Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Jan 19

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 19, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Study shows brewer's yeast hybridizes in wasp gut
- Astronomers observe a unique multiply-lensed supernova
- Drones do donuts, figure-eights around obstacles
- Watching electrons cool in 30 quadrillionths of a second
- Graphene oxide 'paper' changes with strain
- Ants found to encode nest structural plans in building materials
- Extinct crustacean Dollocaris was all eyes
- Open-source GPU could push computing power to the next level
- Nearing the limits of life on Earth
- Airlines aren't learning enough from near misses, research says
- Team theorizes defects could improve solar cells
- Physical attraction linked to genes that control height, study finds
- Promiscuity could reduce benefits of successful mating, research shows
- Study shows path to 'dial down' autoimmunity without compromising immune response
- Nanoparticles combine photodynamic and molecular therapies against pancreatic cancer

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers observe a unique multiply-lensed supernova (Phys.org)—SN Refsdal is a peculiar supernova visible within the field of the galaxy cluster MACS J1149+2223. Discovered in November 2014 using the Hubble Space Telescope, this supernova is the first that was seen multiple times thanks to gravitational lensing. Now, an international team of astronomers has published a paper on Jan. 15 summarizing one year of Hubble observations of SN Refsdal. The research is available online on the arXiv pre-print server.
	Van Allen probes revolutionize view of radiation belts About 600 miles from Earth's surface is the first of two donut-shaped electron swarms, known as the Van Allen Belts, or the radiation belts. Understanding the shape and size of the belts, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming radiation from the sun, is crucial for protecting our technology in space. The harsh radiation isn't good for satellites' health, so scientists wish to know just which orbits could be jeopardized in different situations.
	How mold on space station flowers is helping get us to Mars When Scott Kelly tweeted a picture of moldy leaves on the current crop of zinnia flowers aboard the International Space Station, it could have looked like the science was doomed. In fact, science was blooming stronger than ever. What may seem like a failure in systems is actually an exceptional opportunity for scientists back on Earth to better understand how plants grow in microgravity, and for astronauts to practice doing what they'll be tasked with on a deep space mission: autonomous gardening.
	Test your astronaut skills and help ESA With ESA astronaut Tim Peake stepping out of the International Space Station tomorrow, have you ever wanted to know if you have what it takes to be an astronaut? ESA is offering a trial version of a test developed for future astronauts for you to try at home – and by taking part you will help us select a new generation of astronauts.
	Image: Spokes in Serpens Core The interstellar medium fills the 'empty' space between the stars in our galaxy. It is a mix of molecular clouds, cold and warm gases, regions of electrically charged hydrogen, and more.
	Seeing Earth from space changes you—and you don't even have to leave the planet People who have seen Earth from space report a "cognitive shift in awareness". Space philosopher, Frank White, calls this "the overview effect". It is often experienced as a profound feeling of awe and interconnection, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
	Watch the moon occult Aldebaran Tuesday night "That's no moon…"
	NASA-funded balloon launches to study Sun On Jan. 18, 2016, the GRIPS balloon team sent their instrument soaring towards the stratosphere above Antarctica, suspended underneath a helium-filled, football-field sized scientific balloon. GRIPS, short for Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar flares, is studying extremely high-energy radiation released by solar flares.

Technology news

	Drones do donuts, figure-eights around obstacles Getting drones to fly around without hitting things is no small task. Obstacle-detection and motion-planning are two of computer science's trickiest challenges, because of the complexity involved in creating real-time flight plans that avoid obstacles and handle surprises like wind and weather.
	It's a 3D printer, but not as we know it 3D printing techniques have quickly become some of the most widely used tools to rapidly design and build new components. A team of engineers at the University of Bristol has developed a new type of 3D printing that can print composite materials, which are used in many high performance products such as tennis rackets, golf clubs and aeroplanes. This technology will soon enable a much greater range of things to be 3D printed at home and at low-cost.
	New method for converting solar energy into electrical power using photo-bioelectrochemical cells A new paradigm for the development of photo-bioelectrochemical cells has been reported in the journal Nature Energy by researchers from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israel, and the University of Bochum, in Germany.
	Airlines aren't learning enough from near misses, research says When it comes to flight safety, U.S. airlines are pretty good at learning from accidents. But new research shows airlines should be learning more from accidents that never happen.
	Open-source GPU could push computing power to the next level Researchers at Binghamton University have become the first to use an open-source graphics processor unit (GPU) for research.
	More info surfaces on HoloLens battery life, field of view This month HoloLens made news and comments about its battery life were sprinkled with words such as "disappointing" and "not great." The writers were referring to revelations about battery life for the anticipated device, in anticipation of the HoloLens early edition, to ship to developers later this year.
	Twitter disruption silences swaths of US, Europe for hours (Update 4) Some Twitter users had to do without early Tuesday after sporadic outages knocked the social media site offline in the U.S. and Europe.
	Tech 'unicorns' face tougher road for funds: survey Those billion-dollar tech startups known as "unicorns," which feasted on record capital inflows for much of last year, are facing tougher challenges for funding, a survey showed Tuesday.
	One-step printing process for transparent, conductive and patterned flexible touchscreen coatings Mobile phones and smart phones still haven't been adapted to the carrying habits of their users. That much is clear to anyone who has tried sitting down with a mobile phone in their back pocket: the displays of the innumerable phones and pods are rigid and do not yield to the anatomical forms adopted by the people carrying them. By now it is no longer any secret that the big players in the industry are working on flexible displays. How to produce cost efficient suitable coatings for that will be demonstrated by the developments of the INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials at the International Nanotechnology Exhibition and Conference nano tech 2016, Tokyo, Japan.
	A widow's battle to access her husband's Apple account It comes as a shock to many when they realise that the apps and content on their computers and mobile devices are not their property to do with as they wish. This mostly becomes an issue when someone dies and the relatives try and get access to apps, accounts and content. A Canadian widow for example, recently tried to get her deceased husband's Apple ID password in order to continue using apps on their shared iPad. The widow, Peggy Bush, ended up being told by Apple support that she would need to produce a court order before they would be able to give her access to her husband's account.
