Science X Newsletter Thursday, Mar 12

Phys.org Newsletter for March 12, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Loophole in theory offers insight into the 'lithium problem' 
- Engineers create chameleon-like artificial 'skin' that shifts color on demand 
- You are when you eat: Limiting flies to specific eating hours protected their hearts against aging 
- Hubble observations suggest underground ocean on Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede 
- New technique could lead to long-lasting localized stimulation of brain tissue without external connections 
- Tracking marine plankton provides new information to reconstruct past climate 
- CERN's revamped particle smasher ready to push physics into unknown 
- ATRIAS prepares for live demo at robotics challenge (w/ Video) 
- Wake up Philae! The world awaits news (Update) 
- Immune system-in-a-dish offers hope for 'bubble boy' disease 
- Stem cells lurking in tumors can resist treatment 
- Optogenetics without the genetics: Nanoparticles enable stimulation of normal, non-genetically modified neurons 
- 3-D printer for small molecules opens access to customized chemistry 
- Political liberals display greater happiness, study finds 
- Researchers find hidden meaning and 'speed limits' within genetic code 

Nanotechnology news

	Researchers develop technique for making light-bending 'raspberry-like metamolecules' The field of metamaterials is all about making structures that have physical properties that aren't found in nature. Predicting what kinds of structures would have those traits is one challenge; physically fabricating them is quite another, as they often require precise arrangement of constituent materials on the smallest scales.
	Dunkin' Donuts ditches titanium dioxide – but is it actually harmful? In response to pressure from the advocacy group As You Sow, Dunkin' Brands has announced that it will be removing allegedly "nano" titanium dioxide from Dunkin' Donuts' powdered sugar donuts. As You Sow claims there are safety concerns around the use of the material, while Dunkin' Brands cites concerns over investor confidence. It's a move that further confirms the food sector's conservatism over adopting new technologies in the face of public uncertainty. But how justified is it based on what we know about the safety of nanoparticles?
	Sweet nanoparticles target stroke Materials resulting from chemical bonding of glucosamine, a type of sugar, with fullerenes, kind of nanoparticles known as buckyballs, might help to reduce cell damage and inflammation occurring after stroke. A team from the Max Planck Institute in Germany has tested this on mice, opening the door to potential new drugs for the cerebrovascular accident.

Physics news

	Loophole in theory offers insight into the 'lithium problem' (Phys.org)—There's not as much lithium in the universe as predicted, and scientists aren't sure why. According to the theory of big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), isotopes of the three lightest elements—hydrogen, helium, and lithium—were created within the first 20 minutes after the big bang. The theory predicts with remarkable accuracy the observed amounts of hydrogen and helium, but its estimate for lithium is three times too high.
	Engineers create chameleon-like artificial 'skin' that shifts color on demand Borrowing a trick from nature, engineers from the University of California at Berkeley have created an incredibly thin, chameleon-like material that can be made to change color—on demand—by simply applying a minute amount of force.
	What will we find next inside the Large Hadron Collider? The Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest scientific experiment, is due to restart this month after two years of downtime for maintenance and upgrading. There's no doubt that having played its role in the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, what the media christened the "God particle", expectations for what the 27km particle accelerator at CERN could achieve this time have certainly been set high.
	'Nano-earthquakes' hold key to smarter electronics The performance of mobile phone cameras and solar cells could be boosted by "nano-earthquakes", researchers have found.
	Researchers manipulate gold-coated nanoparticles with lasers Tiny glass nanospheres coated on one side with a very fine gold film: LMU scientists have shown that particles modified in this way can be moved about with high precision using laser beams, creating an optically controlled micro-elevator.
	CERN's revamped particle smasher ready to push physics into unknown Europe's physics lab CERN said Thursday it had begun tests in preparation for rebooting the world's biggest particle collider and trying to uncover new particles that could alter our understanding of the Universe.
	Frozen highly charged ions for highest precision spectroscopy A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig and the University of Aarhus in Denmark demonstrated for the first time Coulomb crystallization of highly-charged ions (HCIs). Inside a cryogenic radiofrequency ion trap the HCIs are cooled down to sub-Kelvin temperatures by interaction with laser-cooled singly charged Beryllium ions. The new method opens the field of laser spectroscopy of HCIs providing the basis for novel atomic clocks and high-precision tests of the variability of natural constants.
	Team deploys world's highest peak-power laser diode arrays Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has installed and commissioned the highest peak power laser diode arrays in the world, representing total peak power of 3.2 megawatts (MW).
	Flight and nuclear safety boosted by sound research A system for using sound waves to spot potentially dangerous cracks in pipes, aircraft engines and nuclear power plants has been developed by a University of Strathclyde academic.

