Fwd: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, May 5

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Wed, May 6, 2015 at 3:54 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, May 5
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

RESPEKT!

The media is the message: How stem cells grow depends on what they grow up in

Say what? How the brain separates our ability to talk and write

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 5, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Two-dimensional material seems to disappear, but doesn't
- Astronomers find first evidence of changing conditions on a super Earth
- Brain in a bottle: A new culture medium for growing and testing neuronal cells in vitro
- Controlling the internal structure of mitochondria
- New chip architecture may provide foundation for quantum computer
- Bone analysis reveals violent history of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica
- Novel catalyst used to make styrene in one step
- Astronomers unveil the farthest galaxy
- Channeling valleytronics in graphene: Researchers discover 1-D conducting channels in bilayer graphene
- Astrophysicists offer proof that famous image shows forming planets
- Study reveals evolutionary history of hawkmoths' sonar jamming defense
- Large Hadron Collider resumes collisions after upgrade
- Artificial muscles created from gold-plated onion cells
- 'Microcombing' creates stronger, more conductive carbon nanotube films
- Bringing high-energy particle detection in from the cold

Nanotechnology news

	Two-dimensional material seems to disappear, but doesn't (Phys.org)—When exposed to air, a luminescent 2D material called molybdenum telluride (MoTe2) appears to decompose within a couple days, losing its optical contrast and becoming virtually transparent. But when scientists probed further, they found that the disappearance is an illusion: the material remains structurally stable, and only its material properties change. The results reveal insight into the environmental stability and unusual properties of a newer class of 2D materials called transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs).
	Channeling valleytronics in graphene: Researchers discover 1-D conducting channels in bilayer graphene To the list of potential applications of graphene – a two-dimensional semiconductor of pure carbon that is stronger and much faster than silicon – we can now add valleytronics, the coding of data in the wavelike motion of electrons as they speed through a conductor. Berkeley Lab researchers have discovered topologically protected one-dimensional electron conducting channels at the domain walls of bilayer graphene. These conducting channels are "valley polarized," which means they can serve as filters for electron valley polarization in future devices such as quantum computers.
	Implantable electrode coating good as gold A team of researchers from Lawrence Livermore and UC Davis have found that covering an implantable neural electrode with nanoporous gold could eliminate the risk of scar tissue forming over the electrode's surface.
	'Microcombing' creates stronger, more conductive carbon nanotube films Researchers from North Carolina State University and China's Suzhou Institute of Nano-Science and Nano-Biotics have developed an inexpensive technique called "microcombing" to align carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which can be used to create large, pure CNT films that are stronger than any previous such films. The technique also improves the electrical conductivity that makes these films attractive for use in electronic and aerospace applications.

Physics news

	New chip architecture may provide foundation for quantum computer Quantum computers are in theory capable of simulating the interactions of molecules at a level of detail far beyond the capabilities of even the largest supercomputers today. Such simulations could revolutionize chemistry, biology and material science, but the development of quantum computers has been limited by the ability to increase the number of quantum bits, or qubits, that encode, store and access large amounts of data.
	New laser-light source could lead to significant advances in research on fundamental physics With the aid of extremely short and highly intense pulses of laser light, scientists have made great strides in their efforts to observe and control particle motions outside the confines of atomic nuclei. Indeed, the future of electronics lies in optical control of electron flows. That would enable data processing operations to be performed at frequencies equivalent to the rate of oscillation of visible light – some 100,000 times faster than is feasible with current techniques. To reach this goal, advances in laser technology are essential. Physicists at the Laboratory for Attosecond Physics (LAP), which is run jointly by LMU Munich and the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ), has developed a novel light source that brings the age of optoelectronics closer. The team describes the new instrument in the journal Nature Communications.
	Artificial muscles created from gold-plated onion cells Just one well-placed slice into a particularly pungent onion can send even the most seasoned chef running for a box of tissues. Now, this humble root vegetable is proving its strength outside the culinary world as well—in an artificial muscle created from onion cells. Unlike previous artificial muscles, this one, created by a group of researchers from National Taiwan University, can either expand or contract to bend in different directions depending on the driving voltage applied. The finding is published this week in the journal Applied Physics Letters.
	Bringing high-energy particle detection in from the cold Radiation detectors, which monitor high-energy particles such as those produced by nuclear decay and cosmic radiation, are being used increasingly in medical imaging, petroleum well logging, astronomy and national security. Conventional semiconductor detectors made from germanium and silicon are standard equipment in nuclear physics, but are less useful in many emerging applications because they require low temperatures to operate. In recent years, scientists have been seeking new semiconductor materials to develop high-performance radiation detectors that can operate at room temperature.
	Large Hadron Collider resumes collisions after upgrade The world's largest particle smasher resumed colliding protons Tuesday as it gradually reboots following a two-year upgrade, Europe's physics lab CERN said.
	Image: Into the depths of the electromagnetic spectrum It can be difficult in our everyday lives to appreciate the extraordinary range of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. Electromagnetic radiation—from radio waves to visible light to x-rays—travels through space in the form of waves, rising and falling in a similar way to waves rippling across the ocean. The length of these waves—measured from peak to peak or valley to valley—helps define their properties and potential uses.
	CERN: A milestone toward a higher-energy nuclear physics facility CERN's nuclear physics facility ISOLDE will soon be producing radioactive ion beams at higher energies. The purpose of the HIE-ISOLDE (High Intensity and Energy ISOLDE) project, now in the advanced stages of construction at CERN, is to increase the energy and intensity of the ISOLDE beams. The transportation and installation of the first acceleration module on Saturday, 2 May marked an important milestone in the project. Made up of five superconducting accelerating cavities, this sophisticated module required years of development followed by months of assembly in a clean room at CERN. Once connected to the associated infrastructure, it will undergo several weeks of testing before HIE-ISOLDE is commissioned.

