Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Jun 17

*FREE* Webinar this Thursday, June 18: Simulating MRI Heating of Medical Implants

See how multiphysics simulation is used for simulating RF fields, heat generation, and heat transfer to surrounding tissue with this free webinar. Includes a live demo and Q&A session.

Details & Registration: http://goo.gl/UUTNnm

***************************************************

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 17, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- The physics of badminton
- Social brains: Do insect societies share brain power?
- Study shows Moon engulfed in permanent, lopsided dust cloud
- Dietary trans fat linked to worse memory
- Researchers develop pioneering new method to map enzyme activity
- Fish offer lessons in effective leadership
- Novel battery uses light to produce power
- Gene discovery could lead to muscular dystrophy treatment
- Hooked on phonons: Research group measures graphene vibrations
- Nanoparticles to kill cancer cells with heat
- 400,000-year-old dental tartar provides earliest evidence of manmade pollution
- Who's your daddy? If you're a gorilla, it doesn't matter
- Researchers discover first sensor of Earth's magnetic field in an animal
- Network model for tracking Twitter memes sheds light on information spreading in the brain
- Happy memories may suppress depression in mice

Astronomy & Space news

	Study shows Moon engulfed in permanent, lopsided dust cloud The moon is engulfed in a permanent but lopsided dust cloud that increases in density when annual events like the Geminids spew shooting stars, according to a new study led by University of Colorado Boulder.
	Scientists discover brightest early galaxy and likely first generation stars Astronomers using several of the largest telescopes on Earth and space have discovered the brightest galaxy yet found in the early Universe and have strong evidence that examples of the first generation of stars lurk within it. The results have been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.
	Astronomers image rare stellar cluster Liller 1 Scientists have imaged a cluster of stars, heavily obscured by material in our galaxy, where stars are so densely packed that it is likely a rare environment where stars can collide. "It's a bit like a stellar billiards table; where the probability of collisions depends on the size of the table and on the number of billiard balls on it," said Francesco R. Ferraro of the University of Bologna (Italy), one of the team members who used the Gemini Observatory to make the observations.
	Discovery of multiple ring-like gaps in a protoplanetary disk The Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks (SEEDS) team of astronomers, led by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), has found a close-in ring-like gap in the protoplanetary disk of gas and dust around the nearby sun-like young star, TW Hydrae (TW Hya). New Subaru Telescope images of the gap, including an earlier ring-like gap found by Hubble Space Telescope, suggest that ongoing planet formation is occurring in the disk, and provides a good picture of how the early formation of our own solar system might have looked.
	Scientists set plan for new tests with Philae comet probe Space scientists on Wednesday unveiled their plan to put the revived robot lab Philae back to work with experiments to monitor, sniff and prod a comet hurtling toward the Sun.
	Mastering magnetic reconnection On March 12, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists launched four observational satellites into space, officially beginning the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission. The diminutive spacecraft, coming in at 11 feet by 4 feet each, will let scientists observe a giant mystery—one of the cosmos's most fundamental and mysterious processes, magnetic reconnection.
	Boeing to build third all-electric satellite for ABS Boeing has been tapped by ABS, a commercial satellite provider, to build ABS-8, the third all-electric propulsion satellite for the company, based on the small platform 702SP. "The decision by ABS to order a third Boeing 702SP satellite is a testament to our customer's confidence in the capabilities of this satellite," said Mark Spiwak, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc. "With the innovative all-electric propulsion design, Boeing is able to maximize payload while decreasing overall satellite mass and cost."
	ESA spaceplane a model for future reentry craft The February flight of ESA's Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle is yielding invaluable insights and results for future reentry craft.
	A laser beam's path through NASA's ICESat-2 Before beaming 300 miles to Earth's surface, bouncing off the ground and travelling another 300 miles back into space, the laser photons on NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2 first have to complete a 7½-foot obstacle course inside the satellite's instrument.
	NOAA's GOES-R satellite solar array spreads its wing The solar panel array on NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) – R spacecraft has been successfully deployed in a test conducted at Lockheed Martin Corporation in Littleton, Colorado. The five sections of the solar array resemble a giant black wing.
	Image: Where Philae phones home The receipt of signals from Rosetta's Philae lander on 13 June after 211 days of hibernation marked the start of intense activity. In coordination with its mission partners, ESA teams are working to juggle Rosetta's flight plan to help with renewed lander science investigations.
	Image: Tropical Storm Bill from the International Space Station NASA astronaut Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly), currently on a one-year mission to the International Space Station, took this photograph of Tropical Storm Bill in the Gulf of Mexico as it approached the coast of Texas, on June 15, 2015.
	What is the Kuiper Belt? Dr. Mike Brown is a professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech. He's best known as the man who killed Pluto, thanks to his team's discovery of Eris and other Kuiper Belt Objects. We asked him to help us explain this unusual region of our solar system.