Earth news

	Tracking marine plankton provides new information to reconstruct past climate A new study from an international team of scientists uncovered new information about the tiny, globetrotting organisms commonly used to reconstruct past climate conditions. The findings can aid in improving our understanding of past global climate conditions.
	Payments for ecosystem services? Here's the guidebook A team of investors, development organizations, conservationists, economists, and ecologists have published in the journal Science six natural science principles to ensure success of Payments for Ecosystem Services, mechanisms that have helped preserve carbon stocks stored in Madagascar's rainforests, maintain wildlife populations important for tourism in Tanzania, and protect watersheds in France by working with local farmers.
	Summer storm weakening leads to more persistent heat extremes Storm activity in large parts of the US, Europe and Russia significantly calmed down during summers over the past decades, but this is no good news. The weakening of strong winds associated with the jetstream and weather systems prolongs and hence intensifies heat extremes like the one in Russia in 2010 which caused devastating crop failures and wildfires.
	How antibiotic pollution of waterways creates superbugs Humans pollute the world with many chemicals and some of these affect living things, even at very low concentrations. Endocrine-disrupting compounds, which interfere with hormones, are a good example, but recently more concern has been raised about pollution with antibiotics.
	Macroalgae helps to understand marine food webs Research into macroalgae on WA reefs has revealed relationships between carbon isotope ratios and factors like temperature that may assist in the long-term monitoring of marine food webs.
	New insight into improving air quality measurements Researchers from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and King's College London have identified a mechanism which is responsible for under-reporting of peak nitrogen dioxide concentrations at some air quality monitoring stations, and the best ways to minimise this.
Post-fire logging can reduce fuels for up to 40 years in regenerating forests, new study finds Harvesting fire-killed trees is an effective way to reduce woody fuels for up to four decades following wildfire in dry coniferous forests, a U.S. Forest Service study has found.
West coast log and lumber exports decreased in 2014 Log and lumber exports from Washington, Oregon, northern California, and Alaska both decreased in volume in 2014 compared to 2013, the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station reported today.
	More giant craters spotted in Russia's far north Russian scientists have now discovered seven giant craters in remote Siberia, a geologist told AFP on Thursday, adding that the mysterious phenomenon was believed to be linked to climate change.
	As Oso disaster anniversary nears, kentucky geologists urge preparation for landslides As the anniversary of the most fatal landslide in the history of the continental United States approaches, we are reminded of the importance of evaluating geologic hazards and communicating that information to communities that may be at risk. The Oso landslide occurred March 22, 2014, wiping out a small community near Oso, Washington, and killing 43 people.
	Predicting which African storms will intensify into hurricanes Hurricanes require moisture, the rotation of the earth, and warm ocean temperatures to grow from a mere atmospheric disturbance into a tropical storm. But where do these storm cells originate, and exactly what makes an atmospheric disturbance amp up full throttle?
	Ponds are disappearing in the Arctic Ponds in the Arctic tundra are shrinking and slowly disappearing, according to a new study by University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) researchers.
	Huge ice chunks are giving parts of Cape Cod an arctic vibe Parts of Cape Cod look a little bit like the Arctic Circle this week.
	Naturally acidic waters of Puget Sound surround UW's Friday Harbor Labs For more than 100 years, marine biologists at Friday Harbor Laboratories have studied the ecology of everything from tiny marine plants to giant sea stars.
	Satellite movie shows winter storm sweep over US East coast A winter storm was bringing snow, sleet and freezing rain from lower Mississippi Valley to Northeastern U.S. on Thursday, March 5, 2015. A new NASA animation of NOAA's GOES-East satellite imagery showed the progression of the clouds associated with the storm system that triggered winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories from the southern Plains eastward through the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast. The system also triggered flood warnings along and to the west of the central Appalachians.
	Explainer: How countries could come to a global climate deal in 2015 At the end of this year, 196 countries from around the world will meet in Paris for the first attempt to reach a global deal on climate action since the much-hyped climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009. Hope is building that Paris will see an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2020, and ultimately keep global warming to below 2C.
	Kerry urges nations to back Paris climate change talks US Secretary of State John Kerry Thursday urged nations to set ambitious goals to curb greenhouse gases, warning climate change deniers that gambling with the Earth's future was a risky business as "there is no Planet B."
