Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Feb 16

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 16, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Physicists zoom in on gluons' contribution to proton spin
- Study suggests humans and computers use different processes to identify objects visually
- Mind-controlled prosthetic arm moves individual 'fingers'
- Astronomers detect five new 'hot Jupiters'
- Journal to publish paper by video-gamers based on Stanford online RNA game
- First detection of super-earth atmosphere
- Losing the fight against antibiotic resistance
- Slight change to antibacterial drug may improve tuberculosis treatments
- Enhanced levels of carbon dioxide are likely cause of global dryland greening, study says
- Scientists discover new way bacterial infections spread in the body
- Cambits, a modular imaging system that can transform into many different cameras
- 'Swiss army knife' molecule
- Oxygen was present in the atmosphere much earlier than previously assumed
- ReFlex: Revolutionary flexible smartphone allows users to feel the buzz by bending their apps
- Portion of ancient Australian chert microstructures definitively pseudo-fossils

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers detect five new 'hot Jupiters' (Phys.org)—Giant exoplanets, like the so-called 'hot Jupiters' that are similar in characteristics to the solar system's biggest planet and orbit very close to their host stars, are excellent targets for astronomers in their search for extrasolar worlds. The size and proximity of these planets is easy to detect as they create a large decrease in brightness when passing in front of their parent stars. Recently, an international team of researchers has announced a discovery of five new exoplanets, extending the catalogue of known 'hot Jupiters'. They published their findings in a paper published online on Feb. 4 in the arXiv journal.
	First detection of super-earth atmosphere For the first time astronomers were able to analyse the atmosphere of an exoplanet in the class known as super-Earths. Using data gathered with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and new analysis techniques, the exoplanet 55 Cancri e is revealed to have a dry atmosphere without any indications of water vapour. The results, to be published in the Astrophysical Journal, indicate that the atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen and helium.
	Glow from the Big Bang allows discovery of distant black hole jet Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to discover a jet from a very distant supermassive black hole being illuminated by the oldest light in the Universe. This discovery shows that black holes with powerful jets may be more common than previously thought in the first few billion years after the Big Bang.
	China's space telescope to displace humans in search for aliens China will move nearly 10,000 people to make way for the world's largest radio telescope which promises to help humanity search for alien life, state media reported on Tuesday.
	All dressed up with somewhere to go Yesterday, a 'team of teams' working at ESA's control centre conducted a final rehearsal for tomorrow's launch of Sentinel-3A.
	Messier 3 (M3) – the NGC 5272 globular cluster During the late 18th century, Charles Messier began to notice a series of "nebulous" objects in the night sky which he originally mistook for comets. With the hope of preventing other astronomers from making the same mistake, he began compiling a list of these in what would come to be known as the Messier Catalog. Consisting of 100 objects, the catalog became an important milestone in the discovery and research of Deep Sky objects.
	Test cubes floating freely inside LISA Pathfinder ESA's LISA Pathfinder has released both of its gold–platinum cubes, and will shortly begin its demanding science mission, placing these test masses in the most precise freefall ever obtained to demonstrate technologies for observing gravitational waves from space.
	NASA helps power grids weather geomagnetic storms On March 9, 1989, a huge cloud of solar material exploded from the sun, twisting toward Earth. When this cloud of magnetized solar material - called a coronal mass ejection, or CME - reached our planet, it set off a chain of events in near-Earth space that ultimately knocked out power to the Canadian province Quebec for about nine hours. Though CMEs hit Earth often, those with the potential to shut down an entire power grid are rare - and scientists want to make sure that next time, we're prepared.
Satellite boosts Europe's environmental, border surveillance A European satellite designed to monitor environmental changes will also be able to provide early warnings of possible migrant flows at a time when governments on the continent are grappling with an unprecedented influx of people fleeing conflict and poverty elsewhere in the world.

Technology news

	Study suggests humans and computers use different processes to identify objects visually (Tech Xplore)—A small team of researchers from the U.S. and Israel has found via an experimental study, that despite progress made in getting computers to recognize images, they still do not use the same types of processes as humans. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study and results and what they believe they learned about the way humans go about identifying visually observed objects.
	Google's X lab chief sees Internet reaching billions The "captain of moonshots" at Google parent company Alphabet sees widespread, world-changing wireless Internet on the horizon.
	When 3D printing is turned into kids' play: ThingMaker Now families, including children, can be toy makers. It is something like the 21st century version of children delighted to be pouring gelatin mix into bunny and heart shaped molds and waiting by the fridge to see their results. Fundamentally, children like to make things.
	Cambits, a modular imaging system that can transform into many different cameras Computer Science Professor Shree Nayar and Makoto Odamaki, a visiting scientist from Ricoh Corporation, have developed Cambits, a modular imaging system that enables the user to create a wide range of computational cameras. Cambits comprises a set of colorful plastic blocks of five different types—sensors, light sources, actuators, lenses, and optical attachments. The blocks can easily be assembled to make a variety of cameras with different functionalities such as high dynamic range imaging, panoramic imaging, refocusing, light field imaging, depth imaging using stereo, kaleidoscopic imaging and even microscopy.
	ReFlex: Revolutionary flexible smartphone allows users to feel the buzz by bending their apps Researchers at Queen's University's Human Media Lab have developed the world's first full-colour, high-resolution and wireless flexible smartphone to combine multitouch with bend input. The phone, which they have named ReFlex, allows users to experience physical tactile feedback when interacting with their apps through bend gestures.
Visions of the future unleashed at TED Dreams and nightmares that could shape the future took center stage Monday at the TED gathering known for brilliant minds exploring potentially world-changing ideas.
	Train smarter and coach better with IOFIT smart shoes While the latest smart phones may be the focus of attention at Mobile World Congress 2016, some of the most interesting tech gadgets that will be unveiled to the world aren't yet considered to be part of the mainstream.
