Science X Newsletter Thursday, Jun 9

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for June 9, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Scientists make battery electrodes from waste eggshells

Scientists produce a 3D morpho-kinematical model of the planetary nebula NGC 2440

Google combines two main quantum computing ideas in one computer

Young star appears to be ripping away layers of close-orbiting 'hot Jupiter'

Hawking team updates soft hair theory to help solve black hole information paradox

Perovskite solar cells surpass 20 percent efficiency

In a first, Iceland power plant turns carbon emissions to stone

Super quantum simulator 'entangles' hundreds of ions

Radical pair analysis overcomes hurdle in theory of how birds navigate

Fish eyes life inside a jelly's belly

Mexican engineer extracts gas from urine to heat shower

ICANN endorses plan to cede Internet oversight

LG Mosquito Away TV launched in India

Greenland sets melt records in 2015 consistent with 'Arctic amplification'

Scientists design energy-carrying particles called 'topological plexcitons'

Astronomy & Space news

	Scientists produce a 3D morpho-kinematical model of the planetary nebula NGC 2440 (Phys.org)—Astronomers from the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG) in Brazil have developed a 3D model of the planetary nebula NGC 2440, describing the kinematics and morphology of this interesting object. The model, introduced in a paper published on June 3 on the arXiv pre-print server, could shed new light on the origins and formation processes of planetary nebulae.
	Young star appears to be ripping away layers of close-orbiting 'hot Jupiter' Astronomers searching for the galaxy's youngest planets have found compelling evidence for one unlike any other, a newborn "hot Jupiter" whose outer layers are being torn away by the star it orbits every 11 hours.
	SOFIA pinpoints water vapor in young star A team of scientists using the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has pinpointed the amount and location of water vapor around a newly forming star with groundbreaking precision.
	Image: Twilight stars at Concordia Concordia sits on a plateau 3200 m above sea level. A place of extremes, temperatures can drop to –80°C in the winter, and the Sun does not rise above the horizon in the winter, forcing the crew to live in isolation without sunlight for four months of the year.
	GTC obtains the deepest image of a galaxy from Earth Observing very distant objects in the universe is a challenge because the light which reaches us is extremely faint. Something similar occurs with objects which are not so distant but have very low surface brightness. Measuring this brightness is difficult due to the low contrast with the sky background. Recently a study led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) set out to test the limit of observation which can be reached using the largest optical-infrared telescope in the world: the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC). The observers managed to obtain an image 10 times deeper than any other obtained from the ground, observing a faint halo of stars around the galaxy UGC0180, which is 500 million light years away from us. With this measurement, recently published in the specialized journal Astrophysical Journal the existence of the stellar halos predicted by theoretical models is confirmed, and it has become possible to study low surface brightness phenomena.
	Remarkably diverse flora in Utah, USA, trains scientists for future missions on Mars Future Martian explorers might not need to leave the Earth to prepare themselves for life on the Red Planet. The Mars Society have built an analogue research site in Utah, USA, which simulates the conditions on our neighbouring planet.

Technology news

	Perovskite solar cells surpass 20 percent efficiency EPFL researchers are pushing the limits of perovskite solar cell performance by exploring the best way to grow these crystals.
	Mexican engineer extracts gas from urine to heat shower Mexican engineer Gabriel Luna-Sandoval was urinating one day when he realized that the yellow liquid could be of "vital" use elsewhere.
	ICANN endorses plan to cede Internet oversight The US administration on Thursday endorsed a plan to cede its oversight of the gatekeeper of Internet addresses to the broader online community.
	LG Mosquito Away TV launched in India (Tech Xplore)—Malaria-born disease has been a terrible burden through the years for populations coping with their effects. India is the place where South Korean electronics company LG hopes to interest consumers in their 'Mosquito Away TV. As the name suggests, the TV aims to help keep one's surroundings mosquito-free.
	Smart glass goes from clear to opaque and back again – 27 million times A smart material that switches back and forth between transparent and opaque could be installed in buildings or automobiles, potentially reducing energy bills by avoiding the need for costly air conditioning.
	Should you worry about 32 million hacked Twitter passwords? Yet another security outfit is reporting that millions of stolen passwords—this time, for Twitter accounts—are floating around the dark side of the internet. Should you be worried?
	Apple revamps App Store with new revenue plan, ads (Update) Apple said Wednesday it was revamping its App Store with a new revenue-sharing model for app developers and, for the first time, search-related advertising.
	Image: Integrated circuits on silicon Multiple integrated circuits at the heart of Europe's space missions, etched together onto a single piece of silicon.
	Service robots are coming to help us In the not so distant future, robots could help us do everyday tasks like fetching the remote, offering a helping hand to walk us from room to room, or carrying our food or water when our hands are full. Some researchers say that robots will be in our homes, hospitals and eldercare facilities in the next decade.
	New technologies may jumpstart carsharing After spending hundreds of billions of dollars over the last decade on new roads, one fact is abundantly clear: As a nation, we are never going to build ourselves out of traffic congestion. The draw of the city is too powerful. The millennials' migration to central business districts is just the latest twist in a century-long shift from rural to urban.
	Technology is improving – why is rural broadband access still a problem? There is a well-documented "digital divide" between rural and urban areas when it comes to broadband access. As of 2015, 74 percent of households in urban areas of the U.S. had residential broadband connections, compared with only 64 percent of rural households. This gap has persisted over time.
	Uber convicted, fined in French trial over taxi practices A French court has convicted and fined Uber and two of its executives for deceptive commercial practices and illegal business activity over its lowest-cost ride service.
	Tesla to release lower-priced versions of Model S car Tesla said Thursday that it has started selling a cheaper version of its Model S car in an attempt to make its electric vehicles more affordable for more people.
	Robots to provide a steadying hand at the right time Many new robots look less like the metal humanoids of pop culture and more like high-tech extensions of ourselves and our capabilities.
	Research showing why hierarchy exists will aid the development of artificial intelligence New research explains why so many biological networks, including the human brain (a network of neurons), exhibit a hierarchical structure, and will improve attempts to create artificial intelligence. The study, published in PLOS Computational Biology, demonstrates this by showing that the evolution of hierarchy - a simple system of ranking - in biological networks may arise because of the costs associated with network connections.
	Lenovo, Google unveil phone that knows its way around a room A new smartphone from Lenovo will be clever enough to grasp your physical surroundings—the room's size, the location of doors and windows and the presence of other people. This will potentially transform how we interact with e-commerce, education and gaming.
DuPont opens ASEAN headquarters in Singapore DuPont is opening its Association of Southeast Asian Nations headquarters in Singapore.

