Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Nov 18

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Dear Reader ,

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

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Radiation blasts leave most Earth-like planet uninhabitable
- A focus on fairness: Study examines how children react to inequity around the world
- First photo of planet in making captured
- Study shows vampire bats feed group mates to ensure others will feed them later
- Scientists turn tastes on and off by activating and silencing clusters of brain cells
- Astronomers discover low surface brightness galaxies with amateur telescopes
- Researchers study motivations of open-source programmers
- Neuroscientists reveal how the brain can enhance connections
- DNA analysis of Denisovan molars offers more clues about ancient human relative
- Ingestible sensor measures heart and breathing rates from within the digestive tract (w/ Video)
- Quantum spin could create unstoppable, one-dimensional electron waves
- Study finds pigeons uncommonly good at distinguishing cancerous from normal breast tissue
- What salamanders can teach us about baseball
- Scientists reveal structure of key cancer target enzyme
- When did the Andes mountains form?

Astronomy & Space news

	Radiation blasts leave most Earth-like planet uninhabitable The most Earth-like planet could have been made uninhabitable by vast quantities of radiation, new research led by the University of Warwick research has found.
	Astronomers discover low surface brightness galaxies with amateur telescopes (Phys.org)—An international team of astronomers led by Behnam Javanmardi of the University of Bonn in Germany has recently discovered 11 low surface brightness (LSB) systems located around nearby spiral galaxies. The researchers used small amateur telescopes to scan the sky around large galaxies and successfully obtained the images of their dim companions. A paper reporting the findings appeared last week on the ArXiv pre-print server.
	First photo of planet in making captured There are 450 light-years between Earth and LkCa15, a young star with a transition disk around it, a cosmic whirling dervish, a birthplace for planets.
	VISTA pinpoints earliest giant galaxies Just counting the number of galaxies in a patch of sky provides a way to test astronomers' theories of galaxy formation and evolution. However, such a simple task becomes increasingly hard as astronomers attempt to count the more distant and fainter galaxies. It is further complicated by the fact that the brightest and easiest galaxies to observe—the most massive galaxies in the Universe—are rarer the further astronomers peer into the Universe's past, whilst the more numerous less bright galaxies are even more difficult to find.
	A hot Jupiter around a sun-like star There are almost 1800 confirmed exoplanets known today, and over 4000 exoplanet candidates. Astronomers have obtained estimates for the masses and radii (and hence the average densities) of over four hundred of these confirmed exoplanets. The planetary density is critical: it provides astronomers with information about the average interior composition of the exoplanet and whether it is rocky like the Earth, largely gaseous like Jupiter, or something else. Although many different compositions can have the same average density, a large enough sample of exoplanets will enable statistical analyses to constrain planetary structure and formation models, and so scientists are working hard to increase the number of exoplanets in every category with reliable density measurements.
	Dark matter dominates in nearby dwarf galaxy Dark matter is called "dark" for a good reason. Although they outnumber particles of regular matter by more than a factor of 10, particles of dark matter are elusive. Their existence is inferred by their gravitational influence in galaxies, but no one has ever directly observed signals from dark matter. Now, by measuring the mass of a nearby dwarf galaxy called Triangulum II, Assistant Professor of Astronomy Evan Kirby may have found the highest concentration of dark matter in any known galaxy.
	Image: Stunning shot of Dione and Enceladus Although Dione (near) and Enceladus (far) are composed of nearly the same materials, Enceladus has a considerably higher reflectivity than Dione. As a result, it appears brighter against the dark night sky.
	Powerful jets from non-spinning black holes A black hole is so simple (at least in traditional theories) that it can be completely described by just three parameters: its mass, its spin, and its electric charge. Even though it may have formed out of a complex mix of matter and energy, all the other specific details are lost when it collapses to a singular point. The environment of a black hole is not so simple, however. As material flows in towards the black hole, a hot accretion disk develops. In galaxies with active black hole nuclei, the disks facilitate the production of powerful jets of ionized matter. In some cases the jet particles are driven to velocities close to the speed of light. These jets are thought to be powered by the rotational energy of the spinning black hole, with magnetic fields playing a pivotal role.
	Gravity, who needs it? NASA studies your body in space What happens to your body in space? NASA's Human Research Program has been unfolding answers for over a decade. Space is a dangerous, unfriendly place. Isolated from family and friends, exposed to radiation that could increase your lifetime risk for cancer, a diet high in freeze-dried food, required daily exercise to keep your muscles and bones from deteriorating, a carefully scripted high-tempo work schedule, and confinement with three co-workers picked to travel with you by your boss.
	State Supreme Court suspends Hawaii telescope permit The Hawaii Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily suspended a permit that allows a giant telescope to be built on a mountain many Native Hawaiians consider sacred.

Technology news

	Researchers study motivations of open-source programmers Open source software development is a model that provides free public access to software packages and source code. Since programmers can freely contribute improvements, bug fixes and modifications, open source development gives rise to communities of authors and users that can number into the thousands for some software packages. The free, open-source Linux operating system is a prominent open source success story.
	Ingestible sensor measures heart and breathing rates from within the digestive tract (w/ Video) Using technology invented at MIT, doctors may one day be able to monitor patients' vital signs by having them swallow an ingestible electronic device that measures heart rate and breathing rate from within the gastrointestinal tract.
	NASA gives MIT a humanoid robot to develop software for future space missions (w/ Video) NASA announced today that MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) is one of two university research groups nationwide that will receive a 6-foot, 290-pound humanoid robot to test and develop for future space missions to Mars and beyond.
	Plueurobot offers window to salamander study for scientists "My name is Pleurobot. My design is based on the salamander skeleton." So begins the narration in a video devoted to a new biomimicry robot. It shows precise, muscular movements, very animal-like. It is hard to peel your eyes off the way the robot exercises control and coordination governing its joints, to get it where it needs to go.
