Science X Newsletter Thursday, May 7

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 7, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- MESSENGER reveals Mercury's magnetic field secrets
- Ancient star raises prospects of intelligent life
- Electrons corralled using new quantum tool
- Lopsided star explosion holds the key to other supernova mysteries
- Researchers create first neural-network chip built just with memristors
- Study finds protein 'cement' that stabilizes the crossroad of chromosomes
- Hubble Finds Giant Halo Around the Andromeda Galaxy
- BioBots bioprinter to complement cutting-edge research
- Plugging up leaky graphene: New technique may enable faster, more durable water filters
- Fresh evidence for how water reached Earth found in asteroid debris
- Evolution in action: Mate competition weeds out GM fish from population
- A deadly shadow: Measles may weaken immune system up to three years
- Human security at risk as depletion of soil accelerates, scientists warn
- Genetic changes to basic developmental processes evolve more frequently than thought
- Malaria parasite's essential doorway into red blood cells illuminated

Astronomy & Space news

	Fresh evidence for how water reached Earth found in asteroid debris Water delivery via asteroids or comets is likely taking place in many other planetary systems, just as it happened on Earth, new research strongly suggests.
	Ancient star raises prospects of intelligent life Can life survive for billions of years longer than the expected timeline on Earth? As scientists discover older and older solar systems, it's likely that before long we'll find an ancient planet in a habitable zone. Knowing if life is possible on this exoplanet would have immense implications for habitability and the development of ancient life, one researcher says.
	Lopsided star explosion holds the key to other supernova mysteries New observations of a recently exploded star are confirming supercomputer model predictions made at Caltech that the deaths of stellar giants are lopsided affairs in which debris and the stars' cores hurtle off in opposite directions.
	MESSENGER reveals Mercury's magnetic field secrets New data from MESSENGER, the spacecraft that orbited Mercury for four years before crashing into the planet a week ago, reveals Mercury's magnetic field is almost four billion years old. The discovery helps scientists piece together the history of Mercury, the closest planet to the sun and one about which we knew very little before MESSENGER.
	Hubble Finds Giant Halo Around the Andromeda Galaxy Scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the immense halo of gas enveloping the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest massive galactic neighbor, is about six times larger and 1,000 times more massive than previously measured. The dark, nearly invisible halo stretches about a million light-years from its host galaxy, halfway to our own Milky Way galaxy. This finding promises to tell astronomers more about the evolution and structure of majestic giant spirals, one of the most common types of galaxies in the universe.
	Geochemical process on Saturn's moon linked to life's origin New work from a team including Carnegie's Christopher Glein has revealed the pH of water spewing from a geyser-like plume on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Their findings are an important step toward determining whether life could exist, or could have previously existed, on the sixth planet's sixth-largest moon.
	Researchers report first observation of early stages of creation of a star-forming clump (Phys.org)—An international team of space scientists has identified and observed the early stages of the creation of a star-forming clump, the first ever observed. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes how they analyzed imaging and spectroscopy from the Hubble Space telescope to identify the clump, which they believe is likely to one day form a star.
	ALMA discovers proto super star cluster—a cosmic 'dinosaur egg' about to hatch Globular clusters—dazzling agglomerations of up to a million ancient stars—are among the oldest objects in the universe. Though plentiful in and around many galaxies, newborn examples are vanishingly rare and the conditions necessary to create new ones have never been detected, until now.
	New bid to contact Europe's comet probe Europe will launch a new bid Friday to communicate with its comet lander Philae, hurtling towards the Sun some 360 million kilometres (224 million miles) from Earth, ground operators said.
	Successful SpaceX escape test 'bodes well for future' SpaceX's Dragon capsule sailed through the first flight test of its emergency astronaut escape feature Wednesday, a critical step toward launching people into space from US soil in the next two years.
	Solar Dynamics Observatory sees 'Cinco de Mayo' solar flare NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured these images of a significant solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the left – peaking at 6:11 p.m. EDT on May 5, 2015.
Researchers study radiation risks for astronauts journeying to Mars A new research facility at Colorado State University – the only one of its kind in the world – will be established with a $9 million grant from NASA to help reveal the effects of long-term exposure to space radiation as the nation prepares for a manned mission to Mars.
	TEMPO pollution monitoring instrument passes critical NASA review The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument passed a major milestone April 10, 2015 by successfully completing a critical NASA confirmation review. It has been confirmed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate to continue into the Phase C part of the project, in which the team completes the design that meets the science and measurement requirements, fabricates the instrument, and develops the ground system. TEMPO will measure North American air pollution hourly from geostationary orbit.
The role of "planet traps" in solar system formation A team from the Astrophysics, Instrumentation and Modelling laboratory at Paris-Saclay (AIM – CNRS/CEA/Université Paris Diderot) has developed a new model that represents the evolution of protoplanetary disks over millions of years. These giant structures, composed of dust and gas, are thought to be the ideal place for planet formation due to the presence of what researchers call "planet traps". Scientists have been able to use this new model to detect the most favourable locations for forming planets. The research results will be published on-line in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal on 6 May.
	Last known member of US' German moon rocket design team dies The last known surviving member of the German engineering team that came to the United States after World War II and designed the rocket that took astronauts to the moon has died.
	Ill-starred Russian space cargo ship to burn up in atmosphere Friday Russia said an unmanned supply ship that missed a rendezvous with the International Space Station will burn up on re-entering the Earth's atmosphere after the spacecraft suffered a communications failure.
