Science X Newsletter Monday, Feb 2

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Nuclear pasta may offer insight into strange world of neutron stars 
- Language study offers new twist on mind-body connection 
- Engineers use disorder to control light on a nanoscale 
- One good turn: Birds swap energy-sapping lead role 
- Wrinkle predictions: New mathematical theory may explain patterns in fingerprints, raisins, and microlenses 
- Team shows how 'spontaneous' social norms emerge 
- Best of Last Week – Popper's experiment realized again, unboiling eggs and the connection between Craigslist and HIV 
- New reset button discovered for circadian clock 
- Genetic switch regulates transcription and replication in human mitochondria 
- To speed up magma, add water 
- To save your energy while strolling, walk this sway 
- Graphene displays clear prospects for flexible electronics 
- Physicists reach new milestone measuring half-life of iron-60 
- Winding borders may enhance graphene 
- Scientists view effect of whisker tickling on mouse brains 

Nanotechnology news

	Graphene displays clear prospects for flexible electronics Published in the scientific journal Nature Materials, University of Manchester and University of Sheffield researchers show that new 2D 'designer materials' can be produced to create flexible, see-through and more efficient electronic devices.
	Winding borders may enhance graphene Far from being a defect, a winding thread of odd rings at the border of two sheets of graphene has qualities that may prove valuable to manufacturers, according to Rice University scientists.
	Google eyes nanoparticle platform as part of health rethink Google likes taking on big problems and that's no secret. Transportation. Communication, and now Health. The Atlantic has posted a video and it is all about Google's attempt to redefine how we manage our health.
	The quest for efficiency in thermoelectric nanowires Efficiency is big in the tiny world of thermoelectric nanowires. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories say better materials and manufacturing techniques for the nanowires could allow carmakers to harvest power from the heat wasted by exhaust systems or lead to more efficient devices to cool computer chips.
	Dance of the nanovortices It is a familiar phenomenon: if a spinning top is bumped or is set in rotation on an inclined surface, it usually does not move in a straight line, but instead scribes a series of small arches. Researchers at Technische Universität Berlin and the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) together with research teams from the Netherlands and Switzerland have now succeeded in capturing and recording this pattern of movement in a magnetic thin film system – in the form of small magnetic nanovortices. In doing so, the researchers made a new discovery: the nanovortices possess mass. The article will be published in the renowned scientific journal Nature Physics.
	Worms lead way to test nanoparticle toxicity The lowly roundworm is the star of an ambitious Rice University project to measure the toxicity of nanoparticles.
	Understanding the reinforcing ability of carbon nanotubes A paper in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials explores what is preventing the reinforcing ability of carbon nanotubes from being used in a ceramic matrix.

Physics news

	Nuclear pasta may offer insight into strange world of neutron stars (Phys.org)—Neutron stars, which form when massive stars collapse under their own enormous gravity, are some of the densest objects in the universe, second only to black holes. Yet while little is known about the interiors of black holes, scientists have a somewhat better understanding of what goes on inside neutron stars due to the fact that some of them emit radiation, often as X-rays. Using telescopes to detect this radiation, scientists know that the matter inside neutron stars is unlike anything found on Earth.
	Physicists reach new milestone measuring half-life of iron-60 (Phys.org)—A team of physicists affiliated with institutions in Australia, Switzerland and Austria has made the most accurate measurement to date of the half life of iron-60. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the team describes their approach and note that their efforts will now allow the isotope to be used to date astronomical events.
	Team shows how 'spontaneous' social norms emerge Fifteen years ago, the name "Aiden" was hardly on the radar of Americans with new babies. It ranked a lowly 324th on the Social Security Administration's list of popular baby names. But less than a decade later, the name became a favorite, soaring into the top 20 for five years and counting.
	Engineers use disorder to control light on a nanoscale A breakthrough by a team of researchers from UCLA, Columbia University and other institutions could lead to the more precise transfer of information in computer chips, as well as new types of optical materials for light emission and lasers.
	To save your energy while strolling, walk this sway When participants in a charity event took the first walk across the newly opened London Millennium Footbridge in 2000, their feet fell into sync, and the natural side-to-side motion of their steps caused the suspension bridge to sway.
	Pinpointing the magnetic moments of nuclear matter A team of nuclear physicists has made a key discovery in its quest to shed light on the structure and behavior of subatomic particles.
	New smart grid control decentralizes electricity supply To improve the management of fluctuations in the electricity supplied by solar and wind installations, the electricity network needs to work more intelligently in the future. Electricity suppliers aim to be able to regulate consumption on the basis of supply with the help of an intelligent electricity network, a smart grid. Intelligent electricity meters developed for such a system would be able to switch electrical devices on and off. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization have now shown that intelligent electricity meters can match electricity demand and supply decentrally and on an entirely self-organised basis. Up to now, electricity suppliers worked on the assumption that they would need to collect consumption data centrally and also centrally coordinate electricity demand and supply. This makes the electricity supply vulnerable to hacker attacks and also raises data protection issues – problems that do not arise with a fully decentral solution of the Max Planck researchers. Decentral control also relaxes the need for the complex design of the vast communications infrastructure that would be required to connect millions of electricity meters with the major energy suppliers in future.
	Galaxy dust findings confound view of early Universe What was the Universe like at the beginning of time? How did the Universe come to be the way it is today?—big questions and huge attention paid when scientists attempt answers. So was the early-universe discovery that made the news last year a mistake?
	NYU's microscopic monitoring may yield advances in production of products, pharmaceuticals A team of NYU physicists has developed a method to monitor the properties of microscopic particles as they grow within a chemical reaction vessel, creating new opportunities to improve the quality and consistency of a wide range of industrial and consumer products. Their work, which appears as a cover story in the journal Soft Matter, offers benefits for commodities ranging from food and pharmaceuticals to perfumes and cosmetics.

