Fwd: Science X Newsletter Thursday, Apr 7

HOT!

Are drones really dangerous to airplanes?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 8, 2016 at 3:46 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Thursday, Apr 7
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 7, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Modern men lack Y chromosome genes from Neanderthals, researchers say
- Water ice detected at the surface of a distant star's disk
- Populations of early human settlers grew like an 'invasive species,' researchers find
- Engineers develop first transistors made entirely of nanocrystal 'inks'
- LIGO researchers suggest background noise due to gravity waves may be much greater than thought
- Removing intercalated water from nitrogen-doped graphene-oxide sheets
- Space station getting inflatable room, a cosmic first
- Human evolution fast-tracked by mutations from anti-viral enzyme
- Researchers use light and sound waves to control electron states
- Team stores digital images in DNA—and retrieves them perfectly
- New insights into early human embryo development
- Function of mysterious RNAs may often lie in their genes
- Nanoparticles show promise for treating intestinal inflammation, study finds
- Catalyst could make production of key chemical more eco-friendly
- Physicists measure long-range magnetic interactions between ultracold particles

Nanotechnology news

	Removing intercalated water from nitrogen-doped graphene-oxide sheets (Phys.org)—Fuel cells require a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction. One type of catalyst is nitrogen-doped graphene-oxide nanosheets. Graphene-oxide nanosheets are easily functionalized with other atoms such as boron, nitrogen, or sulfur, as well as metals such as iron, nickel, and cobalt, making them a versatile material for practical applications.
	Engineers develop first transistors made entirely of nanocrystal 'inks' The transistor is the most fundamental building block of electronics, used to build circuits capable of amplifying electrical signals or switching them between the 0s and 1s at the heart of digital computation. Transistor fabrication is a highly complex process, however, requiring high-temperature, high-vacuum equipment.
	Research team reports new approach to simulating nanoscale heat transfer Thermoelectric materials, which can directly and reversibly convert heat to electrical energy, are used in a variety of applications, including cooling of electronic devices and waste heat energy conversion.
	Nanoparticles show promise for treating intestinal inflammation, study finds Nanoparticles designed to block a cell-surface molecule that plays a key role in inflammation could be a safe treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University and Southwest University in China.
	Graphene-based remote controlled molecular switches Imagine a world where you can tailor the properties of graphene to have the outcome you desire. By combining its unique properties with the precision of molecular chemistry, scientists from the Graphene Flagship have taken the first steps towards doing just that. In their paper published on 7th April in Nature Communications an international group of Flagship scientists show how it is possible to create light-responsive graphene-based devices, paving the way for many applications including photo sensors and even optically controllable memories.

Physics news

	LIGO researchers suggest background noise due to gravity waves may be much greater than thought (Phys.org)—The research team working with the LIGO project has proposed that the data gleaned from the discovery of gravity waves last year allows for calculating the likely level of cosmic background noise due to gravitational waves, and that it is much greater than previous models have suggested. In their paper published in Physical Review Letters, researchers with the LIGO Scientific Collaboration along with a companion group from the Virgo Collaboration, describe their reasoning behind their estimates and why they believe they will be able to offer more support for their theory within just a few years.
	Multi-satellite mission directly observes electron acceleration by fast-moving electric-field waves (Phys.org)—An international team of researchers working on a project that involves monitoring and studying data received from a group of satellites that has been stationed very close to one another in orbit, has observed for the first time, electrons moving faster due to interactions with certain speedy electric-field waves, which suggests the possibility of such waves playing a role in the creation of high-energy particles. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the team describes their observational data regarding a collision between the solar wind and a time domain structure and the impact it had on high energy electrons.
	Physicists measure long-range magnetic interactions between ultracold particles In an international first, a research team of experimental physicists led by Francesca Ferlaino and theoretical physicists led by Peter Zoller has measured long-range magnetic interactions between ultracold particles confined in an optical lattice. Their work, published in Science, introduces a new control knob to quantum simulation.
	Researchers use light and sound waves to control electron states University of Oregon physicists have combined light and sound to control electron states in an atom-like system, providing a new tool in efforts to move toward quantum-computing systems.
	From IT to black holes: Nano-control of light pioneers new paths An Australian research team has created a breakthrough chip for the nano-manipulation of light, paving the way for next gen optical technologies and enabling deeper understanding of black holes.

Earth news

	Microbes take center stage in workings of 'the river's liver' When water levels in rivers rise, an area known as the "river's liver" kicks into action, cleansing river water of pollutants and altering the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
	Another study says warming may be worse than experts think Most computer simulations of climate change are underestimating by at least one degree Fahrenheit how warm the world will get this century, a new study suggests.
Reducing food waste could help mitigate climate change About a tenth of overall global greenhouse-gas emissions from agriculture could be traced back to food waste by mid-century, a new study shows. A team from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research for the first time provides comprehensive food loss projections for countries around the world while also calculating the associated emissions. Currently, one third of global food production never finds its way onto our plates. This share will increase drastically, if emerging countries like China and India adopt Western nutrition lifestyles, the analyses shows. Reducing food waste would offer the chance to ensure food security, which is well known. Yet at the same time it could help mitigate dangerous climate change.
	Sentinel-3A feels the heat Despite only being in orbit a matter of weeks, Sentinel-3A has already delivered some impressive first images. With the thermal-infrared channels now turned on, the satellite completes its set of firsts with a view of ocean features off the coast of Namibia.
	Study shows forest thinning changes movement patterns, habitat use by martens Scientists who for the first time used global positioning system (GPS) telemetry to monitor the movements of reclusive Pacific martens have discovered that these fierce, tiny mammals tend to avoid open stands of trees resulting from forest thinning.
	Moss is useful bioindicator of cadmium air pollution, new study finds Moss growing on urban trees is a useful bio-indicator of cadmium air pollution in Portland, Oregon, a U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station-led study has found. The work—the first to use moss to generate a rigorous and detailed map of air pollution in a U.S. city—is published online in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
	Six to 10 million years ago: Ice-free summers at the North Pole An international team of scientists led by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) have managed to open a new window into the climate history of the Arctic Ocean. Using unique sediment samples from the Lomonosov Ridge, the researchers found that six to ten million years ago the central Arctic was completely ice-free during summer and sea-surface temperature reached values of 4 to 9 degrees Celsius. In spring, autumn and winter, however, the ocean was covered by sea ice of variable extent, the scientists explain in the current issue of the journal Nature Communications. These new findings from the Arctic region provide new benchmarks for groundtruthing global climate reconstructions and modelling.
	Report shows how to say goodbye to harmful algal blooms Harmful algal blooms dangerous to human health and the Lake Erie ecosystem—such as the one that shut down Toledo's water supply for two days in 2014—could become a problem of the past.
Oil and gas wastewater disposal may harm West Virginia waterways Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) operations combine directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," to release natural gas and oil from underground rock. Recent studies have centered on potential water pollution from this process that may increase endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in surface and ground water and whether populations living near these operations have an increased risk of disease. Now, researchers from the University of Missouri (MU) report high levels of EDC activity in the surface water near a hydraulic fracturing wastewater disposal facility in West Virginia. Scientists warn that this level of activity may be associated with negative health effects in aquatic organisms, other animals and humans.
	Over 120 nations to sign climate deal in April: France More than 120 countries have said they are ready to sign the UN's accord to fight global warming, French ecology minister Segolene Royal said Wednesday.
	Looking for clean water a never-ending task for many Haitians Under the blazing sun in Haiti, Malinka Dorleus trudges up a hill with a 20-liter bucket of water on her head—a trip she makes up to four times a day.
	Image: Proba-V view of Hawaii ESA's Proba-V minisatellite gazes down at Earth's largest volcano – Mauna Loa, or 'long mountain' which covers half of the island of Hawaii.
	Divers and researchers help protect UK reef habitats Divers and experts are calling for more action to protect biodiversity-rich UK rocky reefs for the future.
	New and better ways to use compost in agriculture You may know that compost often makes for good fertilizer. But could your green-bin discards be brewed into something even more powerful?
	March was fourth warmest for the contiguous US In many parts of the country, early spring flowers, leafing trees and busy birds were good indications of just how warm the start of year has been.
	Scientists seek genetic reasons for coral reef survival High-tech genome mapping of coral species from Guam's marine environment put scientists from the University of Guam's Marine Laboratory at the forefront of coral reef research. Using the NextSeq 500, a newly installed genetic sequencer, UOG scientists are investigating how fragile coral reefs and marine ecosystems adapt to extreme environmental changes, including impacts associated with climate change such as warmer ocean waters, excessive sedimentation, and ocean acidification.??
Marine reserves are critical for coral reef resilience Researchers who studied the effects of various disturbances on reef communities of coral and fish found that those in 'no-take' marine reserves are less impacted and recover faster than those in reefs that are not located in marine protected areas.
	NASA finds very heavy rainfall in Tropical Cyclone Zena Tropical cyclone Zena intensified over the open waters between Vanuatu and Fiji and the Global Precipitation Measurement mission core satellite known as GPM found very heavy rainfall and very high cloud tops. By the next day, April 7, Zena was on its way to dissipation.
	Paris climate talks cut back on hot air: report Last year's climate conference in Paris, which yielded a long-awaited carbon-cutting pact, emitted fewer planet-warming greenhouse gases than many predecessor events, host France said Thursday.

