Science X Newsletter Friday, Feb 12

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 12, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Physicists create first photonic Maxwell's demon
- A metal that behaves like water
- New study confirms giant flightless bird wandered the Arctic 50 million years ago
- Scientists create ultrathin semiconductor heterostructures for new technologies
- MyShake: New app turns smartphones into worldwide seismic network
- New imaging system uses an open-ended bundle of optical fibers—no lenses, protective housing needed
- When black holes meet—inside the cataclysms that cause gravitational waves
- Catastrophic failure of ice age dam changed ocean circulation and climate
- Visible blue light induces copper-catalyzed C-N cross-couplings
- Researchers identify 'neurostatin' that may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease
- Researchers find that chromatin's complexity can be reduced into a unifying model of gene regulation
- Researchers create 'mini-brains' in lab to study neurological diseases
- Memory replay prioritizes high-reward memories
- Google is walking Chrome for Android close up to Physical Web
- AT&T testing superfast 5G mobile network

Astronomy & Space news

	Farewell Philae: Earth says goodbye to comet probe (Update 2) Scientists gave up Friday trying to contact robot lab Philae, stubbornly silent on the surface of a comet streaking through space—closing a captivating chapter in an historic quest.
	Saturn and Enceladus produce the same amount of plasma The first evidence that Saturn's upper atmosphere may, when buffeted by the solar wind, emit the same total amount of mass per second into its magnetosphere as its moon, Enceladus, has been found by UCL scientists working on the Cassini mission.
	When black holes meet—inside the cataclysms that cause gravitational waves It has long been predicted that when two black holes merge, they ought to give out a staggering amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves.
	Smithsonian giving visitors a virtual look inside Apollo 11 They are bits of space graffiti hidden from the public for decades: a crude calendar, scrawled lunar coordinates and markings warning of a locker containing "smelly waste."
	The Atacama Pathfinder experiment in Chile starts its second decade During 10 years of operation, the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) 12 m submillimeter telescope has significantly contributed to a wide variety of astronomy science areas, ranging from the discoveries of new interstellar molecules to large and deep imaging of the submillimeter sky, leading to insights into star formation from our Milky Way to distant starburst galaxies in the early Universe.
	Massive planet gone rogue discovered A massive rogue planet has been discovered in the Beta Pictoris moving group. The planet, called PSO J318.5338-22.8603 (Sorry, I didn't name it), is over eight times as massive as Jupiter. Because it's one of the few directly-imaged exoplanets we know of, and is accessible for study by spectroscopy, this massive planet will be extremely important when piecing together the details of planetary formation and evolution.
	Despite rocky start, Philae comet probe has raked in science data Twelve years ago, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched a spacecraft with a very precious cargo—a robot laboratory designed to land on a comet and photograph, prod and sniff its surface.
Alternate sites considered for embattled giant telescope (Update) A group building one of the world's largest telescopes wants to start construction no later than April 2018— even if that means it will have to build the telescope somewhere other than Hawaii.
Video: The Sentinel family On 16 February 2016 at 18:57 CET (17:57 GMT), Sentinel-3A will be launched on top of a Rockot from the Russian Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

Technology news

Team first to solve well-known game theory scenario A team of computer scientists from the University of Maryland, Stanford University and Microsoft Research is the first to solve a game theory scenario that has vexed researchers for nearly a century. The game, known as "Colonel Blotto," has been used to analyze the potential outcomes of elections and other similar two-party conflicts since its invention in 1921. Until now, however, the game has been of limited use because it lacked a definitive solution.
	Uber agrees to $28.5 mn settlement over safety claims Uber said Thursday it has agreed to pay $28.5 million to settle a pair of lawsuits challenging its promises on driver safety checks.
	Millimeter wave tech eyed by Facebook for serving rural populations In 2013, Facebook and other tech companies launched Internet.org. The idea was to have a global partnership for a unified goal in making the Internet available to billions of people without access.
	AT&T testing superfast 5G mobile network AT&T announced plans Friday to begin testing a superfast fifth generation, or 5G, mobile network with speeds up to 100 times faster than the most rapid existing connections.