Medicine & Health news

	Scientists discover biomarkers that could give cancer patients better survival estimates People with cancer are often told by their doctors approximately how long they have to live, and how well they will respond to treatments, but what if there were a way to improve the accuracy of doctors' predictions?
	Scientists identify drugs to target 'Achilles heel' of chronic myeloid leukaemia cells New research, by the Universities of Glasgow and Manchester, has revealed an 'Achilles heel' of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and found drugs to successfully target this weakness and eradicate the disease in mice.
	Our brain activity could be nudged to make healthier choices Netflix binge watching versus a hike in the woods. A cheeseburger versus kale salad. Fentanyl versus Tylenol. New UC Berkeley research suggests our brain activity could be influenced to make the healthier choice.
	In the brain, one area sees familiar words as pictures, another sounds out words Skilled readers can quickly recognize words when they read because the word has been placed in a visual dictionary of sorts which functions separately from an area that processes the sounds of written words, say Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) neuroscientists. The visual dictionary idea rebuts a common theory that our brain needs to "sound out" words each time we see them.
	Test holds potential to diagnose myriad conditions with drop of blood Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a unique method for detecting antibodies in the blood of patients in a proof-of-principle study that opens the door to development of simple diagnostic tests for diseases for which no microbial cause is known, including auto-immune diseases, cancers and other conditions.
	Body's own gene editing system generates leukemia stem cells Cancer stem cells are like zombies—even after a tumor is destroyed, they can keep coming back. These cells have an unlimited capacity to regenerate themselves, making more cancer stem cells and more tumors. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have now unraveled how pre-leukemic white blood cell precursors become leukemia stem cells. The study, published June 9 in Cell Stem Cell, used human cells to define the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1's role in leukemia, and find a way to stop it.
	Cellular 'racetrack' accurately clocks brain cancer cell movement Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report they have developed an experimental laboratory test that accurately clocks the "speed" of human brain tumor cell movement along a small glass "track." The assay, so far tested on the cells of 14 glioblastoma patients, has the potential, they say, to predict how quickly and aggressively a given cancer might lethally spread.
	Mouse study suggests autism is not just a disease of the brain Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by impaired social interactions and repetitive behaviors, often accompanied by abnormal reactions to sensory stimuli. ASD is generally thought to be caused by deficits in brain development, but a study in mice, published June 9 in Cell, now suggests that at least some aspects of the disorder—including how touch is perceived, anxiety, and social abnormalities—are linked to defects in another area of the nervous system, the peripheral nerves found throughout the limbs, digits, and other parts of the body that communicate sensory information to the brain.
Proteome of an entire family Scientists have won new knowledge on the molecular background of fat and energy metabolism disorders through a large-scale proteomic study with mice. The proteome is the entire set of proteins - in this case, proteins from the livers of mice. A research group specialising in proteomics, led by ETH Zurich Professor Ruedi Aebersold, and a group specialising in mitochondrial physiology and liver diseases, led by EPFL Professor Johan Auwerx, worked together on this ground-breaking project.
	Scientists unpack how Toxoplasma infection is linked to neurodegenerative disease Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite about five microns long, infects a third of the world's population. Ingested via undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables, the parasite infects 15-30 percent of the US population. In France and Brazil, up to 80 percent of the population has the infection.
	Nerve-insulating cells more diverse than previously thought Oligodendrocytes, a type of brain cell that plays a crucial role in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, are more diverse than have previously been thought, according to a new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The findings, published in the journal Science, will help increase our understanding of diseases in which these cells are affected and possibly provide clues to future treatment strategies.
	Yuck factor may boost hand hygiene compliance The yuck factor may be an effective tool for boosting hand hygiene compliance among health care workers, according to a study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
More than 75 percent of STD-negative patients receive antibiotics A study of emergency department (ED) patients with symptoms of gonorrhea or chlamydia found that three in four patients who were treated with antibiotics actually tested negative for these sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to a new study presented at the 43rd Annual Conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
	Most antidepressant drugs ineffective for children and teens, according to study Most available antidepressants are ineffective, and some may be unsafe, for children and teenagers with major depression, according to the most comprehensive comparison of commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs so far, published in The Lancet.
Lung cancer patients who have surgery live longer Patients with late-stage, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have surgery have better survival rates than those who don't, but fewer of these patients are undergoing surgery, UC Davis researchers have found.
Study finds support across ethnicities for physician-assisted death Physician-assisted death was supported by a majority of California and Hawaii residents, regardless of their ethnicity, who responded to an online survey, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
	Opioids regulate spermatozoon formation Infertility has become a major medical and social problem worldwide and due in part to male infertility. Yet the molecular mechanisms involved in spermatogenesis are only now beginning to emerge. A piece of research led by the UPV/EHU doctor Nerea Subirán has for the first time described the presence of opioids in the cells involved in the formation of spermatozoa. The work has been published in Plos One.