	Engineering graduate student developing heated pavement system for airfield runways Scraping ice off windshields, salting driveways, shoveling walks—all miserable activities associated with winter weather. As much as individuals dread those activities, airport directors dread them even more because they have to carry them out on a much larger scale. However, graduate student Joseph Daniels is on the verge of developing a solution.
How do we stop people falling through the gaps in a digitally connected city? Popular visions of the "smart city" promise that with digital technology the power of the city "as a platform" is put in users' hands. Whether real or imagined, digital connectivity 24/7 is a fundamental part of the city-fabric. Yet this is not the case for the city's most marginalised and excluded.
	Engineers use network science to predict how ligaments fail When doctors diagnose a torn ligament, it's usually because they can see ruptures in the ligament's collagen fibers, visible on a variety of different scans. However, they also often treat patients with many of the symptoms of a tear, but whose ligaments don't show this kind of damage.
	Shaping tomorrow's smart machines—Q&A with bioethicist Wendell Wallach As intelligent machines continue to make their way into all sectors of society, a growing number of scientists, ethicists, policymakers, and business executives are converging on the idea that more thought must be given to underlying issues of machines and morality.
	We could 3D print buildings using robots and drones These days, 3D printing is never far from the public eye. Its vast and imaginative array of applications is constantly growing, from life-saving medical implants to life-ending firearms. Now, architects and structural engineers have started experimenting with the technology in an effort to, quite literally, change the world we live in.
	Why you should stay on the grid, even with your solar-powered batteries Anything that can help cut our electricity bill is to be welcomed, and Tesla's solar rechargeable batteries, now available in Australia, are just the latest option.
	Labs to investigate new approach to engines The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory is working with Achates Power, Inc., and Delphi Automotive to develop an innovative new engine that could yield efficiency gains of up to 50 percent over a comparable conventional engine.
	Why the IRS was just hacked – again – and what the feds can do about it Last month hackers stole Internal Revenue Service data belonging to more than 100,000 taxpayers. This sort of attack on the IRS and other federal computer systems keeps happening – and succeeding – because the government's cyberdefenses are not strong enough to resist.
Alibaba buys nearly 33 million shares of Groupon Alibaba has bought nearly 33 million shares of online daily deal service Groupon.
	Solar cells help purify water in remote areas Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a water purification plant that provides clean water far beyond the reach of the electrical grid - thanks to solar cells. With the help of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus, these small and portable solar cell stations have now been placed across rural Bangladesh.
	Cyber thieves making millions in profits Cyber thieves who steal credit and debit card numbers are making millions of dollars in profits, fueling a global criminal enterprise marked by the high-profile data breaches of major companies such as Target and Home Depot.
	Ride and home sharing painted as old ideas made new Ride- and home-sharing startups shaking up the world are old concepts getting new life, founders of two prominent ventures told an "ideas conference" Tuesday.
Report: Three of five Californians may have had data stolen in 2015 California's attorney general says as many as three in five Californians may have had electronic records stolen last year.
	World's first encryption technology able to match multi-source data encrypted with different keys Fujitsu Laboratories today announced development of the world's first encryption technology that can match IDs or attribute values in information sources, such as classified or private data from multiple organizations, that are encrypted with different keys, without decrypting the information. With previous encryption technologies that could search and compute data while still encrypted, encryption and decryption of search results used the same key, creating issues when used among organizations.
	Fujitsu develops new deep learning technology to analyze time-series data with high precision Fujitsu Laboratories today announced that it has developed deep learning technology that can analyze time-series data with a high degree of accuracy. Demonstrating promise for Internet-of-Things applications, time-series data can also be subject to severe volatility, making it difficult for people to discern patterns in the data. Deep learning technology, which is attracting attention as a breakthrough in the advance of artificial intelligence, has achieved extremely high recognition accuracy with images and speech, but the types of data to which it can be applied is still limited. In particular, it has been difficult to accurately and automatically classify volatile time-series data–such as that taken from IoT devices–of which people have difficulty discerning patterns.
	The science of jet noise Daniel Bodony's love of science began with a love of airplanes. He worked for one of his dad's colleagues on the weekends who had an airplane. "I would mow his grass and he would let me fly," Bodony remembers fondly.
	DICE Summit a chance for game creators to recharge, reflect For elite members of the video game industry, the D.I.C.E. Summit isn't merely a chance to schmooze at the poker table or on the golf course in Las Vegas. It's also an opportunity to address issues and innovations, ranging from gender diversity to virtual reality.
US firm's Chinese subsidiaries to pay $14.5M to resolve case Chinese subsidiaries of a Massachusetts software company have agreed to pay more than $14.5 million to resolve the federal government's allegations that they illegally provided recreational travel to Chinese government officials.
	Pentagon supports restarting tests involving runaway blimp Defense Secretary Ash Carter has approved resuming a military exercise suspended last October when a radar-carrying blimp broke away from its mooring and floated for hours over rural Pennsylvania, triggering blackouts as it dragged its tether across power lines.

Medicine & Health news

	Mind-controlled prosthetic arm moves individual 'fingers' Physicians and biomedical engineers from Johns Hopkins report what they believe is the first successful effort to wiggle fingers individually and independently of each other using a mind-controlled artificial "arm" to control the movement.
	New study finds clear differences between organic and non-organic milk and meat In the largest study of its kind, an international team of experts led by Newcastle University, UK, has shown that both organic milk and meat contain around 50% more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally produced products.
	Immune response to flu vaccine linked to recipients' ethnic background How well a flu shot protects you from the virus can depend on your ethnic background and other inherited factors, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists.
