Science X Newsletter Friday, Feb 5

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 5, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Nanoparticle ink could combat counterfeiting
- From allergens to anodes: Pollen derived battery electrodes
- Chromosomes reconfigure as cell division ends
- Using the physics of your perfect pancake to help save sight
- The amazing axon adventure
- Studies show impact of forest management and deforestation on climate
- Partitioning by collision
- Researchers making progress on understanding why people lose their hair as they age
- Man-made underwater sound may have wider ecosystem effects than previously thought
- Central Appalachia flatter due to mountaintop mining
- Uncovering secrets of elastin's flexibility during assembly
- Protein that switches cancers from inflammation to proliferation identified
- How friendly is Enceladus' ocean to life?
- A day in the life of a synapse reveals new facets of the adult brain
- Researchers seek efficient means of splitting water

Astronomy & Space news

	Adding a new dimension to the early chemistry of the solar system Using sophisticated computer simulations, an international research team have discovered new insights into the chemical composition of the dust grains that formed in the solar system 4.5 billion years ago.
	How friendly is Enceladus' ocean to life? How acidic is the ocean on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus? It's a fundamental question to understanding if this geyser-spouting moon could support life.
	'Cannibalism' between stars: New research shows the turbulent past of our sun Stars are born inside a rotating cloud of interstellar gas and dust, which contracts to stellar densities thanks to its own gravity. Before finding itself on the star, however, most of the cloud lands onto a circumstellar disk forming around the star owing to conservation of angular momentum.The manner in which the material is transported through the disk onto the star, causing the star to grow in mass, has recently become a major research topic in astrophysics.
North Korea begins fuelling rocket: report US satellite data suggests North Korea may have already begun fuelling a rocket it plans to launch this month in the face of international opposition, a Japanese newspaper reported Friday, citing a US defence official.
	ASTRO-H X-ray Observatory poised for launch A new science satellite, the ASTRO-H X-ray Observatory, will blast into the cosmos this month with a full payload of Yale University expertise.

Technology news

	From allergens to anodes: Pollen derived battery electrodes Pollens, the bane of allergy sufferers, could represent a boon for battery makers: Recent research has suggested their potential use as anodes in lithium-ion batteries.
	Canonical trumpets Ubuntu tablet's convergence features How about that, a tablet running Ubuntu? A new tablet is scheduled to go on sale this year. Canonical announced the launch in a news release datelined London on Thursday. The tablet goes by the name Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition, shipping with the latest Ubuntu software.
	Mapping website tells building owners if going solar is worth the cost of installation Nations worldwide are increasingly embracing solar power as an alternative electricity source for homes, buildings, and even the grid. Since 2008, installed solar capacity in the United States alone has grown 17-fold, from 1.2 to 20 gigawatts (GW), according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
	Chinese using carpooling apps to get ride home for holidays The hundreds of millions of Chinese heading home for Lunar New Year have a relatively new travel option this year: mobile apps to find carpool partners to share costs in what is a novel concept for most Chinese.
Microsoft selects 10 startups for accelerator Microsoft is lending a hand to a set of startups working in the highly technical realm of machine learning.
Diving into the world of drones Owning a drone wasn't exactly like how Mark Hull envisioned it. When the 41-year-old product director at LinkedIn bought his first unmanned aerial vehicle about a year ago, he thought that flying it would be something fun to do with his kids.
	YouTube moves closer to becoming a Netflix for millennials Could it soon be time to YouTube and chill?
Mobile ads get a useful twist In the fast-changing world of mobile advertising, staples like banner ads, pop-ups and ads disguised as news stories aren't cutting it anymore.
Fujifilm hopes company's cells will help it change the world When Tokyo-based Fujifilm Holdings Corp. set out to become a global leader in the emerging area of regenerative medicine, one of the key places it turned to was Madison.
	Smart thermostat puts energy money saving at household fingertips Researchers from the University of Southampton are aiming to develop a 'smart' thermostat to help UK households save money on their energy bills.
	Exoskeleton helps the paralyzed to walk Until recently, being paralyzed from the waist down meant using a wheelchair to get around. And although daily life is more accessible to wheelchair users, they still face physical and social limitations. But UC Berkeley's Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory has been working to change that.
	New jet biofuel installation opens the door for a greener airline industry The EU ITAKA project has provided a pioneering jet biofuel that will be used at Oslo's principal international airport, a first for commercial aviation.