	Google is walking Chrome for Android close up to Physical Web Google has started to support physical beacons in its Chrome browser for Android. Google made the announcement to move straight ahead with plans to support Bluetooth beacons. "Starting in version 49, Chrome for Android will also surface Physical Web content," the Chromium blog stated.
Garmin buys Maine-based GPS products company DeLorme Swiss-based Garmin Ltd., known for its GPS technologies, is buying Maine-based DeLorme, which produces maps and hand-held satellite communications.
	Online travel shares surge on cheap-oil boost Shares of online travel companies Expedia and TripAdvisor jumped Thursday following solid earnings announcements, as investors bet on the boost to leisure tourism from cheap oil.
Pandora shares leap on reports it may be for sale Shares of Pandora jumped Thursday on unconfirmed reports that the leading Internet radio service might be for sale.
NYPD has used cell tracking technology 1,000 times since '08 The New York Police Department has used secretive cellphone tracking technology more than 1,000 times since 2008, according to data released Thursday by the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Using waste heat to generate electrical power A new study contributes to "increasing the energy efficiency of industrial processes and cutting the emission of gases that pollute the atmosphere."
	Court: Facebook can be sued in France in nude painting case (Update) Facebook lost a crucial legal battle Friday as a Paris court ruled the social network can be sued in France over its decision to remove the account of a French user who posted a photo of a famous 19th-century nude painting.
Social enterprise project to tackle fuel poverty in India Loughborough University engineering experts have developed a simple prototype wooden press to make biomass briquettes - and help empower disadvantaged women in India.
	Fast and loud—how to create sonic booms and curious clouds Growing up beneath the Concorde flight path, I learned early on that if you heard its characteristic roar overhead you had to look far towards the horizon to see it. If you were lucky, you would see Concorde first. You could then count the seconds before you heard its noise to get an idea of how high it was – like you might do with thunder and lightning to check whether the storm is incoming or moving safely away.
	Philosophy's influence on technology design—and why it needs to change Philosophy often appears abstract and other-worldly, particularly when compared to the practical technology in our everyday lives. But there is much that technology can learn from philosophy, and vice versa.
	Not your grandfather's house, but maybe it should be Everyone wants a house to live in, and more and more, people around the world want the kinds of houses seen in Europe and North America, rather than those they grew up with, according to a Penn State engineer. However, industrial building materials are often scarce and expensive and alternative, locally sourced, sustainable materials are often a better choice.
	Visa buys nearly 10 pct stake in Dorsey's company, Square Visa is now a major shareholder in Square, the mobile payment services company co-founded and led by Jack Dorsey.
	Drones give scientists a new self-service approach Earth and environmental scientists have often had to rely on piloted aircraft and satellites to collect remote sensing data, platforms that have traditionally been controlled by large research organizations or regulatory agencies.
Study: 15 percent of US adults have used online dating sites, dating apps Nisha Paige isn't shy. Not online, anyway.
Renovating spaces and preserving places with lasers When you want to preserve a place or enhance a space, sometimes the best approach is to take a laser to it.
	Indonesia bans 'gay' emojis on messaging apps In the latest crackdown on gay rights in Indonesia, the government has demanded all instant messaging apps remove same-sex emoticons or face a ban in the Muslim-majority country.
Dressing the power lines to bring more renewables into cities A higher volume of electricity delivered to the grid requires adaptation of existing transmission lines and improvement of the system's security. To this end, innovative materials and geometries of components are being designed and tested
	Constructing energy efficient schools for the future The EU SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE project has devised innovative solutions and designs that will allow for the creation of a new generation of highly energy efficient school buildings.
	New Microsoft Garage app uses artificial intelligence to identify dog breeds Man's best friend has inspired a new app – Fetch! Using your iPhone camera or photo library, it can identify and classify dogs by breeds and tell you what kind of human personality fits best with specific breeds. And just for fun, the app will even take an informed guess on what kind of dog you or your friends might be.
	Panasonic commercializes polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) molding compounds for laser welding Panasonic Corporation today announced that it will start mass production of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) molding compounds for laser welding in March, 2016, a move that will contribute to the enhancement of long-term reliability and the flexibility of design of automotive switches and sensors.

