Fwd: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Mar 22

HOT!

Brain to foot: come in, foot

Apple-FBI encryption showdown postponed, for now

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 23, 2016 at 2:09 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Mar 22
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 22, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Storage density beyond 10 Tb/in2 possible for heat-assisted magnetic recording
- No more washing: Nano-enhanced textiles clean themselves with light
- Lead found in ink used to write scrolls buried by eruption of Mount Vesuvius
- Researchers study Charon's internal evolution
- Genetic variant helps explain why anxiety disorders strike most often in the teen years
- New chemistries found for liquid batteries
- Mathematicians provide solution to 78 year old mystery
- Unravelling the secret of antibiotic resistance
- A new-structure magnetic memory device developed
- Contact lenses alter eye bacteria, making it more skin-like
- Scientists reveal how animals find their way 'in the dark'
- More ancient viruses lurk in our DNA than we thought
- Made ya look: Moviegoers may have little control over their eye movements during Hollywood-style films, study finds
- New method can deposit nanomaterials onto flexible surfaces and 3-D objects
- First discovery of a binary companion for a Type Ia supernovae

Nanotechnology news

	No more washing: Nano-enhanced textiles clean themselves with light A spot of sunshine is all it could take to get your washing done, thanks to pioneering nano research into self-cleaning textiles.
	How infrared light can be captured by graphene nanostructures Researchers from CIC nanoGUNE, in collaboration with ICFO and Graphenea, have demonstrated how infrared light can be captured by nanostructures made of graphene. This happens when light couples to charge oscillations in the graphene. The resulting mixture of light and charge oscillations, called plasmon, can be squeezed into record-small volumes millions of times smaller than in conventional dielectric optical cavities. This process has been visualized by the researchers for the first time with the help of a state-of the-art, near-field microscope and explained by theory. The researchers identified two types of plasmons—edge and sheet modes—propagating either along the sheet or along the sheet edges. The edge plasmons are unique for their ability to channel electromagnetic energy in one dimension.
	Nanocrystal self-assembly sheds its secrets The secret to a long-hidden magic trick behind the self-assembly of nanocrystal structures is starting to be revealed.
	New method can deposit nanomaterials onto flexible surfaces and 3-D objects Printing has come a long way since the days of Johannes Gutenberg. Now, researchers have developed a new method that uses plasma to print nanomaterials onto a 3-D object or flexible surface, such as paper or cloth. The technique could make it easier and cheaper to build devices like wearable chemical and biological sensors, flexible memory devices and batteries, and integrated circuits.
	A new-structure magnetic memory device developed The research group of Professor Hideo Ohno and Associate Professor Shunsuke Fukami of Tohoku University has developed a new-structure magnetic memory device utilizing spin-orbit- torque-induced magnetization switching.
	Scientists develop nanoscale vesicles for cellular deliveries Scientists have developed a novel nano-engineering technique to fabricate tiny, membrane-bound vesicles called liposomes.
	Five ways nanotechnology is securing your future The past 70 years have seen the way we live and work transformed by two tiny inventions. The electronic transistor and the microchip are what make all modern electronics possible, and since their development in the 1940s they've been getting smaller. Today, one chip can contain as many as 5 billion transistors. If cars had followed the same development pathway, we would now be able to drive them at 300,000mph and they would cost just £3 each.

Physics news

	Storage density beyond 10 Tb/in2 possible for heat-assisted magnetic recording (Phys.org)—Global demand for data storage is constantly increasing, driven by new technologies such as Big Data and the Internet of Things, as well as personal and enterprise storage. The hard disk drives that currently store the majority of the world's data have storage densities of just under 1 Terabit per square inch (Tb/in2). One of the promising technologies being researched for increasing the storage density is heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), which uses lasers to heat individual magnetic grains that are just a few nanometers long. The method requires controlling heat and magnetism on a tiny scale, which has made developing HAMR very challenging.
	Researchers propose new way to improve beam quality in laser wakefield accelerators The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which helped scientists discover the Higgs boson, is a huge instrument buried under the Swiss-French border. It needs 27 kilometers of track to accelerate particles close to the speed of light before smashing them together. Yet there's another type of particle accelerator, called a laser wakefield accelerator, that requires only a fraction of the distance of conventional accelerators like the LHC.
	On the evolution of how we have defined time, time interval and frequency since antiquity The earliest definitions of time and time-interval quantities were based on observed astronomical phenomena, such as apparent solar or lunar time, and as such, time as measured by clocks, and frequency, as measured by devices were derived quantities. In contrast, time is now based on the properties of atoms, making time and time intervals themselves derived quantities. Today's definition of time uses a combination of atomic and astronomical time. However, their connection could be modified in the future to reconcile the divergence between the astronomic and atomic definitions. These are some of the observations made by Judah Levine, author of a riveting paper just published in EPJ H, which provides unprecedented insights into the nature of time and its historical evolution.
	Microagents with revolutionary potential Micro and nanorobots that attack tumors with maximum precision using drugs: this is what the fight against cancer may look like in the future. A group of ETH researchers led by Salvador Pané are laying the foundations with magnetoelectric-controlled Janus machines.

Earth news

	Nitrogen factories in the Cretaceous oceans Researchers have discovered a 'bizarre' microorganism which plays a key role in the food web of Earth's oceans.
	Researchers seek to quantify global benefits of reduced meat diet (Phys.org)—A small team of researchers at Oxford University has published a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences detailing their attempts to merge region-specific health models that are based on diet and weight related risk factors with global emission economic modules, to produce impact estimates on health, economics and climate change, if the consumption of meat were to be drastically reduced in the near future. They claim their findings suggest that the world could save millions of lives and trillions of dollars over the next half century, if a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle were adopted worldwide.
	Coal plants use enough water to supply 1 bn people: Greenpeace Coal plants are draining an already dwindling global water supply, Greenpeace warned on Tuesday, consuming enough to meet the basic needs of one billion people and deepening a worldwide crisis.
British Columbia misrepresents liquified natural gas as 'clean' fossil fuel Despite worldwide concern about the consequences of "fracking," the British Columbia (B.C.) government is presenting its proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry as both an economic benefit to the Canadian province and a source of 'clean' fossil fuel.
	Sticky particles don't succumb to sunlight, an insight that could help refine pollution models In an unexpected twist, an atmospheric particle's stickiness protects it from sunlight when the air is cool and dry. The particle's sticky nature, or viscosity, slows down the motion of molecules inside. The result is that the molecules that absorbed sunlight's energy cannot easily reach their reaction partners and the energy is dispersed into heat instead. This study is the first to show the link between viscosity and sunlight's inability to degrade the particle, and as such, it was chosen to grace the cover of an upcoming Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.
	Exploring whether contamination in mining towns was always there A Macquarie University study has pursued multiple lines of evidence to bust the 'miner's myth' that exists in Broken Hill and other mining towns, which implies that alternative, non-mining related sources of lead are the cause for high environmental lead contamination levels within the community.
	Monitoring greenhouse gas emissions independently Mistakes can happen when estimating emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Researchers funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation have developed a method to independently validate national statistics.
	What we've learned from the deadly Oso, Washington landslide two years on On March 22, 2014, a hillside above Oso, Washington collapsed, unleashing a torrent of mud and debris that buried the community of Steelhead Haven. Forty-three people lost their lives, making it one of the single deadliest landslide disasters in U.S. history.
	Report: Farmers doing too little to stop Lake Erie algae Cutting phosphorus runoff into Lake Erie enough to prevent harmful algae outbreaks would require sweeping changes on the region's farms that may include converting thousands of acres of cropland into grassland, scientists said in a report Tuesday.
Lake Erie phosphorus-reduction targets challenging but achievable Large-scale changes to agricultural practices will be required to meet the goal of reducing levels of algae-promoting phosphorus in Lake Erie by 40 percent, a new University of Michigan-led, multi-institution computer modeling study concludes.
Greenhouse gas mitigation potential from livestock sector revealed Scientists have found that the global livestock sector can maintain the economic and social benefits it delivers while significantly reducing emissions, and in doing so help meet the global mitigation challenge.
	India has the most people without clean water, report says India has the world's highest number of people without access to clean water—imposing a major financial burden for some of the country's poorest people, according to a report released Tuesday.
	Cousteau warns of reef damage in Florida port project Filmmaker and conservationist Philippe Cousteau has warned that a multimillion-dollar plan to deepen an international shipping port off south Florida could devastate fragile parts of the continental United States' only barrier reef.
Study: Farms, hydropower at risk in West's changing climate (Update) Climate change could upset the complex interplay of rain, snow and temperature in the West, hurting food production, the environment and electrical generation at dams, the federal government warned Tuesday.
	Tropical depression Emeraude a swirl in NASA imagery Tropical Cyclone Emeraude was pummeled by northeasterly wind shear that weakened the storm into a depression by March 22, 2016 before the Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead.

