Fwd: Science X Newsletter Friday, Feb 26

HOT!

Homeless people suffer geriatric conditions decades early, study shows

 

Dinosaur had record number of bone problems and lots of pain

 

RESPEKT!

World's first parallel computer based on biomolecular motors

Breast reconstruction using abdominal tissue—Differences in outcome with four different techniques

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Feb 27, 2016 at 3:14 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Friday, Feb 26
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 26, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Scientists achieve perfect efficiency for water-splitting half-reaction
- Tiny filters, big news: Novel process uses graphene and boron nitride monolayers to separate hydrogen ion isotopes
- YouTube tool allows creators to blur moving objects
- Carbon-carbon bond formation using flow chemistry
- Judge's ruling confirms CMU engineers hacked TOR network
- Next-gen Atlas moves out the door and into the woods
- Dinosaur had record number of bone problems and lots of pain
- Engineering a solution to cancer
- Here's how we could build a colony on an alien world
- Dry lake city: Great Salt Lake is shrinking
- When sex roles get reversed, some females develop a 'penis'
- First mathematical model to explain how things go viral
- A quantum leap for the next generation of superconductors
- Beyond invisibility—engineering light with metamaterials
- World's first parallel computer based on biomolecular motors

Nanotechnology news

	Tiny filters, big news: Novel process uses graphene and boron nitride monolayers to separate hydrogen ion isotopes (Phys.org)—Conventional membranes used for sieving atomic and molecular species cannot scale to the subatomic level, making them unable to separate hydrogen isotope ions (protons, deuterons and tritons). At the same time, there are no current methods of directly separating these isotopes, and current approaches are extremely energy-intensive and therefore expensive – sometimes prohibitively so. Recently, however, scientists at the University of Manchester (UK) demonstrated a novel, scalable and highly competitive approach that uses monolayers of graphene and boron nitride as extremely fine sieves to separate hydrogen isotopes. Moreover, in addition to the new approach's simple and robust sieving mechanism, it offers straightforward setups and the need for only water as input without requiring additional chemical compounds.
	New research unveils graphene 'moth eyes' to power future smart technologies New ultra-thin, patterned graphene sheets will be essential in designing future technologies such as 'smart wallpaper' and internet-of-things applicationsAdvanced Technology Institute uses moth-inspired ultrathin graphene sheets to capture light for use in energy production and to power smart sensorsGraphene is traditionally an excellent electronic material, but is inefficient for optical applications, absorbs only 2.3% of the light incident on it. A new technique enhances light absorption by 90%.
	Wonder material sparks rush to develop new electronics Bendable mobile phones, quick-charge batteries and unbreakable touch screens—technology firms are racing to harness the potential of graphene, a wonder material which scientists say could transform consumer electronics.

Physics news

Physicists prove new potential for silicon chips Scientists have opened a door to faster, cheaper telecommunications after proving a new link between silicon chips and 'rare-earth' metals used in internet signalling.
	Important step in understanding of light scattering A team of researchers from the University of Twente and from Philips in the Netherlands has succeeded in taking an important step in understanding how light is scattered, absorbed and re-emitted in white light emitting diodes (LEDs). This breakthrough in research is relevant to everyday lighting applications, and is being published in the American magazine Journal of Applied Physics.
	A quantum leap for the next generation of superconductors Quantum materials – materials designed at the sub-atomic level – can be finely-tuned to achieve extremely useful properties that are often not found in nature. These include superconductivity, the ability to conduct electricity without resistance below a certain temperature.
	Beyond invisibility—engineering light with metamaterials Since ancient times, people have experimented with light, cherishing shiny metals like gold and cutting gemstones to brighten their sparkles. Today we are far more advanced in how we work with this ubiquitous energy.
	Scientists discover new subatomic particle Physicists have discovered a new elementary particle—the latest member to be added to the exotic species known as tetraquarks.
"Electron screening puzzle" solved The energy production in stars utlimately depends on certain nuclear reactions at energies close to the so-called Gamow-peak that affect strongly the chemical composition of stars and the surrounding planetary systems. These reactions appeared also in the early stages of the universe and are connected to the primordial nucleosynthesis of light elements and, in turn, with the chemical composition of distant astronomical objects.
	Determining the structures of nanocrystalline pharmaceuticals by electron diffraction Reliable information about the structure of pharmaceutical compounds is important for patient safety, for the development of related drugs and for patenting purposes. However, working out the structures of pharmaceuticals can be tough. The individual molecules can pack together in the solid in different ways to form different polymorphs, and pertinent properties such as stability, bioavailability or how fast they dissolve in the stomach can vary from one polymorph to another. Single crystals (as used in standard X-ray diffraction experiments) therefore might not be representative of the bulk sample, or indeed might not even be available.