Astronomy & Space news

	Water ice detected at the surface of a distant star's disk (Phys.org)—A team of Japanese astronomers has recently discovered water ice at the surface of a distant star's disk. Using the Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Imager (NICI) installed on the Gemini South Telescope in Chile, the researchers, led by Mitsuhiko Honda at the Kurume University School of Medicine's Department of Physics, found that a circumstellar disk around the star HD 100546 contains water ice grains. The findings are reported in a paper published online on Mar. 31 in the arXiv repository.
	Planet 9 takes shape Astrophysicists at the University of Bern have modelled the evolution of the putative planet in the outer solar system. They estimate that the object has a present-day radius equal to 3.7 Earth radii and a temperature of minus 226 degrees Celsius.
	Space station getting inflatable room, a cosmic first Forget blowup air mattresses. Space station astronauts are getting their first inflatable room.
	How ancient Aboriginal star maps have shaped Australia's highway network The next time you're driving down a country road in outback Australia, consider there's a good chance that very route was originally mapped out by Aboriginal people perhaps thousands of years before Europeans came to Australia.
	How long does it take to get to Jupiter? We're always talking about Pluto, or Saturn or Mars. But nobody ever seems to talk about Jupiter any more. Why is that? I mean, it's the largest planet in the solar system. 318 times the mass of the Earth has got to count for something, right? Right?
	Grail data points to possible lava tubes on the moon For years, scientists have been hunting for the stable lava tubes that are believed to exist on the moon. A remnant from the moon's past, when it was still volcanically active, these underground channels could very well be an ideal location for lunar colonies someday. Not only would their thick roofs provide naturally shielding from solar radiation, meteoric impacts, and extremes in temperature. They could also be pressurized to create a breathable environment.
	When will a neutron star collapse to a black hole? Neutron stars are the most extreme and fascinating objects known to exist in our universe: Such a star has a mass that is up to twice that of the sun but a radius of only a dozen kilometres: hence it has an enormous density, thousands of billions of times that of the densest element on Earth. An important property of neutron stars, distinguishing them from normal stars, is that their mass cannot grow without bound. Indeed, if a nonrotating star increases its mass, also its density will increase. Normally this will lead to a new equilibrium and the star can live stably in this state for thousands of years. This process, however, cannot repeat indefinitely and the accreting star will reach a mass above which no physical pressure will prevent it from collapsing to a black hole. The critical mass when this happens is called the "maximum mass" and represents an upper limit to the mass that a nonrotating neutron star can be.
	SpaceX to launch first cargo since 2015 accident Nine months after a SpaceX rocket exploded on the way to the International Space Station, the California-based company is counting down to the launch Friday of another flight to resupply astronauts in orbit.
	Image: Computer simulation of a supermassive black hole This computer-simulated image shows a supermassive black hole at the core of a galaxy. The black region in the center represents the black hole's event horizon, where no light can escape the massive object's gravitational grip. The black hole's powerful gravity distorts space around it like a funhouse mirror. Light from background stars is stretched and smeared as the stars skim by the black hole.