Astronomy & Space news

	Researchers study Charon's internal evolution (Phys.org)—Even though NASA's New Horizons mission provided invaluable information about Pluto's moon Charon and delivered detailed images of this unique and interesting rocky body, many mysteries still lie unresolved beneath its frigid surface. Recently, a team of scientists from the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), sought to solve one of Charon's secrets by creating a model that explains its internal evolution. The study was published in a Mar. 4 paper available on arXiv.org.
	Astronomers glimpse supernova shockwave Astronomers have captured the earliest minutes of two exploding stars and for the first time seen a shockwave generated by a star's collapsing core.
	Astronomers report most 'outrageously' luminous galaxies ever observed Astronomers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst report that they have observed the most luminous galaxies ever seen in the Universe, objects so bright that established descriptors such as "ultra-" and "hyper-luminous" used to describe previously brightest known galaxies don't even come close. Lead author and undergraduate Kevin Harrington says, "We've taken to calling them 'outrageously luminous' among ourselves, because there is no scientific term to apply."
	Bright spots and color differences revealed on Ceres Scientists from NASA's Dawn mission unveiled new images from the spacecraft's lowest orbit at Ceres, including highly-anticipated views of Occator Crater, at the 47th annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas, on Tuesday.
	First discovery of a binary companion for a Type Ia supernovae A team of astronomers including Harvard's Robert Kirshner and Peter Challis has detected a flash of light from the companion to an exploding star. This is the first time astronomers have witnessed the impact of an exploding star on its neighbor. It provides the best evidence on the type of binary star system that leads to Type Ia supernovae. This study reveals the circumstances for the violent death of some white dwarf stars and provides deeper understanding for their use as tools to trace the history of the expansion of the universe. These types of stellar explosions enabled the discovery of dark energy, the universe's accelerating expansion that is one of the top problems in science today.
	Solar storms trigger Jupiter's 'Northern Lights' Solar storms trigger Jupiter's intense 'Northern Lights' by generating a new X-ray aurora that is eight times brighter than normal and hundreds of times more energetic than Earth's aurora borealis, finds new UCL-led research using NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory.
	Image: The Sun's intricate atmosphere in ultraviolet This eerie coloured orb is nothing less than the life-giver of the Solar System. It is the Sun, the prodigious nuclear reactor that sits at the heart of our planetary system and supplies our world with all the light and heat needed for us to exist.
	The origin of the cosmos' heaviest elements Reticulum II is an ancient and faint dwarf galaxy discovered in images taken as part of the Dark Energy Survey. It orbits the Milky Way galaxy about 100,000 light years away from us. Though the galaxy looks unassuming at first, the chemical content of its stars may hold the key to unlocking a 60-year-old mystery about the cosmic origin of the heaviest elements in the periodic table. Today in the journal Nature, a team of astronomers at MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research and the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington report on observations of this unique galaxy using the Magellan telescopes at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert. Lead author and MIT physics graduate student Alex Ji explains more.
Space station cargo launching by light of nearly full moon (Update) Fresh supplies are due to ship out late Tuesday for the International Space Station, where the shelves finally are getting full after a string of failed deliveries.
	A penumbral lunar eclipse leads the way to Easter weekend Ready for Easter? The first of two lunar eclipses for 2016 occurs this week, though it's an event so subtle, you might not notice it at first glance. We're talking about Wednesday evening's (morning for North America) penumbral lunar eclipse. If a total solar eclipse such as the one that crossed Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean earlier this month is the ultimate astronomical experience, then a penumbral lunar eclipse is at the other end of the spectrum, a ghostly shading on the moon that is barely noticeable.