German-born engineer from US space team dies Oscar Holderer, the last known engineer who left Germany after World War II to work on the US space program, died at the age of 95.

Technology news

	BioBots bioprinter to complement cutting-edge research A high-resolution desktop 3D bioprinter that builds functional 3D living tissue was shown recently at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York. The machine is significant as a less expensive way for researchers to build 3D functional structures of living tissue. BioBots is the name of the company behind the printer.
	Researchers create first neural-network chip built just with memristors (Phys.org)—A team of researchers working at the University of California (and one from Stony Brook University) has for the first time created a neural-network chip that was built using just memristors. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes how they built their chip and what capabilities it has.
	Engineers hand "cognitive" control to underwater robots For the last decade, scientists have deployed increasingly capable underwater robots to map and monitor pockets of the ocean to track the health of fisheries, and survey marine habitats and species. In general, such robots are effective at carrying out low-level tasks, specifically assigned to them by human engineers—a tedious and time-consuming process for the engineers.
	Researchers hack a teleoperated surgical robot to reveal security flaws To make cars as safe as possible, we crash them into walls to pinpoint weaknesses and better protect the people who use them.
	Google web-browsing toolbar debuts in Cuba A Google toolbar to streamline tasks—such as searching the Internet or bookmarking online pages with Web browsing programs—made its debut in Cuba.
	Colombian app builds rewards into bicycle culture Bogota-based startup Biko is out to make bicycling pay off for riders in traffic-choked cities around the world.
	Deal to curb US intelligence elusive as June deadline nears Many US lawmakers and an array of interest groups want to rein in the government's surveillance programs, aware of public backlash that began with bombshell leaks two years ago.
	Nintendo reports $350 million profit, reversal from red ink Nintendo Co. reported a net profit of 41.8 billion yen ($350 million) for the fiscal year through March, a reversal from deep losses the previous year, as it reshapes its troubled business with a long-delayed foray into smartphone games and plans to bring its video game characters to theme parks.
	Computer scientists use Twitter to predict UK general election result Computer scientists from the University of Warwick are using Twitter to predict the outcome of the UK general election and believe their forecasts could be more accurate than traditional opinion polls.
Could mobile phone data help bring electricity to the developing world? Lack of quality demographic data is a major obstacle to infrastructure planning in the developing world. In a recent study, a team of researchers from the Santa Fe Institute in the U.S., the University of Manchester in the U.K., and the Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal used anonymized cell phone data to assess the feasibility of various electrification options for rural communities in Senegal.
	'Windows 10 on everything' is Microsoft's gambit to profit from its competitors Microsoft's aim to make Windows 10 run on anything is key to its strategy of reasserting its dominance. Seemingly unassailable in the 1990s, Microsoft's position has in many markets been eaten away by the explosive growth of phones and tablets, devices in which the firm has made little impact.
	More STEM education won't protect our jobs from robots Care to guess what is the world's fastest growing industry? Health care? Biotech? Energy? Nope. According to a recent report, it's robotics.
	Generating eco-friendly power with metal rotor blades Wind turbines deliver environmentally friendly electricity. Yet the fiber-reinforced plastics often used in very large rotor blades are almost impossible to recycle. Not so with steel blades: since these are composed of steel, their recyclability exceeds 90 percent. Plus they cost significantly less than comparable plastic blades.
Taiwan's Acer holds on to fifth profitable quarter Taiwan's struggling personal computer maker Acer said Thursday it remained profitable in the three months to March despite a decline of 11.4 percent in revenues.
	Mobile growth spurs on Alibaba's revenue surge (Update) The cash register keeps ringing for Alibaba, and mobile growth is a key reason why.
	Tech titans want to conquer death – but do you really want to live forever? A recent Washington Post article quotes Oracle founder Larry Ellison as saying that death makes him "very angry." In the same piece, eBay co-founder Peter Thiel calls death the "great enemy" of humankind. And Ellison and Thiel are not alone. Other tech titans including Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are investing many millions of dollars in attempts to extend the human lifespan and perhaps even conquer death. Says Thiel: "The great unfinished task of the modern world is to turn death from a fact of life into a problem to be solved."
	Apple set to lead surging smartwatch market: survey The Apple Watch is fueling the emerging smartwatch market and is expected to be the top seller in the segment for next few years, a market research report showed Wednesday.
Tesla makes 1st acquisition, adds tooling company Electric car maker Tesla Motors has made its first acquisition, adding a Michigan tool-and-die maker as it ramps up to build more models.
	Norway to reduce electric car incentives Norway plans to gradually reduce some of the incentives offered to drivers of electric cars, which now account for almost a quarter of the country's new car registrations.
Comcast announces super-fast Internet in Tenn., mum on cost Comcast says it is bringing its super-fast Internet service to Nashville, but won't say how much it will cost to install or subscribe.
	Social media tracker Banjo gets $100 million funding Banjo, a tech startup that searches for trends and breaking news events on social media, announced Thursday it raised $100 million in a funding round led by Japan's SoftBank.
Yelp may put out 'for sale' sign after first quarter letdown Yelp may be heading for the auction block amid concerns about the online business review service's ability to compete against larger Internet companies for digital advertising.
Google's home campus dreams dashed by local officials Google on Thursday was stinging from a decision by local officials to reject the bulk of a proposed plan for a grand expansion of its Silicon Valley home campus.