	First child exoskeleton for spinal muscular atrophy Researchers have introduced the world's first infant exoskeleton designed to help children with spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative illness. Weighing 12 kilos, the apparatus is made of aluminium and titanium, and is designed to help patients walk—in some cases, for the first time.
	The history (and health claims) of the tea How do you take your tea – with a drop of poisonous chemicals or a spoonful of sheep dung? Throughout history, the health benefits – and harms – of this popular beverage have been widely debated. In an article originally published in the student science magazine BlueSci, Sophie Protheroe, an undergraduate student at Murray Edwards College, examines the global history of tea and its effect on our health.
	Cycle training for children has benefits in adolescence A large-scale UK study of cycling and related safety behaviours, by researchers from Children of the 90s, found children who did a National Cycle Proficiency Scheme course in primary school carried positive cycling behaviour into adulthood.
Scientists shed new light on organ positioning in early embryos An international team of scientists from the UK, the USA and Japan have revealed new aspects of how developing embryos establish a left and a right hand side.
	Pharmacists could provide vital support for young people to manage long-term conditions like juvenile arthritis Manchester researchers and Pharmacy Research UK (PRUK) have published research exhibiting the valued role pharmacists can play in supporting young people with juvenile arthritis to self-manage their condition.
	Study finds 5:2 diet is useful weapon in fight against diabetes A popular diet is proving to be effective for improving the health of people with type 2 diabetes.
	Are you getting the best health care? Evidence says maybe not When you go to the hospital, you probably think you're going to receive the best, most current care. Otherwise, you would not entrust your care to that hospital.
	Researchers study the use of e-cigarettes for illicit drugs In a Department of Forensic Science lab at Virginia Commonwealth University, a contraption mechanically puffs on an e-cigarette loaded with methamphetamine, testing how much of the illegal drug is contained in the vapor cloud.
Perceptions of a 'normal' body image distorted by media and trends in beauty practices A team of researchers led by the University of Birmingham say that the demands of beauty routines particularly for women are increasing, with perceptions of a 'normal' body image changing fast.
	Study to explore link between healthy gut and healthy mind Could live bacteria ingested each day be used to prevent or treat mild anxiety and depression?
	Changing our understanding of consciousness Measuring and defining consciousness has been an ongoing challenge for neuroscientists, philosophers and psychologists for centuries. The concept of levels of consciousness is mostly theoretical, limiting the abilities of researchers to develop objective measurement and understanding of how different global states of consciousness relate to each other.
	Computing told us how close we came to a global pandemic of a drug-resistant flu We usually consider the scientific study of infection by a virus, bacteria or parasite as the domain of clinical and biomedical research. Surely, the study of a virus invading our cells, hijacking our genetic replication system and then producing millions of copies of itself is no place for a mathematician or computational scientist.
Simple, affordable breath test for lung cancer may give more patients a better chance for cure A single breath may be all it takes to identify the return of lung cancer after surgery, according to a study posted online today by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
New role for glial energy metabolism in addiction Addiction may be viewed as a disorder of reward learning. To date, addiction research has focused on the molecular adaptations through which memories of exposure to abused substances are encoded and maintained by nerve cells.
	High risk areas identified for mosquito-borne virus Public health agencies could be better equipped to predict and manage mosquito-borne virus outbreaks in high-risk areas like the Kimberley and Pilbara thanks to a world first model produced by local researchers.
	Bleeding hearts predict future heart failure The amount a heart 'bleeds' following a heart attack can predict the severity of future heart failure, according to research presented today by a University of Glasgow academic at the British Cardiovascular Conference, in Manchester.
	'Lazy eye' childhood condition can be treated in adults When Aleksandra Pryszczewska was a toddler, she often stumbled and bumped into things because of an eye condition called strabismus, or lazy eye. Her left eye veered to the far right, altering her line of vision causing her sight to be impaired.
	Women born to obese mothers much more likely to be obese as adults Overweight mothers were nearly three times more likely than normal-weight mothers to have a daughter who would become obese as an adult, a large study has found.
Mesothelioma surgery improves quality of life Although surgery can prolong the lives of patients with an aggressive type of cancer called malignant pleural mesothelioma, many patients avoid the operation for fear it will degrade their quality of life.
	Investigator: FDA still taking months to recall tainted food Federal health officials failed to force a recall of peanut butter and almond products for three months after advanced DNA testing confirmed salmonella contamination, government investigators reported Thursday.
Being female increases stroke hospitalization risk by 23 percent in atrial fibrillation patients A 15 year study in 1.1 million patients with atrial fibrillation has found that women are 23% more likely to be hospitalised for acute ischaemic stroke than men. The research was presented today at CARDIOSTIM - EHRA EUROPACE 2016 by Dr Ghanshyam Shantha, a cardiovascular disease fellow at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, US.1
	Witnesses can catch criminals by smell Move over sniffer dogs, people who witnessed a crime are able to identify criminals by their smell. Police lineups normally rely on sight, but nose-witnesses can be just as reliable as eye-witnesses, new research published in Frontiers in Psychology has found.