Technology news

	A jetpack nears liftoff, but creator fears dream is grounded Glenn Martin was sitting in a bar with his college buddies 35 years ago when they got to wondering: What ever happened to flying cars and jetpacks?
	What social media data could tell us about the future Northeastern's Alessandro Vespignani, Sternberg Family Distinguished University Professor of physics, computer science, and health sciences, has teamed up with an interdisciplinary group of scientists to develop an innovative method to map how tweets about large-scale social events spread. Using massive twitter datasets and sophisticated quantitative measures, it tracks how information about political protests, large business acquisitions, and other "collective phenomena" gather momentum, peak, and fall over time, from city to city, and where the impetus comes from for that trajectory.
	Team stores digital images in DNA—and retrieves them perfectly Technology companies routinely build sprawling data centers to store all the baby pictures, financial transactions, funny cat videos and email messages its users hoard.
	Scientists invent robotic 'artist' that spray paints giant murals Robots do many things formerly done only by humans - from bartending and farming to driving cars - but a Dartmouth researcher and his colleagues have invented a "smart" paint spray can that robotically reproduces photographs as large-scale murals.
	How high? How fast? How much? Five questions about jetpacks Some things about jetpacks that you didn't know you needed to know:
	Samsung flags better-than-expected Q1 profit rise Samsung Electronics on Thursday posted a better-than-expected 10 percent increase in first quarter profits, on robust sales of the South Korean electronics giant's new Galaxy S7 smartphone.
	Yahoo faithful seek calm at the eye of the storm For those faithful to Marissa Mayer's vision for the future of Yahoo, cries sounding the company's demise stop at the door to its Silicon Valley main campus.
	Samsung starts mass producing industry's first 10-nanometer class DRAM Samsung Electronics announced today that it has begun mass producing the industry's first 10-nanometer (nm) class, 8-gigabit (Gb) DDR4 (double-data-rate-4) DRAM chips and the modules derived from them. DDR4 is quickly becoming the most widely produced memory for personal computers and IT networks in the world, and Samsung's latest advancement will help to accelerate the industry-wide shift to advanced DDR4 products.
	New relaxed drone regulations will help the industry take off The Australian drone industry is set for a shake up following the announcement of a long-awaited relaxation of regulations on their operation.
Trawling the net to target internet trolls A software tool capable of both collecting and then cutting through millions of online messages to identify radicalising groups, trolls, and cyberbullies has been created by a UK trolling expert and her team at Lancaster University.
	We need a national conversation about sensible drone laws Not long ago, most Americans could safely ignore congressional deliberations about Federal Aviation Administration authority, leaving the details to industry experts and lobbyists. But this time, we may need to fasten our seatbelts and actually read the card in the seat pocket.
	Are drones really dangerous to airplanes? Imagine boarding a plane. Economy class. There's a kid behind you kicking the seat. You put on headphones and try to tune out the world. Immediately after takeoff, you feel a thud and hear an explosion over the sound of your music. The plane lurches. You look out the window at the plane's engine and see fire and black smoke. Terrifying, right?
	People hate phone menus and don't trust virtual assistants like Siri "Just thinking about it makes me break out into hives" reported one man in his 60's. A woman in her 30's said she does everything she can to avoid it, including pretending she doesn't speak English. A woman in her 20's said she'll do an intensive online search, including blogs, websites and forums, to find others struggling with the same problem so she feels "less alone."
	The next Cold War has already begun – in cyberspace The world is fighting a hidden war thanks to a massive shift in the technologies countries can use to attack each other. Much like the Cold War, the conflict is being fought indirectly rather than through open declarations of hostility. It has so far been fought without casualties but has the potential to cause suffering similar to that of any bomb blast. It is the Cyber War.
	Team breaks world record of fastest optical communications for data centers The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has achieved the world's fastest optical communications speed for data centres by reaching 240 G bit/s over 2km, 24 times of the existing speed available in the market. Compared to existing alternatives in the market, the technology developed by PolyU has reduced the cost of data transmission per unit to just one-fourth, and therefore is practical for commercialisation purposes. Speedy transmission at a significantly low cost for data centres enables end users to widely use new forms of communications such as immersive videos, augmented reality and virtual reality. On a societal level, the increased transmission speed will open up a new era for Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, driving innovation and technology advancement.
	Tesla Model 3 orders hit 325,000 Orders for Tesla's Model 3, its first mass-market electric aimed at taking the upstart automaker into the mainstream, have reached 325,000, Tesla said Thursday.
	Mashable shakeup: new direction, top staff out (Update) Online news pioneer Mashable announced a shakeup of its top staff Thursday as part of a reorganization to focus on video and its core news areas of lifestyle and entertainment.
	Renewables posted record growth rate in 2015: IRENA Renewable energy capacity grew worldwide by a record 8.3 percent in 2015, according to a report published Thursday by a global green energy organisation.
	Security flaws found in three state health insurance websites Federal investigators found significant cybersecurity weaknesses in the health insurance websites of California, Kentucky and Vermont that could enable hackers to get their hands on sensitive personal information about hundreds of thousands of people, The Associated Press has learned. And some of those flaws have yet to be fixed.
FBI continues to debate sharing iPhone hack with Apple (Update) The FBI has not decided whether to share with Apple Inc. details about how the bureau hacked into an iPhone linked to a California terrorism investigation, the bureau's director says.
Google to test self-driving cars in Phoenix area Google is bringing its self-driving vehicles to Phoenix to see how the SUVs perform in Arizona's sweltering summer.
	Startup's 'news browser' is illegal: US publishers The largest US newspaper publishers on Thursday threatened legal action to block a California startup's plan for a dedicated "news browser" with its own advertising.
	Japan lawyer wants no-nukes after Fukushima Lawyer Hiroyuki Kawai stands out in Japan, a nation dominated by somber dark suits: When not in a courtroom, he often wears colorful shirts and crystal-covered animal pins. He is a Noh dancer, a tenor and, of late, a filmmaker. His ride is a Harley.
	Learning ancient Japanese characters with your smartphone A research group at Osaka University has developed an application which is designed to allow anyone with a smartphone or tablet device to study ancient Japanese characters Kuzushi-ji. By using this application, those who are unfamiliar with pre-modern Japanese books or learning Japanese historical and classical literature outside Japan may obtain ability in reading hentaigana and cursive-style kanji, which will promote utilization of Japanese classical books and historical materials by a wider range of people.
	A digital world you can touch New additive manufacturing technologies are making it possible to produce burner components and turbine blades in a 3D printer. When it comes to developing and implementing additive manufacturing, Siemens is ahead of the competition. The company plans to aggressively promote associated technologies.
	More options for personalized medicine Fraunhofer researchers have developed a particulary flexible additive manufacturing method that allows them to produce bone implants, dentures, surgical tools, or microreactors in almost any conceivable design. At the Medtec medical technology tradeshow in Stuttgart, the scientists from Dresden will show their research results.
	Turkey passes long-awaited data protection law A long-awaited new data protection law came into force in Turkey on Thursday, just days after it emerged that private details about some 50 million citizens had been leaked.
	Longtime GM design chief Ed Welburn to retire after 44 years Ed Welburn, General Motors' longtime head of automotive design and the first African-American to lead global design for any automaker, is retiring after 44 years with the company.

Chemistry news

	Nanoporous material's strange 'breathing' behavior High-tech sponges of the infinitely small, nanoporous materials can capture and release gaseous or liquid chemicals in a controlled way. A team of French and German researchers from the Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (CNRS/Chimie ParisTech) and the Institut Charles Gerhardt de Montpellier (CNRS/Université de Montpellier/ENSCM) has developed and described one of these materials, DUT-49, whose behavior is totally counterintuitive. When pressure is increased for a sample of DUT-49 to absorb more gas, the material contracts suddenly and releases its contents—as if, when inhaling, the lungs contracted and expelled the air that they contained. This work, published in Nature on April 6, 2016, makes it possible to envisage innovative behavior in materials science.
	Crumpling approach enhances photodetectors' light responsivity Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated a new approach to modifying the light absorption and stretchability of atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials by surface topographic engineering using only mechanical strain. The highly flexible system has future potential for wearable technology and integrated biomedical optical sensing technology when combined with flexible light-emitting diodes.
	Catalyst could make production of key chemical more eco-friendly The world has more carbon dioxide than it needs, and a team of Brown University chemists has come up with a potential way to put some of it to good use.
	Methods used to create textiles also could help manufacture human tissues Tissue engineering is a process that uses novel biomaterials seeded with stem cells to grow and replace missing tissues. When certain types of materials are used, the "scaffolds" that are created to hold stem cells eventually degrade, leaving natural tissue in its place. The challenge is creating enough of the material on a scale that clinicians need to treat patients. Elizabeth Loboa, dean of the MU College of Engineering, and her team recently tested new methods to make the process of tissue engineering more cost effective and producible in larger quantities. Tissues could help patients suffering from wounds caused by diabetes and circulation disorders, patients in need of cartilage or bone repair and to women who have had mastectomies by replacing their breast tissue.
	Magnetic delivery of therapeutic enzymes paves the way for targeted thrombosis treatment Researchers from ITMO University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje have fabricated a new magnetically controlled material composed of enzymes entrapped directly within magnetite particles. Combined with water, it forms a stable solution that can be used for safe intravenous injection for targeted treatment of cancer and thrombosis. Previously, the synthesis of similar materials involved additional components that impaired the magnetic response and enzymatic activity and created obstacles for intravenous injection into the human body. The results of the study were published in the Chemistry of Materials magazine.
	Chemists develop carbon-carbon bond formation without toxic by-products Tomsk Polytechnic University's chemists have found a way to avoid producing a large amount of toxic waste during carbon-carbon bond formation. Ordinary water instead of toxic solvents is preferred. New methods have been developed from a long-term palladium-catalyzed reaction study for which the 2010 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded.
	Electrosprayed artificial muscles Researchers from Empa and the University of Basel have developed a new method of electrospraying which enables artificial muscles to be fabricated from nanometer-thin silicone layers. Since muscles of this type can operate at a low voltage, there are potential future medical applications in the treatment of incontinence.
	Video: 'Why do wasps attack?' and other chemistry questions answered Why do wasps become more aggressive after you kill one of the hive members? The answer is the same reason why you should be wary of bees that smell like bananas. Here's another question: Why does some metal rust?
	LTU engineering students recognized for 'green' research Renata Minullina and Abhishek Panchal, biomedical engineering graduate students from Louisiana Tech University and the Institute for Micromanufacturing (IfM), have won the prestigious Poster Presentation Award at the Polymer Materials Science and Engineering Division of the 251st National American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting held recently in San Diego, California.

