Notatnik Pascala: Fwd: Science X Newsletter Friday, May 22

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Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Semiliquid battery competitive with both Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors
- This Slinky lookalike 'hyperlens' helps us see tiny objects
- Visualizing how radiation bombardment boosts superconductivity
- Researchers develop method of fabricating perovskite solar cells that is more efficient, costs less
- Subconscious learning shapes pain responses
- An evolutionary heads-up—the brain size advantage
- Microfluidic cell-squeezing device opens new possibilities for cell-based vaccines
- The seashell-inspired material inspiring a new wave of safety gear in sport
- Star power: Troubled ITER nuclear fusion project seeks new path
- Human stem cell model reveals molecular cues critical to neurovascular unit formation
- New computational technique advances color 3-D printing process
- A computer algorithm that mines rap lyrics to create its own song
- Scientists create mice with a major genetic cause of ALS and FTD
- Iris scanners can now identify us from 40 feet away
- Could 'green rust' be a catalyst for Martian life?

Nanotechnology news

	Semiliquid battery competitive with both Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors (Phys.org)—A new semiliquid battery developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin has exhibited encouraging early results, encompassing many of the features desired in a state-of-the-art energy-storage device. In particular, the new battery has a working voltage similar to that of a lithium-ion battery, a power density comparable to that of a supercapacitor, and it can maintain its good performance even when being charged and discharged at very high rates.
	Double Janus nanoparticles transformed into cup-shaped dynamic inclusion bodies for colloid design The transport of nanparticles to a new target environment is often needed in medical applications. Inclusion bodies or host–guest systems are of special interest, however, their design is especially challenging, and nanocolloids formed from inorganic components are rare, although they have the advantage of being functionalized relatively easily. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, scientists from Stuttgart, Germany, describe an intriguing new approach to fabricate a functionalizable host–guest system from pure inorganic components. The system involves nanocup-shaped inorganic colloids that harbor gold nanoparticles, which can be easily released by an external stimulus.
	Artificial muscles get graphene boost Researchers in South Korea have developed an electrode consisting of a single-atom-thick layer of carbon to help make more durable artificial muscles.
	Physicists develop efficient method of signal transmission from nanocomponents Physicists have developed an innovative method that could enable the efficient use of nanocomponents in electronic circuits. To achieve this, they have developed a layout in which a nanocomponent is connected to two electrical conductors, which uncouple the electrical signal in a highly efficient manner. The scientists at the Department of Physics and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute at the University of Basel have published their results in the scientific journal Nature Communications together with their colleagues from ETH Zurich.

Physics news

	This Slinky lookalike 'hyperlens' helps us see tiny objects It looks like a Slinky suspended in motion.
	Researchers develop method of fabricating perovskite solar cells that is more efficient, costs less (Phys.org)—A team of researchers working at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology in South Korea, has found a way to make fabricating perovskite based solar cells that is both more efficient and costs less than other current methods. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes their process and the efficiencies they were able to achieve.
	Visualizing how radiation bombardment boosts superconductivity Sometimes a little damage can do a lot of good—at least in the case of iron-based high-temperature superconductors. Bombarding these materials with high-energy heavy ions introduces nanometer-scale damage tracks that can enhance the materials' ability to carry high current with no energy loss—and without lowering the critical operating temperature. Such high-current, high-temperature superconductors could one day find application in zero-energy-loss power transmission lines or energy-generating turbines. But before that can happen, scientists would like to understand quantitatively and in detail how the damage helps—and use that knowledge to strategically engineer superconductors with the best characteristics for a given application.
	Star power: Troubled ITER nuclear fusion project seeks new path In 1985, then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US president Ronald Reagan launched one of the unlikeliest ideas of the Cold War.
	From reverberating chaos to concert halls, good acoustics is culturally subjective Play a flute in Carnegie Hall, and the tone will resonate and fill the space. Play that same flute in the Grand Canyon, and the sound waves will crash against the rock walls, folding back in on each other in sonic chaos. The disparity in acoustics is clear - to the modern listener, the instrument belongs in an auditorium.
	Used MRI magnets get a second chance at life in high-energy physics experiments When it comes to magnets, a doctor's trash is a physicist's treasure.
	Sweeper demonstrates wide-angle optical phased array technology Many essential military capabilities—including autonomous navigation, chemical-biological sensing, precision targeting and communications—increasingly rely upon laser-scanning technologies such as LIDAR (think radar that uses light instead of radio waves). These technologies provide amazing high-resolution information at long ranges but have a common Achilles heel: They require mechanical assemblies to sweep the laser back and forth. These large, slow opto-mechanical systems are both temperature- and impact-sensitive and often cost tens of thousands of dollars each—all factors that limit widespread adoption of current technologies for military and commercial use.