Technology news

	Lifelike bionic hand functions via 14 precision grips The first UK user of a substantially lifelike hand is 29-year-old Nicky Ashwell, who was fitted with the prosthetic, called the bebionic. The event marks a step up in the development of smaller, versatile myoelectric hands. The bebionic and its technology were showcased Tuesday at a UK launch, at the London Prosthetics Center.
	DURUS makes impressive show of treadmill walking DURUS from SRI is a walking humanoid robot with a competitive distinction of being efficient. Professor Aaron Ames, who heads AMBER Lab, the name of which appears on the robot contender under SRI Robotics, said it was considerably efficient, in presenting a video about the robot.
	Study finds a way to prevent fires in next-generation lithium batteries In a study that could improve the safety of next-generation batteries, researchers discovered that adding two chemicals to the electrolyte of a lithium metal battery prevents the formation of dendrites—"fingers" of lithium that pierce the barrier between the battery's halves, causing it to short out, overheat and sometimes burst into flame.
	Amplifying small motions in large motions For several years now, the research groups of MIT professors of computer science and engineering William Freeman and Frédo Durand have been investigating techniques for amplifying movements captured by video but indiscernible to the human eye. Versions of their algorithms can make the human pulse visible and even recover intelligible speech from the vibrations of objects filmed through soundproof glass.
	Inkjet inks made of bioactive silk could yield smart bandages and other innovations Silk inks containing enzymes, antibiotics, antibodies, nanoparticles and growth factors could turn inkjet printing into a new, more effective tool for therapeutics, regenerative medicine and biosensing, according to new research led by Tufts University biomedical engineers and published June 16 in the journal Advanced Materials online in advance of print.
	Engineers create stretchable batteries Origami, the centuries-old Japanese paper-folding art, has inspired recent designs for flexible energy-storage technology. But energy-storage device architecture based on origami patterns has so far been able to yield batteries that can change only from simple folded to unfolded positions. They can flex, but not actually stretch.
	E3 BUZZ: Old games find new life Seen and heard on the floor of the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo as it begins its three-day run at the Los Angeles Convention Center:
	Fantasies play out in virtual reality games At the Electronic Entertainment Expo players swooped like eagles through Paris, blasted asteroids, and fought in boxing rings as videogame makers dove into worlds of virtual reality.
	Privacy groups quit US talks on facial recognition tech Nine US privacy groups have dropped out of talks on voluntary standards for facial recognition technology, after failing to agree on a code on how it could be deployed.
E3 gains publicity by letting in video game fans for the first time Evan Thorogood, better known in video gaming circles as Raceboy77, has been on a tweeting rampage since he landed in Los Angeles to attend E3.
	Tech Tips: Stay safe by reducing reliance on passwords Mix upper and lower case letters in your password? Substitute the numeral 1 for the letter l? Throw in an exclamation point and other special characters? Who can remember all that for dozens of websites and services?
	Researchers advance mobile augmented reality technology Anyone who has seen a spy movie remembers their favorite agent donning special eyewear or using a device to scan surrounding objects and extract information about them. Once an action movie fantasy, augmented reality technology is now almost, well, reality.
ADB: Asia must boost investment in clean energy Asia has made huge strides in developing clean energy over the last decade but must boost investment and its use of energy efficiency technology to meet rising demand and cope with climate change, Asian Development Bank officials and other experts said Wednesday.