	'Power Over Wi-Fi' named one of the year's game-changing technologies University of Washington engineers have developed a novel technology that uses a Wi-Fi router—a source of ubiquitous but untapped energy in indoor environments—to power devices.
	Norwegian airline green, British Airways less clean: study A Norwegian low-cost airline has been dubbed a champion of fuel efficiency in a new study released Tuesday, in marked contrast to British Airways and Lufthansa which have been labelled as among the worst.
	Google+ social network gets overhaul US Internet colossus Alphabet on Tuesday revamped Google+ online social network focused on people's interests, and tuned for smartphones or tablets.
	Cameroon start-up offers clean streets, cleaner fuel The streets and marketplaces of Cameroon's economic capital Douala are strewn with fruit and vegetable debris of all sorts: banana peels, corncobs, coffee grounds, mashed sugarcane... you name it.
	Google searches itself to build more productive teams Google coddles its employees with free food, massages and other lavish perks, yet some of its best engineers still grouse about their jobs and bosses as they struggle to get assignments done.
	Broadway's 'The Lion King' pushes into virtual reality "The Lion King" on Broadway is offering fans a view of the musical that even the very best seat in the theater can't rival.
Turbine technology re-think aims to boost power production Harnessing the power of wind has long been recognised as an important alternative source of electricity generation. Now, a new European project is aiming to improve the technology and make it even more competitive
	High-performance swimsuit developed through cutting-edge motion analysis and myoelectric analysis techniques Professor Hideki Takagi, at the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Tsukuba and his colleagues, through joint research with Descente Ltd., have succeeded in developing a new high-performance swimsuit with a "kick assist system" that improves the power of the dolphin kick.
	New technology for dynamic projection mapping It has been thought technically difficult to achieve projection mapping onto a moving/rotating object so that images look as though they are fixed to the object.
Strategy based on human reflexes may keep legged robots and prosthetic legs from tripping Trips and stumbles too often lead to falls for amputees using leg prosthetics, but a robotic leg prosthesis being developed at Carnegie Mellon University promises to help users recover their balance by using techniques based on the way human legs are controlled.
	As emerging markets grow, Android extends smartphone lead Android-powered smartphones extended their lead in the global marketplace in the third quarter, helped by growth in emerging markets, a survey showed Wednesday.
	UberPOP driven out of Netherlands The controversial ride-sharing service UberPOP is to stop operations in the Netherlands almost a year after it was declared illegal in the country.
	Hot cars at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show Automakers are debuting key models at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show.
ON Semiconductor to buy Fairchild for about $2.3 billion ON Semiconductor Corp. said Wednesday that it plans to buy Fairchild Semiconductor for about $2.3 billion in cash, to expand its products in the automotive, industrial and smartphone industries.
	New apps help Palestinians navigate Israeli checkpoints A pair of new mobile apps hopes to help Palestinians navigate their way around snarled traffic at Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank, offering a high-tech response to an intractable problem: constant, burdensome and often seemingly random restrictions on movement.
	Facebook activates safety feature after Nigeria bombing Facebook has activated its "Safety Check" feature for the first time in Nigeria, after a bombing likely carried out by Boko Haram killed more than 30 late on Tuesday.
	With virtual tour, free peek into Dubai's top luxury hotel If you don't have an extra $15,000 or so to spend on a night in a royal suite at Dubai's luxury Burj Al Arab hotel, there's now an online tour that offers a free virtual glimpse of its extravagance.
	Tracking freight flows A new freight database developed with assistance from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory will help transportation officials improve highways, railroads and other trade routes across the country. With funding from the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and Federal Highway Administration, ORNL data experts recently provided specialized data development, statistical analysis and modeling support to create the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF), the most comprehensive public source of freight transportation data in the nation.
	Research facility network catalyses Europe's biomass potential Completed in September 2015, the four-year BRISK project brought together 26 partners from across Europe – various academic and research institutions – to establish a highly visible network of demonstration rigs.
	Lockheed Martin introduces next-generation radar technology—Digital Array Row Transceiver (DART) Digital Array Row Transceiver (DART) provides greater performance thanks to improved reliability and increased efficiency
	Drones for social good Flying robot technology is helping researchers find new ways to deliver medical aid to remote areas, monitor the environment and more.
	Scalp cooling cap design wins international Exhibitor Innovations Competition The design skills and technical innovations of researchers at the University of Huddersfield have led to significant improvements in a silicon cooling cap that aims to reduce hair loss in cancer patients. Now, their contribution to the project has helped earn an international award.
Microsemi boosts its buyout offer for PMC-Sierra Microsemi, a maker of semiconductors, boosted its buyout offer for chipmaker PMC-Sierra again, two days after PMC-Sierra said it preferred a deal with rival Skyworks.
	NY fantasy sports probe extends to Yahoo New York state investigators are looking into Yahoo's daily fantasy sports games to determine if they should be targeted for illegal gambling along with other operators, sources said Wednesday.

Medicine & Health news

	Neuroscientists reveal how the brain can enhance connections When the brain forms memories or learns a new task, it encodes the new information by tuning connections between neurons. MIT neuroscientists have discovered a novel mechanism that contributes to the strengthening of these connections, also called synapses.
	Scientists turn tastes on and off by activating and silencing clusters of brain cells Most people probably think that we perceive the five basic tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (savory)—with our tongue, which then sends signals to our brain "telling" us what we've tasted. However, scientists have turned this idea on its head, demonstrating in mice the ability to change the way something tastes by manipulating groups of cells in the brain.
	Liking on Facebook good for teens' stress, but being liked... not so much Facebook can have positive and negative effects on teens levels of a stress hormone, say researchers at the University of Montreal and the Institut universitaire de santé mentale de Montréal. Led by Professor Sonia Lupien, the team found that having more than 300 Facebook friends increased teens' levels of cortisol. On the other hand, teens who act in ways that support their Facebook friends - for example, by liking what they posted or sending them words of encouragement - decreased their levels of cortisol. Their findings were published in Psychoneuroendocrinology.