Farmers along the river delta at the heart of California agriculture expected to get an answer Friday on their surprise offer to give up a quarter of their water this year in exchange for being spared deeper mandatory cutbacks as California responds to the worsening drought.

Is it a UFO? Sun halo sparks fear and jokes in Mexico

Was it a UFO? A sign that the end is nigh?

France hits reverse on sinking tyres for artificial reefs

Tourists and film stars hitting the beach at the French Riviera resort of Cannes may be blissfully unaware but lurking beneath the sparkling waves are tens of thousands of now troublesome scrap tyres, sunk deliberately to boost marine development.

Land management practices to become important as biofuels use grows

The handling of agricultural crop residues appears to have a large impact on soil's ability to retain carbon, making land management practices increasingly important, especially under a scenario where cellulosic materials become more heavily used as a feedstock for ethanol production, according to a recently published study led by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

Earthquake preparations need to start now, expert advises federal officials

Developing the resilience to withstand a massive earthquake along the Pacific Northwest's Cascadia Subduction Zone is the responsibility of public agencies, private businesses and individuals, and that work should be under way now, Oregon State University's Scott Ashford advised Congressional leaders this week in Washington, D.C.

Quake rattles nerves in Napa Valley after 2014 disaster

A magnitude-4.1 earthquake has jolted Napa Valley and became an unwelcome reminder of the wine country's large temblor last summer—the strongest quake to hit Northern California in a quarter-century.

Study outlines 20-year process to create meteorological partnership between US and Cuba

Few professions in the world benefit from the sharing of information as much as meteorology. Nearly all countries around the world realize the value of sharing meteorological data across their borders. This information collaboration is vital to scientific understanding of the atmosphere and the oceans, as well as essential for accurate forecasts and timely warnings of hurricanes, typhoons, and other severe weather.

Finding cause of California oil spill could take months

The operator of an oil pipeline that broke and spilled thousands of gallons of crude across a scenic California shoreline says it could take weeks or even months before investigators find what caused the disaster.

Image: Cambodian rivers from orbit

A flooded landscape in Cambodia between the Mekong River (right) and Tonlé Sap river (left) is pictured by Japan's ALOS satellite. The centre of this image is about 30 km north of the centre of the country's capital, Phnom Penh.

5 pelicans, 1 sea lion rescued in Santa Barbara oil spill

Team members from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at UC Davis have joined crews responding to the oil spill in Santa Barbara County. They are coordinating the wildlife response effort as part of the unified command interagency emergency response team.

The winners and the losers of the California water crisis

A recent article published in Local Environment highlights the widening gap of inequality between the wealthy and the poor of California, specifically in relation to the State's current drought.

Ideas about how cities will meet water-rationing mandates

California is in the fourth year of an historic drought. It's now so bad that state water authorities canceled the last monthly measurement of the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. There wasn't enough snow to even bother trying.

Regulators order pipeline testing, other steps after spill

The company responsible for a pipeline that spilled thousands of gallons of oil along the California coast was ordered to take a series of steps before it can restart the line, federal regulators said Friday.

Astronomy & Space news

	Could 'green rust' be a catalyst for Martian life? Mars is a large enough planet that astrobiologists looking for life need to narrow the parameters of the search to those environments most conducive to habitability.
	Short, sharp shocks let slip the stories of supernovae When we look up at the night sky, it's easy to feel as though the stars we see have always been, and always will be, there. But just like ourselves, stars are born and die.
	Tracing the origin of ancient water flows on Mars in the lab Building our own copy of Mars in the laboratory was hard work. We had to shift 15 tonnes of sand to create a swimming-pool-sized model of the red planet. But the effort was well worth it as our experiments shed light on a much-debated issue: the origin of ancient water on the planet. The model suggests water erupted from large subsurface lakes creating enormous volcano-like eruptions.
	How bad can solar storms get? Our sun regularly pelts the Earth with all kinds of radiation and charged particles. How bad can these solar storms get?
	Mars rover's ChemCam instrument gets sharper vision NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover's "ChemCam" instrument just got a major capability fix, as Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists uploaded a software repair for the auto-focus system on the instrument.
	NASA announces opportunities to advance 'tipping point' and emerging space technologies NASA announced Thursday two opportunities for public-private partnerships to achieve the agency's goals of expanding capabilities and opportunities in space. Through both solicitations, NASA is seeking industry-developed space technologies that can foster the development of commercial space capabilities and benefit future NASA missions.