Technology news

	New chemistries found for liquid batteries Liquid metal batteries, invented by MIT professor Donald Sadoway and his students a decade ago, are a promising candidate for making renewable energy more practical. The batteries, which can store large amounts of energy and thus even out the ups and downs of power production and power use, are in the process of being commercialized by a Cambridge-based startup company, Ambri.
	FBI: Attacker's phone possibly accessible without Apple help (Update) The government has been adamant for weeks: FBI investigators need to unlock an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, and Apple Inc. was the only one that could do it.
	Solid electrolytes open doors to solid-state batteries Japanese scientists have synthesized two crystal materials that show great promise as solid electrolytes. All-solid-state batteries built using the solid electrolytes exhibit excellent properties, including high power and high energy densities, and could be used in long-distance electric vehicles.
	Researchers found flaw in Apple message encryption Apple issued an update to its iPhone operating system Monday that fixes a flaw identified by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University in the encryption of iMessages - the ones that show up blue when they arrive in the Messages app.
	Apple's events are getting as predictable as the company. Time for a refresh? "Good morning and thanks for joining us."
	Nintendo's first smartphone game attracts over one million users Nintendo said on Tuesday its first smartphone game attracted more than one million users three days after release—good news for the Japanese game giant that was long reluctant to stray from its console-only policy.
	It's not big data that discriminates – it's the people that use it Data can't be racist or sexist, but the way it is used can help reinforce discrimination. The internet means more data is collected about us than ever before and it is used to make automatic decisions that can hugely affect our lives, from our credit scores to our employment opportunities.
	Johns Hopkins researchers find bug in iMessage encryption (Tech Xplore)—On the one side, you have the U.S. government sounding an alarm to Silicon Valley that encryption, as it's being deployed, hampers law enforcement in reaching the communications of terrorists and criminals.
	Microsoft's Xbox Kinect breathes new life into respiratory assessment Xbox Kinects could be used in the future to assess the health of patients with conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
	Apple-FBI encryption showdown postponed, for now The US government's decision to delay its effort to force Apple to help unlock an attacker's iPhone may only postpone the inevitable drawn-out battle over encryption and data protection.
	Malaysia says possible MH370 debris found in South Africa A South African archaeologist has found a piece of debris with part of an aircraft engine manufacturer's logo and Malaysia's transport minister said Tuesday that authorities will examine it to see if it is from the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
	Yahoo halts fantasy sports in New York state Yahoo said Tuesday it was halting its fantasy sports contests in New York state, joining two other operators targeted by regulators who claim the service is effectively illegal gambling.
	In first, streaming the top money maker in US Streaming has become for the first time the top money-maker for the US recorded music business, but it has struggled to offset falling CD sales and downloads, industry data showed Tuesday.
	The Latest: Apple not claiming win in iPhone dispute The Latest on the FBI's efforts to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California, attackers (all times local):
	Protest against taxi apps causes chaos in Indonesia capital Thousands of taxi drivers caused traffic chaos in the Indonesian capital Tuesday in a violent protest against what they say is unfair competition from ride-hailing apps such as Uber.
Former Intel CEO Andy Grove dead at 79 Intel's former CEO and chairman Andy Grove, under whose leadership the company became a household name in computers and helped usher in the PC era, died Monday at the age of 79, the company said.
	Label-free angiography technique based on optical coherence tomography Wasatch Photonics Inc., a leading provider for gratings, spectrometer and optical coherence tomography instrumentation, on Monday (March 21), launched a new imaging device, WP MicroAngio, for high-resolution angiographic imaging for research and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) applications.
Apple announces advancements to ResearchKit Apple today announced advancements to the open source ResearchKit framework that bring genetic data and a series of medical tests typically conducted in an exam room to iPhone apps. Medical researchers are adopting these new features to design targeted studies for diseases and conditions that affect billions of people around the world and to gather more specific types of data from participants.
Apple advances health apps with CareKit Apple today announced CareKit, a new software framework designed to help developers enable people to actively manage their own medical conditions. iPhone apps using CareKit make it easier for individuals to keep track of care plans and monitor symptoms and medication; providing insights that help people better understand their own health. With the ability to share information with doctors, nurses or family members, CareKit apps help people take a more active role in their health.
Turkey's solar market has started 'teething' Turkey has started considering its own sources to generate electricity as a way to make it less dependent on fossil fuels, which account for 90 percent of the country's current energy supply.
	Innovative new ways to archive data for supercomputers Seagate Technology and Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos) are researching a new storage tier to enable massive data archiving for supercomputing. The joint effort is aimed at determining innovative new ways to keep massive amounts of stored data available for rapid access, while also minimizing power consumption and improving the quality of data-driven research.
	ORNL demonstrates low-cost carbon fiber process Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a production method they estimate will reduce the cost of carbon fiber as much as 50 percent and the energy used in its production by more than 60 percent.
	US charges 3 it ties to Syrian Electronic Army for hacking (Update) Three current or former members of the so-called Syrian Electronic Army have been charged with computer hacking-related conspiracies that targeted the U.S. government, media and private-sector companies, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
	Government use of technology has potential to increase food security Acceptance of information technology can play a vital role in meeting the demand for food in developing countries, according to a new study by Iowa State University researchers. The research is published in the journal Information Technologies and International Development.

Chemistry news

	Carbon leads the way in clean energy Groundbreaking research at Griffith University is leading the way in clean energy, with the use of carbon as a way to deliver energy using hydrogen.
	Researchers invent tougher plastic with 50 percent renewable content Your car's bumper is probably made of a moldable thermoplastic polymer called ABS, shorthand for its acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene components. Light, strong and tough, it is also the stuff of ventilation pipes, protective headgear, kitchen appliances, Lego bricks and many other consumer products. Useful as it is, one of its drawbacks is that it is made using chemicals derived from petroleum.
	New technique for advanced printed electronics Researchers have developed a fabrication technique for single-crystalline thin-film arrays of an organic ferroelectric small molecules working as a memory device by using a solution process under ambient pressure at room temperature.