Earth news

	Tracking photosynthesis from space Watching plants perform photosynthesis from space sounds like a futuristic proposal, but a new application of data from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite may enable scientists to do just that. The new technique, which allows researchers to analyze plant productivity from far above Earth, will provide a clearer picture of the global carbon cycle and may one day help researchers determine the best regional farming practices and even spot early signs of drought.
	Team reveals the first 'images' of thunder For the first time, scientists have imaged thunder, visually capturing the sound waves created by artificially triggered lightning. Researchers from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) are presenting the first images at a joint meeting of American and Canadian geophysical societies in Montreal, Canada, May 3-7.
	Crater collapse causes lava explosion on Hawaii's Kilauea Molten lava, rocks and gas went flying through the air on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano after an explosion was caused by the partial collapse of a crater wall.
	Brackish groundwater important to West Texas Even with the downturn in the oil patch, interest in brackish groundwater remains high across West Texas, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service range expert said.
	A new way to track and combat air pollution in Salt Lake City For the first time, sources of carbon dioxide in Salt Lake County can be accurately estimated at the level of individual buildings and roads and by hour of the day. Building on this capability, emissions of toxic air pollutants at such fine scale will also be possible.
	Slowdown after Ice Age sounds a warning for Great Barrier Reef's future Environmental factors similar to those affecting the present day Great Barrier Reef have been linked to a major slowdown in its growth eight thousand years ago, research led by the University of Sydney shows.
	Going underground to understand Australia's past climate variability Given the importance of water in Australia, surprisingly, there is relatively little information about the past variability of rainfall on this continent. Although there is a good annual record of the past 100 years in Australia, there is nothing much before that period and no known cave deposit records exist for New South Wales.
Remote assessment of avalanche risk In cooperation with a Swiss research team, geographers of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have developed a novel measuring system relying on two different physical methods that promises to enhance forecasting of avalanches and spring floods. The method combines GPS and radar to measure snow properties also on the slopes.
	Researchers use supercomputing to assess the impact of climate change on the country's growing season Malawi, a small landlocked country in southeast Africa, is home to 13 million people and is one of the least-developed countries in the world. As a nation that relies on subsistence farming, its security is highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture, including the crops maize, rice, and sweet potatoes. Changes in rainfall patterns associated with climate change can be devastating to people living in the country, leading to food crises, famines, and loss of life.
	A model approach for sustainable phosphorus recovery from wastewater A new approach to wastewater treatment may be key in efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Moreover, it can be profitable.
	Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano spews ash on capital Turrialba volcano spewed a column of smoke and ash on Monday that reached Costa Rica's capital San Jose 60 kilometers (40 miles) away, authorities said.
Small tsunami seen near epicenter of Papua New Guinea quake A powerful earthquake rattled the South Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, generating a small tsunami near the epicenter, bringing down power lines and cracking walls, but causing no widespread damage.
	US cleanup would leave some asbestos in contaminated town A long-delayed cleanup proposal for a Montana community where thousands have been sickened by asbestos exposure would leave some of the dangerous material inside houses rather than remove it, as government officials seek to wind down an effort that has lasted more than 15 years and cost $540 million.
	Work begins to establish a baseline carbon budget for U.S. coastlines Determining whether estuaries and tidal wetlands are net emitters or absorbers of carbon dioxide is the object of a NASA-funded study by a national team of researchers. The three-year, $1.2-million study, led by Penn State professor of oceanography Raymond Najjar, is the first to look at the entire contiguous U.S. estuarine and tidal-wetland system, and the team will establish a long-term, baseline carbon budget over the past several decades—the period for which most coastal carbon data have been collected.
	NOAA announces new Deepwater Horizon oil spill searchable database web tool A new online tool developed by NOAA  to manage and integrate the massive amounts of data collected by different sources during the five years following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, called DIVER for Data Integration, Visualization, Exploration, and Reporting, is now available for use by research teams and the public at https://dwhdiver.orr.noaa.gov.
	NASA IMERG sees Australia's bicoastal rainfall The rainfall accumulation analysis above was computed from data generated by the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) during the period from April 28 to May 3, 2015. During this period IMERG algorithms continuously merged and interpolated satellite passive microwave precipitation estimates and microwave-calibrated infrared (IR) satellite estimates over the entire globe.
	China, EU working on common approach on climate change The European Union's foreign policy chief said Tuesday she's confident the EU and China can agree to a common approach on climate change ahead of crucial carbon reduction talks in Paris this year.
	Yap Island typhoon warning in place for Noul Tropical Storm Noul is still threatening Yap Island located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and a part of the Federated States of Micronesia. Micronesia has posted a typhoon warning for the tiny island. The storm is currently 22 miles south-southwest of Ulithi (one of the outer islands of the State of Yap) and is moving west at 2 knots per hour. Maximum sustained winds for the storm is 55 knots gusting to 70 knots and maximum wave height is 20 feet.
	Earthquake scientists go to Himalayas for seismic research Scientists have been trying to make sense of out of what makes the earth move for centuries. The earthquake disaster in Nepal on April 25 brings attention to human frailty in the face of Mother Nature. In spite of and because of these disasters, scientists continue to work to solve the geologic and seismic puzzles around the globe.

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers find first evidence of changing conditions on a super Earth Astronomers have detected wildly changing temperatures on a super Earth – the first time any atmospheric variability has been observed on a rocky planet outside the solar system – and believe it could be due to huge amounts of volcanic activity, further adding to the mystery of what had been nicknamed the 'diamond planet'.
	Astronomers unveil the farthest galaxy An international team of astronomers led by Yale University and the University of California-Santa Cruz have pushed back the cosmic frontier of galaxy exploration to a time when the universe was only 5% of its present age.
	Astrophysicists offer proof that famous image shows forming planets A recent and famous image from deep space marks the first time we've seen a forming planetary system, according to a study by University of Toronto astrophysicists.
	SpaceX to test 'eject-button' for astronauts Private US space transport company SpaceX is to test an eject button for astronauts on Wednesday in the first flight test of the abort system on the Dragon spaceship.
	Image: SOHO captures bright filament eruption An elongated solar filament that extended almost half the sun's visible hemisphere erupted into space on April 28-29, 2015, in a large burst of bright plasma. Filaments are unstable strands of solar material suspended above the sun by magnetic forces. Solar astronomers around the world had their eyes on this unusually large filament and kept track as it erupted. Both of the coronagraph instruments on the joint ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, show the coronal mass ejection associated with the eruption.
	Opportunity of a lifetime—NASA's 4,000 days roving Mars NASA's exploration rover Opportunity landed on Mars more than 11 years ago, in January 2004, with what then seemed like ambitious goals: to survive 90 Martian days and drive 600 metres. Opportunity has since driven the first off-Earth marathon (42.2 kilometres, or just over 26 miles) and just passed through its 4,000th Martian day – known as a sol on the Red Planet, lasting 40 minutes longer than on Earth.
	Key facts and timeline for SpaceX crewed Dragon's first test flight, May 6 The first critical test flight of SpaceX's crewed Dragon that will soon launch American astronauts back to orbit and the International Space Station (ISS) from American soil is now less than two days away.
	What animals have been to space? When we think of spaceflight, we think astronauts. You're a human, you perceive the Universe with your human-centric attitudes. You… specist.
	Image: Contingency training for the Sentinel-2 mission control team In this image, Spacecraft Operations Manager Franco Marchese and the Sentinel-2 mission control team are seen during simulation training in the Main Control Room at ESOC, Darmstadt, on 28 April.

