June issue of Medical Care.
	Computerized vital signs analysis may help prevent trauma patients from bleeding to death Automated analysis of the vital signs commonly monitored in patients being transported to trauma centers could significantly improve the ability to diagnose those with life-threatening bleeding before they arrive at the hospital, potentially saving their lives. In the May issue of the journal Shock, a research team from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the U.S. Army, air ambulance service Boston MedFlight, and two other Boston trauma centers report successful field testing of a system that simultaneously analyzed blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing patterns during emergency transport, finding that it accurately detected most cases of life-threatening bleeding in a fully automated fashion.
Russia warns of two million HIV carriers in five years Russia's AIDS epidemic is worsening and at least two million people are likely to be infected with HIV in about five years as the virus increasingly affects the heterosexual population, the country's top AIDS specialist said on Thursday.
	School-grown vegetables increase salad selection If kids grow vegetables, they're more likely to eat them. A new Cornell study published in Acta Paediatrica shows that when garden grown vegetables were slipped into school salads, kids were over four times as likely to take a salad.
Study paves way for early detection of liver cancer Led by Georgia State University, researchers have developed the first robust and noninvasive detection of early stage liver cancer and liver metastases, in addition to other liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and liver fibrosis.
	Bacteria contribute to immune suppression in skin after repeated schistosome exposure Our two square meters of skin act as a defensive barrier against environmental pathogens but is also covered by beneficial commensal bacteria. We live alongside these bacteria without excessive and unnecessary immune responses, which could destroy the skin's function as a barrier and so make us more vulnerable to infections. However, we must also be able to establish a robust immune response to invading pathogens. A study published on May 14th in PLOS Pathogens explores that delicate balance and reports that when schistosome parasites repeatedly penetrate the skin they are cloaked in skin bacteria, leading to a tightly controlled and limited immune response, due in part to this cloaking mechanism.
	30 minutes of physical activity six days a week linked to 40 percent lower risk of death in elderly men Thirty minutes of physical activity—irrespective of its intensity—6 days a week is linked to a 40% lower risk of death from any cause among elderly men, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
TB Alliance launches 'Nix-TB' clinical trial to test new XDR-TB treatment TB Alliance and its partners announced the start of a clinical trial of a new regimen to treat extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB.) It is the first study to test an all-oral drug regimen, comprised of drugs with minimal pre-existing resistance, that has the potential to shorten, simplify, and improve treatment for XDR-TB.
Three questions to help sort student health coverage choices A key question remains for many students who've finally settled on a college destination: How will they or their parents handle health care coverage?
	Posture correction girdle for adolescents with early scoliosis Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis gradually leads to three dimensional deformity of the spine in youths. Patients with spinal curvatures of more than 41 degrees have to be treated with surgery. Patients with curvatures of 25 to 40 degrees have to wear a brace to control curve progression. But since braces need to be worn for long periods of time and may cause skin irritations as well as discomforts, compliance is often low, affecting the success rate of the treatment.
	Program to help drunk drivers steer clear of reoffending An Australian-first QUT-developed online program to help first-time drink drivers steer clear of reoffending will be trialed in Brisbane and Cairns.
The caloric math of huge burgers Last month in PEI we "celebrated" what has become an annual ritual known as Burger Love. If you are not familiar with the concept, it is an event sponsored by various government industries and the PEI beef farmers to promote local meat consumption. Restaurants across the island prepare extravagant burgers, and after eating them (at $15/piece) the patrons rank them online so that a winner is crowned at the end of the month. Let me say upfront, that I don't think this is a bad promotion overall – and for full disclosure I will admit that I tried a burger or two myself (usually shared with my wife) and they were quite tasty.
Allen Cell types database launched The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today that it is taking the first major scientific step to create a searchable standards database for the brain with the launch of the Allen Cell Types Database. This first release includes information on the location, electrical activity and shape of more than 240 neurons.
Lead poisoning kills 28 children in central Nigeria: govt Lead poisoning has killed 28 children in central Nigeria's Niger state, the government has said, in the latest incident that has claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.
Children's views should shape how research is conducted, says ethics body A new report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics calls for a change in culture across all areas of children's health research, so that children's and young people's views and opinions can help to shape how research is prioritised, designed and reviewed. Unless ethical concerns about asking children to take part in research are addressed, our understanding of childhood disorders and ability to provide evidence based care will remain limited.
Stress relief techniques help cancer patients overcome fear of treatment A service evaluation at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, England, has shown the benefit of rapid stress management techniques (RSMTs) to help cancer patients who experience 'procedure-related' stress.
Researchers expand program to build comprehensive approach to school wellness An Iowa State University research team is working with elementary schools to improve academic outcomes through SWITCH – a program aimed at getting children to "switch what they do, view and chew."