Earth news

	To speed up magma, add water It was a bit like making a CT scan of a patient's head and finding he had very little brain or making a PET scan of a dead fish and seeing hot spots of oxygen consumption. Scientists making seismic images of the mantle beneath a famous geological site saw the least magma where they expected to see the most.
	Scientists identify ocean biology that affects sea spray chemistry, atmospheric particles Breaking ocean waves beget a wake of bubbles. Reaching the sea surface, they burst into a spray of salt and carbon-rich material produced from microscopic sea critters. The far-flung particles can loft high enough to affect cloud-forming droplets. In a paper appearing in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, a team of researchers including Drs. Susannah Burrows and Phil Rasch of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Dr. Scott Elliott, devised a new method to identify the chemical composition of the sea spray, and how that chemical make-up is affected by ocean biology.
	Study finds deep ocean is source of dissolved iron in Central Pacific A new study led by scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) points to the deep ocean as a major source of dissolved iron in the central Pacific Ocean. This finding highlights the vital role ocean mixing plays in determining whether deep sources of iron reach the surface-dwelling life that need it to survive.
	Actions and beliefs behind climate change stance Strategies for building support for climate change mitigation policies should go beyond attempts to improve the public's understanding of science according to new research.
	Clean technology can partially make up for weak CO2 pricing Clean technology support can to some extent make up for weak CO2 pricing and hence help keep the two degrees target within reach, a new study shows. Even if the world climate summit in Paris later this year is successful in striking a climate deal, it might not bring about sharp greenhouse-gas cuts in the near-term. However, emission targets could be strengthened by complementary policies.
	Global warming slowdown: No systematic errors in climate models Sceptics who still doubt anthropogenic climate change have now been stripped of one of their last-ditch arguments: It is true that there has been a warming hiatus and that the surface of the earth has warmed up much less rapidly since the turn of the millennium than all the relevant climate models had predicted. However, the gap between the calculated and measured warming is not due to systematic errors of the models, as the sceptics had suspected, but because there are always random fluctuations in the Earth's climate. Recently, Jochem Marotzke, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, and Piers M. Forster, a professor at the University of Leeds in the UK, have impressively demonstrated this by means of a comprehensive statistical analysis. They also clearly showed that the models do not generally overestimate man-made climate change. Global warming is therefore highly likely to reach critical proportions ! by the end of the century - if the global community does not finally get to grips with the problem.
	Rivers might constitute just 20 percent of continental water flowing into oceans If you think rivers are what send terrestrial rainfall back into the oceans, you don't know the half of it. And that fraction keeps shrinking. According to new research, it might be that only one-fifth of the water flowing from the continents into the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans runs through overland channels of water. And just as surprising, a vast amount flows into the land from the ocean.
	Study supplies insight into behavior of African monsoon Think of the Sahara and you will conjure images of a vast desert landscape, with nothing but sand as far as the eye can see. But for a period of about 10,000 years, the Sahara was characterized by lush, green vegetation and a network of lakes, rivers and deltas.
EPA's methane crackdown to come slow and easy The Obama administration on Jan. 14 announced its long-awaited plan to control the oil and gas industry's emissions of methane, saying it would in the next decade cut in half leaks of the potent global-warming pollutant.
Flooding could become a daily problem in North Carolina by 2045, report says North Carolina's coast will see more frequent and more destructive floods at high tide over the next 30 years, several studies say - even on mild, sunny days - as rising sea levels shove the Atlantic Ocean higher onto our shores.
	UN confirms 2014 was 'hottest year on record' The year 2014 was the hottest on record, "consistent" with a changing climate, the UN's weather agency said Monday.
	Researchers use TRAX to uncover new information about air pollution in Utah A team of University of Utah researchers has launched an air pollution monitoring project that will result in a better understanding of air quality across the Wasatch Front.
