Fwd: Science X Newsletter Thursday, Mar 19

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 20, 2015 at 3:42 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Thursday, Mar 19
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 19, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Milky Way's center unveils supernova 'dust factory'
- Scientists invent new way to control light, critical for next gen of super fast computing
- The taming of the shrew: Scientists decipher the spectrum of CH5+ for the first time
- World Heritage Sites risk collapse without stronger local management, researchers say
- Microscope technique reveals for first time when and where proteins are made
- Ocean pipes 'not cool,' would end up warming climate
- Stem cells show promise for reversing type 2 diabetes
- Team finds key to making neurons from stem cells
- Steroid links fat accumulation with egg development
- Some mushrooms glow, and here's why
- 'Missing culprit' in heart failure identified
- Robotic materials: Changing with the world around them
- New genetic method promises to advance gene research and control insect pests
- Massive amounts of fresh water, glacial melt pouring into Gulf of Alaska
- Men's preference for certain body types has evolutionary roots

Nanotechnology news

	Scientists watch quantum dots 'breathe' in response to stress Researchers at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory watched nanoscale semiconductor crystals expand and shrink in response to powerful pulses of laser light. This ultrafast "breathing" provides new insight about how such tiny structures change shape as they start to melt – information that can help guide researchers in tailoring their use for a range of applications.
	Researchers create 'nanofiber gusher' Creating large amounts of polymer nanofibers dispersed in liquid is a challenge that has vexed researchers for years. But engineers and researchers at North Carolina State University and one of its start-up companies have now reported a method that can produce unprecedented amounts of polymer nanofibers, which have potential applications in filtration, batteries and cell scaffolding.
	Researchers use the latest in nanotechnology and transdermal drug delivery to take on an old problem: acne Acne, a scourge of adolescence, may be about to meet its ultra high-tech match. By using a combination of ultrasound, gold-covered particles and lasers, researchers from UC Santa Barbara and the private medical device company Sebacia have developed a targeted therapy that could potentially lessen the frequency and intensity of breakouts, relieving acne sufferers the discomfort and stress of dealing with severe and recurring pimples.
	What happens when a quantum dot looks in a mirror? The 2014 chemistry Nobel Prize recognized important microscopy research that enabled greatly improved spatial resolution. This innovation, resulting in nanometer resolution, was made possible by making the source (the emitter) of the illumination quite small and by moving it quite close to the object being imaged. One problem with this approach is that in such proximity, the emitter and object can interact with each other, blurring the resulting image. Now, a new JQI study has shown how to sharpen nanoscale microscopy (nanoscopy) even more by better locating the exact position of the light source.
	Finding an affordable way to use graphene is the key to its success Graphene is a remarkably strong material given it's only a single carbon-atom thick. But finding ways to do something with it – that's also affordable too – have always been a challenge.
	Peering into how rechargeable lithium ion batteries function Nanoparticle electrodes in lithium-ion batteries have both near-surface and interior contributions to their redox capacity, each with distinct rate capabilities. Using combined electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray methods and ab initio calculations, Brookhaven National Laboratory researchers have investigated the lithiation pathways that occur in NiO electrodes. They found that the near-surface electroactive (Ni2+→Ni0) sites saturated very quickly, and then encountered unexpected difficulty in propagating the phase transition into the electrode (referred to as a "shrinking-core" mode).

Physics news

	Scientists invent new way to control light, critical for next gen of super fast computing A device resembling a plastic honeycomb yet infinitely smaller than a bee's stinger can steer light beams around tighter curves than ever before possible, while keeping the integrity and intensity of the beam intact.
	Researchers discover first manganese based superconductor (Phys.org)—A combined team of researchers from the Institute of Physics in China and the University of Tokyo has found the first instance of a manganese based superconductor. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the team describes the technique they used to discover the superconductor properties in the material which many had thought would not be possible due to its high degree of magnetism.
	Superconductivity breakthroughs: Cuprates earn their stripes The Canadian research community on high-temperature superconductivity continues to lead this exciting scientific field with groundbreaking results coming hot on the heels of big theoretical questions.
Quantum computing now one step closer with defect-free logic gate What does hair styling have in common with quantum computing? The braiding pattern has inspired scientists as a potential new approach to quantum calculation. The idea is to rely on a network of intersecting chains, or nanowires, containing two-dimensional quasi-particles. The way these quasi-particles evolve in space time produces a braid-like pattern. These braids could then be used as the logic gate that provides the logical function required for calculations in computers. Due to their tight assembly, such braids are much more difficult to destabilise and less error-prone. Yet, local defects can still arise along nanowires.

Earth news

	World Heritage Sites risk collapse without stronger local management, researchers say Without better local management, the world's most iconic ecosystems are at risk of collapse under climate change, say researchers in Science. Protecting places of global environmental importance such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon rainforest from climate change will require reducing the other pressures they face, for example overfishing, fertilizer pollution or land clearing.
	Ocean pipes 'not cool,' would end up warming climate To combat global climate change caused by greenhouse gases, alternative energy sources and other types of environmental recourse actions are needed. There are a variety of proposals that involve using vertical ocean pipes to move seawater to the surface from the depths in order to reap different potential climate benefits. A new study from a group of Carnegie scientists determines that these types of pipes could actually increase global warming quite drastically. It is published in Environmental Research Letters.
	Massive amounts of fresh water, glacial melt pouring into Gulf of Alaska Incessant mountain rain, snow and melting glaciers in a comparatively small region of land that hugs the southern Alaska coast and empties fresh water into the Gulf of Alaska would create the sixth largest coastal river in the world if it emerged as a single stream, a recent study shows.
	Britain on smog alert as foreign pollution blows in Britain is on smog alert on Thursday as dirty air from the continent blows in to add to home-grown pollution, sparking health warnings for asthma sufferers and the elderly.
	The world's most polluting coal plants are identified New research from the Stranded Assets Programme at the University of Oxford's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment has identified the least efficient coal-fired power stations in the world.
	Wet wipe litter blighting Britain's beaches: survey British people have been urged to stop flushing wet wipes down the toilet after a 50 percent surge in the number found in a beach survey.
	Arctic sea ice hits record low Arctic sea ice has reached its lowest winter point since satellite observations began in the late 1970s, raising concerns about faster ice melt and rising seas due to global warming, US officials said Thursday.
	Amnesty warns on 'seriously alarming' Nigeria oil spills Amnesty International on Thursday said two major oil companies operating in Nigeria, Shell and ENI, reported a combined 553 oil spills in 2014, a "seriously alarming" figure that qualifies as a "national emergency."
	Where are the hotspots of plant diversity along boreal streams? The patterns of plant species diversity along Swedish boreal streams are closely linked to flow of surface and sub-surface water. The linkages between vegetation and hydrology are tight, and according to Lenka Kuglerová they are threatened by poorly designed forest management. She defends her thesis at Umeå University on Thursday 26 March.
	Land cover changes across the United States chronicled in new NOAA products NOAA has issued a comprehensive series of reports detailing the changes in land cover across the United States from 1996 to 2010. The Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) reports focus on the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, Northeast, Southeast and West Coast.
	Unaweep Canyon and Earth's deep-time past Unaweep Canyon is a puzzling landscape—the only canyon on Earth with two mouths. First formally documented by western explorers mapping the Colorado Territory in the 1800s, Unaweep Canyon has inspired numerous hypotheses for its origin. This new paper for Geosphere by Gerilyn S. Soreghan and colleagues brings together old and new geologic data of this region to further the hypothesis that Unaweep Canyon was formed in multiple stages.
	Obama drives ahead on climate with government emissions cuts (Update) President Barack Obama ordered the federal government on Thursday to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half over the next decade, driving his climate change agenda forward despite percolating challenges from Republican-led states.
	Pollution-choked Paris introduces emergency traffic measures Paris authorities have requested emergency traffic-limiting measures to be put in place on Friday, as the City of Light and much of northern France suffers from a choking smog.
	NASA sees Cyclone Nathan target landfall in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula NASA's Terra satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Nathan early on March 19 as it was headed for landfall in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula. NASA's RapidScat instrument saw those winds increasing late on March 18.
Remnants of wild winter dictate spring US weather woes The nation's wild Jekyll-Hyde winter will likely dictate what weather worries Americans have this spring.