Study characterizes the incidence and effects of severe kidney injury during pregnancy A new study indicates that severe kidney injury is rare during pregnancy, but it typically occurs in otherwise healthy women who acquire a major pregnancy-related complication. The study, which will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), also reveals the health outcomes of mothers and their babies following severe kidney injury during pregnancy.
The World Bank Group and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases launch APOC collection On May 14, 2015, the World Bank Group and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases will launch a collection of peer-reviewed articles on the history and success of the control of river blindness (onchocerciasis) in Africa that started with the Onchocerciasis Control Program (OCP) in 1974 and transitioned into the African Program for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) in 1995.
Bird flu found at South Dakota egg-laying chicken farm South Dakota has its first case of bird flu at an egg-laying chicken farm that holds 1.3 million of the birds.
Genomics laboratory capability in Liberia supports Ebola virus outbreak response Army scientists working to support the Ebola virus outbreak response in West Africa have established the first genomic surveillance capability in Liberia, enabling them to monitor genetic changes in the virus within one week of sample collection. An article describing their work was recently published ahead of print in the online edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Biology news

	New research reveals first warm-blooded fish New research by NOAA Fisheries has revealed the opah, or moonfish, as the first fully warm-blooded fish that circulates heated blood throughout its body much like mammals and birds, giving it a competitive advantage in the cold ocean depths.
	In evolution, 'house of cards' model wins Using sophisticated modeling of genomic data from diverse species, Yale researchers have answered a longstanding question about which competing model of evolution works best.
	Study reveals fruit flies exhibit the building blocks of emotion A fruit fly starts buzzing around food at a picnic, so you wave your hand over the insect and shoo it away. But when the insect flees the scene, is it doing so because it is actually afraid? Using fruit flies to study the basic components of emotion, a new Caltech study reports that a fly's response to a shadowy overhead stimulus might be analogous to a negative emotional state such as fear—a finding that could one day help us understand the neural circuitry involved in human emotion.
	Geneticists clock genetic differences between 'larks' and 'owls' A new study by geneticists from the University of Leicester has for the first time identified the genetic clues behind what makes you a 'lark' or an 'owl'.
	Gene regulation underlies the evolution of social complexity in bees Explaining the evolution of insect society, with sterile society members displaying extreme levels of altruism, has long been a major scientific challenge, dating back to Charles Darwin's day. A new genomic study of 10 species of bees representing a spectrum of social living - from solitary bees to those in complex, highly social colonies - offers new insights into the genetic changes that accompany the evolution of bee societies.
	Findings reveal clues to functioning of mysterious 'mimivirus' Researchers have discovered the structure of a key protein on the surface of an unusually large virus called the mimivirus, aiding efforts to determine its hosts and unknown functions.
	Study uncovers why songbirds vary in time devoted to warming eggs The amount of time and effort songbirds spend warming their eggs directly correlates to their own survival probability and that of their eggs, according to a study by University of Montana researchers that will appear in an upcoming issue of The American Naturalist.
	Belgian shepherd dogs seem to have genetic protection against diabetes A genetic interaction which may protect Belgian shepherd dogs from developing diabetes has been discovered in a project led by researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Uppsala University. In this breed, the researchers found a novel mechanism of regulating blood sugar levels via an interaction of genes located on two different chromosomes.
	Bovine TB infection depends on feedback between cattle and badgers Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is an infectious disease affecting cattle and badgers. New research from the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge has found that BTB is most likely to be nearly under control in both species taken in isolation, however together, control is likely to be considerably more challenging.
	Iconic Indian fish on the brink of extinction The legendary humpback Mahseer, one of the world's most iconic freshwater fish, is on the brink of extinction according to scientists from Bournemouth University in the UK and St. Albert's College in Kochi, India.
	Team finds geckos resistant to antibiotics, may pose risk to pet owners Tokay geckos harbor bacteria that are resistant to a number of antibiotics, making them a health concern for pet owners, according to a study by University of Georgia researchers.
	Argentine judge to decide Sandra the orangutan's fate An Argentine judge began hearing expert testimony this week to decide what to do with an orangutan named Sandra after another court ruled she was entitled to certain human rights, including the right to be freed from the Buenos Aires Zoo.
Germination can make buckwheat more nutritious With the increasing demand for food with health benefits, high nutritional value food materials are attracting more attention from both consumers and food manufacturers.
	Prozac treatment can help anxious dogs Dogs who suffer with separation anxiety become more optimistic when taking the animal equivalent of Prozac during behavioural treatment, according to the results of an innovative new study.
	Citizen scientist divers help track the success of artificial reefs In 2000, the City of San Diego in collaboration with the San Diego Oceans Foundation (SDOF), purchased, cleaned and sank a 366 foot-long Canadian warship called the HMCS Yukon to create an artificial reef, a task at which has been spectacularly successful. Sitting at the bottom of the San Diego coast, the Yukon attracts dozens of local marine life species and is becoming a revenue-generating attraction for tourist divers from around the world.

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