	Methane storage targets are too high Using natural gas for car fuel is a challenge, requiring massive research efforts to find materials that can efficiently store it. However, a Swiss-US study concludes that the best materials have not only been already discovered, but can only meet up to 70% of energy targets set by governments.
	Two centuries of map-making – from William Smith's survey to satellites This year marks the 200th anniversary since William Smith published his life's work, a geological map of England and Wales, in 1815. While "Strata Smith" and his map are well-known among geologists, this humble man and his amazing map do not receive the attention or wider recognition they deserve. Smith's achievement was arguably as significant as Darwin's, yet he resides in relative obscurity.
	New SeeStar camera system allows researchers to monitor the depthswithout sinking the budget To build equipment that can operate reliably in the deep sea, MBARI engineers must often use expensive, high-tech materials and complex electronic-control systems. This makes it difficult for researchers at other institutions to build similar equipment, and thus for MBARI to fulfill its goal of sharing its technology with researchers around the world. However, MBARI engineers recently designed a new underwater camera and lighting system which they hope will be simple and inexpensive enough so that almost any researcher could build one.
Mercury levels in Hawaiian yellowfin tuna increasing Mercury concentrations in Hawaiian yellowfin tuna are increasing at a rate of 3.8 percent or more per year, according to a new University of Michigan-led study that suggests rising atmospheric levels of the toxin are to blame.
Tree species influence boreal forest fire behavior and subsequent effects on climate For a better understanding of how forest fires behave and interact with climate, scientists are turning to the trees. A new study out of UC Irvine shows that differences in individual tree species between Eurasia and North America alter the continental patterns of fire - and that blazes burning the hottest actually cool the climate.
	Researchers link smoke from fires to tornado intensity Can smoke from fires intensify tornadoes? "Yes," say University of Iowa researchers, who examined the effects of smoke—resulting from spring agricultural land-clearing fires in Central America—transported across the Gulf of Mexico and encountering tornado conditions already in process in the United States.
	Image: Agricultural fires stretch completely across Africa Four different passes by the Aqua satellite over the course of a day results in this stitched together image of the fires that span across central Africa. The polar orbit of the Aqua satellite takes swaths of images which are then stitched together to provide this interesting image of the continent.
	Image: Super view of Glendale and Phoenix One of the Expedition 35 crew members on the International Space Station used a still camera with a 400 millimeter lens to record this nocturnal image of the Phoenix, Arizona area on March 16, 2013. Like many large urban areas of the central and western United States, the Phoenix metropolitan area is laid out along a regular grid of city blocks and streets. While visible during the day, this grid is most evident at night, when the pattern of street lighting is clearly visible from above—in the case of this photograph, from the low Earth orbit vantage point of the International Space Station.
	What is the longest river in the world? Planet Earth boasts some very long rivers, all of which have long and honored histories. The Amazon, Mississippi, Euphrates, Yangtze, and Nile have all played huge roles in the rise and evolution of human societies. Rivers like the Danube, Seine, Volga and Thames are intrinsic to the character of some of our most major cities.
	NASA catches speedy Tropical Cyclone Eunice transitioning Tropical Cyclone Eunice has been spinning around in the Southern Indian Ocean for the last week and by Feb. 1 as NASA's Terra satellite passed overhead, the storm was transitioning into an extra-tropical cyclone.
	NASA satellite sees wind shear affecting Tropical Cyclone Ola NASA's Terra satellite captured a picture of Tropical Cyclone Ola on Feb. 1 that showed northeasterly wind shear was pushing the clouds and showers southwest of the center.
	Image: Bushfire in Southwestern Australia On February 1, 2015, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite acquired this image of a large bushfire burning near the town of Northcliffe in Western Australia.
	Image: Agricultural fires in Indochina The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite collected this natural-color image which detected dozens of fires burning in Indochina on February 02, 2015.