	Hemolytic uremic syndrome: Search for the best treatment regimen with one of the world's most expansive medications (Medical Xpress)—Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a severe illness that may lead to a complete loss of renal function. Most of the HUS cases are caused by infection with the shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli, well known from the 2011 epidemic in Germany, which resulted in 845 documented HUS cases and 54 deaths (1).
	Skin must develop tolerance to 'good' bacteria early in life, says new study A wave of specialized immune cells entering the skin in early life may induce tolerance to the hundreds of species of so-called friendly bacteria that live on the surface of the body, according to a new study led by scientists from UC San Francisco.
	Working up a sweat may protect men from lethal prostate cancer A study that tracked tens of thousands of midlife and older men for more than 20 years has found that vigorous exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits may cut their chances of developing a lethal type of prostate cancer by up to 68 percent.
	Couples who have sex weekly are happiest More sex may not always make you happier, according to new research published by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
	Light therapy effective for depression, study reports New research finds that light therapy can treat non-seasonal depression and improve the overall wellbeing of people suffering from the disease.
	Technique to more effectively diagnose and treat cancer developed A method to better trace changes in cancers and treatment of the prostate and lung without the limitations associated with radiation has been developed by Georgia State University researchers.
	Scientists grow functional vocal cord tissue in the lab University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists have succeeded in growing functional vocal cord tissue in the laboratory, a major step toward restoring a voice to people who have lost their vocal cords to cancer surgery or other injuries.
	New method developed to predict response to nanotherapeutics Many nanotherapeutics are currently being tested in clinical trials and several have already been clinically approved to treat cancers. But the ability to predict which patients will be most responsive to these treatments has remained elusive. Now, a collaboration between investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has led to a new approach that uses an FDA-approved, magnetic nanoparticle and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify tumors most likely to respond to drugs delivered via nanoparticles. The team's preclinical results are published in Science Translational Medicine November 18.
	Blocking immune cell treats new type of age-related diabetes Diabetes is often the result of obesity and poor diet choices, but for some older adults the disease might simply be a consequence of aging. New research has discovered that diabetes—or insulin resistance—in aged, lean mice has a different cellular cause than the diabetes that results from weight gain (type 2). And the findings point toward a possible cure for what the co-leading scientists, Ronald Evans and Ye Zheng, are now calling a new kind of diabetes (type 4).
	Babies have logical reasoning before age one, study finds Human infants are capable of deductive problem solving as early as 10 months of age, a new study by psychologists at Emory University and Bucknell finds. The journal Developmental Science is publishing the research, showing that babies can make transitive inferences about a social hierarchy of dominance.
	What salamanders can teach us about baseball If a baseball player waits until he sees the ball arrive in front of him to swing his bat, he will miss miserably. By the time the batter sees the ball's position, plans his swing and moves the bat, the ball will be firmly in the catcher's mitt.
	Team sheds light on how our brains see the world A Dartmouth study reveals how the brain understands motion and still objects to help us navigate our complex visual world.
	Evidence of probable transmission of bird flu virus between two unrelated individuals Previous reports of person to person transmissions have all occurred in family clusters, suggesting that either common exposures or genetic susceptibility might contribute to the infection.
Major US doctors group urges ban on drug ads Members of a major US medical association called Tuesday for a ban on advertising prescription drugs to consumers, saying the practice helps drive up prices and harms patient health.
Young whites usually more optimistic than minority peers about likelihood of living to 35 A new study of young people finds that, with one exception, whites are more optimistic—sometimes drastically so—than their minority peers about their likelihood of living to 35.
Investigational immunotherapeutic increased bladder cancer survival Background: Noguchi explained that immunotherapy has emerged recently as a viable and attractive strategy for the treatment of advanced cancer. "In this study, we assessed whether a novel immunotherapeutic approach that we have devised, called personalized peptide vaccination, could improve outcomes for patients who have advanced bladder cancer that has progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy," he continued. "This is a disease for which the prognosis is poor; median survival is just 13 to 15 months from the time of starting platinum-based chemotherapy."
Higher nicotine, carcinogen levels among smokeless tobacco users compared with cig users U.S. adults who used only smokeless tobacco products had higher levels of biomarkers of exposure to nicotine and a cancer-causing toxicant—the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNK—compared with those who used only cigarettes.
Study finds high prevalence of incapacitated rape among college women Some 15 percent of women are raped while incapacitated from alcohol or other drug use during their freshman year at college, according to new research.
IMS Health: Drug spending to jump 30 pct. to $1.3T in 2020 As criticism of soaring prescription drug prices in the U.S. grows, global spending on medicines is expected to rise 3 percent to 6 percent annually for the next five years, according to a new forecast from IMS Health.
	Study: To avoid higher health law premiums, switch plans Maybe an amiable gecko could help the Obama administration sell its health insurance overhaul.
Hospital ordered to pay $10M for late meningitis diagnosis Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has been ordered to pay $10 million to the mother of a boy whose bacterial meningitis wasn't promptly diagnosed despite multiple emergency room visits.
	Do men need to exercise harder than women to prevent stroke? Emerging evidence suggests physical activity is a good means of preventing a stroke. In the event that someone who regularly exercises does have a stroke, they are likely to have a less severe stroke and better outcomes in the early and later stages of rehabilitation.
	Prenatal test finds one cell in a million Enduring a risky but important prenatal diagnostic procedure is one of scariest aspects of pregnancy.
Epigenetic conservation makes mice a valid model for brain studies Epigenetic processes, which determine which genes can be expressed in different cell types, are central to biology and medicine. For at least one key epigenetic mark, the brains of mice and humans are nearly 90 percent similar, opening the door to studying mice as models for human neurologic disease, said a group of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor.