Wearable-device maker Fitbit to go public Fitbit on Thursday filed paperwork with US regulators to go public with a stock offering on the New York Stock Exchange.
Drone use poised to expand to newsrooms despite FAA limits Newsgathering by drone is gaining traction as an industry practice, but how the technology can actually be used to cover the news of the day is murky given its legal limitations.
Appeals court says police can withhold license plate scans Police don't have to disclose license plate records that advocacy groups sought to gauge how high-tech surveillance was being used, a California appeals court ruled Wednesday.
Pandora wins appeal against songwriters society ASCAP A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of Internet streaming service Pandora in a dispute with the songwriters rights society ASCAP.
	For marketers, esports an enticing way to reach millennials The latest ally in competitive gaming's fight for mainstream awareness just might be marketers.

Medicine & Health news

	New malaria vaccine shows promise in field trial A vaccine against malaria, developed at Oxford University's Jenner Institute, has shown promising results in its first field trial. The results are published today in journal Science Translational Medicine.
	Healthful eating is smart way to sustain brain power, study finds It's official, no matter where you live: Healthful eating is among the best ways to protect your aging brain against slippage. Conversely, a diet that skimps on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fish and includes lots of fried foods, red meat and alcohol is highly likely to pave a road to cognitive ruin.
	How your brain reacts to emotional information is influenced by your genes Your genes may influence how sensitive you are to emotional information, according to new research by a UBC neuroscientist. The study, recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience, found that carriers of a certain genetic variation perceived positive and negative images more vividly, and had heightened activity in certain brain regions.
	Patient cancer cells help to test treatments A study, published today in Cell, demonstrates the power of organoids to capture, in three dimensions, the multiple mutations that occur in tumours. Organoids, small clusters of cells that accurately mimic the behaviour of human tissue, can be used to test cancer drugs and, eventually, to identify effective personalised treatments for patients.
	Researchers find metabolic link between bacterial 'biofilms', colon cancer A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has uncovered a big clue to how bacteria may promote some colon cancers.
	Study identifies the region of the brain responsible for seasonal affective disorder During the short, dreary days of winter, do you feel tired and oversleep, tend to be depressed and irritable and have trouble concentrating, but once spring comes you feel just fine?
	As life slips by: Why eye movement doesn't blur the picture Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Shiley Eye Institute have identified the molecular "glue" that builds the brain connections that keep visual images clear and still, even as objects or your eyes move. Using mouse models and human cells, the researchers demonstrate that image stabilization depends upon two proteins, Contactin-4 and amyloid precursor protein, binding during embryonic development. The study is published May 7 by Neuron.
	Scientists show the mammary gland 'remembers' prior pregnancy, spurring milk production Anecdotal reports of nursing mothers have long suggested that giving milk is a lot easier in second and subsequent pregnancies, compared with a first pregnancy. Now, researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) are able to explain why.
	A deadly shadow: Measles may weaken immune system up to three years The measles virus is known to cast a deadly shadow upon children by temporarily suppressing their immune systems. While this vulnerability was previously thought to have lasted a month or two, a new study shows that children may actually live in the immunological shadow of measles for up to three years - leaving them highly susceptible to a host of other deadly diseases.
	Pluggin in your vision's autostabilization feature Just as most cameras now have an autostabilization feature to compensate for movement during picture taking, our eyes execute an imperceptible reflex that prevents our vision from blurring when we, or our field of vision, are in motion. But before the reflex can work, the wirelike projections, or axons, of specialized nerve cells must find their way from the retina to the correct part of the brain during embryonic development. New research, published online May 7 in the journal Neuron, describes how those axons find their way through the brain's maze of neurons to make the right connection. The finding has implications for treatment of eye movement disorders and regeneration of damaged vision-sensing nerve cells.
	Malaria parasite's essential doorway into red blood cells illuminated Researchers at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute have identified a protein on the surface of human red blood cells that serves as an essential entry point for invasion by the malaria parasite. The presence of this protein, called CD55, was found to be critical to the Plasmodium falciparum parasite's ability to attach itself to the red blood cell surface during invasion. This discovery opens up a promising new avenue for the development of therapies to treat and prevent malaria.
	New GTEx findings show how DNA differences influence gene activity, disease susceptibility Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project have created a new and much-anticipated data resource to help establish how differences in an individual's genomic make-up can affect gene activity and contribute to disease. The new resource will enable scientists to examine the underlying genomics of many different human tissues and cells at the same time, and promises to open new avenues to the study and understanding of human biology.
	Light in sight: A step towards a potential therapy for acquired blindness Hereditary blindness caused by a progressive degeneration of the light-sensing cells in the eye, the photoreceptors, affects millions of people worldwide. Although the light-sensing cells are lost, cells in deeper layers of the retina, which normally cannot sense light, remain intact. A promising new therapeutic approach based on a technology termed "optogenetics" is to introduce light-sensing proteins into these surviving retinal cells, turning them into "replacement photoreceptors" and thereby restoring vision. However, several factors limit the feasibility of a clinical optogenetic therapy using traditional light-sensitive proteins, as they require unnaturally high and potentially harmful light intensities and employ a foreign signaling mechanism within the target retinal cells.
A healthy lifestyle before bowel cancer diagnosis could help improve survival Following lifestyle guidelines about diet, physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight is associated with an improved likelihood of survival when diagnosed with bowel cancer. This is based on the findings of a large study of over 500,000 published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.