Technology news

	Footage from drone perspective with CyPhy Works Sometimes you hear enthusiasts talking about high-quality footage. Now the chatter can shift over to discussions about quality drone footage. The good news is that a talented team has come up with a concept for taking pictures with a drone which would not require advanced skills and expensive equipment. It is no accident that a promotional video for a video-capturing drone shows a child, not an adult, holding up the phone. Fast Company said, "CyPhy Works has so far focused on developing drones for commercial and emergency responder-type uses. Now it wants to sell to everyone." CyPhy Works in Danvers, Massachusetts, founded by iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner, has been making tethered drones for industrial application. These drones were designed to fly 24/7 in all types of wind and weather.
	Startup's advertising platform provides free mobile data to prepaid cellphone users in developing countries In an unassuming office building in downtown Boston, a midsized tech startup founded by an MIT alumnus has a reach of more than half of the world's population.
	GoSun solar grill offers a greener way to barbecue A group led by inventor Patrick Sherwin has posted a Kickstarter project named GoSun Grill, it uses sunlight to charge a thermal battery which in turn is used to cook food inside a glass vacuum tube. The difference between this grill and other solar cookers is that it will continue to work if it gets cloudy out, or even after the sun goes down.
	New centimeter-accurate GPS system could transform virtual reality and mobile devices Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a centimeter-accurate GPS-based positioning system that could revolutionize geolocation on virtual reality headsets, cellphones and other technologies, making global positioning and orientation far more precise than what is currently available on a mobile device.
	Improving organic transistors that drive flexible and conformable electronics A revolution is coming in flexible electronic technologies as cheaper, more flexible, organic transistors come on the scene to replace expensive, rigid, silicon-based semiconductors, but not enough is known about how bending in these new thin-film electronic devices will affect their performance, say materials scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
	Jaguar Land Rover has sights on eye-tracking wiper An eye-tracking wiper is a vision that has developed into a patent. The patent applicant is Jaguar Land Rover. This would be an eye-tracking system not to catch drivers dozing off but to help enhance safety via helping to operate the rear-screen wiper.
Google tractor-beams Star Wars universe into Knowledge Graph Star Wars fans no longer have to search their feelings to discover the truth. They can just Google it.
	Using a new laser process to custom shape optical fibers Modern medicine relies on optical fibers to cauterize unhealthy veins in a minimally invasive way. Now, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a laser processing method that facilitates automated series manufacture of these fibers at a much finer quality than ever before. The scientists will present a fiber probe prototype manufactured using the new technique from May 19-21 at the measurement fair SENSOR+TEST 2015 in Nuremberg (Hall 12, Booth 537).
	Pressure-monitoring stockings to prevent wounds in diabetics Diabetics often have little feeling in their feet and don't perceive the body's pressure or temperature signals there. This can result in unnoticed wounds that then develop into abscesses. Many diabetics have to have toes or feet amputated. Now, a novel kind of pressure stocking developed by Fraunhofer researchers is set to help protect against wounds via an integrated sensor system that sends a warning when pressure is too high. The new pressure-monitoring stocking prototype will be presented May 19-21 at SENSOR+TEST 2015 in Nuremberg.
	The downside of biodiesel fuel The oil industry believes biodiesel is not to blame for problems that Norwegian car owners are experiencing. But the nature of the fuel means that it has to be handled differently than regular petroleum-based diesel, a Norwegian researcher says, especially in colder climates or if it is stored for longer periods.
	Researchers design new tiny QWERTY soft keyboards for wearable devices There is a growing number of wearable devices featuring touchscreens, including smart watches, smart glasses and digital jewellery. These devices can receive notifications in many forms, but usually there is no direct way of replying, since they lack a text entry system, mainly because the space available onscreen is very limited. Now, a team of researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València and the University of Stuttgart have developed two tiny QWERTY soft keyboard prototypes, which enable users to answer or enter text on their wearable devices.
	High-tech sensors help kids keep eye on aging parents Each time 81-year-old Bill Dworsky or his 80-year-old wife Dorothy opens the refrigerator, closes the bathroom door or lifts the lid on a pill container, tiny sensors in their San Francisco home make notes on a digital logbook.
Amazon Prime members will be able to stream free on JetBlue Amazon wants to give JetBlue passengers a new option for tuning out that crying baby or talkative seat neighbor.
	Court: Warrantless cellphone tracking not illegal search Investigators do not need a search warrant to obtain cellphone tower location records in criminal prosecutions, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in a closely-watched case involving the rules for changing technology.
	Googling on mobile devices surpasses PCs in US for first time Google's influential search engine has hit a tipping point in technology's shift to smartphones. More search requests are now being made on mobile devices than on personal computers in the U.S. and many other parts of the world.
Comcast launches voice-controlled remote for some customers Fights over the remote are about to get a lot louder.
INL and NREL demonstrate power grid simulation at a distance The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have successfully demonstrated the capability to connect grid simulations at their two labs for real time interaction via the Internet. This new inter-lab capability enables the modeling of power grids in greater detail by allowing software and equipment anywhere in the world to establish a real-time connection to the unique facilities and capabilities available within the DOE national laboratory complex.
NREL report estimates market potential of shared solar, discusses relevant securities regulations Analysis from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) finds that by making shared solar programs available to households and businesses that currently cannot host on-site photovoltaic (PV) systems shared solar could represent 32 to 49 percent of the distributed photovoltaic market in 2020.
	Apple Watch delivery slowed by faulty part, report says Shipments of the highly anticipated Apple Watch are reportedly being slowed by a faulty component manufactured by one of Apple's suppliers in China.
Snapchat update brings a share button to articles, videos from media Since January, a section of the popular social media app Snapchat has been filled with articles and video from publishers such as the Daily Mail, Food Network and People magazine.
Whisper, app with 10 million young users, attracting advertisers The anonymous thought-sharing app Whisper has hired a president and signed its 10th advertiser as it tests how to turn the attention of its 10 million monthly users into revenue.
Cash pours into startups, but investors are turning cautious Vadim Tarasov is getting pickier. The managing director of Silicon Valley venture capital firm Altpoint Ventures, Tasarov has begun rejecting startup deals he would have jumped on earlier. Prices are just too high.
	Review: Apple MacBook introduces exciting design, features Apple has a history of deciding what features we need, and more important, what features we don't need in our computers and mobile devices.
	Microsoft forecasts 1 billion Windows 10 computers, burst of new apps Microsoft expects its newest operating system, Windows 10, to be running on 1 billion computers within two to three years.
Netflix says FCC should demand changes in AT&T-DirecTV deal Internet video service Netflix is telling the Federal Communication that it should reject AT&T's purchase of satellite TV company DirecTV unless some changes are made.
	Uber driver found guilty in Belgium crackdown An Uber driver in Belgium was found guilty of breaking taxi laws on Monday, in the first case to land in a Brussels court after dozens of drivers were caught by police posing as clients of the banned service.
The future of sustainable energy is in the exploitation of rare earths A recent technological and energy revolution has given rare earths strong importance due to their electric, magnetic and electronic properties. A group of researchers from the Institute of Physical Sciences at the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM) locates and analyzes geological formations containing rare earths, as they represent a valuable option for future energy sustainability.
	New mathematical logic could have averted the attack on Saddam A completely new type of mathematical logic from the University of Oslo has the potential to improve intelligence services worldwide. The US Army has already expressed keen interest.
Smart cities and human factor—the social challenge People do not seek urban regeneration. This is because they do not see it as a necessity.
	New formula for high-strength shotcrete to protect tunnels from fires and terrorist attacks Engineers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum have developed a shotcrete that is much more robust than traditional concrete. It can render tunnels, bridges and other constructions more resistant against fires and explosions. The new formula includes 140 kilogrammes of steel fibres per cubic metre of concrete – a figure that was thought to be impossible for shotcrete. The science magazine RUBIN reports.
Thermal energy storage in buildings makes district heating more climate friendly District heating is a common for heating buildings and hot water in many Swedish cities. The heat is largely produced from residual products from forestry, household waste, or waste heat from industries.
	Chest strap heart rate monitor A team of Empa scientists has, together with industrial partners, developed a novel chest strap device for the long-term monitoring of patients with heart and circulatory problems. What is special about the new system is that it records an electrocardiogram of the wearer. It is also self-moistening, which is essential for reliable signal monitoring. At the specialist exhibition, Techtextil, held recently in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the system won the Techtextil Innovation Award 2015.
	Ocean energy: EU leads in technology development and deployment New technologies in the last decade have shown slow but steady progress of ocean and sea energy power: about 30 tidal and 45 wave energy companies are currently at an advanced stage of technological development worldwide, many of them nearing pre-commercial array demonstration and others deploying full-scale prototypes in real-sea environment, according to a new JRC ocean energy status report.