Earth news

	NASA demonstrates airborne water quality sensor Monitoring the quality of freshwater supplies is a global concern, especially in thirsty California, where the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and its watershed serve as a major freshwater source. Now scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, and the U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park and Sacramento, California, have successfully demonstrated how a NASA-developed airborne environmental monitoring instrument can be applied to help water managers monitor water quality not only in San Francisco Bay, but potentially in other inland and coastal water bodies around the world.
	How to deliver drinking water chlorine-free Chlorinated tap water is the norm around the world, but the experiences of several European countries is that it doesn't have to be. The benefits of foregoing chlorine include better-tasting and, potentially, healthier water.
	Dry lake city: Great Salt Lake is shrinking Utah's Great Salt Lake is the defining physical feature of its arid Western state. Seventy-five miles long and nearly 35 miles wide, the salt water remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville teems with aquatic life, serves as a critical flyway for millions of migratory birds and provides economic value of $1.32 billion per year for mineral extraction, brine shrimp cyst production and recreation.
Study: California leak was top methane release in US history A natural gas leak that sickened Los Angeles residents and forced thousands from their homes was the largest known release of climate-changing methane in U.S. history, scientists reported Thursday.
	Increasing sustainable food production could empower Cambodian women A team of researchers, led by scientists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, will launch a project designed to improve nutrition and empower women in Cambodia by promoting their production and marketing of horticultural crops and rice produced via sustainable intensification practices.
	What California can learn from Australia's millennium drought Lessons learned during Australia's worst drought on record are helping California through its own water crisis.
	Jet engines to become cleaner in future Thanks to a close collaboration between the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), SR Technics and the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), Switzerland is setting an international benchmark by developing a method for measuring emissions of fine particulate matter from aircraft engines. The Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently approved a preliminary standard governing the emission of particulates by aircraft engines.
	Antarctic expeditioners rescued from Australian icebreaker Expeditioners stranded on Australia's flagship icebreaker, which ran aground in Antarctica, were on Friday rescued by barge, ahead of attempts to refloat the ship.
The UN guardians of biodiversity A factfile on the IPBES, a UN-created panel with the colossal task of harvesting and distilling all available science on the health of Earth's plant and animal species and their habitats.
Consumers care about carbon footprint How much do consumers care about the carbon footprint of the products they buy? Would they care more if the goods were labeled with emissions data? Does it matter at which stage in the lifecycle of a product the carbon is emitted? Research published in the International Journal of Environmental Policy and Decision Making offers a way to find out.
	How to make a tiny volcanic island On Nov. 20, 2013, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force discovered a small islet near Nishinoshima volcano, Ogasawara Islands, Japan. The exact date of the initial eruption that spawned the islet is unknown, but a thermal anomaly was detected in the area in early November 2013. Fukashi Maeno and colleagues are investigating the creation of this islet, which on the day of its discovery was about 150 by 80 meters in size.
	NASA's Terra satellite sees Tropical Cyclone Yalo coming to a quick end Tropical Cyclone Yalo formed yesterday and is expected to come to an end today, Feb. 26. NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of the young storm that showed strong wind shear was already tearing the storm apart.
Global warming doubts spur push to block science standards Doubt over man's contribution to global warming is fueling a push by West Virginia lawmakers to block new science standards in schools.

Astronomy & Space news

Hitching a ride on SLS to study solar particles A miniature research spacecraft, the CubeSat to study Solar Particles (CuSP), is one of the lucky projects that will hitch a ride on the historic first flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) in 2018. The microsatellite will observe interplanetary magnetic fields and energetic particles in the solar wind.
	Researcher unveils history of an ancient meteorite A Florida State University student has cracked the code to reveal the deep and interesting history of an ancient meteorite that likely formed at the time our planets were just developing.
	Here's how we could build a colony on an alien world If the human race is to survive in the long-run, we will probably have to colonise other planets. Whether we make the Earth uninhabitable ourselves or it simply reaches the natural end of its ability to support life, one day we will have to look for a new home.
	SpaceX postpones rocket launch again Just minutes before liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, SpaceX on Thursday scrubbed the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket to propel a communications satellite into orbit, its second delay in as many days.
	Image: ESA Cluster's 16-year-old webcam restarted Last week, flight controllers at ESA's operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany, recommissioned and tested a 16-year-old webcam on one of Cluster's four satellites.
	Fixing the faults in our stars The number 2016 divided by 4 equals 504, exactly – with no remainder, which makes the year 2016, like the upcoming years 2020, 2024 and 2028 (and beyond), a leap year. We will get an "extra" day, February 29.
	Opportunity Mars rover goes six-wheeling up a ridge NASA's senior Mars rover, Opportunity, is working adeptly in some of the most challenging terrain of the vehicle's 12 years on Mars, on a slope of about 30 degrees.
	The five greatest balls of fire over Earth We live on a moving target in a cosmic firing range. Each day, the Earth is bombarded by about a hundred tonnes of space debris. It may sound alarming, but this is really nothing to worry about. Most of the objects that fall towards our planet are pretty small – typically about the size of a grain of sand or even smaller – and burn up in the upper atmosphere tens of kilometres above the ground.
After nearly a year in space, Scott Kelly craves human contact After nearly a year in space, US astronaut Scott Kelly craves the simple pleasures of human contact, a shower, and a splash in a swimming pool.