	Mobile tracking application may help users meet vitamin D requirements Vitamin D is essential for the maintenance of bone health and may be implicated in other chronic diseases, as well as immunity, but adults in Canada are consistently deficient in dietary vitamin D, by nearly 400 international units per day (IU/d) on average. Coupled with low vitamin D synthesis from the sun during fall and winter at Canadian latitudes, tracking intake of vitamin D is vital for those lacking the nutrient. In an article in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, a group from the University of Guelph examined the validity of a mobile application for tracking vitamin D and calcium intake.
Using a shopping list may aid food desert residents For residents of areas with limited access to healthy foods, also known as food deserts, multiple barriers exist that amplify the health risks of living in those areas. Likewise, risks for poor diet and being overweight or obese are also increased. Researchers from the RAND Corporation, however, found that use of a list when shopping among low-income, predominantly African-American participants living in a food desert was associated with a better-quality diet and lower weight. Their results are published in the current issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
New anti-cancer stem cell compound in development Cardiff University scientists have developed a novel anti-cancer stem cell agent capable of targeting aggressive tumour forming cells common to breast, pancreas, colon and prostate cancers.
Study reveals why almost half of patients opt out of comprehensive cancer testing Some at-risk patients opted out of comprehensive cancer gene screening when presented with the opportunity to be tested for the presence of genes linked to various cancers, according to a recent study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Basser Center for BRCA in Penn's Abramson Cancer Center. Concern for uncertainty and potential distress were cited among the most common reasons to refuse testing. The results, published in Genetics in Medicine, were released just weeks ahead of an announcement of the online availability of low-cost genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer mutations. Authors say the results suggest that patients have varying interest in "gene panels" when they are informed of the potential risks and benefits, reflecting the current need for pre-test counseling when genetic panel testing is considered for at-risk patient populations.
New developments in personalized medicine could save billions of dollars in improved health New developments in personalised and precision medicine (PPM) could offer enormous gains in healthy life expectancy for Americans, but the incentives to develop them are weak, according to Dr Victor Dzau, President of the US Institute of Medicine, and colleagues, writing in a Personal View in The Lancet.
	J&J seeks bioethics advice on compassionate use of drugs Dying patients sometimes seek emergency access to experimental medicines, desperate for a last-chance treatment even if there's little proof it could help. Now drug giant Johnson & Johnson is taking an unusual step, turning to independent bioethicists for advice on when to say yes or no.
	Plant-derived compound may reduce cancer recurrence, spread An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and perhaps a serving of broccoli or watercress can help keep cancer at bay.
Diabetes-specific, employee-based health plan helps people manage their treatment better People with diabetes who enroll in a health plan tailored to their medical condition are more likely to stick to their medication and actively take charge of their own health care. These are among the findings of a study into the effectiveness of the Diabetes Health Plan, the first disease-specific health plan in the United States for patients with diabetes and pre-diabetes.
	Amino acid found in some foods could improve oral health A naturally occurring amino acid found in some foods could help millions of people avoid cavities and gum disease, researchers have revealed.
	Analysis shows advantage for picture-based cigarette pack warnings over text warnings Pictures illustrating the dangers of cigarette smoking were more effective at strengthening people's intentions to quit smoking than text warnings, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analysis of multiple research studies has found.
	Breast milk calcium mystery revealed Breakthrough research at the University of Queensland has unlocked a mysterious process essential to breastfeeding.
Female cystic fibrosis patients need more contraceptive guidance, study finds Only half of women with cystic fibrosis (CF) report using contraception and frequently apt to become pregnant unintentionally, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results of the study were presented earlier this week at the 2015 American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting in San Francisco. As recently as the 1960s, children with cystic fibrosis – an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to form in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs – often died before attending elementary school. Today many people with the disease live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.
	The 'other' red meat on the 'real' palaeodiet The so-called palaeodiet, and now even the palaeo-epigenetic diet, has come under a lot of scrutiny of late for making wild and unsubstantiated claims and for being downright dangerous to our health.
	Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can slow or reverse nerve damage from diabetes Approximately 50 percent of patients with diabetes suffer from nerve damage, or neuropathy. No cure exists, and the most effective treatment, keeping blood sugar in control, only slows neuropathy. A new study in the Journal of Neurophysiology, however, introduces a new alternative, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. The study shows that fish oil supplements can restore the condition of nerves damaged from diabetes in mice.
Study shows increased adult marijuana use and binge drinking in states that legalize medical marijuana Researchers from Emory's Rollins School of Public Health found an increase in adult marijuana use and binge drinking after the implementation of medical marijuana laws (MML) in ten states that permit marijuana use for medical purposes.
The male disorder that became a female disorder Previously long-term exhaustion was considered a male disorder caused by societal pressures. Today women comprise the majority of ME patients, and they feel that their condition is their own fault.
	Tourists and FIFO workers hit by mosquito-borne virus More adults, tourists and fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers were infected with the potentially fatal mosquito-borne arbovirus Murray Valley Encephalitis (MVE) during the most recent outbreak when WA experienced more than fifty per cent of the nation's recorded cases.
	Researchers report success in mitigating treatment-related side effects in childhood leukemia Ten-year-old Matty Hayes is among the 90 percent of kids who are still alive five years after being treated for leukemia. But he's also among the 60 percent who suffer severe side effects from the intense chemotherapy that saves their lives.
