Fwd: Science X Newsletter Friday, May 1

HOT!

Researchers probe chemistry, topography and mechanics with one instrument

The US-Russian Space Station mission is a study in cooperation

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, May 2, 2015 at 3:22 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Friday, May 1
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 1, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Occam's razor redux: A simple mathematical approach to designing mechanical invisibility cloaks
- Metal-organic framework with a fixed composition despite initial concentration of components
- New exoplanet too big for its stars
- Pulsar with widest orbit ever detected
- Elusive new bird International discovered in China
- A practical gel that simply 'clicks' for biomedical applications
- Researchers create DNA repair map of the entire human genome
- Global decline of large herbivores may lead to an 'empty landscape'
- Long-term galactic cosmic ray exposure leads to dementia-like cognitive impairments
- Self-propelling particles mimic organisms' upstream moves
- Researchers probe chemistry, topography and mechanics with one instrument
- Study indicates housing market cycles have become longer
- How to reset a diseased cell
- SpaceX mile-high escape test will feature 'Buster' the dummy
- Ocean fronts improve climate and fishery production, study finds

Nanotechnology news

Researchers probe chemistry, topography and mechanics with one instrument The probe of an atomic force microscope (AFM) scans a surface to reveal details at a resolution 1,000 times greater than that of an optical microscope. That makes AFM the premier tool for analyzing physical features, but it cannot tell scientists anything about chemistry. For that they turn to the mass spectrometer (MS).

Physics news

	Occam's razor redux: A simple mathematical approach to designing mechanical invisibility cloaks Metamaterials – engineered materials with properties not found in nature – have led to an astounding range of optical, acoustic, thermodynamic, two-dimensional solid mechanics, and other types of invisibility cloaks that render the cloaked object indistinguishable from the environment around them – but the ability to cloak three-dimensional solid mechanics has proven elusive. (Solid mechanics is the branch of continuum mechanics – which models materials as a continuous mass rather than as discrete particles – that studies the behavior of solid materials, especially their motion and deformation under the action of forces, temperature changes, phase changes, and other external or internal agents.) Recently, however, scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany – following their design last year of a so-called unfeelability cloak1 that hides (at this point small) 3D objects such that they cannot be physically ! detected – have demonstrated a surprisingly simple and generalizable approach in which a coordinate transformation – a mathematical process of obtaining a modified set of coordinates by performing some nonsingular operation on the coordinate axes, such as rotating or translating them – is mapped directly onto a concrete one-component microstructure. In addition, the researchers have successfully applied the technique to static elastic–solid mechanics (the elastic and plastic behavior of solid objects subject to stresses and strains) to a material made of printed polymer.
	Researchers enhance nonlinear effects of optical metasurfaces Optical metasurfaces are thin-layer subwavelength-patterned structures that interact strongly with light. Offering a wealth of useful functionalities, they are a logical extension of the field of metamaterials towards their practical applications. Their nonlinear effects can be enhanced with the help of metasurface engineering.
	Promising new X-ray microscope poses technical challenges You may think the aisles in your neighborhood convenience store are crowded, but they'd look positively spacious compared to the passageways in the NIF target bay.
Dark-matter labs become subterranean centres for science Deep beneath our feet, below mountains and mine shafts, a scientific transformation is taking place.
	Giant electromagnet arrives at Brookhaven Lab to map melted matter Why did the 40,000-pound superconducting magnet cross the country? The full answer to this twist on the old joke is complicated, but here's the short version: to unlock the secrets of the atom.