	TRMM satellite finds heavy rain in Tropical Storm Bavi After Tropical Storm Bavi formed in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's TRMM satellite passed overhead and found heavy rain occurring in the western quadrant of the storm. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Ujae and Enewetakin in the western Marshall Islands as Bavi nears.
	NASA measures Tropical Cyclone Nathan's winds near Queensland Coast The RapidScat instrument aboard the International Space Station analyzed Tropical Cyclone Nathan's winds while NASA's Terra satellite provided an overall look at the extent of the storm along Queensland, Australia's Cape York Peninsula.
	NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Olwyn nearing landfall in Australia Tropical Cyclone Olwyn was close to making landfall in the northern region of Western Australia when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has posted several warnings.
	Tropical Cyclone Pam gives NASA an eye-opening view NASA's Terra satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Pam as it continued intensifying in the Southern Pacific Ocean and captured an image of the storm's 20 nautical mile-wide, cloud-filled eye. Pam is a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale and is strengthening.
	Satellite sees rare subtropical storm 90Q in southern Atlantic The Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Centre reported that a sub-tropical storm had formed on March 11 near east of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, the southeastern most state in Brazil.
Smoke blankets Jamaica's capital as dump fire burns Thick, noxious smoke blanketed Jamaica's capital Thursday as a wind-fanned fire burned at a sprawling, open-air waste dump on the city's outskirts that has seen repeated blazes.

Astronomy & Space news

	Hubble observations suggest underground ocean on Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has the best evidence yet for an underground saltwater ocean on Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. The subterranean ocean is thought to have more water than all the water on Earth's surface.
	Japan space scientists make wireless energy breakthrough Japanese scientists have succeeded in transmitting energy wirelessly, in a key step that could one day make solar power generation in space a possibility, an official said Thursday.
	Some habitable exoplanets could experience wildly unpredictable climates As telescopes of ever-greater power scan the cosmos looking for life, knowing where to look—and where not to waste time looking—will be of great value.
	Wake up Philae! The world awaits news (Update) Excitement mounted Thursday as scientists started listening for signs of life from robot lab Philae, hurtling through space perched on a comet some 460 million kilometres (285 million miles) from Earth.
	Researchers study methane-rich plumes from Saturn's icy moon Enceladus NASA's Cassini spacecraft has measured a curious abundance of methane spewing into the atmosphere of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. A team of American and French scientists published findings in Geophysical Research Letters suggesting two scenarios that could explain the methane abundance observed in the plumes.
	Astronauts return to Earth on Russian Soyuz spaceship (Update) Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut on Thursday returned to Earth aboard a Soyuz space capsule after six months at the International Space Station.
	Image: Optical bench of LISA Pathfinder An intimate view of a key part of the payload of ESA's LISA Pathfinder satellite, which will be the 'stillest' ever flown in space – in fact, the distant-orbiting spacecraft is set to become the single most stable place in the Solar System.
	Mars scientists capture image of sci-fi landing site Images taken by the UA-led HiRISE mission reveal that the setting of the best-selling novel "The Martian" is far from being the featureless plain described in the book.
	Saturn's moon Enceladus could be another location for life beyond Earth The Cassini mission that has investigated Saturn since 2004 has revealed much about the giant planet and its many moons. Perhaps most tantalising is the discovery that the moon Enceladus is the source of strong geysers ejecting plumes of water and ice.
	Image: Astronaut meets Eurobot ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen is preparing for his 10-day flight to the International Space Station in September that will see him testing many new technologies. He met the Eurobot rover at ESA's technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, on Tuesday for the first time.
	Crossing the boundary from high to low on Mars On the boundary between the heavily cratered southern highlands and the smooth northern lowlands of Mars is an area rich in features sculpted by water and ice.
	NASA set to launch four spacecraft to solve magnetic mystery (Update) NASA is sending four identical spacecraft on a billion-dollar mission to study the explosive give-and-take of the Earth and sun's magnetic fields.
	Mars rover moving robotic arm again after electrical short NASA says the robotic arm on the Curiosity rover is moving again after a short circuit temporarily halted its work on Mars.
	Move it or lose it: One-year mission video miniseries Have you ever noticed after lying in bed sick for a few days that standing upright took you a moment to regain your balance? Or perhaps you have an aging grandparent who spends more time lying in bed than standing and you had to help them up because they have not used their leg muscles in a while? After living aboard the International Space Station, research into this area of physical performance may hold answers for those living with challenges from health-related concerns from prolonged inactivity.