Biology news

	Genomes of chimpanzee parasite species reveal evolution of human malaria Understanding the origins of emerging diseases - as well as more established disease agents—is critical to gauge future human infection risks and find new treatment and prevention approaches. This holds true for malaria, which kills more than 500,000 people a year. Symptoms, including severe anemia, pregnancy-associated malaria, and cerebral malaria, have been linked to the parasite's ability to cause infected red blood cells to bind to the inner lining of blood vessels.
	Contact lenses alter eye bacteria, making it more skin-like Contact lenses may alter the natural microbial community of the eyes, according to a study published this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
	Unravelling the secret of antibiotic resistance Scientists from the University of Leeds have solved a 25-year-old question about how a family of proteins allow bacteria to resist the effects of certain antibiotics.
	Biosensor measures signaling molecules within cilia Scientists of the Research Center caesar in Bonn, an Institute of the Max Planck Society, developed a new biosensor, which allows to measure nanomolar levels of the second messenger cAMP. The sensor makes it possible to study cAMP signaling with high precision, even in subcellular compartments. Using this new biosensor, the scientists of the Minerva Max Planck Research Group "Molecular Physiology" headed by Dagmar Wachten and of the Department "Molecular Sensory Systems" headed by Benjamin Kaupp revealed how the production of cAMP is regulated in the flagella of sperm cells from mice.
	During unfavourable conditions the cytoplasm can solidify and protect the cell from death Normally, cells are highly active and dynamic: in their liquid interior, called the cytoplasm, countless metabolic processes occur in parallel, proteins and particles jiggle around wildly. If, however, those cells do not get enough nutrients, their energy level drops. This leads to a marked decrease of the cytoplasmic pH – the cells acidify. In response, cells enter into a kind of standby mode, which enables them to survive. A team of researchers from Dresden, Germany, have found out that the cytoplasm of these seemingly dead cells changes its consistency from liquid to solid. Thereby, they protect the sensitive structures in the cellular interior.
	Deadly flatworm's skin rejuvenation may explain its long-term survival in humans A parasitic flatworm that infects hundreds of millions of people in the developing world is able to survive in the bloodstream for decades by constantly renewing its skin - a mechanism that could inform potential new treatments against infection.
	Scientists reveal how animals find their way 'in the dark' Scientists have revealed the brain activity in animals that helps them find food and other vital resources in unfamiliar environments where there are no cues, such as lights and sounds, to guide them.
	More ancient viruses lurk in our DNA than we thought Think your DNA is all human? Think again. And a new discovery suggests it's even less human than scientists previously thought.
	Fungus that threatens chocolate forgoes sexual reproduction for cloning A fungal disease that poses a serious threat to cacao plants - the source of chocolate - reproduces clonally, Purdue University researchers find.
	Mixed-strain malaria infections influence drug resistance Scientists have documented for the first time how competition among different malaria parasite strains in human hosts could influence the spread of drug resistance.
	In Florida, calls to keep 'saving the manatees' When Brandy Pounds swam in central Florida's Crystal River earlier this month, she came so close to an endangered manatee that she could feel the sea cow's breath tickling her toes.
Black fever beats drugs by adding just two DNA bases to its genome In eLife today (22 March), Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute scientists show how the parasite responsible for the neglected tropical disease Black Fever (visceral leishmaniasis) can become resistant to drug treatment. Studying the whole genomes of more than 200 samples of Leishmania donovani revealed that the addition of just two bases of DNA to a gene known as LdAQP1 stops the parasite from absorbing antimonial drugs.
	New way to treat cancer and vessel diseases Cell biologists from the Lomonosov Moscow State University discovered a new way of regulating of cell motility—this discovery will make possible development of new drugs for curing onco- and vessel diseases. The study was published in the Cytoskeleton journal.
Biodiversity brings disease resistance A novel study of a Tibetan alpine meadow has shown a clear link between higher biodiversity and greater infectious disease resistance.
	Some sharks react more to stress, with potential impacts for humans Macquarie University researchers have discovered that some Port Jackson sharks have a greater reaction to stressful situations due to a feature of their brain; a discovery with important implications for when wild sharks come into contact with humans.
	Ground-nesting bees on farms lack food, grow smaller According to a recent study, the size of a common ground-nesting bee – an important crop pollinator – has grown smaller in heavily farmed landscapes.
	Using DNA 'fingerprinting' to understand ancestry and immunity of trees When Europeans came to the New World in the 16th century, they brought measles and smallpox with them. Without the immunity Europeans had cultivated over the years, the native people in America quickly fell ill. Millions died as a result. Today, trees in the New World are also dying from diseases that were introduced through global trade. However, trees are much more vulnerable than humans.
	Ghostly octopod highlights how little we know about life on earth Last week, NOAA scientists discovered an unknown species in the deep sea. Not far from the Hawaiian Islands, at almost 4,300 meters depth—that's more than 2-1/2 miles underwater—the unmanned submersible Deep Discoverer, operating from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, captured video of a ghostly octopod.
	Fish bond when they eat the same food Similar-smelling chemical cues could explain why some animals choose to live together with other species, according to new research from scientists at the University of Lincoln, UK.
Migratory birds disperse seeds long distances Some species of plants are capable of colonising new habitats thanks to birds that transport their seeds in their plumage or digestive tract. Until recently, it was known that birds could do this over short distances, but a new study shows that they are also capable of dispersing them over more than 300 kilometres. For researchers, this function could be key in the face of climate change, allowing the survival of many species.
	New study on "Burnt Hot Dog" sea cucumbers raises red flags for threatened global fisheries Sea cucumbers—the floppy cousins of starfish and sea urchins—are particularly vulnerable to pollution and overfishing; scientists say this is bad news for ocean ecosystems worldwide.
	Parsing conservation information on cycad species Human activity continues to threaten the world's terrestrial flora. Extensive formal compilations of information and data have become useful for understanding these global threats. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has spearheaded one of these endeavors with the inception and curation of The Red List of Threatened Species. This massive evolving storehouse of information can be accessed and probed for statistics that improve contemporary knowledge about the conservation status of various plant groups.
	Study shows levels of panda hearing A study published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation may help field conservationists better understand the potential for human activities to disturb endangered giant pandas in native habitats. Using pandas located at the San Diego Zoo, conservation scientists worked with animal care specialists to determine pandas' range of hearing sensitivity, discovering that they can detect sound into the ultrasonic range. Because giant pandas depend in large part on information transmitted through vocalizations for reproductive success, noise from human activities in or near forest areas could be disruptive.
	Discovery of extinct bat doubles diversity of native Hawaiian land mammals The Hawaiian Islands have long been thought to support just one endemic land mammal in the archipelago's brief geologic history, the Hawaiian hoary bat. But new fossil evidence indicates that a second, very different species of bat lived alongside the hoary bat for thousands of years before going extinct shortly after humans arrived on the islands. The research, published this week in the journal American Museum Novitates, describes the mysterious bat, named Synemporion keana, whose remains were first discovered in a lava tube more than 30 years ago.
MEGA evolutionary software re-engineered to handle today's big data demands A Temple University-led research team has released a new version of their popular MEGA (Molecular Evolutionary Genomics Analysis) software, one of the most highly downloaded and widely used tools used by scientists worldwide to harness large-scale DNA sets for comparative studies.
7 places that scientists are searching for new drugs Many of the drugs we use in hospitals – antibiotics, antifungals and anti-cancer drugs, to name but a few – are produced by bacteria that live in the soil beneath our feet. Most of the antibiotics we use were discovered by scientists in the mid-20th century, but as the threat of drug resistant infections increases, the race is on to find new microbes that make new drugs. Scientists have only identified a tiny fraction of the microbes living on Earth and are looking for useful new ones in wildly different locations, known as 'bioprospecting'.
	Will the end of breeding orcas at SeaWorld change much for animals in captivity? When SeaWorld announced it would stop breeding orcas and begin to phase out "theatrical performances" using the animals, the news appeared to mark a significant change in ideas about animals and captivity.
Making the most out of biological observations data Creating and maintaining a biodiversity data collection has been a much-needed worldwide exercise for years, yet there is no single standard on how to do this. This has led to a myriad of datasets often incompatible with each other. To make the most out of biodiversity data and to ensure that its use for environmental monitoring and conservation is both easy and legal, the FP7-funded EU project Building the European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON) published recommendations that provide consistent Europe-wide Data Publishing Guidelines and Recommendations in the EU BON Biodiversity Portal.
	China widens ban on ivory imports China said Tuesday it has widened a ban on ivory imports as it comes under pressure to restrict a trade which sees thousands of African elephants slaughtered every year.