Technology news

Connected cars, data traffic jams, to challenge mobile operators

A press release on Thursday had bracing news about the future of cars as traveling computers on wheels. Rush hour could see data traffic double in certain cells, presenting major challenges to network planning and optimization teams.

Engineers develop ballistic wallpaper to reinforce temporary shelters

Troops often use abandoned masonry, brick or cinderblock structures for defensive purposes instead of building their own or digging foxholes.

Iris scanners can now identify us from 40 feet away

Biometric technologies are on the rise. By electronically recording data about individual's physical attributes such as fingerprints or iris patterns, security and law enforcement services can quickly identify people with a high degree of accuracy.

A computer algorithm that mines rap lyrics to create its own song

(Phys.org)—A team of researchers working at Aalto University in Finland has devised an algorithm that mines a database full of rap songs, picks lines from them based on rhyming and produces a new song of its own. The team has written a paper on their project, which they call DeepBeat, and have uploaded it to the preprint server arXiv.

New computational technique advances color 3-D printing process

Working with researchers at Zhejiang University in China, Changxi Zheng, assistant professor of computer science at Columbia Engineering, has developed a technique that enables hydrographic printing, a widely used industrial method for transferring color inks on a thin film to the surface of manufactured 3D objects, to color these surfaces with the most precise alignment ever attained. Using a new computational method they developed to simulate the printing process, Zheng and his team have designed a model that predicts color film distortion during hydrographic immersion, and uses it to generate a colored film that guarantees exact alignment of the surface textures to the object. The research will be presented at SIGGRAPH 2015, August 9 to 13, in Los Angeles.

Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster sees big future for Android rival

Kirt McMaster can be a bit brash as when he told Forbes magazine earlier this year that his small Palo Alto, Calif., startup is "putting a bullet through Google's head."

Defense Department's tech investing signals Silicon Valley's importance in cyberwarfare

As more conflicts shift from land to cyberspace, the nation's defense agencies are relying less on missiles and tanks and more on Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurs and startups to secure the country's porous Internet battlefield.

Supercomputers a hidden power center of Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is famed for spawning the desktop, mobile and cloud computing revolutions. What is less well known is that it's one of the nerve centers for building the world's fastest number-crunchers.

Online marketer Jellyfish helps advertisers turn Google searches to sales

Every time you search Google for a business or product and click on a result, the marketers are watching.

Toyota promises to help find cause of Takata airbag defects

Toyota President Akio Toyoda vowed to help get to the bottom of the problems with Takata air bags, the recalls for which have ballooned to about 53 million vehicles worldwide, stressing that regaining consumer trust is an industry-wide concern.

Playboy puts clothes back on for new mobile app

Playboy on Thursday launched a new mobile app—but don't look for nudity.

Aviation agency unveils messaging system to reduce delays

A system that replaces verbal communication between pilots and air traffic controllers with computerized messages was unveiled Thursday by federal aviation officials, who said the system will reduce delays during weather events and cut down on errors that occur during routine voice transmissions.

Power to the batteries

Better solar panels and wind turbines are important to helping ensure a low-carbon future. But they are not enough. The energy from these intermittent sources must be stored, managed, converted and accessed when it's needed most. And the cost of the battery systems that do this work needs to drop.

Enhancing knowledge crucial to improving energy-saving behaviors, study shows

Increasing public knowledge and understanding about energy issues is vital if improved energy-saving behaviours are to be encouraged among individuals and organisations, a study suggests.

Time to move beyond 'medieval' cyber security approach, expert says

The nation's approach to cyber security has much in common with medieval defense tactics, and that needs to change, says a cyber security expert at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Defusing bombs by color

This March, Cambodia held its first national-level science festival at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, attracting over 10,000 young students to the science booths over the course of three days. At one table, Allen Tan, the country director for Cambodia of the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, held 3-D printed land mine models, decked in bright red, white, and yellow colors to demonstrate the safe and dangerous parts. Nearby, J. Kim Vandiver, mechanical engineering professor and director of the MIT Edgerton Center, helped his wife, Kathy Vandiver, community outreach education and engagement director at the Center for Environmental Health Sciences, run a large booth of "Atoms and Molecules" kits. Tan and Vandiver had a lot to be excited about: This science festival was an unpredicted benefit of an association that had begun with a brainstorming session in Phnom Penh on ways to improve the training of people who work with unex! ploded mines and other remnants of conflict in Cambodia and around the world.