Astronomy & Space news

	Milky Way's center unveils supernova 'dust factory' Sifting through the center of the Milky Way galaxy, astronomers have made the first direct observations - using an infrared telescope aboard a modified Boeing 747 - of cosmic building-block dust resulting from an ancient supernova.
	Hubble explores the mysteries of UGC 8201 The galaxy UGC 8201, captured here by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, is a dwarf irregular galaxy, so called because of its small size and chaotic structure. It lies just under 15 million light-years away from us in the constellation of Draco (the Dragon). As with most dwarf galaxies it is a member of a larger group of galaxies. In this case UCG 8201 is part of the M81 galaxy group; this group is one of the closest neighbors to the Local Group of galaxies, which contains our galaxy, the Milky Way.
	Could water have carved channels on Mars half a million years ago? Could water have carved channels on Mars as recently as 500,000 years ago? If that's the case, it would boost the case for relatively recent life on the red planet.
	Team suggests sublimating ice to propel CubeSats (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers affiliated with Delft University in The Netherlands, has come up with a new way to provide propulsion for CubSats—use frozen water as fuel. In their paper published in Acta Astronautica, the team outlines their design and suggest there is just one hurdle still standing in their way—a means of keeping the water frozen while a CubeSat is awaiting launch.
	Vision quest: Curator catalogs the world's oldest telescopes You could say Marvin Bolt takes the long view.
	Successful test flights for Mars landing technology It's tricky to get a spacecraft to land exactly where you want. That's why the area where the Mars rover Curiosity team had targeted to land was an ellipse that may seem large, measuring 12 miles by 4 miles (20 by 7 kilometers).
	Sky gazers flock to remote islands for total solar eclipse For months, even years, hotels on the remote Faeroe Islands have been fully booked by fans who don't want to miss an almost three-minute-long astronomical sensation. Now the sky gazers just hope the clouds will blow away so they can fully experience Friday's total solar eclipse.
	Danes taking to the skies to secure best seat for solar eclipse To make sure clouds don't block their view of Friday's total solar eclipse in the Faroe Islands, a group of 50 Danes were on Thursday preparing to watch the event from a Boeing 737.
	Selfie generation warned over eclipse peril An eclipse that will sweep Europe and parts of Africa and Asia on Friday poses a danger to selfie-takers, eye specialists warned on Thursday.
	MESSENGER's endgame: Hover campaign promises bird's-eye view of Mercury's surface MESSENGER will not go gentle into that good night. The mission will end sometime this spring, when the spacecraft runs out of propellant and the force of solar gravity causes it to impact the surface of Mercury. But the team initiated a "hover" observation campaign designed to gather scientific data from the planet at ultra-low altitudes until the last possible moment. Engineers have devised a series of orbit-correction maneuvers (OCMs) over the next five weeks—the first of which was carried out today—designed to delay the inevitable impact a bit longer.
	Polar bear mauls tourist as eclipse junkies head to Arctic A Czech tourist was mauled by a polar bear in Svalbard in Norway's Arctic on Thursday, police said, illustrating the potential danger for those arriving to see this week's total eclipse of the sun.