New chip credit cards putting squeeze on small businesses New credit and debit cards with computer chips are putting the squeeze on small businesses.
	Design center creates free software tool to analyze cities as spatial networks Network analysis—the mathematical analysis of relationships between elements or actors in a complex system—has become popular among transportation planners and spatial analysts, but its use remains relatively limited among architects and urban designers, whose day-to-day work demands more visioning than analysis.
	The ever-evolving cyber threat to planes Hackers and cyber-terrorists present an ever-evolving threat to airlines, with experts constantly testing for new vulnerabilities—including the fear that drones could be used to throw a plane off course.
	In the event of robot apocalypse, just wait for a system crash Do you find yourself worried by the implications of Humans, Channel 4's new drama about the exploits of near-human intelligent robots? Have you ever fretted over the apocalyptic warnings of Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk about the threat of superintelligent artificial intelligence? Have your children ever lay wide-eyed thinking about robot drone armies, such as those in Marvel's film Avengers: Age of Ultron?
	Driverless cars are a catch 22—we do none of the driving, but take all of the responsibility The utopian vision of the motor vehicle is an onboard autodriver much like that of the autopilot in aircraft which takes over the task of driving, freeing up the human driver to work, rest or play. This is becoming an engineering reality, with technological achievements rapidly approaching those of aircraft autopilots.
	Whale tails can make martime transport more efficient Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) are testing a model "whale's tail" that can be attached to ships to improve fuel efficiency. NTNU is conducting these tests in the Marintek Towing Tank in cooperation with Rolls-Royce and the British companies Seaspeed and MOST.
	Scale-free networking gives humans a competitive edge Humans arrange themselves into scale-free networks to give themselves a competitive edge according to research published this month in Nature's Scientific Reports. The work conducted by University of Sydney researchers expands on the work done by famous game theorist John Nash by considering the limitations to human logical thinking and modelling human societies as networks.
	New fog chamber provides testing options that could improve security cameras Fog can play a key role in cloaking military invasions and retreats and the actions of intruders. That's why physical security experts seek to overcome fog, but it's difficult to field test security cameras, sensors or other equipment in fog that is often either too thick or too ephemeral.
	Hot firing of world's first 3D-printed platinum thruster chamber The world's first spacecraft thruster with a platinum combustion chamber and nozzle made by 3D printing has passed its baptism of fire with a series of firings lasting more than an hour and 618 ignitions.
	As cash becomes quaint, are ATMs on path to obsolescence? Before the advent of the internet, the greatest gain in customer convenience within retail banking came from the creation of automated teller machines (ATMs).
	Former Nokia chief Elop out in Microsoft shakeup Microsoft announced a management shakeup on Wednesday, including the departure of Stephen Elop, the former Nokia chief who came on board with the US giant's acquisition of the Finnish firm's handset unit.
Wikipedia wins Spanish prize for international cooperation The popular Internet encyclopedia service Wikpedia has been awarded Spain's Princess of Asturias award for international cooperation.
	Book explores innovations of modern Japanese home design Challenged to build homes that create a feeling of light, space and tranquility in some of the world's most densely populated areas, Japanese architects have had no choice but to think outside the box. Literally.
Successors to FinFET for 7nm and beyond At this week's VLSI 2015 Symposium in Kyoto (Japan), imec reported new results on nanowire FETs and quantum-well FinFETs towards post-FinFET multi-gate device solutions.