Television is changing, and viewer metrics need to change with it

The opening months of this year saw the first rumblings of a seismic shift in the Australian television market, with the introduction of three video-on-demand (VoD) subscription services: Stan; Presto; and Netflix.

Social media sackings risk stifling journalistic expression

The one defining ideal of journalism is the belief that journalists should "speak the truth" even when the truth may be contested, unpopular or damaging.

Detecting and blocking leaky Android apps

Nine times out of ten, that Android app is connecting to multiple internet destinations without your knowledge, more than half of them require access to the sensitive, personal information on your mobile device in order to function and more than one in five data "packets" these apps send contains some of that sensitive information. That's the conclusion of Japanese researchers writing this month in the International Journal of Space-Based and Situated Computing.

Crowdsourced computational expertise to advance the social good

William "Buddy" Christopher has a problem. As commissioner of Boston's Inspectional Services Department, he is responsible for enforcing health regulations at the city's 3,043 restaurants. But regularly getting to all of them is a tall order for his team of 18 inspectors.

Study of Maglev train suspensions paves way for simpler industrial fault detection through AI

A new approach of industrial fault detection based on Artificial Intelligence has been studied on the electro-magnetic suspension of floating Maglev trains and could be applied to other safety-critical control systems, scientists believe.

Adult dating website hack exposes personal data

A data breach at a website billed as "the world's largest sex and swinger" community may expose personal and sexual information on millions of users worldwide, a report said Friday.

Your smartphone is a target, so make it secure

Consumers beware: Your smartphone represents a uniquely valuable and vulnerable target for hackers, scam artists and other bad actors.

Domino's taking orders via tweet

Domino's on Wednesday launched perhaps the easiest way to satisfy a pizza craving this side of mind reading: order by tweet.

Review: Samsung wireless headphones help keep the noise down

I remember when wireless headphones were a big deal.

From plant matter to jet fuel: Streamlining the production of ultraclean fuel

Plant materials are one of the oldest renewable energy sources, and today scientists are working to produce ultra-clean fuels from them using refined chemical techniques, work made possible by Canadian Light Source techniques.

Parents who use cellphones on playgrounds feel guilty, study finds

Though not all parents steal glances at their cellphones while watching children at the playground, many of those who do feel guilty about being glued to a screen rather than the monkey bars.

Coal, medicine, trains top Tokyo's Asia infrastructure plan

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's offer of $110 billion in fresh infrastructure financing for Asia is as much about Japan's agenda for selling its clean coal know-how and other technologies as it is about keeping up with China.

European teams demonstrate progress in emergency response robotics since Fukushima disaster

Three European teams – including the EU-funded WALK-MAN – will present their emergency-response robots to the world at the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Finals from 5 to 6 June. They are among 25 teams showing how far robotics has come since the Fukushima disaster, as well as the obstacles still to be tackled.

Robot walker for elderly people in public spaces

Elderly people with walking difficulties are often intimidated by busy public places. This led an EU research project to develop a robot walker to guide them around shopping centres, museums and other public buildings, thus enhancing their autonomy.

French court rejects Uber's challenge to legal restrictions

France's highest court has rejected ride-sharing company Uber's bid to have much of a recent law banning its services declared unconstitutional.

Chemistry news

The seashell-inspired material inspiring a new wave of safety gear in sport

The risk of injury in professional sport has been a central feature in recent debates about how well protected our stars are. Only recently, Argentine football player Emanuel Ortega died of a fatal head injury after hitting a concrete wall during a game.

A closer look at a deadly bacterium sets the stage for new vaccines

Tularemia, or rabbit fever, is a severely debilitating and sometimes fatal disease, and the pathogen involved has potential as a biological weapon. To better understand the disease – and to better design potential vaccines – an ASU team looked at a key cellular protein in unprecedented detail.

Biology news

Study finds cells that become sperm or eggs in humans are vulnerable during pregnancy

A new study, published online today by Amander Clark, Ph.D., at the UCLA Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, significantly furthers the understanding of the human germline – the cells that create eggs or sperm in humans during prenatal development in the womb. The highly specialized cells of the germline, called germ cells, are the only cell type in the body capable of passing parents' genes on to their biological children. Abnormalities in the germ cells can cause infertility as well as diseases such as germ cell tumors in young boys and primary ovarian insufficiency in young girls. Published by the journal Cell, the study looks closely at how the genetic information of prenatal germ cells is shielded from harm during prenatal life, showing that these important cells lack protection during a phase of development, leaving them vulnerable to damage.

