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Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 13, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Microbots individually controlled using 'mini force fields'
- Nano-hybrid materials create magnetic effect
- Astronomers detect ultra-weak magnetic fields in two metallic-line stars
- Low-fiber diet may cause irreversible depletion of gut bacteria over generations
- Female birds may have lost desire to sing due to predation
- New battery made of molten metals may offer low-cost, long-lasting storage for the grid
- Stone-age tools found, but who wielded them?
- First human in vitro model of rare neurodegenerative condition created
- Tesla bulks up on IT talent for 'car of the future' fight
- Annihilating nanoscale defects
- Model that predicts time from gate departure to takeoff could cut airport congestion, fuel waste
- Shiny fish skin inspires nanoscale light reflectors
- Researchers explore the use of decision pathways to inform climate engineering policies
- Plague-riddled prairie dogs a model for infectious disease spread
- Mammals shape their microbiome to prevent disease

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers detect ultra-weak magnetic fields in two metallic-line stars (Phys.org)—A team of astronomers led by Aurore Blazère of the Paris Observatory has discovered ultra-weak magnetic fields in metallic-line stars Beta Ursae Majoris and Theta Leonis. Motivated by a recent detection of a weak, circularly polarized signature in spectral lines of a similar type star, Sirius A, the researchers received a signal believed to be of a magnetic origin, using deep spectropolarimetric observations of these two peculiar stars. What they found may prove that weak magnetic fields could be more common in the photospheres of intermediate-mass stars.
	New details on Ceres seen in Dawn images Features on dwarf planet Ceres that piqued the interest of scientists throughout 2015 stand out in exquisite detail in the latest images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which recently reached its lowest-ever altitude at Ceres.
	Nitrogen may be a sign of habitability We might commonly think of Earth as having an oxygen-dominated atmosphere, but in reality the molecule makes up only a fifth of our air. Most of what surrounds us is nitrogen, at 78 percent. Astrobiologists are beginning to see nitrogen—and not just oxygen— as a key indicator of a planet's habitability. Nitrogen is essential for life on Earth and could signal an atmosphere thick enough to stabilize liquid water on a planet's surface, fundamental to creating habitable conditions.
	First light for future black hole probe Zooming in on black holes is the main mission for the newly installed instrument GRAVITY at ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile. During its first observations, GRAVITY successfully combined starlight using all four Auxiliary Telescopes. The large team of European astronomers and engineers, led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, who designed and built GRAVITY, are thrilled with the performance. During these initial tests, the instrument has already achieved a number of notable firsts. This is the most powerful VLT Interferometer instrument yet installed.
	Green pea galaxy provides insights to early universe evolution Newly formed dwarf galaxies were likely the reason that the universe heated up about 13 billion years ago, according to new work by an international team of scientists that included a University of Virginia researcher. The finding opens an avenue for better understanding the early period of the universe's 14 billion year history.
	Chinese Long March 3B rocket to launch Belintersat-1 telecommunications satellite for Belarus China will carry out on Friday, Jan. 15 its first orbital mission this year, sending a Belarusian telecommunications satellite into space. The Belintersat-1 spacecraft will be lofted into orbit by a Chinese workhorse Long March 3B booster from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province. The 47-minute launch window for this mission opens at 12:57 EDT (16:57 GMT).
	Image: Tethys dwarfed by Saturn It is easy to forget just how large Saturn is, at around 10 times the diameter of Earth. And with a diameter of about 72,400 miles (116,500 kilometers), the planet simply dwarfs its retinue of moons. One of those satellites, Tethys (660 miles or 1,062 kilometers across), is seen here at lower right.
	Image: Esrange launch tower An interior view of a launch tower for suborbital rockets at Esrange, near Kiruna in Sweden. ESA launches sounding rockets from here to run experiments in microgravity as they climb to heights of 270 km before returning to Earth, offering six minutes of weightlessness in the process.
Video: Testing LISA Pathfinder This timelapse video shows teams from ESA and Airbus Defence and Space (the prime contractor for LISA Pathfinder) carrying out a simulation of the commissioning of the LISA Technology Package, the scientific heart of the mission. The simulation took place at ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, on 23 and 24 September 2015. The video spans about two hours on the morning of 23 September.
	How to find a meteorite that's fallen to Earth A bright fireball lit up the night sky around Kati Thanda (Lake Eyre South) in South Australia on November 27, 2015.
	Comet US10 Catalina—the final act Have you seen it? 2016 has kicked off with a fine apparition of a binocular comet: C/2013 US10 Catalina. We've been following this icy visitor to the inner solar system the first few mornings of the year, a welcome addition to the morning planetary line-up.
	LOFAR telescope array expands into Ireland The world's largest connected radio telescope is about to become even bigger! LOFAR, the Low Frequency Array, will expand into Ireland in 2016. This is not only great news for Irish astrophysics, but also for the International LOFAR Telescope (ILT).

Technology news

	Microbots individually controlled using 'mini force fields' Researchers are using a technology likened to "mini force fields" to independently control individual microrobots operating within groups, an advance aimed at using the tiny machines in areas including manufacturing and medicine.