	Evolving our way to artificial intelligence Researcher David Silver and colleagues designed a computer program capable of beating a top-level Go player – a marvelous technological feat and important threshold in the development of artificial intelligence, or AI. It stresses once more that humans aren't at the center of the universe, and that human cognition isn't the pinnacle of intelligence.
	Apple now accepting your banged-up iPhone (Update) Apple for the first time is accepting banged up iPhones as a trade-in from those wanting to upgrade.
Apple asks top US court to reject Samsung appeal Apple has asked the US Supreme Court to dismiss Samsung's appeal in the blockbuster patent case between the two smartphone giants, saying the ruling followed "well-established" legal precedent.
	New study highlights Australian book publishing industry is fighting back against digital disruption An Australian first study by Macquarie University of the country's book publishing industry reveals considerable innovation in response to the digital disruption that has resulted in a significant drop in onshore book sales.
Naval navigation revolutionised by solid-state compass A team of engineers from French and German companies has come together to improve the safety of ships at sea with a solid-state, electrostatic compass that can find true North without ever needing maintenance or replacement.

Medicine & Health news

Protein that switches cancers from inflammation to proliferation identified Oxford University scientists researching PAD4, a protein that plays a role in the development of inflammatory diseases like arthritis and which is regularly found in cancers have uncovered the protein's role in cancer development. Their results are published online by the journal Science Advances.
	Neurobiologists characterize nerve cells that detect motion by light changes The ability to see the direction in which something is moving is vital for survival. Only in this way is it possible to avoid predators, capture prey or, as humans in a modern world, cross a road safely. However, the direction of motion is not explicitly represented at the level of the photoreceptors but rather must be calculated by subsequent layers of nerve cells. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried have now discovered that, in fruit flies, four classes of nerve cell are involved in calculating directionally selective signals. This is strikingly different from mathematical models of motion detection discussed in the literature so far.
	Standard method for deriving stem cells may be better for use in regenerative medicine Scientists at the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have discovered an important naturally occurring process in the developing human embryo that can be lost when embryonic stem cells are derived in the lab.
	A day in the life of a synapse reveals new facets of the adult brain A new study from the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory in the Feb. 4 online edition of Neuron sheds light on the innate plasticity of the adult brain at its most fundamental level—the synapse.
	The amazing axon adventure How does the brain make connections, and how does it maintain them? Cambridge neuroscientists and mathematicians are using a variety of techniques to understand how the brain 'wires up', and what it might be able to tell us about degeneration in later life.
	Researchers making progress on understanding why people lose their hair as they age (Medical Xpress)—Two groups of researchers working on two different projects have made inroads into understanding the cause of alopecia—the gradual loss of hair during aging. One team, with members from Japan, the U.S. and the Netherlands, found that accumulated DNA damage was at least partly to blame—the other team, working at the University of Colorado, discovered a certain protein that appears to be responsible for causing follicle stem cells to enter their dormant cycle. Both teams have published papers in the journal Science, describing their studies and results. Mingxing Lei and Cheng-Ming Chuong with the University of Southern California offer a Perspectives piece on the work done by the two teams in the same journal issue, and more fully explain the on/off growing cycle of scalp hair in mammals.
	New assay detects persistent disease in leukemia patients thought to be in remission The outcomes of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have dramatically improved as the result of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. Use of a TKI regimen can lower the blood CML biomarker to levels imperceptible by current detection methods. For patients in "molecular remission," however, uncertainties remain regarding whether they will relapse or if treatment should be discontinued. A study in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes a new personalized DNA-based digital assay that detects persistent disease in 81% of samples taken from a group of patients thought to be in remission.
First reported autopsy of patient with MERS coronavirus infection provides critical insights Since 2012, at least 1,500 individuals have developed Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), resulting in more than 500 fatalities. Only now are results being reported of the first autopsy of a MERS patient, which was performed in 2014. Not only do these findings, published in The American Journal of Pathology, provide unprecedented, clinically-relevant insights about how MERS progresses, they challenge previously accepted ideas about MERS and the relevance of current animal models. With the number of autopsies performed on the decline, these findings underscore the critical information autopsies can provide regarding emerging infectious disease.