Technology news

	Next-gen Atlas moves out the door and into the woods Welcome to the new-generation Atlas, which is shaking up a lot of people's perceptions of robots. In the past, we have had no problem recognizing robots as cleverly engineered machines, never to be confused with humans.
	Judge's ruling confirms CMU engineers hacked TOR network A recent ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones reveals what many in the Internet business have known for some time—namely that the U.S. Department of Defense paid researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute to look into ways of subverting the TOR network's ability to hide user IP addresses, and that the FBI subsequently forced SEI to hand over data (and possibly technical details) via subpoena, which led to the arrest of Brian Farrell, a man accused of using the TOR network to carry out a host of crimes anonymously.
	YouTube tool allows creators to blur moving objects There are instances where you might look at a picture and say "Yuck it came out blurry." In this day of moving images and privacy battles, however, people caught in documentary or man in the street stints are not pleased; showing their faces clearly is something an image user might want to try to avoid.
	Nissan suspends electric cars mobile app over hacking fears Nissan Motor said on Friday it has suspended a mobile phone application for a pair of electric vehicles, including the world's top seller, after finding it can be easily hacked.
	Ultrathin, flexible photovoltaic cells Imagine solar cells so thin, flexible, and lightweight that they could be placed on almost any material or surface, including your hat, shirt, or smartphone, or even on a sheet of paper or a helium balloon.
	Refuse-collecting robot successfully tested Students from three universities have collaborated with the Volvo Group and the waste recycling company, Renova. The result is a robot that automatically collects and empties refuse bins. A drone on the roof of the refuse truck scans the area and helps the robot to find the bins.
	First mathematical model to explain how things go viral Scientists have come up with the first ever mathematical model to explain explosive contagion in social networks - in other words, how things go viral.
World's first parallel computer based on biomolecular motors A study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports a new parallel-computing approach based on a combination of nanotechnology and biology that can solve combinatorial problems. The approach is scalable, error-tolerant, energy-efficient, and can be implemented with existing technologies.
	K-Glass 3 offers users a keyboard to type text K-Glass, smart glasses reinforced with augmented reality (AR) that were first developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2014, with the second version released in 2015, is back with an even stronger model. The latest version, which KAIST researchers are calling K-Glass 3, allows users to text a message or type in key words for Internet surfing by offering a virtual keyboard for text and even one for a piano.
	Researchers find privacy problems in popular Baidu browser University of Toronto undergrad Jing Zhou knows a lot about surveillance issues in China and Canada, but even she's surprised by findings that hundreds of millions of people are at risk of hacking and surveillance because of a popular internet browser.
	Driverless cars could increase reliance on roads Driverless vehicles could intensify car use, reducing or even eliminating promised energy savings and environmental benefits, a study led by a University of Leeds researcher has warned.
	Pentagon boosts spending to fight cyber attacks The Pentagon plans to spend an additional $900 million in the coming year to boost cyber defense measures, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday.
	Apple's legal arguments in iPhone encryption case Apple offers a range of arguments in its motion to dismiss the order requiring it to help the FBI access an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in last year's San Bernardino attacks.
Utah bills would allow law enforcement to shoot down drones Utah lawmakers' proposed solution to getting recreational drones out of the way of emergency response units?
WikiLeaks not connected to any terrorist attacks in study The WikiLeaks organization was criticized for providing a target list for terrorists when it published a secret memo in 2010 with 200 international sites that the U.S. Department of State considered critical to national security.
Civil liberties at risk as agencies seek new powers to deal with cloud communications Julia Hörnle, Professor of Internet Law at Queen Mary University of London, was speaking at her inaugural lecture 'Unclaimed territories in the clouds'. The lecture outlined the "fundamental conflict between the internet as a trans-border communications technology - and jurisdiction".
	New nanotech fibre technique to light up European industry A new cost-effective method of fabricating high quality light-emitting fibres could benefit sectors ranging from sensors to wearable smart devices.
Disney automated system lets characters leap and bound realistically in virtual worlds Virtual game characters can leap, roll and climb so realistically that simply watching them could seemingly exhaust a player. Generating the precise instructions that govern such characters in increasingly complex environments is also quite labor intensive and, unlike a game, downright tedious.
	Which is safer—Uber or a taxi? There's no clear answer The deadly shooting rampage in Kalamazoo, Michigan, raises anew a question that has dogged Uber and other taxi competitors: Their rides may be cheaper and more convenient than a cab, but are they as safe?
Google will back Apple in court against the FBI Google will back Apple in its court battle with the FBI over the security of its iPhone.
	Baidu shares jump as quarterly earnings shine Baidu shares jumped Thursday after the Chinese Internet giant reported quarterly earnings that topped Wall Street expectations.
Obama nominates Silicon Valley judge to appellate court President Barack Obama Thursday nominated a federal judge who has presided over patent feuds between Apple and Samsung and other major Silicon Valley fights to the nation's largest federal appellate court.
	Honeywell offer for United Tech worth more than $90 billion Honeywell offered more than $90 billion to acquire United Technologies, revealing for the first time to company shareholders the details of a proposed deal to combine the industrial conglomerates.
	Polar priorities: Senior defense officials discuss Arctic, Antarctic science and research To address the need for collaborative research in the Polar Regions, Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Mat Winter met in Finland last week with counterparts from five nations in a first-ever gathering of senior defense officials to coordinate science and technology research in high latitudes.