Astronomy & Space news

	Historic balloon flight ends off Mexican coast Troy Bradley might have been exhausted and a bit dehydrated, but the words printed on his T-shirt said it all: "Failure is not an option."
	NASA launches groundbreaking soil moisture mapping satellite (Update) NASA successfully launched its first Earth satellite designed to collect global observations of the vital soil moisture hidden just beneath our feet.
	'Live fast, die young' galaxies lose the gas that keeps them alive Galaxies can die early because the gas they need to make new stars is suddenly ejected, research published today suggests.
	An infrared atlas of interacting galaxies Most galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have been influenced by an interaction with another galaxy at some time in their past. Interactions between galaxies can trigger an increase in star-formation activity as well an increased level of activity around the nuclear black hole. These general behaviors have been reproduced in simulations of merging galaxies, lending confidence to our understanding of the physical mechanisms at work. But not all interactions lead to such enhancements, and the reasons are not well understood; meanwhile the strength of the triggering mechanism(s) and many other details remain puzzling.
	India tests long-range missile from mobile launcher India on Saturday succeeded for the first time in using a mobile launcher to test-fire a long-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead deep inside rival China.
Japan launches new spy satellite Japan on Sunday successfully launched a back-up spy satellite, its aerospace agency said, after cancelling an earlier lift-off due to bad weather.
	Russia launches British comms satellite into space Russia on Sunday carried out its first space launch of the year, using its commercial Proton rocket to send a British satellite into orbit.
	Balloon pilots arrive in New Mexico after historic flight Two pilots who completed a record-breaking flight across the Pacific Ocean in a helium-filled balloon returned to New Mexico on Sunday to the sounds of mariachi music and an enthusiastic welcome
	Mining the moon becomes a serious prospect With an estimated 1.6 billion tonnes of water ice at its poles and an abundance of rare-earth elements hidden below its surface, the moon is rich ground for mining.
	Iran launches first satellite since 2012 Iran launched an observation satellite Monday—its first since 2012—with President Hassan Rouhani declaring it safely entered orbit and that he had personally ordered the mission.
	Image: Hubble's view of the polar ring of Arp 230 This image shows Arp 230, also known as IC 51, observed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
	Exploring the universe with nuclear power In the past four decades, NASA and other space agencies from around the world have accomplished some amazing feats. Together, they have sent manned missions to the Moon, explored Mars, mapped Venus and Mercury, conducted surveys and captured breathtaking images of the Outer Solar System. However, looking ahead to the next generation of exploration and the more-distant frontiers that remain to be explored, it is clear that new ideas need to be put forward of how to quickly and efficiently reach those destinations.
	Image: XMM-Newton and Hubble view of Jupiter's ghost Names of astronomical objects are often ambiguous, especially when the historical designation of a certain class of celestial body preceded their physical understanding and was based on their appearance in the sky.
	Where is Rosetta's lander and when will it wake up? Ever since Philae touched down on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 12 November the search has been on to identify it in images. While the CONSERT instrument has helped to narrow down a 350 x 30 m 'landing strip' on Comet 67P/C-G's smaller lobe, a dedicated search in OSIRIS images has so far not been able to confirm the little lander's final location.
	Zebrafish flex their muscles for research aboard the International Space Station Although zebrafish are not deadlifting weights in orbit, they are helping researchers learn about muscle changes during their stay aboard the International Space Station. This impacts not only the fish, but also the crew and can have implications for Earth-related muscle challenges too. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Zebrafish Muscle investigation observes the effects of microgravity on the zebrafish, Danio rerio, a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the minnow family.
	NASA hails spending boost under Obama budget proposal NASA on Monday hailed a proposal by President Barack Obama to boost spending for the US space agency and announced plans for a mission to explore Jupiter's moon, Europa.