	New battery made of molten metals may offer low-cost, long-lasting storage for the grid A novel rechargeable battery developed at MIT could one day play a critical role in the massive expansion of solar generation needed to mitigate climate change by midcentury. Designed to store energy on the electric grid, the high-capacity battery consists of molten metals that naturally separate to form two electrodes in layers on either side of the molten salt electrolyte between them. Tests with cells made of low-cost, Earth-abundant materials confirm that the liquid battery operates efficiently without losing significant capacity or mechanically degrading—common problems in today's batteries with solid electrodes. The MIT researchers have already demonstrated a simple, low-cost process for manufacturing prototypes of their battery, and future plans call for field tests on small-scale power grids that include intermittent generating sources such as solar and wind.
	In California tests, self-driving cars still need human help Futuristic self-driving cars traveling along California roads have needed plenty of old-fashioned human intervention to stay safe.
	Can car crashes become thing of past? Automakers are imagining a world where nobody dies in car accidents and they say it is closer than most people think.
	3D mapping of entire buildings with mobile devices Computer scientists working in a group led by ETH Professor Marc Pollefeys have developed a piece of software that makes it very easy to create 3-D models of entire buildings. Running on a new type of tablet computer, the program generates 3-D maps in real time.
	Dutch police hack into 'uncrackable' Blackberry Dutch police confirmed Wednesday they have found a way to hack into messages on Blackberry data-encrypted smartphones, which claim to be the world's most secure communications devices.
	Model that predicts time from gate departure to takeoff could cut airport congestion, fuel waste Most frequent fliers are familiar with long lines at airports: at the check-in counter, the departure gate, and in boarding a booked flight.
	Automakers' green push lifts use of hemp, citrus peel Survey the latest at the Detroit Auto Show and you will find fibers from water bottles in car seats, hemp in the dashboards and citrus peel in the tires.
	Audi h-tron Quattro concept uses hydrogen, four-minute refuel Audi's appearance at the North American International Auto Show was highlighted by a key talking point at this event.
	New app 'hides' user location from third parties Researchers who developed an app that blocks third parties from identifying an individual's location based on what they search for online received a "best paper" award at a recent conference.
	Tesla bulks up on IT talent for 'car of the future' fight Tesla's swift rise to both create and dominate the luxury all-electric car market has stunned Detroit.
	PC shipments plunge but Apple bucks trend: IDC Last year ended with a record-setting drop in personal computer shipments, with Apple bucking the trend, according to a report.
US spy chief's personal accounts hacked US spy chief James Clapper's personal online accounts have been hacked, his office confirmed Tuesday, a few months after CIA director John Brennan suffered a similar attack.
	Ocean search for Malaysian airliner finds second shipwreck (Update) The undersea search for the Malaysian airliner that vanished almost two years ago has found a likely 19th century shipwreck deep in the Indian Ocean off the west Australian coast, officials said Wednesday.
	In a driverless future, what happens to today's drivers? Self-driving cars are becoming a very real technology. The latest Tesla car has an autopilot feature. The CEO of Uber has stated that he will buy every self-driving car Tesla can produce for a year (about 500,000). The Google self-driving car occasionally overtakes me as I cycle to work in Austin. Other manufacturers are also developing their own self-driving systems. There's even talk of driverless car racing.
	Governments undermining encryption will do more harm than good Western governments, notably the UK and the US, are pushing the software industry to open "backdoors" into our encrypted communications.
	It's time to shine a light on the unseen algorithms that power 'Big Brother' Society seems set on a course to a point where our lives are subject to the scrutiny of computer algorithms. The data we generate is pored over and analysed, whether by governments for national security or companies for profit, and this is unlikely to change – the power and appeal of data analysis, once found, will not be given up easily.
	Motorola brought us the mobile phone, but ended up merged out of existence If you own a mobile phone, chances are that it isn't made by Motorola. But it was not always this way: Motorola was once the brand most associated with the mobile phone, and the firm whose products first popularised them. Now, a year after its purchase by Lenovo, the Chinese firm has announced the brand will no longer exist. So what went wrong for Motorola?
	Lower energy bills lead to higher energy demand Household energy consumption is decreasing thanks to energy efficiency policies but, as a result of the lower energy bill, consumers use more energy. The effect is that approximately one third of the energy efficiency gains is cancelled out. This is concluded by economist Erdal Aydin in his PhD thesis, which he will defend on January 13, 2016, at Tilburg University.
	What causes ice formation on aircrafts during flight? Markus Schremb and Daniel Kintea of the TU Darmstadt are carrying out research into causes of ice formation on aircraft during flight. Their experiments and realistic mathematical models are aimed at the minimization of risk and costs.
SoundCloud signs with Universal ahead of subscription launch SoundCloud, a streaming music platform that has become home to garage bands and other artists who don't mind releasing tracks online for free, said Wednesday that it had reached a licensing deal with Universal Music Group.
	Nissan shuts websites after 'anti-whaling' cyberattack Carmaker Nissan on Wednesday shut down its global websites after a cyberattack that may have been motivated by anger over Japan's controversial whale and dolphin hunts.
	Philadelphia plan offers hope for troubled newspapers The decision to donate Philadelphia's two main newspapers to a nonprofit organization highlights the deepening woes of big US dailies, but also suggests a possible lifeline for the troubled industry.
	Norway firm quits $1.5bn Nepal hydropower project Norwegian company Statkraft has said it is dropping plans to build a $1.5 billion hydropower plant in Nepal, citing bureaucratic hurdles and political instability in the troubled Himalayan nation.