New methods for more energy-efficient internet services The billions of people using internet services worldwide require huge data centres resulting in an enormous energy consumption. In her doctoral dissertation at Umeå University, Mina Sedaghat has developed techniques and algorithms to manage and schedule the resources in these large data centres at a lesser cost, more efficiently, more reliably and with a lower environmental impact.
	A firefighter drone that flies and crawls up walls The 1974 American disaster film Towering Inferno depicted well the earnest struggles of firefighters engaged in ending a fire at a 138-story skyscraper. To this day, fires at high-rise buildings are considered one of the most dangerous disasters.
	Workers in new 'on demand' economy face different tax issues Did you start driving for Uber or Lyft last year? Rent your house out through Airbnb? You could be in for some surprises come tax time if you didn't pay any estimated taxes.
Amnesty links child labour in DR Congo cobalt mines to big business Cobalt mined dangerously by children in the Democratic Republic of Congo could end up in the lithium batteries of smartphones and electric cars made by Apple, Samsung or Sony, Amnesty International said Tuesday.
	Review: Under Armour's fitness gadgets need to shape up You may know Under Armour mostly for its heavily marketed line of athletic sportswear. But the company has bigger ambitions: It's jumping into the crowded market for wearable gadgets that aim to help both athletes and couch potatoes track their fitness.
	Password hacks as simple as 1-2-3-4-5-6 Even after tens of millions of people had online accounts hacked, many Internet users still rely on easily guessed passwords.
Innovative tool to revolutionize building airtightness test The University of Nottingham has developed a novel and easy-to-use test for measuring the airtightness of buildings in order to help eliminate draughts, improve energy efficiency and reduce heating bills.
	Researchers pinpoint the drivers for low-priced PV systems in the United States The price of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on homes and small businesses spans a wide range, and researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have published a new study that reveals the key market and system drivers for low-priced PV systems.
	Devices start ordering refills from Amazon online shop Amazon on Tuesday announced the arrival of devices that order their own refills from the online retail titan.
Not a hoax: Univision buys stake in 'Onion' Aiming to use humor to boost its audience, US broadcasting group Univision said Tuesday it was acquiring a stake in the satirical news group The Onion.
	Apple wins US ban on older model Samsung smartphones Apple on Tuesday had a new victory in a long-running patent lawsuit—a court-ordered ban on older-model Samsung smartphones.
	Penthouse halts magazine after 50 years, goes digital Adult magazine Penthouse will end its print edition after 50 years, becoming the latest publication to go exclusively digital.
	Netflix impresses Wall St. with robust 4Q overseas growth (Update) As its U.S. subscriber growth tapers off, Netflix's Internet video service is setting out to conquer the rest of the world in an audacious expansion likely to sway the company's stock and the prices it pays for TV shows and movies.
	Advanced bearings open door to more fuel efficient aircraft propellers The positive results – achieved through the EU-funded SNRPBBEARING project – will now facilitate the development and testing of rapidly rotating turbofan propellers for civil aviation purposes, which need advanced bearings in order to minimise friction.
	App aims to make cultural heritage interesting and interactive The app, called COOLTURA, has been designed for mobile devices through the EU-funded TAG CLOUD project (due for completion at the end of January 2016). The app allows users to access and use cultural content from the cloud-based COOLTURA platform.
Using LEGO blocks to develop stretchable electronics A new article shows how toy bricks, such as LEGO blocks, are not only for children—in the hands of engineers, they can become a powerful laboratory tool for conducting sophisticated tasks.
	Chinese soldiers linked to US military hacking case: media Two Chinese soldiers were "co-conspirators" in a plot to steal US military secrets, including designs for the F-35 stealth fighter and other warplanes, a Canadian newspaper reported Tuesday.

Medicine & Health news

	Study quantifies faulty gene's role in ovarian cancer risk Women who carry an inherited fault in the BRIP1 gene are three times more likely to develop ovarian cancer than those without it, researchers said Tuesday.
	Electrical stimulation can regulate and synchronize beating properties of nascent heart cells Columbia Engineering researchers have shown, for the first time, that electrical stimulation of human heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) engineered from human stem cells aids their development and function. The team used electrical signals, designed to mimic those in a developing heart, to regulate and synchronize the beating properties of nascent cardiomyocytes, the cells that support the beating function of the heart. The study, led by Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, The Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering and a professor of medical sciences (in medicine), is published online January 19 in Nature Communications.
	Human sounds convey emotions clearer and faster than words It takes just one-tenth of a second for our brains to begin to recognize emotions conveyed by vocalizations, according to researchers from McGill. It doesn't matter whether the non-verbal sounds are growls of anger, the laughter of happiness or cries of sadness. More importantly, the researchers have also discovered that we pay more attention when an emotion (such as happiness, sadness or anger) is expressed through vocalizations than we do when the same emotion is expressed in speech.
	Omega-3 levels affect whether B vitamins can slow brain's decline While research has already established that B vitamin supplements can help slow mental decline in older people with memory problems, an international team have now found that having higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in your body could boost the B vitamins' effect.
	Important regulator of immune system decoded Our environment teems with microorganisms and viruses that are potentially harmful. The reason why we survive their daily attacks is the ability of the immune system to neutralize these invaders in numerous ways. Plasma cells are key players in this process. They fight infections and establish long-lasting protection against pathogens.
	New memory test bridges gap between human and animal research Clinical scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center have teamed up with preclinical researchers at the Gladstone Institutes to advance Alzheimer's disease research by developing a comparable test of learning and memory for humans as the one most commonly used in mice. This cross-disciplinary collaboration is a first in neurological disease research.
