Science X Newsletter Monday, Feb 16

Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Complex nerve-cell signaling traced back to common ancestor of humans and sea anemones 
- Genetic evidence shows loss of three basic tastes in penguins 
- 'Cloud' over Mars leaves scientists baffled 
- New ozone-destroying gases on the rise 
- Ancient rocks show life could have flourished on Earth 3.2 billion years ago 
- Mothers can pass traits to offspring through bacteria's DNA 
- Anti-counterfeit polymers work like fingerprints 
- Best of Last Week: Big Bang singularity, unlocking Earth's inner core and another problem with antibiotics 
- Falling faster—researchers confirm super-terminal raindrops 
- Lack of RNA 'editing' leads to melanoma growth and metastasis 
- Anti-inflammatory mechanism of dieting and fasting revealed 
- Researchers synthesize material for efficient plasmonic devices in mid-infrared range 
- New therapeutic strategy discovered for ovarian cancer 
- Virtual-twin plan could support surgery for soldiers 
- Satellite images reveal ocean acidification from space 

Nanotechnology news

	Autonomous atom assembly of nanostructures using a scanning tunneling microscope NIST researchers have demonstrated the autonomous computer-controlled assembly of atoms into perfect nanostructures using a low temperature scanning tunneling microscope. The results, published in an invited article in the Review of Scientific Instruments, show the construction without human intervention of quantum confined two-dimensional nanostructures using single atoms or single molecules on a copper surface.
Nanoscience provides insights into the world's smallest ecosystems Microbiomes, communities of one-celled organisms, are everywhere in nature. They play important roles in health and agriculture, yet we know surprisingly little about them. Nanoscience might help.
'Nanogap' for early detection of bladder and kidney cancer A new mobile device that allows bladder and kidney cancer to be detected at an early stage. This is being worked on by Wilfred van der Wiel, professor of nanoelectronics at the University of Twente MESA+ research institute. Thanks to this method, it is possible to read from DNA cells whether their carrier has bladder or kidney cancer.

Physics news

Researchers synthesize material for efficient plasmonic devices in mid-infrared range A research team led by North Carolina State University has identified and synthesized a material that can be used to create efficient plasmonic devices that respond to light in the mid-infrared (IR) range. This is the first time anyone has demonstrated a material that performs efficiently in response to this light range, and it has applications in fields ranging from high-speed computers, to solar energy to biomedical devices.
	Falling faster—researchers confirm super-terminal raindrops Five years ago, a research team at Michigan Technological University and Universidad Nacional Autanoma de Mexico (National University of Mexico) detected tiny, super-fast raindrops. The finding was unexpected—small drops fell much faster than expected—and now this unexpectedly fast-falling rain has been verified.
	Scientists making progress with techniques that allow for seeing through opaque materials (Phys.org)—It has been a desire, if not a dream for many throughout human history, to create a device that allows for seeing through walls (ala Superman), inside the human body or through a shield so that the enemy can be seen without risk. Surprisingly, over the past several years, scientists have begun to find ways to do such things—this week author/journalist Zeeya Merali offers a News Feature in the journal Nature outlining research in this area and where she feels it might be heading.
	How do vertebrates take on their form? A simple physical mechanism that can be assimilated to folding, or buckling, means that an unformed mass of cells can change in a single step into an embryo organized as a typical vertebrate. This is the main conclusion of work by a team involving physicists from the Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes (CNRS/Université Paris Diderot) and a biologist from the Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement (CNRS/UPMC). Thanks to microscopic observations and micromechanical experiments, the scientists have discovered that the pattern that guides this folding is present from the early stages of development. The folds that will give a final shape to the animal form along the boundaries between cell territories with different properties. This work has shed light on the mechanism for the formation of vertebrates and thus how they appeared during evolution. These findings are published on the website of the European Physical Journal E! , on 12 February 2015.
	Accelerating argon Over the past few days, the SPS has been accelerating argon ions, which have started to be sent to the NA61/SHINE experiment. This operating mode, using a new type of ion, required a number of modifications to the accelerator.
Experimental 'short cut' reduces from millennia to minutes the time needed to measure glass viscosity Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the MATGAS research centre, the Universitá di Roma "La Sapienza" and the Politecnico di Milano have designed a method which indirectly measures the viscosity of glass - something that required unfeasible observation times at human scale - based on its elastic properties. The results of the research, published this week in PNAS, questions the validity of current theories of glass formation
	What is Hooke's Law? The spring is a marvel of human engineering and creativity. For one, it comes in so many varieties – the compression spring, the extension spring, the torsion spring, the coil spring, etc. – all of which serve different and specific functions. These functions in turn allow for the creation of many man-made objects, most of which emerged as part of the Scientific Revolution during the late 17th and 18th centuries.
	Removing color from brown diamonds Diamonds come in all colours with price tags to match - ice-white, blue and pink attract high prices and stones with brown hues the least. But now that brown diamonds can be heat-treated to remove the darker colour to produce near-perfect colourless gemstones, can consumers tell the difference?