Technology news

	Google's safe browsing system targets 'unwanted software' Get ready to see more red warning signs online as Google adds ammunition to its technological artillery for targeting devious schemes lurking on websites.
	A 'touching' exhibition opens up art for blind visitors Imagine making art come alive with touch. The Prado aims to make art within reach for people who are blind. In a video, Ruben, who went blind in his 20s and is now in his 30s, tells viewers that Estudios Durero, a Spanish group focused on image and digital reproduction processes, called him. They were working on a project of images for the blind with the Prado and they asked him to help. The effort involved a "relief printing" technique that manages to reproduce images for touching.
	Teaching programming to preschoolers with sticker-based system Researchers at the MIT Media Laboratory are developing a system that enables young children to program interactive robots by affixing stickers to laminated sheets of paper.
	UK report finds spies snooping on thousands of e-mails British spies are reading thousands of private communications every day, according to a new report Thursday that was triggered by the Edward Snowden leaks.
	ATRIAS prepares for live demo at robotics challenge (w/ Video) If you are cool-headed enough to know that robots are incapable of sobbing just because researchers at the Oregon State University Dynamic Robotics Laboratory are kicking and hurling balls at them all the time, then so much the better. You can enjoy the success of ATRIAS withstanding its trials as a bipedal robot taking its kicks and dodgeball hits in stride at Oregon State University. ATRIAS is the name for human-scale bipedal robots. ATRIAS serves to demonstrate theoretical concepts for efficient and agile locomotion; the ultimate goal is walking and running outside in rough terrain.
	Three things to know about HBO's new streaming service In less than a month, people in the U.S. will be able to subscribe to HBO without a cable or satellite TV subscription. The stand-alone HBO Now streaming service unveiled this week will debut in time for the April 12 season premiere of "Game of Thrones."
	Chinese makers roll out wave of Apple watch lookalikes A month before Apple Inc.'s smartwatch hits the market, China's thriving copycat manufacturers are selling lookalikes, some openly advertised as Apple copies.
Nokia provides free mapping services app for Apple users Nokia says it has started providing mapping services for free download in Apple's App Store, after a successful launch of the service on Android devices.
	Google launches virtual tour of Nepal's Everest region Google launched a virtual tour of Nepal's Everest region on Thursday, allowing armchair tourists a rare glimpse of life in one of the toughest and most inaccessible places on earth.
	Neurology research used in thrilling ride that adapts to riders' brain activity Thrill seekers brave enough to test drive a new mixed-reality ride will only have themselves to blame if they find it a little too wild for their taste.
	The first 72 hours are critical for hacking victims US President Barack Obama is seeking US$14 billion to tackle it. The UK wants to build a start-up industry around it. And Australia is in the middle of what could be a year-long review into getting better at it. The issue is cyber security, and at risk is the entire digital economy and consumer confidence in it. In this Cyber insecurity series we investigate the size and nature of the cyber crime threat, the industry growing with it, and the solutions emerging to get in front of it.
	Bionic power trousers could be a more comfortable way to independent living The word "bionic" conjures up images of science fiction fantasies. But in fact bionic systems – the joining of engineering and robotics with biology (the human body) – are becoming a reality here and now.
	Large gains with new chip design for medical devices Systems-on-a-chip for extremely critical applications would use 28 percent less energy and 48 percent less chip area while offering nine times lower hardware failure rate, if designed with the completely novel Desyre architecture. This would drastically reduce hospital costs and replacement rate of medical devices.
When it comes to nuclear disaster, safety really is in numbers The safety of nuclear plants, as well as the medical management of acute radiation syndrome, could soon be dramatically improved thanks to a new mathematical equation developed by Japan's Nuclear Safety Research Centre.
	Increased efficiency and safety from new Formula 1 technologies The 66th Formula 1 season is about to get underway this week at Albert Park, in Melbourne, and a number of changes have been introduced this year.
	Software could help reduce leading cause of air fatalities Nicholas Kasdaglis, a Ph.D. student and research assistant in the Human-Centered Design Institute at Florida Institute of Technology, has been awarded use of cutting-edge design software that may allow him to better understand and eventually help minimize the leading cause of commercial aviation fatalities.
	Home-based, rather than public, chargers are key to increasing electric vehicles' popularity A Simon Fraser University Faculty of Environment researcher says a new study he conducted with graduate students has important implications for governments with limited budgets to support the electric vehicle market.
	KAIST introduces a new UI for K-Glass 2 that works with eye blinking Smart glasses are wearable computers that will likely lead to the growth of the Internet of Things. Currently available smart glasses, however, reveal a set of problems for commercialization, such as short battery life and low energy efficiency. In addition, glasses that use voice commands have raised the issue of privacy concerns.
	China's Alibaba drives into 'Internet car' industry Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba on Thursday joined the country's biggest auto maker with a plan to develop an Internet-connected car, following other non-traditional players such as Google making inroads into the industry.
	In pursuit of the perfectly animated cloud of smoke Simulations of impressive landscapes and alien creatures have become commonplace, especially in fantasy and science fiction films. But simulations are also appearing in ever more medical and engineering applications. However, the road to a perfect illusion is complex and time-intensive. Nils Thürey, professor at the Technische Universität München and his colleagues have developed a methodology that could accelerate these calculations.
	Computer scientists simplify parallel programming Modern software takes computational speed for granted. But modern microprocessors can only speed up by increasing the number of cores. To take full advantage of multiple cores, software developers have to arrange their code in such a way that it is executable in parallel—an error-prone and expensive task. Computer scientists from Saarland University have developed a tool that parallelizes the necessary code sections automatically, and also gives developers programming advice.
	Intel cuts 1Q revenue forecast, cites weak desktop PC demand (Update) Intel's stock fell Thursday after the giant chipmaker lowered its first-quarter revenue forecast, citing weak demand for business desktop PCs and a strong dollar that affects revenue from overseas sales.
	Twitter latest to ban 'revenge porn' Twitter has become the latest online platform to ban "revenge porn," or the posting of sexually explicit images of a person without consent.
	How short-term viral hits can transform a small business Fifteen minutes of Internet fame can create long-term riches for a small business.
	Microsoft seen as gaining in cooling tablet market Global sales of tablet computers will see only slim growth in 2015, in a further cooling of a segment that was red-hot two years ago, a market tracker said Thursday.
Lyft secures $530 mn to take on Uber Lyft has upped the stakes in its ambitious drive to take on Uber, saying Thursday it raised $530 million in a funding round led by Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten to fuel expansion in the US and abroad.
US dailies join 'micropayments' news startup Blendle Three major US daily newspapers announced plans Thursday to make their articles available through a Dutch-based startup pioneering the use of "micropayments" for news.
Woman behind Silicon Valley sex discrimination case on stand The woman behind a Silicon Valley sex discrimination case spent Wednesday under fire from an attorney trying to sink her multi-million-dollar case against a top venture capital firm.
To avoid collisions, self-driving cars must communicate Did you know some 33,000 people die and 2.3 million are injured in vehicle crashes in the U.S. each year?1 Researchers at Intel Labs are paving the road to a crash-free future with cars that communicate with each other.
	Thin cooling device for compact electronics Fujitsu Laboratories today announced the development of the world's first thin cooling device designed for small, thin electronic devices. Smartphones, tablets, and other similar mobile devices are increasingly multifunctional and fast. These spec improvements, however, have increased heat generated from internal components, and the overheating of localized parts in devices has become problematic. Fujitsu has developed a thin loop heat pipe, less than one millimeter thick, to solve this problem. This new device was developed using technologies for stacking metal sheets. It is capable of transferring approximately five times more heat than current thin heat pipes. This technology will make it possible for CPUs and other heat-generating components to run cooler and to avoid concentrated hot-spots inside devices.
	Cuba allows rare free public Wi-Fi at Havana cultural center Cuba has allowed the launch of the island's first known free, public Internet service at a Havana cultural center that quietly began offering open Wi-Fi in recent weeks.
	Research firm IDC cuts its outlook for PC sales in 2015 A research firm is forecasting a bigger decline in personal computer sales in 2015.