Medicine & Health news

	Genetic variant helps explain why anxiety disorders strike most often in the teen years (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with members from Cornell University and the University of California has zeroed in on a genetic variant to help explain why it is that anxiety disorders tend to strike most often during the teen years. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes how they obtained brain scans of over a thousand children and young adult volunteers to get a better look at the neural tract that connects the brain's limbic structures to frontal areas of the brain and what they found by doing so.
Reverse your diabetes—and you can stay diabetes-free long-term A new study from Newcastle University has shown that people who reverse their diabetes and then keep their weight down remain free of diabetes.
	Is moderate drinking really good for you? Many people believe a glass of wine with dinner will help them live longer and healthier—but the scientific evidence is shaky at best, according to a new research analysis. The findings, published in the March 2016 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, may sound surprising: Countless news stories have reported on research tying moderate drinking to a range of health benefits—including a lower heart disease risk and a longer life.
	Calcium waves in the brain alleviate depressive behavior in mice Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have discovered that the benefits of stimulating the brain with direct current come from its effects on astrocytes—not neurons—in the mouse brain. Published in Nature Communications, the work shows that applying direct current to the head releases synchronized waves of calcium from astrocytes that can reduce depressive symptoms and lead to a general increase in neural plasticity—the ability of neuronal connections to change when we try to learn or form memories.
	Enzyme inhibitor looks promising against many forms of cancer Cornell researchers from the Ithaca and Weill Cornell Medicine campuses have collaborated to develop an enzyme inhibitor that shows effectiveness against several types of cancer, most notably leukemia, breast cancer and colorectal cancer.
	Brain scans reveal why we are more likely to take risks if we see others doing so (Medical Xpress)—A combined team of researchers from the University of Melbourne and the California Institute of Technology has located a part of the brain involved in behavior contagion, by conducting a study involving volunteers engaging in risky behavior and brain scans. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes the nature of their study and what they learned when they looked at brains scans of the volunteers.
	Mindfulness meditation eases chronic low back pain Meditation long has been practiced as a way to calm the mind, and possibly achieve enlightenment. Now, new research conducted by Group Health Research Institute shows that quieting the mind may be a non-drug alternative to help decrease chronic low back pain.
	Researcher studies worms to reveal the fountain of youth In 2010, when President Barack Obama spoke at Northeastern in support of Martha Coakely's gubernatorial bid, he looked markedly different from the candidate we'd seen on the campaign trail just two years earlier: His black hair was salted with white, his face thinner, his wrinkles more deeply etched.
	Made ya look: Moviegoers may have little control over their eye movements during Hollywood-style films, study finds Hollywood-style films may control viewers' attention more than originally thought, according to a Kansas State University researcher.
	Brain metabolism predicts fluid intelligence in young adults A healthy brain is critical to a person's cognitive abilities, but measuring brain health can be a complicated endeavor. A new study by University of Illinois researchers reports that healthy brain metabolism corresponds with fluid intelligence - a measure of one's ability to solve unusual or complex problems - in young adults.
	Central corneal thickness influenced by body position (HealthDay)—Central corneal thickness (CCT) is influenced by body position, with a decrease noted in the first 30 minutes of supine positioning, according to a study published online March 14 in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology.
	Genotype doesn't predict A-fib in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HealthDay)—For patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), genotype does not predict onset or severity of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published in the April 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Could a gene-editing tweak make pigs organ donors for ailing humans? Despite their slovenly habits in agricultural settings, pigs raised in biomedical labs are clean enough that many humans would welcome - indeed, do welcome - the use of their tissue for life-saving transplants. Transplanted heart valves routinely come from pigs as well as cows.
Study: Half of parents of uninsured minority children unaware they are Medicaid eligible Study also reveals substantial heath and healthcare issues for uninsured children and financial burden on families.
Lymphoma overrides a key protein's quadruple locks Protein chemists at Johns Hopkins report they are closer to explaining why certain blood cancers are able to crack a molecular security system and run rampant.
	Veterans are using pot to ease PTSD, despite scant research A growing number of states are weighing whether to legalize marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. But for many veterans, the debate is already over.
	J&J expands project that aims to predict, prevent diseases Johnson & Johnson has ramped up its ambitious project to learn how to predict who will develop particular diseases and find therapies to prevent or stop the disease early, when it's most treatable.
	Why do sunbathers live longer than those who avoid the sun? New research looks into the paradox that women who sunbathe are likely to live longer than those who avoid the sun, even though sunbathers are at an increased risk of developing skin cancer.
	Medical supportive device for hemodialysis catheter puncture Medical doctors at Okayama University Medical School and Shigei Medical Research Hospital in Okayama City, in collaboration with K.Techno Inc. develop a medical supportive device for hemodialysis catheter puncture.
	Researchers find a genetic new target for most common lung cancer Research in Manchester has identified mutations in lung cancer that is key to tumour growth, offering a new way to differentiate and treat some patients with the disease.
	Parkinson's app updated, featured by Apple A Parkinson's iPhone app developed by Sage Bionetworks and University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) neurologists marks the first anniversary of its release. The app was also highlighted by Apple today during its semi-annual product launch event.
	Health problems arising from social disconnection They made global headlines by proving the importance of social groups in retirement, and now Australian researchers are transforming the lives of young adults who feel socially isolated.
Medical team studies when an effective but sometimes risky stroke drug should be used Count RoseMary Lee among the fortunate ones.
	Psychologist discusses the conclusions of a major research reproducibility study There is renewed buzz over the findings of the Reproducibility Project: Psychology, published last year in Science. To recap, researchers from all over the world as part of the Open Science Collaboration set out to replicate 100 psychology experiments published in three journals in 2008. As it turned out, RPP researchers were only able to replicate about 40 percent of the studies. They could not replicate 30 percent, and findings from another 30 percent were inconclusive.
	Personal caring tool for type 2 diabetes that everyone can afford Modern lifestyles have brought forth a series of astounding gadgets to improve the living quality and expanding lifespan. There are so many technologies created for better health care, but only so few can experience them. Type 2 diabetes, for example, is a disease spreading rampantly around the globe, where most of the diabetes-associated mortality is found occurring at low- to middle-income regions of the world, where diabetes care is often limiting. Now, imagine a world where common people can measure their glycemic status anytime and anywhere they want, needless to fast; what's more, at an affordable price.
Clinical treatment for rare disorder phenylketonuria In his 46 years, Gordon Lester has never experienced the satisfaction of ordering his first-choice item off a restaurant menu.
	Asking why pertussis is back, complex systems style Pertussis, the bacteria that causes whooping cough, has made quite the comeback in recent years in the United States, but understanding its reemergence and global prevalence isn't a simple matter. This week a group of researchers, diverse even by SFI standards, have converged to address pertussis and other reemerging infectious diseases at an invitation-only workshop in Santa Fe.
	A two-way street between temperature sensing, brain activity Nagoya University researchers reveal how perceived external information is converted into a succession of neural activities that are crucial for appropriate navigation in an environment
	YAP protein plays a crucial role in the development of the human neural crest To grow or to specialise? To remain stationary or initiate migration? How do cells know what to do and how they should develop? The Hippo/YAP signalling pathway plays a crucial role when the cells of the neural crest – a structure that generates cell types such as bones and nerve tissue – specialise for a certain function in the human embryo and migrate to their target region within the body. That is what the researchers Alexandra Larisa Condurat, Dr. Christopher J. Hindley, Vishal Menon, Dr. Jan Pruszak and Ria Thomas from the University of Freiburg have shown in a study that has been published in the open access journal Scientific Reports.
	Revealing the brain's breathing secrets "It became very hard to breathe… but I just had to remember to keep calm and still."
	Novel molecules offer hope to pancreatic cancer patients EU researchers have made significant progress along the road to delivering novel drugs that improve life expectancy and the quality of life of pancreatic cancer patients. Following a systematic screening of natural and chemically synthesised compounds, the PANACREAS (Integrating chemical approaches to treat pancreatic cancer: making new leads for a cure) project team has been able to identify a number of molecular targets that have shown promise in halting cancer progression.
Project to explore how children use social media to promote mental wellbeing and seek health advice A new project led by the University of Leicester aims to explore the role social media plays in promoting mental health and wellbeing in children.
	Noise disrupts the tactile skills of premature babies Premature birth is a harsh change of environment for a baby. Until birth, the baby is confined to the mother's womb, surrounded by soft lighting and filtered noise. When infants are born, they are attacked by several visual, sound, and tactile stimulations. These stimulations thus constitute unpleasant factors for them. Their impact has not been studied in depth yet. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the neonatal team of the Grenoble university hospital (CHU), and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) examined the consequences of noise on the sensory abilities of premature babies. For the first time, this enabled the researchers to reveal the effect of a negative stimulus on the sensory functions of newborns. These results are available on the website of the journal Scientific Reports.
