Science X Newsletter Thursday, Jan 29

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Generating Mobius strips of light: Researchers experimentally produce these structures from light polarization 
- Just four bits of credit card data can identify most anyone (Update) 
- Research group figures out a way to film a laser in normal air bouncing off mirrors (w/ Video) 
- Immune cells from stressed mice found to lessen depression when injected into other mice 
- Could a new proposed particle help to detect dark matter? 
- Climate models don't over-predict warming, study shows 
- Global warming won't mean more stormy weather 
- CAT scan of nearby supernova remnant reveals frothy interior 
- Baleen whales hear through their bones 
- Ancient 'genomic parasites' spurred evolution of pregnancy in mammals 
- Who's going to win? The answer could change by the hour 
- New clues about a brain protein with high affinity for Valium 
- Genetically engineered antibody-based molecules show enhanced HIV-fighting abilities 
- Individuals may fail to navigate complex tradeoffs in privacy decision-making 
- Researchers determine key element in circadian clock speed 

Physics news

	Could a new proposed particle help to detect dark matter? Researchers at the University of Southampton have proposed a new fundamental particle which could explain why no one has managed to detect 'Dark Matter', the elusive missing 85 per cent of the Universe's mass.
	Research group figures out a way to film a laser in normal air bouncing off mirrors (w/ Video) (Phys.org)—A team of researchers working at the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, in Scotland has developed a method for filming a laser beam as it bounces back and forth between mirrors—in normal air. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the team describes how they did it and share the video they created.
	Generating Mobius strips of light: Researchers experimentally produce these structures from light polarization A collaboration of researchers from Canada, Europe and the USA have experimentally produced Möbius strips from the polarization of light, confirming a theoretical prediction that it is possible for light's electromagnetic field to assume this peculiar shape.
	Nobel laureate Charles Townes, laser co-creator, dies at 99 Charles H. Townes, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who helped create the laser that would revolutionize everything from medicine to manufacturing, has died. He was 99.
	Building the next generation of efficient computers UConn researcher Bryan Huey has uncovered new information about the kinetic properties of multiferroic materials that could be a key breakthrough for scientists looking to create a new generation of low-energy, highly efficient, instant-on computers.
	Quantum computer makes finding new physics more difficult Physicists often work unusual hours. You will find them running experiments at 4am and 10pm. This is because, so long as the pertinent conditions inside a lab – such as temperature or light level – are fixed, the outcome of an experiment should not depend on location of the lab in space or time.

Earth news

	Climate models don't over-predict warming, study shows If you listen to climate change skeptics, Earth's surface hasn't warmed appreciably in the last 15 years, and any "record" set last year is just the result of the planet doing what the planet naturally does.
	Iceland rises as its glaciers melt from climate change The Earth's crust under Iceland is rebounding as global warming melts the island's great ice caps, a University of Arizona-led team reports in an upcoming issue of Geophysical Research Letters.
	Global warming won't mean more stormy weather A study led by atmospheric physicists at the University of Toronto finds that global warming will not lead to an overall increasingly stormy atmosphere, a topic debated by scientists for decades. Instead, strong storms will become stronger while weak storms become weaker, and the cumulative result of the number of storms will remain unchanged.
Slope on the ocean surface lowers the sea level in Europe Research at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has discovered that a 'slope' on the ocean surface in the Strait of Gibraltar is lowering the sea level in Europe by 7cm. This research, published today in Geophysical Research Letters by Prof Chris Hughes of the NOC and University of Liverpool, will help to more accurately predict future sea levels by providing a more complete understanding of the factors that control it.
	Public perception of man-made climate change is at a 10-year high The British public's belief in the reality of climate change and its humancauses rose last year following the winter floods, and is now at its highest since 2005, according to a new study.
Satellites can improve regional air quality forecasting Satellites planned for launch during the next several years may have an expanded role: Forecasting air-quality worldwide.
New study details future of oil and gas development in the Western Amazon The western Amazon—a vast region encompassing the Amazonian portions of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and western Brazil—is one of the world's last high-biodiversity wilderness landscapes. It is also home to an active hydrocarbon (oil and gas) sector, characterized by operations in extremely remote areas that require new access routes.
	Scientists investigate link between skyrocketing sea slug populations and warming seas The warm ocean temperatures that brought an endangered green sea turtle to San Francisco in September have triggered a population explosion of bright pink, inch-long sea slugs in tide pools along California's central and northern coastline. The Hopkins' Rose nudibranch, while no strange sight in Southern California, is rarely spotted farther north. A team of scientists, including experts from the California Academy of Sciences, believes this far-flung Okenia rosacea bloom—along with a slew of other marine species spotted north of their typical ranges—may signal a much larger shift in ocean climate and a strong forthcoming El Niño.
	Where did the missing oil go? New study says some is sitting on the Gulf floor After 200 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, the government and BP cleanup crews mysteriously had trouble locating all of it.
	Most of Hawaii's coral recover from mass bleaching Coral rely on algae for food and their survival.
	Measuring phosphorus loss from Midwest crop fields Field runoff from farms in the Lake Erie basin is often rich in soluble plant nutrients, including phosphorus. When this nutrient-rich runoff reaches the lake, the phosphorus can support abundant algal blooms that contaminate municipal drinking water supplies.
	NASA image: Northeastern US after the snow This image is from the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite.
Storm chasers take on supercell thunderstorms in Bangladesh This past April, Scott Olson touched down in Bangladesh to become the country's first known storm chaser. On the other side of the world, back in Oklahoma, Tim Vasquez and a team of meteorologists worked tirelessly to put together accurate forecasts to help Olson get into the thick of the country's notoriously elusive thunderstorms.
	Image: Diamondra sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean not threatening land Tropical Cyclone Diamondra is currently in the middle of the Indian Ocean and is not threatening any land masses at this time.
	Tropical Cyclone Eunice still churning in the Southern Indian Ocean The MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of Tropical Cyclone Eunice in the South Indian Ocean, well south of Diego Garcia and the Cocos Islands. Its location is 637 nautical miles south-southwest of these islands. The storm is currently tracking south-southeastward at 10 knots.

