Fwd: Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Apr 15

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Thu, Apr 16, 2015 at 4:07 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Apr 15
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

The Phys.org team would like to share a valuable resource from this month's content sponsor, COMSOL.

Join COMSOL for their free webinar "Simulation of Electrokinetic Phenomena in Microfluidics" and learn how to simulation microfluidics problems using COMSOL Multiphsyics. Register here: http://goo.gl/Vk3lgE

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Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 15, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Quantum Criticality in life's proteins (Update)
- Potential signs of 'interacting' dark matter suggest it is not completely dark after all
- 'Robobarista' can figure out your new coffee machine
- Tumor-only genetic sequencing may misguide cancer treatment in nearly half of all patients
- BPA exposure affects fertility in next three generations of mice
- New method uses patent data to estimate a technology's future rate of improvement
- Nanotubes with two walls have singular qualities
- Chimps in Senegal found to fashion spears for hunting
- Engineering team invents a camera that powers itself
- How oxytocin makes a mom: Hormone teaches maternal brain to respond to offspring's needs
- Researchers can trace dust samples using fungal DNA
- Scientists develop new technique that reduces halo effect caused by lenses
- Cobalt film a clean-fuel find
- Julius Caesar may have suffered mini-strokes, study finds
- Light in a spin: Researchers demonstrate angular accelerating light

Nanotechnology news

	Nanotubes with two walls have singular qualities Rice University researchers have determined that two walls are better than one when turning carbon nanotubes into materials like strong, conductive fibers or transistors.
	New method to engineer surfaces along multiple directions in a nanowire Nanoscale one-dimensional nanostructures (i.e. nanowires) offer vast opportunities in photovoltaics and photonics due to their exceptional optical and electrical properties, which are entirely tunable by varying their architectures. Unfortunately, current synthetic limitations have hindered the range of studies and devices that can be made with such structures.
Lanthanide-organic framework nanothermometers prepared by spray-drying A work in Advanced Functional Materials shows how MOF nanoparticles prepared with spray-drying and containing lanthanide metals may be used as nanothermometers operative over a wide range of temperatures, including in the cryogenic range.
	Method for creating high-quality two-dimensional materials could enable industrial-scale production Two-dimensional materials have a whole host of exotic properties because they are just one atom thick. A*STAR researchers have now developed a method for creating large areas of atom-thin material for use in electronic devices.
	Green tea as a therapeutic delivery system for anticancer drugs The humble cup of tea has long been regarded as a cure-all for the hustle and bustle of modern life. Now, researchers from the A*STAR Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have identified another benefit of tea—they have successfully used a major component of green tea, a catechin derivative, as the basis for a delivery system for anticancer drugs.

Physics news

	Quantum Criticality in life's proteins (Update) (Phys.org)—Stuart Kauffman, from the University of Calgary, and several of his colleagues have recently published a paper on the Arxiv server titled 'Quantum Criticality at the Origins of Life'. The idea of a quantum criticality, and more generally quantum critical states, comes perhaps not surprisingly, from solid state physics. It describes unusual electronic states that are are balanced somewhere between conduction and insulation. More specifically, under certain conditions, current flow at the critical point becomes unpredictable. When it does flow, it tends to do so in avalanches that vary by several orders of magnitude in size.
Quantum cryptography at the speed of light: Researchers design first all-photonic repeaters Imagine having your MRI results sent directly to your phone, with no concern over the security of your private health data. Or knowing your financial information was safe on a server halfway around the world. Or sending highly sensitive business correspondence, without worrying that it would fall into the wrong hands.
	Physicists tune Large Hadron Collider to find 'sweet spot' in high-energy proton smasher Start up of the world's largest science experiment is underway—with protons traveling in opposite directions at almost the speed of light in the deep underground tunnel called the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva.
	Light in a spin: Researchers demonstrate angular accelerating light Light must travel in a straight line and at a constant speed, or so the laws of nature suggest. Now, researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg have demonstrated that laser light traveling along a helical path through space, can accelerate and decelerate as it spins into the distance.
Scientists develop new technique that reduces halo effect caused by lenses In a recent study published in Optics Communications, scientists from Bar-Ilan University in Israel have presented a new technique that significantly reduces the halo effect that is generated when using multifocal (contact and intra-ocular) lenses and looking at bright point sources in dark conditions.
	Physics community to discuss latest results of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) collaboration will present today the latest results in its quest to understand the origin of cosmic rays and dark matter. These intriguing results will be shared and discussed during the "AMS days" starting today at CERN, with many of the world's leading theoretical physicists and principal investigators of some of the major experiments exploring the field of cosmic-ray physics. The main objective of this scientific exchange is to understand the interrelation between AMS results and those of other major cosmic-ray experiments and current theories.
	30 years and counting, the X-ray laser lives on More than 50 years ago, when the laser was a mere 5 years old, laser physicists dreamed of the development of an X-ray laser to expand the frontier of knowledge.
Accurately counting ions from laboratory radiation exposure Thermoluminescence is used extensively in archaeology and the earth sciences to date artifacts and rocks. When exposed to radiation, quartz emits light proportional to the energy it absorbs. Replicating the very low dose of background radiation from natural sources present in quartz is a key precondition for precise and accurate dating results. Italian scientists have now developed a method to control the accuracy of the dose calibrations delivered to the samples during laboratory irradiation with heavy particles, replicating natural radiation exposure.
	Combined effort for structural determination Combining powder diffraction data with electron crystallography can give us a clearer view of modulated structures.