Chemistry news

	Scientists achieve perfect efficiency for water-splitting half-reaction (Phys.org)—Splitting water is a two-step process, and in a new study, researchers have performed one of these steps (reduction) with 100% efficiency. The results shatter the previous record of 60% for hydrogen production with visible light, and emphasize that future research should focus on the other step (oxidation) in order to realize practical overall water splitting. The main application of splitting water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen is that the hydrogen can then be used to deliver energy to fuel cells for powering vehicles and electronic devices.
Carbon-carbon bond formation using flow chemistry (Phys.org)—Traditionally, C-C bond forming reactions require the use of a precious metal, such as palladium, to catalyze the reaction. Precious metals are expensive and because pharmaceutical ingredients require a very low metal content, these reactions are not practical for medicinal chemistry. This has prompted many scientists to seek alternative coupling reactions that do not use precious metals. Prior research with boronic acids has demonstrated that metal-free cross-coupling reactions are possible, but the reaction conditions are prohibitive for a generalizable synthesis.
	Engineers use rust to build a solar-powered battery The recent crash in oil prices notwithstanding, an economy based on fossil fuels seems unsustainable. Supplies of oil, coal and similar fuels are finite, and even if new sources are found, global warming must be considered. Limitless solar power remains the Holy Grail, but among other obstacles to widespread adoption, society needs ways to store solar energy and deliver power when the sun isn't shining.
	How metal clusters grow First the nucleus, then the shell: Researchers from Marburg and Karlsruhe have studied stepwise formation of metal clusters, smallest fractions of metals in molecular form. The shell gradually forms around the inner atom rather than by later inclusion of the central atom. Knowledge of all development steps may allow for customized optoelectronic and magnetic properties, as is reported by the researchers in the science journal Nature Communications. (DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS10480)
Preventing protein unfolding When the body loses its ability to fold proteins into the correct shapes, the result can be irreversible and tragic. The accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the brain causes many devastating neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
	Artificial control of exciplexes opens possibilities for new electronics Demonstrating a strategy that could form the basis for a new class of electronic devices with uniquely tunable properties, researchers at Kyushu University were able to widely vary the emission color and efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes based on exciplexes simply by changing the distance between key molecules in the devices by a few nanometers.

Biology news

	UN science report warns of fewer bees, other pollinators Many species of wild bees, butterflies and other critters that pollinate plants are shrinking toward extinction, and the world needs to do something about it before our food supply suffers, a new United Nations scientific mega-report warns.
	Mother-infant communication in chimpanzees Animals other than humans learn how to communicate via the manual modality. Gestures are also important in the communication of great apes. Mothers of chimpanzees, for example, communicate with their infants mainly by tactile, later by visual gestures. Infants also rely on vocalizations and actions, especially older ones. This is what researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and colleagues have observed in two chimpanzee species and communities of wild chimpanzees in Uganda and the Ivory Coast over two years and they found many parallels in the communication culture between the groups.
	Randy red-backed fairy-wrens' duets reduce cuckoldry The courtship and mating behaviors of the perky Australian red-backed fairy-wren have evolved into nothing short of a free-for-all. The rampant promiscuity of both sexes is legendary.
	Researcher provides global perspective on honeybee viruses The global decline of honeybee populations has spurred a number of researchers to examine the role played by the parasitic varroa mite and the deadly Deformed Wing Virus it transmits. In early February a large-scale research article (Wilfert et al.) was published in the prestigious journal Science. This study provides insight on the geographical origin and evolutionary history of the mite and the virus. Dr. Ethel Villalobos, a bee researcher of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, was requested by the editors of Science to write an accompanying piece to this article, which was published in the same issue in a section called "Perspectives."
	When sex roles get reversed, some females develop a 'penis' In many species, the males develop elaborated sexual traits to attract females and dissuade potential rival males through competition. Some iconic examples are the extraordinary feathers of the peacock or paradise birds, or the menacing antlers of dominant red deer males.
	Researcher unlocks genetic secrets to birds' behavior, evolution Nearly 30 years of fieldwork coupled with cutting-edge technology has yielded important genetics insight recently published by the academic journal Current Biology and reviewed in Science Magazine.
	Radio rhinos: Scientists tag coconut rhinoceros beetles Coconut rhinoceros beetles were first discovered on Guam in 2007. Adults kill palms when they bore into crowns to feed on sap. Rhino beetle larvae feed only on dead plant material at breeding sites and they do no damage. In order to eradicate rhino beetles, all breeding sites must be found and destroyed. Four dogs were trained to lead handlers to cryptic breeding sites on Guam. This detector dog program was effective but very expensive and it was shut down after a few years.
How plants protect photosynthesis from oxygen During the daytime, plants convert the Sun's energy into sugars using photosynthesis, a complex, multi-stage biochemical process. New work from a team including Carnegie's Mark Heinnickel, Wenqiang Yang, and Arthur Grossman identified a protein needed for assembling the photosynthetic apparatus that may help us understand the history of photosynthesis back in the early days of life on Earth, a time when oxygen was not abundant in the atmosphere. Their work is published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Mexico documents big rebound in monarch butterflies Monarch butterflies have made a big comeback in their wintering grounds in Mexico, after suffering serious declines, investigators said Friday.
	Colorful baby lobster photo wins award for Maine biologist A University of Maine graduate student's picture of a colorful tiny larval lobster has won a National Science Foundation award.
	Invasive pest's winter activity possibly linked to climate change The early hatching of insect eggs from an invasive pest threatening millions of trees in the eastern United States may be linked to climate change, according to new findings from UT.
	New research reveals 25 signs your cat could be in pain Cat owners the world over are familiar with their pets' individual personalities, habits and preferences, and are adept at spotting when their feline friends' behaviour differs from the norm. However, understanding what these changes mean can be a much more difficult task.
	Identifying traits early in development could predict future biomass production in Miscanthus New genetic tools have identified links between early establishment traits and biomass yield in Miscanthus. This marker-assisted selection technique could save years of waiting for Miscanthus plants to establish and become mature. The technique can be used to reliably select higher-yielding plants earlier in the Miscanthus life cycle.
New research adds additional layer of complexity to human protein landscape New VIB/UGent research adds an extra dimension to the known set of human proteins. Genes can shift their expression towards alternative protein versions (proteoforms) that rival their full length counterparts in stability. For that reason, the diversity of human proteins seems to be fundamentally underestimated. Professors Petra Van Damme and Kris Gevaert report these results in the journal Molecular Systems Biology this month.
	Pollinator species vital to our food supply are under threat, warn experts A new report from experts and Government around the world addresses threats to animal pollinators such as bees, birds and bats that are vital to more than three-quarters of the world's food crops, and intimately linked to human nutrition, culture and millions of livelihoods. Scientists say simple strategies could harness pollinator power to boost agricultural yield.
	Research team sheds light on 'rightie' or 'leftie' behavior in a scale-eating cichlid Behavioral laterality, or left- or right-handedness, has been reported in many animals, including humans, chimpanzees, toads, rats, mice, and invertebrates such as crustaceans and insects. The existence of this phenomenon even in lower animals suggests it arose early in life's evolutionary history and that it confers survival advantages. However, exactly how it is acquired in the early life-stages is not known. A recent article in PLOS ONE reported how a team of Nagoya University-led researchers used a Tanganyikan scale-eating cichlid, Perissodus microlepis, as a model organism for behavioral laterality. The group discovered gradual acquisition of the trait during development as the fish learn the more effective side of their mouth for tearing off scales.
Shark research produces the unexpected In a surprise result, James Cook University scientists have found female blacktip reef sharks and their young stay close to shore over long time periods, with adult males only appearing during the breeding season.
App reveals secrets of jellyfish The balloon-sized, orange Pacific sea nettles have been conspicuously absent of late from the Central Coast's briny waters.
Researchers develop realistic system to study impact of residential mold on health Feb. 26, 2016 - Residential mold has increased in recent years, due to water damage from a rising frequency of flooding. But there is scant information on the impact of residential mold on human health. But now a team of Danish investigators has developed a modeling system that actually mimics indoor fungal aerosols. The research is published ahead of print Feb. 26, 2016 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
	Too hot to hibernate for these Spanish hedgehogs Researchers at the University of Alicante have been monitoring the on-campus hedgehog population and found some unusual behaviours.
	Grand Canyon weighs killing, capturing bison to cut numbers The National Park Service is looking at using sharpshooters, capture and other methods to reduce the number of bison that are roaming the far northern reaches of the Grand Canyon and damaging resources, officials said.