Medicine & Health news

	Tissue 'scaffold' technology could help rebuild large organs Scientists have developed a new tissue 'scaffold' technology that could one day enable the engineering of large organs.
Human cells used to create fully functioning lipid system in mouse model Taking research from the lab to the clinic can be a long and arduous process, but necessary to ensure new therapeutic methods are safe. This typically involves models created in the lab to closely resemble the cellular mechanism of the human body.
	Eye's motion detection sensors identified Driving a car at 40 mph, you see a child dart into the street. You hit the brakes. Disaster averted.
	Network model for tracking Twitter memes sheds light on information spreading in the brain An international team of researchers from Indiana University and Switzerland is using data mapping methods created to track the spread of information on social networks to trace its dissemination across a surprisingly different system: the human brain.
	Gene discovery could lead to muscular dystrophy treatment Australian researchers have made a critical discovery about a gene involved in muscular dystrophy that could lead to future therapies for the currently untreatable disease.
	Scientists identify protein that sustains heart function into old age The human heart makes precious few new cells but manages to generate billions of life-sustaining beats as it grows old.
	Happy memories may suppress depression in mice In a remarkable demonstration of the curative power of memory, published in Nature, scientists have established that artificial reactivation of memories stored during a positive experience can suppress the effects of stress-induced depression. The research, conducted by scientists at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics, a joint collaboration of RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan and MIT, shows how positive and negative memories interact in mood disorders, and provides a specific brain circuit for future clinical interventions.
	New imaging technique could make brain tumor removal safer, more effective, study suggests Brain surgery is famously difficult for good reason: When removing a tumor, for example, neurosurgeons walk a tightrope as they try to take out as much of the cancer as possible while keeping crucial brain tissue intact—and visually distinguishing the two is often impossible. Now Johns Hopkins researchers report they have developed an imaging technology that could provide surgeons with a color-coded map of a patient's brain showing which areas are and are not cancer.
	New tool identifies novel compound targeting causes of type 2 diabetes A new drug screening technology developed at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has identified a new potential anti-diabetes compound—and a powerful way to quickly test whether other molecules can have a positive effect on a critical molecular pathway believed to be central to diseases ranging from diabetes to retinitis pigmentosa, cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's.
	Dietary trans fat linked to worse memory Higher consumption of dietary trans fatty acids (dTFA), commonly used in processed foods to improve taste, texture and durability, has been linked to worsened memory function in men 45 years old and younger, according to a University of California, San Diego School of Medicine study published online on June 17 in PLOS ONE.
	Better birth control counseling reduces unintended pregnancies among young women Training health care workers to educate young women about intrauterine devices and contraceptive implants, which are more effective than condoms or the pill, dramatically cut the number of unintended pregnancies among young women seeking family planning services, in a UC San Francisco study done with researchers from Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Stronger working memory and reduced sexual risk-taking in adolescents Teenagers vary substantially in their ability to control impulses and regulate their behavior. Adolescents who have difficulty with impulse control may be more prone to risky sexual behavior, with serious consequences such as sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies. A new study has found that individual differences in working memory can predict both early sexual activity and unprotected sexual involvement during adolescence.
	Early life stress affects cognitive functioning in low-income children About a fifth of all U.S. children live in poverty. These children are more likely to experience learning and cognitive delays. Researchers have tried to determine causes for this disparity, with recent work identifying the hormone cortisol as a possible reason because of its ability to pass the blood-brain barrier. Cortisol is one of the most influential hormones in the human body, often referred to as the stress hormone because it's secreted into the bloodstream at higher levels as part of the body's flight-or-fight response. Now a new study has identified how specific patterns of cortisol activity may relate to the cognitive abilities of children in poverty. The study also outlines how greater instability in family environments and harsh and insensitive caregiving in the context of poverty may predict these different types of cortisol activity in children.
	Studies show promise in new migraine prevention drugs Migraine researchers and clinicians are growing excited about a new class of drugs called Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies, which are showing promise in treating high-frequency episodic migraine and chronic migraine.
	Is baby recession over? US births up after years of decline It appears the baby recession really is over: Preliminary figures show U.S. births were up last year for the first time in seven years.
South Korea reports 20th MERS death South Korea Wednesday announced its 20th death from the MERS virus as criticism grew of efforts to contain the outbreak, with alarming reports of new cases slipping through a quarantine that already affects thousands.
Trans fat Q&A: Things you need to know So long, trans fat.
WHO says MERS a 'wake-up call' as S. Korea reports 20th death The MERS outbreak in South Korea is a "wake-up call", the World Health Organization warned Wednesday, saying that a lack of knowledge and substandard controls in hospitals had contributed to the spread of the disease.
IVF doctors aghast at 65-year-old mum of quadruplets Experts at a top fertility conference are dismayed at the case of a German woman who after having 13 children has had IVF quadruplets at the age of 65.
	Parents' comparisons make siblings different hey grow up in the same home, eat the same food, share the same genes (and sometimes the same jeans), but somehow siblings are often no more similar than complete strangers.