	Protein 'handbrake' halts leukaemia in its tracks Melbourne researchers have showed that they can stop leukaemia in its tracks by targeting a protein that puts the handbrake on cancer cell growth.
	Immune booster drugs meant to kill tumors found to improve Alzheimer's symptoms in mice (MedicalXpress)—A team of researchers working at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel has found that a type of drug meant to help the immune system kill tumors also reduces Alzheimer's type symptoms in mouse models. In their paper published in the journal Nature Medicine, the team describes their study of drugs known as PD-1 immune checkpoint blockades, on mouse models, and the results they found.
	Researchers explain how vestibular system influences navigation Dartmouth researchers have found the first direct evidence showing how the vestibular system's horizontal canals play a key role in sensing our direction in the environment.
	Physical attraction linked to genes that control height, study finds Some may believe that chance brings you together with your loved one, but scientists have found a far less romantic reason. Mate choice is influenced by our genes, in part by those responsible for our height, according to research published in Genome Biology.
Study shows path to 'dial down' autoimmunity without compromising immune response A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) shows how dangerous autoimmune responses, seen in diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis, might be "dialed down" without compromising the immune system's ability to fight viruses and bacteria.
	Gene may be important in autism disorders, other neuropsychiatric syndromes Scientists have identified a gene that appears to play a significant role in raising a person's risk of having more severe subtypes of autism that co-occur with other genetic diseases, such as the chromosomal disorder 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Variations in this gene, RANBP1, may disrupt brain signaling in different neuropsychiatric conditions—a finding that could open new research opportunities for treatment for multiple neurological diseases.
Immune 1-2-3 punch against parasites reveals potentially ancient cell death pathway The immune system's killer cells deliver a tightly controlled, 3-phase knockout punch that kills intracellular parasites through a novel pathway that an international team led by researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine (PCMM) at Boston Children's Hospital have named "microptosis." This pathway, the investigators report in Nature Medicine, is very similar to apoptosis (the controlled cell death program thought to exist only in multicellular organisms), but with subtle differences suggesting that it could be specifically targeted for anti-parasitic or -microbial drug development.
	Learning a second language may depend on the strength of brain's connections Learning a second language is easier for some adults than others, and innate differences in how the various parts of the brain "talk" to one another may help explain why, according to a study published January 20 in the Journal of Neuroscience.
	A new method to improve the pre-operative diagnosis of ovarian cancer based on ultrasound In a landmark study, investigators from Europe propose a new and simple method to assess the risk of malignancy of women with an adnexal mass. The method identified between 89-99% of patients with ovarian cancer using the results of ultrasound examination, which can be obtained in referral and non-referral centers. The work is based on the "Simple Rules", criteria developed by the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) group to improve accurate diagnosis of ovarian cancer before surgery. Published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, this new approach has the potential to level and raise the playing field and put expert interpretation and improved diagnostic capability within reach of all practitioners.
	Small units on a big surface = fewer calories How does the size of the table we eat at influence how much we eat? This is the question that researchers posed and answered in a new study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. They found that table size does have a significant impact on how people perceive the food it holds and consequently how much people eat.
	More than 7,000 babies stillborn every day About 7,200 babies are stillborn every day—some 2.6 million per year— and half of these deaths occur during delivery, according to a quintet of studies published by The Lancet on Tuesday.
At least 17 deadly swine flu cases reported in Russia (Update) At least 17 people have died of swine flu in Russia since last month, according to AFP calculations based on statements from regional health authorities, as the virus appears to gain ground in the country.
Eradicating B12 deficiency for the elderly is as simple as screening for it New research published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism reveals that a high proportion of long-term care residents have a B12 deficiency. Researchers from the University of Waterloo and the Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging found that the current state of B12 levels for elderly individuals in long-term care facilities in Ontario warrants considering B12 screening at admission in order to ensure effective treatment.
Cranberry extract confirmed to fight urinary tract infections in breastfed babies under age one Researchers from the universities of Granada (Spain) and Kvopio (Finland) have confirmed that cranberry extract fights urinary tract infections (UTIs) in breastfed babies under one year of age. Their work has proven that this compound reduces the need for antibiotics in the prophylaxis for recurrent urinary tract infections in infants with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), thus preventing the progression of bacterial antibiotic resistance.
	Real acupuncture no better than sham acupuncture for treating hot flushes A new study has revealed traditional Chinese acupuncture treatments are no better than fake acupuncture for treating menopause symptoms.
	Breakthrough in human cell transformation could revolutionise regenerative medicine A breakthrough in the transformation of human cells by an international team led by researchers at the University of Bristol could open the door to a new range of treatments for a variety of medical conditions. Their paper, published today in Nature Genetics, demonstrates the creation of a system that predicts how to create any human cell type from another cell type directly, without the need for experimental trial and error.
	Text messages can help reduce blood pressure An Oxford University led study, working with the University of Cape Town in South Africa, has found that text message reminders can help reduce people's blood pressure.
	People with dementia face discrimination and social rejection January is Alzheimer's Awareness Month and Professor Pia Kontos wants Canadians to be better informed about both the disease and its broader implications.
11 swine flu deaths in Syria since September: health ministry Eleven people have been killed by the swine flu virus in Syria since September, the country's health ministry said on Tuesday.
	EMCDDA publish report on antidote for heroin overdose The first-ever substantive summary of research into take-home naloxone - a single injection that can be given by friends and family to revive someone suspected of heroin overdose - has been published today by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), in collaboration with researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London.
Tracking fat talk through your smartphone Seemingly harmless comments like 'My thighs are huge' or 'I hate my calves' are feeding the body image problems of many women.
	A genetic approach to mosquitoes can stop them spreading infections Summer is the time of year when we head out for trips to the beach or picnics in the park. But we need to keep in mind that this is also when mosquito season reaches its peak.