	Solid fats and added sugars in foods Most folks know that becoming a "couch potato" can lead to health problems. But SoFAS can also be problematic. "SoFAS" is a nickname used by some nutritionists for the solid fats and added sugars that are found in selected foods. An analysis of nationally representative U.S. food-consumption data revealed that a surprisingly high proportion of foods consumed contain at least some SoFAS. The study was led by Agricultural Research Service nutritionist Lisa Jahns.
Strong 'foot core' could prevent plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and other common injuries As your cold-weather footwear makes the seasonal migration from the back of your closet to replace summer's flip flops and bare feet, don't underestimate the benefits of padding around naked from the ankles down.
Nationwide look at diabetes in Mexico paints grim picture If diabetes in Mexico continues unchecked, at least one in three people, and as many as one in two, could be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetimes.
	Cyclists breathe the brunt of harmful pollution, commuter study finds Colorado State University researchers have exposed a sad irony to the seemingly healthy choice of bicycling to work: While cyclists are reaping the benefits of exercise, they may be increasing their exposure to harmful air pollution.
	The Thanksgiving plate gets a makeover With the holidays rapidly approaching, nutrition experts at UT suggest some mealtime makeovers that will keep your Thanksgiving feast yummy without expanding your tummy.
	Doctor-patient relationship is key to reducing CT scan overuse One in every three CT scans performed on patients with minor head injury is not medically necessary. The American College of Emergency Physicians has identified CT overuse as the top priority for minimizing wasteful and unnecessary tests in the emergency department. A Yale-led study has found that among other factors, strengthening the doctor-patient relationship can reduce unwarranted scans and their growing cost.
Plant and food chemicals may help treat cancers Combinations of a significant number of non-toxic chemicals, many of which can be found in plants and foods, may help treat advanced and untreatable cancers, according to new research from a global task force.
Demographic tool produces surprising insights into health care disparities Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have taken a new approach to understanding why so many breast cancer patients in Appalachia aren't getting the care they need, and their findings are set to change how people view the obstacles to care that beset the region.
	Human genomic pathways to bronchitis virus therapy Viral replication and spread throughout a host organism employs many proteins, but the process is not very well understood. Scientists at A*STAR have led a collaborative study to learn which host factors play a key role in viral replication. The aim was to identify host pathways and processes that operate at various stages of infection by a bronchitis virus that could be targeted to fight viruses.
	Kidney cells made from reprogrammed stem cells lead scientists to an accurate way to screen for toxic compounds A platform that could help pharmaceutical, chemical and food companies screen for safe compounds for kidneys has been set up by A*STAR scientists, who have created the fastest and most efficient protocol for coaxing stem cells to become kidney proximal tubular cells (PTCs).
	Scientists develop a novel compound that regulates wakefulness Hiroshi Nagase, a Professor at the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, collaborated with Masashi Yanagisawa (Professor / Director of WPI-IIIS) and successfully developed a potent compound that promotes wakefulness and remedies the sleep disorder narcolepsy in model animals. Their work was published as the featured article in Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
	Prosthodontics professor on 3D-printed maxillofacial prosthetics As a young girl in Colombia, Sujey Morgan saw the victim of a bear attack on television and knew right then that she wanted a career that would allow her to help people who suffer severe facial trauma. Today she does just that. In her role as an assistant professor of prosthodontics and operative dentistry at Tufts School of Dental Medicine, she restores a modicum of normalcy to the lives of patients who need oral and facial prosthetics.
Younger generations of those in the military more vulnerable to suicide In the last 10 years, the U.S. military has experienced an unprecedented increase in suicides among personnel. While many researchers have largely focused on risk factors among individual soldiers, in a new study, researchers contend that the increase in suicide may also indicate increased vulnerability among more recent generations of young adults. Evidence supporting this perspective is out today in Armed Services and Society.
Swaziland makes progress in quest to eliminate malaria Swaziland could eliminate malaria by the end of 2016 or in early 2017, likely making it the first mainland country in sub-Saharan Africa to get rid of the deadly disease, according to an international health expert.
	Regional cancer patients suffer from lack of options Perth residents diagnosed with certain advanced cancers live longer than people with similar diagnoses' in regional WA, due to a lack of access to treatment choices.
Prevention and control of multi-drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria in hospitals Gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB) include common types such as E. coli that all of us carry in our bowels. When these bacteria get into other parts of the body they can cause infections, including common infections such as cystitis or urinary tract infections. The bacteria can also be readily spread from person to person. Multi-drug-resistant strains are resistant to most, or all, of the common antibiotics that we use to treat infections.
Weekday of surgery affects oesophageal cancer surgery prognosis Patients who undergo surgery for oesophageal cancer early in the week – on a Monday or Tuesday – have a higher chance of long-term survival than those who have surgery at the end of the working week. This is according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the scientific journal Annals of Surgery.
Coconut oil shows promise in the prevention of deadly bloodstream infection Coconut oil may be effective at combating infection with Candida albicans, according to a study published November 18th in the American Society for Microbiology's new open access journal mSphere. The study found that coconut oil consumption reduced gastrointestinal colonization by C. albicans in mice.
Socioeconomic factors associated with undergoing surgery for early-stage pancreatic cancer While socioeconomic factors such as race, ethnicity, marital status, insurance status, and geographic location are associated with whether patients with localized pancreatic cancer undergo resection (surgical removal of the tumor), only geographic location is associated with survival in these patients, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.
Prevalence of lifetime drug use disorders nearly 10 percent in US A large national survey of U.S. adults in 2012-2013 suggests that nearly 10 percent of Americans, or more than 23.3 million people, have lifetime drug use disorder diagnoses arising from drug use in the past year or prior to that and many of these individuals were untreated, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
	New strategy reduces side effects in Parkinson's treatment In an international study, Northwestern Medicine scientists and colleagues have identified a novel strategy for reducing the side effects of uncontrolled movement caused by the drug levodopa, commonly used to treat the stiffness, tremors and poor muscle control of Parkinson's disease.