	Dying epithelial cells regulate the immune system—finding could aid treatment of inflammatory and allergic diseases University of Tsukuba-based scientists show the importance of dying epithelial cells for controlling the size of a specific population of immune cells at barrier surfaces in the body; finding could lead to targeted therapy for a range of diseases
	Worms use immune system to extract food from cells White blood cells are usually our allies in fighting infections, but new research shows that when Trichinella worms first invade muscle cells, one particular type of white blood cell doesn't attack – rather it helps the worms extract nutrients from the body, making the worms stronger and more successful.
	Obesity actually causes people to see the world differently, study shows (Medical Xpress)—A trio of researchers, one with Purdue University, the other two with Colorado State University, has found via field experiments that overweight people tend to see things as farther away than average weight people. In their study published in the journal Acta Psychologica, Mila Sugovic, Philip Turk and Jessica Witt describe several experiments they conducted to learn more about perceptual differences that occur as people gain weight and what they learned by doing so.
	Running helps mice slow cancer growth Here's one more benefit of exercise: mice who spent their free time on a running wheel were better able to shrink tumors (a 50% reduction in tumor size) compared to their less active counterparts. Researchers found that the surge of adrenaline that comes with a high-intensity workout helped to move cancer-killing immune (NK) cells toward lung, liver, or skin tumors implanted into the mice. The study appears Feb. 16, 2016 in Cell Metabolism.
	Scientists show how cancerous cells evade a potent targeted therapy Imagine developing a drug designed to inhibit a protein that helps cancer cells proliferate and survive only to find that the drug does not perform very well in the clinic. This was the dilemma faced by scientists researching inhibitors of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3), a protein that controls transcription by the STAT3 gene. When STAT3 was knocked out in a mouse model, researchers observed increased T-cell immune responses, suggesting a valuable therapeutic target. However, targeting STAT3 in tumors has had only limited success to date.
	Researchers highlight brain region as 'ground zero' of Alzheimer's disease A critical but vulnerable region in the brain appears to be the first place affected by late onset Alzheimer's disease and may be more important for maintaining cognitive function in later life than previously appreciated, according to a new review of the scientific literature.
	The itsy bitsy spider? Arachnophobes overestimate spider sizes Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers have discovered that arachnophobes overestimate spider size compared with other neutral animals that do not elicit fear, which could be useful in treating phobias.
	Slight change to antibacterial drug may improve tuberculosis treatments Researchers with Vanderbilt University have discovered that one small chemical change to an existing antibacterial drug results in a compound that is more effective against its target enzyme in tuberculosis.
	TAxI shuttles protein cargo into spinal cord A small peptide dubbed TAxI is living up to its name. Recent studies show it to be an effective vehicle for shuttling functional proteins, such as active enzymes, into the spinal cord after a muscle injection.
	Oral bacteria linked to risk of stroke In a study of patients entering the hospital for acute stroke, researchers have increased their understanding of an association between certain types of stroke and the presence of the oral bacteria (cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans). Robert P. Friedland, M.D., the Mason C. and Mary D. Rudd Endowed Chair and Professor in Neurology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, was a co-author of the study, published online this month in Scientific Reports, a journal of the Nature Publishing Group.
	Wide and stubborn variations in longevity across Europe over past 20 years Wide and stubborn variations in longevity have persisted across Europe over the past 20 years, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
	Predicting if young men will live with their kids A new Northwestern Medicine study has found an adolescent male's attitude toward risky sex, pregnancy and birth control can predict whether or not he will end up living with his future offspring.
	Electronic health records can help catch undiagnosed cases of Type 2 diabetes In 2012, a group of UCLA researchers set out to mine thousands of electronic health records for a more accurate and less expensive way to identify people who have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes. The researchers got much more than they bargained for.
	Doctors: Upsurge in paralysis condition accompanies Zika The doctor taps Zulay Balza's knees with a hammer and she doesn't feel a thing. She can't squeeze his outstretched fingers or shut her eyelids. Her face is partially paralyzed.
USDA rules would increase food stamp access to healthy foods The Agriculture Department unveiled new rules on Tuesday that would force retailers who accept food stamps to stock a wider variety of healthy foods or face the loss of business as consumers shop elsewhere.
	Tissue fluid flow can reveal onset of osteoarthritis Reflecting the overall structural alterations in the tissue, changes in the flow of interstitial fluid in articular cartilage could be an indicator revealing the onset of osteoarthritis, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland.
	Studies suggest frequency of urination may be used to judge hydration Does the number of times you visit the bathroom each day tell you whether your body is adequately hydrated?
	Manipulative behaviour could be link between emotional intelligence and delinquency in young women New research conducted by Plymouth University shows that young women with high emotional intelligence (EI) are more likely to use manipulative behaviours, resulting in a greater engagement in delinquency.
	What do our spending habits reveal about our romantic intentions? Money might not buy you love, but according to some studies in psychology and consumer behaviour, how you spend it could reveal a thing or two about your romantic intentions. These studies demonstrate that just thinking about meeting a new partner can actually impact our shopping decisions in surprising ways – affecting men and women differently.
Being heart healthy is easier than you think It's the halfway mark of National Heart Month and by now more than one in three people have abandoned their New Year's resolutions.
	Stroke risk increases from stenting in older patients Vascular surgery appears to be safer than stenting for patients over 70 years of age with carotid stenosis, or a blockage of the carotid arteries in the neck, according to new findings published today in The Lancet.
	Healthy snacks bolster toddlers future report card Pass the carrot sticks and cheese mum—research suggests eating healthy food as a toddler can help kids do better in school tests 10 years later.
	Cell marker found for leukemia-initiating capacity in chronic myelogenous leukemia University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have found a marker on blood cells that may help the most pressing problem in chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, today—an inability to get patients off treatment.
There are always bacteria lurking in dental equipment, suggests research Bacteria lurking in the water lines at the dentist's office are tougher than we thought, according to a new paper published in Water Research. The study reveals that the disinfectants recommended by companies that manufacture the water lines don't actually shift all the bacteria in the lines, which means they're never completely clean.