Cancer treatment: Therapeutic approach gives hope for the treatment of multiple myeloma A new therapeutic approach tested by a team from Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital (CIUSSS-EST, Montreal) and the University of Montreal gives promising results for the treatment of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow currently considered incurable with conventional chemotherapy and for which the average life expectancy is about 6 or 7 years.
	Most internet resources for IPF are inaccurate, incomplete and outdated After evaluating content on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis on almost 200 websites, researchers with medical backgrounds found that the information on IPF from these sites was often incomplete, inaccurate and outdated. The study, "Accuracy and Reliability of Internet Resources for Information on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis" highlights the need for the medical community to continually reassess the accuracy of online information. The research was printed online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Panama looks to GM mosquitoes to combat Zika Panama is mulling releasing millions of genetically modified mosquitoes on its territory to combat the spread of the Zika virus, a prominent health official told AFP on Thursday.
	Researchers identify striking genomic signature shared by five types of cancer National Institutes of Health researchers have identified a striking signature in tumor DNA that occurs in five different types of cancer. They also found evidence that this methylation signature may be present in many more types of cancer. The specific signature results from a chemical modification of DNA called methylation, which can control the expression of genes like a dimmer on a light switch. Higher amounts of DNA methylation (hypermethylation), like that found by the researchers in some tumor DNA, decreases a gene's activity. Based on this advance, the researchers hope to spur development of a blood test that can be used to diagnose a variety of cancers at early stages, when treatments can be most effective. The study appeared February 5, 2016, in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
	First-of-its-kind study explains why rest is critical after a concussion Doctors who order several days of rest after a person suffers a concussion are giving sound advice, say researchers, and new data from animal models explains why.
	App can up adherence to exercise in diabetes (HealthDay)—A mobile phone application that provides personalized feedback to patients with type 2 diabetes can increase adherence to physical activity and improve glycemic control, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in Diabetes Care.
	Seven tips provided for optimizing practice revenue (HealthDay)—Business operations data represent a relatively untapped resource for optimizing practice revenue, and can indicate areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Experts say pregnant women, new moms should have depression screenings They are considered bundles of joy. Still, from novices with newborns to veteran pros of motherhood, all pregnant women are susceptible to the not-so-joyous issues associated with postpartum depression, such as anxiety and sadness, which are unhealthy for both baby and mother.
Women who survive breast or thyroid cancer are more likely to develop the other type later Women who survived breast or thyroid cancer faced an elevated risk of developing the other cancer as a secondary malignancy, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
	New fathers-to-be vulnerable to media messages about dad roles First-time expectant fathers who watched many television shows featuring dads believed that men were unimportant in their children's lives, according to a new University of Michigan study.
Mouth breathing while sleeping may increase tooth decay risk Mouth breathing during sleep is linked to a more acidic oral environment that may promote tooth enamel erosion and caries, new University of Otago research suggests.
What will cyclists do about doping now? The use of banned drugs and substances and other prohibited practices – doping – has been a problem at the elite levels of cycling for a very long time. There is evidence now that doping happens in amateur levels of cycling too.
	Are children who walk and talk early geniuses in the making? From rolling over to walking and saying words, most parents will remember the exact age at which their child achieved a certain "milestone". They will often also compare these early "rites of passage" to the progress of a sibling, cousin or friend, or to charts in the myriad parenting books setting out the ages at which children should develop certain skills.
	How the brain builds place memories Tübingen neuroscientists have succeeded in activating dormant memory cells in rats. Using weak electrical impulses targeted at previously inactive cells in the hippocampus, the researchers induced the cells to recognize the exact place where the impulse had been first administered. In rodents as well as humans, the hippocampus is the brain area responsible for memory. Therefore, the new study by researchers of the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) at the University of Tübingen offers insight into the question of how memories are formed within our brains. Their findings are published in Current Biology.
Milk, vitamin supplements and exercise raise children's vitamin D levels Sufficient intake of fortified dairy products is of significant importance for the serum vitamin D level in primary school children, shows a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. Children who drink at least three glasses of milk per day had a higher serum vitamin D level than their peers who drink milk in lesser amounts. The use of vitamin D supplements was also associated with a higher serum vitamin D level. Furthermore, children who exercise more than 2 hours per day had a higher serum vitamin D level than children who exercise less than 1.5 hours per day. The article "Determinants of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration in Finnish Children: The PANIC Study" was published online in British Journal of Nutrition and was selected as the Nutrition Society Paper of the Month for January 2016.