Earth news

	Ancient rocks show life could have flourished on Earth 3.2 billion years ago A spark from a lightning bolt, interstellar dust, or a subsea volcano could have triggered the very first life on Earth. But what happened next? Life can exist without oxygen, but without plentiful nitrogen to build genes - essential to viruses, bacteria and all other organisms - life on the early Earth would have been scarce.
	New ozone-destroying gases on the rise Scientists report that chemicals that are not controlled by a United Nations treaty designed to protect the Ozone Layer are contributing to ozone depletion.
	Satellite images reveal ocean acidification from space Pioneering techniques that use satellites to monitor ocean acidification are set to revolutionise the way that marine biologists and climate scientists study the ocean. This new approach, that will be published on the 17 February 2015 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, offers remote monitoring of large swathes of inaccessible ocean from satellites that orbit the Earth some 700 km above our heads.
	Humans altering Adriatic ecosystems more than nature, study shows The ecosystems of the Adriatic Sea have weathered natural climate shifts for 125,000 years, but humans could be rapidly altering this historically stable biodiversity hot spot, a University of Florida study says.
	Scientists look at role of wetlands in battle against climate change The role rainforests play through storing carbon in the battle against climate change is well understood, but Deakin University scientists now believe the humble swamp, or freshwater wetland, could be up to 50 times more effective.
	How carbonates behave in the Earth's interior Carbonates are the most important carbon reservoirs on the planet. But what role do they play in the Earth's interior? How do they react to conditions in the Earth's mantle? These are the questions being asked by a group of scientific researchers from Frankfurt, Bayreuth, Berlin/Potsdam, Freiberg and Hamburg, in a project funded by the DFG. The Research Unit brings together experts from various geoscience disciplines and cutting edge technology.
	Climate change can cause loss of important ice dynamics in streams In her thesis, Lovisa Lind shows that ice and winter floods are important natural disturbances for maintaining species-rich riparian zones along northern watercourses. If the climate becomes warmer this disturbance might be lost. This could potentially lead to a less diverse riparian zone. She defends her thesis at Umeå University on Friday 27 February.
	Increased farming intensity links to nutrient spillover Farmers lose more nutrients into adjacent land as they increase farming intensity, research has found.
	Professor uses thermal infrared imagery to remotely survey Delaware marshes University of Delaware researcher Jack Puleo reports a new method to remotely survey tidal mudflats in the IEEE journal Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing.
Better data tools for a bigger geothermal future To fully realize the potential of harnessing energy from the heat within the earth will require a far more detailed understanding of what's going on down there than scientists currently have. And beyond naturally occurring geothermal systems, man-made ones that emulate them could, by some conservative estimates, produce a total of 100 gigawatts of cost-competitive electricity over the next 50 years. But to get there, energy providers will need sophisticated systems for gathering and analyzing data about the rock mechanics and hydrology at work.
	Earthquakes in Australia are a rare but real hazard Australia is generally regarded as a flat and seismically inert continent that is safe from any serious earthquake hazard. While this is generally true, we do occasionally experience moderate earthquakes, with a magnitude greater than 5.
Large scale study warns of unsustainable ecological decline in rural China The agricultural development of a region of eastern China is ecologically unsustainable and actions are needed soon to reverse its decline, according to a new study by geographers at the University of Southampton.
	Climate change hampering world food production, scientists say The acceleration climate change and its impact on agricultural production means that profound societal changes will be needed in coming decades to feed the world's growing population, researchers at an annual science conference said.
	Historic tide gauge data to shed light on ancient tsunamis By restoring historic tide gauge data from Malta and making it available to the public, researchers at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and the UKHO hope to shed new light on past tsunamis and climate change in the Mediterranean.
	Bad climate policies may be worse than none at all, according to researchers and policy makers The Ministry of Climate and Environment has asked the Norwegian public to weigh in on whether or not it would be an advantage for Norway to have its own climate laws. NTNU's submission contains a clear answer: Yes. But only if they're good.
	Research team sets sail for Antarctica to conduct predatory crab research The University of Alabama at Birmingham's Antarctic marine research team set sail today from Punta Arenas, Chile, for a research expedition to the White Continent. During the next four-plus weeks, the team will be traveling south aboard the National Science Foundation's ship Laurence M. Gould to document populations of deep-sea king crabs that could have significant influence over the ecology of the Antarctic seafloor communities.
	Enhancing sustainability in smaller ports Researchers have created an 11-point checklist which they believe could become the vital tool which enables the UK's smaller ports to ensure they are working sustainably.