Medicine & Health news

	Gene previously observed only in brain is important driver of metastatic breast cancer When breast cancer becomes advanced and spreads to other organs, patient survival is drastically reduced, prompting the need to explore the genes that may cause tumor cells to metastasize.
	Watching sensory information translate into behavior It remains one of the most fundamental questions in neuroscience: How does the flood of sensory information—everything an animal touches, tastes, smells, sees, and hears—translate into behavior?
	Stem cell gene therapy could be key to treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy Scientists at the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research and Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at UCLA have developed a new approach that could eventually be used to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The stem cell gene therapy could be applicable for 60 percent of people with Duchenne, which affects approximately 1 in 5,000 boys in the U.S. and is the most common fatal childhood genetic disease.
	Researchers identify 'neurostatin' that may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease Researchers have identified a drug that targets the first step in the toxic chain reaction leading to the death of brain cells, suggesting that treatments could be developed to protect against Alzheimer's disease, in a similar way to how statins are able to reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
	Memory replay prioritizes high-reward memories Why do we remember some events, places and things, but not others? Our brains prioritize rewarding memories over others, and reinforce them by replaying them when we are at rest, according to new research from the University of California, Davis, Center for Neuroscience, published Feb. 11 in the journal Neuron.
	Study finds mechanism by which obesity promotes pancreatic and breast cancer Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators may have uncovered a novel mechanism behind the ability of obesity to promote cancer progression. In their report published online in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the research team describes finding an association between obesity and an overabundance of a factor called PlGF (placental growth factor) and that PlGF's binding to its receptor VEGFR-1, which is expressed on immune cells within tumors, promotes tumor progression. Their findings in cellular and animal models, as well as in patient tumor samples, indicate that targeting the PlGF/ VEGFR-1 pathway may be particularly effective in obese patients.
Researchers create 'mini-brains' in lab to study neurological diseases Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health say they have developed tiny "mini-brains" made up of many of the neurons and cells of the human brain—and even some of its functionality—and which can be replicated on a large scale.
Giving support to others—not just receiving it—has beneficial effects Social support has well-known benefits for physical and mental health. But giving support—rather than receiving it—may have unique positive effects on key brain areas involved in stress and reward responses, suggests a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
An expert opinion on how to address the skyrocketing prices of cancer drug Many patients with cancer find themselves in great financial distress, in part because the costs of cancer-fighting drugs are skyrocketing. Is it possible to create public policy that will rein in these prices and cut patients' out-of-pocket costs?
	New u study shows how affectionate mothering can combat the effects of maternal depression Poverty, lack of education and exposure to violence can undeniably impact a child's life trajectory significantly. But how can a mother's exposure and potentially depressive reactions to these stressors impact a child before his/her life even begins? A depressed mother's response to stress can pass through the placenta to negatively impact the fetus in ways that manifest after birth such as birth weight, brain development and increased susceptibility to various ailments.
	Plant extract shows promise in treating pancreatic cancer A natural extract derived from India's neem tree could potentially be used to treat pancreatic cancer, according to a new study in the journal Scientific Reports.
Lifelong physical activity increases bone density in men Men have many reasons to add high-impact and resistance training to their exercise regimens; these reasons include building muscle and shedding fat. Now a University of Missouri researcher has determined another significant benefit to these activities: building bone mass. The study found that individuals who continuously participated in high-impact activities, such as jogging and tennis, during adolescence and young adulthood, had greater hip and lumbar spine bone mineral density than those who did not.
Feeling older increases risk of hospitalization, study says People who feel older than their peers are more likely to be hospitalized as they age, regardless of their actual age or other demographic factors, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Study finds freezing nerves prior to knee replacement improves outcomes The first study of its kind has found that freezing nerves before knee replacement surgery combined with traditional pain management approaches significantly improves patient outcomes. The results of the preliminary retrospective study led by Vinod Dasa, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, were published online Feb. 10, 2016, in the journal, The Knee, as an Article in Press available at http://www.thekneejournal.com/article/S0968-0160%2816%2900012-0/fulltext.
Brazil confirms third Zika-linked death Health authorities said Thursday they have identified a third death in Brazil linked to the Zika virus, but it is not clear if the disease was the sole cause.