	YouTube launches Pakistani version, paving way for lifting ban Google has launched a localised version of YouTube in Pakistan, potentially paving the way for the country's top court to lift a ban on the site over "blasphemous content".
	New platform to help business tap full potential of big data The EU JUNIPER project was launched in December 2012 to develop, test and evaluate prototype technologies that could aid big data analytical software applications.
	Wireless monitoring of newborns An Italian SME has developed a wearable monitoring system for babies as they go through the sensitive period of the first two to four hours of life. The technology, whose market potential has been assessed with funding under Horizon 2020, will help prevent critical situations while preserving the important skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby.
Panasonic and Facebook develop optical disc-based data archive system for data centers Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has developed Freeze-Ray, an optical disc-based data archive system in collaboration with Facebook. By collaborating with Facebook, Panasonic was able to design Freeze-Ray to meet the growing demand for more efficient and sustainable ways to store and access cold data—infrequently or never accessed data stored for the long term—in the world's data centers.
	The cyberattack on Ukraine's power grid is a warning of what's to come When more than 100,000 people in and around the Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk were left without power for six hours, the Ukrainian energy ministry accused Russia of launching a cyberattack on the country's national energy grid.
Hackers attack Thai court websites to protest sentences Hackers protesting Thailand's justice system have attacked official websites in the Southeast Asian nation for the second time this year, replacing or disabling the home pages of many sites affiliated with the court system.
	Kuwait passes law tightening online media controls Kuwait's parliament on Wednesday passed legislation to regulate all web-based "professional" media, a day after a controversial cybercrimes law came into effect.
	General Electric to move headquarters to Boston General Electric announced Wednesday it will move its headquarters to Boston, leaving the sprawling suburban Connecticut campus it has called home over the past four decades for a technology-rich city it says better fits its ambitions as an innovation leader.
	Volkswagen chief meets US regulators Volkswagen chief executive Matthias Mueller met with the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington on Wednesday as the company seeks to resolve its pollution cheating woes.
GoPro cutting about 100 jobs after weak 4Q sales Wearable camera maker GoPro says it will eliminate about 100 jobs after its fourth-quarter sales fell far short of its expectations.

Medicine & Health news

	Low-fiber diet may cause irreversible depletion of gut bacteria over generations A study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators raises concerns that the lower-fiber diets typical in industrialized societies may produce internal deficiencies that get passed along to future generations.
	Experimental immunotherapy zaps two most lethal Ebola virus strains Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) have engineered the first antibodies that can potently neutralize the two deadliest strains of the virus that causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The findings, made in mice, are a significant step toward immunotherapies that are effective against all strains of Ebola virus that cause human disease. The study was published online today in Scientific Reports.
	Study pinpoints key genetic factor behind autoimmune diseases, cancer Scientists have long known that variations in specific human genes are associated with distinct patterns of disease, but an understanding of the molecular mechanisms has remained elusive until now. A team of Yale researchers has untangled that mystery for a key immune response gene, a discovery which could lead to more personalized treatment for conditions such as lupus and cancer.
	First human in vitro model of rare neurodegenerative condition created Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego have created the first stem cell-derived in vitro cellular model of a rare, but devastating, neurodegenerative condition called Cockayne syndrome (CS).
	New role for motor neurons discovered A new study presented in the journal Nature could change the view of the role of motor neurons. Motor neurons, which extend from the spinal cord to muscles and other organs, have always been considered passive recipients of signals from interneuronal circuits. Now, however, researchers from Sweden´s Karolinska Institutet have demonstrated a new, direct signalling pathway through which motor neurons influence the locomotor circuits that generate rhythmic movements.
	Food allergy linked to hyperactive immune system at birth The Australian research team discovered a new pattern of immune activation at birth that was associated with an increased risk of babies developing food allergies in early life. The finding could lead to future treatments for babies and infants to prevent childhood food allergies.
New drug target for X-linked lymphoproliferative disease identified An international team of scientists including researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified a crucial signaling enzyme as a possible therapeutic target for the treatment of a heritable immune disease. X-linked lymphoproliferative disease is a life-threatening condition that has few treatment options. Affected individuals are vulnerable to massive accumulation and activation of white blood cells known as T cells should they become infected with Epstein-Barr virus, the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis. Without treatment, this accumulation of activated T cells leads to severe organ damage and, in many cases, death. The study appears online in the January 13 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
	New study: Flipping molecular 'switch' may reduce nicotine's effects in the brain January 13, 2016 - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered that a lipid (fat molecule) in brain cells may act as a "switch" to increase or decrease the motivation to consume nicotine.
	Scientists discover how we play memories in fast forward Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a mechanism that may explain how the brain can recall nearly all of what happened on a recent afternoon—or make a thorough plan for how to spend an upcoming afternoon—in a fraction of the time it takes to live out the experience. The breakthrough in understanding a previously unknown function in the brain has implications for research into schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer's disease and other disorders where real experiences and ones that exist only in the mind can become distorted.
Model 'no buy' list criteria could dramatically reduce youth exposure to TV alcohol ads A set of "no buy" list criteria developed by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health could greatly reduce underage viewers' exposure to alcohol advertising on cable TV, a new study finds. "No-buy" lists refer to lists of television programming that advertisers avoid in order to comply with self-regulatory marketing guidelines.