Technology news

	Scientist hopes vest will broaden range of human senses Neuroscientist David Eagleman hopes that one day a special piece of clothing he has designed will let the deaf "hear" and allow wearers to sense what is happening online without looking at a computer.
	Hidden benefits of electric vehicles revealed Electric vehicles are cool, research shows. Literally. A study in this week's Scientific Reports by researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) and in China add more fuel to the already hot debate about whether electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than conventional vehicles by uncovering two hidden benefits.
	Robotic materials: Changing with the world around them Prosthetics with a realistic sense of touch. Bridges that detect and repair their own damage. Vehicles with camouflaging capabilities.
	Solar plane leaves India for next stop in Myanmar A solar-powered airplane on a historic round-the-world journey took off Thursday from the northern Indian town of Varanasi and was headed for its next stop in Myanmar.
	Google exec says immigration changes would help economy The executive chairman at Google urged Congress on Wednesday to increase the number of high-skilled work visas made available to foreigners and to deal with other immigration issues later on.
China boosts fleet of electric, hybrid vehicles Chinese authorities have announced plans to boost the number of electric, hybrid and other alternative fuel-powered vehicles used for public transportation, while sales of such cars for private use have spiked in recent months.
	US turns to rewards in hunt for overseas cyber criminals The FBI considers Evgeniy Bogachev one of the world's most prolific and brilliant cyber criminals, slapping his photos—bald, beefy-faced and smiling faintly—on "Wanted" fliers posted online. The Russian would be an ideal target for prosecution—if only the Justice Department could find him.
Yahoo shutting down China office in latest cost-cutting move (Update) Yahoo is closing its research and development center in China as CEO Marissa Mayer tries to placate shareholders pressuring the Internet company to cut costs while it struggles to bring in more revenue.
Amazon.com introduces one-hour delivery to Baltimore, Miami Amazon.com Inc. is expanding its one-hour delivery Prime Now service for household products to Baltimore and Miami.
	Big in Asia, Line app hopes cute factor will win worldwide Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty: Move over. And make way for laidback Brown bear and his irrepressible girlfriend Cony the bunny.
	Sensing devices for people suffering with anxiety Imagine technology that is good enough to wear and safe enough to eat!
After years in shadows, France wants legal data monitoring (Update) France's government pressed Thursday to legalize broad surveillance of terrorism suspects with a measure that would allow intelligence services to vacuum up metadata in hopes of preventing imminent attacks.
	How to tackle cyber crime before people even know they're a victim An estimated A$75,000 is lost by Australians everyday to online fraud, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
	Gamification harnesses the power of games to motivate Walk through any public area and you'll see people glued to their phones, playing mobile games like Game of War and Candy Crush Saga. They aren't alone. 59% of Americans play video games, and contrary to stereotypes, 48% of gamers are women. The US$100 billion video game industry is among the least-appreciated business phenomena in the world today.
	Rubber research may extend life of amphibious assault vehicle The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has found that some types of rubber provide corrosion protection—and potentially better ballistic protection—for amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs). This is important to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) as they look to extend the AAV, introduced in 1972, through 2035. "Innovative sustainment concepts, like those NRL is investigating, enable us to avoid the cost of new design, development, and production of new components," says Tim Bergland of the USMC Advanced Amphibious Assault (AAA) office.
	Judge OKs $10 million settlement in Target data breach A Minnesota judge has endorsed a settlement in which Target Corp. will pay $10 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over a massive data breach in 2013.
	Angry Birds wing it, go 3D Finnish entertainment company Rovio, creator of the hugely popular Angry Birds brand, on Thursday said it was betting on a new 3D release to swoop back from a massive loss in profit.
	Solar-powered plane lands in Myanmar on latest leg A solar-powered plane landed in Myanmar on Thursday night, the latest leg of a round-the-world trip aimed at highlighting clean energy.
	TAG Heuer to partner with Google, Intel to create smartwatch (Update) Luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer announced Thursday it was joining forces with technology behemoths Google and Intel to develop a smartwatch that can compete with the new Apple Watch.
	Emerging nations see benefits, problems with Internet People in emerging economies see the Internet as a good thing for education and the economy, but worry about its impact on morality, a global survey showed Thursday.
	Nearly all fuel in Fukushima reactor has melted, says TEPCO New tests show almost all of the fuel inside one of the Fukushima plant's reactors has melted, its operator said Thursday, the latest step in the clean up after Japan's worst ever nuclear crisis.
	Cyber attackers leaving warning 'messages': NSA chief Attackers hacking into American computer networks appear to be leaving "cyber fingerprints" to send a message that critical systems are vulnerable, the top US cyber-warrior said Thursday.
	Tesla updating Model S to ease range anxiety, improve safety Tesla Motors is updating its Model S electric car to help ease drivers' worries about running out of battery charge—and is hinting that in the future drivers can take their hands off the wheel altogether.
	New rooftops in France to go green Rooftops on new buildings built in commercial zones in France must either be partially covered in plants or solar panels, under a law approved on Thursday.
	US allows Amazon to test drones US aviation officials announced Thursday they will allow online giant Amazon to carry out testing for its drone program which could be used for quick deliveries.
Ferguson Facebook case part of debate about online threats A Washington state man faces sentencing for posting threats on Facebook against a former Ferguson, Missouri, police officer who fatally shot a young black man—a case that is part of a broader legal debate over when social media rants go beyond hyperbole and become criminal acts.
	Power companies unprepared for hacking attacks Researchers are recommending that Norwegian power distribution companies should carry out more regular contingency exercises to prepare themselves for hacking attacks. If they don't, they won't be equipped to identify and deal with crisis situations.
Apple stock starts trading as part of Dow today The world's most valuable company is now a member of the Dow Jones industrial average.
	Atlas of thoughts Using a computer game, a research group at Aarhus University has found a way to gain deeper insight into the human thought process. The results have amazed the research director, who has discovered a kind of 'atlas of thoughts.' And that is not all. The group can also reveal which gender is best at solving quantum problems.
Test security now means checking social media for cheaters For the organizations that give standardized tests, it's a common—and common-sense—security measure.
	Streaming revenue edges out CDs in US Streaming has topped CD sales in revenue for the first time in the United States as music listeners flock to on-demand services and Internet radio, industry figures showed.
Monica Lewinsky takes cyber-bully fight to TED Monica Lewinsky on Thursday took her freshly launched fight against cyber-bullying to a premier TED gathering known for attracting Internet titans, celebrities and others influencing modern culture.
Canada auditor general lost data: report The office of Canada's auditor general lost 120 USB drives, or one in five entrusted to staff last year, possibly containing sensitive information, a local newspaper reported Thursday.

Chemistry news

	Metal oxidation controlled by atomic surface steps Rust never sleeps. Whether a reference to the 1979 Neil Young album or a product designed to protect metal surfaces, the phrase invokes the idea that corrosion from oxidation—the more general chemical name for rust and other reactions of metal with oxygen—is an inevitable, persistent process. But a new study performed at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory reveals that certain features of metal surfaces can stop the process of oxidation in its tracks.
	Synthesis and characterization of an important intermediate for biocatalysts (Phys.org)—Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is sometimes referred to as the "Rosetta Stone" of iron-containing oxygenases, because of its ubiquity as a biocatalyst for various reactions, including drug metabolism and synthesis of biological molecules. Importantly, CYP catalyzes carbon-hydrogen hydroxylation reactions, cleaving some of the most difficult carbon-hydrogen bonding structures. While CYP is well studied, scientists are eager to understand the ferryl intermediates formed during hydroxylation in an effort to fine-tune catalytic reactions as well as seek out other biocatalysts to react with carbon-hydrogen bonds that are typically unreactive.
	The taming of the shrew: Scientists decipher the spectrum of CH5+ for the first time For the first time ever, a team of scientist from the University of Cologne headed by Professor Stephan Schlemmer succeeded in understanding the spectrum of the highly fluxional molecule CH5+. This insight, gained in collaboration with a Japanese colleague, was made possible by the extreme cooling of this enigmatic molecule and a highly accurate measurement of its vibrational transitions. The results will be presented on March 20, 2015 in Science magazine.
	Model captures new dynamics of corrosion damage University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineers have become the first to develop a model that literally looks beyond the surface of corrosion to better predict its spread.
	Rare-earth innovation to improve nylon manufacturing The Critical Materials Institute, a U.S. Department of Energy Innovation Hub, has created a new chemical process that makes use of the widely available rare-earth metal cerium to improve the manufacture of nylon.
	Study holds great promise for advancing sustainable energy New research published by Rutgers University chemists has documented significant progress confronting one of the main challenges inhibiting widespread utilization of sustainable power: Creating a cost-effective process to store energy so it can be used later.
The purification and characterization of ATP synthase complexes from the mitochondria of four fungal species ATP, the fuel of life, is produced in mitochondria of living cells by a molecular machine, the ATP synthase. We have isolated the machines from four fungal species, compared their stabilities and identified the proteins from which they are constructed.
	New composite material promises to displace imports from outside Europe High-end furniture at low cost might soon become reality thanks to a new composite material developed under the LIMOWOOD project.
	Click! That's how modern chemistry bonds nanoparticles to a substrate Nanoparticles of various types can be quickly and permanently bonded to a solid substrate, if one of the most effective methods of synthesis, click chemistry, is used for this purpose. The novel method has been presented by a team of researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
	Video: Why 'hypoallergenic' isn't a thing It's a simple claim made on thousands of personal care products for adults and kids: hypoallergenic. But what does that actually mean? Turns out, it can mean whatever manufacturers want it to mean, and that can leave you feeling itchy.