Biology news

	Bacteria use their own pumps to collect magnesium Researchers at UiO and NCMM have discovered that the system used by bacteria to transport magnesium is so sensitive that it can detect a pinch of magnesium salt in a swimming pool.
	Tissue-damaging fungal toxin discovered in pioneering study Scientists in Jena, Borstel, Aberdeen and London have discovered a toxin in the fungus Candida albicans, which plays a crucial role during human mucosal infection.
	Study brings new understanding to how fundamental DNA sequences govern gene activity A team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have shed new light on how the structure of regulatory sequences in DNA is packaged in a cell. "This work has implications for better understanding the role that gene sequences called enhancers play within our DNA for governing gene activity," said senior author Ken Zaret, PhD, a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The findings are published this week in Molecular Cell.
	Scientists find that trap-jaw spiders strike prey with lightning speed On first glance, Mecysmaucheniidae spiders, which live exclusively in New Zealand and southern regions of South America, do not look like much to the naked eye. Because they are minute spiders that hunt for prey on the ground, they are hard to spot, even with keen, trained eyes. But now, a team of researchers led by Smithsonian scientist Hannah Wood has discovered that these spiders are more remarkable than they look, with a surprising ability to strike their prey at lightning speed and with super-spider power, according to new findings reported in the scholarly journal Current Biology.
	New insights into early human embryo development Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the Ludwig Cancer Research in Stockholm, Sweden have conducted a detailed molecular analysis of the embryo's first week of development. Their results show that there are considerable differences in embryonic development between humans and mice, which is the most common organism of study in this field. The new study, which is published in the journal Cell, also shows that genes on the X chromosome are regulated differently.
	Primate evolution in the fast lane The pace of evolution is typically measured in millions of years, as random, individual mutations accumulate over generations, but researchers at Cornell and Bar-Ilan Universities have uncovered a new mechanism for mutation in primates that is rapid, coordinated, and aggressive. The discovery raises questions about the accuracy of using the more typical mutation process as an estimate to date when two species diverged, as well as the extent to which this and related enzymes played a role in primate evolution.
	Scientists look at hangers-on amid mass die-off of bats As white-nose syndrome kills millions of bats across North America, there's a glimmer of hope at hibernation spots where it first struck a decade ago: Some bats in some caves are hanging on.
	Technology helps to track the peregrinations of peregrines Since the early 2000s when Research Associate Shawn Padgett pioneered the use of video cameras on nests to read bands, the Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) and other groups have used camera traps to identify breeding adult peregrine falcons.
	New bone-eating worm species discovered in the Mediterranean Sea A team of researchers coordinated by the University of Barcelona has found, for the first time ever in the Mediterranean Sea, a new species of Osedax, a genus of bone-eating worm that up until now had only be seen in colder and deeper waters. The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, was led by Sergi Taboada, Ana Riesgo, Maria Bas, Miguel A. Arnedo and Conxita Àvila, researchers from the Department of Animal Biology and the UB's Institute for Research on Biodiversity (IRBio), as well as Javier Cristobo (Spanish Institute of Oceanography), and Greg Rouse (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, United States), one of the world experts in the study of these organisms.
	What future agriculture can learn from nature's cheaters In a recent publication, researchers from Wageningen UR investigated what agriculture might be able to learn from the anomaly of 'cheating' plants. Natural selection ensures that cheating plants dominate in the ecological system of plants and organisms with which they interact. These cheaters selfishly use the largest amount of nutrients and other beneficial materials in their environment. There are plants that use their larger flowers to lure pollinating insects away from other plants and plants that grow extra roots to steal nutrients and water from their neighbours.
	Black bream show signs of recovery following fish kill A popular recreational fish species in the Vasse-Wonnerup estuary is showing signs of recovering from a major fish kill event three years ago.
	Virtual reality brings new dimension to conservation Virtual reality technology is introducing a new dimension to wildlife conservation by helping researchers anywhere in the world assess the conditions of distant species and environments as if they were on location.
	The pool frog adapts its growth to Sweden's cold temperatures Pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae) tadpoles have the amazing ability to grow at different rates depending on changes in temperature. A new study has revealed that this species, which requires relatively warm environments for breeding, speeds up its capacity for growth in Sweden during the warmest time of the year in order to take full advantage of short periods of high temperatures. This trait may be the key to this frog's survival in cold climates.
	Marine preserve to help penguins in a 'predictably unpredictable' place Since the Galapagos penguins can't clap, P. Dee Boersma will do it for them.
	Wine yeast genomes lack diversity Sequencing the genomes of hundreds of strains of the wine yeast S. cerevisiae has revealed little genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding. In many cases, yeast strains sold by different companies were almost genetically identical. The results, published in the April issue of G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, a publication of the Genetics Society of America, suggest that winemakers attempting to develop improved wine yeasts will need to look to creating hybrids with more exotic strains.
	Ensuring the integrity of our genetic material during reproduction The genetic information we receive from our parents in the form of chromosomes are mosaics assembled from the two copies of chromosomes each parent has. How such cuts—or breaks—in our genetic material are repaired is the research interest of Verena Jantsch and her group at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna. Their findings give important insights into the processes that ensure the integrity of our genetic material, preventing genetic disease and cancer development.
Dynamic model helps understand healthy lakes to heal sick ones Development of a dynamic model for microbial populations in healthy lakes could help scientists understand what's wrong with sick lakes, prescribe cures and predict what may happen as environmental conditions change. Those are among the benefits expected from an ambitious project to model the interactions of some 18,000 species in a well-studied Wisconsin lake.
	Sowing mainstream wheat varieties too early can risk yield Local farmers who are preparing to sow their wheat crops over the next fortnight should hold off, according to local scientists who warn sowing mainstream varieties too early can risk yield penalties at the end of the season.
	Biodiversity science and the law One of the challenges facing biodiversity conservation is the integration of scientific knowledge and government decision-making.