Earth news

	England set for 'substantial increase' in record-breaking warm years The likelihood of record-breaking warm years in England is set to substantially increase as a result of the human influence on the climate, new research suggests.
	Emissions from natural gas wells may travel far downwind Emissions linked to hydraulic fracturing, the method of drilling for natural gas commonly known as "fracking," can be detected hundreds of miles away in states that that forbid or strictly control the practice, according to a UMD study published in the journal Atmospheric Environment. The study is among the latest data presented in the ongoing debate over fracking's long-term effects on the environment.
	Study of Antarctic ice cores reveals atmospheric CO2 history over past thousand years (Phys.org)—A small team of researchers with affiliations to institutions in the U.S., Switzerland and Korea has found links between atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, the land carbon reservoir and climate over the past thousand years, by examining ice cores taken from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide. In their paper published in Nature Geoscience, the team describes the levels of CO2 they found and why they believe that most of the level changes they observed were likely due to terrestrial sources. Jed Kaplan, with the University of Lausanne offers a News & Views piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue, comparing CO2 level changes found by the researchers with historical human events putting the ice core data into perspective.
	Ocean fronts improve climate and fishery production, study finds A recent study by the University of Georgia found that ocean fronts—separate regions of warm and cool water as well as salt and fresh water—act to increase production in the ocean.
	Simulating subsurface flow and transport at multiple scales Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory introduced a method that overcomes the computational challenge of simulating subsurface phenomena that occur at both the scale of tens to hundreds of microns-the size of solid soil grains and pore spaces-and at much larger scales. The researchers presented the first simulations of pore-scale flow and transport over a large, decimeter-scale volume.
	Advanced design to represent cloud turbulence improves simulations in a multi-scale model Low and wispy clouds have escaped climate model detection until now. A new modeling system captures their most difficult-to-picture side: turbulence. Researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory led implementation of a new system to represent turbulence in a multi-scale atmosphere model that improves the simulated distribution of low clouds. The research tackles a key weakness of atmospheric models that use grid sizes too coarse to solve for turbulence. With the new formula, researchers now capture low clouds that have a big impact on Earth's energy budget.
	Researchers think Axial Seamount off Northwest coast is erupting – right on schedule Axial Seamount, an active underwater volcano located about 300 miles off the coast of Oregon and Washington, appears to be erupting – after two scientists had forecast that such an event would take place there in 2015.
	Seafloor sensors record possible eruption of underwater volcano If a volcano erupts at the bottom of the sea, does anybody see it? If that volcano is Axial Seamount, about 300 miles offshore and 1 mile deep, the answer is now: yes.
	Connecting animals to the cloud could help predict earthquakes The recent earthquake in Nepal demonstrated yet again how difficult it is to reliably predict natural disasters. While we have a good knowledge of the various earthquakes zones on the planet, we have no way of knowing exactly when a big quake like the 7.8-magnitude event in Nepal will happen.
	Nepal quake could have been much worse: Here's why The structural engineer strides through Kathmandu's old city, past buildings reduced to rubble, buildings whose facades are cracked in dozens of places, like the fractured shell of a hardboiled egg. But it's the many buildings that made it unscathed through the earthquake that amaze Kit Miyamoto.
	Japan eyeing 26% greenhouse gas cut: officials Japan is planning to pledge a 26 percent cut in its greenhouse gas emissions from 2013 levels, ahead of a global summit on climate change this year, officials said Friday.
	Hungary vows to start moving toxic waste from chemical plant Some 1,000 barrels of toxic waste will be removed quickly from a defunct chemical company plant in Budapest, a Hungarian official said Thursday after Greenpeace described conditions at the site as "near catastrophic."
Quake shakes Papua New Guinea, but no tsunami seen locally A powerful earthquake rattled the South Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea on Friday, but no tsunami was seen and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
What works and doesn't in disaster health response On Saturday, April 24 2015, a major (Magnitude 7.8) earthquake hit Nepal shortly after midday. Long-expected by seismologists, this large earthquake has left many of the older structures in this mountainous and economically challenged country of 31 million inhabitants in ruins. It has also released avalanches affecting mountaineers from all over the world.
	Research helps tackle mine tailings disasters Research and technology transfer activities at The University of Western Australia are helping address a persistent and serious problem facing the mining industry worldwide.
	Unforeseen dangers in a global food system New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's claim during a recent blizzard that food delivery bikes were not emergency vehicles caused a small disruption in the City's normally fast, abundant and inexpensive access to nearly any type of food from around the world. For major food companies that ensure this access, blizzards here or droughts in California increase costs, affect supply and demand, and change trade patterns.
	NASA satellite sees Tropical Cyclone Quang making landfall in Western Australia NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Quang as it was making landfall near Learmonth, Western Australia on May 1.