Study finds cell division sign posts for chromosomes along microtubule highway

A system within cells that guides how chromosomes move during cell division was discovered by researchers led by co-senior authors Ekaterina Grishchuk, PhD, an assistant professor of Physiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Helder Maiato, from the Universidade do Porto, Portugal.

Herpes virus hijackers

The virus responsible for the common cold sore hijacks the machinery within our cells, causing them to break down and help shield the virus from our immune system, researchers from the University of Cambridge and colleagues in Germany have discovered.

An evolutionary heads-up—the brain size advantage

A larger brain brings better cognitive performance. And so it seems only logical that a larger brain would offer a higher survival potential. In the course of evolution, large brains should therefore win out over smaller ones. Previous tests of this hypothesis had relied on comparison studies looking at the intelligence and survival potential of species with large brains versus species with smaller brains. And species with larger brains do appear to have an advantage. But such studies are unable to show a causal relationship.

DNA samples from fungi collections provide key to mushroom 'tree of life'

Genetic material from fungi collections at Purdue University and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, helped a team of researchers resolve the mushroom "tree of life," a map of the relationships between key mushroom species and their evolutionary history that scientists have struggled to piece together for more than 200 years.

Advances in technology and computational analysis paving the way for translational studies

The Human Genome Project gave us an incredible foundation from which to understand our potential genetic repertoire. In order to understand the actual roles of particular genes in disease, however, it is not only critical to identify genes, but also to know in which cells the genes are expressed and when.

Research station to unlock Kimberley wildlife secrets

The pristine Artesian Range in the north-west Kimberley region is one of the last remaining refuges for some of Australia's endangered animals, with scientists now poised to find out why.

Ecologists develop new method for mapping poaching threats

Ecologists from the University of York, together with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), have developed a new method to better identify where poachers operate in protected areas.

Estuaries protect Dungeness crabs from deadly parasites

Parasitic worms can pose a serious threat to the Dungeness crab, a commercially important fishery species found along the west coast of North America. The worms are thought to have caused or contributed to the crash of the crab fishery of central California during the last half century. New research shows that infected crabs can rid themselves of parasites by moving into the less salty water of estuaries. Low salinity kills the worms creating a parasite refuge for the crabs.

Study uses farm data to aid in slowing evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds

The widespread evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds is costing farmers, especially through decreases in productivity and profitability. Although researchers and industry personnel have made recommendations to slow this evolution, an understanding of the patterns and causes of the resistance has been limited.

Serengeti Park disappearing

A huge wildebeest herd migrates across the open, parched plains. Dust swirls up from the many hooves pounding the ground, and forms a haze over the landscape. The setting sun gives the scene a golden tinge.

Endangered antelope dying off in vast numbers in Kazakhstan

Authorities in Kazakhstan says around one-third of the endangered saiga antelope population in this Central Asian nation has mysteriously died off in the last few days.

Recycling preparative HPLC for isolation of styryl-lactones from goniothalamus lanceolatus

The forest of Borneo presents a diversity of flora and fauna which may hold the secret ingredients and compounds to treat many serious and chronic ilnesses. Researchers from ATTA-UR-Rahman Institute For Natural Product Discovery, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia carried out a study on one such indigenous plant found in the jungles of Borneo.

Rapid action necessary to protect Malaysia'n sea cows and their habitat

Malaysia aims to protect 10% of its marine environment by 2020. Less than 1%, however, is currently protected. This may have dire consequences for the country's endangered dugong population, warn a Malaysian scientist and her research team.

Wal-Mart's push on animal welfare hailed as game changer

Wal-Mart's push to get its suppliers to give farm animals fewer antibiotics and more room to roam is expected to have a big impact on the food industry, experts say.

US egg prices soar as avian flu batters poultry industry

US farmers have been forced to kill almost 40 million chickens and other birds, causing egg prices to soar as a deadly version of the avian flu attacks the poultry industry.

Q&A: Why are antibiotics used in livestock?

Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, is the latest company to ask its suppliers to curb the use of antibiotics in farm animals. Here's a rundown of what's driving the decision:

Medicine & Health news

Faster heart rate linked to diabetes risk

An association between resting heart rate and diabetes suggests that heart rate measures could identify individuals with a higher future risk of diabetes, according to an international team of researchers.