Technology news

	Aircraft set for minute-by-minute tracking All commercial flights worldwide could soon send out an automated signal every minute in times of distress to help rescuers find downed aircraft more easily.
	Just whose Internet is it? New federal rules may answer that Whose Internet is it anyway?
	Researchers are working on new smart cameras to help the visually impaired Standing in the grocery store, you scan the peanut butter jars looking for the one on your list. Your eyes flit from label to label until they land on the familiar red, blue and green jar, and you reach to pick it up and place it in your cart. Then, it's on to the next item on your list.
	Biologists partner bacterium with nitrogen gas to produce more, cleaner bioethanol Indiana University biologists believe they have found a faster, cheaper and cleaner way to increase bioethanol production by using nitrogen gas, the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, in place of more costly industrial fertilizers. The discovery could save the industry millions of dollars and make cellulosic ethanol - made from wood, grasses and inedible parts of plants - more competitive with corn ethanol and gasoline.
IBM boss gets bonus despite company's woes IBM boss Virginia Rometty will get a $3.6 million bonus for her performance last year, even though the company's sales and profits declined in 2014.
AT&T, Verizon get more airwaves: Expect more mobile capacity Consumers may see improved networks after AT&T and Verizon, the two largest U.S. wireless companies, spent billions in the government's latest airwaves auction.
US to provide privacy group with memo on surveillance The Justice Department has agreed to turn over a legal opinion regarding government surveillance and census data after a years-long court fight with a privacy group.
Uber says outside review shows customer data safe, private Uber Technologies says that if you catch a ride with one of its drivers, your personal and financial data are safe—from Uber itself.
	Fitness game for the physically impaired Modern IT has the potential to make fitness training more varied for people with physi- cal limitations. But what exactly is required? Fraunhofer put this question to thalidomide victims, and developed new IT-based fitness training technology in close collaboration with them. The method motivates users with elements found in computer games.
	Scalable electric drive for heavy vehicles Although electric cars meet current trends, driving axles are still too heavy, too expensive and too large for them. To address this situation, Fraunhofer researchers joined forces with partners to design an optimized axle module for commercial vehicles. It is powerful, lightweight, compact and cost-effective.
	Finding valuable materials in metallurgical dumps Since metallic raw materials are scarce in Germany, it is reliant on imports. Yet some of these valuable materials are lying around unnoticed in dumps. Fraunhofer researchers are now compiling a Germany-wide registry of these resources, which reveals where these deposits are located and what metals they contain.
	Uneventful test flight in exciting field For all the hubbub and electric-motor buzz about unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), watching a research drone take off, fly and land is hardly the world's most compelling activity.
	How will data retention laws cope with the Internet of Things? One of the many things that is troubling about the current Australian government's metadata retention proposals is how rooted in the past they are, which could make them obsolete before they even come into force.
Computer modeling study reveals the lethal dynamics of a San Francisco house fire A new computer-based fire-dynamics study by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has helped to clarify the circumstances and violent fire behavior of a lethal 2011 blaze in a San Francisco hillside home. The fire in the multi-story, single-family dwelling claimed the lives of two firefighters.
World's first real-time 'mixed reality' ski race A professional skier will battle against two online gamers in the world's first interactive 'mixed reality' downhill ski race using technology pioneered by European researchers.
Chipmaker Intel to buy German broadband specialist Lantiq Chip-making giant Intel plans to buy a German company that specializes in broadband access and home networking technologies, as part of a push to reach more households with high-end technology.
Skype chats compromised Syrian rebels: researchers Syrian opposition groups lost critical information when its members fell victim to a "femme fatale" scheme using Skype chats that injected computers and phones with malware, researchers said Monday.
	Tablet sales show more signs of cooling Tablet sales cooled dramatically in 2014 from the red-hot growth pace a year earlier, surveys showed Monday.
Smartphones change teenagers' digital media use patterns Teenagers who own smartphones spend more time online - also during the night, which may affect their sleep. A new University of Basel study on more than 300 students reports that teenagers' digital media use during the night is associated with an increased risk of sleep problems and depressive symptoms. The findings have been published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
Jeep recalls 228K Cherokees for air bag problem Jeep is recalling more than 228,000 SUVs worldwide to fix a software problem that can cause side air bags to inflate for no reason.
Apple turning closed Arizona facility into data center Apple said Monday it will invest $2 billion over 10 years to open a data center in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa that will be the company's fifth in the U.S. and serve as a control facility for its global networks.
	'Honey trap' hackers stole Syria rebel plans Hackers targeted Syrian opposition members with online "honey traps," posing as female supporters to steal battle plans and the identity of defectors, a security firm said in a report Monday.
Federal govt seeks national conversation on transportation Hoping to start a national conversation about future transportation needs, the Obama administration released a report Monday that identifies key population, environmental, cultural and technology trends expected to shape the way Americans get from one place to another over the next 30 years.
	Hey, (Not-As) Big Spender! Tech firms hint at more restraint Technology's big-spending trio of Google, Facebook, and Amazon.com appear to be tightening their belts—at least a notch—in a concession to cost-conscious investors and a strong dollar that's taking a big bite out of their revenue.
HP boss gets raise despite persistent sales slump Hewlett-Packard boss Meg Whitman has graduated from the dollar-a-year club, as the struggling company prepares to split up.
Interconnected IT for business models in rural areas More and more people are moving from rural areas to cities, leaving behind crumbling infrastructures that make daily life difficult for those who stay. Some people are bucking this trend. Now they get support from researchers: At CeBIT, they will show how they plan to create new business models in rural areas with the help of interconnected IT.
	Novel technology could combat flight pollution A breakthrough propulsion technology to provide greener air transport could be developed after the underlying engineering was declared a success.
Recognizing promising new technologies early As companies strive to identify the new technologies with the most potential, they are bombarded with a growing torrent of information. New smart software solutions can pick out these technologies and provide innovative methods of evaluating and implementing them into working processes. Now companies can tap the relevant information and feed it efficiently into the decision-making process.
	Safe production in Industry 4.0 Production facilities and components of Industry 4.0 are linked to the Internet, networked with each other, and thus open to attack. Using an IT security laboratory, Fraunhofer researchers offer a test environment in order to simulate attacks on this network and to detect any gaps. They will unveil the possibilities at this year's Hannover Mess.
SS&C Technologies to buy Advent Software for $2.29B SS&C Technologies is buying Advent Software for $2.29 billion in a combination of providers of software for financial services companies.