Astronomy & Space news

	New exoplanet too big for its stars The Australian discovery of a strange exoplanet orbiting a small cool star 500 light years away is challenging ideas about how planets form.
	Pulsar with widest orbit ever detected A team of highly determined high school students discovered a never-before-seen pulsar by painstakingly analyzing data from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Further observations by astronomers using the GBT revealed that this pulsar has the widest orbit of any around a neutron star and is part of only a handful of double neutron star systems.
	Remote Utah outpost serves as stand-in for surface of Mars Four people wearing space helmets and square backpacks emerge from a circular structure resembling a water tank and step onto a reddish, barren landscape.
	Rock spire in 'Spirit of St. Louis Crater' on Mars An elongated crater called "Spirit of St. Louis," with a rock spire in it, dominates a recent scene from the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.
	Giant telescope takes close look at Jupiter's moon Io With the first detailed observations through imaging interferometry of a lava lake on a moon of Jupiter, the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory places itself as the forerunner of the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes.
	Long-term galactic cosmic ray exposure leads to dementia-like cognitive impairments What happens to an astronaut's brain during a mission to Mars? Nothing good. It's besieged by destructive particles that can forever impair cognition, according to a UC Irvine radiation oncology study appearing in the May 1 edition of Science Advances.
	SpaceX mile-high escape test will feature 'Buster' the dummy SpaceX is just days away from shooting up a crew capsule to test a launch escape system designed to save astronauts' lives.
	NASA pushes back against proposal to slash climate budget NASA pushed back against a congressional proposal to slash more than $300 million in funding from its branch focused on climate issues.
	NASA completes MESSENGER mission with expected impact on Mercury's surface Mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., confirmed today that NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft impacted the surface of Mercury, as predicted, at 3:26 p.m. EDT this afternoon (3:34 p.m. ground time).
	The US-Russian Space Station mission is a study in cooperation The unfortunate loss of the Russian Progress M-27M cargo vessel destined for the International Space Station (ISS) has highlighted the interdependence of the US and Russia in the project.
	How a new telescope will measure the expansion of the universe For the past several years, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (Berkeley Lab) have been planning the construction of and developing technologies for a very special instrument that will create the most extensive three-dimensional map of the universe to date. Called DESI for Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, this project will trace the growth history of the universe rather like the way you might track your child's height with pencil marks climbing up a doorframe. But DESI will start from the present and work back into the past.
	Video: An enormous "plasma snake" erupts from the Sun Over the course of April 28–29 a gigantic filament, briefly suspended above the surface of the sun, broke off and created an enormous snakelike eruption of plasma that extended millions of miles out into space. The event was both powerful and beautiful, another demonstration of the incredible energy and activity of our home star… and it was all captured on camera by two of our finest sun-watching spacecraft.
	20 ExoWorlds are now available for naming proposals Although people have been naming celestial objects for millennia, the IAU has the task of assigning scientifically recognised names to newly discovered celestial bodies by its member countries. The NameExoWorlds contest provides not only the first opportunity for the public to name exoplanets, but also, for the first time in centuries, to give popular names to some stars—those that have known exoplanets in orbit around them.

Technology news

	Online voting a step closer thanks to breakthrough in security technology Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a technique to allow people to cast their election vote online - even if their home computers are suspected of being infected with viruses.
	Microsoft age-estimate tool unleashed real-time virality Microsoft has launched machine-learning APIs in beta under the "Project Oxford" moniker. Its How-Old.net demo for this service went viral, reported Frederic Lardinois in TechCrunch on Thursday. How-Old uses some—but not all—of the new developer services that are part of "Project Oxford," he said. Meanwhile, Microsoft engineers Corom Thompson and Santosh Balasubramanian on Microsoft's Machine Learning blog told the related story about running a test and expecting, with luck, to get as many as 50 users. Unraveling before their eyes came the nature of the draw; the test drew over 35,000 users.
	"Fingerprinting" chips to fight counterfeiting It's often said that no two human fingerprints are exactly alike. For that reason, police often use them as evidence to link suspects to crime scenes.
	Streaming site Grooveshark shuts under industry pressure Grooveshark, an early leader in music streaming that enraged major labels by letting users upload copyrighted songs, abruptly shut down late Thursday after years of litigation.
	Parents experience FOMO on Internet speak If you tell your mum she's fleek, she probably won't get the compliment—social media is driving a rapid evolution of the English language that is leaving parents baffled, a study suggested Friday.
	Bringing hypersonic flight closer to reality Two University of Sydney aeronauticalengineering PhD researchers have been invited by the European Space Agency (ESA) to help realise the dream of travelling across the globe at 7 times the speed of sound.
	Japan's seniors to get tech-savvy with free iPads Millions of Japanese seniors could receive iPads under a programme to supply the elderly with specially equipped tablets that remind them when to take medicine and advise where to find community support services.
	Unveiling of the world's smallest and most powerful micro motors Piezoelectric ultrasonic motors have two significant advantages, namely their high energy density and their simple structure, which both contribute to their miniaturization. We have built a prototype micro ultrasonic motor using a stator with a volume of approximately one cubic millimeter. Our experiments have shown that the prototype motor generates a torque of more than 10 μNm with a one cubic millimeter stator. This novel motor is now the smallest micro ultrasonic motor that has been developed with a practical torque.
	Inked and irked: Apple Watch users report tattoo problems It's an annoying problem for the unlucky few: the Apple Watch's heart rate monitor and even some other features might not work if you have a tattoo on your wrist.
Comcast must show what's next after collapse of deal Comcast, which reports financial results on Monday, faces some tough questions about what's next for the country's biggest cable company after its dreams of a far-reaching network collapsed with the death of its $45 billion Time Warner Cable deal.
	Prime minister wants Japan to learn from Silicon Valley Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave California's governor a hint of what it would be like inside a Japanese-made bullet train Thursday, displaying a train simulator for Gov. Jerry Brown during a meeting in San Francisco.
	Uber office raided in southern China: report Taxi app Uber's office in the southern city of Guangzhou has been raided by authorities, a report said Friday, in an apparent crackdown on the Internet ride-sharing service.
	Recycling aluminium, one can at a time Producing pure aluminium from ore accounts for as much as 1 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Recycling is the best way to reduce that carbon footprint – but manufacturers and recycling companies will have to plan carefully to avoid problems with impurities that accumulate in recycled aluminium over time.
	New site, app, links celebrities, charities and donors (Update) Chatting on the red carpet with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence; recording a country song with Clint Black; working a relief mission with Patricia Arquette; receiving a serenade from Michael Bolton on a Caribbean island. These are just some of the WOW! moments possible for everyday donors through a new online charity service that combines star power with digital marketing savvy to contribute millions to celebrity causes worldwide.