All sounds made equal in melancholy

The room is loud with chatter. Glasses clink. Soft music, perhaps light jazz or strings, fills the air. Amidst all of these background sounds, it can be difficult to understand what an adjacent person is saying. A depressed individual, brought to this cocktail party by a well-meaning friend, can slide further into himself, his inability to hear and communicate compounding his sense of isolation.

Proteins may slow memory loss in people with Alzheimer's

Certain proteins may slow the devastating memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease, according to a groundbreaking Iowa State University study.

Researchers call for more fairness in using testosterone levels to judge femaleness of elite athletes

(Medical Xpress)—A pair of researchers, one with Stanford University, the other Barnard College, has published a Policy Forum piece in the journal Science, calling for changes to the way female athletes are judged on their fitness to compete as women in major sporting events. Katrina Karkazis and Rebecca Jordan-Young note that thus far there have only been two serious studies done on the topic and they came back with conflicting results, which suggests that sports organizations that use testosterone levels to exclude women from competing with other women are unfair.

Subconscious learning shapes pain responses

In a new study led from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet, researchers report that people can be conditioned to associate images with particular pain responses – such as improved tolerance to pain – even when they are not consciously aware of the images. The findings are being published in the journal PNAS.

Microfluidic cell-squeezing device opens new possibilities for cell-based vaccines

MIT researchers have shown that they can use a microfluidic cell-squeezing device to introduce specific antigens inside the immune system's B cells, providing a new approach to developing and implementing antigen-presenting cell vaccines.

Human stem cell model reveals molecular cues critical to neurovascular unit formation

Crucial bodily functions we depend on but don't consciously think about—things like heart rate, blood flow, breathing and digestion—are regulated by the neurovascular unit. The neurovascular unit is made up of blood vessels and smooth muscles under the control of autonomic neurons. Yet how the nervous and vascular systems come together during development to coordinate these functions is not well understood. Using human embryonic stem cells, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute created a model that allows them to track cellular behavior during the earliest stages of human development in real-time. The model reveals, for the first time, how autonomic neurons and blood vessels come together to form the neurovascular unit.

Scientists create mice with a major genetic cause of ALS and FTD

Scientists at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida created a novel mouse that exhibits the symptoms and neurodegeneration associated with the most common genetic forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease), both of which are caused by a mutation in the a gene called C9ORF72. The study was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the journal Science.

Mood instability common to mental health disorders and associated with poor outcomes

A study by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has shown that mood instability occurs in a wide range of mental disorders and is not exclusive to affective conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder.

Research identifies best treatment for blood pressure in diabetic kidney disease

Blood pressure lowering drugs do not improve life expectancy among adults with diabetes and kidney disease, a new study of the global evidence published today in The Lancet reveals.

Time is muscle in acute heart failure

Urgent diagnosis and treatment in acute heart failure has been emphasised for the first time in joint recommendations published today in European Heart Journal.

Head injuries could result in neurodegenerative disease in rugby union players

A new article publishing online today in the Quarterly Journal of Medicine has reported the first case showing an association between exposure to head injuries in rugby union players and an increased risk in neurodegenerative disease.

Applying visual techniques to med school lessons

Quick! When a person is deprived of oxygen, which part of the brain is damaged first?

India's street dentists filling gap for the poor

Ignoring noisy buses and curious onlookers, street dentist Allah Baksh plunges his hands into a patient's mouth to fit a sparkling set of dentures for $12 in the Indian city of Bangalore.

Anticipating temptation may reduce unethical behavior, research finds

Why do good people do bad things? It's a question that has been pondered for centuries, and new research published by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology may offer some insights about when people succumb to versus resist ethical temptations.

1950s drug is future heart treatment

Oxford University researchers have found a promising future treatment for heart disease, going back to a drug first developed in 1950.

Tpl2 enzyme may be target for treating autoimmune diseases

New research at the University of Georgia has found that the presence of Tpl2—an enzyme that regulates inflammation—controls the activation of T cells during colitis, an autoimmune disease that occurs when the inner lining of the colon is inflamed.

University of Oslo researchers confirm new mechanism for Alzheimer's disease

Jens Pahnke and his team at the University of Oslo has recently published results in the prestigious scientific journal Brain showing that decreased removal of toxic peptides in the brain causes the onset and first clinical signs of Alzheimer's disease, rather than overproduction as has previously been assumed. This information can now be used to target specific genes to enhance their function in the brain of elderly or people at risk.