Researchers find the metabolic pathways responsible for weight gain through plasticisers Plasticisers such as phthalates are always found in plastics. They can get into our bodies through the skin or by the diet. They affect our hormone system and are suspected of having an influence on our body weight. The exact correlations and mechanisms have been unclear thus far. In cooperation with the Integrated Research and Treatment Center (IFB) Adiposity Diseases at the University of Leipzig and the University Hospital Leipzig, researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) have now published a study in the PLOS ONE journal showing that the phthalate DEHP leads to weight gain and revealed the metabolic processes involved.
Researchers advocate improvements in end-of-life care Three Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers, writing in a special issue of JAMA published today, make the case for policies and practices that give terminally ill patients more control over how and where they will die.
	Slow heart rate does not increase risk of heart disease Bradycardia - a slower than normal heartbeat - does not increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study is published in the Jan.19 online edition of the Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine.
	Cost of end-of-life care in the US is comparable to Europe and Canada Despite widespread perception, the United States does not provide the worst end-of-life care in the world. In the first international comparison of end-of-life care practices, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues from seven countries found that the United States actually has the lowest proportion of deaths in the hospital and the lowest number of days in the hospital in the last six months of life among the those countries, according to a new study published today in JAMA.
	Current therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease shown to be ineffective New research from the University of Birmingham has shown that physiotherapy and occupational therapy do not produce improvements in quality of life for patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease.
Water dispensers in NYC public schools associated with student weight loss Making water more available in New York City public schools through self-serve water dispensers in cafeterias resulted in small—but statistically significant—declines in students' weight, according to new findings.
Are high-deductible health plans enrollees better health care price shoppers? Enrollees in high-deductible health plans were no more likely than enrollees in traditional plans to consider going to another health care professional or to compare out-of-pocket cost differences across health care professionals during their last use of medical care, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
High BMI, low aerobic capacity in late teens Linked with hypertension in adults Body-mass index (BMI) and aerobic capacity in late adolescence were important factors associated with the long-term of risk of hypertension in adulthood for military conscripts in Sweden, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Physicians receive less aggressive end-of-life care, less likely to die in a hospital Two studies in the January 19 issue of JAMA compare the intensity of end-of-life treatment and the likelihood of dying in a hospital between physicians and the general population.
	Shops and smaller blocks key for active residents A community centre, a 'main street' layout, short blocks, footpaths and street trees are the best features for encouraging people to walk around their suburb, according to a study of Perth neighbourhoods.
Best minds frame research priorities for reproductive health Research into the optimal preconception diet and societal barriers to fertility are among the key priorities for future reproductive health studies, according to a highly experienced multidisciplinary team of health thinkers assembled by the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute.
	Depression and obesity common among bipolar patients with exhausted stress system New observations show that older bipolar patients often have decreased activity in the hormone system responsible for the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol. Low levels of cortisol in bipolar patients were also associated with depression, low quality of life, obesity, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome. These discoveries could provide important clues as to how treatment strategies for depression and bipolar disorder can be improved, according to a dissertation at Umeå University in Sweden.
	Intensive exercise with intervals 'more effective' Short bursts of intensive exercise provide a more "time-efficient" and realistic way of preventing, delaying and managing Type 2 diabetes and also losing weight, a study has found.
	Gaming reduces pain for burns victims Released in 2006, the Nintendo Wii was snapped up by Australian families and gaming enthusiasts in just four days, becoming the fastest selling console in our history, and now it is helping local burns victims manage their pain and aid in their rehabilitation.
	Retailers contributing to obesity crisis Banning fast food shops near schools won't be enough to tackle childhood obesity, University of Hertfordshire academics revealed today. With secondary school pupils travelling further afield to buy foods high in fat and sugar, food retailers have a major role to play to encourage them to make healthier food choices.
Virtual bone biopsy helps identify why people with diabetes are at risk of bone fractures A Southampton study using high resolution imaging to create a "virtual bone biopsy" has shed new light on why people with type 2 diabetes are at risk of bone fractures.
	Want to get fit in 2016? Then follow these workout tips Last week, we polled the Northeastern University community, asking students, faculty, and staff to vote for their top New Years resolutions. Once the responses started to roll in, we got to work, enlisting experts to share tips for sticking to the top five resolutions as voted on by you.
	Revealing the intra-cellular mechanism underlying ALS A new study uncovering the mechanism behind amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or also Lou Gehrig's disease) has brought doctors a step closer to identifying drug targets for the malady. Tsukasa Uchida and collaborators at Kyoto University have identified proteins associated with cancer suppression and prevention of hypoxia as key players in the progression of ALS.
Broken UV light leads to key heart muscle cell discovery For a team of Vanderbilt investigators trying to generate heart muscle cells from stem cells, a piece of broken equipment turned out to be a good thing.
Zika spreads to Bolivia, infecting pregnant woman A pregnant woman has been diagnosed with Zika in Bolivia, authorities said Tuesday, the first time the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to birth defects, has been transmitted here.
	New target identified for reducing cancer metastasis A protein that is constantly expressed by cancer cells and quiescent in healthy ones appears to be a solid target for reducing cancer's ability to spread, scientists report.
	Women at higher risk to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Researchers from Lund University Sweden have through a new diagnostic method been able to show that the risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease could be twice as high for women as it is for men.
DNA methylation pattern in leukemia only appears to be cancer-typical Apart from the hereditary information that is encoded in the sequence of bases in DNA, there is a second code of life: Chemical alterations in DNA or in its packaging proteins form an additional regulatory level that determines which genes are read. The most important element of this "epigenetic" code is the labeling of specific DNA areas with methyl groups.
	Most parents say they set limits on teen drivers—but teens don't always think so Parents may intend to set strong limits on their teen drivers but their kids may not always be getting the message, a new nationally-representative poll suggests.
People with dementia gain from learning self-management skills People with early-stage dementia benefit when they are empowered to manage their own condition, a study led by researchers at the University of Exeter has found.