Chemistry news

	A 'warhead' molecule to hunt down deadly bacteria Targeting deadly, drug-resistant bacteria poses a serious challenge to researchers looking for antibiotics that can kill pathogens without causing collateral damage in human cells. A team of Boston College chemists details a new approach using a "warhead" molecule to attack bacteria—and spare healthy human cells—by targeting a pair of lipids found on the surface of deadly germs, according to a report today in the journal Nature Communications.
	Scientists have found a way to make the strongest spider silk fibers Researchers from UPM have used a technique that made popular the silk from Murcia in the 19th century. The new material can be used for regenerative medicine.
	3-D printer for small molecules opens access to customized chemistry Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists have simplified the chemical synthesis of small molecules, eliminating a major bottleneck that limits the exploration of a class of compounds offering tremendous potential for medicine and technology.
	Unique proteins found in heat-loving organisms attach to plant matter Unique proteins newly discovered in heat-loving bacteria are more than capable of attaching themselves to plant cellulose, possibly paving the way for more efficient methods of converting plant matter into biofuels.
	Perovskites can improve fabrication of ceramic electronics Scientists in Japan are finding that perovskites have the potential to improve the fabrication of electrodes and wiring in ceramic-based electronics such as spark plugs.

Biology news

	Loss of large predators tips ecosystem balance, according to study A new study has linked the size of predators atop a food chain with the ecological chain reaction triggered when they leave the head of the table.
	Secret to how plants regulate Vitamin C production proves surprising A QUT scientist has unravelled the way in which plants regulate their levels of vitamin C, the vitamin essential for preventing iron deficiency anaemia and conditions such as scurvy.
	Nature's inbuilt immune defense could protect industrial bacteria from viruses Findings from a new study that set out to investigate the evolution of immune defences could boost the development of industrial bacteria that are immune to specific viral infections. The study is published today in the journal Current Biology.
	Some genes 'foreign' in origin and not from our ancestors Many animals, including humans, acquired essential 'foreign' genes from microorganisms co-habiting their environment in ancient times, according to research published in the open access journal Genome Biology. The study challenges conventional views that animal evolution relies solely on genes passed down through ancestral lines, suggesting that, at least in some lineages, the process is still ongoing.
	The search for human pheromones "Do humans have pheromones?" asks a review published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B today. Professor Tristram Wyatt from the University of Oxford says that if we want to find out we need to start from scratch.
	Tiny magnets used to upset flight of fruit flies to study their abilities (w/ Video) (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers at Cornell University has found that fruit flies are able to right themselves during flight with unprecedented speed and agility. In their paper published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, physicists Tsevi Beatus and Itai Cohen and mathematician John M. Guckenheimer describe how they glued magnets to the backs of fruit flies to cause them to roll over in flight, and then recorded what happened with high-speed cameras.
	Researchers find hidden meaning and 'speed limits' within genetic code Case Western Reserve scientists have discovered that speed matters when it comes to how messenger RNA (mRNA) deciphers critical information within the genetic code—the complex chain of instructions critical to sustaining life. The investigators' findings, which appear in the March 12 journal Cell, give scientists critical new information in determining how best to engage cells to treat illness—and, ultimately, keep them from emerging in the first place.
Farming a threat to endangered Chinese giant salamander Researchers from ZSL and the Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, surveyed 43 farms in China and worked with the Shaanxi Province Fisheries Office to investigate the Chinese giant salamander farming industry. They found that, although only a decade old, the industry houses millions of animals and is a major contributor to the Chinese rural economy. The farming industry however, poses a number of threats to the Chinese giant salamander, but also has potential to benefit the species.
	Scientists transfer pathogen-sensing 'antenna' gene to wheat A team of scientists from the John Innes Centre (JIC), the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) have successfully transferred a receptor that recognises bacteria from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana - a dicot, to wheat - a monocot. They showed that the receptor can trigger a defensive response and confers increased resistance to bacterial disease. The research findings demonstrate that the signalling pathways or circuitry downstream of the receptor are conserved between evolutionary distant monocots and dicots.
	A majestic backdrop for marine research This time of year, performing field research in the Gulf of Maine often means braving the bitter cold. Such conditions were in full force on Feb. 24 when Northeastern graduate student Jessica Torossian headed north to check up on the blue mussels she's studying there. But on this day, biting chills also brought winter's beauty to her outdoor lab in the form of frost flowers, which can bloom on the surface of newly formed ice in extremely cold and dry conditions.
	Northern Colorado bison project uses high-tech breeding to halt disease and conserve an icon A seed herd of purebred American bison – offspring of the iconic native species in Yellowstone National Park – will be reintroduced this fall to a natural area at the hinge of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains after an agreement is finalized this week between Colorado State University and three government agencies.
	Why are cacti so juicy? The secret strategy of succulents Sunlight, harnessed by plants in the process of photosynthesis, powers almost all life on earth. Special adaptations allow certain plants to store up a battery of carbon dioxide overnight for use in photosynthesis during the day, giving them a juicy advantage in dry desert conditions.
	Cells target giant protein crystals for degradation Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan engineered a fluorescent protein that rapidly assembles into large crystals inside living cells, and showed that cells actively targeted the crystals for degradation. The unprecedented size and purity of these crystals allowed an analysis of the protein's structure directly within the intact cell. The researchers were able to observe the crystallization process and the cell's responses in real-time, potentially transforming the production and study of protein crystals.
	Super-resolution microscopes reveal the link between genome packaging and cell pluripotency A study using Super-resolution microscopy reveals that our genome is not regularly packaged and links these packaging differences to stem cell state. A multidisciplinary approach allowed scientists to view and even count, for the first time, the smallest units for packaging our genome. This study has brought together biologists and physicists from the Centre for Genomic Regulation and the Institute of Photonic Sciences, both in Barcelona.
	Social status has impact on overall health of mammals High social status has its privileges—when it comes to aging—even in wild animals.
	Fascist sperm busts DNA frontier Forensic experts in Italy said Thursday they had reconstructed the DNA of a national war hero and poet by analysing semen he left on a handkerchief given to a lover 100 years ago.
Multicolored CRISPR/Cas9 labeling system precisely measures distance between chromosomes, genetic elements A new "app" for finding and mapping chromosomal loci using multicolored versions of CRISPR/Cas9, one of the hottest tools in biomedical research today, has been developed by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. This labeling system, details of which were published in PNAS and first presented at the American Society for Cell Biology/International Federation for Cell Biology annual meeting in Philadelphia in December, could be a key to understanding the spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression by allowing researchers to measure the precise linear distance between two known points on different chromosomes or two locations on the same chromosome in live human cells.
	NOAA expands Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones marine sanctuaries off California Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones national marine sanctuaries off northern California will both more than double in size following a final rule released today by NOAA. The expansion will help to protect the region's marine and coastal habitats, biological resources and special ecological features.
	Noninvasively estimating the compactness of grape bunches in vineyards Researchers have developed a new computer vision system that helps to determine the compactness of bunches of grapes, a characteristic that strongly influences the quality of the grape and the wine. Their results have been published in the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, the most prestigious scientific journal in the world in the area of viticulture.
Government corruption in South Africa contributes to overfishing Bribery among government officials who inspect fishing along the coast of South Africa contributes to overfishing - this is shown in a new study. Aksel Sundström, PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, examines how corruption hampers the implementation of the regulations that are meant to keep fishing at sustainable levels.