Adherence to nutrition recommendations and use of supplements essential for vegans Vegans adhere to nutrition recommendations in varying degrees, according to a new Finnish study. Some vegans who participated in the study followed a balanced diet, while others had dietary deficiencies. Typical deficiencies were an unbalanced use of protein sources, a low intake of berries, fruits and nuts, as well as failure to use nutrient fortified food products. The majority, however, used vitamin B12 and D supplements and calcium-fortified drinks as recommended. The findings were published in PLOS ONE.
	Light can be used to examine the lungs of premature babies Premature babies have a hard time getting the oxygen they need as their lungs are not sufficiently developed. Today you can only use X-rays to see how much air babies' lungs contain, but, according to research from Lund University in Sweden, in the future, these types of tests could be done using laser light.
Immunoproteasome inhibits healing function of macrophages Scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München, a partner in the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), have observed that the immunoproteasome inhibits the repair function of alveolar macrophages. This opens up new therapeutic options. A specific inhibition of the immunoproteasome may promote healing processes of the lung. The results have now been published in the journal Cell Death & Differentiation.
	Study offers new hope for treatment of osteoporosis An international study by The University of Western Australia may lead to a new treatment for osteoporosis caused by age-related bone loss in elderly women.
	High-risk lung cancer patients may not need annual screenings Most high-risk lung cancer patients might not need annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screenings if they are cleared of disease in their initial test, according to a study led by a Duke Cancer Institute researcher.
	Social media use associated with depression among US young adults The more time young adults use social media, the more likely they are to be depressed, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
	New international research reinforces the link between public policy and life expectancy While average life expectancy has been rising steadily in most countries over the past century, new research led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows that life expectancy declined significantly and rapidly in three countries where policy changes increased access to prescription opioids, alcohol or illicit drugs. Published in BMC Medicine, the study underscores the need for effective substance use policies and public health interventions, and provides key principles to guide policy decisions.
	Global spread of Zika linked to types of mosquitos that transmit it More cities than previously assumed could soon grapple with the Zika virus if two species of mosquitos are found to be equally effective carriers of the disease, a University of Texas at Austin disease ecologist and his colleagues argue in the current edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
New treatment reduces precancerous polyps in hereditary cancer patients Inheriting a mutation in the APC gene leads to a nearly 100% lifetime risk of colorectal cancer. While colon cancer can be kept at bay by removing the large intestine, these patients also have up to a 15% risk of getting cancer in the small intestine, which is the leading cause of cancer death in this patient group. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), has identified the first prevention treatment for these patients, a two-drug combination that significantly reduces the number and size of precancerous polyps in the small intestine.
Antibiotic exposure in infancy not associated with weight gain in childhood Exposure to antibiotics within the first 6 months of life compared with no exposure among nearly 40,000 children was not associated with a significant difference in weight gain through age 7, according to a study appearing in the March 22/29 issue of JAMA.
	Brain to foot: come in, foot Injuries to the spinal cord partially or completely disrupt the neural pathways between the brain and the limbs. The consequences for the representation of the affected limbs in the brain can be drastic. ETH researchers have now measured how severely this representation is affected.
	Football training reduces the risk of disease in elderly men A new scientific study shows that long-term recreational football training produces a number of marked improvements in health profile for 63-75 year old untrained men—including a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. The research project was carried out at the Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health at Copenhagen University, and the findings have just been published in the international journal PLOS ONE.
	Moderate drinking may not lengthen life, study suggests (HealthDay)—Despite previous studies suggesting a bevy of health benefits, a new analysis challenges the idea that drinking alcohol in moderation might prolong your life.
Antibiotics before age 2 increases risk for childhood obesity While early antibiotic use has been associated with a number of rare long-term health consequences, new research links antibiotics to one of the most important and growing public health problems worldwide—obesity. A study published online in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, found that administration of three or more courses of antibiotics before children reach an age of 2 years is associated with an increased risk of early childhood obesity.
	Many targeted cancer therapies suppress T cell immune responses In many cases, targeted therapies for cancer are preferred as treatments over chemotherapy and surgery because they attack and kill cancer cells with specific tumor-promoting mutations while sparing healthy, normal cells that do not express these mutations. In clinical trials, a heavy emphasis on the effects of targeted therapies on tumor cells has been explored, but the effects they have on the immune system have not been thoroughly investigated.
Tetanus shots needed every 30 years, not every 10 Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University are challenging the convention that tetanus and diphtheria vaccine boosters need to be administered every 10 years. Their paper in Clinical Infectious Diseases recommends current adult vaccination schedule should be revisited.
	Wrestling wins for most high school athletic skin infections (HealthDay)—Among U.S. high school athletes, the rate of skin infections is 2.27 per 100,000 athlete exposures, with the majority occurring in wrestlers, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Can an iPad help you see? The proportion of older adults with age-related vision loss is estimated to be as high as one in three over the age of 50. In Canada, that's roughly 3.6 million people. Many of these individuals turn to adaptive devices designed to magnify objects and text, but these devices can be prohibitively expensive, uni-functional and bulky.
New study ranks methods to induce labor on effectiveness and cost Researchers from the University of Liverpool's Institute of Translational Medicine and colleagues from The University of Bristol's School of Social and Community Medicine have conducted a review of the clinical and cost effectiveness of labour induction methods.
	Forensic researchers set standards for X-ray identification of bodies Forensic researchers have for the first time established science-based standards for identifying human remains based on X-rays of an individual's spine, upper leg or the side of the skull.
New method measures nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes The effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a smoking substitute will likely rely on whether they can consistently provide the amount of nicotine a smoker needs to resist the desire to return to traditional cigarettes.
	Cricket players more successful when batting the 'wrong' way Cricket batsmen who bat the 'wrong' way have a stunning advantage according to new research published in the scientific journal Sports Medicine. Batsmen who adopt a reversed stance (right-handed people who bat left-handed, and left-handers who bat right-handed) are far more likely to reach the first-class and international level, with professional batsmen being seven times more likely to adopt a reversed stance than the rest of the population.
	How to spot elder abuse and neglect in the ER: Things are not always as they seem When older adults in severely debilitated states show up for treatment in the emergency department, emergency physicians and staff must be able to identify and document their symptoms and decide whether to report their concerns to adult protective services. This is a difficult decision as the patient's symptoms may stem from willful neglect, unintentional neglect or sub-acute symptoms caused by an underlying illness than manifest as neglect. Two papers published online last Friday in Annals of Emergency Medicine highlight a problem that promises to grow rapidly with the aging of the Baby Boom generation.
	Infrequent home computer use may be indicative of early cognitive decline A new study sheds light on a powerful tool that may detect signs of Alzheimer's disease before patients show any symptoms of cognitive decline: the home computer.
Finding a new 'sweet spot' for improving cancer risk assessment Edward Calabrese, the University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental toxicologist who has been an outspoken critic of the current linear no-threshold (LNT) approach to risk assessment for radiation and toxic chemicals, now proposes a new approach integrating LNT with hormetic dose-response models. The new strategy, applied to chronic animal bioassays, would reconcile previously conflicting methods to offer "significant improvements" and maximize public health benefits, he and co-authors say. Details appear in the current issue of Health Physics.
BPA substitute can trigger fat cell formation Exposure to a substitute chemical often used to replace bisphenol A in plastics can encourage the formation of fat cells, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's journal Endocrinology.
Chemical exposure linked to 1.4 billion euros in women's health care costs Endocrine-disrupting chemicals may contribute to reproductive health problems experienced by hundreds of thousands of women, costing European Union an estimated €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) a year in health care expenditures and lost earning potential, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
	FDA adds boldest warning to most widely-used painkillers Federal health regulators will add their strongest warning labels to the most widely used prescription painkillers, part of a multi-pronged government campaign to reverse an epidemic of abuse and death tied to drugs like Vicodin and Percocet.
	Dr. Mom and Dr. Dad: Juggling roles during residency training More and more physicians are becoming parents during their medical residency training. While most residency programs offer support for resident physicians during pregnancy, no formal ways to support parenting residents exist beyond the immediate birth of their children. Following a recent study of conflicts with work and family life, a University of Missouri School of Medicine researcher suggests that supportive residency training programs are needed to assist physicians who are managing demanding work and personal lives.
	More cost-effective cure for hepatitis C may be close The cost of treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) could be cut up to 50 percent if mathematical models are used to predict when patients can safely stop taking direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medication, according to a new study by researchers at Loyola University Health System and Loyola University Chicago.
	Protecting the pancreas: Compound fights fibrosis in animal model Saint Louis University researchers have found that a type of compound that disrupts the process that causes fibrosis (scarring) in the lungs and liver also shows promise in preventing and treating fibrosis in yet another organ, the pancreas. The research was conducted in an animal model.