Which medication is most effective at stopping seizures in the ED?

University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center researchers are conducting a study on seizures to find out which of three commonly used medicines administered in the emergency department are safer and more effective at quickly stopping a seizure for Established Status Epilepticus (ESE).

Study finds students are eating fruits and veggies in school lunches, contradicting criticism

Under new federal school lunch regulations championed by Michelle Obama, school cafeterias across the country must now offer more whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and less fat and sodium. But the new guidelines also sparked widespread criticism that children hated the healthier lunches and were choosing to simply toss out the fruits and vegetables.

When it comes to hearing, diet may trump noise exposure

Although the old wives' tale about carrots being good for your eyesight has been debunked, University of Florida researchers have found a link between healthy eating and another of your five senses: hearing.

Feeling disconnected contributes to women's depression from domestic abuse

Women in abusive relationships feel depressed not only from the violence but from the loss of their sense of belonging, a new University of Michigan study finds.

Update on gene editing of human embryos–and other organisms

The National Academy of Sciences has confirmed officially that yes, as rumored for weeks, it will hold a meeting to thrash out issues posed by the new gene editing techniques. These will probably be ethical and policy issues mostly. In particular the much-talked-about fallout from the lab method using CRISPR/Cas, especially permanent edits to the H. sap genome that would be inherited by future humans–usually called germline editing.

Driving eligibility guidelines post-injury steered in new direction

Getting back behind the wheel after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), such as concussion, should take longer than national medical guidelines currently advise.

Study shows that injury rates from wearing high-heeled shoes have doubled

Americans love high-heeled shoes. One survey in 2003 reported that 62 percent of American women wore shoes with a 2-inch or greater heel on a regular basis. Those shoes are taking a toll.

Breastfeeding protects against environmental pollution

Living in a city with a high level of vehicle traffic or close to a steel works means living with two intense sources of environmental pollution. However, a study conducted by the UPV/EHU researcher Aitana Lertxundi indicates that the harmful effect of PM2.5 pollution particle matter and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) disappears in breastfed babies during the first four months of life. According to the results of the research, breastfeeding plays a protective role in the presence of these two atmospheric pollutants.

Vortex device makes for better cancer treatments

A South Australian invention, responsible for unboiling an egg, has been used to produce a four-fold increase in efficacy of carboplatin, a commonly used drug for ovarian, lung and other cancer.

Explainer: What is Chagas disease?

According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in a Los Angeles clinic treating patients with heart failure, about 20% of Latin American patients have Chagas disease. What is that?, you might wonder.

New study finds that proton therapy has fewer side effects in esophageal cancer patients

New research by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has found that esophageal cancer patients treated with proton therapy experienced significantly less toxic side effects than patients treated with older radiation therapies.

Raw tuna suspected as source of salmonella outbreak: CDC

(HealthDay)—Raw tuna is suspected as the source of a salmonella outbreak that has now sickened 53 people in nine states, according to U.S. health officials.

Lean six sigma approach ups quality of hip replacement Sx

(HealthDay)—The Lean Six Sigma approach can be implemented to improve quality of care and reduce costs in prosthetic hip replacement surgery, according to a study published online May 11 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

AMA: avoiding distress in medical school

(HealthDay)—Understanding the key drivers underlying medical students' distress can help address the issues and enhance student well-being, according to an article published by the American Medical Association.

Beloranib safe, efficacious for weight loss in obesity

(HealthDay)—Beloranib seems efficacious and safe for weight loss in obese patients, according to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

School scoliosis screening has sustained effectiveness

(HealthDay)—School scoliosis screening can have sustained clinical effectiveness in identifying patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of The Spine Journal.

Raising a glass to the holidays

Asking people about what they drink on holidays and other special occasions shows we drink around the equivalent of 12 million more bottles of wine a week than we previously thought in England. Previous surveys on alcohol consumption have not accounted for all the alcohol that is sold. Research, funded by Alcohol Research UK and published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, appears to have found many of these 'missing units'.

Female immune response could hold key to new cancer therapies

An understanding of natural immune suppression mechanisms in the female reproductive tract could lead to new ways to combat cancer.