Medicine & Health news

	Scientists make significant anti-aging breakthrough A breakthrough in understanding human skin cells offers a pathway for new anti-ageing treatments.
Transgender children supported in their identities show positive mental health Studies of mental health among transgender people in the United States have been consistently grim, showing higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide.
	The path from prescription painkillers to addiction Abuse of prescription painkillers has become an epidemic in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even more concerning is that those going through withdrawal may turn to heroin as an inexpensive, easy-to-access substitute.
	Slaying motor neurone disease death signals Motor neurone disease may still be considered a certain and unpleasant death sentence, but researchers at The University of Queensland are testing a promising treatment option.
	People stay true to moral colors, studies find U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been criticized for their seeming willingness to cut corners on core principles when they consider it necessary to make some progress toward a laudable goal.
	Using big data to chart cancer's hidden genetic weaknesses Nevan Krogan, PhD, thinks genomics has brought us closer to a revolution in cancer treatment than most geneticists even realize.
	Soda and other sugary beverages are even worse for us than we thought In public health circles, it's often called the low-hanging fruit. If people could just kick the sugar-sweetened beverage habit, it would make a huge dent in the number of empty calories they consume. Sugary drinks often have no nutrients other than sugar, so it's a simple cut-it-out message that even kids can understand—no fussing with fiber grams or glycemic index rankings, no shopping for fruits and vegetables.
	Engineering a solution to cancer I was stunned when I entered the hospice room. A shriveled, elderly woman sat in the corner, her tiny frame emphasized by the oversize chair that held her. It was hard to believe this was the irrepressible lady I had seen four months previously – she didn't look like my grandmother. Amongst many things, my grandmother loved watching birds, and if they came to feed in her garden she would be up reaching for the binoculars. Now, ignoring the twittering outside, she sat facing inwards under a blanket – only half alive.
	Structure of a hantavirus protein as a promising model for drug design Bank voles are small rodents that are not dangerous by themselves, but their excreta can contain one of the dangerous hantaviruses. While bank voles are unaffected by the infection, hantaviruses can cause potentially fatal diseases in humans for which no treatments exist. In central and northern Europe, infection is accompanied by fever, headache, or even renal failure. The strain that occurs in East Asia—the Hantaan virus—is even more dangerous: up to five percent of infected patients die of hemorrhagic fever, renal failure, or severe respiratory disorders.
Engineering music to sound better with cochlear implants When hearing loss becomes so severe that hearing aids no longer help, a cochlear implant not only amplifies sounds but also lets people hear speech clearly.
	Cleveland surgeons perform nation's first uterus transplant Surgeons in Cleveland say they have performed the nation's first uterus transplant, a new frontier that aims to give women who lack wombs a chance at pregnancy.
	Digging into the DNA for a successful diet Genetically-tailored diets are in vogue. But do they work? Genes are the latest trend in nutrition, at least going by the burgeoning legion of Internet companies offering diets tailored to our genetic make-up. These services are relatively affordable and simple to use.
	Being overweight linked to poorer memory Overweight young adults may have poorer episodic memory – the ability to recall past events – than their peers, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge, adding to increasing evidence of a link between memory and overeating.
	Researchers aim to improve the use of antibiotics in primary care New research led by Bristol NHS CCG and the University of Bristol, aimed at improving the quality of primary care for children with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) will be presented in London today.
Research team launches trial of upgraded heart pump device Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have launched their portion of a multicenter clinical trial that is evaluating a new version of a mechanical heart pump designed with remote-monitoring capabilities.
	Metabolism protein found to also regulate feeding behavior in the brain The molecular intricacies of hunger and satiety, pivotal for understanding metabolic disorders and the problem of obesity, are not yet fully understood by scientists. However, new research from The Rockefeller University reveals an important new component of the system responsible for regulating food intake: a hormone called amylin, which acts in the brain to help control consumption.
	New cell-sorting technology could improve the development of cell therapies Researchers at UCLA have developed a new way to separate and organize cells suspended in fluid samples by their subtle biochemical differences. The system sorts cells more quickly and accurately than current methods, and could lead to a simple, rapid automation of cell analysis, as well as an easier way to separate therapeutic cells from non-therapeutic, or "contaminating," cells.
Researchers pioneer effective new approach to "liquid biopsies" Despite a growing interest in developing non-invasive methods to identify rare cancer cells or cancer cell DNA in blood, current techniques remain complicated and often prohibitively expensive. UCLA researchers have pioneered a more effective approach to these "liquid biopsies" that has the potential to offer a streamlined and low-cost solution for people with cancer.
	The science of eating disorders This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, when a spotlight is placed on the many forms eating disorders can take and the people they harm. It is important to look at how these disorders are caused, dangers associated with them and their treatments. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder, so early detection is critical.
	Adherence clubs keep HIV patients in, viral levels down "Adherence clubs" can help people living with HIV stick to their medication regimens, according to research presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.
	Nanopatch polio vaccine success Needle-free Nanopatch technology developed at The University of Queensland has been used to successfully deliver an inactivated poliovirus vaccine.