Chemistry news

	Controlling the internal structure of mitochondria (Phys.org)—One might think of mitochondria as devices for transporting electrons to their lowest energy state. Little bags of finely-tuned respiratory chain subunits which combine electrons extracted from food with oxygen, and ultimately excrete them as water. Others might justifiably fancy mitochondria tiny bundles of geometry. Their folded inner membranes pegged with various proteins complexes like the rolls of candy button paper we might have ate as kids. Actually mitochondria are both enzyme bags and geometrical objects: the latest research tells us that it is proteins which create the complex inner membrane geometry specific to each kind of mitochondria, and in turn, it is their precise geometry which permits the respiratory proteins to create useful work in the first place.
	Novel catalyst used to make styrene in one step (Phys.org)—Styrene is an important industrial chemical. It is the precursor to polystyrene which is used in various every day plastic products, like disposable cups, packaging, and insulation. Over 18.5m tons of styrene is produced industrially around the world. Typically, styrene synthesis begins with benzene and ethylene, and involves a multi-step process under harsh reaction conditions and often leads to unwanted by-products.
	Chemists create self-healing, luminescent wonder gels Chemists from Trinity College Dublin followed their own unique recipe to cook up a breakthrough that could have significant applications in skin graft operations and in protecting valuable electronics and vehicles.
	Toward a squishier robot: Engineers design synthetic gel that changes shape and moves via its own internal energy For decades, robots have advanced the efficiency of human activity. Typically, however, robots are formed from bulky, stiff materials and require connections to external power sources; these features limit their dexterity and mobility. But what if a new material would allow for development of a "soft robot" that could reconfigure its own shape and move using its own internally generated power?
First field-effect transistors on hybrid perovskites fabricated for first time Researchers from Wake Forest University and the University of Utah are the first to successfully fabricate halide organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite field-effect transistors and measure their electrical characteristics at room temperature.