Chemistry news

	Team finds hydrogen production in extreme bacterium A researcher at Missouri University of Science and Technology has discovered a bacterium that can produce hydrogen, an element that one day could lessen the world's dependence on oil.
	Synthesis and characterization of a hexaarylbene with six unique substituents (Phys.org) —The six-carbon aromatic molecule benzene is a staple of organic chemistry. Benzene-derived molecules have applications that include everything from pharmaceuticals to nano devices. However, one of the difficulties with making benzene-derived compounds is controlling how the substituents are placed around the benzene ring.
	Protein threshold linked to Parkinson's disease The circumstances in which a protein closely associated with Parkinson's Disease begins to malfunction and aggregate in the brain have been pinpointed in a quantitative manner for the first time in a new study.
Engineers devise genetic 'on' switch made exclusively of RNA All life processes depend on genes turning on and off. Cornell University scientists have created a new "on" switch to control gene expression - a breakthrough that could revolutionize genetic engineering.
	First sensor for 'crowd control' in cells University of Groningen scientists have developed a molecular sensor to measure 'crowding' in cells, which reflects the concentration of macromolecules present. The sensor provides quantitative information on the concentration of macromolecules in bacteria and in mammalian cells. A description of the sensor and its validation was published in Nature Methods on 2 February.
	Mini synthetic organism instead of test animals In medical research, animal-based experiments have thus far been a necessary evil. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a highly promising alternative, however: They are developing a mini-organism inside a chip. This way, complex metabolic processes within the human body can be analyzed realistically.