3-D Models of Spreading Tumors May Help Fight Cancer University of Kentucky researchers Ren Xu and Gaofeng Xiong at the Markey Cancer Center and the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences show it is possible to create a three-dimensional (3-D) model system to investigate how breast cancer cells invade lung tissue in a study that was featured on the front cover of the journal, Integrative Biology.
Can sunshine prevent pneumonia? In 2008, a study funded by the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation estimated that Indonesia was among the top six countries in the world for the number of new cases of pneumonia in children under five, says University of Melbourne PhD student and physician, Dr Vicka Oktaria of Gadjah Mada University.
	Newly identified genomic causes of canine OCD could advance understanding of human OCD Research led by investigators in veterinary and human medicine has identified genetic pathways that exacerbate severity of canine compulsive disorder in Doberman pinschers, a discovery that could lead to better therapies for obsessive compulsive disorder in people. The discovery appears online in advance of print on February 29 in the International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine.
	On first instinct, women are more altruistic than men Women are intuitively more altruistic than men, even women who identify with traditionally masculine traits such as power, dominance, and independence, a new Yale-led meta-analysis of 22 studies shows.
	Student game fosters empathy for chronic pain sufferers Three Simon Fraser University graduate students who devised an interactive game to help non-patients empathize with chronic pain patients will compete in an international gaming contest this spring.
	How tofu is made Tofu is a nutritious, protein-rich bean curd made by coagulating soy milk. There are many different types of tofu, and they are processed in a variety of ways. Methods to produce various types of tofu will be described, as will effects of processing on the final product properties of this healthy food.
	Extreme events in the brain Physicists at the Universities of Bonn and Oldenburg have developed a model whose behavior – although based on strict rules – can apparently change spontaneously. There are also changes of this type in nature, for example, in the development of migraine attacks or epileptic seizures. The mechanism, described for the first time by the researchers, could help to better understand extreme events such as these. The work will be published soon in the professional journal Physical Review X, and it is already available online.
	A wristband and an app for a better back You may think you are doing the right back exercises to help your back pain, but a new app coupled with a wristband will help you—and your doctors—to figure out if this is true.
	New study shows link between ADHD and vision impairment in children Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most frequently encountered neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood, and a new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham recently published in Optometry and Vision Science shows a relationship between ADHD and vision impairments in children.
	Grad student advances study and detection of potentially deadly disease Veronica Barragan, a doctoral student from Ecuador studying leptospirosis–a prevalent disease in her home country and an emerging one here in the United States–has made some strides in understanding the potentially deadly disease.
Homeless people suffer geriatric conditions decades early, study shows Homeless people in their fifties have more geriatric conditions than those living in homes who are decades older, according to researchers at UC San Francisco who are following 350 people who are homeless and aged 50 and over, in Oakland.
	Barrow neurosurgeon helps pave way for deep brain stimulation and Alzheimer's Neurosurgeons at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix are involved with testing the viability of deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat Alzheimer's disease, a disorder that currently has few treatment options. Results from the Phase 2 study, reported in the Journal of Neurosurgery on Dec. 18, 2015, demonstrated the safety of DBS in Alzheimer's patients.
	Pot habit early in life may alter brain, study suggests (HealthDay)—Young teens who smoke pot may wind up with brains that look strikingly different from those who start using marijuana later in their lives, a new study reports.
	Drinking coffee may slow progression of liver disease (HealthDay)—Regular coffee consumption seems to delay disease progression in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) and increase long-term survival following liver transplantation, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Immune cell 'switch' discovery raises hopes in cancer fight The immune cells, called natural killer cells, hunt and destroy foreign cells in the body, including cancer cells that spread and form tumours.
	Researchers find association between oral bacteria and esophageal cancer University of Louisville School of Dentistry researchers have found a bacterial species responsible for gum disease, Porphyromonas gingivalis, is present in 61 percent of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The findings, published recently in Infectious Agents and Cancer, only detected P. gingivalis in 12 percent of tissues adjacent to the cancerous cells, while this organism was undetected in normal esophageal tissue.
Drug discovery paradigm targets Tau protein aggregation linked to the Alzheimer's disease Dementia and other tauopathies, most notably Alzheimer's disease, embody a class of neurodegenerative diseases associated with the aggregation of the Tau protein in the human brain. These diseases represent one of the leading causes of death and disability in the elderly population in the western world, with no current effective therapy.
Combination therapy may be better than radiotherapy alone to treat aggressive brain cancer Radiotherapy effectively damages brain tumors but the cancer cells can repair themselves in order to live on. Now, researchers at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center have tested a strategy that combines radiotherapy with a drug that shuts down the ability of tumor to mend themselves.
Study finds 36 percent increase in number of male smokers in India The number of men smoking tobacco in India rose by more than one-third to 108 million between 1998 and 2015, according to a new study published today in the journal BMJ Global Health.
Costa Rica calls 'preventive' emergency over Zika Costa Rica has declared a "preventive" emergency in nearly half the country over the spreading Zika virus to speed up the fight against the mosquito carrying the illness, the presidency said Friday.
Is dementia on the decline? Research suggests it might be Despite fears that the coming silver tsunami will trigger a dementia epidemic, a surprising new study suggests that it may be possible to delay - or even prevent - some kinds of dementia.