	Male cancer survivors less likely to reproduce Young male cancer survivors are three times as likely to turn to assisted fertilization to have children as males without a cancer diagnosis. This knowledge makes it possible to develop concrete treatment protocols, which affect fertility to a lesser degree.
	Could FDA e-cigarette regulations help more people quit smoking? E-cigarettes are smoking hot. They are the most popular nicotine-delivery products used by kids and the majority of adult smokers have tried them. E-cigarettes are a multi-billion dollar industry, with the website Yelp tallying more than 10,000 vape shops across the country. Wall Street analysts are predicting that revenue from e-cigarettes will surpass traditional cigarettes in a decade.
	UN: Stopping Zika may require genetically modified insects The World Health Organization says it may be necessary to use controversial methods like genetically modified mosquitoes to wipe out the insects that are spreading the Zika virus across the Americas.
	Gene could help identify psychosis risk in cannabis users Researchers at the University of Exeter and UCL (University College London) have identified a gene which can be used to predict how susceptible a young person is to the mind-altering effects of smoking cannabis. The finding could help identify otherwise healthy users who are most at risk of developing psychosis.
Salt and sodium intake remains high in China Yongning Wu, Ph.D., of the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China, and colleagues compared salt and sodium consumption in China in 2000 with 2009-2012. The study appears in the February 16 issue of JAMA.
	Evidence insufficient to make recommendation regarding screening for autism The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children 18 to 30 months of age for whom no concerns of ASD have been raised by their parents or a clinician. The report appears in the February 16 issue of JAMA.
	Study compares tests to detect acute HIV infection In a study appearing in the February 16 issue of JAMA, Philip J. Peters, M.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues evaluated the performance of an HIV antigen/antibody (Ag/Ab) combination assay to detect acute HIV infection (early infection) compared with pooled HIV RNA testing, the reference standard.
Improve winter road safety in Canada to decrease number of deaths The annual deaths that occur each winter in Canada due to poor road conditions can be reduced with a multipronged strategy, argues an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)
	Hypoxia challenge test can ID fitness to fly in neonates (HealthDay)—Many infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) fail hypoxia challenge testing (HCT) and cannot be deemed fit to fly, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.
Dengue fever: what you need to know An outbreak of dengue fever in Hawaii has prompted officials to declare a state of emergency on Hawaii Island.
	Brain structural effects of psychopharmacological treatment in bipolar disorder Advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition and analyses over the last two decades have enabled the identification of neuroanatomical abnormalities in a range of mental disorders, however one question which has consistently surfaced is the extent to which the medications used to treat such disorders may accentuate or ameliorate these abnormalities.
	'Ecologically diverse' breast cancers more likely to be deadly Breast cancers which are particularly complex and diverse, as judged by a test used in ecology to analyse species of animals and plants, are particularly likely to progress and lead to death, a new study shows.
	Synthetic plant hormones shut down DNA repair in cancer cells Two drugs that mimic a common plant hormone effectively cause DNA damage and turn off a major DNA repair mechanism, suggesting their potential use as an anti-cancer therapy, say investigators at Georgetown University Medical Center. Their study is published online in Oncotarget.
	Infants should sleep in their own beds to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome The advice given to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS, has worked well, but the potential to save more lives exists. In addition to sleeping on their backs, infants should sleep in their own beds for the first few months to reduce the risk of sudden infant death. A new doctoral thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg has explored these issues.
	Oncogene controls stem cells in early embryonic development After a gestation period of around ten months, fawns are born in early summer - when the weather is warm and food is plentiful for the mother. Six months would actually be enough for the embryo's development, but then offspring from mating in the later portion of summer would be born in winter. Therefore, nature prolongs the gestation period by a hormone-regulated pause in the development of the early embryos. Many animal species use this process, called diapause, to adjust their reproduction to environmental conditions.
	Aerobic fitness may protect liver against chronic alcohol use According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol use is responsible for more than 80,000 deaths in the United States each year. Over time, excessive drinking can lead to several chronic conditions, such as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. Now, a study by University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers shows that aerobic exercise may protect the liver against alcohol-related inflammation and injury.
Newly identified genes impact how transplanted stem cells give rise to blood cells A team of researchers led by scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is looking at ways to improve how blood-forming stem cells can be used for therapeutic interventions. The work has uncovered a group of genes that regulate how hematopoietic stem cells start to grow and thrive in mice. The function of many of these genes was previously unknown. Reconstitution of a robust blood-forming system is essential for recovery from many catastrophic diseases as well as from chemotherapy treatments. A report on this study appears today in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Delirium, muscle weakness among overlooked symptoms of sepsis Delirium, muscle weakness and other neurological complications of sepsis often are overlooked and poorly understood, according to a study published in the journal Current Neurology and Neurosciences Reports.
Researchers identify mechanism that causes particularly aggressive types of cancer to develop Fast metastasis and resistance to treatment are characteristic of aggressive types of cancer such as pancreatic cancer and certain kinds of breast cancer. They are also the main causes of cancer-related death, as there is currently no specific treatment available that is able to stop tumours spreading throughout the whole body. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have recently made a discovery that could change this. They have discovered a mechanism that promotes metastasis and causes tumours to become resistant to treatment. Based on these findings they have identified a gene set that suggests a particularly bad prognosis in case of breast cancer. The researchers' findings have recently been published in the journal Nature Communications.
	Early family system types predict children's emotional attention The type of family system during pregnancy and the baby's first year predicts the way the child processes emotional information. The results of a ten-year longitudinal study conducted at the University of Tampere highlight the importance of the whole family system in children's emotional development in addition to the early mother-child relationship.
Adderall misuse rising among young adults While the number of prescriptions for the stimulant Adderall has remained unchanged among young adults, misuse and emergency room visits related to the drug have risen dramatically in this group, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.