Earth news

	Iceberg armadas not the cause of North Atlantic cooling Armadas of icebergs were probably not the cause of abrupt episodes of cooling in the North Atlantic over the past 440,000 years, according to new research published today in Nature.
	Wind bursts strongly affect El Nino severity The long-forecasted El Niño event of 2014/15 did not meet expectations. On March 5, 2015, the National Weather Service finally declared a "weak" event arriving several months later than expected, formally dashing predictions that we would see a major event on par with the monster El Niño of 1997/98 that would bring much-needed rain to California and other western states. Now, a team of researchers believes that they know why this year's event—and others like it—didn't live up to the hype.
	Cold snaps linger despite climate change Keep a winter coat and mittens handy. A new climate analysis from scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Reading (UK) found that under climate warming, cold air outbreaks, or CAOs, are projected to continue over North America but less frequently. In a geographic swath stretching from Alaska and southwestern Canada to the northwestern and mid-western United States, the top five coldest historical events may still happen. Indeed, as humans, ecosystems, and societal infrastructures adapt to an average warmer climate, these findings show continued future challenges in coping with extreme cold events.
	In a melting Iceland, drilling deep to stem climate change Tiny Iceland is a prime exemplar of the complexities wrought by warming climate. It is 11 percent covered by ice, but it is basically also one very large, very active volcanic system. The island has seen fast-increasing temperatures since the 1970s, and glaciers–a big source of tourism and runoff for hydropower–are visibly receding.
	Inshore corals prove resilient to sediments Inshore corals may be better able to cope with natural and human-induced sediment resuspension events than previously thought, according to a local researcher.
	Dwindling bird populations in Fukushima This is the time of year when birds come out and really spread their wings, but since a disastrous day just before spring's arrival four years ago, Japan's Fukushima province has not been friendly to the feathered. And as several recent papers from University of South Carolina biologist Tim Mousseau and colleagues show, the avian situation there is just getting worse.
	New method relates Greenland ice sheet changes to sea-level rise Climate models are not yet able to include full models of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and to dynamically simulate how ice sheet changes influence sea level. Early schemes failed to accurately account for both mass increase due to snowfall and mass loss due to snow melt. These increases and losses depend on ice sheet elevation and region. A new method that includes the effects of elevation and region was developed using a detailed regional model of the Greenland ice sheet.
	In parched California, Beverly Hills may go greener by going brown With its lush shrubs and manicured lawns, posh Beverly Hills is being shoved somewhere it's never been—pinched by deepening drought, mandatory cuts and now potential fines. Even its mega-rich have had to shut the spigot, under fire for over-watering.
	Water consumption transparency of the 75 largest companies in the Netherlands Researchers from the University of Twente have developed a ranking for the transparency of the use of water by the 75 largest listed companies in the Netherlands. The list is headed by Heineken. Such a list did not previously exist. Water professor Arjen Hoekstra indicates that transparency with respect to water consumption is still in its infancy. At the same time, he notices that large companies are increasingly paying attention to water problems.
Deepwater Horizon catastrophe continues to plague Gulf Coast communities Five years after the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, communities along the Gulf of Mexico continue to struggle with the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to University of Florida researchers engaged in a series of projects funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Optimal substrate moisture content determined for high-quality bedding plants The bedding plants sold in retail outlets are typically grown in greenhouse production environments where professionals can monitor irrigation, light, and temperature. When the greenhouse-grown plants reach the retail market, however, they are often subjected to a range of less-than-ideal light levels, temperatures, and irrigation schedules that can be detrimental to plant quality and vigor. Researchers are looking for ways to increase bedding plants' shelf life to offset the negative impacts of postharvest handling.
Select groundcover management systems found viable for organically managed apple orchard Determining and implementing orchard management practices that can improve soil organic matter is one of the primary goals of the USDA's National Organic Program. For producers in the southeastern United States, where interest in small-scale and organically managed orchards is growing, the challenge can be finding combinations of groundcover management systems and organic nutrient sources that can simultaneously improve soil quality. A new research study provides producers in the region with valuable information about effective organic orchard management practices in the Ozarks Highland and similar regions.
	New evidence adds the Capitanian extinction to the list of major extinction crises Since the Cambrian Explosion, ecosystems have suffered repeated mass extinctions, with the "Big 5" crises being the most prominent. Twenty years ago, a sixth major extinction was recognized in the Middle Permian (262 million years ago) of China, when paleontologists teased apart losses from the "Great Dying" at the end of the period. Until now, this Capitanian extinction was known only from equatorial settings, and its status as a global crisis was controversial.
	Oil spill leaves half million Mexicans without water Authorities in southern Mexico scrambled Wednesday to restore potable water to more than half a million people after rivers were contaminated when thieves punctured an oil pipeline.

Astronomy & Space news

	Potential signs of 'interacting' dark matter suggest it is not completely dark after all Astronomers believe they might have observed the first potential signs of dark matter interacting with a force other than gravity.
	Pluto, now blurry, will become clear with NASA flyby The best picture we have of Pluto is a blurry, pixelated blob, but that is about to change when a NASA spacecraft makes the first-ever flyby of the dwarf planet.
	Icy tendrils reaching into Saturn ring traced to their source Long, sinuous, tendril-like structures seen in the vicinity of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus originate directly from geysers erupting from its surface, according to scientists studying images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
Astronaut Hadfield to release first space album Astronaut Chris Hadfield is taking music to intergalactic heights with the first album written and recorded in space.
	Image: Arabidopsis thaliana shoots en route to ISS This microscope image taken at 40 times magnification shows the individual cells that make up the root of an Arabidopsis thaliana plant. Next month, 200 five-day-old shoots will fly a roller-coaster ride on an aircraft to investigate how their cells adapt to altered gravity – from weightlessness to hypergravity.
	Image: Solar arrays on the International Space Station Expedition 43 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) photographed the giant solar arrays on the International Space Station on Feb. 12, 2015.
	LSST lays first stone A new ground-based telescope promises unprecedented information about distant galaxies, nearby asteroids and even the mysterious dark energy that is accelerating the expansion of our universe.
	How do bone cells grow in space? Alvetex Scaffold technology, produced by Durham University spin-out company Reinnervate, allows cells to be grown in three dimensions (3D), overcoming problems with two-dimensional (2D) culture methods and offering a more life-like model of how cells grow in tissues.
	Image: AIM's asteroid lander Engineers recently began the preliminary design of ESA's Asteroid Impact Mission mission concept and are including a lander. If the mission comes to fruition touchdown would occur in late 2022.