Astronomy & Space news

	'Cloud' over Mars leaves scientists baffled Plumes seen reaching high above the surface of Mars are causing a stir among scientists studying the atmosphere on the Red Planet.
	Embryos of stars Stars like the Sun begin their lives as cold, dense cores of dust and gas that gradually collapse under the influence of gravity until nuclear fusion is ignited. Exactly how the critical collapse process occurs in these embryos, however, is poorly understood, with several competing ideas having been advanced. Material might just freely fall to the center, although in more likely scenarios the infall is inhibited by pressure from warm gas, turbulent motions, magnetic fields, or even perhaps by some combination of them. It might be possible to distinguish between these alternative collapse hypotheses by examining how the core's density varies with radius, but it turns out that (at least for spherical clouds) the predicted density distributions all look about the same. The predicted distributions of velocity for the infalling gas, however, are quite different.
	'Pale blue dot' images turn 25 Valentine's Day is special for NASA's Voyager mission. It was on Feb. 14, 1990, that the Voyager 1 spacecraft looked back at our solar system and snapped the first-ever pictures of the planets from its perch at that time beyond Neptune.
	Rosetta space probe takes sharp, close-up images of comet The European Space Agency says high-resolution images the Rosetta space probe took during a swoop close to a comet it's been tracking for months show boulders on the comet's surface as well as "stunning details of the contrasting terrain."
	Stars akin to the Sun also explode when they die The birth of planetary nebulae, resulting from the death of low and intermediate mass stars, is usually thought of as a slow process, in contrast with the intense supernovae that massive stars produce. But a recent study led by researchers at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) in collaboration with the Center for Astrobiology (CAB, CSIC/INTA) has revealed the fact that explosive phenomena also intervene in the formation of planetary nebulae.
	Interesting facts about planet Mars Mars is a constant point of discussion for space explorers around the world. We've sent dozens of spacecraft there to study it. Some want to land astronauts on it. The planet is just far away to make that dream difficult, but just close enough to spark our imagination. So what are some of the most important things to learn about the Red Planet?

Technology news

	Virtual-twin plan could support surgery for soldiers A Saturday story in the MIRROR.CO.UK, the online edition of the Daily Mirror, carried a headline that made readers look once, twice, three times: "'Virtual twins' could save lives as doctors prepare to test technology by CLONING soldiers set to do battle." The story nonetheless made useful reading for practical purposes. The story, along with other reports from news sites, is about a technology approach presented at a scientific meeting event with the entire world listening. Soldiers headed for battle duty could be scanned before deploying and their body twin kept online.
	Gigabits per second feat: Indoor optical wireless link explored Attention to optical fiber communication networks has been paid in a recent paper showing their potential. Optical fiber communication networks can provide terabit aggregate capacities to buildings and offices in modern cities whereas practical wireless systems are orders of magnitude below this capacity. The authors reported on an indoor optical bidirectional wireless link with an aggregate capacity over 100 Gb/s. The link operated over ~3 m range at 224 Gb/s (6 x 37.4 Gb/s) and 112 Gb/s (3 x 37.4 Gb/s) with a wide field of view (FOV) of 60° and 36°, respectively. The authors said that this was the first demo of a wireless link of this type with a field of view that offers practical room-scale coverage.
	Researcher's wearable electronics study could lead to better MRI imaging An infant born three months prematurely fails to flush pink at birth and has an alarmingly low blood pressure. Ultrasound identifies a heart abnormality and doctors rush the newborn to an MRI suite to confirm the diagnosis. But the scanning itself can cause physical agitation that interferes with clear imaging. In some cases, it can make it harder for the baby to breathe.
Video: Solar power from energy-harvesting trees Scientists at VTT have developed a prototype of a tree that harvests solar energy from its surroundings - whether indoors or outdoors - stores it and turns it into electricity to power small devices such as mobile phones, humidifiers, thermometers and LED light bulbs. The technology can also be used to harvest kinetic energy from the environment.
	Our digital lives mean memories and life online can continue even after death Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.
	New algorithms locate where a video was filmed from its images and sounds Researchers from the Ramón Llull University (Spain) have created a system capable of geolocating videos by comparing their audiovisual content with a worldwide multimedia database. In the future, this could help to find people who have gone missing after posting images on social networks, or even to recognise locations of terrorist executions.
	Agreeing on standards is a key to electric vehicles Standards are a key part of technical progress and for the increased use of renewable energy.
	Patterns in large data show how information travels According to Fariba Karimi, network scientist at Umeå University, analysis of massive online data can reveal what information matters to us and with whom we have most in common. For example, networks can be used to study how information travels from one part of the world to another. She defends her thesis on Friday 20 February.
	Tighter online controls in China point to wider clampdown Working out of a Beijing office full of video game designers from around the world, Chinese-born Pin Wang and his startup Substantial Games should be the face of the innovative, forward-looking China that the country's leaders say they want to build.
	Spain shoeshine man gifts prized Twitter accounts Authorities in Brazil have got hold of a valuable Twitter account to publicise next year's Rio Olympics, after a humble Spanish shoeshine man surrendered the rights to it for free.
	Netflix to release war flick 'Jadotville' Netflix next year will release "Jadotville," a war film starring "50 Shades of Gray" star Jamie Dornan, the US online entertainment powerhouse said on Monday.
	Digitally optimised route planning for security companies Security and temporal efficiency of security personnel are the focus of a current Austrian Science Fund FWF research project. And here, the journey is the reward: improved route planning for armoured vehicles and security companies. In particular, the project is aimed at reducing travel times while simultaneously avoiding predictable driving routes. A key component in the project is a novel analysis method for modelling such routes: it combines mathematic and heuristic methods to achieve optimum results. This decision-supporting tool will offer security companies not only cost savings, but also improved protection for the transport of valuable goods and VIPs, as well as for staff.