Biology news

	Study reveals evolutionary history of hawkmoths' sonar jamming defense In the 65-million-year-old arms race between bats and moths, some moth species rub their genitals to jam the calls of bats. Radar jamming is commonly used in human warfare, allowing pilots to render themselves invisible. By unraveling the evolution of hawkmoths' similar defense, authors of a new study appearing online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences aim to better understand nocturnal biodiversity and improve human uses of sonar.
	The media is the message: How stem cells grow depends on what they grow up in Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) possess the ability to grow into almost any kind of cell, which has made them dynamic tools for studying early human development and disease, but much depends upon what they grow up in.
	Blue whales lack the ability to avoid cargo ships, says biologist For millions of years, blue whales have cruised the world's oceans with hardly a care, their sheer size making them largely free from predator attacks. The downside to being the largest animals in history, however, is that the species was never pressured to evolve defensive behaviors.
	Just like humans, dolphins have social networks They may not be on Facebook or Twitter, but dolphins do, in fact, form highly complex and dynamic networks of friends, according to a recent study by scientists at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) at Florida Atlantic University. Dolphins are known for being highly social animals, and a team of researchers at HBOI took a closer look at the interactions between bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and discovered how they mingle and with whom they spend their time.
	Researchers report possible discovery of sixth DNA base, methyl-adenine DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the main component of our genetic material. It is formed by combining four parts: adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine (A, C, G and T), called bases of DNA. They combine in thousands of possible sequences to provide the genetic variability that enables the wealth of aspects and functions of living beings.
	How does a mobile DNA sequence find its target? To understand how transposable elements shape genomes, where they are maintained over generations, it is vital to discover the mechanisms behind their targeted integration. Researchers from the Laboratoire Pathologie et Virologie Moléculaire (CNRS/Inserm/Université Paris Diderot), in collaboration with researchers from CEA and a US laboratory, have identified an interaction between two proteins that is essential for the integration of a transposable element into a specific area of the yeast genome. These results, published on 1 May 2015 in the journal Science, emphasize the role of these mobile DNA sequences in the evolution and adaptation of organisms, and their potential value for gene therapy.
	Student dig uncovers hundreds of rare moa bones Māori Studies staff and students from Victoria University of Wellington have excavated hundreds of moa bones from a central North Island site where few moa remains were known to exist.
Researchers bombard plant-killing fungus with silver nanoparticles Deep in the soil, underneath more than 400 plant and tree species, lurks a lethal fungus threatening Florida's $15 billion a year ornamental horticulture industry.
	Australia—riding on the insect's back As you may have spotted, the title of this article is a cheeky reference to the famous saying that Australia rides on the back of a particular woolly ruminant. The reference dates back to 1894, when the wool industry was one of the primary sources of Australia's prosperity.
How mixing light with salt makes a smolt? For decades, researchers have tried to find out what regulates changes in salmon when they transform from being freshwater to saltwater fish. Now they have come a little closer to an answer.
	Tough laws 'not enough' to stop endangered wildlife trade The international wildlife trade is a major threat to various endangered animals across the world, but as western conservation groups seek stricter law enforcement over this practice, new research finds that tough laws are "not enough" to stomp out the trade.
	Fire linked to dieback spread Fire has the potential to increase the range and severity of Phytophthora dieback in native plant communities infected with the disease, suggests a study at the Stirling Range National Park near Albany.
	Hitting the borders of expansion Why does a species not adapt to an ever-wider range of conditions, gradually expanding its geographical range? In their paper published on May 5 in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), Jitka Polechova and Nick Barton at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) seek to answer this question, which lies at the interface between ecology and evolution. The theory presented by Polechova and Barton suggests that any natural population is liable to form sharp margins.
Research charts a course for increasing edamame acreage in the Midwest While consumer demand for edamame or vegetable soybean remains on the rise in the United States, it's not widely grown in this country. Nearly 85 million acres of grain-type soybean were grown in the U.S. in 2014, yet edamame imported from Asia appears to dominate what we eat in this country, said a University of Illinois crop scientist.
	New technology maps human genome in days The two 3-by-1-inch glass chips held the unfathomable amount of genetic information contained in 16 human genomes. Last week, a technician placed the chips - called flow cells - in a new genetic sequencing machine at the Genome Institute at Washington University and closed the door.
	Behind the scenes with a Los Angeles mountain lion expert When LA's Griffith Park mountain lion crawls under someone's house, or a brother-and-sister pair become the first mountain lions with tracking collars to cross a freeway since 2009, Seth Riley is at the top of the list of scientists who can answer the questions everyone's asking. Why would a mountain lion nap in a crawl space? Do mountain lions often go into residential areas? How hard is it for a mountain lion to cross a Los Angeles area freeway?
	Veterinarian offers advice for keeping your dog safe from canine flu With the large outbreak of canine influenza in the Midwest making headlines, many pet owners are understandably worried about the disease. The virus has reportedly sickened more than 1,000 dogs and killed at least five pets in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana.
	Anaerobic co-digestion of farm-based manure, food waste, are there benefits vs. landfilling? Based on a comprehensive life cycle analysis comparing the environmental impacts and economic outcomes for managing manure and food waste produced on a dairy farm, researchers found that anaerobic co-digestion of the waste products had substantial cost, energy, and environmental benefits compared to digestion of manure but disposal of food waste in a landfill. A detailed discussion of the potential for bioenergy production, increased profitability, and reductions in global warming and smog is presented in an original research article in Industrial Biotechnology.
	Norway plans to slash subsidies to fur farms Norwegian fur farmers denounced Tuesday a government proposal to slash financial support to the controversial industry and warned that it could lead to farm closures in vulnerable rural areas.