Enzyme shows therapeutic potential for breast cancer and other diseases Aspirin's reign as "the wonder drug" may have a serious challenger if new research by a team of scientists from the United States and Brazil pans out. That's because they have identified an enzyme, called "soluble guanylate cyclase" or "sGC," which shows potential for treating a range of illnesses from breast cancer to erectile dysfunction. The complete research report, which is co-authored by Nobel laureate Ferid Murad, has been published online in The FASEB Journal.
Link found between witnessing parental domestic violence during childhood and attempted suicide A new study by the University of Toronto (U of T), found the lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts among adults who had been exposed to chronic parental domestic violence during childhood was 17.3% compared to 2.3% among those without this childhood adversity.
Pre-procedure medication regimen could lead to less hospital time for liver cancer patients Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine have found that putting liver cancer patients on a medication regimen prior to undergoing a certain treatment could lead to shorter hospital stays and less chance for readmission due to complications.
	HIV diagnostic kit wins European inventors prize A rapid HIV diagnostic kit for developing nations, designed by Cambridge University researcher Helen Lee, won the Popular Prize at the European Inventor Awards on Thursday.
	Concussion outcome predicted using advanced imaging Using an advanced imaging technique, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System were able to predict which patients who'd recently suffered concussions were likely to fully recover. The study also sheds light on the brain's mechanisms for repairing or compensating for concussion injuries—information that could speed the development of therapies. The study was published online today in the American Journal of Neuroradiology.
High-priced drugs used to treat diabetic macular edema not cost-effective The anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs ranibizumab and aflibercept, used to treat vision loss from diabetic macular edema (DME), and approximately 20 to 30 times more expensive than bevacizumab, are not cost-effective for treatment of DME compared to bevacizumab unless their prices decrease substantially, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology.
	Breast cancer patients likely to skip follow-up therapy if not treating other chronic ills Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Medical Center found that patients who did not adhere to their medication schedule for chronic conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and thyroid disease, prior to a breast cancer diagnosis were twice as likely to skip oral adjuvant hormonal therapy. Patients who skipped medications for their chronic conditions had a 23 percent non-adherence rate to hormone treatment, compared with 10 percent for those who took one or more drugs for their conditions prior to a breast cancer diagnosis.
Why some bisexual men stay in the closet Research conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Public Health Solutions examined the reasons why men who have had sex with both men and women choose not to disclose their sexual orientation—particularly to their wives and girlfriends. Results show that men wanted to avoid the stigma and homophobia they felt certain would lead to strong negative emotional reactions and profound changes in their relationships. Findings are published online in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
	Intrinsic subtyping enables fine-tuned prognosis and prediction of tumor behavior Published in JAMA Oncology, Principal Investigator of Vall d´Hebron Institute of Oncology´s (VHIO) Translational Genomics Group, Team Leader of translational genomics and targeted therapeutics in solid tumors at the August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), and Head of Medical Oncology at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, Aleix Prat has led a study showing the intrinsic subtyping of breast cancer by means of a genomic test as the most important prognostic factor in advanced or metastatic hormone-sensitive breast cancer.
Cancer drugs could target autoimmune diseases Drugs currently being trialled in cancer patients have been used to successfully target an autoimmune condition in mice at UCL and King's College London.
A new biomarker for nerve cell damage Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and the University of Tübingen have identified proteins in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid that reflect nerve cell damage. The results of the study, published in the journal Neuron, suggest that the concentration of these 'neurofilament light chain proteins' could provide information about the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and the effects of treatment. Such a biomarker would be valuable for developing therapies.
Enzyme keeps antibodies from targeting DNA and driving inflammation in lupus Failure of an enzyme to break down DNA spilling into the bloodstream as cells die may be a major driver of inflammation in lupus. This is the finding of a study in both mice and human patients led by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and published online June 9 in the journal Cell.
Contradiction keeps US policy at standstill on mitochondrial therapy Scientists believe they can now remove disease-causing mitochondrial DNA from human embryos, providing new cures for previously untreatable conditions, but the policy signals coming from Washington DC are in stark contradiction, according to a new Viewpoint essay published in JAMA June 9, 2016.
Young people with older friends can help reduce ageism Young people are less likely to be ageist when their friends have friendships with older adults, research led by psychologists at the University of Kent has shown.
Researchers discover mechanism that reverses resistance to antiangiogenic drugs Researchers from the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Unit at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have just published an important finding regarding antiangiogenic drugs, one of the most commonly used drugs to treat cancer. In a paper published in Cell Reports they describe a resistance mechanism to these compounds and, more importantly, a way to reverse it. Working on mice with breast and lung cancer, they noted that when they added an antidiabetic agent to the antiangiogenic drug regimen, tumour growth was inhibited by 92%.
	Not doing it: Fewer high school kids are having sex The troubles with kids these days ... are not as common as they used to be. U.S. teens are having a lot less sex, they are drinking and using drugs less often, and they aren't smoking as much, according a government survey of risky youth behaviors.