Biology news

	Biologists show how the evolution of physical traits can influence behavior For many male African cichlid fish, the best way to attract a mate is to build a really nice pit or sand castle on a lake bottom.
	Researchers create fast-growing trees that are easier to turn into fuel Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that manipulation of a specific gene in a hardwood tree species not only makes it easier to break down the wood into fuel, but also significantly increases tree growth.
	Modeling how cells move together could inspire self-healing materials A paper published yesterday in Nature's Scientific Reports by a team led by physicist Igor Aronson of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory modeled the motion of cells moving together. This may help scientists design new technologies inspired by nature, such as self-healing materials in batteries and other devices.
	Human parasites found in medieval cesspit reveal links between Middle East and Europe Analysis of a latrine in Jerusalem that dates back over 500 years finds human parasites common in northern Europe yet very rare in Middle East at the time, suggesting long-distance trade or pilgrimage routes and shedding light on prevalent infectious diseases of the age.
	Scientists pinpoint molecule that controls stem cell plasticity by boosting gene expression Stem cells can have a strong sense of identity. Taken out of their home in the hair follicle, for example, and grown in culture, these cells remain true to themselves. After waiting in limbo, these cultured cells become capable of regenerating follicles and other skin structures once transplanted back into skin. It's not clear just how these stem cells – and others elsewhere in the body – retain their ability to produce new tissue and heal wounds, even under extraordinary conditions.
	Spiders found able to custom build webs to trap best food source (Phys.org)—A small team of researchers with affiliations in China, Taiwan, Australia and Denmark has found that orb-web spiders are able to customize their webs to help ensure they capture the most nutritious prey around. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the team describes how they set up several experiments to test spider web customization and what they found by doing so.
	Steroid links fat accumulation with egg development Nutrition and metabolism are closely linked with reproductive health. Several reproductive disorders including polycystic ovary syndrome, amenorrhea, and ovarian cancer have been linked to malnutrition, diabetes, and obesity. Furthermore, fasting in numerous species can result in decreased fertility, because the development of immature egg cells, called oocytes, is arrested. Understanding how nutrients accumulate in immature oocytes will provide valuable insights into the link between metabolic disease and reproductive dysfunction.
	Some mushrooms glow, and here's why Did you know that there are mushrooms that actually glow? Aristotle was aware of this intriguing fact more than 2,000 years ago. He also was the first person to ask a simple question in print: Why? Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on March 19 finally have a good answer. The light emitted from those fungi attracts the attention of insects, including beetles, flies, wasps, and ants. Those insect visitors are apparently good for the fungi because they spread the fungal spores around.
	Color-morphing reef fish is a 'wolf in sheep's clothing' A new study has shown that the dottyback, a small predatory reef fish, can change the colour of its body to imitate a variety of other reef fish species, allowing the dottyback to sneak up undetected and eat their young.
	Microscope technique reveals for first time when and where proteins are made Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and their international collaborators have developed a novel fluorescence microscopy technique that for the first time shows where and when proteins are produced. The technique allows researchers to directly observe individual messenger RNA molecules (mRNAs) as they are translated into proteins in living cells. The technique, carried out in living human cells and fruit flies, should help reveal how irregularities in protein synthesis contribute to developmental abnormalities and human disease processes including those involved in Alzheimer's disease and other memory-related disorders.
	New genetic method promises to advance gene research and control insect pests Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a new method for generating mutations in both copies of a gene in a single generation that could rapidly accelerate genetic research on diverse species and provide scientists with a powerful new tool to control insect borne diseases such as malaria as well as animal and plant pests.
	Men's preference for certain body types has evolutionary roots A psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin sheds new light on today's standards of beauty, attributing modern men's preferences for women with a curvy backside to prehistoric influences.
	Sniffing out overwintering stink bugs Since their first official detection in the United States in 2001, brown marmorated stink bugs have been eating our crops and invading our homes and businesses. Most stink bugs, however, seek shelter outdoors in order to survive the cold winter months.
	Resilient geckos crop up in the northwest of Australia Research into a type of Fat-tailed gecko (Diplodactylus conspicillatus) in northern Australia has revealed it is not one species but seven.
	Cutting-edge tool to help predict impact of invasive species Researchers at the University of Waterloo have published results of a powerful new tool that could give ecologists new ways of tackling problems posed by deadly invasive species like Asian carp and Zebra mussels.
	New strategy to protect healthy gut microbes from antibiotics Gut microbes promote human health by fighting off pathogens, but they also contribute to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. A study published March 19th by Cell Reports reveals a potential strategy for tipping the balance in favor of good bacteria by altering the composition of the microbial community.
New technologies for getting the most out of semen For in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies, selecting the healthiest and best swimming sperm from a sample of semen can dramatically increase success. Microfluidics—micro-scale technologies that were originally developed to enable high-throughput gene sequencing and for Point-Of-Care diagnostics—are now being adapted to enhance sperm sorting. These new methods, reviewed by engineers in the journal Trends in Biotechnology, are generating promising results in applications such as single-sperm genomics, in-home male fertility testing, and wildlife conservation efforts that seek to maintain populations of endangered species.
	A thoroughly urban new millipede A tiny new millipede has been found which is only known to occur within the city of Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
	Tenth of wild bee species risk extinction in Europe Nearly 10 percent of some 2,000 species of European wild bees are threatened with extinction, according to a study published Thursday.
Monsanto to pay $350K to settle more wheat-related lawsuits Monsanto said Wednesday it will pay about $350,000 to settle class action lawsuits brought by farmers in seven states over genetically modified wheat.
	WWF urges DRC not to change Virunga park boundaries Conservation group WWF on Wednesday urged the Democratic Republic of Congo to "drop any plans" of modifying the boundaries of Virunga national park—home to the mountain gorilla—for oil exploration purposes.
	Tiger meat, bear paws openly available in Laos: NGO A resort complex in northwest Laos targeting Chinese visitors has become a "lawless playground" for the trade in illegal wildlife ranging from tiger meat to bear paws, an advocacy group said Thursday.
	China politicians' tiger breeding ring busted Three local politicians in China raised at least 11 endangered Siberian tigers, state media reported Thursday after one of the animals jumped to its death from a high-rise building.
	Scientists discover mechanics of poison production in crotalaria herbaceous plants "Many plants require nitrogenous soil to grow. However, these soils are not available in all regions. Some species therefore form a symbiosis with soil bacteria, allowing them to bind nitrogen from the air", explains Professor Dietrich Ober from the CAU's Botanical Institute. In return, the bacteria get nutrients from the plants. This symbiosis allows plants, such as peas or clover, to grow on nitrogen-poor soils – and in agriculture it replaces artificial fertilisers. The nitrogen is bound in what are known as 'root nodules', symbiosis structures, similar to organs, formed jointly on the root by bacteria and plant alike.
	Using unmanned aerial systems to detect emerging pest insects, diseases in food crops Kansas State University is leading an international, multimillion-dollar project that is looking at unmanned aerial systems—or UAS—as a quick and efficient method to detect pest insects and diseases in food crops before outbreaks happen.
	How space and sensory technology can boost rice production New ways of monitoring rice crops could provide growers with better information – including early warnings of possible threats – and enable more accurate yield predictions. These are some of the key objectives of the EU-funded ERMES project, which is set to hold its first annual meeting from 26 to 27 March 2015.
	Citizen scientists discover new plant species in the Cape Floral Kingdom Amateur botanists in the Western Cape Province of South Africa have discovered two new species of beautiful blue-flowered legumes. The study was published in the open access journal PhytoKeys.
Better season-long nutrient supply in soybean a 'low-hanging fruit' to improve upon Over the last several decades there have been substantial yield improvements in soybean. Because of new varieties and new agronomic practices, the yield potential in soybean is higher now than ever before. But a lack of updated information on the nutritional needs of soybean crops may be limiting the crop's potential.
Feds document seabird loss in North Pacific waters The number of seabirds, including gulls, puffins and auklets, has dropped significantly in the Gulf of Alaska and northeast Bering Sea, a possible consequence of warmer waters, according to a preliminary federal analysis of nearly 40 years of surveys.