Asthma linked to an increased time to pregnancy Asthma has been associated with a prolonged time to pregnancy and a decreased birth rate in a new clinical observation study.
Combination drug targeting opioid system may help relieve treatment-resistant depression A clinical trial of an experimental drug for treatment-resistant major depression finds that modulation of the endogenous opioid system may improve the effectiveness of drugs that target the action of serotonin and related monoamine neurotransmitters. In their paper published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports that adding treatment with ALKS-5461, a medication that combines two drugs with complementary effects on different opioid receptors, to serotonin-targeting antidepressant therapy produced significant symptom improvement in patients with persistent depression. ALKS-5461 is being developed by Alkermes, Inc., which sponsored the trial.
Public health researchers map world's 'chemical landscape' Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have created a map of the world's chemical landscape, a catalogue of 10,000 chemicals for which there is available safety data that they say can predict the toxicity of many of the 90,000 or more other substances in consumer products for which there is no such information.
Second pregnant woman diagnosed with Zika in Australia A second pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Australia, officials said Friday, adding that the disease was acquired overseas and there was no public health risk.
Mecca's cardiac hospital describes how it copes with the Hajj Mecca's cardiac hospital has described how it copes with the huge patient influx during the Hajj and gives details of the echocardiography service in an abstract presented at the 27th Annual Conference of the Saudi Heart Association (SHA).
US says increased Zika border screening ineffective The United States will not specifically screen those entering the country for the Zika virus because so many of those infected do not have symptoms, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday.
Gene signature could lead to a new way of diagnosing Lyme Researchers at UC San Francisco and Johns Hopkins may have found a new way to diagnose Lyme disease, based on a distinctive gene "signature" they discovered in white blood cells of patients infected with the tick-borne bacteria.
WHO says will know if Zika causes microcephaly in weeks The World Health Organization said Friday that it will know in a matter of weeks whether the Zika virus causes microcephaly and the severe neurological disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome.
	WHO: Zika vaccines at least 18 months away from broad trials (Update) Possible Zika vaccines are at least 18 months away from large-scale trials, the World Health Organization said Friday, while advising pregnant women to consider delaying travel to areas where the mosquito-borne virus has turned up amid concerns it may be linked to abnormally small heads in newborn children.
New desktop sterilization device disinfects cell phones in just 10 minutes Cell phones treated for just 10 minutes in a new desktop-sterilization device were fully rid of germs, including those that may be responsible for common skin infections, Weill Cornell Medicine researchers found in a new study. The findings, published Feb. 11 in the journal Plasma Medicine, suggest a quicker, easier, cheaper and more thorough way to clean common electronic devices, and may offer a new strategy to disinfect biomedical equipment and other objects used in healthcare settings.
	Project suggests longer, healthier lives are possible More Americans are living to their 80s, 90s and beyond, unthinkable just a century ago. Most say they expect to live to their 80s or longer, and want to live to 100 if they can do so in good health.
	Discovery adds context to Alzheimer's fight Robarts Research Institute scientists Marco and Vania Prado will never forget the day they shared the good news with colleague John MacDonald – at a time when the former Robarts Scientific Director, and pre-eminent neurophysiologist, was in palliative care battling cancer.
	Study says sugar-free gum could provide savings to dental healthcare costs The NHS could save £8.2 million a year on dental treatments – the equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups - if all 12 year olds across the UK chewed sugar free gum after eating or drinking, thanks to the role it plays in helping to prevent tooth decay.
	Relationships key to mental health recovery, says study Mental health service users saw the relationships with their care coordinators as being central to their recovery and felt that care plans were largely irrelevant, according to mental health researchers at City University London.
	Street Triage reduces police detentions at no additional cost The Government's 'street triage' initiative - which sees mental health nurses accompany police officers to incidents where people need mental health support - could reduce police detentions without increasing cost to the public purse, suggests a new study by researchers from King's College London.
	Study suggests there should be a shift in focus in cognitive behaviour therapy It's almost five decades since Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) was first recognized as a way to treat depression. CBT is a now a commonly used treatment for depression, anxiety, psychosis and other conditions.