Study shows pulmonary rehabilitation underutilized by physicians and COPD patients A new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston investigating trends on the use of pulmonary rehabilitation therapy among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease found that this therapy was underutilized, despite its health benefits and cost effectiveness.
More Americans are dying each year by accident (Update) Accidents are killing more Americans each year, increasingly from overdoses and falls.
NHS Health Check program failing at heart health A University of Liverpool study published in the British Medical Journal has found the UK population's cardiovascular health is not being supported enough by the NHS Health Check programme.
	GA4GH presents vision, model for genomic and clinical data sharing In today's Science, the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) calls for a federated data ecosystem for sharing genomic and clinical data. The authorship, which includes Richard Durbin, Julia Wilson, Stephen Keenan, and David Lloyd of the Wellcome Trust, as well as a diverse team of international leaders in academia, research, medicine, and industry, argues that a common framework of principles, protocols, and interoperable technical systems are necessary to enable responsible and effective data sharing.
	A new way to nip AIDS in the bud When new AIDS virus particles bud from an infected cell, an enzyme named protease activates to help the viruses mature and infect more cells. That's why modern AIDS drugs control the disease by inhibiting protease.
Midlife fitness is linked to lower stroke risks later in life The more fit you are in your midlife, the less likely you are to have a stroke after age 65, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.
	Engineered pathogen-binding protein enables rapid isolation of infectious bacteria from joint fluids Pinpointing the type of bacteria that are at the root of an infection in clinical samples removed from living tissues, such as blood, urine or joint fluids, to quickly identify the best anti-microbial therapy still poses a formidable challenge. The standard method of culturing can take days to reveal pathogens, and they often fail to bring them to light altogether.
	Candida-specific helper T cells are preferential and early targets of HIV Candida yeasts normally live on human skin and mucous membranes without causing disease. In individuals with a weakened immune system, however, they are a major cause of opportunistic infections. A study published on June 9th in PLOS Pathogens shows how HIV soon after infection specifically targets and destroys the very immune cells that keep Candida in check.
	Researchers track HIV in real time as it infects and spreads in living tissue By watching brightly glowing HIV-infected immune cells move within mice, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have shown how infected immune cells latch onto an uninfected sister cell to directly transmit newly minted viral particles. These interactions allow HIV to spread efficiently between these immune cells, known as CD4+ helper T cells. The research, published online today in Cell Reports, challenges the long-held perception that the primary route of HIV infection of immune cells is from free-floating viral particles that move within tissue and blood fluids.
	Six ways women can take care of their tickers (HealthDay)—Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, but there are a number of preventive measures women can take, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
	No sex please, I'm a stressed new mom (HealthDay)—First-time parents may see their sex life hit the skids if mom feels stressed about her parenting skills, a new study suggests.
	Chemo ups metabolic syndrome risk in early-stage breast cancer (HealthDay)—For patients with early-stage breast cancer with no preexisting metabolic syndrome (MetS), chemotherapy is associated with increased risk of MetS, according to a study published online May 24 in Cancer.
	Patient experience linked to urologic CA surgical outcomes (HealthDay)—Patient experience is associated with urologic cancer surgical outcomes, according to a study published online June 2 in Cancer.
	Renal function tests stratify risk in pregnant women with HTN (HealthDay)—Baseline renal function tests can stratify the risk of severe preeclampsia in pregnant women with chronic hypertension, according to a study published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Postural instability predicts off-loading nonadherence in T2DM (HealthDay)—For patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), off-loading adherence is associated with healing, but postural instability is a powerful predictor of nonadherence, according to a study published online June 6 in Diabetes.
	Ixekizumab efficacious for psoriasis over 60 weeks (HealthDay)—The benefits of ixekizumab in the treatment of psoriasis extend to 60 weeks, according to a study published online June 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Change in physician call system may up readmission rates (HealthDay)—Change in physician call systems may increase hospital readmission rates, according to a study published recently in The American Journal of Medicine.
	Anemia independently linked to high platelet reactivity in PCI (HealthDay)—Anemia is independently associated with high platelet reactivity (HPR) and is associated with all-cause mortality and major bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents, according to a study published in the June 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Faulty assumptions behind persistent racial/ethnic disparities in behavioral health care Racial and ethnic disparities in the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders may result from key faulty assumptions about the best ways of addressing the needs of minority patients. Those assumptions are detailed, along with recommendations for potential improvement strategies, in an article in the June issue of Health Affairs
Most people don't sleep any worse when taking medicines with sleep disturbance warnings Medicines that carry warnings about sleep disturbances do not seem to contribute to the amount of sleep disturbances in the general population, according to new 'real world' research. The findings, which are published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology suggest that investigators may need to provide more careful reporting of side effects in clinical trials, and emphasizes the value of research into the safety of medicines once they are being taken by the general population.