Astronomy & Space news

	Cassini catches Titan naked in the solar wind (Phys.org)—Researchers studying data from NASA's Cassini mission have observed that Saturn's largest moon, Titan, behaves much like Venus, Mars or a comet when exposed to the raw power of the solar wind. The observations suggest that unmagnetized bodies like Titan might interact with the solar wind in the same basic ways, regardless of their nature or distance from the sun.
	How would the world change if we found extraterrestrial life? In 1938, Orson Welles narrated a radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds" as a series of simulated radio bulletins of what was happening in real time as Martians arrived on our home planet. The broadcast is widely remembered for creating public panic, although to what extent is hotly debated today.
	The tell-tale signs of a galactic merger The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured this striking view of spiral galaxy NGC 7714. This galaxy has drifted too close to another nearby galaxy and the dramatic interaction has twisted its spiral arms out of shape, dragged streams of material out into space, and triggered bright bursts of star formation.
	CAT scan of nearby supernova remnant reveals frothy interior Cassiopeia A, or Cas A for short, is one of the most well studied supernova remnants in our galaxy. But it still holds major surprises. Harvard-Smithsonian and Dartmouth College astronomers have generated a new 3-D map of its interior using the astronomical equivalent of a CAT scan. They found that the Cas A supernova remnant is composed of a collection of about a half dozen massive cavities - or "bubbles."
	Picasso CubeSat to investigate upper layers of the atmostphere The PICosatellite for Atmospheric and Space Science Observations (Picasso) CubeSat, designed to investigate the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere.
	Lofar's record-sharp image gives astronomers a new view of galaxy M82 An international team of astronomers led from Chalmers University of Technology has used the giant radio telescope Lofar to create the sharpest astronomical image ever taken at very long radio wavelengths. Made by observing simultaneously from four countries, including Sweden, the image shows the glowing centre of the galaxy Messier 82 – and many bright remnants of supernova explosions.
	Scientists launch CubeSats into radiation belts Twin, pintsized satellites built in part at the University of New Hampshire's Space Science Center will be launched into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:20 a.m. (EST) Thursday, January 29, 2015.
	Amazing impact crater where a triple asteroid smashed into Mars At first glance, you many not guess that this feature on Mars is an impact crater. The reason it looks so unusual is that it likely is a triple impact crater, formed when three asteroids struck all at once in the Elysium Planitia region.
	Weather delays NASA launch of satellite to study soil Windy weather forced NASA on Thursday to delay the launch of a satellite that aims to study soil moisture on Earth.
	NASA astronaut memorial stirs memories for shuttle veteran (Update) Each year around this time, NASA honors fallen astronauts, including the 17 men and women killed in three separate wintertime accidents in the sky and on the earth.