	The significance of non-motor microtubule-associated protein in maintaining synaptic plasticity thorough a novel mechani NMDA glutamate receptors, which function as receptors that bond with glutamates, are known to be deeply involved in animal memory and learning. In order for memories to be created inside the brain, these NMDA glutamate receptors must first be transported to and accumulated in the synapses.
	The future of cancer treatment 1 in 3 people born after 1960 in the UK will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime, and each year, 4th February marks World Cancer Day, to raise awareness and encourage individuals and governments to fight the disease.
	Aggression causes new nerve cells to be generated in the brain A group of neurobiologists from Russia and the USA, including Dmitry Smagin, Tatyana Michurina, and Grigori Enikolopov from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), have proven experimentally that aggression has an influence on the production of new nerve cells in the brain. The scientists conducted a series of experiments on male mice and published their findings in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Pioneering study finds dangerous pollution levels in shisha bars Revellers in shisha bars experience pollution levels higher than those in smog-hit Beijing, according to a report commissioned by Birmingham City Council – the first UK study of its kind.
	Labeling people as 'the mentally ill' increases stigma Consider this collection of headlines from national national media outlets over the past few weeks: "Allowing the mentally ill guns is insane," or "Ranks of ISIS include mentally ill," or "Jail last refuge for mentally ill" or "Lawyer says driver in crash was mentally ill."
Study finds effectiveness of routine Tdap booster wanes in adolescents A new study from Kaiser Permanente's Vaccine Study Center found that the Tdap booster vaccine provides moderate protection against whooping cough during the first year after vaccination, but its effectiveness wanes to less than 9 percent after four years among teenagers who have received only a newer form of the whooping cough vaccine (acellular pertussis vaccine) as infants and children. These findings were published today in Pediatrics.
New analysis method may reduce need for invasive biopsies Scientists have identified a quantitative method to measure changes in biomarkers, which may reduce or eliminate the need for invasive biopsies. The method, described in the February 2016 issue of The FASEB Journal uses a novel chimera design of DNA and small DNA with a companion contrast agent to allow antibodies to cross cellular membranes. Once across these membranes, the tissues being evaluated can be imaged a much greater level of detail than what is possible now. This could significantly impact the use of gene therapy and stem cell therapy, as well as lead to better diagnosis and treatment of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, viral infections, HIV, herpes and prion diseases.
Scientists discover molecular link between psychiatric disorders and type 2 diabetes There may be a genetic connection between some mental health disorders and type 2 diabetes. In a new report appearing in the February 2016 issue of The FASEB Journal, scientists show that a gene called "DISC1," which is believed to play a role in mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and some forms of depression, influences the function of pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin to maintain normal blood glucose levels.
Zika-hit nations should allow access to contraception, abortion: UN The United Nations on Friday urged countries hit by the dangerous Zika virus to let women have access to contraception and abortion.
	Super bowl foods can be a win, win: healthy and delicious (HealthDay)—Super Bowl Sunday is as much about eating as it is about whether the Panthers or the Broncos score the first touchdown.
	NFL linemen keep growing, putting their health at risk, experts say (HealthDay)—As the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers gear up for Sunday's Super Bowl 50 showdown, many may be focused on the potential dangers of concussion, but that's not the only health risk football players face.
	Getting to the 'heart' of sleep Sleep is essential for a healthy heart. People who don't sleep enough are at higher risk for heart disease. One study that examined data from 3,000 adults over age 45 found that those who slept fewer than six hours per night were about twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack as people who slept six to eight hours per night. Sleep deprivation is a growing problem, with 28 percent of adults now reporting that they get six or fewer hours of sleep per night.
Alcohol a 'very alarming' problem for nation's lawyers, study finds Lawyers in the United States, particularly those starting out in the profession, cope with depression and anxiety at troubling levels and turn to alcohol far more often than the population as a whole.
Pilot study shows meditation can help US veterans manage chronic pain They return to the United States with multiple types of trauma, and suffer from one of the highest rates of chronic pain of any population in the United States. They are U.S. veterans. A major challenge for health care providers is how to help them alleviate pain that will last a lifetime. Now, a new study suggests veterans may be empowered to help themselves with the practice of meditation.
Clinician's exposure to basic science articles has significantly declined Breaking up may not be that hard to do after all. A new report appearing in The FASEB Journal suggests that the once close relationship between basic science and clinical medicine appears to be on the rocks, as the number of basic science research articles appearing in medical specialty journals has fallen dramatically over the past 20 years.