	A window to prevent HIV/AIDS epidemic in Colombia In the early 1990s, drug production in Colombia diversified to include heroin as well as cocaine, and since then the country's role in the heroin trade has substantially increased. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Colombia produced approximately 70 to 100 metric tons of heroin between 1998 and 2004. Studies have found an increase in local heroin use since the mid-1990s. This is a strong cause for concern, given the potential for HIV to spread through networks of injection drug users and disseminate to the general public.
	Video: Addicted to love? It's not you, it's your brain Love can make you feel different things – sometimes happy, sometimes fixated, and sometimes down right sick. And it turns out that drugs almost work in the same way.
Supportive shoes a confusing term, runner attitude study finds New running shoes to burn off Christmas excess are a popular purchase in the New Year, but the terms associated with supportive footwear and alternative styles of running can be confusing, a new study has found.
	75 years of penicillin in people A scratch from a rose thorn while gardening. It's an easy injury to pick up even if you're being careful. It's annoying but no more than that. If that scratch were to be in your mouth, that would be unusual, unfortunate and maybe a little embarrassing.
	Threat of cytomegalovirus far outweighs Zika risk As the Zika virus continues to spread across the globe, and gain worldwide attention for its' potential birth defects, an NAU researcher is calling for greater public awareness of cytomegalovirus—the most common viral cause of birth defects in the United States.
Deaths from Carbon Monoxide poisoning on the rise in mainland China, says new research A study conducted by scientists at Shanghai Public Security Bureau, Wuhan Public Security Bureau, City University of Hong Kong and Hubei University China was carried out to compare the rate of deaths from CO-poisoning in the Pudong District, Shanghai. Data were collected from police records for the Pudong area from 2005-2014 and compared with data collected in a previous study conducted in Wuhan. Both fire- and non-fire-related events were considered in the study.
Important role of nucleocytoplasmic transport in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two devastating adult-onset neurodegenerative disorders. No cure exists for these diseases. Ten percent of ALS patients suffer from a familial form of the disease, while FTD is caused in 40% of patients by a genetic defect. In 2011, the most important genetic cause of ALS and FTD was discovered. The causative mutation was a repetition of a piece of non-coding DNA, a so called tandem repeat, in a gene with an unknown function, named C9orf72. A team of scientists from VIB and KU Leuven now discovered that proteins translated from this tandem repeat interfere with the nucleocytoplasmic transport which they found is essential for causing ALS and FTD.
	Can you revive the spark in a long-term relationship? Science reveals all At the beginning of a romantic relationship, passion is not in short supply. The thrills of learning all about your beloved, sharing new experiences, and having plenty of sex, create an exhilarating state of desire and romantic love. In fact, a number of scientific studies have shown that this kind of love actually changes the chemistry of the brain, making us temporarily addicted to our beloved.
	Researchers study mysterious acute stress induced cardiomyopathy The long-term effects of an untreatable condition, often confused with a heart attack, will be explored by University of Aberdeen researchers after they were awarded a prestigious grant.
Facing a physician shortage, can we leave medical school grads on the sidelines? Dr. Heidi Schmidt cannot practice medicine. The problem is not that she lost her license or was named in too many malpractice lawsuits. To the contrary, she has never held a license to practice medicine. Yet she has earned not only an M.D. but also master's degrees in public health and pharmacy, passed all the licensing exams required of medical students and devoted countless hours of voluntary service to underserved populations.
	Researchers present inner workings of Ebola vaccine trial An experimental vaccine combined with an innovative way of vaccinating people has resulted in an estimated 100 percent efficacy of the vaccine against the Ebola virus in West Africa—and the approach could establish a new way of responding to outbreaks of emerging pathogens, including the Zika virus.
	Sleep apnea takes a toll on brain function One in 15 adults has moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which a person's breathing is frequently interrupted during sleep—as many as 30 times per hour.
	Genome studies can help identify lifestyle risks for diseases Genome wide association studies (GWAS) scan the entire genome in order to pinpoint genetic variants associated with a particular disease. The technique is employed to identify biological pathways - the series of actions and changes that have occurred in cells and genetic material - that can be linked to the causation of a disease.