Technology news

	Just four bits of credit card data can identify most anyone (Update) In this week's issue of the journal Science, MIT researchers report that just four fairly vague pieces of information—the dates and locations of four purchases—are enough to identify 90 percent of the people in a data set recording three months of credit-card transactions by 1.1 million users.
	Linux distrib vendors make patches available for GHOST Qualys said on Tuesday that there was a serious weakness in the Linux glibc library. During a code audit, Qualys researchers discovered a buffer overflow in the __nss_hostname_digits_dots() function of glibc. The weakness can allow attackers to remotely take control of the victim's system without any prior knowledge of system credentials. This has become known as the GHOST vulnerability, discovered by researchers at the security company Qualys, which worked closely with Linux distribution vendors.
	LG Chem ups bending radius in OLED lighting milestone South Korea-based LG Chem continues to work on the potential of OLED technology. Tom Dawson, editor in chief of AndroidHeadlines, said, "LG has quickly become a name when it comes to flexible OLED displays and if there's one company that can find a solution to use this sort of technology in everyday life, then it's LG." He said, "LG Chem has taken flexible OLED to a whole new level with new displays that can still be lit and be flexed in ways we never thought possible." The company recently announced two milestones in their work on OLED lighting. First, they announced the completion of the R&D phase for a new plastic-based OLED light panel; second, they announced the start of manufacturing of a 320 x 320 mm OLED light panel. They said it is the world's largest available in the market.
	Microsoft launches Outlook for rival iOS, Android Microsoft on Thursday launched an Outlook app for rival handsets running on Apple's iOS and Google's Android, ramping up its software services efforts.
	Skin device uses motion to power electronics Can a skin patch power wearables? Skin-based generators have become an area of focus among researchers working on how to scavenge muscle motion whereby skin becomes a charge-collector. A detailed report in IEEE Spectrum said on Wednesday that a team from the National University of Singapore has come up with a generator that converts muscle movements into enough power for small electronics. The device can generate 90 volts of open circuit voltage when touched gently with a finger. The device is as small as a postage stamp. Lokesh Dhakar said in the IEEE Spectrum report that his main goal was to make the device highly flexible so it could conform to human skin well in a patch of any size. Their device was presented at an IEEE conference in Portugal earlier this month which focused on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, the MEMS 2015.
	New algorithm can separate unstructured text into topics with high accuracy and reproducibility Much of our reams of data sit in large databases of unstructured text. Finding insights among emails, text documents, and websites is extremely difficult unless we can search, characterize, and classify their text data in a meaningful way.
	Battle of the big phones: Samsung down in China, Apple gains (Update) Samsung lost the battle of the big phones last quarter as Apple's copycat large iPhone lured buyers in the crucial Chinese market.
	Samsung posts first annual profit decline in three years Samsung Electronics posted its first drop in annual net profit in three years on Thursday and saw resurgent arch-rival Apple barge in on its pole position as the world's top smartphone maker.
	Amazon to offer business email, taking on Microsoft US online giant Amazon announced plans Wednesday to offer a cloud-based email and calendar service to directly compete with Microsoft Outlook and others.
Paris cabbies driven to anger by competition from Uber Renowned for a scarcity of taxis and grumpy drivers, Paris is fertile ground for new transport apps such as Uber, but traditional cabbies are not giving up without a fight.
Uber steers anti-taxi idea to become global phenomenon Unlike many American startups, Uber was not founded in someone's garage, but was conceived instead on a cold night in Paris, when two tech entrepreneurs could not find a taxi.
Nokia turns to fourth quarter profit buoyed by strong growth Nokia made a net profit of 443 million euros ($502 million) in the fourth quarter and sales grew nearly 10 percent, but its share price fell Thursday as the results were offset by a poor performance in some regions, higher costs and a low dividend.
NEC says swings back to profit after smartphone overhaul Japanese information technology firm NEC said Thursday it swung back to profit in the nine months to December, after exiting the smartphone market as part of a broader restructuring.
	New imaging technology to design and build greener and safer aircraft The University of Southampton is helping to develop new imaging technology to be used in the design, manufacture and maintenance for current and future generations of carbon composite aircraft.
	A robot to help improve wine production A European research consortium comprising Spanish, French, Italian and German universities and companies is working on the development of an unmanned robot, equipped with non-invasive advanced sensors and artificial intelligence systems, which will help manage vineyards. This robot will provide reliable, fast and objective information on the state of the vineyards, such as vegetative development, water status, production and grape composition.
	Net expansion driven by mobile presents risks and opportunities for marketers A study of 30 major world economies reveals how worldwide internet use continues to expand to more than three billion users, but it also demonstrates also how this growth is being driven by mobile phones and social media, particularly in the developing world.