Technology news

	Engineering team invents a camera that powers itself A research team led by Shree K. Nayar, T.C. Chang Professor of Computer Science at Columbia Engineering, has invented a prototype video camera that is the first to be fully self-powered—it can produce an image each second, indefinitely, of a well-lit indoor scene. They designed a pixel that can not only measure incident light but also convert the incident light into electric power. The team is presenting its work at the International Conference on Computational Photography at Rice University in Houston, April 24 to 26.
	New method uses patent data to estimate a technology's future rate of improvement How fast is online learning evolving? Are wind turbines a promising investment? And how long before a cheap hoverboard makes it to market?
	'Robobarista' can figure out your new coffee machine In the near future we may have household robots to handle cooking, cleaning and other menial tasks. They will be teachable: Show the robot how to operate your coffee machine, and it will take over from there.
	Investigators warn airplane computers could be hacked The same Internet access now available on most commercial flights makes it possible for hackers to bring down a plane, a government watchdog warned Tuesday.
	Report: Trusted Voice option rolling out for some Smart Lock is arguably the best new feature in Android Lollipop, wrote Droid Life founder "Kellex" in March. With a secure lock screen set, he said, the user gets a number of options in Smart Lock to keep the phone or tablet quickly unlockable when the device is near. Ron Amadeo in Ars Technica similarly said Smart Lock was "one of the more convenient security features added in Android 5.0 Lollipop."
	Car safety system could anticipate driver's mistakes It may be a while yet before we have cars that drive themselves, but in the near future your car may help you drive. In particular, it could warn you when you're about to do something stupid.
	Packing heat: New fluid makes untapped geothermal energy cleaner More American homes could be powered by the earth's natural underground heat with a new, nontoxic and potentially recyclable liquid that is expected to use half as much water as other fluids used to tap into otherwise unreachable geothermal hot spots.
	Space open for business, says Electron launch system CEO Space, like business, is all about time and money, said Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, a US company with a New Zealand subsidiary. The problem, he added, is that, in cost and time, space has remained an incredibly difficult and expensive place to reach. Until now, at least in the world of Rocket Lab.
Reports: Google facing antitrust showdown in Europe (Update) European regulators are poised to file a complaint alleging Google has been abusing its dominance in Internet search to thwart competition and innovation, according to memo that the company sent to its employees Tuesday.
US military not ready to wage digital attack: official The US military is well equipped to defend the country against cyberattacks but is not yet ready to wage digital warfare, a senior defense official told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Culture clash as hip online firm Etsy hits Wall Street Cultures will clash this week as Etsy, the online marketplace known for artisan goods and strong social values, makes its Wall Street debut.
	Nokia aims to become networks giant with Alcatel-Lucent deal Nokia is to buy ailing French telecom company Alcatel-Lucent for around 15.6 billion euros ($16.5 billion) through a public exchange of shares in France and the United States, in a bid that will see the newly created company become a leading global networks operator.
	TechBits: Analyzing medical data, breaking smartphones Your smartphone could be a valuable tool for medical research—and for treating a variety of ailments.
	Review: Adobe PDF tool is great, but casual users won't need No doubt you've run across your share of PDF documents in your work and personal life. Adobe's Portable Document Format has become a common way to publish newsletters, instruction manuals and even tax forms. Creating your own PDF document is easy, with features built into major Web browsers and Apple's Mac system, or available through an array of free Windows apps.
	Students work to ease the pain of needle injections If the Rice University freshman engineering design team Comfortably Numb has it their way, children will be less fearful and feel less pain when they go to the doctor's office for a shot.
	EU raises stakes in Google battle with antitrust charges The European Union charged Google on Wednesday with abusing its overwhelming dominance in Internet searches and opened a probe into its Android mobile system, massively raising the stakes in the five-year antitrust battle.
	China's Ninebot buys US scooter firm Segway (Update) A Chinese manufacturer of self-balancing two-wheeled scooters has bought Segway, only months after its US rival filed a complaint alleging it had copied its designs.
	Air bubbles could keep rivers open for shipping Researchers at EPFL have shown how air bubbles could keep sediments from obstructing bends in river waterways such as the Rhine River, which has to be dredged regularly to stay open for freight ships.
	How children view privacy differently from adults Have you seen the how-to video of a teenage girl styling her hair that went disastrously wrong? She was obviously very disturbed by what happened, yet still uploaded the footage onto YouTube. Do you think a 45 or 50 year-old would upload an equivalent video of themselves?
	Roar of China's 'Great Cannon' heard across the internet China has once again surprised researchers by unleashing what has been dubbed its "Great Cannon" – a cyber weapon that has in recent weeks brought down several websites including the Github software code repository and GreatFire, an activist group working against censorship in China.
	Good vibrations slash waste treatment costs Shake, rattle and roll has slashed costs and reduced waste volumes at the Wanneroo Groundwater Treatment Plant.
	Researchers test power network with pizza ovens How much load can the electricity network really take? That was the key question during a special test in Lochem, The Netherlands, last week, in which researchers from the University of Twente participated. Twenty residents were assigned the task to bake a pizza in their electric oven, while the electric car was charging in the driveway. The network became overloaded after an hour and there was a power outage in part of the network.
	Using composite material samples, NRL scientists predict aspects of F/A-18 performance The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has built a robot to pull, bend, and twist samples of the composite materials used to build F/A-18s and other aircraft. Dr. John Michopoulos leads the project. With a machine that can, as he says, "Measure so much more than anybody else," and some very advanced math, he can "create a theory that is consistent with all these experiments that we made, and works for all scales." He predicts how the materials will perform when made into large structures and used over many years.
	EU charges Google with market abuse, to probe Android The EU on Wednesday formally charged US Internet giant Google with abusing its search engine's dominance and launched a sensitive probe into its omnipresent Android mobile phone operating system.
	France's ride-share site BlaBlaCar buys European rivals French website BlaBlaCar said Wednesday it was swallowing up its German and Hungarian rivals, cementing its spot as Europe's king of ride-sharing as more and more cash-strapped travellers look to share car journeys.
	Public trust in the Web 'eroded' says global cyber commission The public's trust in the Internet has been severely eroded by a cloak-and-dagger approach to collecting private data online leaving it open to abuse, the Global Commission on Internet Governance said on Wednesday.
	College kids text on dates, in shower, at funerals: survey Many college students send or receive text messages more than 100 times each day and at the most inappropriate times and places, a new study finds.
	Hackers make off with data on 100,000 French state TV contacts Hackers bypassed insufficient safeguards to make off with data on 100,000 contacts held on French state TV computers, broadcasters said Wednesday.
	Zuckerberg sees 'wild' future for virtual reality Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg sees a wild future in store for virtual reality.
US CEO cuts salary to boost employee pay to $70,000 One startup founder is making his own effort to respond to the issue of income inequality—cutting his own pay while seriously boosting that of his employees.
	Buying a Paris to Berlin ticket: what Google really offers When typing "airline ticket Paris Berlin" into Google's search engine, users may think they will get a pertinent selection of offers from airline companies, but in reality the results are ranked by Google—something for which it is now being pursued by the EU for abusing its market power.
	EU action on Google marks divergence with Washington The EU antitrust complaint filed Wednesday against Google represents a sharp divergence with Washington, which dropped a similar investigation two years ago, citing a lack of evidence against the Internet giant.
	Netflix membership surges past 60 million Netflix on Wednesday reported an unprecedented jump in subscribers in the first quarter of this year, pushing the streaming television service membership above 60 million.
Germanwings crash could prompt remote override tech review The head of Germany's air traffic control agency says the crash of a Germanwings jet in France last month raises the question of whether technology should be put in place allowing authorities on the ground to take control of a plane and remotely land it.
	EU alleges Google's abuses hurt consumers, innovation The European Union's escalating legal attack on Google is likely to ignite a debate about whether the Internet search leader makes life more convenient for consumers or abuses its power to squeeze out rivals who might have something better to offer.
	Pope's iPad fetches $30,500 at auction An iPad that belonged to Argentina-born Pope Francis went under the hammer for $30,500 on Tuesday, auctioneers in Uruguay said.
	'Game of Thrones' hit by piracy from Twitter-owned app users HBO's "Game of Thrones" has the dubious honor of being popular with both pirates and viewers.
	Fast, efficient switching – thanks to HiPoSwitch Electrical power comes out of wall sockets, of course. But hardly any electronic device can take normal line voltage. Computers, smartphones, LEDs, and chargers, for instance, cannot use electrical energy in that form – the line voltage must be converted from AC to DC. The reverse conversion (DC to AC) is also commonly used, such as in solar panel inverters. Power converters use power transistor switches as key components to accomplish this. Lightning-fast semiconductor switches able to operate these kinds of converters more efficiently have now been developed in the recently completed EU group project called HiPoSwitch. Eight European institutional and industrial project partners led by the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik (FBH) have successfully developed prototype power transistors that use gallium nitride (GaN) in enhancement mode.
Securing a public safety broadband network with identity management The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), is building a nationwide public safety broadband network to provide first responders with access to 21st century communication technology that improves safety and security. But how do you make sure the network only helps the good guys? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published an analysis of how a public safety broadband network can be secured so that only approved first responders and public safety personnel can access it.
Method for printing memory circuits directly VTT has developed a method for printing memory circuits directly, e.g. onto consumer packaging. Because the required production technology is quite simple, no major investments are required.
	Analysis of mobile phone data applied to economic and social problems Esteban Moro is a tenured associate professor in the Mathematics Department of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). Specializing in viral marketing and social networks, among other areas of interest, he is one of the organizers of NetMob 2015, along with researchers from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium); NetMob is the most important congress in the world on the scientific analysis of mobile phone data and its application to economic and social problems. It was held April 7 – 10 at the MIT Media Lab (Cambridge, USA).
	Scientists develop a new algorithm which will speed up the process to obtain HDR images Researchers from the Optics Department at the U. of Granada have developed a new algorithm for the capture of high dynamic range (HDR) images which reduces the time of capture or the level of noise in the resulting image. Beyond the field of photography, this new development can also be applied to artificial vision systems, medical imaging, control quality systems in assembly lines, satellite images, vigilance systems and assisted or automatic driving systems for vehicles, etc.
Bubble Wrap owner seals deal for floor cleaning robots Sealed Air Corp. is buying Intellibot Robotics LLC in a move to expand its floor cleaning business.
	At a glance: What the EU says Google is doing wrong The European Union slapped Google Inc. with antitrust charges Wednesday, saying it is abusing its dominance in Web search to promote its own products
Adultery website flirts with British stock market A website devoted to adultery is out to woo investors with a public offering of stock in Britain.