Medicine & Health news

	New platform optimizes drug doses to prevent organ rejection for transplant patients For decades, doctors and scientists have predicted that personalized medicine—tailoring drug doses and combinations to people's specific diseases and body chemistry—would be the future of health care.
	Study finds sirtuin protein essential for healthy heart function The human heart is a remarkable muscle, beating more than 2 billion times over the average life span.
	Key advance: Neuroscientists get a new look into how we read Neuroscientists at UC Davis have come up with a way to observe brain activity during natural reading. It's the first time researchers have been able to study the brain while reading actual texts, instead of individual words, and it's already helping settle some ideas about just how we read.
	Fruit flies live longer on lithium Fruit flies live 16% longer than average when given low doses of the mood stabiliser lithium, according to a UCL-led study.
	HIV can develop resistance to CRISPR/Cas9 The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform may need a little bit more tweaking before it can be used as an effective antiviral, reports a study published April 7 in Cell Reports. Researchers who used CRISPR/Cas9 to mutate HIV-1 within cellular DNA found that while single mutations can inhibit viral replication, some also led to unexpected resistance. The researchers believe targeting multiple viral DNA regions may be necessary for the potential antiviral aspect of CRISPR/Cas9 to be effective.
	Human evolution fast-tracked by mutations from anti-viral enzyme Evolution is thought to proceed through the gradual accumulation of independent mutations in each new generation. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers analyzing hominid genomes have discovered thousands of clustered mutations likely resulting from the coordinated activity of APOBEC enzymes, leading to accelerated changes in DNA.
	Function of mysterious RNAs may often lie in their genes A new genetic clue discovered by a team co-led by a researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is shedding light on the functions of the mysterious "long non-coding RNAs" (lncRNAs). These molecules are transcribed from genes and are often abundant in cells, yet they do not code for proteins. Their functions have been almost entirely unknown—and in recent years have attracted much research and debate.
	Research finds that wisdom is a matter of both heart and mind The fluctuations of your heartbeat may affect your wisdom, according to new research from the University of Waterloo.
Food should be labelled with 'activity equivalent' calorie information Food should be labelled with the equivalent exercise to expend its calories to help people change their behaviour, argues an expert in The BMJ today.
	Speaking two languages for the price of one In everyday conversation, bilingual speakers often switch between languages mid-sentence with apparent ease, despite the fact that many studies suggest that language-switching should slow them down. New research suggests that consistency may allow bilingual speakers to avoid the costs that come with switching between languages, essentially allowing them to use two languages for the price of one.
	Surgeons test technology with potential to expand lung transplant donor pool Michele Coleman lay close to death last fall with end-stage lung disease when she got a second chance at life.
	New research suggests early life factors could increase prostate cancer risk Factors that influence when boys go through puberty could affect a man's future risk of developing prostate cancer, a large study funded by World Cancer Research Fund has found.
	Molecular marker in healthy tissue can predict a woman's risk of getting the disease, research says Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and collaborators at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have identified a molecular marker in normal breast tissue that can predict a woman's risk for developing breast cancer, the leading cause of death in women with cancer worldwide.
	Changes in human reproduction raise legal, ethical issues, expert says What if prospective parents were given the opportunity to make decisions ahead of time about the combination of genetic traits their child would inherit?
	Device helps paralyzed patients operate laptop with their eyes The movement of limbs comes so fluidly and effortlessly for many of us that it is easy to take for granted. But those who work in the VCU Health Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation know from firsthand observation that the independence that comes with mobility is a gift. That is why a VCU Health rehabilitation specialist and a technology expert teamed up to create an innovative device that gives patients with tetraplegia the ability to use a laptop with just their eyes.
	Study supports single-question alcohol screen for adolescents A single screening question about drinking frequency in the past year could help doctors identify adolescents at risk for alcohol problems, according to a new study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. Conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, who collaborated with a network of rural primary care practitioners, the study also supports the use of the age-based screening thresholds put forward in NIAAA's Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide.
Study views happiness through the lens of autism An Australian first study is exploring what happiness looks like through the lens of autism.
	MASALA study examines south asian heart disease risks To keep a person's heart healthy, clinicians recommend avoiding risk factors such as smoking or excessive weight gain. But one risk factor, which cannot be changed, is being South Asian.
	When newborns struggle to breast-feed, a simple surgery may be the answer It's a Thursday morning, and Martin Kaplan, D75A, a pediatric dentist in Stoughton, Massachusetts, is seeing his second infant of the day. He scans a form filled out by Courtney Baker, who holds her 3-month-old daughter, Scarlett.
	The psychology of makeup You are five years old, playing with your friends outside, when suddenly someone new appears. You size them up and realize they must be two or maybe even three years your senior. You give up your swing as a sign of respect. Playground politics.
	Osteoarthritis: Carbohydrate-binding protein promotes inflammation More and more people, particularly older people, are suffering from osteoarthritis due to wear and tear on their joints. This primarily affects the knee and hip joints but also the spine. In earlier studies, scientists at MedUni Vienna Department of Orthopaedics showed that raised levels of certain proteins, so-called galectins, and their docking sites are found in patients with osteoarthritis. However, until now, their role in osteoarthritis was largely unknown. In a study that was recently published in the Journal of Immunology, MedUni Vienna researchers managed to identify the function of galectin-1 for the first time worldwide and established that the carbohydrate-binding protein controls inflammation in the affected cartilage. This outstanding study was also featured as a "Research Highlight" in the leading journal Nature Reviews Rheumatology.
	Researchers propose surveillance system for Zika virus and other infectious diseases A group of prominent researchers from seven institutions including Princeton University are calling for the establishment of a worldwide program to collect and test blood and other human bodily fluids to aid in the study and prevention of emerging infectious diseases such as the mosquito-borne Zika fever, which is caused by the Zika virus and has spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean since early 2015.
	In-home parent training levels field for low-income kids Home-based interventions that teach parents to engage children in playful interactive learning activities can close the cognitive development gap between disadvantaged children and higher-resource peers, according to a new study led by UC Merced Professor Jan Wallander.
Study finds protein may be responsible for damage in eosinophilic esophagitis Scientists have identified a protein that may be the cause of tissue damage in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which affects as many as 56 of every 100,000 people in the United States. EoE is a food allergy-related disease in which white blood cells called eosinophils accumulate in the esophagus, often causing difficult or painful swallowing, nausea, vomiting and poor growth in children and adults. Further understanding of the role of this protein, calpain 14, may lead to potential therapies for EoE. The researchers received support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, both part of the National Institutes of Health.
	Treating sugar addiction like drug abuse: QUT leads world-first study With obesity rates on the rise worldwide and excess sugar consumption considered a direct contributor, the search has been on for treatments to reverse the trend. Now a world-first study led by QUT may have the answer.
	Researchers combine drugs to develop a new treatment for human parainfluenza virus Griffith's Institute for Glycomics have made a promising discovery in the treatment and prevention of human parainfluenza virus.
	'Liquid biopsy' blood test detects genetic mutations in common form of lung cancer A simple blood test can rapidly and accurately detect mutations in two key genes in non-small cell lung tumors, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other institutions report in a new study - demonstrating the test's potential as a clinical tool for identifying patients who can benefit from drugs targeting those mutations.
Study shows effectiveness of earplugs in preventing temporary hearing loss after loud music In a study published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Wilko Grolman, M.D., Ph.D., of the University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of earplugs in preventing temporary hearing loss immediately following music exposure.
	Detailed analysis of autism-associated genes finds involvement in key pathways, processes A group of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has identified key underlying biological processes that involve some of the hundreds of genes known to contribute to the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Several separate analyses converged on a key molecular process - the overlap of two major signaling pathways - as well as on several groups of genes that participate in that process and contribute to other conditions.
	Test run finds no cancer risk from stem cell therapy Therapeutic stem cells can be made without introducing genetic changes that could later lead to cancer, a study in PLOS Genetics has found.