	Survey reveals how personal concerns, income shape consumer attitudes about energy Americans are just as concerned about energy's impact on the environment as they are about its affordability, according to first-year results of the University of Michigan Energy Survey.
	Cryptographic algorithm can prevent unwanted sharing of personal data, including credit card numbers IBM researchers today announced plans for a cloud-based technology that holds potential to help consumers better protect online personal data, including date of birth, home address and credit card numbers.
	Who wants a BlackBerry these days? Millions in Africa and Asia BlackBerry, once the must-have device for the sweaty palms of executives and wannabe executives everywhere, has seen its global share of the smartphone market fall to below 1%. So would you still buy this unpopular phone? If you live in parts of Africa, India or Indonesia, the answer is "hell, yes".
	Bio-inspired autonomous vehicles expand Navy littoral capabilities Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have taken inspiration from nature—from fish, in particular—to design and develop novel underwater propulsion, control, and sensing solutions for near-shore and littoral zone missions.
	Tech advances lower chance that driver will die in car crash The chances of a driver dying in a crash in a late-model car or light truck fell by more than a third over three years, and nine car models had zero deaths per million registered vehicles, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
	Mashable gets $17 mn funding led by Time Warner Mashable, a news website focused on technology and entertainment, said Thursday it raised $17 million in capital led by Time Warner Investments, to help fuel expansion plans.
	Alibaba run-in with China regulator signals tougher scrutiny For years, Alibaba faced complaints it failed to stamp out sales of counterfeit goods on its e-commerce websites. But Chinese regulators stayed silent, apparently reluctant to disrupt the rise of an Internet star even as they accused foreign automakers, dairies and others of violating anti-monopoly or consumer protection rules.
	Reddit reveals bids for user data by outside agencies Reddit on Thursday issued its first transparency report, revealing numbers of requests for user data and bids to have content removed from the online messaging board.
	Smartphone Snapshot: Samsung getting squeezed The runaway success of Apple's newest iPhone has fueled a dramatic shift in the global market: the California tech giant is now neck-and-neck with South Korea's Samsung for the title of world's leading seller of smartphones.
	New app first to use gesture for language learning While you might think a person shaking her phone or tablet from side to side is having issues with the device, she might actually be playing a game that has her mimicking a steering wheel motion as part of a language lesson.
	Facebook adds 'tips' in potential Yelp challenge Facebook on Thursday launched a new feature that automatically provides tips about places where members of the social network might be, potentially challenging review websites like Yelp.
2011 vehicle models with highest and lowest death rates The Insurance Institute for Highway safety examined fatalities involving 2011 model year vehicles, looking at how many driver fatalities occurred in a particular model over the course of a year of operation, expressed as a rate per million registered vehicle years. It found there was an average of 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years through the 2012 calendar year, down from 48 deaths for 2008 models through 2009.
	Google delivers another earnings letdown, stock sinks Google has gotten into the habit of missing analysts' earnings targets, frustrating investors who believe the online search leader would be more profitable it wasn't pouring so much money into far-flung projects such as Internet-connected eyewear and driverless cars.
	Amazon surprises with $214 mln quarterly profit Amazon surprised the market Thursday with a quarterly profit far better than anticipated for the online giant known for investing for the long term.
LG Electronics in red in 4Q on plasma TV business closure LG Electronics Inc. said Thursday it has lost money in the fourth quarter as costs from the closure of its plasma TV operations offset a recovery in its mobile phone business.
	Researchers patent a natural ventilation system of roofs that prevents heat build-up‬ Researchers at the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón have developed a modular ventilation system for pitched roofs that solves the problem of heat accumulation by solar radiation under the roofs without the need for refrigeration. ‪The patented system by the UJI is a passive and energy efficient solution for thermal conditioning of buildings. The module can be applied to restoration and rehabilitation of roofs, especially to those of historical value, and to new premises.
In-depth analysis required prior to retrofitting old buildings Passive technologies can maximise primary energy reduction and economic investment in existing buildings
	SpongeBob online? Nickelodeon to offer Internet subscription SpongeBob fans rejoice: Nickelodeon is the latest cable channel to plan a stand-alone Internet offering.
	Game on: Virtual trainer takes serious approach to electronic warfare Missiles are launched at a Navy ship, and Sailors must decide in a matter of seconds how to keep from getting hit.
	Game Review: A new life for old video games For some video games, what's old is new again.
US settles case against 'revenge porn' site operator A man accused of operating a "revenge porn" website has settled with U.S. regulators who said he broke the law by posting nude pictures of women without their consent or knowledge.
Filming begins on Steve Jobs movie starring Fassbender Filming got under way in San Francisco on a new biopic about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, with Hollywood's Michael Fassbender playing the role of the mercurial computer pioneer.