	Common dementia drug found to improve Parkinson's symptoms Scientists have discovered that a commonly prescribed dementia drug could hold the key to helping prevent debilitating falls for people with Parkinson's.
Antisocial behaviour: Understanding the influence of genes and the environment A gene involved in the regulation of emotions and behaviour could influence the long-term impact of violence experienced in childhood on antisocial behaviour. This is the finding of a longitudinal study carried out by a team of researchers at the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal) and Université de Montréal on 327 young men who live in Quebec (Quebec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children), some of whom were exposed to violence as children.
WHO to declare Ebola outbreak over with Liberia in the clear The two-year Ebola epidemic which laid waste to communities across west Africa and killed more than 11,000 people is due to be declared over Thursday with Liberia expecting the all-clear.
	With Ebola in check, are we ready for next outbreak? The world will heave a collective sigh of relief when west Africa's Ebola epidemic is finally declared at an end after claiming more than 11,000 lives over two years.
Unravelling the causes of an aggressive childhood cancer The origins of a type of aggressive childhood lymphoma have been found, giving hope that new drugs could be designed to prevent the disease coming back after treatment.
	Fight against little-known Zika virus applies lessons from Ebola While the world's attention has been focussed on Ebola, another outbreak has been spreading in a number of countries across the world. Now, Oxford University infectious disease specialists are applying the lessons from the Ebola outbreak to try to support local medics and researchers to get ahead of this new pathogen.
	Why prostate cancer is more aggressive in obese patients Obesity has direct consequences on health and is associated with the onset of aggressive cancers, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are little known. Researchers from the Institut de Pharmacologie et Biologie Structurale (CNRS/Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier) have recently elucidated one of these mechanisms in prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers in men: in obese patients, the adipose tissue surrounding the prostate gland facilitates the propagation of tumor cells outside the prostate. A patent has been filed for these results, which open new avenues for the treatment of prostate cancer, and are published in Nature Communications on January 12, 2016.
	Adolescent vaccine study highlights need for education of parents and physicians A study of vaccine acceptance and behaviors among a group of parents of Georgia middle and high school students concludes evidence-based targeted interventions for parents are needed about recommended vaccines. In addition, physician training should emphasize the importance of a doctor's recommendation regarding vaccines for children with chronic illnesses.
Researchers further illuminate pathway for treatment of cystic fibrosis It is well established that people with cystic fibrosis (CF) have two faulty copies of the CFTR gene, but debate continues on the question of whether certain symptoms of the airway disease are caused by the mutation or if the genetic defect precedes, but does not directly lead to some of the worst symptoms patients face.
	1 in 292 million? So what. Even risk-averse humans are swept-up in Powerball, says psychologist Humans are, by nature, irrationally risk-averse, says Michael Poulin, associate professor of psychology in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences.
	Conception soon after a pregnancy loss may increase chances of live birth Couples who attempt to conceive within three months after losing an early pregnancy, defined as less than 20 weeks gestation, have the same chances, if not greater, of achieving a live birth than those who wait for three months or more, according to a National Institutes of Health study.
	Scientist developing probiotic mixes to treat intestinal infections Antibiotics that fight infection can adversely affect the digestive tract and give destructive bacteria a chance to flourish, said assistant professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences Joy Scaria. His research seeks to identify probiotic mixes to treat intestinal infections, such as Clostridium difficile.
Hormone's effect on neurons linked to polycystic ovarian syndrome University of Otago researchers are part of an international team of scientists who have discovered how anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) may act in the brain to cause polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms.
	Alcohol in e-cigs can affect motor skills, study shows Some commercially available e-cigarettes contain enough alcohol to impact motor skills, a new Yale University School of Medicine study shows.
	Food ads significantly influence eating behavior, says study How greatly does food advertising influence eating behavior? Quite a bit, a new Yale University meta-analysis of 45 studies suggests. The results, the authors say, should rekindle efforts to restrict food industry advertising, especially to children.
	Hyperactive neurons may be culprit in Alzheimer's A long-term reduction in neuronal activity reduces amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, Yale University researchers have found. The study, using mouse models of Alzheimer's, found the opposite is also true—triggering an increase in neuronal activity spurs creation of plaques and toxic amyloid beta peptides believed to trigger the disease.
	Superactivation at synapses? Nerve cells have to react extremely quickly, but depending on the task they are supposed to perform they often need to work more slowly. Berlin scientists have now shown that a receptor in the synapse can adapt to follow both regimes. It's another example of the amazing flexibility of the brain, manifested at the molecular level.
Common gene mutation bad for liver values, good for blood lipids in children A common mutation in the TM6SF2 gene raises liver values but at the same time improves blood lipid values in healthy children, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. Children who carry the gene mutation had higher ALT values, indicative of changes in liver metabolism. At the same time, however, they also had lower blood triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels. This finding is in line with earlier research in adults, showing that the gene mutation both predisposes for fatty liver disease and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The results will be published in Pediatric Research, and a pre-print version is available on the journal website.
Evidence suggests sugar consumption plays greater role in heart disease than saturated fat Atherosclerotic Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is responsible for one in every six deaths in the United States as well as being the leading cause of death throughout the developed world. Healthcare professionals have for many years sought to limit and control CHD by focusing on prevention and, from a dietary perspective, on limiting saturated fats.