New guideline addresses long-term needs of head and neck cancer survivors A new American Cancer Society guideline provides clinicians with recommendations on key areas of clinical follow-up care for survivors of head and neck cancer, a growing population numbering approximately 436,060 and accounting for 3% of all cancer survivors living in the United States.
France sets cigarette plain package date, JTI to file appeal France published Tuesday a decree setting a January 1 deadline for cigarette manufacturers to introduce plain packages, but Japan Tobacco International immediately said it would challenge the measure.
	Costs estimated for applying to dermatology residency (HealthDay)—The total cost for all U.S. medical school seniors applying to dermatology residency is estimated at almost $5 million, according to a research letter published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
	Endogenous endophthalmitis ID'd after breast implant surgery (HealthDay)—In a case report published online March 17 in JAMA Ophthalmology, bilateral endogenous endophthalmitis with chorioretinal involvement due to Candida albicans a few hours after breast augmentation surgery has been documented.
	ACC: Good outcomes for endovascular procedures for CLI (HealthDay)—For patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), increasing rates of endovascular revascularization correlate with decreases in the rates of in-hospital death and major amputation, according to a study published online March 22 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The research will also be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, to be held from April 2 to 4 in Chicago.
	ACC: Faster absorption of crushed prasugrel in STEMI (HealthDay)—Crushed prasugrel correlates with faster drug absorption for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), according to a study published online March 21 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The research will also be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, to be held from April 2 to 4 in Chicago.
Gene variants found to strongly improve bone density in girls Pediatric researchers have found that rare genetic changes strongly increase the likelihood that a child will have higher bone density, but only in girls. Because childhood and adolescence are critical periods for bone formation, these gene variants play an important role in increasing bone strength and reducing vulnerability to fractures later in a woman's life.
	Scientists offer new insight on rare genetic condition All children are screened for a host of conditions at birth, such as Phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic disorder that is passed by mutated genes from both parents to their offspring. PKU is rare, only affecting one in every 10,000 children in the U.S.; therefore, it is seldom studied. Currently the primary way to manage the disease is through a restricted diet. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri, are using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to learn more about the effects of this disorder on the brain and to assist scientists in developing therapeutic drugs that help treat and control the disease.
	Enhancing sleep after brain injury reduces brain damage and cognitive decline in rats Enhancing sleep after a head injury may help prevent some damage to brain cells, according to a study in rats published March 23 in The Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers at University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland found that enhancing the slow-wave cycle of sleep after head trauma minimized damage to axons—the thin extensions that nerve cells use to send signals to other cells—and helped preserve normal brain function. The finding may offer a treatment strategy for a condition that has very few effective therapies.
Back to the essence of medical treatment in oncology The latest article to appear on ESMO Open highlights ESMO's hope that the 2015 WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) will empower oncologists and advocates to demand routine availability of the medicines considered essential to guarantee quality care of cancer patients.
Disputed health law rule would broaden transgender rights Big companies are pushing back against proposed federal rules they say would require their medical plans to cover gender transition and other services under the nondiscrimination mandate of President Barack Obama's health care law.
China to track poorly stored vaccines sold illegally China's Food and Drug Administration has ordered local governments to track the whereabouts of poorly refrigerated and probably ineffective vaccines after police detained a woman thought to have sold nearly $100 million worth of the suspect products nationwide.
Suspected Zika-linked birth defect on French island French authorities said Tuesday there was "a very strong suspicion" that the first case of microcephaly linked to the Zika virus had been detected on the Caribbean island of Martinique.
Novel iPhone study to investigate genetic risks of postpartum depression Researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine and the international Postpartum Depression: Action Towards Causes and Treatment (PACT) Consortium unveiled a free iPhone app today to engage women in a genetics research study about postpartum depression (PPD). The study aims to help researchers understand why some women suffer from PPD and others do not – critical knowledge to help researchers find more effective treatments.
	Teenage mothers at greater risk of partner violence Australian women having their first child as teenagers are at increased risk of experiencing domestic violence, according to new data presented at the United Nations headquarters today.
Research advance may lead to new treatments for glaucoma Researchers have developed a tool to not only model the underlying disease mechanisms of glaucoma, but also to help discover and test new pharmacological strategies to combat the neurodegeneration that occurs in patients with glaucoma.
	New reference for physicians treating HIV patients with chronic pain Recent studies suggest many individuals with HIV have chronic pain. Estimates range from 39 percent all the way to 85 percent. Chronic pain is an important comorbid condition in individuals with HIV, as it is common and causes substantial disability.
Is it possible to use food as medicine for a specific disease? "What if you could cure all your health problems and lose 10 pounds in just 7 days? That's an amazing claim, hard to believe for sure, but I have seen this miracle so many times in my practice that even I am starting to believe it!"
Discussing older adults' values, goals helps guide healthcare providers during illnesses Person-centered care puts individual values and preferences at the heart of healthcare decisions, measuring success by focusing attention on people's health and life goals. When you're an older adult faced with a life-threatening illness—especially if you're also dealing with other chronic health problems—your expressed values can guide your healthcare provider to helping you decide on the most appropriate treatment approach for you. Exploring and discussing your values with your healthcare provider is essential for setting effective goals for your health care and treatment plan.
	SleepHealth mobile study app grows along with Apple Today, the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) announced that its SleepHealth app takes advantage of improvements in Apple iOS 9.3 by being the first ResearchKit app to incorporate the new Night Shift mode into its study and wellness tool. Night Shift automatically shifts the colors in one's display to the warmer end of the spectrum in conjunction with sunset based on the user's time and location. In the morning, it returns the display to its regular settings.
For older adults with dementia, transitions in care can increase risk for serious problems A transition is a physical move from one location to another with a stay of at least one night. For older adults, especially those with dementia, some transitions may be unavoidable and necessary. However, unnecessary transitions are linked to problems such as medication errors, hospital readmissions, and increased risk of death. What's more, good dementia care emphasizes the need for familiar people and familiar environments, and this can be more difficult to support when too many transitions take place. Having coordinated care and a long-term care plan in place that considers the needs of a person with dementia may reduce unnecessary transitions, say the authors of a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Use of open access platforms for clinical trial data In a study appearing in the March 22/29 issue of JAMA, Ann Marie Navar, M.D., Ph.D., of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., and colleagues examined how shared clinical trial data are being used. Concerns over bias in clinical trial reporting have stimulated calls for more open data sharing. In response, multiple pharmaceutical companies have created mechanisms for investigators to access patient-level clinical trials data.
France to call for lower drug prices at G7 France will announce a campaign to lower the price of new medicines, hoping world powers at the upcoming G7 meeting will put pressure on the pharmaceutical industry, its health minister said Tuesday.
Mount Sinai first hospital to treat liver cancer with radiopaque bead An innovative cancer treatment made of luminescent chemotherapy-filled beads injected into tumors through the wrist is now available for patients with inoperable and difficult-to-treat liver cancer. The Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH) has become the first in the country to offer the minimally invasive treatment using the M1 LUMI Bead loaded with doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent.
	Video: Why are people allergic to peanuts? For 1 to 2 percent of the global population, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich could be potentially fatal. What makes peanut allergies so lethal, and why is the number of peanut-allergy sufferers on the rise?
Renewed efforts to reauthorize Older Americans Act will solidify services for older adults Representing nearly 6,000 healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of older adults, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) commends the U.S. House of Representatives on passing the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2015, key legislation to deliver social and protective services to older Americans through 2018.
Reporting all FGM in the UK as child abuse may not be the best way to reduce prevalence The mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation (FGM) as child abuse may not be the most appropriate first measure to reduce FGM in the UK and instead a multifaceted approach of training health workers, educating at-risk woman about FGM and incorporating mandatory screening for FGM risk factors during antenatal care may be more effective according to Maria Luisa Amasanti, from the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, UK, and colleagues in an Essay published in this week's PLOS Medicine.
At least 5 dead in Guinea Ebola flare-up: health officials Ebola has likely killed five people in Guinea after re-emerging in the country's south, health authorities said Tuesday, as Liberia announced it was closing their shared border to guard against the spread of the virus.
US Virgin Islands confirms 12 Zika cases, warns of increase The U.S. Virgin Islands says it has 12 confirmed cases of Zika and another 79 suspected cases of the mosquito-borne virus.
Insurers plot test to build better provider directories Some health insurers are hoping to ease headaches that can flare when customers try to confirm whether a doctor is covered in a plan's network of providers.