Chemistry news

	New synthetic technology for medicines and fine chemicals A University of Tokyo research group has succeeded in synthesizing (R)- and (S)-rolipram, the active component of a medicine, in high yield with high selectivity by an innovative catalyzed flow fine synthesis instead of the traditional batch method used in the production of 99% of medicines.
	Sensor detects spoiled meat MIT chemists have devised an inexpensive, portable sensor that can detect gases emitted by rotting meat, allowing consumers to determine whether the meat in their grocery store or refrigerator is safe to eat.
	Shape-shifting molecule tricks viruses into mutating themselves to death A newly developed spectroscopy method is helping to clarify the poorly understood molecular process by which an anti-HIV drug induces lethal mutations in the virus' genetic material. The findings from the University of Chicago and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology could bolster efforts to develop the next generation of anti-viral treatments.
	Researchers create 'bio inspired' flame retardants After devising several new and promising "green" flame retardants for furniture padding, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers took a trip to the grocery store and cooked up their best fire-resistant coatings yet. As important, these protective coatings can be made in one straightforward step.
	NMR 'fingerprinting' for monoclonal antibodies National Institute of Standards and Technology researchers at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research have demonstrated the most precise method yet to measure the structural configuration of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), an important factor in determining the safety and efficacy of these biomolecules as medicines. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins manufactured in the laboratory that can target specific disease cells or antigens (proteins that trigger an immune reaction) for removal from the body. The method described in a recent paper may soon help manufacturers and regulators better assess and compare the performance and quality of mAbs.
	Researchers use plant oils for novel bio-based plastics Washington State University researchers have developed a new way to use plant oils like olive and linseed oil to create polyurethane, a plastic material used in everything from foam insulation panels to tires, hoses and sealants.
	Scientists develop mesh that captures oil—but lets water through The unassuming piece of stainless steel mesh in a lab at The Ohio State University doesn't look like a very big deal, but it could make a big difference for future environmental cleanups.
	Cobalt film a clean-fuel find A cobalt-based thin film serves double duty as a new catalyst that produces both hydrogen and oxygen from water to feed fuel cells, according to scientists at Rice University.
Crystal breeding factory uncovered A breakthrough in understanding the way in which crystals develop will have a major impact for the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries.
	Thinking positively: A new way to deliver medicine into cells Just as a scientist dressed in a lab coat and goggles might get stuck behind the velvet rope at a trendy bar, many otherwise good drugs can't get inside cells if they don't look the part. In a report published this week in ACS Central Science, researchers report a new set of molecules that could ferry medicines into cells by taking on the right charge and shape, easily sliding past lipid membranes.
Homeland chemical security The slow implementation of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) in the USA as part of homeland security and anti-terrorism measures is leaving chemical plants vulnerable and putting at risk the safety of American citizens, according to research published in the International Journal of Critical Infrastructures.

Biology news

	Chimps in Senegal found to fashion spears for hunting (Phys.org)—Members of a troop of chimpanzees living at a site called Fongoli in southeastern Senegal have been observed by scientists fashioning tree branches into spears and using them to hunt and kill bushbabies. The researchers, a combined team with members from the U.S. the U.K. and Germany have published their observations and findings in Royal Society Open Science.
	Research details 40 million-year-old family tree of baleen whales New University of Otago research is providing the most comprehensive picture of the evolutionary history of baleen whales, which are not only the largest animals ever to live on earth, but also among the most unusual.
	Bone eating worms dined on marine reptile carcasses A species of bone-eating worm that was believed to have evolved in conjunction with whales has been dated back to prehistoric times when it fed on the carcasses of giant marine reptiles.
	Migrating whale sets distance record A lone female Western North Pacific grey whale has set a record for long-distance migration, according to a study Tuesday.
	Three new species of 'mini-Godzilla' found in Andes Three new species of multi-colored lizards sporting jagged crests that make them look like pint-sized "Godzillas" have been discovered in Ecuador and Peru, highlighting the region's rich biodiversity.
	Female reproductive tract assists swimming sperm In mammalian reproduction, sperm have a tough task: like trout swimming upstream, they must swim against a current through a convoluted female reproductive tract in search of the unfertilized egg.
	Ecologist finds shimmery insects more difficult for bird to catch (Phys.org)—Thomas Pike an ecologist affiliated with both the University of Exeter and the University of Lincoln, both in the U.K. has found that one type of bird has more trouble "catching" a computer generated bug that has a shimmering exterior, than with a plain bug. In his paper published in the journal Biology Letters, he describes his experiments and discusses his conclusions.
	Study shows urban coyotes with mange more likely to make use of anthropogenic resources (Phys.org)—A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Canada has found that coyotes that live in urban areas are more likely to make use of anthropogenic resources if they have mange. In their paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team describes a radio collar study they conducted with the animals and what they learned by doing so.
	Researchers can trace dust samples using fungal DNA Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Colorado, Boulder, have developed a statistical model that allows them to tell where a dust sample came from within the continental United States based on the DNA of fungi found in the sample.
	Discovery of new plant switch could boost crops, biofuel production A team of Michigan State University researchers has discovered a switch that regulates plant photosynthesis - the process that lets plants store solar energy and use it to grow and produce food.
Scientists urge three nations to preserve Borneo wildlife International scientists have urged the three nations who share the Asian island of Borneo to collaborate more closely to save their endangered wildlife and meet development goals.
3-D printing blossoms into powerful new tool for ecologists 3D printing has been used to make everything from cars to medical implants. Now, ecologists are using the technology to make artificial flowers, which they say could revolutionise our understanding of plant-pollinator interactions. Their study involving hawkmoths - a close relative of the species made famous by the film Silence of the Lambs - is published in the British Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology.
	Tutoring for nature: Production of valuable nootkatone with yeast New method allows production of expensive grapefruit aroma Nootkatone biotechnologically from cheap sugar using a 'turbo-yeast.' The versatile, healthy and tasty substance is used in soft drinks, pharmaceutical products or even as an insect repellent.
Frog uses different strategies to escape ground, air predators Frogs may flee from a ground predator and move towards an aerial predator, undercutting the flight path, according to a study using model predators published April 15, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Matthew Bulbert from Macquarie University, Australia and colleagues.
	Study finds pikas may be able to behaviorally buffer against temperature changes Pikas, those furry little mammals that scurry and skitter between rocks at high elevations, are being studied as a model organism for avoiding temperature stress by a pair of University of Wyoming researchers. Pikas may be more resilient than once thought.
	Wild voles' fight against infection could help explain varied immunity The different ways that animals and humans respond to infectious disease could be explained by analysis of the biology and environment of the genetically diverse, wild vole, say researchers at the University of Liverpool.
	Arran reserve reveals marine protection works Last summer, on the Isle of Arran, off the west coast of Scotland, we watched an excited young lad walking down to the water's edge, fishing rod in hand. Sadly, his chances of catching anything were slim to remote.
A beggars banquet—life in a shared nest It's not all bad for crow chicks who have to share their nest with an uninvited pushy guest such as a cuckoo youngster. For one, they can sit back and wait for food to arrive while the cuckoo chick does all the begging for nourishment. So says Diana Bolopo of the University of Valladolid in Spain, who led a study into the pros and cons associated with the parasitic relationship of the great spotted cuckoo with the carrion crow. The findings are published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
	Functional differences within a species ensure its survival and improve the productivity of the whole ecosystem Modern, machine-friendly agriculture is dominated by monocultures. One single cultivar - one genotype of a crop species - is cultivated on large areas. Favored cultivars are optimized for high yields and often contain only few natural plant defense compounds. Unfortunately, these extensive monocultures of identical plants can become an ecological wasteland and cause permanent damage to the ecosystem, especially when combined with blanket application of fertilizer and pesticides. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, demonstrated in field experiments with Nicotiana attenuata plants that it is sufficient to alter the expression of certain defense genes in individual plants to protect the whole population and to alter the diversity of the ecosystem as a whole. (eLife, April 2015)
Perceptions of environmental damage improves over time, despite lack of real change Invasive pests known as spruce bark beetles have been attacking Alaskan forests for decades, killing more than 1 million acres of forest on the Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska for more than 25 years. Beyond environmental concerns regarding the millions of dead trees, or "beetle kill" trees, inhabitants of the peninsula and surrounding areas are faced with problems including dangerous falling trees, high wildfire risks, loss of scenic views and increased soil erosion. Now, a researcher from the University of Missouri and his colleagues have found that human perception of the beetle kill problem in the Kenai Peninsula has improved over time, despite little improvement in the environmental conditions. Hua Qin, an assistant professor of rural sociology and sustainable development at MU, says this trend in how time affects human attitudes and behavior is important to understand as environmental changes increase around the world.
	US govt sued over sea turtles snared in shrimp nets Tens of thousands of endangered sea turtles die every year in the United States when they are inadvertently snared in shrimp nets, an environmental group alleges, filing a lawsuit Wednesday against the government.
	First hatch of critically endangered species Six tiny nestlings at San Diego Zoo Global's facilities in Hawai'i are being closely watched by conservation biologists. These six chicks represent hope for a small Hawaiian bird species known as the 'Akikiki. The species is being brought into captivity to start a breeding population through a collaborative effort by the Kaua'i Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP), State of Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources' (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office (USFWS-PIFWO) and San Diego Zoo Global. Eggs from 'Akikiki and 'Akeke'e nests were collected from the wild recently as part of an effort to preserve these two bird species from extinction.
Ice pigging technology offers dairy industry significant savings New analysis published by the Carbon Trust quantifies the benefits of introducing 'ice pigging', an innovative way of cleaning pipework using ice slurries that was invented and developed at the University of Bristol, into commercial dairies to improve profitability and reduce environmental impact.
	Efficient fungus paralyzes and kills pathogens that cause losses in cotton crops Specialists at the Center of Genomic Biotechnology from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN-CBG) in Mexico, have identified beneficial fungi that have previously been tested as disease control agents in cotton crops. Among them is Trichoderma koningiopsis, which kills the parasite or pathogens that attack the plant.
	Effort to bring bobwhite quail back to New Jersey Pine Barrens After virtually disappearing from New Jersey, northern bobwhite quail were reintroduced into that state's Pine Barrens on April 1 as the result of a three-year collaboration that includes the University of Delaware's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR).
Use of insects in animal feed seen as favorable by farmers, sector and consumers The attitudes towards the use of insects in animal feed and resulting livestock products are generally favorable, recent scientific research shown.
	Cats chat with us through meows, blinks and roving whiskers When it comes to cats, those meows mean ... well, a lot of things.
	Study will parse evolutionary shift between life in water and on land Occasionally, a crux of evolutionary success is summed up with the phrase "only the strong survive." But that's not right exactly. Really, it's a knack for rolling with changes that characterizes most thriving organisms.
Regulators say several critical fish species have rebounded Several fish stocks from Maine to Florida are rebounding and are no longer subject to overfishing, federal regulators said Thursday.