	Physicians concerned by increasing cost of generics (HealthDay)—Pennsylvania physicians have called for state- and national-level medical associations to take an active role in addressing the issue of increasing generic drug prices, according to an article published by the Pennsylvania Medical Society.
	Maternal B12 levels impact children's cardiometabolic health (HealthDay)—Mothers' vitamin B12 levels in early pregnancy may impact children's cardiometabolic risk factors at age 5 years, according to a study published in the February issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
	Dermal autologous micrograft may be effective scar treatment (HealthDay)—Treatment of exaggerated scars with dermal autologous micrografts appears effective, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
	Five genes tied to osteoarthritis progression (HealthDay)—Five genes may serve as biomarkers for osteoarthritis (OA) progression, according to a study published online Feb. 2 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
	ASCO updates biomarkers for breast cancer Tx guidance (HealthDay)—The American Society of Clinical Oncology has updated recommendations on the use of biomarkers to guide decisions on adjuvant systemic therapy for women with early-stage invasive breast cancer. The clinical practice guideline was published online Feb. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Medical homes contributing to decreasing cost of care (HealthDay)—The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care seems to be contributing to decreases in costs and improvement in patient care, according to a report from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
	Durable response with insulin pump therapy in T2DM (HealthDay)—Insulin pump therapy is more effective than multiple daily injections (MDI) for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
	Another STD spurs concern (HealthDay)—There's yet another sexually transmitted infection that doctors and patients need to watch out for—Mycoplasma genitalium.
	Valentine's Day can still be sweet for loved ones with diabetes (HealthDay)—If your sweetheart has diabetes or prediabetes, get creative and celebrate Valentine's Day without chocolates or a fancy restaurant meal, an expert says.
	Depression linked to genes inherited from Neanderthals: study If you can't seem to quit smoking, or have a tendency to become depressed, you might be able to blame your Neanderthal heritage.
	Vignette highlights management of recurrent UTI in older men (HealthDay)—In a case vignette published in the Feb. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, recommendations are presented for management of recurrent acute febrile urinary tract infections in older men.
	Fat, carbohydrate quality impact postprandial blood glucose (HealthDay)—For patients with type 1 diabetes, fat quality influences postprandial blood glucose (PPG) response in the context of meals with high-glycemic index (HGI), according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Diabetes Care.
	Use of digoxin down among patients with heart failure (HealthDay)—Only one-in-five patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) receive digoxin at discharge, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in JACC: Heart Failure.
Sedatives appear to be safe in alcohol withdrawal syndrome (HealthDay)—For patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome, treatment with high-dose intravenous sedatives is not associated with excess morbidity or mortality, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Rate of missed adenomas >5 mm similarly low for BBPS 2, 3 (HealthDay)—The rate of missed adenomas larger than 5 mm is similarly low for men with Boston Bowel Prep Scale (BBPS) scores of 2 or 3, according to a study published in the February issue of Gastroenterology.
	Same-day discharge OK for minimally invasive myomectomy (HealthDay)—Discharging patients on the same day following a minimally invasive myomectomy appears to be a safe option, according to research published in the March issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Dexamethasone no help in HIV-linked cryptococcal meningitis (HealthDay)—For patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis, dexamethasone does not reduce mortality compared with placebo, according to a study published in the Feb. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
As Zika rages, scientists step up antiviral drug research Samples of Zika virus from the outbreak raging across Brazil and Latin America arrived at the University of Washington last month, where they were quickly locked in a biosafety freezer, awaiting research aimed at stopping the germ tied to growing numbers of devastating birth defects.
Cold-Eeze CEO speaks about firm's new male sex drive pill Don't bother trying to tease Theodore Karkus, the chief executive of ProPhase Labs Inc., about his Philadelphia-area company's new product, a male enhancement dietary supplement, Legendz XL.
What the Super Bowl constipation ad didn't say Even by Super Bowl standards, the constipation ad shown Sunday was an eye-grabber.
Five heart-healthy things cardiologists tell their family, friends Yeah, yeah, you already know the basics. Don't smoke. Lay off the bacon-wrapped steak.