Chemistry news

	Anti-counterfeit polymers work like fingerprints (Phys.org)—When it comes to tagging items to prove their authenticity, the goal is to stay ahead of counterfeit technology. The best tags are unique, complex, easy to read, and difficult to reproduce. One naturally-occurring authentication "tag" is fingerprints, which are difficult to replicate, but are easy to read. Wook Park and Sunghoon Kwon from Seoul National University developed a process for making anti-counterfeit tags from wrinkled silica polymers that is based on the way fingerprints are used for identification. Their work is published in Advanced Materials.
	New antibiotic holds promise against antibiotic-resistant infections Estimates of deaths from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the United States range upwards of 19,000 annually. Around 1960, when Staphylococcus aureus developed resistance to first-generation penicillin, methicillin and other second-generation beta-lactam antibiotics were adopted to fight the illness. The modern variants of the bacterium have developed resistance to the four drugs now used to treat it.
	Artificial proteins could bring the next biological revolution – starting with MRI Scientists and engineers have looked to nature for their inspiration for centuries. The field of biomimetics uses ideas from nature to solve complex human challenges.
	Half spheres for molecular circuits Corannulene is a carbon molecule with a unique shape (similar to the better known fullerene) and promising properties. A team of scientists from SISSA and the University of Zurich carried out computer simulations of the molecule's properties and discovered that it might help overcome the difficulties building molecular circuits (i.e., of the size of molecules). The study has just been published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.

Biology news

	Complex nerve-cell signaling traced back to common ancestor of humans and sea anemones New research shows that a burst of evolutionary innovation in the genes responsible for electrical communication among nerve cells in our brains occurred over 600 million years ago in a common ancestor of humans and the sea anemone.
	Genetic evidence shows loss of three basic tastes in penguins A University of Michigan-led study of penguin genetics has concluded that the flightless aquatic birds lost three of the five basic vertebrate tastes—sweet, bitter and the savory, meaty taste known as umami—more than 20 million years ago and never regained them.
	More infectious diseases emerging because of climate change The appearance of infectious diseases in new places and new hosts, such as West Nile virus and Ebola, is a predictable result of climate change, says a noted zoologist affiliated with the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
	Cold-blooded animals grow bigger in the warm on land, but smaller in warm water Scientists studying arthropods, the group of cold-blooded animals that includes crabs and insects, have found that individuals within species living on land tend to grow to a larger size in the warm and nearer the equator, but that the reverse is true of species found in water.
	Hormones may help tiny African fish climb social ladder Want to work your way up the corporate or social ladder?
	Synthetic biology yields new approach to gene therapy Bioengineers at The University of Texas at Dallas have created a novel gene-delivery system that shuttles a gene into a cell, but only for a temporary stay, providing a potential new gene-therapy strategy for treating disease.
	Differences in feathers shed light on evolution of flight The asymmetrical flight feathers of their wings are among the most distinctive features of living birds. But how are these feathers actually constructed, and when did they first appear in evolutionary history?
	Wild ponies ride to the rescue of unique Czech ecosystem Wild ponies vanished from Czech soil thousands of years ago but are now making a comeback thanks to an imported herd that conservationists hope will rescue an unique ecosystem.
	Controlling stable flies that pester zoo animals Humans aren't the only ones visiting zoos nowadays. The stable fly, typically a pest of farm animals, also pesters tigers, foxes, and other exotic species in zoos. A biting insect that feeds on blood, the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, can create open lesions on the animals.
	Perfume could be the riskiest gift you'll ever buy When it comes to making careful plans to impress that significant other, certain things can seem like musts. Classy restaurant – check. Romantic atmosphere – check. Best suit or little black dress – check.
	A newly discovered bacterial family may become a weapon in the fight against malaria A new family of bacteria that are common in malaria mosquitoes has been described by researchers at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Uppsala University in Sweden, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany, and the Veterinärmedizinische Universität, Austria. Now, attempts are made to use these bacteria in the fight against malaria.
Researchers unearth county colic risk A particular gastrointestinal disorder, which causes colic, or abdominal pain, in horses, is more prevalent in Lancashire compared with other nearby counties, according to researchers at Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool.