Medicine & Health news

	You are when you eat: Limiting flies to specific eating hours protected their hearts against aging If you're looking to improve your heart health by changing your diet, when you eat may be just as important as what you eat. In a new study published today in Science, researchers at San Diego State University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that by limiting the time span during which fruit flies could eat, they could prevent aging- and diet-related heart problems. The researchers also discovered that genes responsible for the body's circadian rhythm are integral to this process, but they're not yet sure how.
	Ultrasound against Alzheimer's shows promise in lab animals Queensland scientists have found that non-invasive ultrasound technology can be used to treat Alzheimer's disease and restore memory.
	Stem cells lurking in tumors can resist treatment Scientists are eager to make use of stem cells' extraordinary power to transform into nearly any kind of cell, but that ability also is cause for concern in cancer treatment. Malignant tumors contain stem cells, prompting worries among medical experts that the cells' transformative powers help cancers escape treatment.
	Immune system-in-a-dish offers hope for 'bubble boy' disease For infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), something as simple as a common cold or ear infection can be fatal. Born with an incomplete immune system, kids who have SCID—also known as "bubble boy" or "bubble baby" disease—can't fight off even the mildest of germs. They often have to live in sterile, isolated environments to avoid infections and, even then, most patients don't live past a year or two. This happens because stem cells in SCID patients' bone marrow have a genetic mutation that prevents them from developing critical immune cells, called T and Natural Killer (NK) cells.
	Optogenetics without the genetics: Nanoparticles enable stimulation of normal, non-genetically modified neurons Light can be used to activate normal, non-genetically modified neurons through the use of targeted gold nanoparticles, report scientists from the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. The new technique, described in the journal Neuron on March 12, represents a significant technological advance with potential advantages over current optogenetic methods, including possible use in the development of therapeutics toward diseases such as macular degeneration.
	New work schedule could cure your 'social jetlag' Many of us are walking around all the time in a fog caused by "social jetlag." That's what happens when we lose sleep because our daily schedules don't match our bodies' natural rhythms. The condition can be a particular problem for shift workers, who work into the night or on a shifting schedule. Now, researchers report in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on March 12 that sleep and workers' general wellbeing could be improved if work schedules took workers' biological clocks into account.
	Intestinal gas could be used to diagnose diseases Microbes in the human body are estimated to outnumber human cells by 10 to 1, yet research on how they affect health is still in its infancy. A perspective article published by Cell Press on March 12th in Trends in Biotechnology presents evidence that gut microbes produce gases that may contribute to gastrointestinal diseases and could be used as biomarkers for one's state of health. As means to measure these potential biomarkers, the authors suggest two novel gas-sensing systems, one of which is an electronic gas sensor in the form of a pill you can swallow. These systems may offer a reliable and economical way to understand the impact of intestinal gases on human health, paving the way for the development of new diagnostic techniques and therapies.
	Researchers find T cells target dengue virus at the skin infection site (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers working in Singapore has found that human T cells actually target dengue viral infections in the skin, which is the normal infection site. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the team describes how they found that T cells in patients were able to recognize the dengue virus and also expressed a marker that caused them to move to the skin.
	New technique could lead to long-lasting localized stimulation of brain tissue without external connections Researchers at MIT have developed a method to stimulate brain tissue using external magnetic fields and injected magnetic nanoparticles—a technique allowing direct stimulation of neurons, which could be an effective treatment for a variety of neurological diseases, without the need for implants or external connections.
	Ebola outbreak of 2014 may have laid tracks for deadly measles epidemic in Africa The Ebola outbreak that has swept West Africa since 2014 may have cleared the way for a more familiar killer that could claim thousands of more lives—measles.
	Political liberals display greater happiness, study finds What does it mean to be happy? Is it how happy you say you are, or is it how happy you act? Previous research has found that political conservatives report being happier than political liberals. But UC Irvine psychologists have discovered that those on the left exhibit happier speech patterns and facial expressions.
Inflammatory factor IL-3 may play essential role in development of sepsis A new study finds that Interleukin-3 (IL-3), an inflammatory factor most associated with allergic reactions, appears to have an important role in the overwhelming, life-threatening immune reaction called sepsis. In the March 13 issue of Science, investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) describe finding that the presence of IL-3 is essential to the development of sepsis in a mouse model of the condition and that IL-3 levels in human patients with sepsis are higher in those at greater risk of dying.
Healthy eating, exercise, and brain-training A comprehensive programme providing older people at risk of dementia with healthy eating guidance, exercise, brain training, and management of metabolic and vascular risk factors appears to slow down cognitive decline, according to the first ever randomised controlled trial of its kind, published in The Lancet.
	Teen cannabis users have poor long-term memory in adulthood Teens who were heavy marijuana users - smoking it daily for about three years—had an abnormally shaped hippocampus and performed poorly on long-term memory tasks, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Air quality in nursing homes affecting lung health of residents The indoor air quality in nursing homes has a serious effect on the lung health of elderly residents, according to the findings of a new study.
	Healthcare at the touch of a finger A new fingerprint ID device gives healthworkers access to accurate patient records.
	Researchers track the body's biological activities to explain how genes make us who we are Keck Medicine of USC researchers in the lab of Peggy Farnham were key participants in the recent publication of a landmark collection of scientific papers related to mapping the DNA and histone modifications in human epigenomes and the ways that they coordinate the body's biological activities.
Therapeutic massage takes on cancer fatigue In a continuation of clinical trials related to the biological benefits of massage therapy, Emory researchers are currently studying how massage may help reduce fatigue in breast cancer patients.
Marijuana edible products need stronger regulation, experts say States that have legalized marijuana need to put strong restrictions on the drug's edible products, according to two Stanford law professors.
	New Ebola treatment trial starts in Sierra Leone A clinical trial of a potential Ebola therapy, led by Oxford University, is underway in Sierra Leone.
	Biomarker monitors testosterone therapy for osteoporosis That biomarker, an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase, can be checked through a test similar to a routine blood draw, making this type of screening preferable to the more expensive and invasive DEXA scan, which measures bone density through a specialized form of X-ray.
Research shows Native American mascots and logos hurt all ethnic groups A University at Buffalo social psychologist who specializes in the study of prejudice and stigma says that American Indian nicknames and mascots are not neutral symbols, and that their continued use by schools, professional sports teams and other organizations has negative consequences for everyone, not just Native Americans.
	Repeated exposure of children to secondhand smoke is child abuse, physician argues Purposefully and repeatedly exposing children to secondhand smoke—a known human carcinogen—is child abuse, according to an opinion piece written by Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Drawing from his experience as a family physician caring for families with children who have suffered severe respiratory illness due to secondhand smoke exposure, Dr. Goldstein says it is time for society—including doctors—to do much more. Dr. Goldstein argues his point in an essay published in the Point/Counterpoint feature in the March/April 2015 issue of Annals of Family Medicine.