	Antioxidant effects of coffee by-products 500 times greater than vitamin C, research concludes The coffee industry plays a major role in the global economy. It also has a significant impact on the environment, producing more than 2 billion tonnes of coffee by-products annually. Coffee silverskin (the epidermis of the coffee bean) is usually removed during processing, after the beans have been dried, while the coffee grounds are normally directly discarded.
Potential for a more personalised approach to womb cancer Manchester doctors have helped show that high-risk womb cancer patients can be genetically profiled to allow them to receive more appropriate treatment.
Photoactive dye could prevent infection during bone-repair surgery Despite extensive procedures to sterilize small and large bone fragments used in joint replacement or reconstructive surgeries, the rate of infection remains around 5 percent and can reach 11 percent or even higher in bone repairs for gunshot wounds or reconstruction after tumor removal. Infection after surgery is a serious complication that can require further surgery and can be life threatening. A new study demonstrates for the first time that an antimicrobial dye activated by light avidly adheres to bone to prevent bacteria from growing on bone fragments used in reconstructive surgery, and remove any bacteria that has already attached, thereby sterilizing the bone for surgery. The study was published online April 17 ahead of print in the journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
	Statin drugs can delay prostate cancer progression in patients, study shows Men who went on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs when they began androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer had a longer time in which their disease was under control than did men who didn't take statins, a clinical trial led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators shows.
Impact of post-treatment surveillance in head and neck squamous cell cancer Compliance with post-treatment surveillance, income level and the travel distance for follow-up care had effects on survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), according to a report published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
	Researchers connect haywire protein to breast cancer, leukemia A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) sheds light on the cause of some cancers, including breast cancer and leukemia.
	New mechanism of blood pressure regulation by a stress-sensitive gatekeeper Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have uncovered a new mechanism for the regulation of blood pressure. Published in Molecular Cell, the study links events at the single-cell level to a system-level effect, showing that blood pressure can drop dramatically if the protein ERAP1 is released from cells and enters the blood stream.
UN struggles to stem new rise in Haiti cholera cases A deadly cholera epidemic in Haiti that experts say was introduced by UN peacekeepers from Nepal is on the rise, with hundreds of new cases registered weekly, a UN official said Thursday.
Nuclear medicine scan could identify who might benefit from aromatase inhibitor treatment A new, noninvasive nuclear medicine test can be used to determine whether aromatase inhibitor treatment will be effective for specific cancer patients, according to a recent study reported in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The research shows that a PET scan with the ligand C-11-vorozole reliably detects aromatase in all body organs - demonstrating the value of its future use to pre-determine the effectiveness of the treatment for breast, ovarian, endometrial and lung cancer patients, potentially reducing unnecessary treatment costs and adverse effects.
	Irf5, a new player in the occurrence of obesity complications Metabolic complications of obesity and overweight, such as type 2 diabetes, are an important challenge to public health. Teams led by Nicolas Venteclef, Inserm Research Fellow (Cordeliers Research Centre, Inserm/Pierre and Marie Curie University Joint Research Unit 1138, Paris, France) and Irina Udalova (Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, UK) in collaboration with several teams, have succeeded in elucidating part of the mechanisms involved in the development of these metabolic complications associated with obesity. Results of these studies are published online in the journal Nature Medicine.
	Researchers identify potential cause of schizophrenic symptoms Schizophrenia affects millions of people worldwide but the cause of its wide-ranging symptoms remains largely unknown.
	Study shows that children sleep better when they have a nightly bedtime routine A multinational study suggests that having a regular bedtime routine is associated with better sleep in young children up to 6 years of age, and the positive impact on sleep increases with the consistency of the nightly routine.
	Role of obesity and depression in excessive daytime sleepiness Obesity and depression—not only lack of sleep—are underlying causes for regular drowsiness, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. They say these findings could lead to more personalized sleep medicine for those with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).
	Study finds mouth and tongue exercises significantly curb snoring A Google search using the key words "snoring" and "treatment" yielded over 5 million results, but no standard treatment is available for primary snoring or snoring associated with a mild form of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). But, there is hope for all of those sleepless bed partners—a Brazilian study published today in the Online First section of the journal Chest finds that in patients with primary snoring or mild OSA, oropharyngeal, or mouth and tongue, exercises significantly reduced the frequency of snoring by 36 percent and total power of snoring by 59 percent.
Quick cancer drug approvals don't benefit patients, researcher says Highly priced cancer drugs get rushed approvals despite poor trial methodology and little effect on the longevity of patients, cautions York University Professor Dr. Joel Lexchin in the School of Health Policy and Management.
	Potential new painkiller provides longer lasting effects Medications have long been used to treat pain caused by injury or chronic conditions. Unfortunately, most are short-term fixes or cause side effects that limit their use. Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered a new compound that offers longer lasting painkilling effects, and shows promise as an alternative to current anesthetics.
WHO reform needed after Ebola failure: experts The West African Ebola outbreak highlighted leadership failings of the World Health Organization (WHO), said analysts Thursday who called for sweeping reforms and a doubling of its budget to prevent "needless" deaths in future.
Researchers devise vaccine that provides long-term protection against Chagas disease Researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have successfully tested a vaccine for Chagas disease, which is widespread in Latin America but is beginning to show up in the U.S. - including the Houston area.
If you want change, tell a relevant story—not just facts Latin American women in Los Angeles County are twice as likely as white women to contract cervical cancer, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and are significantly less likely to be educated about the causes of the disease or to be screened for it.