Treatment gives hope to teen with disorder known as childhood Alzheimer's The mother and father watched as their 16-year-old daughter ate her pork chop and green beans across the kitchen table of their Mount Prospect home, grateful each time she swallowed without struggle.
	Kroger to offer anti-overdose drug without prescription Ohio-based grocery chain Kroger Co. said Friday it will make the overdose-reversal drug naloxone available without a prescription in its pharmacies across Ohio and northern Kentucky, a region hard-hit by deadly heroin.
	Gene technology to help healthy skin in Aboriginal Australians Australian researchers have used cutting-edge genome technologies to reveal the genetic makeup of a widespread skin parasite causing serious health problems in Aboriginal communities.
Brazil army will go door-to-door in fight against Zika Some 220,000 soldiers will hand out leaflets door-to-door across Brazil on Saturday, ahead of a massive insecticide-spraying operation as the government tries to stem an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
	Want to be a doctor, but have a disability? Many medical schools look unwelcoming They may dream of becoming doctors, and helping people like themselves.
	Including sexual orientation and gender identity data in electronic records: What are the next steps? Appropriate data collection, staff training, LGBT patient education, and nondiscrimination policies are all needed now that the federal government has required that electronic health records (EHR) systems certified under the Meaningful Use Incentive Program be capable of collecting information on patients' sexual orientation (gay, lesbian, or bisexual) and gender identity, "an historic move that will advance health" for the LGBT community, according to an article in LGBT Health.
Airports boost efforts to stop spread of Zika: UN agency Airports are stepping up efforts to reduce populations of mosquitoes that transmit the Zika virus in order to prevent its spread, the UN aviation agency said Thursday.
Second pregnant Australian woman tests positive for Zika virus A pregnant woman in Australia has tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling overseas. It's the second such case this week.
	Venezuela says 3 dead from Zika complications Venezuela has announced the first Zika-related deaths in the South American country.
UK competition authorities fine GSK $54.5 million Britain's competition authority has fined drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline plc 37.6 million pounds ($54.5 million) for stalling the potential entry of generic competitors of an anti-depressant drug Seroxat into the marketplace.
	Lessons on thwarting pandemics The Ebola pandemic presents a pretty good argument that preparing for outbreaks of infectious disease is more effective and less expensive than waiting until something happens.
No classes at Pennsylvania college as 185 students sickened Classes and weekend activities have been canceled at Ursinus College in eastern Pennsylvania as the school deals with a mystery illness that has sickened at least 185 students.
Brazil's Health Ministry delays providing dengue test kits Brazilian laboratories say delays in providing kits to test for mosquito-borne dengue have forced them to store patient blood samples until the kits are delivered.
	Electronic healthcare records data reveal factors linked to emergency department revisits A new study has identified distinctions in patient diagnoses and different patterns of Emergency Department usage between individuals who are more or less likely to return to the ED for care within a 72-hour period. These results, based on statistical analysis of patient data from more than one million electronic healthcare records (EHR), are described in an article in Big Data.

Biology news

	DNA breaks in nerve cells' ancestors cluster in specific genes The genome of developing brain cells harbors 27 clusters or hotspots where its DNA is much more likely to break in some places than others, researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine (PCMM) at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute report in the journal Cell. Those hotspots appear in genes associated with brain tumors and a number of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions, raising new questions about these conditions' origins, as well as how the brain generates a diversity of circuitry during development.
	New imaging technique shows how DNA is protected at chromosomes' ends A new imaging technique has allowed researchers at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Pittsburgh to see how DNA loops around a protein that aids in the formation of a special structure in telomeres. The work provides new insights into the structure of telomeres and how they are maintained.
	South Africa revives 'extinct' zebra subspecies In a spectacular valley less than two hours' drive north of Cape Town, a small herd of animals provides the chance to travel back in time over more than a century.
	Not so incy wincy: spider kills snake in Outback duel A plucky little spider has once again proved that size doesn't matter by taking on—and beating—a much larger venomous snake, in a very Australian telling of the story of David and Goliath.
	Gene discovery suggests surprising evolutionary pattern Cornell researchers have discovered a gene in Drosophila (fruit flies) that predicts whether an individual fly will be susceptible or resistant to bacterial infection.