	Psoriasis patients have reduced access to efficient treatment method with age A new study from Umeå University in Sweden shows that age plays a huge role when it comes to patients' access to psoriasis treatment. Researchers who have examined if patients of varying ages have the same access to the most efficient psoriasis treatment, found that an age increase of 30 years resulted in an average 65 per cent reduction in likelihood of obtaining treatment with biologics. The study is described in an article published in the British Journal of Dermatology.
	Immunity genes could protect some from E. coli while others fall ill When a child comes home from preschool with a stomach bug that threatens to sideline the whole family for days, why do some members of the family get sick while others are unscathed?
Research discovers potential new therapeutic target for ALS J. Gavin Daigle, a PhD candidate at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Graduate Studies, is the first author of a paper whose findings reveal another piece of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) puzzle. Working with mentor Udai Pandey, PhD, a former member of the Genetics Department faculty at LSU Health New Orleans now at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the team identified a protein that can protect against the toxic degeneration of cells in diseases like ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The work is published this month online in the journal Acta Neurpathologica.
	Infant-friendly flu vaccine developed with key protein According to the World Health Organization, influenza causes serious illness among millions of people each year, resulting in 250,000 to 500,000 deaths. Those most at risk include infants younger than six months, because they cannot be vaccinated against the disease. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have identified a naturally occurring protein that, when added to the flu vaccine, may offer protection to babies during their first months of life.
	Anxiety can impact people's walking direction People experiencing anxiety and inhibition have more activity in the right side of the brain, causing them to walk in a leftward trajectory.
Study shows surge in use of CTs in patients with minor injuries Twice as many patients with non-serious injuries, such as fractures or neck strain, are undergoing CT scans in emergency departments at California hospitals, according to a UCSF-led study, which tracked the use of the imaging from 2005 to 2013.
	Post-term delivery raises risk of complications and illness for newborns While pregnancy is considered full-term at 40 weeks, only some 5 percent of women actually give birth on their predetermined due date. Most OBGYNs recommend more frequent and more vigilant monitoring after 40 weeks and sometimes the artificial induction of labor. But many pregnant women refuse induction due to the risk of stress to the fetus or increased likelihood of requiring a caesarean section.
Young people after Obamacare: Some ER visits down, others way up While emergency department visits for young adults ages 19 to 25 decreased slightly overall following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), visits for mental illnesses in this age group increased "significantly," as did diseases of the circulatory system, according to a study published online this month in Annals of Emergency Medicine .
Race a factor in repeated victimizations of people with mental illness African Americans who are mentally ill are at greater risk of being repeatedly victimized than are mentally ill white people, according to criminologists at Georgia State University.
	Can you trust your gut on a crowd's mood? There is good news for frequent public speakers. New research shows that individuals have the ability to quickly and accurately identify a crowd's general emotion as focused or distracted, suggesting that we can trust our first impression of a crowd's mood. The paper, "Mixed emotions: Sensitivity to facial variance in a crowd of faces," was recently published in the Journal of Vision.
College students whose friends text and drive more likely to do it too, study shows Texting while driving is a significant risk factor for automobile collisions, and cell phone use while driving is especially prevalent among young people. More than half (52%) of a sample of 861 college students surveyed by University of Maryland School of Public Health researchers reported that they had texted while driving at least once in the past month. The web-based survey, led by Professor Kenneth Beck in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, also examined how texting was associated with other forms of risky driving, perceptions of risk, and the driving and texting interactions of those surveyed with a significant other. The study is published in the journal Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour.
	Aerobic exercise benefits patients with Parkinson's disease You've likely heard this before: Exercise is good for you. It helps your heart, bones, back and more.
Rejection from 'American Idol' provides insights into perseverance New research based on observations at American Idol auditions and in-depth interviews with 43 contestants reveals how contestants come to accept rejection after being cut from the competition.
	Intimate partner violence shows bidirectional link with maternal perinatal depression Intimate partner violence (IPV) severity has a statistically significant association with depression symptom severity among pregnant women and new mothers living in poor neighborhoods in Cape Town, South Africa, according to a cohort study published the week in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Alexander C. Tsai at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and colleagues at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and the University of California at Los Angeles, shows that IPV and depression in this setting have a bidirectional association: IPV was associated with increased risk of future depression, and depression was associated with increased risk of future victimization.
HeLP-her cluster RCT shows weight gain prevention among women in rural Australia The year-long HeLP-her intervention prevented a weight gain of nearly 1 kg on average among women living in rural Australia, according to trial results published this week in PLOS Medicine. The trial, conducted by Catherine Lombard of Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues, suggests that low-intensity lifestyle programs can prevent persistent weight gain among women in similar settings.
New precision medicine guidelines aimed at improving personalized cancer treatment plans Tuesday, Jan 19th, 2016, Cleveland: A committee of national experts, led by a Cleveland Clinic researcher, has established first-of-its-kind guidelines to promote more accurate and individualized cancer predictions, guiding more precise treatment and leading to improved patient survival rates and outcomes.
Genetics influences knee pain sensitivity in osteoarthritis patients Genetics play a key role in knee pain sensitivity, according to a team of researchers studying knee osteoarthritis patients.
	Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea: A growing threat (HealthDay)—Public health experts are expressing growing anxiety over the prospect of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea.
	Take care in the bitter cold (HealthDay)—As frigid temperatures send much of the northern half of the United States into a deep freeze, doctors say people need to take steps to avoid dangerous drops in body temperature, or hypothermia.
	HIV testing rates still low among teens, young adults: CDC (HealthDay)—Only one in five sexually active high school students has been tested for HIV, and young adults aren't doing much better at finding out their status, U.S. health officials report.
	Impact of T2DM meds on heart failure hospitalization explored (HealthDay)—For patients with type 2 diabetes, there is no association between hospitalization for heart failure and treatment with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is) versus sulfonylureas (SUs) or treatment with saxagliptin versus sitagliptin, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in Diabetes Care.