Chemistry news

	Team advances fuel cell car technology Dr. Yossef Elabd, professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University, has developed two fuel cell vehicle platforms for both present day enhancements and future innovation.
	Is artificial photosynthesis the next big thing in alternative energy? William & Mary chemist William McNamara is taking a "bio-inspired" approach to the world's energy crisis by turning to nature's very own chemical power plant: photosynthesis.
	Chemist discovers new information about elemental boron Dalhousie chemistry researcher and Royal Society of Canada Fellow Dr. Mary Anne White led a team of researchers to new discoveries about boron (B), the fifth element in the periodic table.
	New clues about a brain protein with high affinity for Valium Valium, one of the best known antianxiety drugs, produces its calming effects by binding with a particular protein in the brain. But the drug has an almost equally strong affinity for a completely different protein. Understanding this secondary interaction might offer clues about Valium's side effects and point the way to more effective drugs.
	First-ever view of protein structure may lead to better anxiety drugs When new medicines are invented, the drug may hit the intended target and nullify the symptoms, but nailing a bull's eye - one that produces zero side effects - can be quite elusive.
	Team develops new technique for growing high-efficiency perovskite solar cells This week in the journal Science, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers reveal a new solution-based hot-casting technique that allows growth of highly efficient and reproducible solar cells from large-area perovskite crystals.
	Crystal light: New light-converting materials point to cheaper, more efficient solar power University of Toronto engineers study first single crystal perovskites for new applicationsEngineers have shone new light on an emerging family of solar-absorbing materials that could clear the way for cheaper and more efficient solar panels and LEDs.
	What does Spiderman eat for breakfast? While stuck in a hotel room I got sucked into watching the 2002 Spiderman movie. And it struck me that Peter Parker must have an enormously high-protein diet to generate all that spider silk he goes through. So being the geek that I am, I wondered what his protein consumption has to be to sustain his villain-beating lifestyle.
	The nanomedicines of the future will build on quantum chemistry Quantum chemical calculations have been used to solve big mysteries in space. Soon the same calculations may be used to produce tomorrow's cancer drugs.
	Rapid test kit detects dengue antibodies from saliva Finding out whether you have been infected with dengue may soon be as easy as spitting into a rapid test kit. The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) of A*STAR has developed a paper-based disposable device that will allow dengue-specific antibodies to be detected easily from saliva within 20 minutes. This device is currently undergoing further development for commercialization.