GW researcher tests new method for rapid detection of infection in wounds A new method for detection of infection in wounds could take physicians less than a minute to complete, rather than the current 24 hours it takes to plate bacteria and leave it to incubate overnight, according to research by the George Washington University's (GW) Victoria Shanmugam, M.D.
Single-lesion biopsy may be insufficient to choose therapy targeting resistance mutations When metastatic tumors driven by drug-targetable genetic mutations become resistant to a targeted therapy drug, the usual practice is to biopsy a single metastatic lesion to test for new mutations that can guide the selection of next-line therapies. Investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and the University of Torino in Italy have found that this strategy may miss additional targetable mutations that arise in different metastases. In the February issue of Cancer Discovery, the researchers report that analyzing tumor DNA fragments in the bloodstream may give a more complete picture of the molecular basis of a patient's cancer.
US urges condom use or abstinence to avoid Zika virus US health authorities on Friday urged people to use condoms or refrain from sex if they live in or have traveled to areas where the Zika virus is circulating.
	Zika detected in urine, saliva: top Brazilian researchers Brazil's top research institute said Friday that Zika has been detected in urine and saliva, but added that there is no proof the virus can be transmitted through those fluids.
	In Brazil, pregnant women urged to be cautious with a kiss A Brazilian health official warned pregnant women to think twice before giving a kiss as global measures mounted Friday against the Zika virus suspected of a link to birth defects.
	Allergies, asthma tied to lower risk of brain cancer (HealthDay)—People with respiratory allergies, asthma and the skin condition eczema may be less likely to develop glioma brain cancer, a new study suggests.
	No eczema benefit to partially hydrolysed whey formula (HealthDay)—A partially hydrolysed formula containing a specific mixture of oligosaccharides does not prevent eczema in high-risk infants, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in Allergy.
	New system can assess severity of von Willebrand disease (HealthDay)—A new microchip-flow chamber system (T-TAS) can be used to discriminate and predict bleeding score (BS) in type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD), according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
	Five-year mortality, costs up for ICU survivors (HealthDay)—Intensive care unit (ICU) patients surviving to hospital discharge have higher five-year mortality and hospital resource use than hospital controls, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Vagal nerve stimulation can lead to cardiac complications (HealthDay)—Stimulation of the vagus nerve as part of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) during thyroid surgery can result in severe cardiac complications, according to a case report published online Feb. 1 in Head & Neck.
	Do more 'Selfies' mean more relationship woes? (HealthDay)—Posting too many "selfies" on social media might lead to serious problems with your romantic partner, according to a new study.
'Major shortcomings' in French drug trial death lab: inquiry An inquiry into the death of a man during a drug trial has found "three major shortcomings" at the French laboratory where he was being tested, the minister of health said Thursday.
Hawaii lawmakers kill vaccine bill after heated debate After listening to Hawaii residents speak out against vaccines and saying they cause everything from autism to the Zika virus, Hawaii lawmakers killed a bill to speed up the state's process for adopting federal vaccination guidelines.
200 million girls and women living with FGM: UNICEF At least 200 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to female genital mutilation with half of those living in Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia, according to the UN children's agency.
Tonga declares Zika epidemic after five confirmed cases The tiny South Pacific kingdom of Tonga said Friday it has a Zika epidemic after five people tested positive for the virus and another 265 are suspected of having it.
	Computer models deliver stroke care boost to South West People who have had a stroke in Devon are receiving faster and more effective treatment thanks to research that has used the latest advances in computer simulation.
	Patient stomps out kidney cancer thanks to IL-2 treatment, healthy living Janet Fatika, 70, loves to walk. She treks up to a mile and half every day with her sister.
	Fewer reported Lyme disease cases may not tell whole story Though Texas had almost 300 cases of Lyme disease reported in 2009, the number of reported cases since then has gone down considerably, leading experts to wonder if the disease is truly on the decline in the Lone Star State.
An exercise approach to cystic fibrosis We can't change our genes – yet – but we can alter our environments to ease life with an inherited illness. Meet two young people whose love of dance, running, yoga, and more is helping them live with cystic fibrosis (CF).