Studying stroke survivors gives researchers a window into how we spell Many people may consider themselves poor spellers, but for stroke survivors, spelling can be particularly challenging, because damage to the brain can cause such radical errors as spelling L-I-O-N as T-I-G-E-R.
	HIV in Rhode Island: Newly diagnosed men often 'hooked up' online More than 60 percent of Rhode Island men who have sex with men (MSM) diagnosed with HIV in 2013 reported meeting sexual partners online in the preceding year, according to a study published today in the journal Public Health Reports.
108 million people have correctable vision impairment, global study estimates Uncorrected refractive error (URE)—nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other focusing problems correctable by prescription lenses—is responsible for moderate to severe vision impairment in 101 million people and blindness in seven million people worldwide, reports a study in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science.
Zika virus: Approaching the unknown Understanding the scale and range of neurological disease associated with Zika virus infection is an urgent priority, warn researchers from the University of Liverpool's Institute of Infection and Global Health.
	Learn how to fly a plane from expert-pilot brainwave patterns Dr. Matthew Phillips and his team of investigators from HRL's Information & System Sciences Laboratory used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in order to improve learning and skill retention. "We measured the brain activity patterns of six commercial and military pilots, and then transmitted these patterns into novice subjects as they learned to pilot an airplane in a realistic flight simulator," he says.
	Insecticide-treated nets may still prevent malaria despite mosquito resistance Insecticide-treated nets may still help prevent malaria despite mosquitoes developing resistance, according to a new study published in Parasites & Vectors.
	Light reflectance technique improves ability to remove prostate cancer during surgery Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined that light reflectance spectroscopy can differentiate between malignant and benign prostate tissue with 85 percent accuracy, a finding that may lead to real-time tissue analysis during prostate cancer surgery.
Brazil to use pediatric heart program in fight against Zika Officials in one of the epicenters of Brazil's Zika outbreak say they're turning to a program aimed at diagnosing pediatric heart problems to search out babies with the unusually small heads that have been linked to the mosquito-borne virus.
Argentina: 1st local transmission of Zika, likely by sex Argentine authorities say they've detected the country's first case of local infection with the Zika virus and say it's apparently due to sexual transmission.
First in-human vaccine study for malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) researchers recently published the results of testing a Plasmodium vivax malaria vaccine candidate in a human challenge model.
Research reveals standard treatment for ovarian cancer Research led by a Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center physician on ovarian cancer was published in the Feb. 24, 2016 issue of New England Journal of Medicine. The research was directed by Bradley J. Monk, M.D. and researchers at 12 other medical facilities around the nation.
	Recovery from ultramarathon may take up to 5 days (HealthDay)—It takes ultramarathon runners about five days to recover from an event, a new study shows.
	After-hours CTs on the rise in some emergency departments (HealthDay)—The number of after-hours computed tomography (CT) scans referred by Australian emergency departments increased substantially from 2011 to 2013, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
	Post-rhinoplasty taping beneficial for skin envelope (HealthDay)—Post-rhinoplasty taping (PRT) can help the skin envelope to compress and is particularly useful in thick-skinned patients, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Research assesses nontechnical skills gained in ENT residency (HealthDay)—Nontechnical diagnostic and management capabilities improve during otolaryngology training, as demonstrated by higher Clinical Practice Instrument (CPI) scores in the fourth and fifth years as compared to year two, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
	Topical dorzolamide-timolol beneficial in neovascular AMD (HealthDay)—Topical dorzolamide hydrochloride-timolol appears to reduce central subfield thickness and subretinal fluid in eyes of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and incomplete response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
	Preemies have lasting risk for anesthesia adverse events (HealthDay)—Preterm children have an increased risk of developing sedation/anesthesia adverse events, which continues up to age 23 years, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in Pediatrics.
	Insurer warnings cast doubt on ACA exchange future Political uncertainty isn't the only threat to the Affordable Care Act's future. Cracks also are spreading through a major pillar supporting the law
Palliative care important for prison population, too With an increasingly aging prison population, end-of-life care for inmates is becoming a more prominent issue, according to Penn State nursing researchers. End-of-life—EOL—care can be complicated, no matter who the patient is, but can be especially challenging for those behind bars.
3-D analysis and CAD/CAM techniques lead to new advances in plastic and reconstructive surgery While used mainly in craniofacial reconstruction so far, 3D planning and CAD/CAM techniques have the potential for advances in practically every area of plastic and reconstructive surgery, according to the review by Drs. Miles J. Pfaff and Derek Steinbacher of Yale University. They write, "When properly implemented, virtual surgical planning and CAD/CAM technology enhance efficiency, accuracy, reproducibility, and creativity in aesthetic and craniomaxillofacial plastic surgery."
Breast reconstruction using abdominal tissue—Differences in outcome with four different techniques Comparison of four types of abdominal flaps used for autologous breast shows reconstruction shows differences in some key outcomes—notably related to problems related to hernias or bulging at the abdominal "donor site," according to the new research by Dr. Sheina A. Macadam of University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and colleagues.
Florida's 24-hour abortion waiting period to take effect Abortion opponents hailed an appeals court decision Friday that allows the state to begin enforcing a law requiring women to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion, while a group suing to overturn the law vowed to keep fighting.