Biology news

	Tracking fish easier, quicker, safer with new injectable device Fish no longer need to go under the knife to help researchers understand exactly how they swim through hydroelectric dams, thanks to a new injectable tracking device described in the journal Scientific Reports.
	Starving honey bees lose self-control A study in the journal of the Royal Society Biology Letters has found that starving bees lose their self-control and act impulsively, choosing small immediate rewards over waiting for larger rewards.
	X-ray study reveals division of labor in cell health protein Researchers working in part at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered that a key protein for cell health, which has recently been linked to diabetes, cancer and other diseases, can multitask by having two identical protein parts divide labor.
	Growing functioning brain tissue in 3D Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan have succeeded in inducing human embryonic stem cells to self-organize into a three-dimensional structure similar to the cerebellum, providing tantalizing clues in the quest to recreate neural structures in the laboratory. One of the primary goals of stem-cell research is to be able to replace damaged body parts with tissues grown from undifferentiated stem cells. For the nervous system, this is a particular challenge because not only do specific neurons need to be generated, but they must also be coaxed into connecting to each other in very specific ways.
	New research shows our seas are in trouble New research by the University of Sheffield has warned of the increasing risk of extinction to our marine life.
	Why is a dolphin not a cat? How repurposing non-coding elements in genome gave rise to great 'mammalian radiation' New research shows how evolution has given rise to a rich diversity of species by repurposing functional elements shared by all mammals. Published in Cell by scientists at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and the University of Cambridge Cancer Research UK-Cambridge Institute (CRUK CI), the study demonstrates how methods for understanding human biology can be used to understand a broad range of species.
	Ancient 'genomic parasites' spurred evolution of pregnancy in mammals An international team of scientists has identified large-scale genetic changes that marked the evolution of pregnancy in mammals.
	Who's going to win? The answer could change by the hour The outcome of that big sporting event you just can't wait to watch may depend on how the timing of the match aligns (or doesn't) with the internal biological clocks of the athletes on the teams, according to a study reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on January 29. Athletes and coaches would do well to make note and adjust their schedules accordingly, the researchers say.
	Baleen whales hear through their bones Understanding how baleen whales hear has posed a great mystery to marine mammal researchers. New research by San Diego State University biologist Ted W. Cranford and University of California, San Diego engineer Petr Krysl reveals that the skulls of at least some baleen whales, specifically fin whales in their study, have acoustic properties that capture the energy of low frequencies and direct it to their ear bones.
	Researchers determine key element in circadian clock speed In a discovery that may lead to new treatments for sleep disorders, jet lag and other health problems tied to circadian rhythms, researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine have identified a determinant of the circadian clock's period. Their findings appear in the January 29th issue of Science.
	Canceled flights: For monarch butterflies, loss of migration means more disease Human activities are disrupting the migration patterns of many species, including monarch butterflies. Some monarchs have stopped migrating to their traditional overwintering sites in Mexico, remaining in the southern U.S. to breed during the winter.
	Scientists reveal global patterns of specialized feeding in insect herbivores Insects are picky eaters, and not the voracious eat-everything-in-sight bingers that devour all the plants in your garden.
	Powerful tool promises to change the way scientists view proteins Life scientists now have access to a publicly available web resource that streamlines and simplifies the process of gleaning insight from 3D protein structures. Known as Aquaria, the powerful tool is announced today in Nature Methods.
	In a role reversal, RNAs proofread themselves Building a protein is a lot like a game of telephone: information is passed along from one messenger to another, creating the potential for errors every step of the way. There are separate, specialized enzymatic machines that proofread at each step, ensuring that the instructions encoded in our DNA are faithfully translated into proteins. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have uncovered a new quality control mechanism along this path, but in a remarkable role reversal, the proofreading isn't done by an enzyme. Instead, one of the messengers itself has a built-in mechanism to prevent errors along the way.