Medicine & Health news

	Brain in a bottle: A new culture medium for growing and testing neuronal cells in vitro (Phys.org)—In vivo neural electrical activity is the essence of nervous system function, controlling sensory modalities, emotion, memory, behavior, and basic survival functions. Therefore, to study neurons in the laboratory it is important that in vitro neuronal models also support such electrical activity to reflect fundamental brain functions – and most human neuronal cultures are currently grown in vitro using the classic culture media DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium), Neurobasal, or a mixture of the two. In contrast, laboratory experiments employing electrophysiological techniques – such as patch clamping (which allows the study of single or multiple ion channels in cells), calcium imaging – on brain slices or in culture are performed in a medium of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF).
	Researchers examine how the brain and body respond to glucose and fructose When it comes to sweeteners, one indulgence makes our brains predisposed to do it, according to a new study by researchers at Keck Medicine of USC.
	Blocking obesity-associated protein stops dangerous fat formation Visceral fat deposits around internal organs in the stomach are particularly harmful: they are associated with insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes and heart disease. The study, conducted in close collaboration with researchers at the at the French Institute of Health and Medical research (INSERM) in Paris, shows that changing the pattern of fat deposition from around the stomach to under the skin starts a chain of events which result in insulin sensitivity being maintained, reducing the chances of type-2 diabetes.
	Smartphone study reveals a change in how we remember as we get older As we get older we can hold less information in our minds. Whereas 16 to 17 year-olds can hold an average of 6.5 numbers in mind for a short time in their "working memory", this drops to five numbers for 75 to 79 year-olds.
	Researchers compare neurons in optic nerves to find why some regenerate and others don't It's a question that seems to offer tantalizing hope to those suffering from vision impairment. Why is it that when the optic nerve is damaged—either through trauma or disease—few of its neurons survive and fewer still regenerate? Most wither and die.
	Proteomics provides new leads into nerve regeneration Using proteomics techniques to study injured optic nerves, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have identified previously unrecognized proteins and pathways involved in nerve regeneration. Adding back one of these proteins—the oncogene c-myc—they achieved unprecedented optic nerve regeneration in mice when combined with two other known strategies. The findings were published online April 30 by the journal Neuron.
	Say what? How the brain separates our ability to talk and write Out loud, someone says, "The man is catching a fish." The same person then takes pen to paper and writes, "The men is catches a fish."
	How noise changes the way the brain gets information Cells that relay information from the ear to the brain can change in significant ways in response to the noise level in the environment.
	Team observes the moment when a mind is changed A new algorithm enables a moment-by-moment analysis of brain activity each time a laboratory monkey reaches this way or that during an experiment. It's like reading the monkey's mind.
	Molecular link found between high glucose, metabolic disease Scientists at Johns Hopkins say they've discovered a cause-and-effect link between chronic high blood sugar and disruption of mitochondria, the powerhouses that create the metabolic energy that runs living cells. The discovery, reported online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on April 27, sheds light on a long-hidden connection and, they say, could eventually lead to new ways of preventing and treating diabetes.
Digoxin increases the risk of death in patients with heart problems There is conflicting evidence about whether digoxin, a drug that has been used worldwide for centuries to treat heart disease, might contribute to an increase in deaths in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or congestive heart failure (CHF). Now, the largest review of all the evidence to date shows that it is associated with an increased risk of death in these patients, particularly in those being treated for AF.
	Women hospitalized 60 percent more than men after emergency asthma treatment While it may be a stereotype, it's also true that women seek medical care more frequently than men do. And a recent study shows that women with acute asthma who are treated in the emergency department (ED) are 60 percent more likely than men treated in the ED to need hospitalization.
Norway ranks as world's best place to be a mother Norway ranks as the world's best place to be a mother, well ahead of the United States which dropped to the 33rd spot in the annual scorecard released by Save the Children on Monday.
	A psychological technique to help smokers quite tobacco An international research project led by scientists from the University of Granada has demonstrated that motivational interviewing can make smokers see tobacco as something disagreeable, thus helping them to quit the habit. Motivational interviewing is a psychological technique of direct intervention that seeks to produce changes in patient behaviour.
	Reducing salt in food good for the heart and health budgets New Otago University research shows that introducing strategies that reduce the dietary salt intake of New Zealanders could reduce premature death and save millions of dollars annually for our health sector.
	Time to bust the myths about seat belts When it comes to wearing seat belts, some motorists incorrectly think they are protected by the size of their vehicle, their seating position or where they are driving, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
	Search engine self-diagnosis and 'cyberchondria' QUT research is aiming to improve search engines after finding online self-diagnosis of health conditions provides misleading results that can do more harm than good.
	Treatment against seasonal hay fever should be initiated prior to season, according to study Recently published findings from the University of Oslo show that allergen-specific T cells are resident in the mucosa outside the pollen season and react strongly to pollen extract, suggesting that these T cells are long-lived resident memory cells.
	Inhibiting cancer cells with substance obtained from marine sponge For more than three decades, no new drug for the treatment of breast cancer has been presented. A group of researchers analyzing a marine sponge called Halichondrin okadai obtained a mesylate eribulin substance that had already been administered to patients with metastatic breast cancer.
	First screening test for common pregnancy complications University of Adelaide reproductive experts have developed the world's first screening test which can predict a woman's risk of developing one or more of the four common pregnancy complications.
	The effects of very early patient mobilisation (VEM) following a stroke Monash University researchers have contributed to the largest-ever study to work out the most effective rehabilitation treatment for stroke patients.
	Shedding light on rods By using "unusual" optic fibres in a novel fashion, an international team of researchers led by the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, scrutinized the response to light of rods, the light-sensitive cells of the retina, and demonstrated that the intensity of response varies according to the region of the cell hit by the light. In addition to improving our understanding of the process that transforms light into an electrical nerve signal, the study also introduces a new experimental method that may have major future applications in optogenetics (control of gene expression with light). The study has just been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
	Profiling approach to enable right lung cancer treatment match Manchester researchers have tested a new way to genetically profile lung cancer samples, potentially allowing doctors to more easily identify the most appropriate treatment for patients.
	First extensive description of the human secreted miRNome In an elaborate study, biologists of the University of Luxembourg have found out that small molecules named microRNAs are, against many hopes, not yet suitable for early diagnosis of skin cancer, as well as supposedly for other types of cancer, in blood samples. For the first time they analysed all microRNAs in the serum of healthy people and thus provided a first complete image of the human "miRNome" in blood samples, in reference to the better-known "genome". The researchers were even explicitly complimented by their reviewers for the rigorous work – a rare occasion.
	Studying Down syndrome might help us understand Alzheimer's disease better Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia in older adults. At the moment there is no cure, but many clinicians feel that the earlier one is diagnosed, the better the possibilities are for treatment or slowing the disease.
	Easing dystonia symptoms with deep brain stimulation Michael Richardson first experienced symptoms of dystonia, a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and spasms, when he was 13.
Changing attitudes about sex Acceptance of premarital sex is at an all-time high along with an acceptance of homosexuality, find researchers led by Jean M. Twenge from San Diego State University.
How our view of what makes us happy has changed in 80 years Our view of what makes us happy has changed markedly since 1938.
	Scientists look through the mirror to reveal the secrets of a new drug Two objects that are the mirror-image of each other are perfectly identical objects except for their reversed geometry and, as a consequence, one can expect that they will function equally well. Nature offers many examples of objects that are mirror-images of each other and work identically. The human body is one of the best examples. Both our right foot and our left foot allow us to walk steadily. We can hear as distinctively with our left ear as with our right ear. We can smell as sensitively from our left nostril as from our right nostril.
	Accelerated brain aging in type 1 diabetes related to cognitive complications The brains of people with type 1 diabetes show signs of accelerated aging that correlate with slower information processing, according to research led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
	'Tangles' trigger early-stage Alzheimer's abnormalities in neocortical networks Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that strikes at the heart of what makes us human: the ability to think, to feel, to remember and to communicate with those around us. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that there is currently no cure, no treatment, and no diagnostic method capable of identifying Alzheimer's at its early stages.
Treating gum disease reduces prostate symptoms, researchers find Treating gum disease reduced symptoms of prostate inflammation, called prostatitis, report researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and the Departments of Urology and Pathology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
	Study shows oral spores of harmless C. difficile prevent repeat infection In what is a major step towards the prevention of recurring bouts of Clostridium difficile (Cdiff) infection, an international team led by Dale Gerding, MD, Hines Veterans Administration (VA) research physician and professor of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, has shown that giving spores of non-toxic Cdiff by mouth is effective in stopping repeated bouts of Cdiff infection which occurs in 25-30 percent of patients who suffer an initial episode of diarrhea or colitis. The study is published in the May 5 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).
	Studies show effectiveness of combo treatment for HCV patients with, without cirrhosis In two studies appearing in the May 5 issue of JAMA, patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection and with or without cirrhosis achieved high rates of sustained virologic response after 12 weeks of treatment with a combination of the direct-acting-antiviral drugs daclatasvir, asunaprevir, and beclabuvir.
	Breast cancer vaccines may work better with silicon microparticles The effectiveness of cancer vaccines could be dramatically boosted by first loading the cancer antigens into silicon microparticles, report scientists from Houston Methodist and two other institutions in an upcoming Cell Reports.
Strategy found for safely prescribing antidepressants to children and adolescents A multidisciplinary team of Johns Hopkins researchers has developed two new strategies to treat depression in young people using the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of medications. These strategies, published May 5 in the journal Translational Psychiatry, incorporate a new understanding of how to mitigate the risk of suicide while on SSRI treatment.