Medicine & Health news

	Tumor-only genetic sequencing may misguide cancer treatment in nearly half of all patients A study by Johns Hopkins scientists strongly suggests that sequencing tumor genomes for clues to genetic changes might misdirect treatment in nearly half of all patients unless it is compared first to a genetic readout of their noncancerous tissue.
	How oxytocin makes a mom: Hormone teaches maternal brain to respond to offspring's needs Neuroscientists at NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered how the powerful brain hormone oxytocin acts on individual brain cells to prompt specific social behaviors - findings that could lead to a better understanding of how oxytocin and other hormones could be used to treat behavioral problems resulting from disease or trauma to the brain. The findings are to be published in the journal Nature online April 15.
	BPA exposure affects fertility in next three generations of mice When scientists exposed pregnant mice to levels of bisphenol A equivalent to those considered safe in humans, three generations of female mouse offspring experienced significant reproductive problems, including declines in fertility, sexual maturity and pregnancy success, the scientists report in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.
	'Pull my finger!' say scientists who solve knuckle-cracking riddle using MRI "Pull my finger," a phrase embraced by school-aged kids and embarrassing uncles the world over, is now being used to settle a decades-long debate about what happens when you crack your knuckles.
	New blood test can predict future breast cancer According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women both in the developed and less developed world, and in the long term the scientists hope that the new method will lead to better prevention and early treatment of the disease.
	Brain development suffers from lack of fish oil fatty acids, study finds While recent reports question whether fish oil supplements support heart health, UC Irvine scientists have found that the fatty acids they contain are vitally important to the developing brain.
	New genomic research amends earlier triple negative breast cancer finding Weill Cornell Medical College investigators tried to validate a previously reported molecular finding on triple negative breast cancer that many hoped would lead to targeted treatments for the aggressive disease. Instead, they discovered that the findings were limited to a single patient and could not be applied to further clinical work. This discovery, published April 15 in Nature, amends the earlier work and underscores the importance of independent study validation and careful assay development.
	Big data key to precision medicine's success Technological advances are enabling scientists to sequence the genomes of cancer tumors, revealing a detailed portrait of genetic mutations that drive these diseases. But genomic studies are only one piece of the puzzle that is precision medicine, a Weill Cornell Medical College researcher writes in Nature. In order to realize the promise of this field, there needs to be an increased focus on creating robust clinical databases that include medical histories from patients around the country, which physicians can then use along with genomic data to tailor individual treatments.
	Racial disparity in cancer mortality is narrowing, suggests new study Cancer mortality remains significantly elevated among African Americans. Between 2000 and 2010, overall mortality from cancer decreased faster among African American women and men than among Caucasians. If current trends continue, racial disparities in cancer outcomes are expected to narrow further and might disappear over time.
Are health apps beneficial for healthy people? Health apps have the potential to make a broad impact on the health of the general population, argues one expert in The BMJ this week. But another explains that there is not enough evidence to support such claims and suggests that health apps may even be harmful.
Parents' country of origin influences risk of stillbirth Parents' country of origin influences the risk of their baby being stillborn in Canada, a new study has found.
Healthcare providers' responses to parental concerns can delay diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can develop symptoms before 2 years of age and usually can be diagnosed by 3 years of age; early identification of ASD is associated with improved long-term developmental outcomes. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers assessed how healthcare providers respond to parents' concerns about their child's early development, as well as how that response affected the timeliness of ASD diagnosis.
	Paternal sperm may hold clues to autism In a small study, Johns Hopkins researchers found that DNA from the sperm of men whose children had early signs of autism shows distinct patterns of regulatory tags that could contribute to the condition. A detailed report of their findings will be published online in the International Journal of Epidemiology on April 15.
Mentally stepping back from problems helps youth deal with negative emotions Adolescence is a time of frequent and intense emotional experiences, but some youth handle their emotions better than others. Why do some young people react adaptively while others ruminate? A new study of adolescents shows that youth who mentally take a step back from their own point of view when thinking about something troubling can deal with negative emotions more effectively and become less upset by them.
Children who understand others' perspectives found to be more popular among peers Preschoolers and school-age children who are good at identifying what others want, think, and feel are more popular in school than their peers who aren't as socially adept. That's the conclusion of a new meta-analysis—a type of study that looks at the results of many different studies—out of Australia.
Infants born prematurely: Two studies identify routes to better outcomes Eleven percent of all births worldwide are preterm, or occurring before 37 weeks of pregnancy, and preterm-related causes of death account for a significant number of infant deaths, as well as long-term neurological disabilities. Efforts are under way, including an initiative by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to reduce elective deliveries before 39 weeks of pregnancy. Now two new longitudinal studies that appear in the journal Child Development offer insights on how to decrease the problems associated with premature birth.
Children with disabilities can make competent witnesses Children with intellectual disabilities—significantly low cognitive functioning coupled with significant deficits in adaptive or everyday functioning—make up 2 to 3 percent of the population, and it's estimated that 1 in 3 children with disabilities experiences some form of maltreatment. However, in many cases, the disclosures of children with intellectual disabilities aren't investigated or taken to court, in part because of concern over whether these children can describe their experiences sufficiently and be believed by juries. A new study has found that children with mild levels of intellectual disability described their experiences as well as typically developing children of the same developmental level or mental age, especially when they were interviewed soon after the event.
Does home care serve men and women equally? As the population ages, there is increasing demand for publicly funded home care services to help older people preserve their independence, improve their quality of life, and delay or avoid going into a long-term care facility.
	Visit-to-visit LDL-C variability predicts cardiac event risk (HealthDay)—Visit-to-visit variability in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) can independently predict cardiovascular events in individuals with coronary artery disease, according to a study published in the April 21 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Teledermatology implications for incidental skin CA detection (HealthDay)—An in-person skin examination is important for detection of incidentally-identified skin malignancies, according to a review published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
	SHBG predicts erectile dysfunction risk in young men (HealthDay)—High levels of free testosterone (FT) and bioavailable testosterone (BT), and low levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), are tied to a decreased risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in young men, according to a study published online March 20 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
	Quality improvement intervention cuts lost OR time (HealthDay)—Significant reductions can be made in operating room (OR) time lost due to cancellation on the day of surgery (DoSC), according to a study published online April 13 in Pediatrics.
	Aspirin use not found to benefit prostate cancer mortality (HealthDay)—Aspirin use does not appear to reduce the risk of mortality associated with prostate cancer, according to research published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
California lawmakers face second round in vaccine debate State lawmakers are preparing for a second round of heated talks Wednesday on whether California should limit vaccination waivers for schoolchildren.
How does bench angle affect upper body muscle activation during bench press exercise? Muscular activation during exercise is the key to developing muscle mass and strength and the bench press exercise is a popular and widely used method of building upper body strength. In the article "Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise" published in the European Journal of Sport Science, the authors set out to discover the effects on muscle activation during free weight barbell bench press at 0°, 30°, 45° and –15° bench angles. If greater or lesser angles enhance muscle activation, the results can be used to plan successful upper body exercise programmes.
	Potential for prediction of progression for early form of breast cancer Scientists in Manchester have identified a way to potentially predict which patients with an early form of breast cancer will experience disease progression.
	Depression, diabetes associated with increased dementia risk Depression and type 2 diabetes mellitus were each associated with an increased risk for dementia and that risk was even greater among individuals diagnosed with both depression and diabetes compared with people who had neither condition, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
	Rhode Island Hospital uses Google Glass to diagnose skin conditions One enterprising team of physicians at Rhode Island Hospital experimented with Google Glass to gauge the effectiveness, security and patient acceptance of a real-time, video dermatological consultation. The research results were published today in JAMA Dermatology.