Biology news

	Genetic switch regulates transcription and replication in human mitochondria (Phys.org)—The majority of the human genome is located within the nucleus. However, there is a small but important portion of DNA located within the mitochondria. This mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has received much attention in the last few years for tracing ancestry, mitochondrial disease, and three-parent IVF. Mitochondrial DNA's unique properties mean that it has different regulatory mechanisms. A new study by Dmitry Temiakov from Rowan University reports for the first time evidence that mtDNA transcription and replication are regulated by a molecular switch that may provide insight into developmental processes such as embryogenesis and spermatogenesis. The results are reported in Science.
	One good turn: Birds swap energy-sapping lead role Migrating birds 'share the pain' of the arduous task of leading a v-formation, so that they can then take turns saving energy by following in another bird's wake, a new study shows.
Fewer viral relics may be due to a less bloody evolutionary history Humans have fewer remnants of viral DNA in their genes compared to other mammals, a new study has found. This decrease could be because of reduced exposure to blood-borne viruses as humans evolved to use tools rather than biting during violent conflict and the hunting of animals.
	Scientists have re-discovered a fast-growing bacterial strain first described in 1955 (Phys.org)—Cyanobacteria, bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis, are of considerable interest as bio-factories, organisms that could be harnessed to generate a range of industrially useful products.
	Having a strong personality may be the difference between thriving and failing, according to new research When the chips are down, having a strong personality may be the difference between thriving and failing, according to new research which studied how aphids reacted when faced with predatory ladybirds.
	Turning up heat on plants could help grow crops of the future Crops that can thrive in warming climates are a step closer, thanks to new insights into how temperature and light affect plant development.
	New innovative method for mechanical screening of biological cells developed Cells, like any other material, have mechanical properties that can serve for their characterization. For example, cancer cells are characteristically more deformable than healthy cells. These mechanical properties can be determined without specialized, costly and time-consuming preparation, which makes them highly attractive for diagnosis and prognosis in medical applications. However, there has so far been a lack of an adequate method to mechanically screen large populations of cells in a short amount of time. Scientists at the TU Dresden have now presented a novel method, which addresses this need and which will help to answer many open questions in biology, physics, chemistry and medicine. The method is now being published in the current issue of Nature Methods.
	Identification of much-needed drug target against MRSA, gram-positive infections The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, when infectious bacteria evolve to evade drugs designed to control them, is a pressing public health concern. Each year two million Americans acquire antibiotic-resistant infections, leading to 23,000 deaths. In light of these unsettling statistics, there has been a call to develop new weapons to combat bacterial threats to human health.
	No knots in known RNA structures It had never been verified before: unlike other biopolymers, RNA, the long strand that is 'cousin' to DNA, tends not to form knots. The observation has been published in the journal PNAS by a research team of the International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste and the CEA of Saclay.
	Getting yeast to pump up the protein production From manufacturing life-saving biopharmaceuticals to producing energy-efficient biofuels, the cost-effective production of proteins will be essential to revolutionizing the future of healthcare and energy.
	Friend, foe or queen? Study highlights the complexities of ant perception Researchers report that trap-jaw ants recognize the unique odor of a fertile queen only if the queen also shares the workers' own chemical cologne - a distinctive blend of dozens of smelly, waxy compounds that coat the ants' bodies from head to tarsus. The discovery offers new insights into how social animals evolved and communicate with others in their group, the researchers say.
	New mechanism of inheritance could advance study of evolution, disease treatment For more than a century, scientists have understood the basics of inheritance: if good genes help parents survive and reproduce, the parents pass those genes along to their offspring. And yet, recent research has shown that reality is much more complex: genes can be switched off, or silenced, in response to the environment or other factors, and sometimes these changes can be passed from one generation to the next.
	GMO mosquito plan sparks outcry in Florida A British company's plan to unleash hordes of genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida to reduce the threat of dengue fever and other diseases has sparked an outcry from fearful residents.
	'Tiger heavyweight' Nepal hosts anti-poaching summit Nepal's success in turning tiger-fearing villagers into their protectors has seen none of the endangered cats killed for almost three years, offering key lessons for an anti-poaching summit opening in Kathmandu on Monday.
	Study analyzes how manmade noise impacts bird decline How noise can affect interactions between human and natural systems is the topic of a National Science Foundation grant awarded to researchers at Penn State and Boise State University.
	Researchers unlock new way to clone hemlock trees able to fight off deadly pest or the first time, University of Georgia researchers have successfully cryogenically frozen germplasm from hemlock trees being wiped out across the eastern U.S. by an invasive insect. They've also unlocked a new way to clone the few hemlock trees apparently fighting off the hemlock woolly adelgid, which could potentially lead to a solution for the pest.
	Legwork needed to chronicle Banksia resilience The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) and the University of WA (UWA) are calling on volunteer 'citizen scientists' to help determine if the range of one of WA's most well-known flora genera—the Banksia—is contracting with climate change.
	Climate projections show ways to improve crop yields New computer modelling shows farmers need to adopt remedial measures to prevent crop yields in western and eastern Australian agricultural districts declining over the next 75 years.
	New methods can protect animals during relocation As Arizona continues to see development into formerly rural areas, additional research is emerging to help protect wildlife species. Because the state is home to a dozen rattlesnake species, understanding best practices for relocation is more than just a humane undertaking, it is important for logistics and safety. These findings are part of a paper published in Conservation Biology.