	Connecting uninsured patients to primary care could reduce emergency department use An intervention to connect low-income uninsured and Medicaid patients to a reliable source of primary health care shows promise for reducing avoidable use of hospital emergency departments in Maryland. A University of Maryland School of Public Health study evaluating the results of the intervention was published this week in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs.
Study reveals how relaxation response may help treat 2 gastrointestinal disorders A pilot study has found that participating in a nine-week training program including elicitation of the relaxation response had a significant impact on clinical symptoms of the gastrointestinal disorders irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease and on the expression of genes related to inflammation and the body's response to stress. The report from investigators at the Benson-Henry Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, is the first to study the use of the relaxation response in these disorders and the first to investigate the genomic effects of the relaxation response in individuals with any disorder.
Online training can teach psychotherapists evidence-based treatments, study finds Employing online training programs to teach psychotherapists how to use newer evidence-based treatments can be as successful as in-person instruction, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
	One in five people will develop heart failure One person in five is expected to develop heart failure in developed countries, a disease with no cure but which is largely preventable.It feels as if every breath in and out is through a narrow straw.The Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology is calling for greater public awareness of heart failure symptoms as countries across Europe hold events for Heart Failure Awareness Day on 8, 9 and 10 May.
	Late-night snacking: It it your brain's fault? After gobbling the fourth Oreo in a row while bathed in refrigerator light, have you ever thought, "That wasn't enough," and then proceeded to search for something more?
	Enzyme responsible for obesity-related high blood pressure identified Obesity is a serious health problem affecting approximately one-third of the adult population in the United States. Obese individuals have an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. A recent study led by a University of Missouri researcher has identified the enzyme responsible for obesity-related hypertension—a finding that could lead to new treatment options.
	Social anxiety increases the risk of bruxism, tooth erosion, and jaw pain Anxiety disorders affect approximately one in six adult Americans, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The most well-known of these include panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder. But what of brief bouts of anxiety caused by stressful social situations?
Austrian magazine printed with HIV blood An Austrian men's magazine has printed its latest edition using blood from people who are HIV-positive in order to counter the "stigma" often attached to the virus that causes AIDS, its chief editor said Tuesday.
	Childhood maltreatment linked to sleep problems among adult Canadians Adults who experienced multiple incidents of childhood maltreatment were more than two times as likely to have trouble sleeping than their counterparts who were not maltreated during childhood, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, and Western University. The study appears online in the journal Sleep Medicine.
	Redesigned systems may increase access to MRI for patients with implanted medical devices New technology developed at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) may extend the benefits of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to many patients whose access to MRI is currently limited. A redesign of the wire at the core of the leads that carry signals between implanted medical devices and their target structures significantly reduces the generation of heat that occurs when standard wires are exposed to the radiofrequency (RF) energy used in MRI. The novel system is described in a paper published in the online Nature journal Scientific Reports.
US Hispanics face higher risks from diabetes, liver disease Hispanics in the United States face a higher risk than whites of dying from diabetes and liver disease, according to the first nationwide report of its kind released Tuesday by US health authorities.
Who benefits from a catheter—and who doesn't? New guide aims to protect patients What's the only thing worse than having a urinary catheter when you're in the hospital? Having one and getting a urinary tract infection (UTI) - or worse - as a result.
	Popular electric brain stimulation method detrimental to IQ scores Using a weak electric current in an attempt to boost brainpower or treat conditions has become popular among scientists and do-it-yourselfers, but a new University of North Carolina School of Medicine study shows that using the most common form of electric brain stimulation had a statistically significant detrimental effect on IQ scores.
	3D models of neuronal networks reveal organizational principles of sensory cortex Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics (Germany), VU University Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (USA) succeed in reconstructing the neuronal networks that interconnect the elementary units of sensory cortex - cortical columns.
	Risk of all cancers, specific cancers up in infertile men (HealthDay)—Infertile men have increased risk of all cancers and some individual cancers, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Thoughts drive dieting plans but feelings drive dieting behavior, study finds A majority of American adults say they've tried dieting to lose weight at some point in their lives, and at any given time, about one-third of the adult population say they're currently dieting.
	IBM's Watson extends cancer insights to 14 new centers IBM on Tuesday said 14 US cancer treatment centers would join a partnership to get personalized care treatment plans from the company's Watson supercomputer.
	Fetal/Infant death risk lowest at 37 weeks in twin pregnancies (HealthDay)—For twin pregnancies, fetal/infant death risk seems to be minimized at 37 weeks' gestation, according to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	High-value research of 2014 presented for geriatric medicine (HealthDay)—Articles relating to overtreatment of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and dementia care, as well as reduction of polypharmacy and adverse drug effects, are included in a special update summary published online April 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	ARVO: Genetic link ID'd for strabismus and schizophrenia (HealthDay)—There is a genetic link for strabismus and schizophrenia, with almost half of the genes dysregulated in strabismic medial rectus muscle identified as biomarkers for schizophrenia, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, held from May 3 to 7 in Denver.
	ARVO: Hydroxychloroquine daily dosing recs often exceeded (HealthDay)—Many patients prescribed hydroxychloroquine exceed the safety guidelines for daily dosing, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, held from May 3 to 7 in Denver.
	Review: Fecal transplants effective weapon against C. dif (HealthDay)—Fecal transplantation appears to be a safe and effective way to combat Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection, according to a new review published in the May 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	USPSTF: Not enough data on E-cigarettes as cessation aid (HealthDay)—There's not enough data to decide whether or not electronic cigarettes can help smokers quit, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
	FDA petitioned to stop sales of essure implant (HealthDay)—Bayer's contraceptive implant Essure can cause serious complications and should be taken off the market, says a citizen's petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Women's use of talc powder may be tied to ovarian cancer Deane Berg's doctor called her in the day after Christmas 2006 to give her the crushing news. She'd had her ovaries removed, the pathology results were back, and the information could not have been much worse. Berg had stage III ovarian cancer, and her prognosis was poor.
China to lift price controls on most drugs starting June 1 Chinese regulators will lift price controls on most pharmaceutical drugs starting June 1 in hopes that the market-driven pricing system will keep medical costs in check, the National Development and Reform Commission announced Tuesday.
	Hand washing vital in multi-bed hospital wards Hospital room designs make a significant difference to the likelihood of bugs being spread through person-to-person contact between medics and patients, according to University of Leeds research.
Nerves move to avoid damage New research from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital can help explain the prevalence of widespread syndromes such as carpal tunnel syndrome and sciatica. According to the results, neural movements can be measured by using non-invasive techniques, which are also applicable in diagnostics and rehabilitation planning.
Nepal quake leaves children traumatised Ten-year-old Ranju Giri wrings her hands as she describes how she cowered terrified under a bed with her younger brother when a massive earthquake rocked their home in Kathmandu.
Trial of new 'resistance-busting' skin cancer drug begins as first patient receives treatment A patient has become the first to receive a new 'resistance-busting' experimental skin cancer drug with the launch of a phase I clinical trial.
Interferon-free therapy clears hepatitis C in 93 percent of patients in trial A 12-week dose of an investigational three-drug hepatitis C combination cleared the virus in 93 percent of patients with liver cirrhosis who hadn't previously been treated, according to a study in the May 5, 2015, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Ontario adults who reported a TBI also reported more road rage than people who did not have a TBI Ontario adult drivers who say they have experienced at least one traumatic brain injury in their lifetime also report significantly higher incidents of serious road-related driving aggression, said a new study published Monday in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention.
Doctors should not be allowed to do both private and NHS work Private practice directly affects the quality of care that NHS patients receive and doctors should not be allowed to work "on both sides of the divide", writes a senior doctor in The BMJ this week.
Aetna curtails coverage of surgical tool tied to cancer risk The health insurer Aetna is ending most coverage of hysterectomies performed with a once-popular device that has drawn warnings from federal regulators over a risk for spreading cancer.
NYC mayor proposes millions in new mental health services Over 80 schools would get mental health clinics, every police precinct would have a victims' advocate and social workers would arrange psychological care for thousands of families in homeless shelters under Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to invest tens of millions of dollars in mental health, his wife's signature issue.
	ASTRO issues guideline on definitive and adjuvant RT for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is issuing a new guideline, "Definitive and adjuvant radiotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: An American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) evidence-based clinical practice guideline." The guideline's executive summary is published in the May-June issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), ASTRO's clinical practice journal. The complete guideline, which cites 35 years of data to help guide current treatment and future research, is available online as an open-access article in PRO. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today issued an endorsement of ASTRO's guideline.
23andMe launches the lupus research study in collaboration with Pfizer 23andMe, Inc. today announced the launch of the Lupus Research Study in collaboration with Pfizer Inc. The companies aim to enroll 5,000 individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus, more commonly known as lupus, into the study to help better understand the genetics of lupus. The effort is also in collaboration with the Lupus Research Institute, and in concert with Lupus Awareness Month in May.
Ebola end in sight as weekly infections drop to single figures The two African countries still battling Ebola have both recorded weekly infections in single figures for the first time since the peak of the epidemic, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
Drought making California's air quality worse, American Lung Association says Despite increasingly aggressive clean air and fuel standards, years of drought are taking a toll on California's air quality, the American Lung Association says in a new report.