	Biting back: Scientists aim to forecast West Nile outbreaks New research has identified correlations between weather conditions and the occurrence of West Nile virus disease in the United States, raising the possibility of being able to better predict outbreaks.
	Can the Ebola outbreak rejuvenate global health security? The west African Ebola epidemic has rekindled interest in global health security, but it has also highlighted a troubling lack of political commitment to public health, and it is far from clear whether the crisis will be enough to rejuvenate global health security, say leading global health experts writing in The Lancet.
	Strong statin-diabetes link seen in large study of Tricare patients In a database study of nearly 26,000 beneficiaries of Tricare, the military health system, those taking statin drugs to control their cholesterol were 87 percent more likely to develop diabetes.
	Fragments of tRNA suggest a novel mechanism for cancer progression For years, scientists have been puzzled by the presence of short stretches of genetic material floating inside a variety of cells, ranging from bacteria to mammals, including humans. These fragments are pieces of the genetic instructions cells use to make proteins, but are too short a length to serve their usual purpose. Reporting in this week's Cell, researchers at Rockefeller have discovered a major clue to the role these fragments play in the body—and in the process, may have opened up a new frontier in the fight against breast cancer.
	The opioid epidemic and its impact on orthopaedic care The United States makes up less than five percent of the world's population but consumes 80 percent of the global opioid supply and approximately 99 percent of all hydrocodone—the most commonly prescribed opioid in the world. And, according to the authors of a new literature review in the May issue of The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons are the third highest prescribers of opioid prescriptions among physicians in the United States—behind primary care physicians and internists.
	'Fracture' prints, not fingerprints, help solve child abuse cases Much like a finger leaves its own unique print to help identify a person, researchers are now discovering that skull fractures leave certain signatures that can help investigators better determine what caused the injury.
	Many Americans not getting routine cancer screenings: CDC (HealthDay)—Many Americans aren't getting recommended screening tests for colon, breast and cervical cancers, a new federal study shows.
	Americans' blood triglyceride levels dropping: CDC (HealthDay)—Americans' levels of triglycerides—a type of fat in the blood—have dropped significantly in the past decade, according to a new federal study.
	Fall-related deaths nearly doubled for US seniors since 2000 (HealthDay)—The number of American seniors who die from fall-related injuries has nearly doubled since 2000, a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals.
	Both omega-3, placebo help with aromatase inhibitor-induced pain (HealthDay)—For patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs), arthralgia is improved with omega-3 fatty acid (O3-FA) treatment and with placebo, according to a study published online May 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	High-value research of 2014 presented for peri-op medicine (HealthDay)—Articles relating to perioperative cardiac medicine, perioperative β-blocker use, perioperative pulmonary medicine, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, and perioperative medication management are included in a special update summary published online April 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	CDC: Mortality rate declining among aging boomers (HealthDay)—A new study finds mixed results for the health of America's aging "Baby Boom" generation, with nearly half of people ages 55 to 64 taking a prescription cardiovascular drug and about one in five dealing with diabetes. However, the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also finds that the overall mortality rate in this age group has gone down over the past decade.
	CDC: Mortality rate from falls up for US seniors (HealthDay)—The number of American seniors who die from fall-related injuries has nearly doubled since 2000, according to a May data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
New intervention helps mothers address depression Researchers at UC Davis have developed a new intervention that identifies potentially depressed mothers and encourages them to seek treatment. The Motivating our Mothers (MOM) program takes a unique approach, relying on pediatricians rather than the mother's doctor for diagnosis. In the study, mothers were given a short survey to assess whether they needed additional care. Those who identified depression symptoms were then coached by a research assistant to seek further help.
	Alzheimer protein's structure may explain its toxicity Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have determined the molecular structure of one of the proteins in the fine fibers of the brain plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. This molecule, called amyloid beta-42, is toxic to nerve cells and is believed to provoke the disease cascade.
	Listeria found in Blue Bell ice cream plant in 2013 Blue Bell ice cream had evidence of listeria bacteria in its Oklahoma manufacturing plant as far back as March 2013, a government investigation found. The Texas-based company continued to ship ice cream produced in that plant after what the Food and Drug Administration says was inadequate cleaning.
Hip strengthening might ease pain of clogged leg arteries Detailed gait analysis reveals that people with clogged leg arteries rely more on muscles in the back of the calf when they walk to compensate for weakness in certain hip muscles, according to a new study presented at the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology/Peripheral Vascular Disease Scientific Sessions 2015.
	Research shows sleep loss impedes decision making in crisis The difference between life and death in the operating room, on the battlefield or during a police shootout often comes down to the ability to adapt to the unexpected. Sleep deprivation may make it difficult to do so, according to a Washington State University study published this month in the journal Sleep.
	Ebola is found in doctor's eye months after virus left blood (Update) For the first time, Ebola has been discovered inside the eyes of a patient months after the virus was gone from his blood.
Frequent users of emergency care more than twice as likely to die or be admitted Frequent users of emergency care are more than twice as likely as infrequent users to die, be admitted to hospital, or require other outpatient treatment, concludes an analysis of the available evidence, published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.
30-day wait before tubal sterilization is unjust, say Ob/GYN experts Current U.S. health policy requires Medicaid beneficiaries to wait 30 days before tubal sterilization. Ob/gyn experts argue that this violates health care justice as elective tubal sterilization is readily available to women with a private source of payment. Writing in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, they urge obstetricians to advocate for change to eliminate health care injustice in women's access to elective tubal sterilization.