	Survey finds why most men avoid doctor visits Rather than make appointments to see their family doctor on a regular basis, men are often more likely to make excuses for not going, according to a new survey that lists the top excuses men most often make.
West Africa marks end of deadly Ebola outbreak (Update) Liberia said Thursday it was free of Ebola, meaning there are now no known cases in west Africa of the tropical virus that has left more than 11,300 people dead in the region since late 2013.
Boxing offers Indonesian drug users way out of addiction Indonesia's national featherweight champion Jundullah Muhammad Fauzan is clear eyed and focused when squaring off against opponents, but it's outside the ring this young athlete fights his toughest battle.
	UN: Ireland's abortion ban is cruel, discriminatory to women (Update) Ireland's abortion ban subjects women to discriminatory, cruel and degrading treatment and should be ended immediately for cases involving fatal fetal abnormalities, U.N. human rights experts said Thursday.
Brain signatures of spontaneous thoughts Without prompting, they fill our stream of consciousness–Sudden amusement at a joke you heard yesterday, or a flash of panic over an important meeting that slipped your mind. Spontaneous thoughts constitute the majority of our mental landscape, yet little is known about how they arise. Because these events are harder to predict, manipulate or monitor than other experiences like seeing, speaking or paying attention, they pose unique challenges to studying in the lab. Recently, a team of Canadian researchers led by Kalina Christoff devised a clever approach to unveiling the neural underpinnings of a wandering mind. By tapping into the heightened internal awareness of experienced meditators, they unraveled the temporal progression of brain activity underlying the generation and evaluation of spontaneous thoughts.
Researcher discusses epigenetic transmission of stress and PTSD Cortisol, a stress hormone, is a key player in the subtle hormonal changes that have come to be associated with PTSD, and Dr. Rachel Yehuda, a neuroscientist and the director of the traumatic stress studies division at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, has played a major role in advancing our scientific understanding of the role of cortisol in PTSD.
Researchers call for updates to physical employment standards to better ensure the health and safety of workers A review of current physical employment standards, that act as a call to action for more research and standardization in industry, is now available. New tenets proposed for physical employment standards include improving age- and sex-neutrality and point to areas that require more research such as the implications of the nutritional health and hydration of the worker, protective clothing, and load carriage. Published today in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (APNM), a special issue on best practices in physical employment standards provides an international perspective on these issues and is the first time that the topics of importance to physical employment standards are consolidated into one place.
	Researchers map mosquitoes that transmit Zika and Dengue by county The mosquitoes known as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus transmit arboviruses that are increasing threats to human health in the Americas, particularly dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Therefore, accurate and up-to-date information for the geographical ranges of these mosquitoes have been urgently needed to guide surveillance and enhance control capacity for these mosquitoes.
	Ohio becomes latest state to legalize medical marijuana Republican Gov. John Kasich signed a bill Wednesday legalizing medical marijuana in Ohio, though patients shouldn't expect to get it from dispensaries here anytime soon.
	Putting a brake on leukemia cells Cancer cells need a lot of energy in order to divide without limits. Researchers from the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) at Munich University Hospital (LMU) have discovered how leukemia cells cover these extra energy needs. Scientists may be able to use this mechanism to put a brake on leukemia cells. In the DKTK, the German Cancer Research Center is serving as a core center that joins up with university institutes and hospitals all over Germany.
	A diet lacking in zinc is detrimental to human and animal health The trace element zinc has an impact on the essential metabolic functions of most living organisms. New research carried out by the Chair of Animal Nutrition at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has found that even minimal zinc deficiency impairs digestion, albeit without any typical symptoms such as skin problems or fatigue. Hence, short-term zinc deficiency in the diet should be avoided.
Experts address religious and sexual identities in counselor accreditation programs In a recent scholarly exchange of ideas, experts address how the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) honors both religious diversity and sexual orientation diversity in its accrediting practices. CACREP is the largest accrediting agency for counseling programs within the United States and the only professional body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit master's programs in school counseling; clinical mental health counseling; and marriage, couple, and family counseling, as well as doctoral programs in counselor education and supervision.
Early, efficient detection and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis using new delivery system The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed that tiny particles made of a biodegradable polymer (BNPs—biodegradable polymer nanoparticles) have the potential to enable early detection and efficient long-term treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with minimal side effects. By coating these particles with a peptide that is only able to target inflamed joint tissue, BNPs may be used to efficiently and selectively deliver drugs and diagnostic probes into arthritic joints.
Air pollution exposure may worsen lupus in children The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) show for the first time that an individual's exposure to air pollution may have a direct role in triggering disease activity as well as airway inflammation in children and adolescents with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). This study, conducted in Brazil, has confirmed a direct link between an individual's personal exposure to fine pollution particles and their lupus disease activity.