Talking therapy shows promise for people with chronic low back pain A form of talking therapy is a credible and promising treatment for people with chronic low back pain who also suffering from related psychological stress, new research has revealed.
	From calorie postings to health ratings, big data does social good Big data gets a bad rap.
	At-risk children of mothers with bipolar disorder may benefit from early intervention A recent study examining the temperament and behavior of toddlers whose mothers have bipolar disorder shows that toddlers who struggle with frustration, restraint and negative emotions may be at increased risk for behavioral problems over time. The study was published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
	Study reveals surprising truths about caregivers Caregiving is a part of daily life for millions of Americans, particularly the so-called sandwich generation balancing the needs of aging parents with looking after their own children.
	Systems engineer helps identify bottlenecks in blood poisoning care processes Blood poisoning, known as sepsis, is the most common cause of death in intensive care units, according to the National Institutes of Health. The body's immune response to fight the infection triggers inflammation that restricts blood flow and leads to multiple organ failure.
	Blood protein may indicate risk of Alzheimer's disease Scientists at King's College London have identified a single blood protein that may indicate the development of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) years before symptoms appear, a disorder that has been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias.
	Swine flu vaccine's link to narcolepsy is no reason not to protect yourself A 12-year-old boy recently won £120,000 in compensation after developing a severely debilitating case of narcolepsy triggered by swine flu vaccination.
	Is phthalate alternative really safe? A commonly used plasticizer known as DINCH, which is found in products that come into close contact with humans, such as medical devices, children's toys and food packaging, might not be as safe as initially thought. According to a new study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal, DINCH exerts biological effects on metabolic processes in mammals. The findings, published in the journal Environmental Research, may have important implications since DINCH has been promoted by industry has as a safe alternative to phthalate plasticizers, despite there being no publicly available peer-reviewed data on its toxicology.
	Uncovering the biology of mental illness The human brain is capable of complex processes. The brain senses time and visualizes space. It allows us to communicate through language and create beautiful works of art. But what about when these cognitive abilities go awry? The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) cites serious mental illness (SMI) as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. The cited survey estimated the prevalence of SMI in the United States as ~4%, with the estimated prevalence for any mental illness being ~18%.
	Researchers develop a faster way to treat the heart after a heart attack Stem cell have been the main focus of healing therapy research because they can morph into new cells, and using a patient's own stem cells will not induce an autoimmune response. For healing after a heart attack, the ideal time to administer these therapies is when reopening the clogged blood vessel because the heart is easily accessible. While stem cells show promise for heart attack treatment, the process of harvesting and reintroducing the cells—which can take days or weeks—is too slow for this window. A new study in the American Journal of Physiology—Heart and Circulatory Physiology reports a more practical approach called microsphere therapy that can be kept on-hand and administered more readily than stem cells.
	MicroRNAs contribute to hair loss and follicle regression Up to 60% of men experience some degree of hair loss in their lifetime. However, despite its prevalence, efficient treatment for hair loss is lacking. One of the key distinguishing features of hair follicles in baldness-affected areas is premature regression. This leads to shorter hairs and excessive hair fallout. This month's cover image features actively growing hair follicles with prominent layers of the outer root sheath surrounding the hair shaft cortex. In this issue of PLOS Genetics, we describe an essential role for a highly conserved microRNA, miR-22, in regulating the regression of mouse hair follicles. New insights into the mechanism of premature hair growth regression in mice enrich our understanding of the pathogenesis of hair loss.
Scientists develop ataxia mouse model Scientists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum established a mouse model for the human disease SCA6. SCA6 is characterised by movement deficits and caused by similar genetic alterations as Chorea Huntington. The mouse model will be used to investigate the disease mechanisms. Experiments suggest that an impairment of eye blink conditioning could be an early disease symptom. The team from the Department of Zoology and Neurobiology published their data in the Journal of Neuroscience; the work was highlighted by the editor's commentary.
Longer breaks between shifts promote nurses' recovery from work Reducing short breaks between shifts helps nurses recover from work, according to a new study from Finland. The study analysed the effects of longer rest and recovery periods between shifts on heart rate variability, which is an indicator of recovery.
Veterinarian explains how to reduce risk of pets getting West Nile virus Mosquito season is arriving early thanks to recent weather patterns, which means it's time to start prevention measures a little sooner—not only for humans, but also for susceptible pets.
	Transmural control of plaque formation In atherosclerosis, fatty "plaques" form in the inner layer of arteries. As an LMU team now shows, specialized lymphoid organs found on the outer arterial wall adjacent to plaques help to restrain the inflammation that boosts plaque growth.
	New approach to immunosuppression could avoid transplant organ rejection, study finds A new study has identified how blocking a special set of molecules on the surface of T cells can suppress the heart's immune response – responsible for transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases such as myocarditis – whilst leaving rest of the body's immune system intact.
	Radiation in sunlight reduces weight gain, findings independent of vitamin D research  Recent research supports the potential for sunlight to reduce the risk of excessive weight gain and also questions the effectiveness of vitamin D supplements to prevent obesity.
	First study to link lower resting heart rate variability with sexual difficulties in women Chances are good that women with a low heart rate variability also suffer from sexual dysfunction. That's the finding from a study led by Amelia Stanton of The University of Texas at Austin in the US published in Springer's journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.