Iron and zinc found to be a mood booster for women Deakin University health researchers have found that increasing iron and zinc intakes can help boost a woman's mood and memory and may be a way to address cognitive decline in old age.
	New immunotherapy drug 'fast-tracked' for melanoma patients A new immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab, has become the first treatment 'fast-tracked' for NHS patients with advanced melanoma, under a new Government scheme.
	NHS stop smoking services continue to save lives Stop Smoking Services run by the NHS in England saved as many as 18,000 lives in a year, a new report suggests.
	Discovery adds health benefits to common Canadian crops In addition to the nutritional value they already contain, common Canadian crops like canola and flax may soon have cancer-fighting benefits too.
	Researchers uncover a new way the body fine-tunes its immune response Microbiologists at the University of British Columbia have uncovered a novel mechanism that boosts B-cells' sensitivity to extremely small amounts of foreign molecules.
Creating a clean water economy It's been known since the late 1800s how to stop cholera, a waterborne infectious disease—clean water and safe sanitation are key—but that hasn't stopped it from spreading. In Haiti, more than 8,000 people have already died in a cholera epidemic that started 10 months after the massive 2010 earthquake. The disease was virtually unknown in Haiti until it was inadvertently introduced through the substandard sanitation practices of U.N. troops stationed there. The suffering caused by the disease highlighted a longstanding problem of access to clean water in the country.
Geography matters: Imaging overuse seen in certain US regions Where you receive medical care impacts many things - including whether or not you receive inappropriate medical tests, according to a new study.
Study examines association of inappropriate prostate, breast cancer imaging An association of high rates of inappropriate imaging for prostate cancer and breast cancer identified in a study of Medicare beneficiaries suggests that, at the regional level, regional culture and infrastructure could contribute to inappropriate imaging, something policymakers should want to consider as they seek to improve the quality of care and reduce health care spending, according to a study published online by JAMA Oncology.
	Germline TP53 mutations in patients with early-onset colorectal cancer In a group of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 40 or younger, 1.3 percent of the patients carried germline TP53 gene mutations, although none of the patients met the clinical criteria for an inherited cancer syndrome associated with higher lifetime risks of multiple cancers, according to a study published online by JAMA Oncology.
Cochlear implantation improved speech perception, cognitive function in older adults Cochlear implantation was associated with improved speech perception and cognitive function in adults 65 years or older with profound hearing loss, according to a report published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
	Scientists discover why some heart tissue turns into bone Researchers from the Gladstone Institutes have used human cells to discover how blood flow in the heart protects against the hardening of valves in cardiovascular disease. What's more, they've identified a potential way to correct this process when it goes wrong by flipping the switch on just a handful of genes. These findings may have implications for related conditions, like hardening of the arteries, which causes heart attacks and stroke.
	Spatial patterns of brain activity decode what people taste A team of researchers from the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam and the Charité University Hospital in Berlin have revealed how taste is encoded in patterns of neural activity in the human brain. Kathrin Ohla, the lead researcher on the team, said: "The ability to taste is crucial for food choice and the formation of food preferences. Impairments in taste perception or hedonic experience of taste can cause deviant eating behavior, and may lead to mal- or supernutrition. Our research aims to extend the understanding of the neuronal mechanisms of taste perception and valuation. This knowledge is essential for the development of strategies to moderate deviant eating behavior." The study was published in Current Biology.
	Evidence lacking for PT in patients with venous leg ulcers (HealthDay)—Further research is needed to understand the role of physical therapy in healing and quality of life (QOL) in patients with venous leg ulcers (VLUs), according to a systematic review published in the March issue of JAMA Dermatology.
	Guidelines provided for viscosupplementation in knee OA (HealthDay)—For patients with knee osteoarthritis, the evidence should be considered before recommending viscosupplementation, according to a case vignette study published in the March 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Patients with multiple conditions need early outpatient follow-up (HealthDay)—The timeliness of outpatient follow-up after discharge matters most for patients with multiple chronic conditions and a greater than 20 percent baseline risk of readmission, according to research published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
	Physicians should plan exit strategy in advance (HealthDay)—Physicians should begin planning their exit strategy three to five years in advance, according to the American Medical Association.
WHO urges stepped-up battle against hepatitis B The world can beat the liver-attacking hepatitis B virus, which results in some 650.000 deaths a year, the World Health Organization said Thursday, releasing its first treatment guidelines for the disease.
	Genetic test maker 23andMe launches drug R&D effort Google-backed genetic testing company 23andMe is launching its own drug development unit, betting that it can translate its database of customer DNA information into novel medicines.
	Footy knockout sparks lightweight helmet idea Graeme Attey can remember the moment when he came up with the idea to design a lightweight helmet to protect sportspeople.
	As glaucoma cases soar, researchers focus on solutions Ernest Murry saw glaucoma steal his mother's vision, just as it had robbed sight from many other family members. There was a time when it seemed the same might happen to him. "When I went outside to walk, I would have to pat in front of me to keep from falling," he says.
New study finds levels of TB in Irish travellers three times that of white Irish-born population A recent study by researchers from the School of Medicine in Trinity College Dublin in conjunction with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and the Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre has found a 3-fold higher rate of Tuberculosis (TB) in Irish Travellers than in the white Irish born population. The findings were recently published in the international journal Epidemiology & Infection (Cambridge University Press).
Low breast density in mammography worsens breast cancer prognosis Very low mammographic breast density worsens the prognosis of breast cancer, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. Disease free survivals as well as overall life expectancies were significantly shorter in women with very low-density breasts in comparison to women with high density breast tissue. The lower the breast tissue density, the less fibroglandular tissue there is compared to fat tissue.
'Mind reading' thanks to metaphors Observe whether two people use metaphors in conversation with each other if you want to guess how close they are as friends. Or sharpen your ability to tune into other people's emotional or mental states by observing the metaphors they use. Why is this? Because metaphors can in fact help one to 'mind read,' report Andrea Bowes and Albert Katz of the University of Ontario in Canada in Springer's journal Memory & Cognition.
Study bolsters 'turbocharged' protein as a promising tool in hemophilia gene therapy Using gene therapy to produce a mutant human protein with unusually high blood-clotting power, scientists have successfully treated dogs with the bleeding disorder hemophilia, without triggering an unwanted immune response. In addition, the "turbocharged" clotting factor protein eliminated pre-existing antibodies that often weaken conventional treatments for people with hemophilia.
Reaching '80 percent by 2018' would prevent more than 20,000 colorectal cancer deaths per year Increasing colorectal cancer screening rates to 80% by 2018 would prevent an additional 21,000 colorectal cancer deaths per year by 2030, according to a new study. The study is the first to estimate the public health benefits of increasing screening rates to "80% by 2018," a recent initiative from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT), a national coalition of public, private, and voluntary organizations, to aim for screening rates of 80% in the United States by 2018. The study is co-authored by American Cancer Society epidemiologist Ahmedin Jemal and appears in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