Oxidative stress is an aggravating factor in Lafora rare disease

Neurodegenerative Lafora disease usually becomes apparent through seizures during adolescence and puberty and occurs as a consequence of defects in glycogen metabolism and in the cellular mechanisms that are responsible for its disposal. Researchers at the University of Valencia have led a study in which they propose that Lafora could be aggravated by oxidative stress. These ideas have been put forward in a review article recently published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Reconstruction and vaccine-preventable enteric diseases following Nepal earthquakes

In the wake of the recent devastating earthquakes, PLOS Medicine Consulting Editor Lorenz von Seidlein visited Nepal to assess outbreak risks. Lorenz travelled with Anuj Bhattachan, International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Korea and guidance from Deepak C. Bajracharya and Shyam Raj Upreti from the Group for Technical Assistance, Kathmandu, Nepal. The assessment was requested by the epidemiology and disease control division of the Ministry of Health of Nepal and facilitated by Stop Cholera. Here he reports on the damage he witnessed and considers the choice of administering vaccines pre-emptively versus reactively in response to an outbreak.

Cutting edge research and collegiality the focus of EuroPCR 2015

Technique, talk, and talent were three buzzwords at the 2015 EuroPCR congress. As in years past, the conference featured a mix of breaking news, live case demonstrations, oral and poster sessions, debates, and tips-and-tricks tutorials. New study data have been increasingly showcased at EuroPCR and this year's meeting featured over 70 new abstract sessions throughout the four-day meeting, across five interventional tracks.

300-400 new cholera cases per day among Burundians in Tanzania: UN

Some 3,000 cases of cholera have been reported in Tanzania, mainly among Burundian refugees fleeing political violence, the UN said Friday, adding that up to 400 new cases were being counted daily.

Tobacco firms get partial win over claims on smoking effects (Update)

America's largest tobacco companies must inform consumers that cigarettes were designed to increase addiction, but not that they lied to the public about the dangers of smoking, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.

New research leads to FDA approval of first drug to treat radiation sickness

As a result of research performed by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a drug to treat the deleterious effects of radiation exposure following a nuclear incident. The drug, Neupogen, is the first ever approved for the treatment of acute radiation injury.

US appeals court upholds delay in Alzheimer's drug swap

A federal appeals court has rejected a drug manufacturer's appeal and affirmed a judge's order that Actavis PLC keep distributing its widely used Alzheimer's medication until after its patent expires this summer.

Other Sciences news

American Indians disproportionately disciplined at school compared to white students

School disciplinary actions handed down to students at Utah public schools disproportionately impact American Indian children over all other ethnicities enrolled in the state's public education system, new research from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law Public Policy Clinic reveals.

Compassion is an effective managerial strategy, expert says

Compassion is a better managerial approach than toughness in today's workplace, writes a Stanford psychologist in a new article.

New research shows how politics manipulates a culture of optimism

Whilst the UK suffers the post-election blues, a new book by Professor Oliver Bennett, founder of the University of Warwick's Centre for Cultural Policy Studies, looks at how societies maintain hope in the future in an increasingly divided and threatening world.

Media exposure to prior tragedies may sensitize people to new disasters

The city of Boston endured one of the worst terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in April of 2013, when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. While emergency workers responded to the chaos and law enforcement agencies began a manhunt for the perpetrators, Americans fixed their attention to television screens, Internet news sites and forums, and Twitter, Facebook and other social media.

Explainer: How to solve a jewel heist (and why it takes so long)

The Hatton Garden heist was a burglary that to all intents and purposes appeared to be taken from a work of fiction. A daring raid that involved climbing down lift shafts, drilling through a reinforced concrete wall, gaining entry to a secure vault and breaking numerous secure metal safe boxes before making away with valuables, right under the noses of security and police.

How we discovered the three revolutions of American pop

Dr Matthias Mauch discusses his recent scientific analysis of the "fossil record" of the Billboard charts prompted widespread attention, particularly the findings about the three musical "revolutions" that shaped the musical landscape of the second half of the 20th century.

Top UK scientists warn against EU exit

A group of leading British scientists including Nobel-winning geneticist Paul Nurse warned leaving the European Union could threaten research funding, in a letter published in The Times newspaper on Friday.

Canada building less social housing despite risk of increased homelessness

The first 20-year survey of public housing trends in North America, Europe and Asia has highlighted the decline in Canada's public-housing investment. Researchers at UBC's School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) compiled data from governments, housing and non-profit agencies, and academic articles for their report, titled "The Future of Public Housing: Trends in Public Housing Internationally."

'Draconian border policies' embolden human trafficking networks, expert says

European Union and southeast Asian countries are struggling to develop policies on how to deal with large numbers of migrants fleeing unstable states like Syria, Libya, Niger, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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sobota, 23 maja 2015

Fwd: Science X Newsletter Friday, May 22

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