	Scientists discover genetic changes linked to a major risk factor for blinding trachoma Another clue to the workings of trachoma - the world's leading infectious cause of blindness - has been revealed in a new study published in BMC Infectious Diseases. Researchers identified markers of genetic regulation present in the early stages of infection that could predispose children to developing the condition in its long-term, severe form.
Colorectal cancer patients need colonoscopy after cancer resection It is critically important that colorectal cancer patients undergo colonoscopy after surgery to ensure that they do not have a second colon cancer, and to find and remove any additional polyps. According to new recommendations from the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, the evidence shows that post-operative colonoscopy is associated with improved overall survival for colorectal cancer patients. Between 0.7 and 7 percent of colorectal cancer patients have a second, concurrent cancer.
	Good survival of 'blue babies' and children with congenital heart defects Over 90 percent of those operated on for congenital heart defects as children, for example, due to blue baby syndrome, are alive 20 years post-surgery. A new doctoral thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy has explored this issue.
	Mining a deep vein of data, researchers make key findings on IV device use When it comes to something as routine as delivering medicine and nutrition to patients through their bloodstream, all medical teams want to do the right—and safe —thing.
	Graphic cigarette warnings trigger brain areas key to quitting smoking Viewing graphic anti-smoking images on cigarette packs triggers activity in brain areas involved in emotion, decision-making and memory as observed via brain scans. Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center and Truth Initiative reported their findings online this week in Addictive Behaviors Reports.
Decline in Chinese HFMD epidemic projected under new vaccination scheme Broad vaccination with newly available monovalent hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) vaccines will decrease HFMD incidence in China, according to predictions from an epidemiologic model published this week in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Saki Takahashi and Bryan T. Grenfell at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA, Hongjie Yu at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China, and colleagues, further suggests that serotype replacement (spread of viruses that differ from those in a vaccine, replacing viruses to which the vaccine confers immunity) will not significantly deplete the benefits of a HFMD vaccination campaign.
Overcrowding linked to violence and falls on psychiatric wards Overcrowding is a common problem in Israeli inpatient psychiatric wards, and appears to contribute to higher rates of problem incidents—including falls and aggressive behavior, reports a study in the March issue of Medical Care.
A penny for our thoughts? Copper influx key to brain cell development Researchers at Johns Hopkins have used a precision sensor in a chicken embryo to find dramatic differences in the use of copper between developing and fully mature neurons.
Some chemotherapy drugs may improve tumor response to immune checkpoint therapy The use of certain traditional chemotherapy drugs may expand the number of tumors that respond to one of today's most promising cancer therapies - immune checkpoint blockade. Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Systems Biology report in the Feb. 16 issue of the journal Immunity that inducing the infiltration of cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) - immune cells that kill cancer cells and cells that are infected or in other ways damaged - into lung tumors sensitized otherwise unresponsive tumors to checkpoint blockade in animal models.
	Researchers find link between maternal satisfaction and involvement of autistic children in daily activities Mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience stress and suffer from sleep deprivation. Sacrifices almost always follow as they abandon professional careers and personal ambitions, believing that care for their children "comes first."
How early is infants' attention affected by surrounding culture? Do the cultures in which we live shape how we view the objects and events in the world that surrounds us? Research with adults has suggested that it does. But how early might any such culturally inflected differences emerge in development?
First-in-class drug ONC201 shows potential for some blood cancers ONC201, an anti-cancer drug that triggers cell death in various tumor types, may have clinical potential for some blood cancers including mantel cell lymphoma (MCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a recent clinical study.
Trouble sleeping associated with behavioral problems in children with autism New research from the University of Missouri has found associations between trouble sleeping and behavioral problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Heart organizations support core quality measures, with reservations Quality measures announced today by the Core Quality Measures Collaborative represent a step forward in reducing paperwork and confusion while also allowing providers to focus on measures that impact patient outcomes, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) said in support of implementation of the proposed cardiovascular measures. But the groups expressed reservations about blood pressure targets included in the measures.
	New test detects chlamydia in 30 minutes University of Bath spin-out biotechnology company Atlas Genetics has won approval from the EU to sell a device that detects the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.
	Signpost for sentinel cells Sentinel cells of the immune system can enter the finest lymphatic capillary vessels present in tissues. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now discovered the molecular signpost that guides these cells in the direction of the nearest lymph node.
Scientists find potential treatment for Friedreich's ataxia Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified synthetic RNA and DNA that reverses the protein deficiency causing Friedreich's ataxia, a neurological disease for which there is currently no cure.
	Compound in green tea found to block rheumatoid arthritis Researchers at Washington State University in Spokane have identified a potential new approach to combating the joint pain, inflammation and tissue damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
Injuries and other health concerns are more common in older people after certain cancer surgeries Older people who undergo cancer surgery are more likely than their younger counterparts to experience injuries and health issues such as falling down, breaking bones, dehydration, bed sores, failure to thrive and delirium. These age-related issues may lead to longer hospital stays, increased health care costs and a greater risk of death, a UCLA study found.
Researchers propose new staging for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer Human papillomavirus (HPV) status is a strong predictor of prognosis for patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC), but the current staging system does not adequately account for biological and clinical differences between HPV-positive OPC and HPV-negative OPC, commonly caused by alcohol and tobacco use. With rates of HPV-related OPC rising rapidly, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center propose a new staging system to more accurately predict patient outcomes and identify the most appropriate treatments.
Zika doesn't deter Americans from traveling abroad, study shows Global concerns about Zika virus aren't stopping Americans from making international travel plans, a new study finds, but many who do plan to go abroad say they want more information about the virus.
	Study suggests sildenafil may relieve severe form of edema in swimmers Swimmers and divers who are prone to a sudden and potentially life-threatening form of pulmonary edema in cold water could benefit from a simple and readily available dose of sildenafil, according to findings from a small study by Duke Health researchers.