Age-related inflammatory processes facilitate development of COPD At present, there is a lack of effective treatments that target the causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Scientists of the Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC) at Helmholtz Zentrum München are therefore investigating the molecular causes of COPD in order to intervene specifically. A recently published study in the journal Oncotarget is a contribution to understanding the underlying causes of COPD, especially in the elderly population.
	How the brain learns to distinguish between what is important and what is not Traffic lights, neon-lit advertisements, a jungle of road signs. When learning to drive, it is often very difficult to distinguish between important and irrelevant information. How the brain learns the importance of certain images over others is being investigated by Prof. Sonja Hofer at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. In a recently published study in Neuron, the neuroscientist and her team show that learning the relevance of images considerably modifies neuronal networks in the brain. These changes might help our brain to process and classify the overload of stimuli in our environment more effectively.
	Breast-conserving therapy for early-stage cancers has increased, though access an issue The first comprehensive national review of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) shows that over the last 13 years rates of this treatment modality for early-stage breast cancer have increased at a steady pace. However, the review also highlights important demographic factors that impact which patients have access to BCT. Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found declines in disparities related to age, treatment facility type and geographic region, but also identified several socioeconomic factors—insurance, income and travel distance to treatment centers—as key barriers to BCT.
	Individuals with social phobia have too much serotonin—not too little Previous studies have led researchers to believe that individuals with social anxiety disorder/ social phobia have too low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. A new study carried out at Uppsala University, however, shows that the situation is exactly the opposite. Individuals with social phobia make too much serotonin. The more serotonin they produce, the more anxious they are in social situations.
Study looks at risk, family relatedness for Tourette syndrome, tic disorders The risk for tic disorders, including Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders, increased with the degree of genetic relatedness in a study of families in Sweden, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
How much do consumers know about new sunscreen labels? Sunscreen labels may still be confusing to consumers, with only 43 percent of those surveyed understanding the definition of the sun protection factor (SPF) value, according to the results of a small study published in a research letter online by JAMA Dermatology.
Vitreomacular adhesion patients report improved vision with non-surgical treatment In two ancillary studies of two multi-center international clinical trials led by the University of Southern California (USC) Eye Institute, the injectable drug ocriplasmin appears to improve vision among patients suffering from symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (VMA), a condition related to the aging eye that could cause permanent vision loss if left untreated.
	Changes in HIV genetic code determine severity of disease In a finding that furthers the understanding of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), researchers from Children's Hospital Los Angeles discovered two locations where a single difference in HIV's genetic code altered the way the virus infected the cell, thereby influencing the progression of the disease.
New mechanism for male infertility discovered A new study led from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden links male infertility to autoimmune prostatic inflammation. The findings are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Value of nonprofit hospital tax exemption nearly doubled over nine years, reaching $24.6 billion in 2011 The value of the tax exemption provided to non-profit private hospitals in return for 'charity care and community benefit' nearly doubled over a nine-year period, climbing from an estimated $12.6 billion in 2002 to $24.6 billion dollars by 2011, according to a study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by researchers at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University.
	Potential downside to traveling domestically for surgery Following surgery, up to 22 percent of surgical patients experience unexpected complications and must be readmitted for post-operative care. A study led by the University of Utah suggests that returning to the same hospital is important for recovery. Readmission to a different hospital was associated with a 26 percent increased risk for dying within 90 days.
Knowledge about alternative medicine connected to education, income People with lower educational levels and incomes are less likely to know about yoga, acupuncture, natural products and chiropractic medicine, according to a new study from San Francisco State University.
	Adenosine in Ambrosia pollen increases allergic response Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - an otherwise unremarkable plant - produces pollen that can trigger strong allergic reactions such as asthma even in very small quantities. Scientists from Technische Universität München (TUM) and Helmholtz Zentrum München have now published a joint study showing that the substance previously identified as the major allergen only induces such a vigorous allergic response in combination with the adenosine also present in the pollen.
	Exercise can help control blood glucose, and trim waist size and body fat in diabetics Diabetics who exercise can trim waist size and body fat, and control blood glucose, even if they don't see cardiorespiratory benefits, new research by UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists shows.
	Keeping a lid on inflammation Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are part of the system of checks and balances that prevents the immune response from going overboard and causing autoimmune disease. Although critically important for shaping the immune response and maintaining self-tolerance, how they hold on to their immune-suppressive powers had remained unclear. Now, for the first time, researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology identified a molecular pathway that maintains the stability and function of Treg cells.