	E-cigarette vapor could lead to emphysema, study finds Like tobacco, e-cigarettes affect a smoker's lungs and long-term exposure could lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – more commonly known as COPD or emphysema – according to the latest research by Central Michigan University College of Medicine's Neeraj Vij, an associate professor of molecular and cell biology.
California court sides with consumers in generic drug fight In a win for consumers, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that settlement agreements between pharmaceutical companies that keep cheaper, generic drugs off the market may be illegal if they include excessive cash payments.
Ebola deaths pass 11,000 mark: WHO The number of deaths from the Ebola epidemic now exceeds 11,000, figures from the World Health Organization showed on Wednesday.
Liberia emerges from nightmare of Ebola Heavily pregnant when she died, Fatimah Jakemah was bagged, bleached and carted off for cremation, one of dozens of new cases in the capital that week as Ebola tightened its grip on Liberia.
	Women in high-income medical education positions still paid less than men The existence of gender-based wage gaps in many occupations continues to be a hot-button topic in social and political debates. While much attention has been focused on medium- and lower-wage positions, some studies have shown that wage disparities extend to high-wage, high-prestige positions. According to a new study published in The American Journal of Medicine, women who serve as directors of internal medicine residency programs are paid less than their male counterparts.
Nobody wants to foot the bill for new antibiotics The Norwegian government is working on a strategy to handle problems with antibiotic resistant bacteria after an outbreak of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at a pig farm in central Norway. But researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology say the government's focus is too narrow.
	Earlier distinction between Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia In the white matter of the brain in particular, large differences can be measured between the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and those with the behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Neuropsychologist Christiane Möller used advanced image analysis techniques on MRI brain scans from dementia patients in an early stage of the disease. She will defend her doctoral research on 1 May at the VU University Medical Centre. Her research was funded by the NWO's National Initiative Brain & Cognition.
	Device created for faster skin biopsies without anesthesia Researchers have patented a new device for performing skin biopsies. With this new tool, a skin biopsy can be performed with fewer instruments and the length of the procedure is shortened from thirty minutes to less than five. Neither local anesthesia nor specialized personnel are required. As a result, faster diagnosis of pathologies such as skin cancer is possible.
	Healthcare spending for privately insured children with diabetes rises sharply, 2011-2013 Per capita health care spending for children with diabetes covered by employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) grew faster than for any other age group with diabetes, rising 7% from 2011 to 2012 and 9.6% from 2012 to 2013, according to a study released today by the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Overall per capita spending for individuals younger than age 65, covered by ESI, and with diabetes rose 4.1% in 2013, nearly double the 2012 increase (2.2%).
FRAX fracture risk assessment tool output can now be modified by TBS FRAX, launched by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases in 2008, calculates 10-year probability of osteoporotic fracture based on scientifically validated clinical risk factors including bone mineral density (BMD) as an optional input. With calculator models for more than 50 countries, FRAX is considered the gold standard of fracture risk assessment and is endorsed by leading national osteoporosis management guidelines worldwide.
New care approach to colorectal operations speeds patients' recovery times Patients undergoing colorectal operations who participated in an enhanced recovery program left the hospital sooner and had significantly lower hospital costs than patients who had the traditional approach to their care, according to a new study, which also found further postoperative improvements after adding an infection prevention protocol. The study is published online as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print publication later this year.
Indiana officials hopeful HIV outbreak may be nearly over A top Indiana health official says the dwindling number of new HIV cases in a rural southern county could mean the state's largest-ever HIV outbreak is ending.
How to build a new global health framework Can a true, robust global health framework be created to help prevent tragedies like Ebola while at the same time allow countries to meet everyday health needs?
	FDA greenlights UCI clinical trial of treatment for blinding disease A first-of-its-kind stem cell-based treatment for retinitis pigmentosa developed by UC Irvine's Dr. Henry Klassen, Dr. Jing Yang and colleagues has received consent from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use in a clinical trial.
eMR-ABC software improving brain care throughout Indiana Older Indiana adults with dementia or depression will be among the best cared for elders in the nation beginning this month with the statewide roll-out of a unique automated decision-support system that enables their care coordinators to meet the complex bio-psychosocial needs of these individuals as well as those of their family members and other informal caregivers.
FDA schedules meeting on twice-rejected female libido drug The Food and Drug Administration will ask a group of outside medical experts next month to evaluate a much-debated experimental drug designed to boost sexual desire in women.
Twins have different fathers, judge finds in paternity case A paternity case involving a set of twins had a surprise ending worthy of a daytime TV talk show: The girls have different dads.
Dexamethasone may help prevent severe kidney injury following heart surgery The anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone helps prevent serious kidney complications that can arise following heart surgery, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), could lead to a change in care for patients during cardiac operations.

Biology news

	Study finds protein 'cement' that stabilizes the crossroad of chromosomes Cell division is the basis of life and requires that each daughter cell receive the proper complement of chromosomes. In most organisms, this process is mediated at the familiar constricted intersection of X-shaped chromosomes. This area, called the centromere, is where special proteins gather and attach to pull daughter cells apart during cell division. The structure and biology of the centromere is of considerable scientific interest because problems with it can lead to abnormalities in the chromosomes of daughter cells, which are the basis of such disorders as Down syndrome.
	Scientists identify gene required for differentiation of breast stem cells A novel analytical method has enabled Whitehead Institute scientists to identify a regulatory gene required for breast stem cells to differentiate. Inhibition of this gene, known as RUNX1, prevents cells from exiting the stem cell state.