	Experiencing major stress makes some older adults better able to handle daily stress Dealing with a major stressful event appears to make some older adults better able to cope with the ups and downs of day-to-day stress, according to new research from North Carolina State University.
	Charges filed against makers of nutritional supplements (HealthDay)—Criminal charges and civil injunctions have been filed against 117 makers and/or distributors of potentially dangerous dietary supplements, U.S. government agencies announced Tuesday.
	Prognostic biomarkers ID'd in pulmonary hypertension (HealthDay)—Biomarkers have been identified for the risk of lung transplantation and death in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a study published online Oct. 26 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
	When antibiotics are needed (HealthDay)—Overuse of antibiotics is one of the main causes of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat in the United States.
	Tips on making the 'Great American Smokeout' work for you (HealthDay)—Thinking about quitting smoking? There are a number of things you can to do to improve your chances, an expert says.
Study reports ethnicity does not predict type of end-of-life care patients want Ethnicity does not predict the type of end-of-life care people want, according to a study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine
	Researchers find link between air pollution and heart disease Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found a link between higher levels of a specific kind of air pollution in major urban areas and an increase in cardiovascular-related hospitalizations such as for heart attacks in people 65 and older.
College studies may reduce risk of dementia for older adults, research finds Older adults who take college courses may increase their cognitive capacity and possibly reduce their risk for developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
	Research shows benefits, danger of Ultraman competition A team of Florida State University researchers found that the endurance competition called the Ultraman can lead to large reductions in body fat, but also causes temporary muscle damage and potentially insulin resistance.
	Late effects of treatment study continues sustained academic effort in Hodgkin's lymphoma Early diagnosis, targeted therapeutics, and more personalized multimodal treatments have boosted survival rates of patients with cancer and have led to a large and rapidly increasing number of cancer survivors. This is particularly true for patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma, where successive EORTC trials have registered continuous progress in the development of treatment strategies for this disease.
Research yields potential treatment approach for glycogen storage disease Researchers from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) and Duke Medicine have identified a potential treatment strategy for an often-fatal inherited glycogen storage disease.
Viagra improves insulin sensitivity in individuals at risk for diabetes The medication sildenafil - sold under Viagra and other trade names - improves insulin sensitivity in individuals with prediabetes and also reduces a biological marker that signals heightened risk of kidney and heart disease, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Weekday sleep changes may raise risk of diabetes, heart disease Monday mornings could be harmful to your health. Even routine sleep changes such as waking up early for work during the week may raise the risk of developing metabolic problems such as diabetes and heart disease, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Study identifies patient's priorities in treating rare muscular dystrophy A new study of individuals with myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) - a rare form of muscular dystrophy -has helped pinpoint the symptoms of the disease that are most important to patients. These findings, published today in the journal Neurology, could help create a roadmap for physicians to prioritize treatment of this complex, multi-system disease.
Brain disorder may increase miscarriage and preeclampsia risk in pregnancy Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, a disease often confused for multiple sclerosis, may increase a woman's risk for miscarriage and preeclampsia during pregnancy, according to a study published in the November 18, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
	FDA-approved drug protects mice from Ebola The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa has claimed more than 11,300 lives and starkly revealed the lack of effective options for treating or preventing the disease. Progress has been made on developing vaccines, but there is still a need for antiviral therapies to protect health care workers and local populations in the event of future outbreaks.
Research shows Texas Grow! Eat! Go! interventions having positive impact on youth Research has shown that efforts through the Texas Grow! Eat! Go! program have had a positive effect on improving the health and wellness of youth in the five participating Texas counties.
	Parents' top fears about teens' cellphone use—are they justified? Parents' fears about their teenagers' heavy use of cell phones and social media may be exaggerated, according to a new report from Duke University researchers. However, there are important exceptions in the areas of cyberbullying and sleep disruption.
	Brain scan reveals cognitive deficits in older 'cognitively normal' HIV+ individuals Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have found in a small study that although a group of HIV+ older individuals scored "cognitively normal" in standard neuropsychology testing, a scan of their brains tells a different story.
Plant and food-based compounds may be key to future cancer prevention Advancements in precision medicine have led to many new targeted cancer therapies for cancer patients. These treatments focus on using agents that target one or two genes that contribute to tumor development. The approach tends to be more effective against cancer cells and less toxic toward normal cells than standard chemotherapeutic regimens.
Study finds that Ebola vaccine is safe and stimulates strong immune response A clinical trial of a new Ebola vaccine (ChAd3-EBO-Z) that resulted from an unprecedented global consortium assembled at the behest of the World Health Organization has found that it is well tolerated and stimulates strong immune responses in adults in Mali, West Africa and in the US, according to a study published in the latest issue of the journal Lancet Infectious Disease. If the vaccine is ultimately found to be safe and effective, it could offer crucial protection for contacts (family members, neighbors, etc.) of patients with confirmed Ebola disease in future epidemics, thereby helping to interrupt transmission. Larger trials of the vaccine sponsored, by GSK Biologicals, have already begun.
Sound deprivation leads to irreversible hearing loss Massachusetts Eye and Ear investigators have shown that sound deprivation in adult mice causes irreversible damage to the inner ear. The findings, published in PLOS ONE, suggest that chronic conductive hearing loss, such as that caused by recurrent ear infections, leads to permanent hearing impairment if it remains untreated.
	An insulin pill shows early promise as a novel form of diabetes therapy An insulin pill being developed by researchers at UC Santa Barbara may in the near future give another blood sugar management option to those who suffer from diabetes. The novel drug delivery technology may also apply to a wide spectrum of other therapies.
	Effort details global brain disorders research agenda in Nature supplement Infants are starved of oxygen during difficult births. Children's cognitive function is permanently damaged due to malnutrition or exposure to infections or toxins. Adults suffer from crippling depression or dementia. The breadth and complexity of these and other brain and nervous system disorders make them some of the most difficult conditions to diagnose and treat, especially in the developing world, where there are few resources. An NIH-led collaboration has studied these complex issues that occur across the lifespan and today published a supplement to the journal Nature that lays out a research strategy to address them.