Beating advanced cancers: New epigenomic block for advanced cancer An international research team led by Mayo Clinic oncologists has found a new way to identify and possibly stop the progression of many late-stage cancers, including bladder, blood, bone, brain, lung and kidney.
	UN: Spread of MERS in South Korea isn't global emergency The World Health Organization says the spread of a mysterious virus from the Middle East to South Korea doesn't merit being declared a global emergency despite infecting more than 160 people in the biggest outbreak outside the Arabian peninsula.
	Many migraine sufferers given narcotic painkillers, barbiturates (HealthDay)—Many people with migraines, including children, get ineffective and potentially addictive drugs for their pain, two new studies suggest.
	Review examines inappropriate prescribing of IV fluids (HealthDay)—Inappropriate prescribing of intravenous (IV) fluids most often involves incorrect volumes and types of IV fluids prescribed, according to a review published online June 11 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
	HRQoL outcomes not improving for transapical TAVR (HealthDay)—Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes have not improved for patients undergoing transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TA-TAVR), according to research published online June 9 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
	Testosterone and fenofibrate yields strongest effect on cardio risks (HealthDay)—A combination of testosterone and fenofibrate may offer men with high cholesterol and late-onset hypogonadism the most cardiometabolic benefit, according to a study published online May 29 in Cardiovascular Therapeutics.
	Curcumin reduces high glucose-induced NTDs in mice embryos (HealthDay)—Curcumin appears to reduce high glucose-induced neural tube defect (NTD) formation by blocking cellular stress and activation of caspases, according to an experimental study published in the June 4 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	More evidence needed for chronic fatigue diagnosis, treatments (HealthDay)—Criteria for diagnosing myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) as well as treatment options are addressed in two systematic evidence reviews published in the June 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Direct messaging not yet widely adopted by physicians (HealthDay)—Direct secure messaging (Direct), which is a standardized protocol for exchanging clinical messages and attachments, has not been widely adopted by physicians, despite its potential for improving care coordination, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
	GI antispasmodic, anticholinergic Rx use may raise injury risk (HealthDay)—Gastrointestinal (GI) antispasmodic and anticholinergic medication use is associated with increased risk of injury in older adults, according to a study published online June 11 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Early age of menopause linked to seropositivity in RA (HealthDay)—In women with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), early age at menopause is associated with seropositivity, according to a study published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Finns urged to eat on their feet to stay healthy Finland's health ministry on Wednesday urged Finns to occasionally eat their meals standing up in a bid to combat health problems linked to a sedentary lifestyle.
Radiation experts unite to streamline cancer clinical trials Regulations on radiation exposure have been a critical bottleneck in starting up new cancer trials, but now radiation experts from the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) network - a joint initiative between Cancer Research UK and the UK's four health departments - are pioneering a new streamlined system to reduce the time taken to set up clinical trials involving radiotherapy and other forms of ionising radiation, such as PET scans.
Video: Ebola virus can lurk in the eye for months After his release Emory University Hospital last October, Dr. Ian Crozier thought his long, near-fatal battle with Ebola was winding down. But less than two months later, he was back at Emory, with an eye that had changed color and was losing vision. The problem turned out to be Ebola, which had hidden in the eye.
Georgia abortion ban affecting women across a multistate region A Georgia law banning later abortions is limiting access to the procedure for women throughout the South, Midwest and parts of the Northeast, even though it has only partially gone into effect, a study by UC San Francisco researchers has concluded.
	Lessons and challenges for developing and delivering HIV programs for sex workers Today sees the addition of an important paper to the PLOS Collection Focus on Delivery and Scale: Achieving HIV Impact with Sex Workers; published in PLOS Medicine, David Wilson of World Bank looks at lessons learnt and challenges for developing and delivering HIV programs for sex workers.
	How 'glowing mice' are shining a new light on brain research Optimising stem cells to repair damage in mice brains following a stroke could help researchers find new ways of treating neurodegenerative diseases in humans, the final conference of the EU GLOWBRAIN project has heard.
Botox maker Allergan adds 'double-chin' drug with $2.1B deal Botox maker Allergan Plc. is buying Kythera Biopharmaceuticals for about $2.1 billion, adding a drug that destroys fat cells and eliminates the cosmetic condition referred to as "double chin".
No benefit in IVF from routinely freezing all embryos before transfer An IVF technique which freezes all embryos generated in an initial treatment cycle and transfers them in a later cycle as freeze-thawed embryos does not improve outcome as some studies have suggested.
New taxonomy classifies rare genetic bone disorders by metabolic pathogenesis An International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Working Group on Skeletal Rare Diseases has published a new classification of rare genetic metabolic bone disorders (RGMBDs) according to their metabolic pathogenesis.
Doctors protest over Australia's 'repressive legislation' on asylum seekers In The BMJ this week, two doctors criticize Australia for passing legislation that may be used to silence doctors working with asylum seekers.
	Middle East respiratory syndrome: A global health challenge The ongoing outbreak in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is an important reminder that the Middle East respiratory virus (MERS-CoV) requires constant vigilance and could spread to other countries including the United States. However, MERS can be brought under control with effective public health strategies, say two Georgetown University public health experts.
Report: West Virginia has top rate of drug overdose deaths A report on injury prevention says West Virginia has by far the highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the nation.