Medicine & Health news

	Mothers can pass traits to offspring through bacteria's DNA It's a firmly established fact straight from Biology 101: Traits such as eye color and height are passed from one generation to the next through the parents' DNA.
	New therapeutic strategy discovered for ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all cancers affecting the female reproductive system with very few effective treatments available. Prognosis is even worse among patients with certain subtypes of the disease. Now, researchers at The Wistar Institute have identified a new therapeutic target in a particularly aggressive form of ovarian cancer, paving the way for what could be the first effective targeted therapy of its kind for the disease.
	Team uncovers marvel molecule that could lead to treatments for inflammatory diseases Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have uncovered a marvel molecule that blocks a key driver of inflammatory diseases. The finding could meet a major unmet clinical need by inspiring new non-invasive treatments for arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Muckle-Wells syndrome, among a myriad of other inflammatory diseases.
Anti-inflammatory mechanism of dieting and fasting revealed Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease.
	Study identifies promising drug target in certain breast and ovarian cancers The Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of the drug olaparib for ovarian cancer patients with inherited mutations in the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 came as welcome news to the thousands of women now eligible to receive it. A new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists indicates that the pool of patients who can benefit from the drug is potentially much wider – and offers a ready means of identifying them.
	Gambling and obsessive-compulsive behaviors linked Problem gambling and obsessive-compulsive behaviors share genetic as well as behavioral links, according to a study by researchers at Yale, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. These findings may help guide not only treatment development efforts but also identify biological measures underlying the conditions.
	Researchers reveal link between powerful gene regulatory elements and autoimmune diseases Investigators with the National Institutes of Health have discovered the genomic switches of a blood cell key to regulating the human immune system. The findings, published in Nature today, open the door to new research and development in drugs and personalized medicine to help those with autoimmune disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis.
	Lack of RNA 'editing' leads to melanoma growth and metastasis The importance of RNA editing in melanoma has been demonstrated by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study revealed that a lack of RNA editing, a process by which information inside RNA molecules is transformed, leads to tumor growth and progression through manipulation of proteins.
	Gene mutation drives cartilage tumor formation Duke Medicine researchers have shown how gene mutations may cause common forms of cartilage tumors.
	Researchers discover molecular trigger of inflammatory bowel disease Cells lining the intestinal tract form a critical barrier, protecting our bodies from the billions of bacteria living in the gut. Breaches in this barrier are driven largely by a single signaling molecule called tumor necrosis factor (TNF), elevated amounts of which are associated with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Sex has another benefit: It makes humans less prone to disease over time Mixing our genes through sex helps purge us of disease mutations
Researchers report new figures on two muscular dystrophy disorders Researchers in public health have reported in the first broad study in the United States the frequency of two muscle-weakness disorders that strike mostly boys: Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Becker muscular dystrophy.
	Teens increasingly sleep deprived Sufficient sleep is critical for adolescent health, yet the number of hours slept per night has decreased among teenagers in the United States over the last 20 years. A study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that female students, racial/ethnic minorities, and students of lower socioeconomic status are particularly affected, with teens in these categories less likely to report regularly getting seven or more hours of sleep each night compared with their male counterparts, non-Hispanic white teenagers, and students of higher socioeconomic status, respectively. Findings from "The Great Sleep Recession: Changes in Sleep Duration Among U.S. Adolescents, 1991-2012" are published online in Pediatrics.
	Study reveals possible treatment for diseases caused by Mitofusin 2 deficiency Researchers have discovered a novel role for Mitofusin 2, and the findings may point to a new treatment for patients with diseases caused by loss of the mitochondrial protein. The study appears in The Journal of Cell Biology .
In rural India, children receive wrong treatments for deadly ailments Few health care providers in rural India know the correct treatments for childhood diarrhea and pneumonia - two leading killers of young children worldwide. But even when they do, they rarely prescribe them properly, according to a new Duke University study.
Hot flashes, night sweats last for 7+ years in many midlife women Frequent menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS), including hot flashes and night sweats, lasted for more than seven years during the transition to menopause for more than half of the women in a large study and African American women reported the longest total VMS duration, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Mindfulness meditation appears to help improve sleep quality Mindfulness meditation practices resulted in improved sleep quality for older adults with moderate sleep disturbance in a clinical trial comparing meditation to a more structured program focusing on changing poor sleep habits and establishing a bedtime routine, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Children, people with respiratory problems especially vulnerable to bitter wind chill The arctic cold snap affecting the Midwest and the Northeast this weekend should not be taken lightly, says David Holmes, MD, clinical associate professor of family medicine in the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