	Without prescription coverage, some cancer patients do without even low-cost drugs A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment shows that breast cancer patients whose health insurance plans included prescription drug benefits were 10 percent more likely to start important hormonal therapy than patients who did not have prescription drug coverage. Women with household income below $40,000 were less than half as likely as women with annual household income greater than $70,000 to continue hormonal therapy. Hormonal therapy for patients with estrogen- or progesterone-positive breast cancers can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence by as much as 50 percent.
	Study reveals cortical circuits that encode black and white While some things may be 'as simple as black and white,' this has not been the case for the circuits in the brain that make it possible for you to distinguish black from white. The patterns of light and dark that fall on the retina provide a wealth of information about the world around us, yet scientists still don't understand how this information is encoded by neural circuits in the visual cortex—a part of the brain that plays a critical role in building the neural representations that are responsible for sight. But things just got a lot clearer with the discovery that the majority of neurons in visual cortex respond selectivity to light vs dark, and they combine this information with selectivity for other stimulus features to achieve a detailed representation of the visual scene.
	Master switch for brain development found Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz have unraveled a complex regulatory mechanism that explains how a single gene can drive the formation of brain cells. The research, published in The EMBO Journal, is an important step towards a better understanding of how the brain develops. It also harbors potential for regenerative medicine.
	Interpersonal communication key to daughters' well-being When faced with adversity, humans make meaning of their experiences through storytelling. Scholars also have found that women, in particular, express their emotions through 'narrative sense-making' and relate to and support each other by telling stories in everyday contexts. This is especially true when it comes to mothers and daughters. Now, a recent study from a University of Missouri professor has found that daughters 're-author' stories about adversity over time, often increasing the positivity of those stories through narrative. Scientists believe these changes in storytelling can improve mother and daughter interpersonal relationships and well-being.
	Patients improve speech by watching 3-D tongue images A new study done by University of Texas at Dallas researchers indicates that watching 3-D images of tongue movements can help individuals learn speech sounds.
	Robotic surgery may be superior to laparoscopic for uterine CA (HealthDay)—For women with uterine cancer, robotic surgery is more costly but is associated with decreased length of hospital stay and higher rate of lymph node dissection, according to a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Vitamin D supplementation doesn't cut colds in asthma (HealthDay)—Vitamin D supplementation does not reduce cold severity or frequency among adults with mild-to-moderate asthma, according to a study published online Nov. 5 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Three-month efficacy data predicts six-month RA Tx efficacy (HealthDay)—For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 50 responses measured at three months can predict six-month treatment efficacy, according to research published online Oct. 30 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
	Almost 1 in 10 Americans has lifelong drug problem (HealthDay)—Nearly one in 10 Americans has some type of lifelong drug use disorder, a new federal government survey finds.
	Controversial fertility treatment resulted in live births (HealthDay)—Embryos with a mix of normal and abnormal chromosomes implanted during in vitro fertilization (IVF) can develop into healthy newborns, a small new study suggests.
	Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir successful in hep C regardless of genotype (HealthDay)—Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir is effective for hepatitis C virus (HCV), regardless of genotype, according to three studies published online Nov. 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research was published to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, held from Nov. 13 to 17 in San Francisco.
	Group medicine appointments effective for glycemic control (HealthDay)—Medical management delivered via group medical appointments (GMAs) appears to be effective for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the November issue of Diabetes Spectrum.
	Significant changes with sham Sx in prostatic hyperplasia (HealthDay)—Significant change is seen in symptom scores and maximum urinary flow for sham controlled endoscopic and injection benign prostatic hyperplasia interventions, according to a review published in the December issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Burnout reduces readiness to change teaching approaches (HealthDay)—Occupational burnout appears to reduce clinical faculty members' readiness to change teaching approaches, according to a study published online Nov. 13 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
	Review: El Nino Southern Oscillation has effects on skin (HealthDay)—The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon impacts skin and skin-related disease, according to a review published in the December issue of the International Journal of Dermatology.
	Hypertension-linked ER visits common and increasing (HealthDay)—Hypertension-related emergency department visits are relatively common and increased from 2006 to 2012, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
	Type 2 diabetes drug helps some with chronic depression: study (HealthDay)— A new small study is adding evidence to the theory that insulin resistance may play a leading role in some people's depression.
Gunshot survivors in high-crime community face elevated risk of early death, study shows One in 20 survivors of gunshot violence in an urban area with high crime died within five years, mainly by homicide, according to the results of a study that tracked patients after they had been discharged from the hospital that treated them.
New study suggests more than 8 percent of children with cancer have genetic predisposition The most detailed analysis yet of the role germline mutations in genes associated with cancer predisposition play in the development of childhood cancer suggests that comprehensive genomic screening may be warranted on all pediatric cancer patients, not just those with a family history of cancer. The study from the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project appears in the November 19 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Surrogates feel hurt by India's ban on foreign customers For thousands of childless couples the world over, India has been the go-to destination to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents, thanks to its well-trained doctors, well-appointed fertility clinics and vast numbers of poor women willing to serve as surrogate mothers.
Journal Maturitas publishes position statement on testosterone replacement therapy in the aging male‏ Journal Maturitas today announced the publication of a position statement by the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) covering testosterone replacement therapy in the aging male.
Public encourage to protect fundamental bioscience A report detailing how the public view fundamental science, and research on ageing, is published today. The public dialogue study commissioned by the Babraham Institute (BI) and supported by BBSRC and the UK Government's Sciencewise programme, brought together public participants to gather input on how the Institute should develop its research and public engagement activities over the next five years. Through activities and discussion sessions designed by dialogue specialist Ipsos MORI, members of the public shared their views on the Institute's science programme (including ageing research), what fundamental bioscience means for them and the importance of public engagement in allowing people to engage with scientific research.