	New method increases accuracy of ovarian cancer prognosis and diagnosis Nearly anyone touched by ovarian cancer will tell you: it's devastating. It's bad enough that cancer in almost 80 percent of patients reaches advanced stages before diagnosis, and that most patients are expected to die within five years. But just as painfully, roughly one quarter of women diagnosed have no warning that they are resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy, the main line of defense, nor that they will likely have 18 months to live.
	Heavy snoring, sleep apnea may signal earlier memory and thinking decline Heavy snoring and sleep apnea may be linked to memory and thinking decline at an earlier age, according to a new study published in the April 15, 2015, online issue of Neurology. The research also suggests that treating the disorders with a breathing machine may delay the decline.
Details of early savings by Medicare Pioneer ACO program point way to improvements In the first year of Medicare's Pioneer Accountable Care Organization program, the 32 participating provider organizations achieved a 1.2% savings while maintaining or improving performance on measures of quality of patient care.
Are populations aging more slowly than we think? Faster increases in life expectancy do not necessarily produce faster population aging, according to new research published in the journal PLOS ONE. This counterintuitive finding was the result of applying new measures of aging developed at IIASA to future population projections for Europe up to the year 2050.
Ovarian cancer: Genetic testing should be accessible to all women with the disease The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 play a significant role in hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Recent media attention has focused on American actress Angelina Jolie's decision to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes surgically removed after genetic testing for such cancers. A study led by a team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in collaboration with the Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) and the Jewish General Hospital; suggests that all women with ovarian cancer should be tested for these genes, regardless of their family history. The findings, published in the Journal of Ovarian Research, have clinical implications both for the treatment of this disease and for the screening of individuals at-risk.
	Disruption of sleep in children could hamper memory processes Sleep disordered breathing can hamper memory processes in children, according to a new study.
	Ebola virus found in semen six months after recovery: WHO Traces of Ebola have been found in the semen of a man six months after his recovery, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, urging survivors to practice safe sex "until further notice".
	Sense of youthful purpose driven by action, passion, says researcher Encouraging a sense of meaning and purpose in young people often comes down to a "beyond-the-self" way of orienting to the world, a Stanford expert says.
59 percent of California physicians support Affordable Care Act, study shows UCLA researchers have found that 77 percent of California primary care and specialty physicians understand the basics of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and 59 percent support it. The survey, conducted by doctors from the UCLA department of family medicine, was published in the peer-reviewed journal Family Medicine.
	Concussions are a top-of-mind issue in hockey When Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty fell awkwardly into the boards in the first period of a 4-1 Canadiens win in Florida on April 5, Habs fans held their collective breath.
	How Twitter can help predict emergency room visits Twitter users who post information about their personal health online might be considered by some to be "over-sharers," but new research led by the University of Arizona suggests that health-related tweets may have the potential to be helpful for hospitals.
Income tied to health and life expectancy Americans at all income levels are less healthy than those with higher incomes. Not only is income associated with better health, but wealth affects health as well. Though it is easy to imagine how health is tied to income for the very poor or the very rich, the relationship between income and health is a gradient: Discrepancies exist at every level of the economic ladder.
	Gene variant linked to smoking longer, getting lung cancer sooner Smokers with a specific genetic variation are more likely to keep smoking longer than those who don't have the gene variant, new research indicates. They're also more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer at a younger age.
	Data used to 'name and shame' GP practices should be scrapped Criteria currently used to compare GP practices' annual cancer diagnosis rates are misleading and should be replaced, according to findings by researchers at the University of Aberdeen.
	A fluorescent molecule selectively labels live neurons in the brain for the first time Information processing and transmission in the brain hinge on electrical and chemical signals emitted and received by neurons. Now, A*STAR researchers have developed the first small molecule capable of selectively labeling these cells, which is expected to shed light into these complex mechanisms.
	A cell surface protein known to regulate innate immune responses also affects the adaptive immune system Understanding the immune response triggered by the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is key to developing effective treatments. Now, an international team led by A*STAR researchers has shown that a cell surface protein—the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)—plays a critical role in controlling the antibody response to CHIKV, viral replication and pathology.
	An unusual version of a gene appears to protect against enteric fever A study looking for links between genes and susceptibility to enteric fever has found that people who carry a specific version of a gene are nearly five times less likely to have the disease. This finding by an A*STAR-led team could lead to better vaccines to prevent the serious disease, also known as typhoid, that is caused by Salmonella bacteria.
	A new technique dramatically enhances profiling and classification of cells involved in innate immunity A new method developed by A*STAR researchers to comprehensively quantify and classify mouse cells responsible for detecting pathogens invading the body could revolutionize our ability to study innate immunity and inflammatory diseases.
	Link between toddler sleep patterns and behaviour at 5 Toddlers who sleep less than 10 hours a night or wake frequently are more likely to have emotional and behavioural problems at the age of five, according to a study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Demand-driven deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson's disease Researchers from the Centre for Biomedical Technology (CTB) at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) have participated in a joint research project with Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and University of Reading (United Kingdom) that has revealed possible subtypes of Parkinson's disease patients. By applying this finding, researchers have used artificial intelligence techniques for tremor detection in patients of the discovered groups. The goal is to achieve a demand-driven deep brain stimulation that intelligently alleviates the symptoms of the disease, which would enhance the life quality of patients.
Unnecessary preoperative testing still done on cataract patients Although routine preoperative testing is not indicated for patients undergoing cataract surgery, researchers at UC San Francisco have found that it is still a common occurrence and is driven primarily by provider practice patterns rather than patient characteristics.
	High flavoring content in some e-cigarettes may be cause for concern The levels of chemicals used to flavour some brands of e-cigarette fluid exceed recommended exposure limits and could be respiratory irritants, in some cases, suggests research published online in the journal Tobacco Control.
	Restoring cellular energy signals may treat mitochondrial diseases in humans Rooted in malfunctions in the tiny power plants that energize our cells, mitochondrial disorders are notoriously complex and variable, with few effective treatments. Now, novel findings in microscopic worms may hold great promise for children and adults with mitochondrial disorders. By using existing human drugs to improve metabolism and restore shortened lifespans in these laboratory animals, scientists have set the stage for human clinical trials of possible innovative therapies for mitochondrial disease.
Injury prevention programs not widely used in high schools, study shows Injury prevention programs can help reduce ankle, knee and other lower extremity injuries in sports, but the programs are not being widely used in high schools, a new study from Oregon State University has found.
	The neural network necessary for 'normal face' recognition The neural network necessary for normal face recognition has been not fully understood yet until now. Here, the research group of Dr. Daisuke Matsuyoshi (present affiliation: The University of Tokyo) led by Prof. Ryusuke Kakigi and Prof. Norihiro Sadato of the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), by using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), revealed that suppression of the brain area responsible for object recognition by that for face recognition is necessarily for "normal face" recognition. The researchers simulated mathematically networks between the brain areas and showed that not only brain areas that execute face recognition but also brain areas that had been considered non-essential to face recognition are important for "normal face" recognition.
Surveys miss majority of poisonings, underestimate cost by billions Health surveys may underestimate the number of poisonings in the United States by 60 percent to 90 percent, according to a report in the journal Clinical Toxicology by University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.
Scientists uncover how molecule protects brain cells in Parkinson's disease model Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found how a widely known but little-studied enzyme protects brain cells in models of Parkinson's disease.
	Protein finding can pave the way for improved treatment of malignant melanoma Today it is not possible to predict spreading from malignant melanomas. Melanoma metastases are furthermore extremely difficult to eliminate as traditional treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy is mostly ineffective. Only ten per cent of the patients survive once they reach an advanced stage with distant metastases.