	'Beiging' white fat cells to fight diabetes Researchers are getting closer to learning how to turn white fat cells into brown fat cells, in a process called "beiging," to bring down blood sugar levels and fight diabetes. The team, led by Joseph Baur, PhD, an assistant professor of Physiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published their findings this month in the journal Diabetes.
	Cytokine plays dual role in regulating inflammatory bowel disease, study finds Small proteins that affect communication between cells play an important role in regulating inflammation that occurs during inflammatory bowel disease, according to researchers at Georgia State University, Emory University, the University of Michigan and Amgen, a biotechnology company.
	What factors affect non-compliance with endocrine therapy among young women with breast cancer? A new study from Harvard Medical School of young women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer showed that more than half did not believe endocrine therapy was essential, even though it has been proven to reduce recurrence and improve survival. Young women with HR+ breast cancer are at increased risk for recurrence and decreased survival, yet they are also more likely to fail to adhere to endocrine treatment as prescribed, as reported in the study published in Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (JAYAO), a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free to download on the JAYAO website until March 16, 2016.
	FDA sets guidelines to protect US blood supply from Zika The Food and Drug Administration is recommending U.S. blood banks refuse donations from people who have travelled to countries where the Zika virus is active in the previous four weeks, part of guidelines meant to protect the blood supply from the mosquito-borne virus.
Six pregnant Mexican women infected with Zika Six pregnant women have been infected with Zika in Mexico, the health ministry said Tuesday, amid global fears that the mosquito-borne virus causes a severe birth defect.
Brazil military fight mosquitoes, flower pot to flower pot The Brazilian military men surrounded the white bucket Monday and moved in—the Zika-transmitting mosquito larvae didn't stand a chance.
Heart valves in a new light In all probability, at least one of the heart's valves – the mitral valve – functions entirely differently than previously believed. Neil Ingels, professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has devoted 40 years of research to the heart and its valves. Together with Matts Karlsson, professor at Linköping University, he is now putting out all the scientific data on the Internet – for Valentine's Day, suitably enough.
	New project focuses on dementia in farming and rural communities Dementia is a growing health problem, with an anticipated increase in the number of cases of 156 per cent between now and 2051, according to statistics from the Alzheimer's Society.
	Mind and molecules—Fingerprinting psychiatric illness Diagnosis of mood and psychotic disorders depend solely on relatively subjective assessment of symptoms and psychometric evaluations, upon which a decision is made to prescribe one or more standardised treatment regimen. Treatment response in turn is evaluated on the same principles. All this in spite of decades' worth of research efforts aimed at understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders.
All sugars are not alike: Isomaltulose better than table sugar for type 2 diabetes patients Like sucrose (table sugar), the natural disaccharide isomaltulose (PalatinoseTM) consists of glucose and fructose, but it is apparently more suitable for people with type 2 diabetes with regard to regulating blood glucose levels. This has now been confirmed in a new study carried out by the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE), a partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD). The study showed for the first time on subjects with type 2 diabetes that the favorable metabolic effect of isomaltulose is due to the almost opposing release profiles of the gut hormones GLP-1 and GIP.
	Scientists explore whether estrogen is key in making younger, obese women hypertensive There's no doubt estrogen plays a big role in the differences between males and females, and now researchers want to know if it also helps explain emerging sex differences in what makes younger, obese men and women hypertensive.
	Low-dose imaging system performs as well as CT scans to assess pediatric condition When a child needs repeated x-rays, exposure to radiation is always a concern for parents. A new study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) finds that a relatively new imaging system known as EOS, which provides less radiation exposure, performed as well as conventional CT scans in assessing limb length.
New guide from AGS, NHTSA a green light to promoting safe driving for older adults A newly updated guide from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is putting healthcare professionals on the road to success for assessing and counseling older drivers. With older adults accounting for 10 percent of all people injured in traffic crashes annually and 17 percent of annual traffic fatalities, the Clinician's Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers (3rd Edition) translates research findings and public health initiatives into practical, person-centered advice for safely navigating the open road.
New survey shows strong public support for medical research in Louisiana Louisiana's status as a leader in medical and health research is important to a strong majority of residents (89%), according to a state-based public opinion survey commissioned by Research!America. Sixty-nine percent of respondents agree that Louisiana state funds should be used to support scientific research at public universities, and 75% say spending money on medical research is important to Louisiana's economy in terms of jobs and incomes.
Antibody-coated drug-eluting stents for coronary heart disease: No hint of benefit In patients with coronary heart disease requiring a stent implantation, the benefit of treatment with antibody-coated drug-eluting stents (ABC-DES) versus drug-eluting stents without antibody coating (DES) is still unclear. This is the result of a final report published on 20 November 2015, which the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care prepared on behalf of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA).
Person-centered app helps women with breast cancer The face-to-face meetings between the patient and the care provider might be successfully complemented with person-centered e-support. A preliminary evaluation of breast cancer patients shows that a newly developed app can assist women undergoing treatment for breast cancer in handling symptoms and side effects and provide support.
Pfizer adds $784.6 M charge for Protonix deal to 4Q results Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. swung to a fourth-quarter financial loss, instead of a modest profit, as a result of a just-announced charge to settle a long-running federal case over reimbursements for its former blockbuster heartburn pill.
A step forward for measuring health care quality The government, doctors' groups, insurers and patient advocates say they're coming together on a common set of measurements for what constitutes quality health care.
	Are transgender individuals fit to serve in the military? A new study shows that transgender active-duty U.S. military personnel report few lifetime mental and physical health problems. These findings challenge the current policy of excluding transgender persons from enlisting in the U.S. military or discharging them based on the presumption that they are unfit to serve due to their mental or physical health, according to the authors of the study published in Transgender Health.