Other Sciences news

	Lead found in ink used to write scrolls buried by eruption of Mount Vesuvius A team of European researchers has found evidence of lead in the ink used by early Greeks when writing on papyrus scrolls in the town of Herculaneum, near Mount Vesuvius. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their efforts in analyzing the ancient scrolls, and note that the finding pushes back the date of first use of metals in ink by four or five hundred years.
	Archaeologists create 3-D interactive digital reconstruction of King Richard III University of Leicester archaeologists who discovered and helped to identify the mortal remains of King Richard III have created a 3D interactive representation of the grave and the skeleton of the king under the car park.
	3,000-year-old Chinese oracle bones go 3-D The earliest-known example of Chinese writing – written more than 3,000 years ago on the bones of an ox – has become the world's first Chinese oracle bone to be scanned and printed in 3D.
	Mathematicians provide solution to 78 year old mystery In previous research, it was suggested that adaptation of an animal to different factors looks like spending of one resource and that the animal dies when this resource is exhausted. In 1938, Hans Selye introduced "adaptation energy" and found strong experimental arguments in favour of this hypothesis. However, this term has caused much debate because, as it cannot be measured as a physical quantity, adaptation energy is not strictly energy.
	Police view blacks as 'suspects first, civilians second' Most of the Ferguson protestors believed police view black people as worthless thugs and white people as innocent and superior - perceptions that, true or not, affect police-community relations in an era of persistent racial strife.
Remembering when Wiles proved Fermat's Last Theorem There are certain moments in history that everyone remembers what it is they were doing when they heard about the event.
	App helps teachers track student behavior in a busy environment Students aren't the only ones taking notes in the classroom these days. Keeping track of students in a bustling environment is one of the many challenges faced by teachers on a daily basis. But for behavioral specialists—the aides, psychologists and caseworkers who are also part of the classroom team— "keeping tabs" poses a different set of challenges. These professionals are charged with gathering very specific data on student behaviors while also working with students to reach therapy goals. Researchers from Drexel University's College of Computing & Informatics , the School of Education and the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute are trying making it easier for these professionals to stick to their plans and understand how well they're working—even after the bell rings.
	A golden age of ancient DNA science begins If I had taken a straw poll among anthropologists 10 years ago asking them how far genetic research would come in the next decade, I doubt anyone would have come close to predicting the big impact fossil DNA work would come to have.
Why sexual harassment is worse than other types of abuse online While many women gamers can shrug off much of the name-calling and abuse they receive while playing online video games, sexual harassment sticks with them even when they're offline.
Young men are the biggest problem gamblers at Aussie casinos Australia's casinos are much better resourced than pubs and clubs to implement responsible gambling practices, but there's little evidence to suggest how effective those practices really are.
Research with police to improve outcomes of high-stress police encounters Police officers can find themselves in unpredictable, challenging and highly stressful situations, with only their gear and training to protect themselves and the public. To better prepare officers for the stressful challenges they face in the line of duty, Judith Andersen, an assistant professor in the U of T Mississauga Department of Psychology and Mississauga Academy of Medicine, University of Toronto, is working with Peel Regional Police to implement science-based use-of-force training that includes techniques to help officers control their stress reactivity and improve their split-second decisions. The partnership was announced March 21 at a press conference at Peel Regional Police headquarters in Brampton.

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