	Talking cigarette pack discourages smoking Cigarette packets have long been emblazoned with warnings and graphic images of the dangers of tobacco.
	Ingredient in olive oil kills cancer cells with their own enzymes A Rutgers nutritional scientist and two cancer biologists at New York City's Hunter College have found that an ingredient in extra-virgin olive oil kills a variety of human cancer cells without harming healthy cells. The ingredient is oleocanthal, a compound that ruptures a part of the cancerous cell, releasing enzymes that cause cell death.
	Unraveling the complex puzzle of Alzheimer's disease In the movie Still Alice, Julianne Moore plays a Columbia linguistics professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, an extremely rare version of the disease. Moore's performance, for which she has already won several awards and been nominated for an Oscar, depicts her character's swift decline from a quick-witted academic to a shadow of herself.
Study shows treating patients en route to hospital saves heart muscle Paul Armstrong has always found quiet satisfaction knowing his life's work has made a difference in the world. Armstrong, a professor of cardiology at the University of Alberta and director of the Canadian VIGOUR Centre, has won awards and acclaim for his more than 35 years of service in the field of cardiology, but his greatest pride has always come from serving people. It's why his thoughts go to his patients upon learning of the success of a lifesaving program built on the work he and others began more than 15 years ago.
	Psychologist explains the research behind flagging libidos A UBC researcher explains why some lacy new lingerie might just do the trick
	How we know where we are Knowing where we are and remembering routes that we've walked are crucial skills for our everyday life. In order to identify neural mechanisms of spatial navigation, RUB researchers headed by Prof Dr Nikolai Axmacher, together with colleagues from Bonn, analysed the relevant processes with the aid of an electroencephalography (EEG) monitored directly in the brain. Thus, they identified the neural signature during learning and remembering of specific spatial locations. Their report was published in the current edition of Current Biology.
	Orientation week drinking may have gateway effect Heavy alcohol use by students during university orientation weeks may be a gateway into heavier drinking during the rest of the academic year, according to latest Otago research.
Pumping iron could ward off dementia High intensity weight training is important for brains not just brawn and could be prescribed in the fight against dementia according to new research from the University of Sydney.
	Even mild heart failure can lead to sudden death Sudden cardiac arrest is a possible cause of death in patients with non-ischaemic cardiac muscle weakness, i.e. a type of heart failure caused by genetics or for which no cause is known. Now, researchers at the University Department of Internal Medicine II at the MedUni Vienna (Clinical Department of Cardiology), as part of an international cooperation, have successfully demonstrated the advantages of an implanted defibrillator (ICD) as a means of prevention in patients with moderately restricted cardiac function, and that patients with the condition must be treated as carefully as patients with ischaemic heart failure which has developed following a heart attack, for example.
	Higher folate diet may reduce migraine frequency Eating more folate, found in various green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, may reduce migraine frequency, a QUT research team has found.
	Psychosis five times more likely for cannabis users, study finds A British study released Monday suggested that the risk of psychosis was five times higher for regular users of cannabis, adding to a growing body of evidence linking drug use and mental health disorders.
	Support for sleeping in? Half of parents favor later school start times for teens Should teenagers be able to hit the snooze button one more time before school? Ask their parents and half say they would support later school start times, according to today's University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.
	Unemployment changes your core personality, according to study The psychological damage caused by unemployment is greater than previously thought, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Stirling.
	New ovarian cancer drug Lynparza one step closer Ovarian cancer patients throughout Europe and the United States could soon be treated with a new drug discovered through pioneering research at the University of Sheffield funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.
Marital 'long-timers' have a 'modest rebound' in sexual frequency after 50 years While people in the early years of marriage have sex more frequently, and their sexual activity tapers off over time, a slight rebound occurs for those whose marriages endure longer than half a century, according to new research.
	Amid measles outbreak, few rules on teacher vaccinations While much of the attention in the ongoing measles outbreak has focused on student vaccination requirements and exemptions, less attention has been paid to another group in the nation's classrooms: Teachers and staff members, who, by and large, are not required to be vaccinated.
Women active a few times weekly have lower risk of heart disease, stroke and blood clots Middle-aged women who are physically active a few times per week have lower risks of heart disease, stroke and blood clots than inactive women, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Surprisingly, more frequent physical activity didn't result in further reductions in risk, researchers said.
	Most clinical 'calculators' over-estimate heart attack risk Most "risk calculators" used by clinicians to gauge a patient's chances of suffering a heart attack and guide treatment decisions appear to significantly overestimate the likelihood of a heart attack, according to results of a study by investigators at Johns Hopkins and other institutions.