NIH launches initiative to develop long-acting HIV treatment and prevention tools The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, launched a major initiative to advance novel approaches to treat and prevent HIV infections based on broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) today. A public-private partnership has been established for this effort between NIAID and the global pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to enable researchers to develop one or more bNAbs, which can stop a wide range of HIV strains from infecting human cells in the laboratory, into a product to treat or prevent HIV infection.
A 'Council of Psychological Science Advisors' tackles pressing policy issues Some of the most urgent issues that American society faces today—including obesity, consumer debt, risk of terrorism, and climate change—are fundamentally influenced by decision making and behavior at both the individual and institutional levels. Despite this, policymakers have only recently begun to capitalize on insights from research in the behavioral sciences in developing policies that address these issues.
Nivolumab in NSCLC: Indication of major added benefit for under 75-year-olds Nivolumab is an anti-tumour drug from the group of monoclonal antibodies. It has been available since June 2015 under the trade name Opdivo for adults with advanced melanoma, and since July 2015 under the trade name Nivolumab BMS also for adults with metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after prior chemotherapy.
Insulin degludec plus liraglutide: Again no hint of added benefit in type 2 diabetes The fixed combination of the two drugs insulin degludec and liraglutide (trade name: Xultophy) has been approved since June 2015 also in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus when oral antidiabetics (OADs) combined with a GLP-1 receptor agonist do not provide adequate glycaemic control. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this fixed combination offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy (ACT).
House bill would limit some calorie labels Supermarkets and pizza chains would get some relief from government calorie labeling rules under legislation approved by a House committee Wednesday.
ICGC brings more genomic health data to researchers on the Amazon Web Services Cloud The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) announced today that 1,200 encrypted cancer whole genome sequences are now securely available on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud for access by cancer researchers worldwide.
UH Ahuja Medical Center advances cardiology care by offering technological advancements University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center (UH) is following the old adage of 'out with the old, in with the new.'
	Neurogastronomy: How our brains perceive the flavor of food Two women, seated at a table, told their stories in quiet tones. A group of chefs, some standing, others seated, leaned forward eagerly, clearly interested in what these two women had to say. They peppered the women with questions: did food taste better cold or hot? Was texture an issue? Did a glass of wine before dinner help or hurt the flavor experience?
Obesity spells problems for trauma patients A new study appearing in the November 18 issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS) found a link between obesity and a higher risk for surgery in orthopaedic trauma patients. In addition, researchers found that patients with obesity had longer hospital stays and greater treatment costs. They were also more likely to be discharged to a care facility, rather than to home.
	AAFP: Expected 0.5 percent pay increase reduced to zero (HealthDay)—A small but promised Medicare pay increase has effectively been reduced to zero for all physician specialties, according to the final 2016 Medicare physician fee schedule and a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Less than a quarter of hospitals stock antidotes required for immediate use Less than a quarter of hospitals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland stock all of the recommended antidotes for immediate use in emergency departments, reveals an audit published in the online journal the European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy.
	Has Syria painted a target on medical teams around the world? Even in war, hospitals have a kind of invisible bubble around them, making them neutral territory and off limits for aggression for the sake of medical teams and their patients.
Critical gaps in antenatal care identified in cases of term stillbirths A new study launched today (Thursday 19 November) has revealed key steps for hospitals to improve care for pregnant mums and babies.

Biology news

	Study shows vampire bats feed group mates to ensure others will feed them later (Phys.org)—A pair of researchers, one with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the other the University of Maryland, has found evidence that suggests vampire bats regurgitate blood into the mouths of others in order to compel others to do the same for them when they need it. In their paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Gerald Carter and Gerald Wilkinson describe their study involving caged vampire bats, videotaping and the ways that vampire bats share their food.
	Many hands make light work and improve health, study says Getting help with baby care could keep families healthier and extend their lives, according to a new study into bird behaviour.
Marine fungi reveal new branches on tree of life Researchers from the University of Exeter have discovered several new species of marine fungi inhabiting previously undescribed branches of the tree of life. Little is known about the fungi flourishing in the world's oceans and this study, which set out to investigate its diversity and abundance, revealed that many marine fungi are very different from those found on land.
	Fat makes coral fit to cope with climate change A year ago, researchers discovered that fat helps coral survive heat stress over the short term—and now it seems that fat helps coral survive over the long term, too.
	Cure for chytrid: Scientists discover method to eliminate killer fungus Research published today details the first-ever successful elimination of a fatal chytrid fungus in a wild amphibian, marking a major breakthrough in the fight against the disease responsible for devastating amphibian populations worldwide. The highly-infectious chytrid pathogen has severely affected over 700 amphibian species worldwide; driving population declines, extirpations and species extinctions across five continents.
	Short winter days trigger aggression hormones differently based on sex Indiana University researchers have discovered a hormonal mechanism in hamsters that connects short winter days with increased aggression in females, and that it differs from the mechanism that controls this same response in males.
	Size matters when it comes to sperm dominance A tiny fruit fly has the bizarre distinction of possessing the longest sperm of any animal—20 times the length of its own body and 1,000 times that of human sperm.
	Human gene prevents regeneration in zebrafish Regenerative medicine could one day allow physicians to correct congenital deformities, regrow damaged fingers, or even mend a broken heart. But to do it, they will have to reckon with the body's own anti-cancer security system. Now UCSF researchers have found a human gene that may be a key mediator of this tradeoff, blocking both tumors and healthy regeneration.
Scientists take aim at disease-carrying 'kissing bug' An international research team, including scientists from Simon Fraser University, hopes its study of the vector Rhodnius prolixus—also known as the "kissing bug" and a major contributor to Chagas disease —will further the development of innovative insect control methods to curb its impact on humans.