Osteoarthritis just as severe as rheumatoid arthritis The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed patients with osteoarthritis (OA) are more likely to have the impact of their condition underestimated by rheumatologists than patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).
Texas man gets first hand transplant done in North Carolina A Texas man is the first person to get a hand transplant in North Carolina.
Gene profiling can help predict treatment response and could save money in RA Two new studies presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) have shown that the use of gene profiling designed to predict a positive response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is following the lead from its use in cancer treatment. Prompt identification of those RA patients not responding to treatment supports timely switching to alternative treatment, reducing the chance of long-term joint damage and avoiding money being wasted on ineffective drugs.
Biosimilar switching not suitable for all patients The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed that when antibodies develop in response to the biological treatment Remicade (infliximab), they also cross-react with the biosimilar of infliximab (CT-P13: Inflectra or Remsima). These findings suggest that antibody-positive patients being treated with Remicade should not be switched to treatment with the biosimilar, since these antibodies will interact with the new drug and potentially lead to a loss of response. ,
Estimating unmet need for cleft lip and palate surgery in India An estimated more than 72,000 cases of unrepaired cleft lip and/or palate exist in 28 of India's 29 states and poor states with less health infrastructure had higher rates, according to an article published online by JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
Lupus confirmed as risk factor for cervical cancer The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) found a doubled risk of pre-malignant cervical changes, and potentially also an increased risk of cervical cancer, among women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) compared to the general female population. The highest risks were found in women with SLE who were treated with immunosuppressant drugs. These findings highlight the importance of regular cervical screening in all women with SLE, regardless of whether the increased risk is due to disease severity or treatment.
Depression linked to disease activity and disability in adolescents with arthritis The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) confirmed a clear association between depression symptom severity and the level of disease activity and disability in adolescent patients with juvenile inflammatory arthritis (JIA). These findings highlight the importance of psychological health assessment for adolescents with JIA and underline the need for psychological support to be fully integrated into their routine care.
Obesity and smoking reduces likelihood of treatment success in early rheumatoid arthritis The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed that the likelihood of achieving sustained remission in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is significantly lower in patients who smoke and who are obese. These findings suggest that encouraging patients to stop smoking and to achieve a healthy body weight could significantly improve their chance of becoming symptom-free after adequate treatment.
	Is firearm violence greater among the mentally ill? A new study finds that the majority of mental health professionals believe firearm safety issues are greater among mentally ill people, yet they do not screen their clients for firearms or provide firearm safety counseling. The public and politicians have unrealistic expectations for mental health professionals' ability to determine which patients are likely to be involved in firearm violence in the future, according to a study published in the journal Violence and Gender,
Blood test can help predict RA treatment response The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed that the presence of an antibody (anti-CPP ) in the bloodstream of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) correlates with response to different drug treatments. This finding is another important step towards the introduction of personalised medicine in rheumatology, which is already having a major impact in cancer treatment.
Diabetes more frequent in children with chronic rheumatic disease The results of a study involving more than 9,000 patients, presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed that Type 1 diabetes occurs significantly more frequently in patients with Juvenile Inflammatory Arthritis (JIA) than in the general population. A better understanding of this link between diabetes and JIA may lead to new preventative and therapeutic interventions in both these diseases.
	Do Hispanics with cancer rely on complementary health practices? A study of complementary and integrative health (CIH) use among Hispanic adults with colorectal cancer found that about 40% reported experience with CIH. Women were more likely than men to have used one or more types of CIH, according to the study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
New comorbidity tool predicts risk of hospitalisation and death in psoriatic arthritis The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed that a newly developed method of evaluating the impact of different comorbidities in patients with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) can be used to prospectively identify those PsA patients at greater risk of hospitalisation and premature death. In addition to helping predict the future use of resources and identify targets to reduce costs, application of this new PsA-comorbidity index may ultimately improve outcomes for PsA patients.
Intestinal calcium absorption may ID individuals at risk of developing kidney stones Measuring intestinal calcium absorption may help to identify individuals who are prone to develop kidney stones, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).
Heart monitor implant could save lives in patients with serious immune disease The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed that use of an easy to insert heart monitor in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and no known heart disease enables early detection and treatment of potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias. The findings support the need to identify SSc patients at risk of heart problems that would benefit from this implanted recorder.
	California enacts right-to-die law (HealthDay)—California on Thursday becomes the fifth and largest state in the country to allow terminally ill patients to end their own lives.