	Typhoid toxin increases host survival and promotes asymptomatic infection Genotoxins damage the genetic material in cells and can cause mutations and cancer. Some bacteria code for and produce genotoxins. A study published on April 7th in PLOS Pathogens reports the surprising finding that one of them, typhoid toxin, actually increases survival of the infected host and promotes long-term colonization without causing disease in the host. The work, the authors say "poses the semantic and biological question of whether 'toxin' is the appropriate designation".
Research into the correlation between beauty and body size shows that women are the harshest judges New research published today in the journal Economics and Human Biology has described the relationship between attractiveness, BMI and gender, showing that while women are both the harshest judges of weight in relation to beauty, they are also judged negatively by both men and women for being overweight. When these findings are applied to trends in wages, there is evidence that anthropometric attributes play a significant role in wage regressions in addition to attractiveness, showing that body size cannot be dismissed as a simple component of beauty.
Researchers help explain why we favor a black and white approach to morality Would you kill one innocent person to save five?
Gray matter abnormality predicts neurodevelopmental problems in smaller premature babies Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is increasingly used to predict neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants, but the existing systems of analyzing or "scoring" those MRIs rely heavily on expert opinion. A new study led by clinician-researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital has explored a more objective system for scoring MRIs - and in the process found that an often unreported abnormality of the brain's gray matter can indicate future impairment.
	Drop in body temperature linked to aging aggravates manifestations of Alzheimer's disease The drop in body temperature associated with aging could aggravate the main manifestations of Alzheimer's, suggests a study published in the latest issue of Neurobiology of Aging by Université Laval researchers. Although the phenomenon was demonstrated using transgenic mice, researchers believe that the findings are convincing enough to warrant further investigation in humans.
	Scientists discover a new mechanism of resistance to chemotherapy The occurrence of chemotherapy resistance is one of the major reasons for failure in cancer treatment. A study led by Óscar Fernández-Capetillo, Head of the Genomic Instability Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), has identified a new determinant of chemotherapy resistance. In this regard, they employed ATR kinase inhibitors, which were previously described by the group as a cancer treatment strategy, and that could be tested on humans as early as 2017, according to the researcher. The determining factor is a protein that often appears increased in cancer cells, CDC25A. This discovery, which is published in Molecular Cell, opens up new avenues for novel and more effective treatments as well as a way to predict which patients will particularly benefit from a therapy with ATR inhibitors.
Open operations for gallbladder removal drop 90 percent at 1 institution over 30 years While minimally invasive surgical techniques have made operations easier and recovery time faster, there is a downside: surgical residents today aren't acquiring certain operative skills, according to a new study appearing online on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print publication. Since laparoscopic cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder) was first introduced 30 years ago, the number of open cholecystectomies performed by general surgery residents has declined significantly.
	Study suggests epiregulin as a target in lung cancer The overabundance of growth factors has been implicated in the development and spread of many cancers, most famously the up-regulation of EGF and EGFR receptors in lung cancer, which is now successfully targeted by anti-EGFR therapies including erlotinib and gefitinib. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis points to a new, related target, namely epiregulin, an under-studied EGF-like growth factor.
	Study finds safer stem cell-derived therapy for brain radiation recovery While stem cells have shown promise for treating brain regions damaged by cancer radiation treatments, University of California, Irvine researchers have found that microscopic vesicles isolated from these cells provide similar benefits without some of the risks associated with stem cells.
Practitioners' views on submission and dominant sex Strong emotional experiences, an opportunity to find your place in the world, a clear set of rules and the knowledge that other people regard it as immoral and shameful. These are just some of the views held by perpetrators of BDSM that Charlotta Carlström examines in her social work thesis.
	Study combines DNA testing with wireless sensor to improve Parkinson's diagnosis Diagnosing Parkinson's disease, especially in its early stages, has long been a challenge for physicians. A newly launched study by the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) aims to improve screening accuracy by combining the power of genetic sequencing and wireless sensors.
	CDC: Teens with sleep issues more often take dangerous risks High school students who get too little sleep— or too much—are also more likely to drive drunk or take other risks, according to government researchers.
	Bariatric embolization studied as potential treatment for morbid obesity A multi-site clinical trial has been launched to assess the safety and effectiveness of bariatric arterial embolization, a minimally invasive procedure that can reduce the sensation of hunger, for treating patients with morbid obesity. The study is a research collaboration between the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Researchers publish largest Chinese American eye study The University of Southern California (USC) Roski Eye Institute researchers and clinicians published the results of the National Eye Institute-funded "Chinese American Eye Study (CHES)," the largest ophthalmology study among those with Chinese ancestry living in the U.S. The findings, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, point to critical interventions in the prevention and treatment of blinding eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy (DR), among Chinese Americans.
Poll: Some key gaps in Americans' knowledge about Zika virus Americans don't know a lot about the Zika virus that is linked to birth defects and creeping steadily closer to the U.S., according to a new poll that found about 4 in 10 say they've heard little to nothing about the mosquito-borne threat.
More guidelines, uniformity in RT needed following chemotherapy, surgery in breast cancer Wide variability exists in radiation treatment decisions following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and surgery for breast cancer, according to a review of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z1071, a prospective trial. ACOSOG is now part of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology.
	Spending that fits personality can boost well-being Money could buy happiness if your purchases fit your personality, according to a new study that examines nearly 77,000 actual UK bank spending transactions.
	Inflammatory factors cause damage to back of eye following keratoprosthesis implantation Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have identified inflammatory factors that cause optic neuropathy in the back of the eye following implantation of a keratoprosthesis (KPro)—similar to what glaucoma patients experience, without the rise of pressure in the eye—and have shown that blocking one of those factors, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), successfully halts the development of optic nerve damage in a mouse model. Their findings, published online today in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, shed light on the underlying process responsible for optic neuropathy in KPro patients and also suggest a new pathway for preventing optic nerve damage in patients who receive the KPro implant.
	Cancer thwarts treatment by 'stealing' blood vessels Cancers can resist treatment by 'stealing' blood vessels from nearby tissues, a new study shows.
HPV vaccine effective in youth with kidney disease, but less so in those with a kidney transplant Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination stimulates robust and sustained immune responses in girls and young women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and those on dialysis, but less optimal responses to the vaccine were observed among those with a kidney transplant. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), suggest that HPV vaccination provides considerable benefits for kidney disease and dialysis patients but may not be as beneficial for kidney transplant recipients.
Traditional skin tests used to predict allergies to antibiotics are useless, researchers say Skin tests traditionally used to predict allergies to amoxicillin, one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in children, are ineffective according to a new study led by a team at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal. The findings, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics this week, determined that oral provocation or challenge test, with appropriate follow up, was a more efficient and safer screening method for diagnosing non-life threatening reactions to amoxicillin in children.
	New gene responsible for stroke discovered Researchers have identified a new set of genes that may be responsible for the two most common and disabling neurological conditions, stroke and dementia.
	Too much sitting may shorten your life, study suggests (HealthDay)—Get off your duff: A new study finds that sitting less may extend your life.
	Preschoolers' diets improved after federal food voucher changes: study (HealthDay)—A change to a U.S. government nutrition program improved the diets of millions of young children in low-income families, a new study says.
	FDA OKs 'containment' bag for certain uterine surgeries (HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it would permit limited use of a "tissue containment system" in conjunction with laparoscopic power morcellators—devices that grind up tissue in gynecological surgeries.
	Short gap between pregnancies tied to higher autism risk? (HealthDay)—Spacing pregnancies in close succession may increase the risk of autism in children, a large new research review suggests.
	Stimulant, banned from sports, found in dietary supplements in US (HealthDay)—A stimulant banned from competitive sports has been found in more than a dozen dietary supplements marketed for "burning" body fat.
	Rectal indomethacin doesn't prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), rectal indomethacin does not prevent the development of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), according to a study published in the April issue of Gastroenterology.