	Study finds pigeons uncommonly good at distinguishing cancerous from normal breast tissue If pigeons went to medical school and specialized in pathology or radiology, they'd be pretty good at distinguishing digitized microscope slides and mammograms of normal from cancerous breast tissue, according to a new study from the University of Iowa and the University of California, Davis.
	Sequencing genomes of our closest wormy cousins A team from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) and its collaborators has sequenced the genomes of two species of small water creatures called acorn worms and showed that we share more genes with them than we do with many other animals, establishing them as our distant cousins.
Novel technology vastly improves CRISPR/Cas9 accuracy A new CRISPR/Cas9 technology developed by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is precise enough to surgically edit DNA at nearly any genomic location, while avoiding potentially harmful off-target changes typically seen in standard CRISPR gene editing techniques. By pairing the CRISPR/Cas9 system with a programmable DNA-binding domain (CRISPR/Cas9-pDBD), researchers have created an additional proofreading step that improves the accuracy of the gene editing system and opens the door to potential clinical and gene therapy applications.
Adelie penguin numbers may expand as glaciers retreat Shrinking glaciers could lead to increasing numbers of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) in East Antarctica, according to research published in the open access journal, BMC Evolutionary Biology.
	Scientists study conservation easements in the Appalachians Clemson scientists Rob Baldwin and Paul Leonard have recently published a research article that examines the existing distribution of conservation easements in the Appalachian Mountains.
	Engineers develop new method to repair elephant tusks When Birmingham Zoo veterinarians approached researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Engineering to help them stop a crack from growing in their oldest elephant's tusk, the engineers saw an opportunity to use their expertise in materials science to improve the industry standard for the repair process.
	Graduate students explore the effect climate change has on local bird populations Two University of New Mexico alumni have discovered that our changing climate is having a serious impact on population size and reproductive success of several bird species found around Albuquerque. Corrie Borgman and Kirsten Cruz-McDonnell graduated with master's degrees from UNM's Department of Biology in 2015, using this research for their theses.
	Genetic barcoding system scans marine species for pests A reference collection of potential invasive marine species in WA, which forms part of a system for identifying pests via their genetic material, has been hailed as a marine biosecurity world first.
	A history of phage-host interactions with help from CRISPRs Using metagenomic datasets produced from the Iron Mountain site in Northern California and customized tools, researchers used bacterial spacer sequences commonly called CRISPRs to link phage and hosts in ecological studies.
	Evolution website sets out to tackle great scientific unknowns Ever wondered if a fly can ride a bicycle, or whether you could survive only on water? A new website on evolution, created by Cambridge scientists and featuring contributions from luminaries including Sir David Attenborough, has some intriguing answers.
	Smeagol found underground in Brazil: New eyeless and highly modified harvestman species Called after Tolkien's character from the "Lord of the Rings" series, a new eyeless harvestman species was found to crawl in a humid cave in southeastern Brazil. Never getting out of its subterranean home, the new daddy longlegs species is the most highly modified representative among its close relatives and only the second one with no eyes living in Brazil. Its introduction to science, made by the Brazilian research team of Dr. Ricardo Pinto-da-Rocha, Instituto de Biociências da Universidade de São Paulo together with Dr. Maria Elina Bichuette and MSc. Rafael Fonseca-ferreira from Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
	Use your loaf to save British wildlife Farmers can maintain high yields and boost nature by signing up to a wildlife-friendly scheme, new research published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology has found.
	Whale sharks in Gulf of Mexico swim near the surface, take deep dives Tracking whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico revealed their use of near-surface waters, as expected, but also their use of deeper water off the continental shelf, including remaining at depth greater than 50 meters continuously for more than three days, according to a study published November 18, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by John Tyminski from Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida, and colleagues from the US and Mexico.
	Sea ice loss associated with increased summer land use by Chukchi Sea polar bears Polar bears' use of land during substantial summer sea ice loss in the Chukchi Sea increased by 30 days, according to a study published November 18, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Karyn Rode from the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska, and colleagues.
	How to catch a small squid? First records for the Gulf of California and southwest Mexico Often avoiding sampling gear with their capability to detect movements and swim their way out of the nets fast enough, the small squids living in the open-ocean zone have so long gone under-researched. The present study, conducted by Dr. Michel Hendrickx, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, and his team, seems to provide new and first distributional records of five such species for the Gulf of California and in southwestern Mexico. It also significantly expands the currently known southernmost limit of localities of some of these squids in the eastern Pacific. The research is available in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
	Research using CO2 keeps even small fry invasive carp at bay University of Illinois researcher Cory Suski has already shown that bubbling high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) into water is a deterrent to invasive Asian carp adults. The gas makes them feel 'woozy' and they choose to swim away. His recent research shows that fish the size of an eyelash also experience negative consequences following CO2 exposure.
	New conservation technology network launches today A new online platform, launched today, will allow conservationists and technology experts to share ideas on how to tackle some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges.
	Lungfishes are not airheads It's November, a month to ruminate on all of the things we are thankful for while we ruminate copious amounts of food (at least in the United States). I've been contemplating all of the things that I am thankful for, besides the usual suspects (you know, friends, family, a pretty cool research project, and, of course, the PLOS Paleo Community!).
	Yellowstone park proposes killing 1,000 bison this winter Yellowstone National Park proposes to kill roughly 1,000 wild bison this winter—mostly calves and females—as officials seek to reduce the animals' annual migration into Montana.
	Natural wetlands still better than rice fields for egrets in southeast US Wading birds in many parts of the world use agricultural habitats such as flooded rice fields, but in the southeastern U.S., Great Egrets (Ardea alba) prefer natural wetlands over any other habitat type, according to a new study in The Condor: Ornithological Applications. Researchers tracking habitat use by Great Egrets in Louisiana and South Carolina found that while some human-influenced wetlands, such as ponds and crayfish production impoundments, did attract egrets, this preference varied between regions. Overall, Great Egrets preferred to forage in natural wetlands.

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