Biology news

	Social brains: Do insect societies share brain power? The society you live in can shape the complexity of your brain—and it does so differently for social insects than for humans and other vertebrate animals.
	Possums in Tasmania growing bolder as devils decline (Phys.org)—A team of researchers from several universities in Australia has found that brushtail possums have begun altering their foraging habits in light of the decline of Tasmanian devils in Tasmania and other nearby islands. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team describes field studies they conducted on the islands, what they learned and why they believe an ecosystem change is coming.
	Opossums found to be more social than thought (Phys.org)—A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Brazil has found that opossums are more social in their dens than thought. In their paper published in The Royal Society's Biology Letters, the team describes field studies they conducted in Brazil and the instances of social behavior they encountered.
	Certain genes in vertebrate embryos correlate with differences in neck length Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich researchers have shown that patterns of activity of certain genes in vertebrate embryos correlate with differences in the length of the neck region. The findings also provide new insight into the evolution of long-necked dinosaurs.
	Mold unlocks new route to biofuels Scientists at The University of Manchester have made an important discovery that forms the basis for the development of new applications in biofuels and the sustainable manufacturing of chemicals.
	Fish offer lessons in effective leadership Good leaders needing to strike a balance between striving to reach goals and keeping their followers with them has deep evolutionary roots, according to a new study from the Universities of Bristol, Harvard and Princeton on schooling fish.
	Who's your daddy? If you're a gorilla, it doesn't matter Being the daddy isn't important for male gorillas when it comes to their relationships with the kids; it's their rank in the group that makes the difference, says new research published in Animal Behaviour. The authors of the study, from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - now with Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago - the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (Atlanta USA) and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany) say this supports the theory that for most of their evolution, gorillas lived in groups with one male and several females.
	Researchers discover first sensor of Earth's magnetic field in an animal A team of scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin has identified the first sensor of the Earth's magnetic field in an animal, finding in the brain of a tiny worm a big clue to a long-held mystery about how animals' internal compasses work.
	Shark deterrent research reveals interesting results Shark researchers from the Neuroecology Group at The University of Western Australia have released the results of their WA State Government-funded research into the effectiveness of a range of novel and commercial shark deterrents.
	London museum deploys 'gay' moth sex controls London's Natural History Museum is trialling a quirky system using female moth pheromones to confuse males into homosexual activity in its battle to stop the damaging cloth-eating insects from breeding.
	Tailored ocean management strategies needed to avoid depletion of fish stocks A more tailored approach to Ocean management is required in the North Atlantic if the permanent loss of an increasingly valuable commercial fish stock is to be avoided, reveals new research led by the University of Salford.
	Barnacles go with the flow to find a home on dolphin fins Highly specialized coronulid barnacles may be able to identify and attach to the fins of quick-swimming dolphins, locating areas suited for finding food and developing larvae, according to a study carried out as a collaboration between the University of Valencia, Spain, and the University of Southern Mississippi, and published June 17, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Juan Carrillo and colleagues.
Climate change may impact future tourism at some US national parks Visitation at U.S. National Parks may potentially increase with increasing temperature in temperate areas, but may decrease with temperatures rising over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a study using future climate and visitation modeling scenarios published June 17 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Nicholas Fisichelli and colleagues from U.S. National Park Service.
	Pink octopus so cute it may be named 'adorabilis' Some say she looks like a ghost from the Pac-Man video game, but she's anything but spooky. In fact, the fist-sized pink octopus is so cute scientists may call her "Opisthoteuthis Adorabilis."
	A factor in shark attack increase: More people in water Federal wildlife protections are helping sharks rebound, but they aren't the sole reason for the uptick in encounters between sharks and humans. Expanding human populations and growing use of beaches are major factors too, scientists say.
	Britain needs 'super-sub bees' to maintain food supply Rare bees and insects must be protected to give British farmers a strong 'reserve squad' of pollinating species and prevent potential food shortages in the future, scientists say.
	Elucidation of chemical ingredients in rice straw For the first time, researchers at Kobe University and RIKEN successfully elucidated the biochemical and biofuel-producing materials contained in rice straw. Future applications include using these materials in species of rice with high starch content, as well as reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of biochemical and biofuel production. The results of the study will be published in the American science journal PLOS ONE on June 17, 2015.

---

This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
https://sciencex.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com