Virtual reality for motor rehabilitation of the shoulder Researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have developed a virtual reality system for motor rehabilitation of the shoulder. The prototype, which includes a built-in movement sensor, allows the user to do controlled exercises as part of a football game.
The cellular protein shredder is impaired by cigarette smoke and in COPD patients Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München, together with an international team and colleagues from the University Hospital of the University Munich (LMU) and the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), have shown for the first time that cigarette smoke reduces the activity of the immunoproteasome. In addition, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) display reduced immunoproteasome levels. This might contribute to the COPD patients' increased susceptibility to airway infections, as recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Emotion dysregulation in borderline personality disorder: A problem of too much drive and too little control? Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a diagnostic label applied to people who have problems regulating emotional mood swings. This emotional instability leaves such individuals vulnerable to emotional upheaval that puts them at risk for problem behaviors, including self-destructive acts and impulsive aggression.
	Is autism hiding in a fold of the brain? Scientists at CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université and AP-HM have identified a cerebral marker specific to autism that can be detected by MRI and is present as from the age of two years. The abnormality thus detected consists in a less deep fold in Broca's area, a region of the brain specialized in language and communication, functions that are impaired in autistic patients. This discovery may assist in the earlier diagnosis and management of these patients. It has been made possible by the medical imaging processing skills of the Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université) and access to a homogeneous cohort of patients diagnosed at a very young age and all assessed using the same protocol at the Centre de Ressources Autisme PACA. The results of their collaboration are published on 12 January 2016 in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neurosciences and Neuroimaging.
	The key to New Year's resolutions—don't bite off more than you can chew The key to successfully achieving those difficult New Year's resolutions is to know your limits and focus on one achievable goal at a time.
	If being too clean makes us sick, why isn't getting dirty the solution? Today rates of allergic, autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases are rising dramatically in Western societies. If that weren't bad enough, we are beginning to understand that many psychiatric disorders, including depression, migraine headaches and anxiety disorders, are associated with inflammation. Perhaps the most startling observation is that our children are afflicted with the same inflammatory problems, contributing to the fact that over 40 percent of US children are on medications for some chronic condition.
Experts recommend immediate treatment for severe primary adrenal insufficiency symptoms The Endocrine Society today issued a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) on diagnosis and treatment of primary adrenal insufficiency, a condition commonly known as Addison's disease that occurs when the body produces too little of the hormone cortisol.
	Protein patterns: A new tool for studying sepsis Researchers from Lund University and the University of Zurich have developed a way to use mass spectrometry to measure hundreds of proteins in a single blood sample. With the help of protein patterns it is then possible to determine the severity of a patient's sepsis (blood poisoning) condition and which organs have been damaged. The method is presented in an article in Nature Communications.
	The decades-long quest to cure cancer US President Barack Obama's announcement of a "moonshot" bid to cure cancer, continues a centuries-long quest to defeat a disease which kills over eight million people every year.
Trauma team members face risk of 'compassion fatigue' and burnout Trauma team members are at risk of compassion fatigue and burnout syndrome, as supported by the new research by Gina M. Berg, PhD, MBA, of University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and colleagues. Authors identify some "stress triggers" contributing to these risks, and make recommendations to help trauma teams cope with secondary traumatic stress, reports a study in the January issue of Journal of Trauma Nursing.
Trauma experts study treatment of pregnant trauma patients to improve neonatal outcomes Expectant mothers who sustain a traumatic injury and receive care at a hospital with a designated trauma center experience better outcomes than those treated at a non-trauma hospital. They are less likely to experience preterm labor (give birth prematurely), have a low birth weight infant, or have meconium at delivery (a sign of fetal distress), according to new study results published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in advance of print publication later this year.
	New microscopy may identify best sperm cells More than 10% of American women aged 15-44 struggle to conceive or maintain full-term pregnancies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Assisted reproductive technology (ART), through which eggs are fertilized with sperm in a lab and then returned to a woman's uterus, is often the last resort for reproductively-challenged couples. But the physical, emotional, and financial toll they exact is high because the success rates of ART treatments are low—only 20-30%, according to the CDC.
	A coffee to keep New Year fitness resolutions For anyone struggling to keep the New Year Resolution to 'Do More Exercise' science shows a solution could be found in a simple cup of coffee.
	Couples' quality of life linked even when one partner dies When one spouse passes away, his or her characteristics continue to be linked with the surviving spouse's well-being, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings also indicate that this link between the deceased spouse and surviving spouse is as strong as that between partners who are both living.
	Study targets SGEF protein in treating glioblastoma brain tumors The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has identified a protein called SGEF that promotes the survival of glioblastoma tumor cells and helps the cancer invade brain tissue.
Putin claims Russia has developed Ebola vaccine Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Wednesday his country had developed a vaccine for the Ebola virus which has killed thousands of people in west Africa.
	Repetitive blast exposure causes cerebellar dysfunction in combat veterans Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been called the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Worldwide, more than a quarter million U.S. military have been diagnosed with mTBI. Numerous reports show that many veterans exposed to explosions have suffered mTBIs, but exactly how their brains are affected has been unclear.