Medicine & Health news

	New drug for Crohn's disease shows early promise (HealthDay)—An experimental drug may quickly quash symptoms of the digestive disorder Crohn's disease—at least for the short term, an early clinical trial finds.
	Scientists grow 'mini-lungs' to aid the study of cystic fibrosis Scientists at the University of Cambridge have successfully created 'mini-lungs' using stem cells derived from skin cells of patients with cystic fibrosis, and have shown that these can be used to test potential new drugs for this debilitating lung disease.
	Aggressively pursuing higher social status may exact a toll on health Bad news for relentless power-seekers the likes of Frank Underwood on House of Cards: Climbing the ladder of social status through aggressive, competitive striving might shorten your life as a result of increased vulnerability to cardiovascular disease. That's according to new research by psychologist Timothy W. Smith and colleagues at the University of Utah. And good news for successful types who are friendlier: Attaining higher social status as the result of prestige and freely given respect may have protective effects, the researchers found.
	Our eyes multi-task even when we don't want them to, researchers find Our eyes are drawn to several dimensions of an object—such as color, texture, and luminance—even when we need to focus on only one of them, researchers at New York University and the University of Pennsylvania have found. The study, which appears in the journal Current Biology, points to the ability of our visual system to integrate multiple components of an item while underscoring the difficulty we have in focusing on a particular aspect of it.
	Stem cells show promise for reversing type 2 diabetes Scientists at the University of British Columbia and BetaLogics, part of Janssen Research & Development, LLC have shown for the first time that Type 2 diabetes can be effectively treated with a combination of specially-cultured stem cells and conventional diabetes drugs.
	Team finds key to making neurons from stem cells A research team at UC San Francisco has discovered an RNA molecule called Pnky that can be manipulated to increase the production of neurons from neural stem cells.
	Even at a molecular level, taking it slow helps us cope with stress Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have identified a new molecular pathway critical to aging, and confirmed that the process can be manipulated to help make old blood like new again.
	Altering brain chemistry makes us more sensitive to inequality What if there were a pill that made you more compassionate and more likely to give spare change to someone less fortunate? UC Berkeley scientists have taken a big step in that direction.
	'Missing culprit' in heart failure identified Working with lab animals and human heart cells, scientists from Johns Hopkins and other institutions have identified what they describe as "the long-sought culprit" in the mystery behind a cell-signaling breakdown that triggers heart failure. The condition, which affects nearly 6 million Americans and 23 million people worldwide, is marked by progressive weakening and stiffening of the heart muscle and the organ's gradual loss of blood-pumping ability.
Standardized packaging with large graphic health warnings encouraged more thoughts about quitting Introduction of standardised packaging for tobacco products in Australia prompted more smokers to think about quitting and to attempt to quit, show findings of surveys of adults smokers published in Tobacco Control.
Dramatic rise expected in adults living with cystic fibrosis The number of people living with cystic fibrosis into adulthood is expected to increase dramatically by 2025, prompting calls for the development of adult cystic fibrosis services to meet the demand.
Melatonin can help you get a good night's sleep in a noisy environment Using melatonin could provide more and better quality sleep compared to using an eye mask and earplugs in a simulated noisy and illuminated environment, according to research published in open access journal Critical Care. This study was carried out on healthy subjects but could have future implications for intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
	Study: Fast-food curb did not cut obesity rate in South LA A much-hailed law that restricted the opening of new stand-alone fast-food restaurants in one of the poorest sections of Los Angeles did not curb obesity or improve diets, a new study found.
Targeted drug doubles progression free survival in Hodgkin lymphoma A phase 3 trial of brentuximab vedotin (BV), the first new drug for Hodgkin lymphoma in over 30 years, shows that adults with hard-to-treat Hodgkin lymphoma given BV immediately after stem cell transplant survived without the disease progressing for twice as long as those given placebo (43 months vs 24 months).
	Bill Gates calls for 'germ games' instead of war games Bill Gates opened a mock Ebola field hospital at the prestigious TED Conference as part of a call to be battle-ready for a deadly global epidemic.
New insight into tackling poor oral health in children around the globe A new research project from the University of Copenhagen has established an effective model for the fight against the escalating burden of tooth decay among children in Asia. The model is an important tool in breaking the social inequity in oral health of children.
Excessive vitamin intake in pregnant rats impacts food choices in offspring A research group at the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine has been using a rat model to see how maternal intake of above-requirement vitamins (A, D, E, and K) impact offspring's brain development and behaviour. Some of their findings were published today in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.
Breast implants could become safer thanks to cell-friendly surface Scientists at The University of Manchester have created an enhanced surface for silicone breast implants which could reduce complications and make them less likely to be rejected by the body.
	Researchers find towels to be a top source of cross contamination within the kitchen Although only 9 percent of reported foodborne illness outbreaks occur in the home, scientists estimate the actual number of incidents is much higher. Research shows a leading cause of cross contamination within the home is actually an object associated with cleaning, the kitchen towel.
	New study suggests connection between body temperature and obesity A new study suggests that a biological inability to create sufficient core body heat could be linked to the obesity epidemic. "Evidence of a diurnal thermogenic handicap in obesity" is featured in this year's second issue of Chronobiology International.
Depressive thoughts may have a negative effect on working memory A new study in the journal Cognition and Emotion illustrates the link between reduced working memory capacity and dysphoria, a significant and prolonged depressed mood related to clinical depression.
Migrant dentists contribute to brain drain for developing and poorer countries Dentists migrate to Australia seeking "better opportunities" and "adventure" but they also contribute towards brain drain for developing and poorer countries.
	Controlling stress responses Think finals are stressful? Try being chased by a lion.
	Examining water-borne parasites that cause intestinal schistosomiasis Water is essential for life on Earth. It is crucial for environmental and human health, necessary for food and energy security, and indispensable for continued urbanization and industry. One in nine people lacks access to safe water, but what does this mean?
	Measuring health care When Oregon voted in 2008 to use a lottery to determine which low-income adults to add to its Medicaid rolls, Stephen Colbert mocked the effort as "gambling for health insurance."
	Research team defines genetic subtypes of asthma A Yale-led analysis of gene expression in asthma patients identified three major clusters of the disease. The finding could lead to a personalized approach to asthma management.
Med student finds link between weight gain after HIV treatment and mortality Bianca Yuh, a third-year student at Yale School of Medicine, spent last summer working on her thesis with the Veterans Aging Cohort Study, a key source of data on HIV-infected veterans. She was interested in investigating factors that determine positive and negative outcomes for older people with HIV infection after they receive treatment. Her findings, published March 11 in Clinical Infectious Diseases, suggest an easy intervention that requires no additional medication or diagnostic evaluation.
Pediatrician gives tips for dealing with diaper rash Diaper rash may not be a serious condition, but it can be extremely painful. It is common and causes concern for many parents trying to comfort their child.
Spinal cord neurons that control pain and itch The spinal cord transmits pain signals to the brain, where they are consciously perceived. But not all the impulses arrive at their destination: Certain neurons act as checkpoints and determine whether a pain signal is relayed or not. Researchers from UZH identified these neurons and their connections. Moreover, they developed means to specifically activate these neurons, which reduces not only pain – but astonishingly also alleviates itch.
	Scientists trace genomic evolution of high-risk leukemia By genomic sequencing of leukemia cells from relapsed patients at different stages, scientists have discovered key details of how acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells mutate to survive chemotherapy. These mutations enable the cells to proliferate, causing relapse and often death.
New hopes for rheumatic fever vaccination A new vaccine to combat the debilitating disease caused by rheumatic fever may soon become a reality, saving hundreds of thousands of deaths from preventable heart disease around the world each year.