Chemistry news

	Metal-organic framework with a fixed composition despite initial concentration of components (Phys.org)—Metal-organic framework (MOF) chemistry is a multi-disciplinary field that connects organic and inorganic chemistry with materials science and nanotechnology. A key feature of MOFs is the self-assembly of organic molecules around metal ions or metal clusters. The composition of the MOFs is often dependent on the initial conditions in which the components are combined.
	New coating material embeds anti-smudge polymer chains in graft-copolymer micelles Requirements for anti-smudge coatings are tough: They should be invisible, thin, repel any possible contaminant while not affecting the desired properties of the substrate, and they should be highly durable. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Canadian scientists now present a new coating approach based on graft-copolymer micelles embedded in a polyurethane (PU) polymer. A coating based on these micelles has constant surface properties, even after extensive wear.
	Researchers study how metal contamination makes gasoline production inefficient Scientists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Utrecht University have identified key mechanisms of the aging process of catalyst particles that are used to refine crude oil into gasoline. This advance could lead to more efficient gasoline production.
	Self-propelling particles mimic organisms' upstream moves Scientists have created microbe-sized beads that can utilize energy in the environment to self-propel upstream by purely physical means.
	A practical gel that simply 'clicks' for biomedical applications If you opt to wear soft contact lenses, chances are you are using hydrogels on a daily basis. Made up of polymer chains that are able to absorb water, hydrogels used in contacts are flexible and allow oxygen to pass through the lenses, keeping eyes healthy.
	Nuclear techniques confirm unique biology of human eye lens Age-related cataract and a reduction in the ability to focus (presbyopia) are very common vision problems in older people. New research from ANSTO has provided evidence to confirm the long life of an important biomolecule in the human eye lens which may be relevant for the study of age-related diseases and conditions.
	A method to identify human induced pluripotent stem cells in the lab using a tumor rejection antigen This week, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a major patent to two scientists from the UCLA Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, William Lowry, Ph.D., and Kathrin Plath, Ph.D. The patent covers a method used to identify human induced pluripotent stem cells in the lab using a tumor rejection antigen, or TRA, which identifies stem cells that have reached a pluripotent state.
	Controlled preparation of complex architectures using high-intensity beams of mass-selected ions In 90 minutes, scientists may now create designer surfaces and structures that once took 10 hours, thanks to a new high-intensity device constructed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The instrument softly deposits up to 1 microgram of mass-selected ions a day onto a targeted surface. While the amount might seem small, it is enough to build well-defined samples for detailed studies that allow scientists to correlate structure with reactivity and charge storage capacity. Artwork from this study graces the cover of Analyst.
	Fastest hydrogen battery ever stepping stone to hydrogen car? Can cars run on formic acid? They just might one day, after what physical chemist Georgy Filonenko discovered in his dissertation. He developed a catalyst in which hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) can form formic acid in no time, faster than had ever been measured before. And the reverse reaction is just as quick. It seems to be the start of a hydrogen battery for use in hydrogen cars of the future, for example. He received his PhD degree yesterday, cum laude.
	Nanoscale molecular platform used to recognise proteins from the influenza virus Smaller than a cell, nanodevices can operate at the level of crucial biological processes and unlock new and ingenious methods of medical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention that will revolutionise human health.