	Plague may have persisted in Europe during 300-year period, including 'Black Death' The bacteria that causes plague, Y. pestis, may have persisted long-term in Europe from the 14th to 17th century in an unknown reservoir, according to a study published January 13, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Lisa Seifert from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany, and colleagues.
	Blueberries, citrus fruits and red wine associated with reduced erectile dysfunction Flavonoid-rich foods are associated with a reduced risk of erectile dysfunction - according to a new collaborative study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Harvard University.
	High levels of urate in blood associated with lower risk of Parkinson's disease Men who have high levels of urate, also known as uric acid, in their blood may be less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in the Jan. 13, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Long-term survivors of childhood cancer living longer thanks in part to treatment changes Evidence from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) suggests that changes in childhood cancer treatment and follow-up care have reduced deaths from the late effects of cancer treatment and extended the lives of childhood cancer survivors. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators led the research, which appears today online ahead of print in the New England Journal of Medicine.
	New study to investigate how good antibodies go bad For years, researchers believed IgM, a protective type of antibody, played an insignificant role in Sjögren's syndrome.
	CDC: Strong signs Brazil birth defects are tied to mosquito Researchers have found the strongest evidence so far of a possible link between a mosquito-borne virus and a surge of birth defects in Brazil, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
	Acetaminophen tops list of accidental infant poisonings (HealthDay)—Infants are just as susceptible to accidental poisonings as older children are, especially when it comes to medication errors, new research reports.
	PPAR-gamma antagonist imatinib improves insulin sensitivity (HealthDay)—Imatinib (Gleevec) blocks CDK5-mediated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) phosphorylation as an antagonist ligand, improving insulin sensitivity and promoting browning of white adipose tissue, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in Diabetes.
	Platelet-rich plasma efficacious for atrophic acne scars (HealthDay)—Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with microneedling is efficacious for the treatment of atrophic acne scars, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
	Allergic rhinitis constitutes considerable burden (HealthDay)—Allergic rhinitis (AR) constitutes a considerable burden, with patients at increased risk for asthma and various mental health comorbidities, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Allergy.
	Mosquito net safe to use in inguinal hernia repair Sterilised mosquito nets can replace costly surgical meshes in the repair of inguinal (groin) hernias without further risk to the patients. This makes mosquito nets a good alternative for close to 200 million people in low-income countries suffering from untreated groin hernias. These are the results of a Swedish-Ugandan study presented in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Low resistance to stress at age 18 years can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood by up to 50 percent New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) shows that low resistance to stress in men at age 18 years can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood by up to 50%. The study is by Dr Casey Crump, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA, and colleagues in Sweden and the USA.
Could campaigns like Dry January do more harm than good? Could alcohol abstinence campaigns like Dry January do more harm than good? Two experts debate the issue in The BMJ today.
	Liver recovery difficult even with improved diet—but faster if sugar intake is low Liver damage caused by the typical "Western diet" - one high in fat, sugar and cholesterol that's common in developed countries such as the United States - may be difficult to reverse even if diet is generally improved, a new study shows.
Obama tasks Biden with 'moonshot' bid to cure cancer The United States will launch a "moonshot" effort to cure cancer, President Barack Obama declared Tuesday, assigning his deputy Joe Biden to lead the effort.
Physical activity may help keep fat children fit A recent Finnish study shows that high body adiposity, low physical activity, and particularly their combination are related to poorer physical fitness among 6-8 year old children. The results also suggest that physically active overweight children have better fitness compared to their inactive peers. The results published in Journal of Sports Sciences are part of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and the University of Jyväskylä.
Veterans' needs drive the development of new nursing competencies As the daughter of a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and herself an intensive care nurse for more than 20 years, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Professor Jacqueline Moss, Ph.D., is familiar with the U.S. military and caring for its veterans.
Study highlights scale of health support needed by military veterans Almost one in 11 UK military veterans who served in the regular Armed Forces between 1991 and 2014 will need significant physical or mental health support now or in the years to come, according to a new report by King's College London and Help for Heroes.
	Opinion: The US needs a lesson in food policy from Mexico What do you tell people when you're an invited "expert," yet in some ways you're the dumbest person in the room? That was my thought in February 2014, when Mexican leaders invited me to speak at a National Governors Conference on obesity and diabetes. My job was to open the conference with a talk on what Mexico could learn from the United States about using public policy to reduce obesity.
Nivolumab in melanoma: Data subsequently submitted improve assessment result Nivolumab (trade name: Opdivo) has been approved since June 2015 for adults with advanced melanoma. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) had examined its added benefit in a dossier assessment completed in October 2015.
Dabrafenib/trametinib in advanced BRAF V600 mutated melanoma: Indication of added benefit Dabrafenib (trade name: Tafinlar) has been approved since 2013 for the treatment of adults with advanced, i.e. metastatic or unresectable, melanoma with a BRAF V600 mutation. Since September 2015, dabrafenib has been approved for this therapeutic indication also in combination with trametinib (trade name: Mekinist), which was approved for use as monotherapy already in June 2014.
Regorafenib in metastatic colorectal cancer: Still hint of minor added benefit Regorafenib (trade name: Stivarga) has been approved since August 2013 for adults with metastatic colorectal cancer in whom previous treatments are no longer effective or for whom these alternatives are not an option. After a first early benefit assessment in January 2014, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) now reexamined whether the drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy. This new assessment was conducted because a limitation of the corresponding decision by the Federal Joint Commission (G-BA) expired in July 2015.