	Considerable agreement on presence of BCC on mohs slides (HealthDay)—There is considerable interpersonal and intrapersonal agreement on the presence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on Mohs slides, according to a study published online April 1 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Charity warns of chronic medical shortages in S.Sudan Chronic shortages of essential medical supplies are worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in war-torn South Sudan, the charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned Thursday.
Combination therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia A subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients is positive for the Philadelphia chromosome, which is generated by a specific translocation event that causes a fusion between the BCR and ABL1 genes. These patients unfortunately have a poorer prognosis and a more limited response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are used to treat other forms of ALL.
Report suggests urgent need for policies to support family caregivers of aging and disabled Americans Family members and friends provide the vast majority of care for aging Americans experiencing chronic conditions, trauma or illness. Yet, according to "Addressing the Needs of Caregivers at Risk: A New Policy Strategy," a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Stern Center for Evidence-Based Policy, current policy efforts at the federal and state levels have not adapted to address significant health and economic risks that these caregivers experience.
Health improvements after gastric-bypass surgery start well before dramatic weight loss begins The health benefits of Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery—a surgical weight-loss procedure in which the stomach is made smaller—start soon after the procedure. New research presented today at the Experimental Biology 2016 meeting in San Diego found that patients who underwent the procedure already showed some reductions in weight, waist circumference and body mass index one week after the procedure. In addition, the patients had lower low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels and showed indications that their blood pressure and oxygen demand by the heart—how hard the heart is working—were decreasing toward normal ranges. These data suggest that fat and blood sugar control and cardiovascular health start improving in the early stages of recovery before dramatic weight loss occurs.
New study shows Boston has reduced youth access to flavored cigars A 2011 Boston regulation that set minimum pricing and packaging requirements for fruit-flavored cigars has successfully reduced their availability, according to a new study led by UMass Medical School statistical scientist Wenjun Li, PhD.
	Expert discusses WHO warning on diabetes' 'unrelenting march' As the World Health Organization warns of an 'unrelenting march of diabetes' with 422 million cases in 2014, an expert from The University of Manchester has reacted to the problem and suggests some ways to address the obesity epidemic that fuels it.
Study identifies mechanisms underlying osteochondroma formation Osteochondromas are cartilage-capped benign bone tumors that form on the surface of bones near growth plates. These growths typically occur in adolescents and can result in growth impairment, pain, and fractures. In hereditary forms of the disease, 80-90% of patients have mutations in the genes exostosin 1 and 2; however, these mutations are not found in all patients.
	CCTSI's Boot Camp Translation cuts medical jargon, improves community health A new study by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus researchers confirms the success of a new patient-engagement method called Boot Camp Translation, which turns complex medical screening guidelines into locally relevant health messages. Multiple studies show that use of the process has improved cancer testing, asthma management and hypertension control.
Prevention of sickle cell disease progression in adult mice Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by abnormal hemoglobin, which alters the shape of red blood cells, resulting in poor blood flow and eventual death. In developed countries, the survival rate in children with SCD is high due to early medical intervention. However, the risk of adverse effects dramatically increases in SCD patients during early adulthood, and the factors that underlie adult progression of the disease are poorly understood.
Murine model provides insight into mechanisms of reverse cardiac remodeling Sustained pathological remodeling of the heart after injury is associated with increased risk of heart failure and death. Several recent studies have shown that strategies to reduce heart failure are associated with a reversal of adverse remodeling. The mechanisms of this reverse remodeling are not fully understood and have potential to guide the development of future interventions.
Vaccine improves fibrosis in mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal disease characterized by lung fibrosis and declining lung function. There are currently few effective treatments for IPF, and the median survival following diagnosis is between 2 and 5 years.
Improving models of chronic lymphocytic leukemia Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a common form of adult leukemia that results in the progressive expansion of abnormal lymphocytes. The cell type that gives rise to CLL is still unclear, though evidence suggests that a subset of immature B cell lymphocytes is transformed during development. Because of the heterogeneity of this cancer, it has not been possible to create a mouse model that faithfully recapitulates all aspects of this disease.
	Report recommends ways to break cycle of domestic violence Victims of domestic violence are hindered from leaving their abusers by internal and external factors, including the response of the criminal justice system, fear, perceived control, and self-esteem, according to the latest report from the Crime Victims' Institute.
Middle-aged adults with hearing loss have substantially higher health care costs In a study published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Annie N. Simpson, Ph.D., of the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and colleagues compared the costs of health care for a matched group of privately insured individuals with and without a diagnosis of hearing loss.
	Canadian innovation for killing mosquito eggs could help Zika fight With Canadian Government funding, a team of innovators from Canada and Mexico have successfully tested a low cost, environmentally-friendly way of destroying the eggs of the mosquito genus that spreads dengue, and likely spreading the Zika virus.
Ivacaftor improves smooth muscle function in cystic fibrosis patients Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the chloride channel CFTR, which disrupts fluid transport in the lungs. CF patients have a variety of complications, including airway obstruction, infection, and pathological tissue remodeling. Alterations in airway smooth muscle have been observed in CF patients but it is not clear if these abnormalities are directly due to loss of CFTR in airway smooth muscle cells.
Study characterizes insulin secretion in response to metabolic stress The development of type 2 diabetes is linked to persistent inflammation as a consequence of metabolic stress. Prolonged exposure to the proinflammatory molecule IL-1β is associated with reduced insulin secretion by pancreatic β cells, while short-term exposure to IL-1β has been shown to increase insulin levels. Reducing IL-1 signaling in patients with type 2 diabetes has had mixed success in clinical studies, suggesting multiple effects of IL-1β in insulin secretion.
Young arthritis patients have unique concerns about treatment They describe a wide range of consequences—physical, emotional, social, and vocational—arising from their treatment.
Review examines functioning, disability, and health in autistic patients The results will provide clarity as investigators conduct basic and applied research and as clinicians diagnose and treat affected patients.
New report identifies six practices to improve health care for disadvantaged populations A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies six promising practices to improve health care for individuals with social risk factors for poor health care outcomes, such as people who are in a low socio-economic position, reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods, identify as a racial or ethnic minority, or possess limited health literacy. The committee that carried out the study and wrote the report said it is possible to deliver high-quality care to these populations. With adequate resources, providers can feasibly respond to incentives to deliver high-quality and good-value care to socially at-risk populations. This is the second report in a series of five that addresses social risk factors that affect the health care outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries and ways to account for these factors in Medicare payment programs.
	NIH launches large clinical trials of antibody-based HIV prevention Enrollment has begun in the first of two multinational clinical trials of an intravenously delivered investigational antibody for preventing HIV infection. Known as the AMP Studies, for antibody-mediated prevention, the trials will test whether giving people an investigational anti-HIV antibody called VRC01 as an intravenous infusion every 8 weeks is safe, tolerable and effective at preventing HIV infection. With a projected enrollment of 4,200 adults, the trials also are designed to answer fundamental scientific questions for the fields of HIV prevention and vaccine research.
Canadian cardiologists advocate guidelines for athlete screening before sports events Screening athletes prior to high-level sports events to identify individuals who may be affected by cardiovascular diseases is controversial. Canada has no official guidelines, while recommendations from American and European organizations conflict, particularly regarding routine ECG screening. Canadian and British experts provide suggestions in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology and call for the development of Canadian guidelines by appropriate organizations.
New low-cost workforce extends primary care to homes of older adults A new study from the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute has found that person-centered dementia care, which involves both patients and their caregivers, can be effectively provided by an engaged low-cost workforce—care coordinator assistants.
	Kidneys have an innate clock that affects many metabolic processes in the body An internal clock within the kidneys plays an important role in maintaining balance within the body, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