Pneumococcal vaccine success in New Zealand children Infectious disease experts are this week calling New Zealand's pneumococcal vaccination schedule an unequivocal success.
	Chemical advance supports treatment Alzheimer's disease Researchers at the University of Liverpool and Victoria University of Wellington have made a significant step forward in the search for a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
	Are doctors following best practice when prescribing antipsychotic meds to kids? There's been a lot of attention in the media about the number of children taking antipsychotic and other psychiatric medications. The assumption behind most of these stories is that these drugs are being overprescribed, and given to children with minor behavioral issues. A recent story in a European newspaper about the increased use of ADHD medications, for example, was headlined "Zombie Generation." Yet the reality is there's very little data to tell us the degree to which these medications are being used appropriately or not.
World-first cancer drugs could work in larger group of patients A pioneering class of drugs that target cancers with mutations in the BRCA breast cancer genes could also work against tumours with another type of genetic fault, a new study suggests.
	Kidney cancer detected early with urine test If kidney cancer is diagnosed early—before it spreads—80 percent of patients survive. However, finding it early has been among the disease's greatest challenges.
Effect of smoking, alcohol on feeding tube duration in head/neck cancer patients Current smoking and heavy alcohol consumption appear to be risk factors for prolonged use of a gastrostomy tube (GT, feeding tube) in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, according to a report published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Racial, ethnic differences in picking surgeons, hospitals for breast cancer care Black and Hispanic women with breast cancer were less likely to pick their surgeon and the hospital for treatment based on reputation compared with white women, suggesting minority patients may rely more on physician referrals and health plans in those decisions, according to a study published online by JAMA Oncology.
	Vitamin D helps immune cells prevent atherosclerosis and diabetes In recent years, a deficiency of vitamin D has been linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, two illnesses that commonly occur together and are the most common cause of illness and death in Western countries. Both disorders are rooted in chronic inflammation, which leads to insulin resistance and the buildup of artery-clogging plaque.
	Chromosome shattering may be a hidden cause of birth defects The human genome can be very forgiving. When children inherit chromosomes from their parents, some minor genetic changes frequently occur with few, if any, consequences. One exception, as researchers report in the March 19 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, is chromosomal shattering, termed chromothripsis, which the authors found in healthy mothers who had each given birth to a severely affected child. The findings could have important implications for genetic testing and issues related to infertility.
Medical expansion has led people worldwide to feel less healthy Across much of the Western world, 25 years of expansion of the medical system has actually led to people feeling less healthy over time, a new study has found.
What effect does music TV have on the sexual behavior of teenage boys and girls? There is no doubt that teenage boys and girls are swayed and shaped by music TV. For example, sexually active youth of both genders, after watching music TV, think their peers are sexually active, too. Moreover, when girls and boys perceive males in music videos as being sexually active, it makes boys watch more music TV, and girls watch less. These are some of the surprising findings from a study conducted at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, published in Springer's journal Sex Roles. The results question the frequently reported blanket influence of the mass media on teenagers' sexual behavior.
	Using tablets to screen new, expecting moms for perinatal depression Pregnant women and new mothers at one central Illinois public health clinic will soon receive depression screenings using mobile health - also called mHealth - technology.
Water pipes can be more harmful than cigarettes: experts World health experts warned Thursday that smoking water pipes, long popular in the Middle East and North Africa and with a growing fan base elsewhere, can be more harmful than cigarettes.
	Cancer therapy 'tumor sanctuaries' and the breeding ground of resistance Tumors acquiring resistance is one of the major barriers to successful cancer therapy. Feng Fu, Sebastian Bonhoeffer (ETH Zurich) and their collaborator Martin Nowak (Harvard) use mathematical models to characterize how important aspects of tumor microenvironment can impair the efficacy of targeted cancer therapies.
	The dissemination of staph infections in hospitals Wireless sensors recording human interactions explain the transmission of germs, such as MRSA, in hospitals, according to research by Thomas Obadia and colleagues.
Fewer multiple births could reduce autism risk in ART children In a paper published online today, scientists report that the incidence of diagnosed autism was twice as high for assisted reproductive technology (ART) as non-ART births among the nearly 6 million children in their study, born in California from 1997 through 2007. However, much of the association between ART and autism was explained by age and education of the mother as well as adverse perinatal outcomes, especially multiple births. After accounting for these factors, the study showed an elevated risk only for mothers ages 20-34.
	Total body iron balance: Liver MRI better than biopsy Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have demonstrated that MR imaging of the liver is more accurate than liver biopsy in determining total body iron balance in patients with sickle cell disease and other disorders requiring blood transfusion therapy. This discovery follows the researchers earlier work in pioneering techniques to use MRI to noninvasively measure liver iron. Their study has been published online in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Study finds being near greened vacant lots lowers heart rates Greening vacant lots may be associated with biologic reductions in stress, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Residents who walked near newly greened vacant lots had significantly lower heart rates compared to walking near a blighted, or neglected, vacant lot.
	Slowed growth could signal Crohn's disease in kids (HealthDay)—A lag in growth could be a sign that a child might suffer from undiagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn's disease, one pediatric doctor says.
	Joblessness triples odds for depression in young adults (HealthDay)—Unemployed young adults have three times the risk of depression compared to their employed peers, a new study finds.
	Strength training may cut type 2 diabetes risk in Asian workers (HealthDay)—Strength training may help cut the risk of incident type 2 diabetes in a working-age Asian population, according to a study published online March 2 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
	In-clinic health coaching improves cardiometabolic health (HealthDay)—Health coaching by medical assistants can help improve hemoglobin A1c and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol control, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
	Patient status at ICU discharge, not timing, predicts survival (HealthDay)—For patients discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU), patient status, particularly the presence of limitations of medical therapy (LOMT) orders, strongly predicts mortality, according to a study published online March 2 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Higher fitness level tied to lower diabetes risk (HealthDay)—Higher cardio-respiratory fitness is associated with a lower risk of incident diabetes, regardless of demographic characteristics, according to a study published online March 12 in Diabetes Care.
	New assessment tool helps predict risk of cognitive decline (HealthDay)—A new assessment tool may be able to predict risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults, according to a study published online March 18 in Neurology.
	CDC: Patients frequently choose ERs further from home (HealthDay)—Less than half of all emergency department visits occur at the emergency department closest to a patient's home, according to a March data brief published by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Expert urges action to eradicate yaws, tropical disease Half a century ago, a concentrated global effort nearly wiped a disfiguring tropical disease from the face of the earth. Now, says Case Western Reserve's James W. Kazura, MD, it's time to complete the work.
Live donor liver transplantation found safe and effective for acute liver failure When patients develop acute liver failure, severe complications arise rapidly after the first signs of liver disease, and patients' health can deteriorate rapidly. New research published in the American Journal of Transplantation indicates that emergency evaluations of living liver donors can be conducted safely to allow acute liver failure patients to undergo transplantation before their condition worsens.