	Moldy homes may mean more asthma in young kids (HealthDay)—Children appear more likely to develop asthma if their living rooms, kitchens or bedrooms have mold or moisture damage, according to a new study.
	Graphic images on cigarette labels affect smokers' brains, study finds (HealthDay)—Disturbing images on cigarette warning labels have a significant effect on smokers' brains, according to a new study.
	Lycopene inversely linked to renal cell carcinoma risk (HealthDay)—For postmenopausal women, lycopene intake seems to be inversely associated with the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of Cancer.
	Various strategies used by patients with HIV, chronic pain (HealthDay)—For individuals with HIV and chronic pain, various pain self-management strategies are employed, including physical activity, cognitive and spiritual strategies, and substance use, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in Pain Medicine.
	Many adults maintain adequate vitamin D with minimal UVR (HealthDay)—Many adults maintain adequate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels even in periods of minimal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
	Considerable surgeon-level variation in radical prostatectomy (HealthDay)—Considerable practice variation exists among surgeons at a high-volume academic center when selecting patients with prostate cancer to undergo radical prostatectomy, according to a study published in the March issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Antipsychotic Rx often relates to non-approved indications (HealthDay)—For individuals with dementia living in nursing homes, the provider's rationale for use of antipsychotic drug therapy frequently relates to indications for which these drugs are not approved, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Milk protein detected in some 'cow's milk-free' baked goods (HealthDay)—Some bakery products sold as free of cow's milk may not be safe for those with milk allergies because they still contain milk protein, according to research published online Feb. 4 in Allergy.
	Use of nondrug, nonsurgical options low in hip, knee OA (HealthDay)—Usage of nondrug, nonoperative interventions in community-dwelling individuals with hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) is low, according to research published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
	Productivity growth in US hospitals during 2002 to 2011 (HealthDay)—During 2002 to 2011, U.S. hospitals experienced productivity growth in treating Medicare patients with heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia, according to a study published in the February issue of Health Affairs.
	More rapid refeeding protocol seems safe in anorexia nervosa (HealthDay)—Refeeding patients with anorexia nervosa to achieve more rapid weight gain can be safe and effective in a hospital-based protocol, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
	At least 4 to 5 percent weight loss needed to cut diabetes risk (HealthDay)—For Japanese men with visceral fat accumulation and hemoglobin A1C (A1C) of 5.6 to 6.4 percent, minimization of the risk of diabetes requires a minimum of 4 to 5 percent weight loss, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
Treatment for heart attacks can be reversed to help hypothermia patients An ambulance pulls into the hospital parking lot, and paramedics bring a patient into the emergency room - suffering from a dangerously low body temperature but bundled in blankets and dry after being pulled from icy water after a car accident.
Measles outbreak highlights the importance of adult immunization Measles was once considered a childhood illness, spreading rapidly across schools, playgrounds and parks.
Medicare Advantage enrollment increasing in rural areas More rural Americans are signing up for Medicare Advantage despite reductions in payments, according to new research from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Iowa College of Public Health.
Doctors will confront health effects of climate change in the future It usually falls to scientists to talk about the urgency of the need to combat climate change, but Dr Ingo Weber is among a growing number of medicos who believe that doctors should also take a leading role.
Microbiologist helps Ethiopia evaluate Ebola preparedness Ebola outbreaks are always possible but next time many African countries will be better prepared to stymie the spread and mortality rate, thanks to people like QUT microbiologist Dr Belinda Herring who volunteered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to travel to Ethiopia to evaluate its preparedness for Ebola.
Australian project to combat Myanmar snakebite deaths Australia is funding a three-year, 2.3 million Australian dollar ($1.8 million) project that will aid snakebite victims in Myanmar by upgrading care facilities and the quality and availability of antivenom.
Schools reopen as Liberia turns page on Ebola epidemic Children trickled back to school in Liberia on Monday after the restart of lessons that had been delayed for months by the deadly Ebola outbreak, as the country begins to turn the page on the crisis.
Death toll rises to 28 in Mozambique cholera epidemic The death toll from a cholera epidemic in Mozambique that broke out after widespread flooding has climbed to 28, the government said Monday.
Sierra Leone promises probe into Ebola spending Sierra Leone's government promised a full investigation Monday after an internal audit found that nearly one-third of the money received to fight Ebola was spent without saving the necessary receipts and invoices to justify the spending.
How the mind processes complex spatial information Northwestern University's David H. Uttal will discuss a program that has enhanced students' learning at a variety of levels, from basic spatial reasoning to solving complex problems involving the coordination of numerous variables, such as those involved in climate change.
Canada warns of measles at Christian youth event Canadian health officials warned Monday that a person with measles may have spread the virus at a recent large gathering of Christian youth in Toronto.