	The origin of a species A study by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University has uncovered the key role played by a single gene in how groups of animals diverge to form new species. The study, published today in the journal Nature, restored fertility to the normally-infertile offspring of two subspecies of mice, by replacing part of the Prdm9 gene with the equivalent human version. Despite the nearly 150 million years of evolution separating mice and humans, these 'humanized' mice were completely fertile.
	Researchers find that chromatin's complexity can be reduced into a unifying model of gene regulation (Phys.org)—A team of researchers made up of members from the California Institute of Technology, Tottori University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has conducted a study that has led to finding that that the material of which chromosomes are composed (chromatin) can be reduced to a unifying model of gene regulation. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes their approach and why they believe it may lead to a better understanding of the way the expression of the genome is controlled. Albert Keung and Ahmad Khalil with North Carolina State University and Boston University respectively, offer a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal edition and offer some insight into the direction such work appears to be heading in the near future.
	On Darwin's birthday, tomato genetics study sheds light on plant evolution On Charles Darwin's 207th birthday, a new study of evolution in a diverse group of wild tomatoes is shedding light on the importance of genetic variation in plants.
	Marine vessel tracking system also a lifesaver for wildlife A new paper from WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), in partnership with researchers and practitioners from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, Space Quest, Google, and SkyTruth, reviews the use of a maritime vessel communication and navigational safety system that is not only effective in protecting people, but wildlife such as whales, walruses, and other wildlife species as well. With improvements, say the authors, the system will ultimately result in greater engagement by vessel companies and operators in the conservation of marine resources.
	For a rare prairie orchid, science is making climate change local Knowing how climate change may affect an entire region is only marginally useful to land managers trying to preserve the small white lady's slipper, a once-abundant orchid that today is found in small "postage stamp" prairie fragments as little as 10 acres in size in Minnesota and another dozen states across the Midwest. Land managers need the details: how might a small fragment of orchid habitat change with climate change, and what climate adaptation strategies will be most effective in preserving remaining populations of small white lady's slipper?
	Study finds fish larvae are better off in groups A recent study provides new evidence that larvae swim faster, straighter and more consistently in a common direction when together in a group. The research led by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is the first to observe group orientation behaviors of larval fish.
	NASA satellites aid ecologists in mapping seasons, deer reproduction If you want to track the reproductive success of a plant-eater, monitor its food supply: plants. And, if you want to track vegetation, monitor precipitation.
The ultimate Valentine's Day gift for plant lovers Most people looking to celebrate Valentine's Day this year will settle for a box of chocolates and a dozen roses for their significant other. But a new plant just discovered in Hawaii might offer plant lovers the ultimate Valentine's Day gift.
	Stability in ecosystems: Asynchrony of species is more important than diversity Whether an animal or plant community remains stable despite external impacts does not depend on biological diversity alone: asynchrony across the species is also a crucial factor. The more asynchronous the species in an ecosystem fluctuate in their abundances, the less likely it becomes unstable. As a result, diversity takes second place in terms of the factors to be considered in the context of ecosystem stability. A team of scientists spearheaded by the TU Munich and TU Darmstadt have published these findings in the journal Nature Communications.
	Scientists in Panama call for alert as cobia, a potentially invasive fish, spreads Cobia, a promising fish for aquaculture, lives throughout the world's oceans except in the Central and Eastern Pacific. In August 2015, a large number of young fish escaped from offshore cages in Ecuador. Cobia have recently been reported from the Colombian and Panamanian Pacific coast, indicating their rapid spread from the release site. Voracious carnivores, cobia could have far-reaching impacts on fisheries and marine ecology in the Eastern Pacific, Smithsonian scientists warn.
Feds plan major announcement about California island foxes Native foxes on islands off the California coast were once on the brink of extinction.
	New report calls for improvements to UK cattle vaccination Research into disease prevention on British dairy farms has revealed a variation in how vaccination strategies are implemented by farmers and vets.
	Animal first aid puts pet owners on the front foot Learning CPR could be the difference between life and death for your pet, as Perth continues to sweat through one of the hottest summers on record.

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