New tobacco atlas details scale, harms of tobacco epidemic The Tobacco Atlas, Fifth Edition ("The Atlas"), and its companion mobile app and website TobaccoAtlas.org, were unveiled today by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation at the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. The Atlas graphically details the scale of the tobacco epidemic; the harmful influence of tobacco on health, poverty, social justice, and the environment; the progress being made in tobacco control; and the latest products and tactics being used by the industry to protect its profits and delay and derail tobacco control.
	Poll: Public unaware Obama's health law is again in jeopardy With a decision due by summer in a Supreme Court case that could unravel President Barack Obama's health care law, a new poll finds many Americans have heard nothing about the case.
	Study uncovers predictors of chronic kidney disease worsening in children and adolescents Study results published today in the National Kidney Foundation's American Journal of Kidney Diseases provide new insights into why a child's chronic kidney disease (CKD) may worsen to kidney failure. Among nearly 500 children and adolescents with mild to moderate CKD, researchers identified factors, such as high blood pressure, protein loss from the kidneys, and anemia, that predicted disease worsening but that could be treated to ideally change the course of the disease. Pediatric nephrologist Bradley Warady, MD, of Children's Mercy Kansas City is a co-Principal Investigator of the NIH-funded Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study, the largest study of its kind ever conducted in North America.
Stress, anxiety and depression among custodial grandparents New research published in Journal of Family Studies this month reveals that grandparents who care for grandchildren with abnormal emotional and hyperactive symptoms are more likely to experience lower levels of life satisfaction.
Insuring undocumented residents could help solve multiple US health care challenges Latinos are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States, and it's expected that by 2050 they will comprise almost 30 percent of the U.S. population. Yet they are also the most underserved by health care and health insurance providers.
	Mechanobiology provides insight into disease and healing processes Researchers in Singapore are gaining further insight into how the mechanical environment of cells drives fundamental cellular processes such as motility, growth and survival. These processes are integral to many clinical challenges, from cancer prognosis to wound healing and skin repair.
Text message reminders boost breast cancer screening attendance Women who received a text message reminding them about their breast cancer screening appointment were 20 per cent more likely to attend than those who were not texted, according to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Thursday).
	New knowledge strengthens risk assessment of chemical cocktails in food Denmark's largest research project on chemical cocktail effects in food, spearheaded by the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, has just been completed. It has established that even small doses of chemicals can have significant negative effects if they are present together. A reliable method for calculating the effects of chemical cocktails has been developed in the project. The project has also shown a need for limiting the Danish population's exposure to certain substances.
High rate of strep bacteria bugging kiwi kids More than half of healthy New Zealand pre-school children are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus, and one in six hosts Streptococcus pyogenes in their nostrils, throat or crook of the arm, according to new research from the Growing Up in New Zealand study.
New research investigates potential probiotic benefits of a pear-enriched diet A new in vitro (test tube) study, "Dietary functional benefits of Bartlett and Starkrimson pears for potential management of hyperglycemia, hypertension and ulcer bacteria Helicobacter pylori while supporting beneficial probiotic bacterial response," was published in the March issue of Food Research International.
Ebola-hit Sierra Leone to lock down 2.5 million people (Update) Sierra Leone said Thursday it will confine around 2.5 million people to their homes across the capital and in the north in a three-day shutdown aimed at stemming the Ebola epidemic.
	MDC researchers uncover regulatory network in the kidney The kidney carries out vital functions by continuously filtering the blood and excreting waste products into the urine. This is achieved by a complex system of tubules which transports the urine and regulates its composition. PhD student Annekatrin Aue, Dr. Christian Hinze and Professor Kai Schmidt-Ott of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) have now discovered how parts of these kidney tubules establish an inner space (lumen) and form a tight barrier against adjacent structures. The epithelial cells which line the tubules coordinate these processes through a novel molecular signaling pathway.
Researchers tweak the immune system to target cells bearing tumor antigens Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Berlin-Buch, have succeeded in generating cells of the immune system to specifically target and destroy cancer cells. The research findings of Matthias Obenaus, Professor Thomas Blankenstein (MDC and Charité), Dr. Matthias Leisegang (MDC) and Professor Wolfgang Uckert (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and MDC) as well as Professor Dolores Schendel (Medigene AG, Planegg/Martinsried) have now been published in Nature Biotechnology online.
Physician practices need help to adopt new payment models, study finds Physician practices are engaging in new health care payment models intended to improve quality and reduce costs, but are finding that they need help with successfully managing increasing amounts of data and figuring out how to respond to the diversity of programs and quality metrics from different payers, according to a new joint study by the RAND Corporation and the American Medical Association.
Impact of parents' military deployment on children's safety and mental health A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that following military parents' return from combat deployment, their children show increased visits for mental healthcare, physical injury, and child maltreatment consults, compared to children whose parents have not been deployed. The same types of healthcare visits were also found to be significantly higher for children of combat-injured parents.
Researchers find topical TXA in total joint replacement lowers blood transfusion use Orthopedic surgeons from The Miriam Hospital have conducted a cost-benefit analysis of topical tranexamic acid (TXA) in primary total hip and knee arthroplasty patients that revealed a 12 percent transfusion rate reduction - from 17.5 percent to 5.5 percent - with no significant difference in complication rates. In addition to reducing the risk for postoperative bleeding and transfusion following total joint replacement, use of topical TXA enabled approximately 9.3 percent more patients to be discharged to home rather than to a skilled nursing facility. The study and its findings have been published in print in The Journal of Arthroplasty.
Immigrants are usually in better health than native Canadians... at least when they arrive Research has shown that the health of immigrants is generally better than that of citizens of their host country, at least on their arrival and for some time afterwards. But a team of researchers in Montreal has found that this is not true of all groups of immigrants; children and older people, for example, may be exceptions.
New PET image analysis technique tracks amyloid changes with greater power Researchers from Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI) have developed a new brain image analysis method to better track the progression of beta-amyloid plaque deposition, a characteristic brain abnormality in Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Investigators also believe this new approach may make it easier to evaluate investigational anti-amyloid treatments in clinical trials.
S.Africa HIV+ women forced to sterilise: rights groups Doctors at some public hospitals in South Africa have allegedly coerced dozens of HIV-positive women to undergo sterilisation over the past three decades, rights groups said Thursday.
Campaign hopes for Tasmanian tobacco-free generation law Campaigners for a proposed law to ban tobacco sales to anyone born after 2000 said Thursday they were hopeful the bill will be adopted by an Australian state's parliament next week.
Study reports excellent outcomes among HIV+ kidney transplant recipients HIV+ kidney transplant recipients who are not infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) have similar kidney and patient survival rates as HIV- recipients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings suggest that excellent outcomes can be achieved among HIV+ kidney transplant recipients.
	ACC releases latest training recs for cardiology fellows (HealthDay)—The newest iteration of the Core Cardiovascular Training Statement, COCATS 4, updating training recommendations for cardiovascular fellows, has been released by the American College of Cardiology.
Officials urge meningitis shots at University of Oregon Public health officials issued a plea to parents of University of Oregon students to get their children vaccinated against meningitis after a sixth student has been found infected with the bacteria that can cause the potentially fatal disease.
Streamlined 'military' work flow means more patient appointments and fewer return visits Both patients and physicians may benefit from a "work flow" system developed at military medical facilities and tested at a Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center clinic, according to results of an efficiency study.