	What is more rewarding: A soccer goal or prize money? Soccer fans hold their breath in situations like these: Two players on a team are in front of the opponent's goal with the attacking player having to make an important decision: Is it better to pass the ball to the teammate or to take the shot yourself? What happens in the brain during the course of such situations and upon scoring a goal is very similar to the processes and reward sequence with monetary incentives. This is what researchers at the Center for Economics and Neuroscience (CENs) of the University of Bonn discovered together with their colleagues at the University of Bonn Hospital and the Life&Brain Center. They are now presenting their results in the journal PLOS ONE.
One-third of women with ADHD report being sexually abused during childhood Adults who have ADHD are much more likely to report they were sexually and physically abused before they turned 16 than their peers without ADHD, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Toronto.
	New '4-D' lung cancer model could quicken discoveries Without good models to study cancer metastasis—the spread of cancer cells from one organ to another—cancer researchers have struggled to understand tumor progression fully, and new therapies targeting the main causes of death are slow to come.
Anti-fungal drug shows promise as potential new cancer treatment A common anti-fungal treatment has joined the ranks of drugs that may be suitable for use in treating cancer, according to research from the Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO) project published in ecancermedicalscience.
	Macrophages as T-cell primers New work by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers demonstrates that macrophages can effectively substitute for so-called dendritic cells as primers of T-cell-dependent immune responses. Indeed, they stimulate a broader-based response.
	Man with restored sight provides new insight into how vision develops California man Mike May made international headlines in 2000 when his sight was restored by a pioneering stem cell procedure after 40 years of blindness.
	BPA can disrupt sexual function in turtles, could be a warning for environmental health Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that is used in a variety of consumer products, such as food storage products and resins that line plastic food and beverage containers. Often, aquatic environments such as rivers and streams become reservoirs for BPA, and fish and turtle habitats are affected. Now, a collaboration of researchers from the University of Missouri, Westminster College, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Saint Louis Zoo have determined that BPA—which mimics estrogen—can alter a turtle's reproductive system and disrupts sexual differentiation. Scientists are concerned findings could indicate harmful effects on environmental and human health.
Gene in high-altitude cattle disease sheds light on human lung disease Vanderbilt University researchers have found a genetic mutation that causes pulmonary hypertension in cattle grazed at high altitude, and which leads to a life-threatening condition called brisket disease.
	Video games can power up from merely fun to meaningful experiences It may be game over for critics who claim that video games are nothing more than a fun diversion. A team of researchers suggests that many games can be meaningful entertainment experiences for players.
	Cervical disc arthroplasty tops ACDF for single-level cervical Dz (HealthDay)—For patients with single-level symptomatic cervical disc disease, cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) is associated with lower readmission rates, lower reoperation rates, and reduced costs compared with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), according to research published in the April 15 issue of Spine.
	Meta-analysis: Valgus knee bracing helps pain in knee OA (HealthDay)—For patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), valgus knee bracing is associated with improvements in pain, according to a meta-analysis published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
	Concomitant, sequential Tx similar for H. pylori eradication (HealthDay)—For eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection, concomitant therapy (CT) is equivalent to sequential therapy (ST), and hybrid therapy offers similar efficacy to CT, according to research published online April 13 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Finally, Congress OKs bill reshaping Medicare doctors' fees Conservatives hated that it's expected to swell federal deficits over the coming decade. Liberals complained that it shortchanged health programs for children and women.
Study reveals an absence of consistent standards in children's hospital environments The sound, light and temperature levels in paediatric hospital wards often vary, highlighting the lack of consistent environmental standards, according to a new study.
	Smallpox vaccine virus helps scientist understand immunity A virus that helped wipe out smallpox in the last century is now helping a University of Nebraska-Lincoln virologist better understand human immunity. This research may lead to better treatment of some viral diseases, including HIV and herpes.
Yale launches national study of personalized medicine for metastatic melanoma Yale University has launched a multicenter clinical trial, sponsored by Stand Up to Cancer and Melanoma Research Alliance, that will apply the latest in personalized medicine technology to treat metastatic melanoma. The trial, for which Yale is a lead site, will enroll patients lacking a particular genetic mutation for whom immune therapy did not work or was not an option.
Building healthier communities should be a priority when preparing for and recovering from disasters U.S. communities and federal agencies should more intentionally seek to create healthier communities during disaster preparation and recovery efforts - something that rarely happens now, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. By adding a health "lens" to planning and recovery, a community can both mitigate the health damage caused by disasters and recover in ways that make the community healthier and more resilient than it was before.
	Fighting tuberculosis using the body's natural anti-microbial processes A new approach to combatting tuberculosis would take advantage of a complex, natural process called autophagy that the human body uses to recycle nutrients, remove damaged cell components, eliminate invading bacteria, and respond to inflammation. In addition to its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy, autophagy is the focus of increasing research to understand the role it may have in a range of diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, as discussed in a series of in-depth articles that comprise the special issue "Autophagy in Disease" of DNA and Cell Biology.
UH Seidman Cancer Center performs first-ever prostate cancer treatment The radiation oncology team at UH Seidman Cancer Center at UH Geauga Medical Center performed the first-ever prostate cancer treatment on April 3 using a newly approved device. The device, called SpaceOAR System, enhances the efficacy of radiation treatment by protecting organs surrounding the prostate. The device, a temporary injectable gel, received FDA clearance on April 1.
Early use of palliative care in cancer improves patients' lives, outcomes for caregivers A new randomized clinical trial with Dartmouth investigators Kathleen Lyons, ScD, Tor Tosteson, ScD, Zhigang Li, PhD, and collaborators has noted significant improvement in several measures among those who began palliative care early. Their findings are described in, "Early Versus Delayed Initiation of Concurrent Palliative Care Oncology: Patient Outcomes in the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial," published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Oxycodone overdose deaths drop 25 percent after launch of Florida's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Oxycodone-related deaths dropped 25 percent after Florida implemented its Prescription Drug Monitoring Program in late 2011 as part of its response to the state's prescription drug abuse epidemic, according to a team of UF Health researchers. The drop in fatalities could stem from the number of health care providers who used the program's database to monitor controlled substance prescriptions.
Team publishes core competencies for oncology patient navigators The George Washington University (GW) Cancer Institute has finalized 45 core competency statements for oncology patient navigators, who have become critical members of the health care team. These competency statements were published in the Journal of Oncology Navigation and Survivorship and were created through literature review, focus group data analysis, expert review, and a national survey of oncology patient navigation stakeholders.
NIH launches largest clinical trial focused on HIV-related cardiovascular disease Researchers have begun enrolling participants in a multicenter international clinical trial to test whether statin administration can reduce the risk for major adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease, in people with HIV infection. The trial is supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Active aging on the up in EU, despite economic crisis and austerity A healthy and active old age is a reality for many Europeans and is a genuine possibility for many more, despite the 2008 economic crash and years of austerity measures, according to a new United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and European Commission (EC) report, produced at the University of Southampton.
High rate of healthcare visits before suicide attempts Most people who attempt suicide make some type of healthcare visit in the weeks or months before the attempt, reports a study in the May issue of Medical Care.
California vaccine bill stalls; will come back next week A California vaccination bill that has generated intense debates pitting personal rights against public health stalled in the state Senate Wednesday, with lawmakers saying it could unconstitutionally deprive unvaccinated children of an adequate education by barring them from schools.
Bird flu outbreak could head eastward with fall migration Eastern U.S. poultry producers are bracing for the potential arrival of a deadly bird flu virus outbreak that farmers in the Midwest have struggled to stop.
Disney-linked measles outbreak soon to be over in California A measles outbreak that began at Disneyland in December is waning.
	In Jamaica, small amounts of pot decriminalized Drug law amendments that partially decriminalize small amounts of pot and pave the way for a lawful medical marijuana sector went into effect Wednesday in Jamaica, a country where the drug has long been culturally entrenched.
FDA approves new type of heart failure drug from Amgen Patients with chronic heart failure, a deadly disease that worsens as the heart pumps less blood through the body, are getting a much-needed new option.