	Case report describes scurvy in infant consuming almond milk (HealthDay)—The development of scurvy in an 11-month-old after exclusive intake of almond beverages and almond flour from age 2.5 months is described in a case report published online Jan. 18 in Pediatrics.
	ASCO: new regimen effective for locally advanced rectal cancer (HealthDay)—For patients with rectal cancer, short-course radiation followed by chemotherapy appears similar in effectiveness to a five-week chemoradiation regimen, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, held from Jan. 21 to 23 in San Francisco.
	ASCO: CRP predicts complications after esophagectomy (HealthDay)—C-reactive protein (CRP) on postoperative day 4 (POD 4) after esophagectomy is associated with increased odds of serious infectious complications (SICs), according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, held from Jan. 21 to 23 in San Francisco.
	ASCO: VTE is risk factor for recurrence in esophageal cancer (HealthDay)—For patients with esophageal cancer, venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a risk factor for recurrence, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, held from Jan. 21 to 23 in San Francisco.
New source of liver disease in obesity caused by saturated fat, but not unsaturated fat In results published on October 19, 2015 in the Journal of Lipid Research, a team of translational scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) report a new reason why non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) worsens in people who are obese.
A new role for ApoE explains its diverse range of effects, particularly in Alzheimer's A study from the Buck Institute and UCLA offers an explanation for why a particular genetic form (allele) of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) poses the most significant genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. Publishing on January 20th in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers cast the lipid-binding ApoE4 in an entirely new light, showing that it is a transcription factor that enters the nucleus and binds DNA with high affinity, including the promoter regions of 1700 different genes. Seventy-five million Americans are ApoE4 carriers, putting them at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, and another 7 million carry two copies of ApoE4, giving them an even higher, 10 - 12 fold increased risk of developing Alzheimer's.
Irregular heartbeat stronger risk factor for heart disease and death in women than in men An irregular heartbeat (known as atrial fibrillation or AF) is a stronger risk factor for stroke, heart disease, heart failure and death in women than in men, although the cause is unclear, finds a study in The BMJ this week.
Tobacco giant Philip Morris faces $2.2 billion Thai tax fine Tobacco giant Philip Morris is facing an eye-watering $2.2 billion fine if found guilty of dodging tax on cigarette imports to Thailand, prosecutors said Tuesday.
	New research highlights fertility concerns of young adult and adolescent cancer survivors Nearly half of young adult survivors of adolescent cancers—more young men than women—report uncertainty about their fertility, according to the results of a new study. While females were more likely to describe feeling distressed and overwhelmed and tended to worry more about pregnancy-related health risks and cancer recurrence, both sexes had concerns about genetic risk factors and how infertility might impact their future lives, as described in the study published in Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (JAYAO), a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website until February 18, 2016.
JAMA Viewpoint: 'Physician-assisted dying: A turning point?' The debate over physician-assisted death (PAD) appears to be at a turning point, with a significant number of state legislatures across the country considering PAD, say two Georgetown University scholars, but, they caution, social and ethical safeguards are needed.
	Mental health care for prisoners could prevent rearrest, but prisons aren't designed for rehabilitation Mental health conditions are more common among prisoners than in the general population. Estimates suggest that as many as 26 percent of state and federal prisoners suffer from at least one mental illness, compared with nine percent or less in the general population. And prisoners with untreated mental illness are more likely to be arrested again after they are released.
UK doctors suspend planned two-day strike amid talks Junior doctors in England have called off a two-day strike as union leaders continue talks with the government over a bitterly-disputed contract.
	UnitedHealth 4Q profit drops, still tops Street 4Q forecasts UnitedHealth Group closed 2015 with a 19 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit, but the nation's largest health insurer still topped Wall Street's expectations thanks in part to growth outside of its core insurance business.
New guidelines reverse previous recommendations on gluten introduction to prevent celiac disease Based on new evidence, the age of introduction of gluten into the infant diet—or the practice of introducing gluten during breast-feeding—does not reduce the risk of celiac disease in infants at risk, according to a Position Paper of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). The statement appears in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (JPGN), official journal of ESPGHAN and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
Aclidinium bromide in COPD: Proof of considerable added benefit for certain patients The drug aclidinium bromide (aclidinium for short; trade name: Eklira, Bretaris) has been approved since July 2012 and is used to relieve the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now reexamined the added benefit of the drug pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG).
	Insurance customers begin new year with delays Thousands of health insurance consumers around the country have started the new year dealing with missing ID cards, billing errors and other problems tied to an enrollment surge at the end of 2015.
American College of Cardiology program to support cardiovascular disease prevention in China The American College of Cardiology has launched a cardiovascular disease education and awareness program in China to prepare physicians and hospital systems for a nationwide health care shift that supports heart disease prevention and optimal patient care.
Journal shares discoveries on women veterans' long-term health outcomes A new supplemental issue of The Gerontologist contains 13 articles by Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers and colleagues looking at differences in aging and mortality between veteran and non-veteran women.
Frailty may increase complication risk following urologic surgery For patients undergoing urologic surgery, frailty may increase their risk of experiencing complications after surgery.
Does greater scrutiny of transplant centers create disparities for the sickest patients? A new study indicates that transplant centers that receive low scores on performance evaluations tend to remove more patients from the transplant waiting list. According to US data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients on 315,796 candidates on the kidney transplant waiting list from 2007 to 2014, the rate of removal was approximately 60% higher for centers that received low performance evaluations compared with all other centers, even after adjusting for candidates' demographic and clinical characteristics.
Delirium is common in older gastrointestinal surgery patients A new analysis indicates that delirium commonly develops in the older patients who have undergone gastrointestinal surgery. Among 11 studies analyzed, the incidence of postoperative delirium ranged from 8.2 to 54.4 percent.
When older adults stop driving, they may experience health declines In older adults, declining health is a major reason they stop driving. But when they stop driving, what impact does this have on their subsequent health and well-being?