	The global development framework—where are mothers and newborns in the post-2015 era? While the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) underlined the necessity of better policies and programs to improve maternal and child health, HIV and AIDS, malaria, and other health conditions, the approach had significant flaws. Having separate goals for mothers and children may have been a disservice, fostering the persistent segmentation of service delivery.
	The enduring need for cancer treatment Danielle Rodin is a Radiation Oncology Resident at the University of Toronto and co-founded the group GlobalRT, which is a group of young professionals dedicated to improving the availability and accessibility of radiation therapy resources for cancer patients in low-resource settings. Daniel Smith is a recent Medical Physics PhD graduate from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and heads the physics section of GlobalRT. They share their thoughts on expanding equitable treatment options globally, in time for World Cancer Day.
How to adopt prison-based needle and syringe programs research study has concluded that prison-based needle and syringe programs (PNSPs), which provide sterile injection equipment to prisoners who inject drugs and help prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), are indisputably feasible in Canada and should be implemented in Canadian prisons without delay.
Fecal analyses may lead to noninvasive diagnostics for inflammatory bowel disease New research indicates that analyses of vapors from fecal samples can identify volatile metabolites indicative of different types of inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Management style affects quality of care and retention among nurses A recent study shows that encouraging nurses to work towards a collective goal within a supportive milieu—a style of management called transformational leadership—can have positive effects on the quality of the care given to patients. It was also a predictor of nurses' intentions to stay on at their current healthcare facilities. Conversely, abusive leadership practices potentially lead to poorer quality of care and to a strong intention to quit.
Two die of swine flu in Bosnia Health authorities in Bosnia say two people have died of swine flu and another six are hospitalized.
Half a million condoms ready for Angolan carnival Nearly 500,000 condoms will be distributed in the Angolan capital Luanda during the four-day annual carnival that starts Saturday, in a campaign to help prevent the spread of AIDS, organisers said.
	After criticism, Brazil transferring Zika samples to US Brazil says it's sending a set of Zika samples to U.S. health authorities following complaints over the South American nation's hoarding of data and biological material related to the disease.
Health care for older adults should honor diversity By 2050, the number of older adults representing minority groups is projected to rise to 39%, up from nearly 21% in 2012. The largest increases in the proportion of older adults are projected to be among Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander populations. What's more, the proportion of older Hispanic adults is projected to more than double over the next 40 years.
AMP updates pathology residency curriculum recommendations The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, non-profit organization serving molecular diagnostic professionals, has updated its pathology residency curriculum recommendations for 10 critical molecular pathology topics. The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics today published the AMP paper titled, "A Suggested Molecular Pathology Curriculum for Residents: A Report of the Association for Molecular Pathology."

Biology news

	Chromosomes reconfigure as cell division ends Cellular senescence—when a cell can no longer divide—is a programmed stage in a cell's life cycle. Sometimes, as in aging, we wish it didn't happen so much and sometimes, as in cancer, we wish it would happen more. Given its important impacts on health, biologists wish they could explain more about what's happening in cells when senescence takes hold. A new study helps by showing that chromosomes become somewhat transformed, altering their patterns of gene expression.
	Man-made underwater sound may have wider ecosystem effects than previously thought Underwater sound linked to human activity could alter the behaviour of seabed creatures that play a vital role in marine ecosystems, according to new research from the University of Southampton.
	Motorboat noise gives predators a deadly advantage The rate that fish are captured by predators can double when boats are motoring nearby, according to pioneering work led by a University of Exeter marine biologist.
	Why do migratory birds sing on their tropical wintering grounds? The first notes of bird song signal the arrival of spring as well as the beginning of mate attraction season, and for many songbird species males with the most elaborate songs do best when it comes to attracting females. But why do many migratory songbirds sing during the winter, when they are thousands of kilometers away from their breeding grounds and the prospect of attracting a mate? This was the long-unanswered question tackled by Marjorie Sorensen, Susanne Jenni-Eiermann, and Claire Spottiswoode.
	Climate change's frost harms early plant reproduction, study finds Climate change may harm early-flowering plants not through plant-pollinator mismatch but through frost damage, a Dartmouth College-led study shows.
	Radar reveals the hidden secrets of wombat warrens For the first time ever, researchers from the University of Adelaide have been able to non-invasively study the inner workings of wombat warrens, with a little help from ground-penetrating radar.