International Zika experts descend on Brazil International experts, including World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan, are visiting Brazil this week and next to check out a major increase in Zika virus infections, which have been blamed for birth defects.
Testing change possible after Flint-area Legionella outbreak Michigan, seeking to prevent another oversight fiasco after lead poisoning in Flint and a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak in the area, is considering new water testing rules for hospitals and possible changes to how large facilities manage their water systems that could include new monitoring requirements.

Biology news

	Impact of climate change on parasite infections depends on host immunity New research demonstrates how climate change and the immune reaction of the infected individual can affect the long-term and seasonal dynamics of parasite infections. The study, led by Penn State scientists, assessed the infection dynamics of two species of soil-transmitted parasites in a population of rabbits in Scotland every month for 23 years. The study's results could lead to new strategies for the treatment and prevention of infections from similar parasites in humans, livestock, and wildlife. A paper describing the research will be published in the online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week ending February 19, 2016.
	Study discounts alleged link between sharks, rays and bivalves A new study argues that a purported link between populations of coastal sharks, cownose rays and commercial bivalves along the U.S. East Coast is based on spurious data and reasoning, and calls for fisheries managers and others to reconsider the related campaign in the Chesapeake Bay region to "Save the Bay, Eat a Ray."
	Stick insect's propulsion joint discovered The stick insect is a popular model organism in biological research for gaining a better understanding of insect walking movements. The advantage of the stick insect is that the structure of its body parts and nervous system are comparatively simple. For decades, textbooks have claimed that the force for maintaining body posture and driving movement was controlled independently by different joints. Now, as biologist Chris Dallmann reports, "this is not correct." The doctoral researcher at the Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) at Bielefeld University explains that "actually, one and the same joint is responsible for both functions, and we can show this with our new analyses." Dallmann presented these findings together with Professors Dr. Volker Dürr and Dr. Josef Schmitz in Proceedings of the Royal Society, a prestigious biological research journal.
	Mussels fight back against oceanic acidification The gradual rise in oceanic acidity is weakening the shells of shellfish, corals and sea urchins, making them vulnerable to predation and damage from oceanic movements.
New anti-biofilm compounds show promise against drug-resistant bacteria linked to hospital infections Researchers at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute and School of Public Health have discovered a new class of anti-biofilm compounds derived from marine microorganisms that show promise against a drug-resistant bacterium commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections.
Journal to publish paper by video-gamers based on Stanford online RNA game A scientific paper written by video-gamers has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, perhaps the first time since the days of Benjamin Franklin that work led by non-credentialed "citizen scientists" will appear in such a format.
Slavery carried bilharzia parasites from West Africa to the Caribbean, genomics confirms The bilharzia-causing parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, first infected humans as they fished in lakes in East Africa and was spread, first to West Africa and then to the New World by slave traders in 16th-19th Centuries, genomics reveals.
	Scientists discover new way bacterial infections spread in the body Bacteria have evolved thousands of clever tactics for invading our bodies while evading our natural defenses. Now, UNC School of Medicine scientists studying one of the world's most virulent pathogens and a separate very common bacterium have discovered a new way that some bacteria can spread rapidly throughout the body - by hitchhiking on our own immune cells.
	Losing the fight against antibiotic resistance Tackling antibiotic resistance on only one front is a waste of time because resistant genes are freely crossing environmental, agricultural and clinical boundaries, new research has shown.
	RNA modification discovery suggests new code for control of gene expression A new cellular signal discovered by a team of scientists at the University of Chicago with scientists from Tel Aviv University provides a promising new lever in the control of gene expression.
	Supercomputer probes depths of biofuel's biggest barrier Ask a biofuel researcher to name the single greatest technical barrier to cost-effective ethanol, and you're likely to receive a one-word response: lignin.
A new method to dramatically improve the sequencing of metagenomes An international team of computer scientists developed a method that greatly improves researchers' ability to sequence the DNA of organisms that can't be cultured in the lab, such as microbes living in the human gut or bacteria living in the depths of the ocean. They published their work in the Feb. 1 issue of Nature Methods.
	Growers despair as disease ravages timeless olive groves of Italy Italian olive grower Federico Manni is at the end of his tether.
	Epidemics, warming oceans rock lobster, sea star populations A new study describes how diverse marine organisms are susceptible to diseases made worse by warming oceans. The research warns that warm sea temperatures in 2015 may increase the levels of epizootic shell disease in American lobster in the northern Gulf of Maine in 2016.
	Plant breeders, growers should pay attention to flush in fight against citrus greening disease Citrus greening disease, also known as Asiatic huanglongbing (HLB), is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri). The disease mars leaves, shrinks and turns fruit bitter, and eventually kills trees. So far incurable, it has cost the Florida citrus industry alone $1.3 billion.
	Forever young—how stem cells resist change This 'before and after' image could be thought of as stem cells' equivalent of an advert for anti-wrinkle cream: 'look how cells stay young!' It shows that a molecule called microRNA-142 allows stem cells to remain unchanged, instead of growing into specialised cell types. Given the right conditions, stem cells with low levels of microRNA-142 (green, left) grow into neurons (pink, right). But stem cells with high levels of the molecule (red, left) remain unchanged (blue, right), scientists at EMBL in Heidelberg, Germany, have found.
	Cockatoos win, swallows lose when roos come to town Kangaroo grazing has a huge impact on grasslands and bird populations, potentially leading to population explosions of some species while others decline, a new study from The Australian National University (ANU) has found.
	Think more broadly to predict wildlife climate change survival, scientists say Scientists studying whether wildlife can adapt to climate change should focus on characteristics such as what they eat, how fast they breed and how well they survive in different habitats rather than simply on how far they can move, a conservation biologist at the University of Exeter says.