Myanmar tallies 1,114 bird species, 20 previously unrecorded An extensive survey of birds in Myanmar has revealed nearly two dozen not known to have existed in the country, including a large black seabird with a ballooning red neck sack and a tiny black and white falconet with a surprised, panda-like expression.
	Faster melon breeding thanks to smart combination of techniques Smart new combinations of state-of-the-art molecular techniques mean that breeding programmes can be accelerated dramatically: it may soon take only two years instead of the current five or ten to develop a new variety. DNA sequencing data can already be associated directly with important hereditary traits such as disease resistance, taste and shelf life.
	Smoke bush species show fire awareness Signs of serotiny, an ecological adaptation in which seed release occurs in response to an environmental trigger rather than spontaneously at seed maturation, has been discovered in in two species of Conospermum.
	Stirling Range flora nears extinction The soil-borne water mould Phytophthora cinnamomi (dieback) has rendered unique vegetation on the peaks of the Stirling Ranges in the Great Southern to the point of being critically endangered.
	Home is a safe haven for female deer To female black-tailed deer, their home turf provides a safe haven and a refuge against possible predation by pumas. Does that venture into unchartered territory are four times more likely to fall prey to these cats. After tracking deer in California's coastal mountains, a team of researchers led by Tavis Forrester, then at the University of California Davis in the US, has proven that the old adage 'home sweet home' holds true for deer. The findings are published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
Understanding cellular ageing Researchers at the BBSRC-supported Babraham Institute have mapped the physical structure of the nuclear landscape in unprecedented detail to understand changes in genomic interactions occurring in cell senescence and ageing. Their findings have allowed them to reconcile the contradictory observations of two current models of ageing: cellular senescence of connective tissue cells called fibroblasts and cellular models of an accelerated ageing syndrome.
	Invasive species in the Great Lakes by 2063 The Great Lakes have been invaded by more non-native species than any other freshwater ecosystem in the world. In spite of increasing efforts to stem the tide of invasion threats, the lakes remain vulnerable, according to scientists from McGill University and colleagues in Canada and the United States. If no new regulations are enforced, they predict new waves of invasions and identify some species that could invade the Lakes over the next 50 years.
Bird watchers help federal agencies pinpoint conservation priorities Migratory birds are a little like college students moving from home to school and back over the year. With each move they switch landlords, encountering new rules and sometimes vastly different living conditions. Whereas college students generally survive just fine, migratory birds depend on the cooperation of their landlords to maintain the habitats they need.
	Structure of world's largest single cell is reflected at the molecular level Daniel Chitwood, Ph.D., assistant member, and his research group at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's in St. Louis, in collaboration with the laboratory of Neelima Sinha, Ph.D., at the University of California, Davis, are using the world's largest single-celled organism, an aquatic alga called Caulerpa taxifolia, to study the nature of structure and form in plants. They have recently reported the results of their work in the online journal, PLOS Genetics.
	A rare glimpse at the elusive saharan cheetah Research by scientists and conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Zoological Society of London, and other groups published today in PLOS ONE shows that critically endangered Saharan cheetahs exist at incredibly low densities and require vast areas for their conservation. The research also offers some of the world's only photographs of this elusive big cat.
	A sneaky snake: Teams hunt for rock pythons in Everglades For all the danger posed to Florida's Everglades by invasive Burmese pythons, there's one thing researchers don't want to know: how they would interact with another python species that threatens to move into the same territory.
Timing for spay and neuter depends on the individual pet and owner For most pet owners in the United States, spaying and neutering dogs and cats is an important way to benefit animals, their households and society.
	Testing new biological plant protection products for effectiveness and practical feasibility A naturally occurring fungus codenamed 'H39' might be the long-sought biological defence against the dreaded apple scab. "This fungus has not only been tested for its ability to fight the pathogen. The new Select BioControl method was also used to immediately assess the practical feasibility of deploying it as a commercial product," says Dr Jürgen Köhl of Wageningen University and Research Centre.