Task force provides guidance on use of osteoporosis drugs A new report by a Task force of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research provides guidance on the use of bisphosphonates, which are the most commonly used medications for osteoporosis.
Too much sugar during adolescence may alter brain's reward circuits A new study in rats may provide significant insights into the long-term impacts of over-consumption of sugary foods during adolescence.
	Socio-economic status may impact care of children with epilepsy Socio-economic status may influence the use of health resources among children with epilepsy, even in a universal health insurance system.
	The age-related change of angiotensin receptor promotes hypertension Hypertension is a major risk factor of various diseases including stroke, heart failure, vascular disease, and kidney disease. Angiotensin II, which is produced by the renin-angiotensin system, primarily functions as a physiological regulator of blood pressure and cardiovascular homeostasis, but it also plays a major role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. In the aorta, angiotensin II promotes hypertrophy of vascular smooth muscle cells through angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R), resulting in hypertension by increasing arterial wall thickness and vascular resistance. Additionally, angiotensin II induces physiological proliferation of neonatal but not adult vascular smooth muscle cells. How vascular smooth muscle cells determine the responsiveness to angiotensin II under different developmental conditions is mostly unclear.
US Supreme Court rejects Arkansas bid to revive abortion law The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to revive an Arkansas law that would have banned abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy if doctors can detect a fetal heartbeat.
	Advances in continuous glucose monitoring technology will pave the way to an artificial pancreas As the accuracy, reliability, adoption, and successful use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) continue to increase, the ultimate goal of combining CGM with an insulin pump and sophisticated algorithms for automating the control and suspension of insulin infusion—known as the "artificial pancreas"—moves closer to becoming a reality. A detailed look at the development and future promise of CGM in adults and children with diabetes, and at the challenges facing successful commercialization of CGM and artificial pancreas technology is presented in a special issue of Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics (DTT).
CDC: Ask pregnant women about trips to Zika outbreak areas U.S. health officials have new guidance for doctors whose pregnant patients may have traveled to regions with a tropical illness linked to birth defects.
Q&A: Hawaii baby born with defect linked to Zika virus Health officials say a baby born in a Hawaii hospital is the first in the United States with a birth defect linked to the Zika virus, a tropical illness currently found in Latin American and Caribbean countries. The Hawaii state Department of Health said the baby's mother likely contracted the disease while living in Brazil last year and passed it on while her child was in the womb. Here are some questions and answers about the case.

Biology news

	Study shows brewer's yeast hybridizes in wasp gut (Phys.org)—A team of researchers from Italy, Uruguay and Spain has found via lab study that common brewer's yeast not only mate in the guts of wasps, but interbreed with other yeast species, producing hybrids. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study and results and why they believe their findings could have implications for both environmentalists and manufactures of yeast based products.
	Ants found to encode nest structural plans in building materials (Phys.org)—A team of researchers from several institutions in France has found that some common black garden ants leave building instructions in pillars for other worker ants to follow. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study of ants in their lab, what they have found so far, and their goal of learning once and for all how it is that creatures with such tiny brains can build such complicated nests.
	First study of arthropods in US homes finds huge biodiversity The first study to evaluate the biodiversity of arthropods in U.S. homes finds that humans share their houses with any of more than 500 different kinds of arthropods - at least on a short-term basis. Arthropods are invertebrate animals with exoskeletons, segmented bodies and jointed limbs, such as insects, spiders, mites and centipedes.
	Study finds 30 percent of global fish catch is unreported Countries drastically underreport the number of fish caught worldwide, according to a new study, and the numbers obscure a significant decline in the total catch .
	Keeping RNases poised for action A better knowledge of RNA metabolism is key to understanding how RNAs regulate development and differentiation, and how their malfunction leads to disease. A team led by Helge Grosshans of the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) has now identified a novel and evolutionarily conserved mechanism that preserves the stability of RNases and keeps them poised for RNA processing and degradation. The results have been published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
	Synthetic biologists use bacterial superglue for faster vaccine development An interdisciplinary team of Oxford University researchers has devised a new technique to speed up the development of novel vaccines.
	With cell-to-cell communication, more is better—up to a point When it comes to communicating, cells perform better in crowds. When too many work together, though, the cells end up in a game of "telephone," passing on increasingly unreliable signals.
Promiscuity could reduce benefits of successful mating, research shows Promiscuity could reduce benefits of successful mating, research shows.
	Togetherness relieves stress in Prairie voles Many people feel anxious in crowds. But not so for prairie voles.
	Grafted plants' genomes can communicate with each other Agricultural grafting dates back nearly 3,000 years. By trial and error, people from ancient China to ancient Greece realized that joining a cut branch from one plant onto the stalk of another could improve the quality of crops.
	Disrupting cell's supply chain freezes cancer virus When the cancer-causing Epstein-Barr virus moves into a B-cell of the human immune system, it tricks the cell into rapidly making more copies of itself, each of which will carry the virus.
	Study uses GPS to explore deers' relationship with the forest White-tailed deer, though cute and wide-eyed like Bambi, can wreak havoc on the land around them. And no one knows this better than Jack Ray.
Researchers uncover new mechanism controlling plant root development An international team of researchers, including Kun Yue, Tom Beeckman and Ive De Smet (VIB/UGent), discovered a new cell division regulator that shapes plant root systems, PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 2A-3 (PP2A-3). Their findings, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could lead to new techniques to improve root architecture in favor of higher crop yields.
Camera traps reveal that tropical forest protected areas can protect biodiversity Biodiversity in tropical forest protected areas may be faring better than previously thought, according to a study publishing in the Open Access journal PLOS Biology on January 19th. The study, "Standardized Assessment of Biodiversity Trends in Tropical Forest Protected Areas: The End is Not in Sight," was based on data gathered by researchers with the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network (TEAM). Started in 2002 by Conservation International (CI), TEAM grew to a coalition in 2009 that includes CI, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
	New genetically engineered American chestnut will help restore the decimated, iconic tree American chestnut trees were once among the most majestic hardwood trees in the eastern deciduous forests, many reaching 80 to 120 feet in height and eight feet or more in diameter.