Other Sciences news

	Bone analysis reveals violent history of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica (Phys.org)—A pair of archeologists with Arizona State University has found evidence of different types of bone treatment among people that lived at the La Quemada archaeological site approximately 1,500 years ago in what is now modern Mexico. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ben Nelson and Debra Martin describe their findings after studying bones excavated from the site.
	Early bird winds back the avian clock Modern birds may have evolved six million years earlier than thought, said Chinese palaeontologists Wednesday after analyzing the fossil remains of a previously unknown prehistoric relative.
Answers to educational attainment questions depend on how data is measured, study shows Postsecondary education creates opportunities for individuals and prepares them to join the workforce. For this reason, it is important that we understand how educational attainment is measured. A new National Science Foundation-funded report from the George Washington University's Graduate School of Education and Development (GSEHD) examines the ways in which different methodologies of data gathering impact benchmarks for educational attainment.
World's fastest algorithm for recognising regular DNA sequences A mathematical algorithm jointly developed by EURAC and the University of Bolzano (unibz) now permits exceptionally rapid recognition of regular DNA sequences. The previous time of 20 days is reduced to just 5 hours under the new method. Its efficiency and methodological rigour has now led to the algorithm's incorporation in the world's most widely-used DNA-analysis software. This momentous scientific breakthrough is the work of Daniel Taliun. Today at the faculty of Computer Science of the Free University of Bolzano, he discussed his doctoral thesis in information technology, completed at the EURAC Center for Biomedicine.
	New methods for realistic surface rendering in computer games Overturning cars, flying missiles, and airplanes speeding across the screen – on modern computers, 3D objects can be calculated in a flash. However, many surfaces still look unnatural. Whether it is skin, stone or wax – on the computer screen, all materials look alike, as if the objects had all been cut out of the same kind of opaque material. This is about to change: TU Wien (Vienna), the University of Zaragoza and the video game company Activision-Blizzard have developed a new mathematical method which makes surfaces appear much more realistic by taking into account light scattering which occurs below the surface.
The impact of mobile technology on purchasing patterns How many websites have you clicked on recently that haven't converted their format to mobile, frustrating your efforts to get the information you need in an effective and timely way?
	America's best teachers get creative While U.S. educational policy emphasizes high-stakes testing and scripted lessons, the best teachers in the business are taking creative risks—often drawing from their own interests and hobbies—to help students learn, new research finds.
	A neural network model predicts whether a bank can go bust The learning mechanism of neurones has inspired researchers at the University of Valladolid (Spain) to create algorithms that can predict whether a bank will go bust. The model was correct for 96% of the banks that went bust in the USA in 2013 after analysing their financial indicators from the previous decade, marked by the economic crisis. The most vulnerable were those which had accumulated loans from the construction sector and grown rapidly without sufficient provisions.
	$100 million for startup to 'reimagine education' Tech industry leaders including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg have raised $100 million for an education initiative aimed at "reimagining" schools from the elementary school level.
Study finds positive effects of job corps participation A statistical analysis of Job Corps data strongly suggests positive average effects on wages for individuals who participated in the federal job-training program.
Companies' bottom lines benefit when former politicians join leadership teams Over the past year, many career politicians have announced their retirements. Of those retiring, some may be offered positions on boards of directors or leadership positions, such as CEO or CFO, at public companies. A new study from the University of Missouri has found that companies can experience a significant improvement to their bottom lines when a former politician takes a leadership role, but company leaders who move into the political area do not provide the same benefits.
	Large theropod teeth found from the Upper Cretaceous of Jiangxi, Southern China Large carnivorous dinosaurs, are common in the Late Cretaceous of Asia, but only some fragment teeth have been recovered from southern China. In a paper published in the latest issue of Vertebrata PalAsiatica, Dr. XU Xing, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and MO Jinyou, Natural History Museum of Guangxi in Nanning reported two isolated, large predatory theropod teeth from the Upper Cretaceous of southern China; the smaller tooth is assigned to a tyrannosaurid, whereas the larger one is greatly distinct from other known Late Cretaceous theropods, probably represents a previously unrecognized large predatory dinosaur. These large predatory theropod teeth were discovered for the first time from the Upper Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of Jiangxi, helping better understand the known diversity of vertebrates from the Upper Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation, southern China.

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