Other Sciences news

	Facebook use can worsen as well as improve mental health conditions Facebook can help people recover from mental health problems but it needs to be used cautiously and strategically as it can also make symptoms worse, new research shows.
Complex cognition shaped the Stone Age hand axe, study shows The ability to make a Lower Paleolithic hand axe depends on complex cognitive control by the prefrontal cortex, including the "central executive" function of working memory, a new study finds.
	Julius Caesar may have suffered mini-strokes, study finds Roman emperor Julius Caesar may have suffered a series of mini-strokes, explaining his dark mood in later life, according to doctors at London's Imperial College.
	Should a political party form a coalition? Voters and math decide Mathematical ideas and tools are often used to describe aspects of large macroscopic systems. Examples abound in areas as varied as finance to psychology. In a paper published last month in the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, author Fabio Bagarello proposes mathematical models to analyze political decision-making. Using a dynamical approach which accounts for interactions between political parties and their constituents, the model tries to deduce whether parties should form coalitions under various circumstances.
Support for same-sex marriage is rising in all 50 states, study shows Public support for same-sex marriage has increased in all 50 states since 2004, especially in states that have legalized same-sex marriage, according to a report released today by researchers at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law and Drexel University.
Study examines why people stop donating to college athletics As lawmakers and others debate whether and how college athletes should be paid and coaches' salaries and facilities arms races come into focus, fundraising is drawing renewed interest. Yet no one seems to be considering one source of athletic funding: Donors who no longer make contributions.
Most partisans treat politics like sports rivalries, instead of focusing on issues Most partisans—average Democratic and Republican voters—act like fans in sports rivalries instead of making political choices based on issues, according to a new study with a University of Kansas researcher as the lead author.
Young offenders in Victorian times were much less likely to re-offend than today Young offenders in late Victorian times were much less likely to go on to commit other crimes after serving a sentence in an institution than their counterparts today, new research shows.
	Team unlocks clues in unidentified human remains Like something out of "CSI" or "Bones," researchers at Arizona State University are working to solve the mysteries of unidentified human remains - and just as on those TV shows, science plays a key role.
	Teachers more likely to label black students as troublemakers Teachers are likely to interpret students' misbehavior differently depending on the student's race, according to new research findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Disabled girls vulnerable to abuse by carers and partners due to isolation and incapacity Disabled girls and women are vulnerable to abuse by carers and partners because of their isolation and physical incapacity, new research says.
	New book offers strategies for engaging millennials for ethical leadership The prevailing views on millennials are well-known, having been repeated frequently by the popular media and echoed by "back in my day" parents. Millennials are narcissistic. Millennials are entitled and don't want to pay their dues. Millennials need hand-holding at work and are high-maintenance. Millennials are job-hoppers.
How limiting CEO pay can be more effective, less costly CEOs make a lot of money from incentive pay tied to stock performance. Although such schemes help align executives' interests with shareholders, they are not necessarily the best schemes as compared to schemes that rely on trust between board and executives.

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