Medicine & Health news

	Immune cells from stressed mice found to lessen depression when injected into other mice (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers working at the NIH–DHHS facility in Bethesda Maryland has found that injecting immune cells from mice that were stressed, caused lessened depression symptoms in other mice whose immune system had been compromised. In their paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience, the team describes their experiments with immune cell transfer in mice, and the implications of their results.
	Study identifies biological mechanisms for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression Common psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression share genetic risk factors related to immune function and DNA regulation, according to new findings by a large collaborative research project from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium involving UCLA, King's College London, Cardiff University, Harvard and MIT.
	Researchers design tailored tissue adhesives After undergoing surgery to remove diseased sections of the colon, up to 30 percent of patients experience leakage from their sutures, which can cause life-threatening complications.
	Infants create new knowledge while sleeping There is no rest for a baby's brain – not even in sleep. While infants sleep they are reprocessing what they have learned. Working with researchers from the University of Tübingen, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have discovered that babies of the age from 9 to 16 months remember the names of objects better if they had a short nap. And only after sleeping can they transfer learned names to similar new objects. The infant brain thus forms general categories during sleep, converting experience into knowledge. The researchers also showed that the formation of categories is closely related to a typical rhythmic activity of the sleeping brain called sleep spindles: Infants with high sleep spindle activity are particularly good at generalizing their experiences and developing new knowledge while sleeping.
	She's not interested in sex but he thinks she is Imagine the following scenario: a woman and a man are having a conversation. She is interested in the conversation, and is friendly, smiling and warm. He interprets her behavior as sexual interest.
	New deep-brain imaging reveals separate functions for nearly identical neurons Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine have used new deep-brain imaging techniques to link the activity of individual, genetically similar neurons to particular behaviors of mice. Specifically, for the first time ever scientists watched as one neuron was activated when a mouse searched for food while a nearly identical neuron next to it remained inactive; instead, the second neuron only became activated when the mouse began eating.
	Among gut microbes, strains, not just species, matter A large community of microorganisms calls the human digestive tract home. This dynamic conglomerate of microscopic life forms - the gut microbiome - is vital to how people metabolize various nutrients in their food, how their immune systems react to infection, and how they respond to various medications. Moreover, imbalances in the microbiome are thought to play a significant role in many human diseases.
	Study on dopamine neurons could instruct research into mobility and neurological disorders Scientists studying hatchling fish have made a new advance in studying a chemical in the brain that impacts on movement.
	Genetically engineered antibody-based molecules show enhanced HIV-fighting abilities Capitalizing on a new insight into HIV's strategy for evading antibodies—proteins produced by the immune system to identify and wipe out invading objects such as viruses—Caltech researchers have developed antibody-based molecules that are more than 100 times better than our bodies' own defenses at binding to and neutralizing HIV, when tested in vitro. The work suggests a novel approach that could be used to engineer more effective HIV-fighting drugs.
	Scientists discover how a 'mini-brain' in the spinal cord aids in balance Walking across an icy parking lot in winter—and remaining upright—takes intense concentration. But a new discovery suggests that much of the balancing act that our bodies perform when faced with such a task happens unconsciously, thanks to a cluster of neurons in our spinal cord that function as a "mini-brain" to integrate sensory information and make the necessary adjustments to our muscles so that we don't slip and fall.
	Complex environments push 'brain' evolution Little animations trying to master a computer game are teaching neuroscience researchers how the brain evolves when faced with difficult tasks.
	Physical education guidelines for healthier, happier, longer and more productive living The time children and adults all over the world spend engaging in physical activity is decreasing with dire consequences on their health, life expectancy, and ability to perform in the classroom, in society and at work.
	Which health messages work? Experts prefer negative ones, but the public follows positive ones Is it better to be positive or negative? Many of the most vivid public health appeals have been negative - "Smoking Kills" or "Drive, Drive, and Die" - but do these negative messages work when it comes to changing eating behavior?
Things to know about potential e-cigarette health concerns California's top health official Ron Chapman on Wednesday slammed electronic cigarettes as a growing health threat and announced plans for a public awareness campaign.
US doctors flag neurological risk in child virus cases US doctors on Thursday reported 12 cases of muscle weakness or paralysis among children in Colorado that may be linked to a nationwide outbreak of an usually rare respiratory virus.
Feelings of loneliness and depression linked to binge-watching television It seems harmless: getting settled in for a night of marathon session for a favorite TV show, like House of Cards. But why do we binge-watch TV, and can it really be harmless? A recent study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that the more lonely and depressed you are, the more likely you are to binge-watch.
	Common pesticide may increase risk of ADHD A commonly used pesticide may alter the development of the brain's dopamine system—responsible for emotional expression and cognitive function – and increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, according to a new Rutgers study.
	Love helps solve the puzzle of human evolution Humans have long been a puzzle to explain in evolutionary terms, but a Victoria University of Wellington researcher says part of the answer is romantic love and the pair-bonding it motivates.
Children with respiratory failure can be awake yet comfortable in ICU For small children, being hospitalized is an especially frightening experience above and beyond the challenges of whatever they are being treated for. They are often connected to a variety of unpleasant tubes and monitors, which they may instinctively try to remove.
Study shows menopause does not increase or create difficulty sleeping Women in their late thirties and forties who have trouble sleeping are more than three times more likely to suffer sleep problems during menopause than women who have an easier time getting shut-eye, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Only 25 percent of women who had reported no earlier sleep problems developed moderate or severe insomnia or other sleep disturbances during a 16-year period around menopause. What's more, the researchers say that these sleep woes did not appear to be caused by menopause itself, which may quell common fears about symptoms associated with this phase of life. The study, published in the journal Menopause, is among the first to document long-term sleep patterns in women in the years before, during and after menopause.
Child maltreatment not a clear path to adult crime Research has found a significant link between childhood abuse and neglect and crime in adulthood. But a recent University of Washington study finds that link all but disappears when accounting for other life factors.
	Porches an overlooked lead hazard A new study in the journal Environmental Health indicates that porches in older homes can be a significant source of lead dust and that housing regulations – which have been instrumental in lower rates of lead poisoning in recent years – need to be adapted to meet this threat to children's health.
	Rotavirus vaccine reduces severe diarrhoea by 64 percent in Malawi Research at the University of Liverpool has found that diarrhoea caused by rotavirus infection is significantly reduced in the developing world with the use of a vaccine to prevent the condition.
10 tips to prepare for pregnancy For women of childbearing age looking to become pregnant, it is never too early to engage in healthy habits to ensure that she has a healthy pregnancy and her child has a healthy first step.
Norway confirms 'atypical' case of mad cow disease Norwegian authorities confirmed an "atypical" case of mad cow disease Thursday but said that it posed no risk to public health.