Biology news

	Training pig skin cells for neural development A pig's skin cells may hold the key to new treatments and cures for devastating human neurological diseases. Researchers from the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center have discovered a process of turning pig induced pluripotent stem cells into induced neural stem cells.
	Ecologist trio calls for efforts to mitigate human impact on flying animals (Phys.org)—A trio of ecologists, one with Universidad Nacional del Comahue in Argentina and the other two with Swansea University in the U.K., has written and published a Perspective piece in the journal Science, calling for increased efforts to mitigate human caused deaths of flying animals. In their article, Sergio Lambertucci, Emily Shepard and Rory Wilson argue that not enough is being done to prevent the incidental deaths of wildlife that fly into buildings, airplanes or turbine blades.
	Global decline of large herbivores may lead to an 'empty landscape' The decline of the world's large herbivores, especially in Africa and parts of Asia, is raising the specter of an "empty landscape" in some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, according to a newly published study.
	Elusive new bird International discovered in China A Michigan State University professor was part of an international team of scientists that has discovered a new bird in China.
How to reset a diseased cell In proof-of-concept experiments, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine demonstrate the ability to tune medically relevant cell behaviors by manipulating a key hub in cell communication networks. The manipulation of this communication node, reported in this week's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, makes it possible to reprogram large parts of a cell's signaling network instead of targeting only a single receptor or cell signaling pathway.
	Citizen science helps predict spread of sudden oak death Efforts to predict the emergence and spread of sudden oak death, an infectious tree-killing disease, have gotten a big boost from the work of grassroots volunteers.
	Lousy sockeye are lousy competitors Recently published research indicates that juvenile Fraser River sockeye salmon that are highly infected with sea lice are 20 per cent less successful at consuming food than their lightly infected counterparts. Sean Godwin, a Simon Fraser University doctoral biology student is the lead author of a study, co-authored by SFU biologists John Reynolds and Larry Dill (emeritus), and University of Toronto researcher Martin Krkosek. The study appears on line in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
	New research provides clues about honey bee decline A new study by Heather Mattila, a leading honey bee ecologist and Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College, published this April in PLOS ONE, reveals that inadequate access to pollen during larval development has lifelong consequences for honey bees, leading not only to smaller workers and shorter lifespans, but also to impaired performance and productivity later in life. For the first time, this study demonstrates a crucial link between poor nutrition at a young age, and foraging and waggle dancing, the two most important activities that honey bees perform as providers for their colonies and as pollinators of human crops. The study was co-authored by Hailey Scofield, Wellesley Class of 2013, a former undergraduate research assistant who will begin a Ph. D program (in Neurobiology and Behavior) at Cornell University in Fall 2015.
	Researchers discover a protein that regulates the hierarchical organisation of ribosome development Ribosomes, which use a fixed genetic programme to manufacture cell proteins, also form according to a strict hierarchical plan. In an interdisciplinary approach, the research teams of Prof. Dr. Ed Hurt of the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH) and Prof. Dr. André Hoelz of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena (USA) have decoded the mechanism that regulates this process. They discovered a previously unknown protein that regulates the processes in the cell nucleus that permit the cell to incorporate ribosomal proteins into the developing pre-ribosome in the correct order. The results of their research were published online in Molecular Cell.
	Research links prescribed burning to reduced tick populations In the spring, summer and early fall months, lone star ticks, the most common type of tick in Georgia, spike in activity and may transmit pathogens that could cause disease in humans. According to newly published University of Georgia research, tick populations can be managed through a technique called prescribed burning.
	Egg–stealing goannas get GPS trackers Scientists at The University of Queensland are fitting goannas with GPS tracking devices as they search for ways to stop them devouring loggerhead turtle eggs.
	Modern transport options allow for more hunting time The widespread use of cars and easy access to diesel fuel have been credited with prompting certain traditional desert Aborigines to stop making bread in favour of utilising new hunting grounds full of game.
	Livestock feeding review reveals opportunity for better industry practice A better understanding of factors that influence feeding behaviours in ruminants could help improve management practices and provide better outcomes for the livestock industry.
	Mechanisms for continually producing sperm Continually producing sperm over a long time is important to procreate the next generation. Researchers of the National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences in Japan, Ms. Kanako Ikami and Prof. Shosei Yoshida, and their colleagues have revealed that there are differences in reactivity to retinoic acid in spermatogonial stem cells, and these differences are a key factor to the persistence of sperm production with inexhaustible stem cells. This research was published in the May 1st issue of Development.
	Study finds guidance improves food safety practices at school, community gardens School and community gardens have become increasingly popular in recent years, but the people managing and working in these gardens are often unfamiliar with food safety practices that reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Now researchers have developed guidelines that address how to limit risk in these gardens - and a pilot study shows that the guidelines make a difference.
	Highly efficient CRISPR knock-in in mouse Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas system has enabled direct modification of the mouse genome in fertilized mouse eggs, leading to rapid, convenient, and efficient one-step production of knockout mice without embryonic stem cells. In contrast to the ease of targeted gene deletion, the complementary application, called targeted gene cassette insertion or knock-in, in fertilized mouse eggs by CRISPR/Cas mediated genome editing still remains a tough challenge.
Researchers breed Arctic cod; species vulnerable to warming Federal scientists say they have successfully grown Arctic cod in a laboratory, giving them hope that they can learn more about a key Arctic species vulnerable to warming ocean waters.
	Hen-housing study unveils tradeoffs for birds and workers Alternative housing systems for laying hens present a variety of tradeoffs, according to new UC Davis research. The findings shed light on how hen housing affects the 75 billion eggs produced in America each year, providing data on the cost, safety, animal welfare, worker health and environmental impacts of various hen-housing systems.
	GIS study reveals preferred habitat of Asian elephant According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Asian elephant is now an endangered species. Today, there are only 40,000 elephants left in Asia's mainland and about 1,200-1,700 in peninsular Malaysia. Habitat loss and forest fragmentation are considered the biggest threats to their survival. Much of their habitat has been converted into plantations, housing estates, highways and other human "development schemes".
Catalysing industrial change with marine-based enzymes April 2015 saw the launch of an ambitious four-year EU project that hopes to unlock the immense potential of marine-sourced enzymes. The consortium behind INMARE (Industrial Applications of Marine Enzymes: Innovative screening and expression platforms to discover and use the functional protein diversity from the sea) has brought together a team of world experts in order to identify novel new enzymes that could be of use to industries ranging from cosmetics to medicine.