Pioneering research using honey exploits potential to save lives by destroying harmful fungus The healing powers of honey have been known for thousands of years. Now a graduate from The University of Manchester has discovered a powerful link between a medicinal type of honey and the destruction of a fungus that can cause blindness or even death.
	Public rice genomic resources are boon for breeders A Cornell-led international team of researchers has launched a set of open-access genomic resources that will greatly accelerate the ability of geneticists and breeders to link genes to important traits in rice.
	Straight spines depend upon sawtooth protein pattern The formation of the vertebrae in early embryonic development requires an intricate genetic dance requiring precise timing and interaction of many different cells.
	Mapping the movements of birds and beasts Be they creatures of land, sea, or air, most animal species migrate. Whales, salmon, songbirds, and butterflies all travel thousands of kilometers to and from breeding and feeding grounds every year.
	New tool for efficiently validating the accuracy of CRISPR-Cas9 reactions CRISPR-Cas9's popularity continues to grow ever since its first use in genome editing in January, 2013.  What makes CRISPR-Cas9 so remarkable is its astonishing efficiency and availability; relatively speaking, it is easy to use.  Last year, scientists at the Center for Genome Engineering within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) published a paper in Cell Stem Cell describing how they corrected an inverted gene sequence which effectively cured a type of Hemophilia.  The Jin-Soo Kim group at IBS has also used CRISPR-Cas9 to perform a process without using foreign DNA to modify crops.  It is such an incredibly useful tool and holds so much potential for the future that it was the focus of the International Summit on Human Gene Editing in Washington DC in December 2015.  The future of CRISPR applications is only limited by the imaginations of the scientists using it.
	Super-resolution microscope allows visualization of the mechanism that maintains cell polarity Cells are not uniform spheres; they generally come in a variety of disparate shapes. In the broadest sense, this variation in shapes is known as cell polarity, and it is an essential property for a variety of cell functions. Growth in accordance with their polarity allows cells to shape themselves in forms appropriate to their function. It has been found that the establishment and maintenance of polarity is governed by the interdependent relationship between the polarity marker protein on the plasma membrane (cell membrane), actin, the microtubule cytoskeleton, and membrane vesicle transport.
	Yellow Sea a narrowing bottleneck for migratory birds The shrinking of mudflats along the coasts of the Chinese Yellow Sea is an increasing problem for migratory birds that travel between Siberia and Australia. Research by an international team of ecologists, led by Spinoza laureate professor Theunis Piersma, a senior scientist at NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and professor in Global Flyway Ecology at the University of Groningen, shows that three different species are in decline because of one common factor: loss of food and habitat along the coasts of the Yellow Sea, because of the increasing claim of land by the Chinese government.
	How humans threaten pumas just by being nearby You are wandering in the forest where you live, thinking about what you are going to have for dinner. Among the familiar calls of chickadees, you hear a foreign sound. You crouch in hiding, frightened for yourself and your family. Not until nightfall does the noise abate, allowing you to move again under the cloak of darkness. Soon you learn that the sounds come from unfamiliar beings taking over your homeland. You learn to live in hiding, believing that as soon as you let your guard down you may pay the ultimate price.
	Snake gait: Science observes nature to invent new ways of moving It has no wheels or legs or anything to help itself along, and yet it is able to move and to move quite fast. In terms of mobility, the snake is a masterpiece of engineering, and it is no coincidence that it should be studied to uncover the physics underlying its locomotion.
	Scientists turn to drones to count growing seal colonies (Update) On a remote island off of Nantucket, scientists are using a tool most commonly associated with war and surveillance to get a look at fuzzy baby seals.
Prunetin prolongs lifespan in male fruit flies and enhances overall health If research in male fruit flies holds up, it might help you live longer. A new research report published in the February 2016 issue of The FASEB Journal, shows that administering an oral dose of prunetin to male fruit flies extends lifespan, increases fitness levels, and improves their glucose balance. This effect was not found in females. Prunetin is a plant-derived compound that belongs to the isoflavone group.
	Don't risk a hot dog this summer Perth's extreme heat wave is likely to put pet lives in jeopardy, with dogs at the biggest risk of suffering health dangers such as heatstroke according to leading veterinary doctors.
	US seafood traceability program proposed to combat illegal fishing and seafood fraud Today, the National Ocean Council Committee to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud announced its proposal for creating a U.S. seafood traceability program—the next step the U.S. government is taking to ensure that global seafood resources are sustainably managed and not fraudulently marketed.

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