	Ugly vegetables and fruit are making a comeback – here's why Do the same rules that govern human attraction also apply to our choices of fruit and vegetables? Plenty of evidence suggests we do look for similar traits in both people and produce, and our perceptions of food are clearly affected by what it looks like.
	Sequencing the genome of the endangered kakapo An international team of gene sequencing scientists, including some at Duke, want to sequence the genomes of all living kakapo—a critically endangered flightless parrot of New Zealand – while there are still 125 of them left in the world.
The animals that sniff out TB, cancer and landmines In a small, hot room in a compound located in Tanzania's lush southern highlands are three white-clad technicians, a glass-and-metal chamber and a large brown rat named Charles.
	Indian Kashmir begins bird census at Himalayan wetlands A meticulous counting of waterbirds began Tuesday in the wetlands and marshes of India's portion of the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which attracts species migrating from as far as northern Europe and Japan.
	Kill the rabbit Snowshoe hares arrived on tiny Hay Island, at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, in 1959, traveling by boat from Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada, with Wesley Ingalls and his nephew, Junior. The two fishermen had the idea that trapping hares would make an entertaining winter activity, when they were not fishing, and bring in a little extra money.
Colville tribes' risky bid: bring back pronghorn antelope For some 8,000 years, pronghorn antelope were at home under the open skies and on the sagebrush steppe that today is part of the Colville Indian reservation.
	Guam research fills voids Some ecological relationships among plants are robust and independent of geography. Expanding the validation of these relationships requires data from under-represented geographic regions and plant groups. Recent research on the Elaeocarpus joga tree from the island of Guam addressed these concerns, and the results appeared in the November 2015 issue of the journal HortScience.
	Making cancer-fighting cells in the lab The Shin Kaneko lab found that reprogramming one type of iNKT cells to iPS cells and then differentiating them back results in reprogrammed iNKT cells (re-iNKT cells) that show properties of another type. The ability to make expand the number of iNKT cells is expected to advance cancer therapies.
	Animals revived after being in a frozen state for over 30 years Tardigrades (water bears) were successfully revived and reproduced after having been frozen for over 30 years. A moss sample collected in Antarctica in Nov. 1983, stored at -20°C, was thawed in May 2014. Two individuals and a separate egg retrieved from the thawed sample were revived, thereby providing the longest record of survival for tardigrades as animals or eggs. Subsequently, one of the revived tardigrades and the hatchling repeatedly reproduced after recovering from their long-term cryptobiosis.
	Beavers bring environmental benefits Beavers are beneficial to the Scottish environment, say academics from The University of Stirling.
	Nocturnal migrating songbirds drift with crosswinds and compensate near coastal areas Using novel, recently developed techniques for analysis of Doppler polarimetric weather surveillance radar data, a University of Oklahoma team examined impediments (crosswinds and oceans) of nocturnally migrating songbirds in Eastern North America. Migrants in flight drifted sideways on crosswinds, but most strongly compensated for drift near the Atlantic coast. Coastal migrants' tendency to compensate for wind drift increased through the night, while no strong differences were observed at inlands sites. This behavior suggests birds adapt in flight and compensate for wind drift near coastal areas.
Renewable fuels from algae boosted by NREL refinery process A new biorefinery process developed by scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has proven to be significantly more effective at producing ethanol from algae than previous research.
	Biofuel researchers employ Titan to probe 'lignin shield' When the Ford Motor Company's first automobile, the Model T, debuted in 1908, it ran on a corn-derived biofuel called ethanol, a substance Henry Ford dubbed "the fuel of the future."
	In Congo, a war for Africa's elephants André Migifuloyo and Djuma Uweko lived together, worked together and last October died together fighting to protect Congo's elephants from voracious ivory-seeking poachers.
	New global strategy to save sharks and rays A group of international conservation organizations launched a new strategy today to combat the decline of sharks and closely related rays, while warning that the rays are even more threatened and less protected than the higher profile sharks.
	How to handle zeroes in ecological data The analysis of ecological data can be a difficult endeavor. Ecological data are noisy: some days are windy, some days are hotter than usual, sometimes ants chew through your carefully placed flagging tape, and sometimes your entire experiment disappears overnight. It's an experimental crime scene. We usually deal with these myriad problems with a variety of fancy statistics and massive sample sizes. But even before the monkey sh*t hits the fan, there is an incredibly common data-related question that most plant ecologists face: if I want to record the size of a seedling in my experiment, but the seedling never germinated in the first place, should I record it as a zero or a blank? Some version of this question has come up in the context of every ecological experiment I have ever been involved with. It is glossed over in the vast majority of manuscripts I review. And it has massive implications for our interpretations of data. So! how should we be handling the zero/blank question in ecology?
	Combating the rise of the urban gull Academics and students from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) have begun a unique project studying the interaction between humans and urban gulls. A team of psychology undergraduates will monitor the birds in Bath and North East Somerset to gather information about nesting sites, feeding behaviours, and the human response to the gulls in an 18 month research assignment.
	New protocol to detect three species of Legionella in just eight hours Scientists at the Polytechnic University of Valencia have developed an innovative protocol for the detection of the three most prevalent Legionella species, enabling the source of the infection to be located in just eight hours. The breakthrough lies in the combined use of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (Multiplex PCR) and pre-treatment with propidium monoazide (PMA).
	What do the world's leading shark researchers think of shark conservation policy? University of Miami (UM) Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy researchers investigated the conservation policy preferences of shark scientists, as well as their personal histories of conservation advocacy and their opinions about the environmental non-profit community. This survey of over 100 scientists and natural resource managers from all over the world is the first to assess the collective expertise of the world's largest professional shark research societies. The survey results are published today in the journal Conservation Biology.
Researchers study Arctic beluga whales with dive data Beluga whales that swim from the Bering Sea to the Arctic Ocean each summer may be targeting Arctic cod and diving to great depths to reach them.

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