New report: Future pandemics pose massive risks to human lives, global economic security Infectious disease outbreaks that turn into epidemics or pandemics can kill millions of people and cause trillions of dollars of damage to economic activity, says a new report from the international, independent Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future. Few other risks pose such a threat to human lives, and few other events can damage the economy so much. The Commission estimated the global expected economic loss from potential pandemics could average more than $60 billion per year. Yet, nations devote a fraction of the resources to preparing, preventing, or responding infectious disease crises as they do to strengthening national security or avoiding financial crises.
Asthma in many adolescents is not an allergic disease New research indicates that asthma in many adolescents is not likely to involve inflammation of the airways and therefore should not be considered an allergic disease.

Biology news

	Female birds may have lost desire to sing due to predation (Phys.org)—A trio of biologists has conducted a study of one kind of song bird and their results suggest that the females of the species may have lost the desire to sing out of fear it would lead predators to their nest. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, Sonia Kleindorfer and Christine Evans, with Flinders University in Australia, and Katharina Mahr with the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology in Austria, describe their study of superb fairy wrens in their native habitat and what they observed.
	Poison warmed over: Climate change may hurt animals' ability to live on toxic plants University of Utah lab experiments found that when temperatures get warmer, woodrats suffer a reduced ability to live on their normal diet of toxic creosote - suggesting that global warming may hurt plant-eating animals.
	Ants respond to social information at rest, not on the fly Ants don't get distracted by social information when on the move, only fully responding to it when at rest, a new study from the University of Bristol, UK indicates. Such sporadic monitoring of the social environment may reduce information overload and enhance the robustness of complex societies, the researchers suggest.
	Dogs really can tell how their owners are feeling, new study shows Can dogs tell when we are happy, sad or angry? As a dog owner, I feel confident not only that I can tell what kind of emotional state my pets are in, but also that they respond to my emotions. Yet as a hard-headed scientist, I try to take a more rational and pragmatic view. These personal observations seem more likely to result from my desire for a good relationship with my dogs.
	Study gets an earful of how mammals developed hearing An international study led by University of Queensland researchers has challenged a long-held idea about how mammals evolved more sensitive hearing than reptiles.
	Safety in numbers: fish stick together by communicating Scientists at the University of Auckland have proved that fish communicate to keep safe from predators in the same way animals such as chimpanzees and elephants do.
	Why do some infections persist? Blame bacterial socialism, says new study New research to be published January 13 in the journal Scientific Reports shows that some bacterial cultures adopt an all-for-one/one-for-all strategy that would make a socialist proud in preparing for the possibility of an antibiotic onslaught.
	How bacterial communication 'goes with the flow' in causing infection, blockage The destructive ability of bacteria to organize an infection or block pathways such as intestines, medical stents and wastewater pipes relies on communication with one another.
	Patent office agrees to move forward with interference hearings on CRISPR/Cas9 inventor case (Phys.org)—The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officially agreed this past Monday to move forward with interference hearings regarding the case of the true inventor of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique. This sets the stage for a major battle between two groups of scientists, their affiliated institutions and supporters backing one or the other who hope to reap large financial rewards from its use.
	Plague-riddled prairie dogs a model for infectious disease spread Every now and then, colonies of prairie dogs are wiped out by plague, an infectious disease most often associated with the Black Death of the 14th century.
	Mammals shape their microbiome to prevent disease Gut microbes are well known to contribute to health and disease, but what has been less clear is how the host controls gut microbes. A study published January 13 in Cell Host & Microbe now reveals that mice and humans produce small molecules (microRNAs) from their GI tract, which are shed in feces, to regulate the composition of gut microbes and thereby protect against intestinal diseases such as colitis.
	Brazilian torrent frogs communicate using sophisticated audio, visual signals Brazilian torrent frogs may use sophisticated audio and visual signals to communicate, including inflating vocal sacs, squealing, and arm waving, according to a study published January 13, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Fábio P. de Sá, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil, and colleagues.
	Vitamin D linked to improved fertility in wild animals High levels of vitamin D are linked to improved fertility and reproductive success, a study of wild sheep has found.
Screening technique to reinforce fight against ash dieback Researchers at the University of York led a pioneering study which opens up a new front in the battle against a disease affecting ash trees across Europe.
	Tackling cattle fever ticks with vaccines The economic impact of cattle fever ticks, including the southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, was so severe in the late 1800s that the U.S. Department of Agriculture started an eradication program in the early 1900s to eliminate the deadly disease bovine babesiosis, which is transmitted by this parasitic pest. Although cattle fever ticks were declared eradicated in the United States in 1943, today they are still common in Mexico and can hitchhike on stray livestock, white-tailed deer, and other wildlife that cross the Rio Grande River into Texas.
	DNA dumpster diving Since the 1960s, it's largely been assumed that most of the DNA in the human genome was junk. It didn't encode proteins—the main activity of our genes— so it was assumed to serve no purpose. But Assistant Professor of Biology Nelson Lau is among a new generation of scientists questioning that hypothesis. His findings suggest we've been wrong about junk DNA and it may be time for a reappraisal. If we want to understand how our bodies work, we need to start picking through our genetic garbage.