Medicine & Health news

	Anxiety is not overcome in the brain's fear center Scientists from the Center for Brain Research at MedUni Vienna are investigating how anxiety is processed and the flow of information in the brain in general: In a study, which has now been published in the leading magazine Science, the team from the Department of Cognitive Neurobiology, led by Stephane Ciocchi and Thomas Klausberger, has managed to show how anxiety is coded by the neurons of the hippocampus and that this information is not then sent directly to the brain's fear center but rather to the prefrontal cortex, the brain's control center, for further processing and for decision-making.
	Researchers create DNA repair map of the entire human genome When the common chemotherapy drugs cisplatin or oxaliplatin hit cancer cells, they damage DNA so that the cells can't replicate. But the cells have ways to repair the DNA. The cancer drugs aren't as effective as patients need. Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a method for finding where this DNA repair happens throughout all of human DNA.
	Substantial benefits for health and environment through realistic changes to UK diets Making a series of relatively minor and realistic changes to UK diets would not only reduce UK diet-related greenhouse gas emissions [1] by nearly a fifth, but could also extend average life expectancy by eight months, according to new research led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
	Breast reconstruction often involves multiple operations (HealthDay)—Most women undergoing breast reconstruction after a mastectomy will need several operations, a new study finds.
	Colorado dog key to US plague outbreak, study confirms (HealthDay)—A Colorado dog last year caused the largest outbreak of pneumonic plague—also called the Black Death—in the United States since 1924, scientists reported Thursday.
	Coming soon: A test to gauge your obesity risk? (HealthDay)—Researchers say they have successfully linked certain byproducts of digestion to the risk of excess body fat.
	Age-, sex-specific thresholds should guide statin therapy (HealthDay)—Use of age- and sex-specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk thresholds could improve the sensitivity and specificity of statin treatment recommendations, according to a study published in the April 28 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Investigational MenB vaccine can protect individuals in outbreak (HealthDay)—An investigational serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine seems to have protected vaccinated individuals from the disease during an outbreak, according to a study published online April 27 in Pediatrics.
	Two new lung cancer meds show promise in advanced disease (HealthDay)—Two experimental drugs may help patients whose lung cancer has become resistant to the latest available treatments, according to separate studies published in the April 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Where you're treated for heart attack matters (HealthDay)—Heart attack patients live longer if they're treated at high-performing hospitals—those with lower 30-day death rates, a new study indicates.
	Sharing breast milk may pose risks women haven't considered (HealthDay)—Women may be using shared breast milk from friends and family, but they don't always consider the risks involved with providing donor milk to their babies, a new survey shows.
	World first for artificial pancreas team The first natural birth to a mother with diabetes who has been fitted with an artificial pancreas took place this week. The device has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
Exploring mental health through Kendrick Lamar's lyrics Kendrick Lamar's major-label debut album good kid m.A.A.d. city, released in October 2012, provides rich narratives relating to important mental health themes, including addiction, depression and stress resilience, according to the co-founders of HIP HOP PSYCH, a new initiative to tackle mental health issues through hip-hop.
	How artificial tanning can lead to melanoma Young women may be up on the latest fashions and trends as they prepare for prom season. But what many don't know is that the tan that looks oh-so-good with their dress may be the first step toward skin cancer.
	Oxytocin increases brain's reward response in women viewing crying infants Indiana University researchers studying postpartum depression have found that the hormone oxytocin increased activation in a reward-sensitive area of the brain when women viewed images of crying infants, but not when they viewed images of smiling ones. The researchers say oxytocin might spark the motivation to help an upset baby.
Researchers examine effects of flame retardants There's nothing like napping on the couch during a lazy weekend or lounging cozily while watching your favorite sporting event on television.
	Exercise-related Facebook updates are a two-edged sword Facebook may be great for making social connections, but perhaps not so much for setting exercise goals.
	Premature deaths of black Americans alter politics, health care If a million black Americans who died prematurely had been alive to vote in the 2004 elections, the outcome in several key races would have been very different, a researcher at the University of Michigan and colleagues found.
Study on high blood pressure finds high prevalence, low awareness and treatment disparities A new study by researchers at the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) in Trinity College Dublin has raised a number of concerning findings at every stage of the hypertension health continuum for older adults in Ireland including high prevalence, lack of awareness, poor control despite treatment and disparities in treatment related to possession of a medical card. The key findings from the paper which has just been published in the Journal of Public Health include:
US clinics avoiding government oversight of 'stem cell' treatments Clinics across the United States are advertising stem cell treatments that attempt to take advantage of what they perceive as exceptions in FDA regulations, according to bioethicist Leigh G. Turner, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics and School of Public Health.
	Moms' pre-pregnancy obesity tied to ADHD, other issues in kids (HealthDay)—Children whose mothers were very obese going into pregnancy may face an increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems, a new study suggests.
	How to lower your stroke risk (HealthDay)—There are a number of ways you can reduce your risk of stroke, a neurologist says.
How your sex life may influence endometriosis Researchers are a step closer to understanding the risk factors associated with endometriosis thanks to a new University of Adelaide study.