	New technique helps uncover useful functions in microbial genomes A team of University of Delaware researchers is opening wider the door for those who study the vast world of microbes. A paper published in Nature Communications on May 6 describes a new technique they developed for examining how bacterial genes function.
	Fish born in larger groups develop more social skills and a different brain 'architecture' A new study shows that cichlid fish reared in larger social groups from birth display a greater and more extensive range of social interactions, which continues into the later life of the fish. Researchers say this indicates the fish develop more attuned social behaviour as a result of early environments.
	Little flies in the big city: What you find depends on how you look A group of researchers from the U.S. and Australia have announced the completely unexpected discovery of exotic "vinegar flies" (drosophilids) in urban Los Angeles in a paper appearing in the journal PLOS ONE, titled "Strange Little Flies In The Big City: Exotic Flower-Breeding Drosophilidae (Diptera) In Urban Los Angeles."
	Evolution in action: Mate competition weeds out GM fish from population Purdue University research found that wild-type zebrafish consistently beat out genetically modified Glofish in competition for female mates, an advantage that led to the disappearance of the transgene from the fish population over time.
	Genetic changes to basic developmental processes evolve more frequently than thought Newly evolved genes can rapidly assume control over fundamental functions during early embryonic development, report scientists from the University of Chicago. They identified a gene, found only in one specific group of midge flies, which determines the patterning of the head and tail in developing embryos. This newly discovered gene has the same developmental role as an unrelated, previously-known gene which appears to have been lost or altered in certain fly families during evolution. The findings, published in Science on May 7, suggest that evolutionary changes to the genetics of fundamental biological processes occur more frequently than previously thought.
Conserving habitats could be the key to saving declining songbirds An international team of scientists from the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group have undertaken a study which could be set to save one of the most steepest declining songbirds in the U.S. The findings published in PLOS ONE and led by Liverpool John Moores University reveal that the Rusty Blackbird, a species of conservation concern and listed as vulnerable, should be the target of conservation efforts to improve forested wetland habitat quality.
	Newly named bacteria help honey bee larvae thrive Honey bees are under constant pressure from a whole host of stresses—diseases, poor nutrition, sublethal effects of pesticides, and many others. While researchers have been aware for a number of years of a community of bacteria in adult bees that may aid with some of these stresses, Agricultural Research Service researchers have identified the first bacteria that offer a benefit to bee larvae.
	How a system that made elephants half-captive likely ensured their survival Author Vicki Croke knows her elephants. A regular contributor to National Public Radio's "Here & Now" and co-host of "The Wild Life" on WBUR, Croke is the author of the New York Times best-seller "Elephant Company." She discusses how, paradoxically, the giant pachyderms' labor for humans has helped to save them in the wild.
	Pedestrian fauna opt for shorter underpasses If anyone ever asks 'why did the bandicoot cross the road?', you would never guess the answer would be 'because the underpass was short', but it seems local researchers have proved just that.
	Apes under pressure show their ingenuity – and hint at our own evolutionary past In the mid 20th century, when paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey sent three pioneering women to study great apes in their natural habitats, the Earth's wilderness was still untouched in many places. Jane Goodall went to Gombe in Tanzania to study chimpanzees; at first she could only study them with binoculars from far away because the chimps would not let her approach. In those days, Gombe was not the tiny island of forest surrounded by villages and crop fields it is today. In the neighboring country of Rwanda, Dian Fossey became the first researcher to be accepted by wild mountain gorillas. In the 1960s, her "gorillas in the mist" had not yet suffered the severe impact of war and refugees. The third of "Leakey's Angels," Birutė Galdikas, arrived in Borneo to study the red apes, orangutans. When she started her work in 1971, oil-palm plantations and loggers were just beginning to force orangutans into increasingly small patches of ! rain forest.
	Small signaling molecule gives green light for cell division Generating offspring is the evolutionary goal of all living organisms. The multiplication of individual cells is coordinated by the cell cycle. For the discovery of how this process is regulated in eukaryotes the Noble Prize was awarded in 2001. The team of Prof. Urs Jenal at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has now identified the central switch for reproduction in bacteria. While cell cycle progression in eukaryotes is regulated by small proteins called cyclins, in bacteria this role is adopted by a small signaling molecule, c-di-GMP. In the current issue of Nature the scientists describe the molecular details of this process.
Cells amplify messenger RNA levels to set protein levels Messenger RNA (mRNA) levels dictate most differences protein levels in fast-growing cells when analyzed using statistical methods that account for noise in the data, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Chicago and Harvard University.
Rockefeller scientists resolve debate over how many bacteria fight off invaders Every inch of our body, inside and out, is oozing with bacteria. In fact, the human body carries 10 times the number of bacterial cells as human cells. Many are our friends, helping us digest food and fight off infections, for instance. But much about these abundant organisms, upon which our life depends, remains mysterious. In research reported May 7 in Cell, scientists at Rockefeller finally crack the code of a fundamental process bacteria use to defend themselves against invaders.
WSU ecologist warns of bamboo fueling spread of hantavirus Washington State University researchers say the popularity of bamboo landscaping could increase the spread of hantavirus, with the plant's prolific seed production creating a population boom among seed-eating deer mice that carry the disease.
	Beautiful, but blacklisted If you have this beautiful flower in your garden, you should uproot it before the seed pods explode, releasing thousands of seeds. It spreads like the black plague.

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