Biology news

	Fish eyes life inside a jelly's belly A fish has been pictured swimming inside a jellyfish off Australia's east coast in a remarkable and rare image that has gone viral, with more than two million online views.
	Ancient ants leaving a modern trail It is thought that ants evolved about 150 million years ago and have risen to dominance in the past 60 million years. They are now everywhere and while they are not always welcome on your kitchen counter, they are critical to ecosystems around the world for many roles, including seed dispersal and decomposition. There are a variety of factors that can impact diversity in geographically-clustered ant communities, but it can be difficult to decipher the most important biogeographic influences on these ant populations. Patricia Wepfer, Dr. Benoit Guénard (currently at the University of Hong Kong), and Prof. Evan Economo from the Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) unravelled the web of biogeographic components to find the influences that most significantly affect ant communities. They recently published their results in the Journal of Biogeography.
	Study sets standards for evaluating pluripotent stem cell quality As the promise of using regenerative stem cell therapies draws closer, a consortium of biomedical scientists reports about 30 percent of induced pluripotent stem cells they analyzed from 10 research institutions were genetically unstable and not safe for clinical use.
	On land and at sea, large animals are in 'double jeopardy' Large animals hunted for their parts—such as elephant ivory and shark fins—are in double jeopardy of extinction due to their large body size and high value, according to a new analysis reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 9. The study reveals underappreciated risk to marine species similar to that of iconic terrestrial species, but elevated by key differences in the sea.
	Camouflage influences life-and-death decisions that animals make Nesting birds time their escape from an approaching predator depending on how well camouflaged their eggs and their own bodies are, researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Cambridge have discovered.
	One snake's prey is another's poison: Scientists pinpoint genetics of extreme resistance A select group of garter snakes can thank their ancestors for the ability to chow down on a poisonous newt and live to tell the tale.
	How honeybees do without males An isolated population of honeybees, the Cape bees, living in South Africa has evolved a strategy to reproduce without males. A research team from Uppsala University has sequenced the entire genomes of a sample of Cape bees and compared them with other populations of honeybees to find out the genetic mechanisms behind their asexual reproduction.
	Rutgers researchers show how gene activation protein works Rutgers University scientists have discovered the three-dimensional structure of a gene-specific transcription activation complex, providing the first structural and mechanistic description of the process cells use to turn on, or activate, specific genes in response to changes in cell type, developmental state and environment.
	Keeping up with the fast-moving science of gene drives The emerging science of gene drives is drawing attention for its potential to help with critical health issues such as mosquito-borne diseases and environmental concerns such as agricultural pests and invasive species. At its most basic, a gene drive operates outside the traditional realm of genetics, in which an offspring has a 50-50 chance of inheriting a trait from one of its parents. A gene drive introduces a trait that will spread – or drive – through a population. In effect, a gene drive stacks the deck in favor of a trait being inherited, even if that trait doesn't help the species survive.
	Is fish poo the key to feeding the world's growing population? Feeding a growing world population is one of the greatest challenges society faces – and fish poo could be the answer, according to a group of students at the University of Sheffield.
	What drives biological synchrony? Ecologists traditionally attribute population explosions, be they of diseases or animals, to broad environmental conditions. But new data suggest that other factors may drive "synchrony": rapid, widespread rises and falls in populations.
	Hippos in search of the last suitable water pools Hippos in the Great Ruaha River in Tanzania face a profound loss of their habitat during the dry season. The river has much less water during this season than in previous decades because it is increasingly extracted for human use. As a consequence, the river dries up. Researchers from the German Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) have now examined how this affects the distribution of hippos. Their results reveal extensive and long distance movements, as hippos search for vital daytime resting sites. The study has been published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
Metal exposure – a factor in bat population decline Scientists at the University of York have led the first full-scale national assessment of metal contamination in bats, showing that many bats in the UK contain levels of metals high enough to cause toxic effects.
	New techniques to assess the fate of stem cells in vivo Stem cells ensure the development of tissues, their daily maintenance and their repair following injuries. One of the key questions in the field of stem cell biology is to define the different cell lineages in which stem cells can differentiate into. Stem cells can be multipotent, meaning they present the ability to give rise to more than one lineage, or unipotent, meaning they can only differentiate into one cell lineage. Lineage tracing experiments are routinely used in the fields of developmental and stem cell biology to assess the fate of stem cells in vivo. However, no rigorous method has yet been established to interpret with great precision and statistical confidence the issue of multipotency versus unipotency in lineage tracing experiments.
	Too soon to release GM mosquitoes to fight Zika: US study Releasing genetically-modified mosquitoes into the wild to fight malaria, Zika or other insect-borne diseases is premature and could have unintended consequences, researchers said in a new report.
	Measuring impact of Kenya's ivory burning 'urgent' Gathering evidence on the impact of Kenya's record-breaking ivory burn on elephant conservation should be an urgent priority according to four University of Queensland scientists.
	The Texas butterfly effect How can scientists better understand summer monarch butterfly populations in the Midwest? Check spring weather in Texas.
New mode of action for streptomycin holds promise of treating drug-resistant infections Researchers report in PLOS Biology the mechanism by which streptomycin, one of the oldest and most widely used antibiotics, penetrates into bacterial cells. The study performed by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center and their colleagues also reveals a potential way for developing new drugs to treat drug-resistant infections.
	Video hints Japan abetting illegal ivory trade: conservationists Conservation activists on Thursday showed undercover video they say suggests that a "huge loophole" in Japanese law enforcement is hindering efforts to rein in illegal ivory trading.
	EU Commission can order Italy to fell diseased olive trees: court The EU's top court ruled Thursday the European Commission can order member states to cut down thousands of olive trees infected by deadly bacteria after Italian authorities halted the felling in December.
	Lions and tigers and smartphones: The circus now has an app Now that Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus has retired its iconic elephants, executives under the big top say they must do more to draw a younger generation of fans, many of whom are glued to their smartphones and screens.

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