	Beyond chicken fingers & fries: New evidence in favor of healthier kids' menus Contrary to popular belief, more healthy kids' meals were ordered after a regional restaurant chain added more healthy options to its kids' menu and removed soda and fries, researchers from ChildObesity180 at Tufts University Friedman School reported today in the journal Obesity. Including more healthy options on the menu didn't hurt overall restaurant revenue, and may have even supported growth.
The ER docs said 'stop smoking,' and they did An intervention in the emergency department designed to encourage tobacco cessation in smokers appears to be effective. Two and a half times more patients in the intervention group were tobacco-free three months after receiving interventions than those who did not receive the interventions, according to a study published online Friday in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Use wipes in the kitchen to reduce risk of food poisoning by 99 percent Consumers can reduce the risk of Campylobacter food poisoning by up to 99.2% by using disinfectant wipes in the kitchen after preparing poultry. This is according to research published today (Friday 01 May) in the Society for Applied Microbiology's Journal of Applied Microbiology.
	Majority of older adults willing to be screened by telephone for dementia Nearly two-thirds of older adults were willing to undergo telephone screening for dementia, according to a new study from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute. Willingness to be screened by phone did not differ by sex, age or race.
	Patients with gastrointestinal tumors at higher risk of other cancers Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine conducted the first population-based study that characterizes the association and temporal relationship between gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and other cancers. The results, published by Cancer on April 30, indicate that one in 5.8 patients with GIST will develop additional malignancies before and after their diagnosis.
	First-year undergrad identifies method to potentially save money in health care When the 2012 presidential election heightened focus on healthcare reform, Pranav Puri's interest in politics called his attention to a major development at his hometown hospital. In February 2012, UnityPoint Trinity Hospital in Rock Island, Ill., became one of the first in the country to implement the American College of Cardiology's appropriate use criteria (AUC) for coronary revascularization.
	Mixing energy drinks, alcohol tied to abusive drinking in teens Expanding what we know about college students mixing alcohol with energy drinks, investigators from Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center found teens aged 15-17 years old who had ever mixed alcohol with energy drinks were four times more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder than a teen who has tried alcohol but never mixed it with an energy drink. The Dartmouth team, led by James D. Sargent, MD with first author Jennifer A. Emond, MSc, PhD published "Energy drink consumption and the risk of alcohol use disorder among a national sample of adolescents and young adults," in Journal of Pediatrics.
	Parent training reduces serious behavioral problems in children with autism Young children with autism spectrum disorder, who also have serious behavioral problems, showed improved behavior when their parents were trained with specific, structured strategies to manage tantrums, aggression, self-injury, and non-compliance.
Study provides comprehensive look at brain cancer treatments Led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and UC San Francisco (UCSF), a comprehensive genetic review of treatment strategies for glioblastoma brain tumors was published today in the Oxford University Press journal Neuro-Oncology.
The BMJ calls on the next Health Secretary to 'secure the NHS's future' The BMJ today calls on the next Secretary of State for Health to "secure the NHS's future as the best and fairest health service in the world."
Prolonged statin use may lower risk of lung cancer death Lung cancer patients who used statins in the year prior to a lung cancer diagnosis or after a lung cancer diagnosis had a reduction in the risk of death from the disease. The study results were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Lifetime intense physical activity may lower risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma Performing vigorous physical activity over one's lifetime may lower risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). These study results were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
Lymphatic pump treatment enhances antibiotic effectiveness for treating pneumonia Lymphatic pump treatment (LPT) shows promise in managing pneumonia when combined with antibiotic treatment, according to a new study published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Rural hospitals struggle to stay open, adapt to changes After 45 years of providing health care in rural Missouri, Sac-Osage Hospital is being sold piece by piece.
	A tiny dissolvable surgical clip made of a magnesium alloy Kobe University has developed a safe surgical clip that dissolves and be absorbed by the body after a certain period of time. Clinical use of this clip is expected because it can reduce the rate of postoperative complications and minimize problems associated with diagnostic imaging.
	High-tech 'Smart Care' apartment aims to improve health care for seniors University of Texas at Arlington nursing and engineering researchers will unveil a model "Smart Care" apartment next month that is infused with intelligent care technology designed to reduce risks encountered by older adults and those with disabilities who want to live independently in their own homes.
	New gene editing tools force renewed debate over therapeutic germline alteration Recent evidence demonstrating the feasibility of using novel CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to make targeted changes in the DNA of human embryos is forcing researchers, clinicians, and ethicists to revisit the highly controversial issue of altering the inherited human genome. A provocative Editorial exploring the current technical limitations, safety concerns, and moral acceptability of therapeutic germline gene editing is published in Human Gene Therapy.
Taking a vacation from diabetes: Teens take 'artificial pancreas' for a test run This weekend a group of teenagers will test an "artificial pancreas" in a real-world environment. Although Yale has been studying these devices for the last decade, this is the first time one will be tested in pediatric patients here outside the hospital.