Other Sciences news

	Best of Last Week: Big Bang singularity, unlocking Earth's inner core and another problem with antibiotics (Phys.org)—It was an intriguing week for physics as a pair of theorists suggested that their quantum equation predicts the universe has no beginning and thus there was no Big Bang. In their paper published in Physics Letters B, Saurya Das and Rajat Bhaduri, suggest their math shows that the universe has existed forever and that it may also account for both dark energy and dark matter. Also, some at this year's American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting have been hinting at the possible discovery in 2015 of a new particle in physics—due, they suggest, to the LHC coming back online, twice as powerful as before. Meanwhile, another group suggested that on quantum scales, there are many second laws of thermodynamics—they think there are whole families of them at extremely small scales.
	New paper shows how "conjoint analysis" can tackle hard political issues Politics is full of surveys purporting to explain why voters act the way they do. But how can we really pinpoint the factors that explain what happens inside the voting booth?
	Seven myths about scientists debunked As scientific researchers, we are often surprised by some of the assumptions made about us by those outside our profession. So we put together a list of common myths we and our colleagues have heard anecdotally regarding scientific researchers.
	How to avoid a bad hire Bad hiring decisions cost employers millions of dollars, damage workplace morale, reduce productivity and account for more than half of employee turnover nationwide. It doesn't have to be that way according to a new study that reveals how a few minor changes in the wording of a job advertisement can increase the size and quality of an applicant pool.
	Research identifies barriers to ethical buying We know consumers buy ethical products for a range of reasons, from concerns about animal welfare to their own health, but Australian research has for the first time ranked the relative importance of the factors that determine whether consumers will – or won't – shop responsibly.
High school study in maths declining among prospective teachers Maths and science participation among New South Wales HSC students has declined starkly over the past decade, which in turn is leading to fewer teachers with this crucial background for their work in schools, according to new research.
	Pilbara digs debunk timeline for ancient tool development Recent archaeological digs at Barrow Island and the Montebello Islands off the Pilbara coast have revealed a number of artefacts which have helped build a unique record of coastal habitation by early humans.
Debt anxiety among students differs across international boundaries To what extent do international boundaries impact on anxiety around debt amongst students? Do national attitudes about repaying loans mean those students from different countries treat their debt differently? What can University managers learn from student anxiety about debt and how can ethical approaches to helping students understand how their debt is managed be provided?
	Paid sick days and physicians at work: Ancient Egyptians had state-supported health care We might think of state supported health care as an innovation of the 20th century, but it's a much older tradition than that. In fact, texts from a village dating back to Egypt's New Kingdom period, about 3,100-3,600 years ago, suggest that in ancient Egypt there was a state-supported health care network designed to ensure that workers making the king's tomb were productive.
	Ear buds, computers needed for new standardized tests Sixth-grader Kayla Hunter considers herself pretty tech savvy. She has a computer at home unlike about half her classmates at her elementary school. And it matches up well with the one she'll use this week to take a new test linked to the Common Core standards.
Technology changing teacher's role Along with technological development, traditional teaching methods have been challenged by various technologically enhanced teaching and learning methods. This trend has received mixed reactions: On the one hand it is feared that these new technologies will replace teachers altogether. On the other hand, the expectations towards technology can also be over-optimistic; that it will solve all the problems of learning.