Other Sciences news

	Dinosaur had record number of bone problems and lots of pain A pair of researchers has found that a dinosaur unearthed in Arizona back in 1942, had a record number of injuries and bone growth problems. In their paper published in the open access site, PLUS ONE, Phil Senter, with Fayetteville State University and Sara Juengst with Appalachian State University describe the condition of the dinosaur and suggest that it very likely had problems hunting and was almost certainly in a lot of pain for the latter period of its life.
11,000-year-old pendant is earliest known Mesolithic art in Britain An 11,000 year old engraved shale pendant discovered by archaeologists during excavations at the Early Mesolithic site at Star Carr in North Yorkshire is unique in the UK, according to new research.
Time has come to help majority of American homes out of financial struggle, report says The state of infrastructure in the United States may be declining, but if it reached a point where nearly every family had trouble finding a passable bridge, something would be done. Yet that's the condition of the country's financial infrastructure, and many families are being denied access to the bridge. A new report from a University of Kansas professor argues households' financial health in America is unacceptable and the time has come to build a bridge to financial inclusion to help families escape poverty, pay bills, save money and be more financially sound.
Research finds consumers who receive government assistance face moral scrutiny in marketplace New research by a professor at the University of Kansas School of Business finds the morality of consumer choices may hinge on perceptions of wealth and income.
	Mortgage loan originators discriminate with a simple no or slow reply, study shows Housing discrimination still occurs nearly 50 years after the Fair Housing Act, but not necessarily at the hands of realtors or bankers, a study of licensed mortgage loan originators (MLOs), the initial contact for most new home loan inquiries, shows.
Women who feel more at risk of crime also prefer physically dominant partners Women who prefer physically formidable and dominant mates (PPFDM) tend to feel more at risk of crime regardless of the situation or risk factors present, according to research from the University of Leicester.
	Researcher is an Open Book: First to Share Lab Notes in Real Time University of Toronto researcher Rachel Harding will be the first known biomedical researcher to welcome the world to review her lab notes in real time. The post-doctoral fellow with U of T's Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) is also explaining her findings to the general public through her blog. She hopes her open approach will accelerate research into Huntington's disease.
	Japan census: Population fell nearly 1 million in 2010-15 Japan's latest census confirmed the hard reality long ago signaled by shuttered shops and abandoned villages across the country: the population is shrinking.
Why some people oppose same-sex marriage Why do opponents of same-sex marriage really oppose it? A UCLA psychology study published online today in the journal Psychological Science concludes that many people believe gay men and women are more sexually promiscuous than heterosexuals, which they may fear could threaten their own marriages and their way of life.

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