Other Sciences news

	Short science abstracts that avoid jargon and hype are cited less, study shows When writing the abstracts for journal articles, most scientists receive similar advice: keep it short, dry, and simple. But a new analysis by University of Chicago researchers of over one million abstracts finds that many of these tips backfire, producing abstracts cited less than their long, flowery, and jargon-filled peers.
	Study indicates housing market cycles have become longer A statistical analysis of data from 20 industrial countries covering the period 1970 to 2012 suggests housing market pricing cycles—normal, boom and bust phases—have become longer over the last four decades.
	Dinosaur-times cockroach caught in amber, from Myanmar Geologica Carpathica has a paper on a new family of predatory cockroaches. Predatory? The authors, Peter Vrsansky and Günter Bechly, from the Slovak Republic and Germany, respectively, said that "unique adaptations such as strongly elongated extremities and freely movable head on a long neck suggest that these animals were pursuit predators."
	Research challenges the view that Neolithic societies were egalitarian The research Demographic evidence of selective burial in megalithic graves of northern Spain by Teresa Fernández-Crespo and Concepción de la Rúa of the Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country challenges the widely-held view that societies were egalitarian during the late Neolithic and Chalcolithic ages. This work, published in the leading Journal of Archaeological Science, comes from Fernández-Crespo's PhD thesis entitled Antropología y prácticas funerarias en las poblaciones neolíticas finales y calcolíticas de la región natural de La Rioja (Anthropology and funeral practices in late Neolithic and Chalcolithic populations in the natural region of La Rioja).
	Gamer culture remains crude, rude and male-dominated, study finds Misogyny is a defining characteristic of gaming culture, even though half of the players now are female.
	Heritage destruction in conflict zones provides archaeological opportunities An international archaeological team is investigating an historic site devastated by conflict in Lebanon.
Good things in store for retailers Shopping online or in catalogs is great for many reasons: to while away time on a snowy day; to avoid the holiday crush at the local mall; to do ultra-efficient comparison shopping; to enjoy a world of choice at your fingertips. But if you need a pair of shoes for the party tonight? Not so much.
Auditors: National Science Foundation suspends UConn grants Auditors say the National Science Foundation has frozen more than $2 million in grant money to the University of Connecticut after a foundation investigation found two UConn professors used grant money to buy products from their own company.
	Study provides foundation for the future of digital higher education A new, comprehensive metastudy of the role technology plays in higher education urges universities of tomorrow to capitalize on technologies that effectively support student learning, to embrace blended learning environments, and to customize degree programs to serve the needs of students in a digital age.
	School reform in post-Katrina New Orleans harmful to black community, scholars say By most media accounts, education reform in post-Katrina New Orleans is a success. Test scores and graduation rates are up, and students once trapped in failing schools have their choice of charter schools throughout the city.

---

This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
(....)
You are subscribed as pascal.alter@gmail.com