Other Sciences news

	Crocodile ancestor was top predator before dinosaurs roamed North America A newly discovered crocodilian ancestor may have filled one of North America's top predator roles before dinosaurs arrived on the continent. Carnufex carolinensis, or the "Carolina Butcher," was a 9-foot long, land-dwelling crocodylomorph that walked on its hind legs and likely preyed upon smaller inhabitants of North Carolina ecosystems such as armored reptiles and early mammal relatives.
	Interpersonal trust erodes over time in the online world, experts say When people interact in an Internet community, they experience higher levels of trust initially. But as time passes and more information comes to light about other users, they are more wary, according to new Stanford research.
	Prehistoric stone tools bear 500,000-year-old animal residue Some 2.5 million years ago, early humans survived on a paltry diet of plants. As the human brain expanded, however, it required more substantial nourishment - namely fat and meat - to sustain it. This drove prehistoric man, who lacked the requisite claws and sharp teeth of carnivores, to develop the skills and tools necessary to hunt animals and butcher fat and meat from large carcasses.
	The first European sea turtles became extinct due to changing sea levels Little is known about the oldest sea turtles that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. The finding in the Baetic Cordillera, in Jaén, of the remains of a supposed new species of turtle, Hispaniachelys prebetica—considered the oldest in southern Europe—brought new clues six years ago. However, it was still not clear what group the primitive turtle belonged to.
Kindergarten and crime: What's the link? Children who are older when they start kindergarten do well in the short term, academically and socially. But as teenagers, these old-for-grade students are more likely to drop out and commit serious crimes, says new research from Duke University.
	Lack of knowledge about new foreign markets hampers international success Lack of insight into the culture and regulations of other countries is a great obstacle for companies trying to enter new international markets. These are the results of a new study, which establishes that companies may benefit from e.g. hiring employees with knowledge about the new market.
	Economists count true business costs of climate change A new report, prepared with researchers in our Department of Economics for leading social housing provider Aster Group, urges businesses to consider the true financial costs of climate change in order to better plan for extreme weather events.
Measuring student engagement could help teachers, administrators adapt strategies Educators believe that student engagement in the classroom is crucial to learning and that it can increase achievement and enrollment in challenging courses while decreasing dropout rates. Until recently, teachers and administrators lacked tools to measure the engagement levels of their students in the classroom. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has developed a scale that quantifies student engagement and could help educators identify barriers to student participation and increase levels of student involvement and learning.

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