Other Sciences news

	Populations of early human settlers grew like an 'invasive species,' researchers find Bustling cities, sprawling suburbs and blossoming agricultural regions might seem strong evidence that people have always dominated the environment. A Stanford study of South America's colonization shows that human populations did not always grow unchecked, but were at one time limited by local resources – just like any other species.
	Modern men lack Y chromosome genes from Neanderthals, researchers say Although it's widely known that modern humans carry traces of Neanderthal DNA, a new international study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that Neanderthal Y-chromosome genes disappeared from the human genome long ago.
	Public understanding of genetics can reduce stereotypes The public's understanding of genetics, particularly as a cause of sexual orientation, can influence the level of stereotypical behavior, according to a new study by two University of Kansas researchers.
Men on Tinder think they have a 'licence to use unattractive women as they see fit' Men on Tinder think they have a "licence to use women as they see fit" if their date's appearance is less attractive than her profile photograph, research says.
Top soccer players are under-performing because of gambling, research says Some top soccer players are under-performing because of worries about gambling losses, new research says.
	Study uncovers significant concerns about economic distress in L.A. The depth of financial insecurity in Los Angeles County is revealed in a new survey that shows 29 percent of residents have worried about going hungry in the last few years because they could not afford the cost of food, and 31 percent have worried about losing their homes and becoming homeless as a result.
	Revitalizing endangered languages for future generations Linguist Bonny Sands speaks in clicks. The adjunct faculty member is an expert on click languages, and supports language revitalization efforts through documentation.
LA LGBT Center's canvassing conversations reduce transphobia, study finds Researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, report in today's edition of Science that volunteer canvassers - both transgender and not - reduced voters' prejudice against transgender people.
Study: Daily deal websites can capitalize by displaying sales numbers Daily deal websites, such as Groupon and LivingSocial, have emerged as a popular way for small local merchants to conduct online promotions, but unlike other online and offline discount sources, they continually track and display the number of deals sold.
Bone weathering helps determine time of death Researchers have made great strides in determining how long a human body has been dead by looking at characteristics of bones subjected to the elements. In one of the first studies looking at freezing and thawing specifically, researchers have concluded that freeze-thaw cycles are an important component of bone weathering (the chemical and physical breakdown that bones undergo when exposed).
	Mobility and motivation: Job switching stokes competitive behavior Colleague today, competitor tomorrow: Moving to a rival firm leads to a conflict of identities - and causes movers to focus their competitive impulses on their former employer, as a study by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich management scholar Thorsten Grohsjean shows.
Gender perceptions of sexual harassment can influence workplace policy effectiveness Although 98 percent of all organizations have sexual harassment policies, sexual harassment remains an issue in the workplace. Researchers at the University of Missouri are evaluating how employees' interpretations of sexual harassment policies can invalidate the purpose of the policies. They found that employee perceptions of how exactly "sexual harassment" is defined by a company's policy can, in effect, eliminate or reshape the meaning of these policies and contradict the norms and values of the companies that try to enforce them.
Honduras: 215 LGBT people killed in 7 years A new report from Index on Censorship exposes how many LGBT activists in Honduras risk torture, prison and assassination.
	AP PHOTOS: Iraqi museum refuge for relics of the past After the destruction wreaked on archaeological sites by Islamic State group, the collections at the Iraq's National Museum in Baghdad have become even more important. It's now one of the only places you can find relics from the ancient cities that fell into the extremists' hands.
Educated Muslim women much less likely to be in professional jobs than white women Muslim women are much less likely to be in professional jobs than white women, even when they are as well educated, new research shows.
Most K-12 online learning content does not meet needs of students with disabilities Online education is growing rapidly, reaching millions of students every day. However, a Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities at the University of Kansas study has found the majority of online educational products are not designed to meet the needs of students with disabilities and struggling learners.
Opinion: Millennials v baby boomers—a battle we could have done without The generation of young people who came of age during the new millennium – "millennials", as they're commonly known – has divided opinion like no other. Some have deemed them a self-pitying and entitled bunch; lazy, deluded and narcissistic. Others take a more sympathetic view, raising concerns that millennials are at risk of becoming a "lost generation". After all, they are making the transition into adulthood under much more precarious circumstances than their parents experienced as part of the "baby boomers" generation.
Paper critically examines the politics of asylum accommodation in the UK In this context, the framing of asylum seekers as a 'burden' emerges, along with an economic rationale that values asylum accommodation for the profit it may bring, rather than the questions of social justice it raises.
Undergraduates survey cultural tourists' attitudes and visual advertising in Malta While advertising and promotion in general, specifically observed within the American society, is a largely researched topic, Dr János Tóth, Kodolányi János University of Applied Sciences, and the undergraduate students from the Karoli Gaspar University of the Reformed Church in Hungary have had their curiosity and attention drawn to a specific non-American and, therefore, underrepresented in such studies environment, namely the Maltese city of Msida.

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