	New study gives squirrels plenty of food for thought The age-old adage that 'practice makes perfect' has been found to illustrate how the humble grey squirrel solves problems in the search for food.
	Scientists 'artificially evolve' sleeping sickness bacterium Scientists at the University of Salford are to artificially evolve a bacterium linked to the spread of deadly sleeping sickness, African Trypanosomiasis.
	Emotions matter—dogs view facial expressions differently A recent study from the University of Helsinki shows that the social gazing behavior of domestic dogs resembles that of humans: dogs view facial expressions systematically, preferring eyes. In addition, the facial expression alters their viewing behavior, especially in the face of threat. The study was published in the science journal PLOS ONE.
	1,541 snout moth species and counting in the United States and Canada The present snout moth list contains a ten-percent increase in the number of species since 1983. For the last thirty-three years snout moth specialists in the United States and Canada have been describing species new to science and recording species new to these two countries. Scientists have also published studies resulting in major changes to the classification above the species level, for example by studying snout moth "ears" (tympanal organs) and utilizing genes to study their relationships.
	The tip of an iceburg: Four new fungus gnat species from the Scandinavian north One may think that the extreme north of Europe is low in insect life, except for the notorious blood-sucking flies. However, while it is a generally accepted truth that both plant and animal species' count is higher the closer one gets to the Equator, some insects display anomalous diversity gradient. Such is the case for European fungus gnats, for example, a highly diverse group of true flies. No less than about 1000 species are known to occur in the Scandinavian Peninsula, representing about 83% of the continent's total. Furthermore, undescribed fly species are continuously being discovered from North Europe.
	The reproductive and survival benefits of mothers and grandmothers in elephants Only a few mammals and some birds are as long-lived as humans, and many of these species share interesting characteristics in how they age. A new paper in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology explores lifetime reproductive patterns in African elephants. Led by Phyllis Lee of the University of Stirling in the UK, the study analysed data from 834 female elephants in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. This population has been continuously monitored since 1972, and data collected on more than 3000 elephants since the study began. This paper analyses 42 years of data on females who survived to be at least nine years old.
New research on inflammation and cancer: A prehistoric code regulates cell motility Recent research demonstrates that an evolutionarily conserved molecular code, present on cell surface adhesion molecules, is a critical regulator of cell motility. The prehistorical code identified by the researchers finally explains on the molecular level how cells can fine-tune their migration in response to different tissue determinants. This code which predates dinosaurs and life moving to dry land remains functional in our bodies even today.
	New framework sheds light on how, not if, climate change affects cold-blooded animals Cold-blooded animals like lizards, insects and fish have a preferred body temperature range at which they hunt, eat, move quickly and reproduce. Fear that a warming climate will constrict this temperature range underlies recent studies that warn of the detrimental effects of climate change on the activity and survival of cold-blooded animals. While not contradicting these warnings, a new paper published in the latest issue of Ecology Letters offers a revised framework that may better answer how activity is affected by temperature.
	Photos show elusive bush dog to be widespread in Panama New camera trap photos capture the elusive bush dog in Panama on its way North as it expands out of South America.
	New experiments determine effective treatments for box jelly stings Mānoa (UHM) developed an array of highly innovative experiments to allow scientists to safely test first-aid measures used for box jellyfish stings - from folk tales, like urine, to state-of-the-art technologies developed for the military. The power of this new array approach, published this week in the journal Toxins, is in its ability to rigorously assess the effectiveness of various treatments on inhibiting tentacle firing and venom toxicity - two aspects of a sting that affect the severity of a person's reaction.
	Swedish capercaillies are becoming real citizens in Brandenburg Using molecular genetic tools, scientists have demonstrated the existence of a grandchildren's generation of capercaillies in the south of Brandenburg in East Germany. A pilot conservation project reintroduced these endangered birds to the German nature reserves "Niederlausitzer Heidelandschaft" and "Niederlausitzer Landrücken" as recently as 2012. The founder population was wild caught in Sweden and then transferred to Brandenburg.
	Ten years after the Thames whale, how are Britain's sea mammals faring? The British Isles are blessed with a wide variety of sea mammals, with records showing 29 species of whales, porpoises and dolphins and seven species of seals in its waters. But only some of these are regular inhabitants, and when the more unusual species make an appearance it can cause considerable public interest – as happened ten years ago when a northern bottlenose whale, normally found in the deep Atlantic, instead swam up the River Thames in front of the Houses of Parliament and tens of thousands of fascinated onlookers.
	US official heads to Africa on anti-poaching campaign US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell heads to Africa on Wednesday to denounce the trafficking of wild animals, on the rise over the past five years.
	BioUnify COST Grant proposal brings EU biodiversity scientists and their data together Mobilisation, coordination and cooperation are among the pillars of the Unifying European Biodiversity Informatics (BioUnify) project, described in a Grant proposal, submitted to the COST Association and published in the open-access journal Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO). Both short-and long-term plans are clearly set to bring together the biodiversity informatics community and simultaneously synthesise the available data from across the relevant disciplines. The outcomes are to eventually translate into efficient global biodiversity policy.
Global analysis reveals why many bat populations are in decline Many of the 1,300 species of bat are considered to be threatened and declining. A new analysis reveals trends and causes of death in bats around the world, shedding new light on the possible factors underlying population declines.
	Researcher studying potential invasive species in S. Gulf of Mexico In fairytales, it's usually the damsel who is in distress. When it comes to the marine world, however, it seems it's the damsel that can cause some distress.
	156K chickens added to list of poultry being euthanized Animal health officials investigating a bird flu outbreak in southwest Indiana have ordered 156,000 chickens at one of 10 affected commercial poultry farms to be euthanized, raising the total number of birds to be killed above 400,000.

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