	Take an online DNA test and you could be revealing far more than you realise Getting your DNA sequenced is now so cheap and easy that you don't need to see a medical professional. A variety of online companies are offering direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests for health or recreational purposes. These tests claim to detect a wide range of characteristics, from the risk of diseases such as breast cancer or Alzheimer's or other conditions such as baldness, to specific talentsor even romantic compatibility. But when you purchase one of these tests there's a good chance you don't know everything you've agreed to.
	What's warming the cold-blooded iguana? Now that dinosaurs no longer roam the Earth, scientists use modern animals to understand how their ancient ancestors reproduced, walked, and even how they regulated their body temperature. While researchers continue to debate about how dinosaurs regulated their body temperature, some are looking to reptiles as a potential model, because they are able to gain and lose heat rapidly and precisely by using their circulatory system to not only transport blood through their body, but also to control their body temperature.
Environmental changes can elicit fast changes in pathogens Changes in environmental conditions may affect epidemics not only by altering the number of free-living pathogens but also by directly increasing pathogen virulence with immediate changes in the physiological status of infecting bacteria.
Modifying the structure of wood alters plant microbiome Modifying the structure of poplar wood can also alter the endosphere microbiome, the bacteria that reside inside tree tissue. This has emerged from research by UHasselt, UGent and VIB. "This is one of the first in-depth studies on the effects of targeted modifications to the wood structure of plants on the microbiome", explain Dr. Bram Beckers and Prof. Jaco Vangronsveld from the Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK/UHasselt). The results were recently published in the prestigious scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
	Team discovers a new plant growth technology that may alleviate climate change and food shortage Do you feel the heat? According to NASA and NOAA, 2014 was the hottest year since 1880 and the 10 warmest years in the instrumental record have occurred since 1998. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations confirmed in its Fifth Assessment Report that cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) largely determine global mean surface warming and predicted that by 2100, the global mean surface temperature may increase by 3.7 oC to 4.8oC over the average for 1850-1900 for a median climate response if there is no additional effort to reduce greenhouse gas emission is put in place. To alleviate the problem and slow down the rate of global warming, increasing the rate of CO2 absorption by plants or algae is one possible strategy.
	What do lasers and oranges have in common? A possible cure for citrus greening Florida's citrus industry has been struggling for nearly a decade with citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), a disease caused by a bacterium that destroys fruit production and eventually kills the tree. An effective cure has eluded researchers so far, and crop production is declining steadily.
	Ancient going on nouveau: Old world grains make a comeback We've come a long way from the days of hunting and gathering. With advancements in science and technology, we're now a society that hunts for the best price and gathers coupons. Since less of our energy is going to finding and killing our next meal, we have time to be more discerning about the ingredients used in our food.
US issues rules to protect bat threatened by fungal disease Federal officials issued regulations Wednesday designed to protect the northern long-eared bat, one of several types of bat that have suffered steep population declines because of a rapidly spreading fungal disease.
	De-mystifying the study of volatile organic plant compounds Similar to human pheromones, all plants emit signaling chemicals. The chemicals, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are ubiquitous. The smell of freshly cut grass is caused by a VOC. Ever wonder why Christmas trees easily catch fire? Conifer trees emit a flammable group of VOCs called terpenes.
Team unveils a mechanism that controls neuron production from stem cells A study conducted by a research team led by Michel Cayouette, Full IRCM Research Professor and Director of the Cellular Neurobiology research unit, in collaboration with a team led by Stéphane Angers, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, makes the cover of the latest edition of Developmental Cell following the discovery of a mechanism enabling the production of cellular diversity in the developing nervous system.
FDA gives OK for company's genetically engineered potato A potato genetically engineered to resist the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine is as safe as any other potato on the market, the Food and Drug Administration says.
	Five sperm whales stranded on Dutch beach Five sperm whales were stranded on a Dutch beach on Tuesday, leading local authorities to urge people to stay away in order not to further distress the giant mammals.
Organisms or Machines? Dr. Dan Nicholson is first a scientist, a molecular biologist. However, unlike most researchers in the constantly changing and expanding field of biology, Dan questions the very directions fields like synthetic biology are taking us. With his PhD in Philosophy, Dan's research now is centered around understanding how machine models can explain biology. I had a Q&A with Dan on his publications on the machine conception of organisms to gain some interesting insights on the direction of biological research today:
	Hong Kong to ban ivory trade: leader Hong Kong will ban the import and export of ivory, the city's leader announced Wednesday, in a "historic" move hailed by animal welfare activists.
	'Fear-free' veterinarians aim to reduce stress for pets Trips to the veterinarian leave Joy so scared, she gets sick.
Taoyuan No. 3: New high-yield lettuce for subtropical regions Driven by consumer demand for local leafy green vegetables, growers in Taiwan are increasingly interested in producing organic and conventional lettuce in high tunnels. In subtropical regions, growing this cool-season leafy vegetable can be a challenge; higher temperatures common in the tunnels during warm seasons can increase the possibility of lettuce bolting (premature growth of a flower stalk).
Unique breathing cycles may be an important defense for insects Insects exhibit breathing patterns called discontinuous gas-exchange cycles that include periods of little to no release of carbon dioxide to the environment. Researchers who studied the respiratory patterns of 15 species of ground beetles found that these cycles may minimize the risk of infestation of an insect's tracheal system by mites and other pathogens.

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