	Urban taste for bushmeat poses threat to Amazonian wildlife Research has uncovered alarming evidence of an under-reported wild-meat crisis in the heart of Amazonia.
	New technique captures real-time diagnostic 3-D images Research, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, makes it possible to follow the development of living organisms up to three millimetres long with three-dimensional images.  These organisms, such as the zebrafish or the fruit fly, are frequently used in microscopic research.  The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), for example, has a genetic code where the counterparts of more than 60% of the genes of human illnesses can be found.
	Area-wide management a must for Asian citrus psyllid The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) carries a bacterial pathogen that causes citrus greening disease (huanglongbing), which is destroying trees in many countries and states, including Florida. It's been estimated that this insect-disease combination has cost Florida's citrus industry $1.3 billion in losses. The situation has become so bad that some citrus growers have abandoned their fields, leaving their trees untended, which can have dire consequences for neighboring growers.
In the Balkans, resilience is rooted in knowledge of wild plants Traditional communities living in isolated, rural areas with little money or infrastructure tend to have one thing in common: Resilience rooted in intricate knowledge of their natural environment, especially plants.
	Shrinking range of pikas in California mountains linked to climate change The American pika, a small animal with a big personality that has long delighted hikers and backpackers, is disappearing from low-elevation sites in California mountains, and the cause appears to be climate change, according to a new study.
Toward the next biofuel: Secrets of Fistulifera solaris Biofuels are an attractive alternative to fossil fuels, but a key challenge in efforts to develop carbon-neutral, large-scale methods to produce biofuels is finding the right organism for the job. One emerging candidate is the microalga Fistulifera solaris. An international collaboration between scientists from Japan and France has revealed the genome of F. solaris and provided exciting hints at the roots of its ability to grow and produce oil at the same time.
	Spiny lobster abundance study at Glover's Reef, Belize finds fishery in good shape A recent study conducted in the waters of Glover's Reef Marine Reserve in Belize by the Wildlife Conservation Society and its partners has revealed good news for spiny lobsters: the abundance of these commercially valuable crustaceans should support local fisheries into the future, an indication that no-take areas and other regulations are protecting the nation's marine resources.
	China demand threatens tiger protection Soaring demand for tiger parts in China has emptied Asia's forests, frustrating efforts to protect the big cats, wildlife experts said as an anti-poaching conference opened in Kathmandu Monday.
Advocates: Dams put dinosaur-like river fish at risk Wildlife advocates say an endangered, dinosaur-like fish is at risk of being eliminated from key habitat in two rivers in Montana and North Dakota because of dams that disrupt spawning.
	Researchers develop new high-yield pear cultivar A new pear cultivar, 'Gem', has been released jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Oregon State University, Michigan State University and Clemson University. Gem is ideal for the fresh market, combining high yields with excellent appearance, fruit quality and long storage potential. The new cultivar is resistant to fire blight and isn't prone to brown discoloration, called "superficial scald," that affects some pear varieties.
Scientists develop protein, skin care and biopesticide products from fish filleting residue and rapeseed press cakes Food industry co-streams which could be upgraded to more valuable products than the original ones ending up as animal feed. Scientists developed feasible and gentle methods to make good use of fish filleting residues and rapeseed press cakes. The APROPOS project succeeded in creating new technologies for SME's for the production of items such as dietary supplements and skin care products.
	Caring for animals at risk in bushfires While many people have considered how to care for homes and people during bushfires, they haven't always decided on a plan of action to protect threatened domestic animals, livestock and wildlife, says the Murdoch University Pet Emergency Centre.
	Pakistan prepares for Saudi royal to hunt 'protected' birds Pakistani authorities are finalising arrangements for a Saudi prince to visit its southwestern desert region to hunt the Houbara bustard, a bird supposedly protected by law, officials said Monday.
	Five-day meeting on the naming of plants, fungi and algae recorded for posterity The five-day discussions and decisions of the Nomenclature Section of the XVII International Botanical Congress took place in Vienna, Austria in July 2005. This meeting was held in association with the International Botanical Congress, which takes place every six years and is where the world's premier experts on the rules for naming plants, fungi and algae get together to debate and update the rule book for naming the organisms they study.
	Windfall for growers as ICoast posts record cocoa harvest Cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast, the world's top producer, enjoyed a 20 percent boost in revenues thanks to a record harvest last year, the economy minister has announced.
Addressing feral cats' diet may help protect native species Because reducing the impacts of feral cats—domestic cats that have returned to the wild—is a priority for conservation efforts across the globe, a research team recently reviewed the animals' diet across Australia and its territorial islands to help consider how they might best be managed.

Medicine & Health news

	Scientists view effect of whisker tickling on mouse brains Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University have succeeded in peering into the brains of live mice with such precision that they were able to see how the position of specific proteins changed as memories were forged. The technique has broad applications for future studies on learning and on what goes wrong in disorders like autism, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.
	New reset button discovered for circadian clock The discovery of a new reset button for the brain's master biological clock could eventually lead to new treatments for conditions like seasonal affective disorder, reduce the adverse health effects of working the night shift and possibly even cure jet lag.
	Language study offers new twist on mind-body connection New research from Northeastern professor of psychology Iris Berent and her colleagues indicates that language and motor systems are intricately linked—though not in the way that h