New protocol can help emergency departments evaluate patients with acute chest pain A recently developed risk-evaluation protocol can help hospital emergency department personnel more efficiently determine which patients with acute chest pain can be sent home safely, according to a randomized trial conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
	FDA wants more info on scopes linked to "superbug" outbreaks (Update) Federal health officials issued multiple announcements Thursday aimed at addressing growing safety concerns about medical scopes that have been linked to several recent "superbug" outbreaks.
Raising minimum age to buy cigarettes to at least 21 would reduce smoking and save lives Increasing the minimum age of legal access (MLA) to tobacco products will prevent or delay initiation of tobacco use by adolescents and young adults, particularly those ages 15 to 17, and improve the health of Americans across the lifespan, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The committee that conducted the study estimated the likely reduction in tobacco-use initiation that would be achieved by raising the MLA for tobacco products to either 19 years old, 21 years old, or 25 years, and used two tobacco-use simulation models to quantify the accompanying public health outcomes.
Statin guidelines miss middle-age patients and over-target seniors The newest guidelines for the use of cholesterol-lowering statins in people at risk of heart disease may be too generic, excluding middle-aged adults who could benefit from the drugs, and over-prescribing in older adults, according to a new study from the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
Age-related discrimination can add to healthcare woes Being discriminated against by the healthcare profession or system can cause much more than just mere distress to older people. Such experiences can literally be bad for their health. A national survey shows that one in every three older Americans who are on the receiving end of age-related discrimination in the healthcare setting will likely develop new or worsened functional ailments in due course. This follows a study1 led by Stephanie Rogers, a fellow in geriatrics at UC San Francisco in the United States, and published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine2, published by Springer.
Researchers develop database on healthy immune system An extensive database identifying immune traits, such as how immune cell function is regulated at the genetic level in healthy people, is reported by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators in the journal Cell. While many genetic risk factors have been linked to various diseases, including autoimmune disorders, how a genetic change causes susceptibility to a disease is not always clear. By studying healthy people, researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center, part of the NIH, and colleagues from King's College London have created a reference resource for other scientists.
	Largest review of clinical trials to assess risk of patients using Champix Findings from the largest review of clinical trials to date to determine whether patients prescribed the smoking cessation drug Varenicline (brand name Champix in the UK) are at an increased risk of neuropsychiatric events are published online in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) today. The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Bristol.
	Study details microRNA's role as a double agent during Hep C infection In the battle between a cell and a virus, either side may resort to subterfuge. Molecular messages, which control the cellular machinery both sides need, are vulnerable to interception or forgery. New research at Rockefeller University has revealed the unique twist on just such a strategy deployed by the liver-infecting Hepatitis C virus - one that may help explain the progression of liver disease and that the researchers suspect may be found more widely in the world of disease-causing viruses.
	Gene leads to malformation of the urinary tract An interdisciplinary team of researchers under the direction of the University of Bonn Hospital have discovered a gene which is associated with a rare congenital anomaly of the urinary tract called classic bladder exstrophy. It increases the likelihood that the urinary tract will not form properly during embryonic development. The finding is an important step for understanding the development of urinary tract malformations in general and for developing prophylactic measures. The results are published in the current online edition of the journal PloS Genetics.
	Predicting your risk of infection Research publishing this week in PLOS Computational Biology analyses the livestock trade in Italy and sexual encounters in a Brazilian prostitution service to find a correlation between loyalty and infection risk.
High cholesterol, triglycerides can keep vitamin E from reaching body tissues In the continuing debate over how much vitamin E is enough, a new study has found that high levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides can keep this essential micronutrient tied up in the blood stream, and prevent vitamin E from reaching the tissues that need it.
	Hospital ratings on social media appear to reflect quality of care, study says Social media has become an important way for institutions to communicate - both sending messages and receiving feedback - with clients and with the general public. Hospitals and other health care organizations use social media for a variety of purposes, but there has been little investigation of whether hospitals ratings that patients and other consumers submit via social media accurately reflect patient satisfaction or the quality of care delivered. A new study published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine finds a correlation between how hospitals are rated on Facebook's five-star system and how well they performed on a widely-used measure of quality care.
Distinct brain mechanisms related to dental pain relief Today at the 93rd General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, researcher Michael L. Meier, Center for Dental Medicine, University of Zürich, Switzerland, will present a study titled "Distinct Brain Mechanisms Related to Dental Pain Relief." The IADR General Session is being held in conjunction with the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and the 39th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research.
	Study shows why exercise magnifies exhaustion for chronic fatigue syndrome patients The mechanism that causes high-performance athletes to "feel the burn" turns out to be the culprit in what makes people with chronic fatigue syndrome feel exhausted by the most common daily activities, new University of Florida Health research shows.
In vitro effects of topical neuromodulatory medication on orofacial tissue Today at the 93rd General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, researcher M.J. Al-Musawi, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, will present a study titled "In Vitro Effects of Topical Neuromodulatory Medication on Orofacial Tissue." The IADR General Session is being held in conjunction with the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and the 39th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research.
	Boosting a natural protection against Alzheimer's disease Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a gene variant that may be used to predict people most likely to respond to an investigational therapy under development for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study, published March 12 in Cell Stem Cell, is based on experiments with cultured neurons derived from adult stem cells.
	More americans support vaccines: poll (HealthDay)—In the wake of the measles outbreak that has generated headlines for months, more Americans now say they have positive feelings toward childhood vaccinations, according to a new HealthDay/Harris Poll.
	US doctors, CDC join forces in new diabetes prevention effort (HealthDay)—Reducing the number of Americans with type 2 diabetes is a new mission shared by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the leading U.S. health agency, officials said Thursday.
	Long-term NSAID use beneficial in knee osteoarthritis (HealthDay)—For patients with knee osteoarthritis, long-term nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use is associated with improvements in symptoms and disease progression, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
	Single paravertebral blockade seems safe in herpes zoster (HealthDay)—For patients with acute thoracic herpes zoster (HZ), a single paravertebral blockade seems safe and effective, according to a study published in the March issue of Pain Practice.
	Health officials warn of blinding cases of syphilis on West Coast (HealthDay)—Health care providers on the West Coast need to look out for syphilis that can cause blindness, public health officials say.
	E-cigarette advertising makes one crave ... tobacco? Television advertisements for e-cigarettes may be enticing current and even former tobacco smokers to reach for another cigarette.
	Cancer drug promotes regeneration of damaged neurons Damage to the spinal cord rarely heals because the injured nerve cells fail to regenerate. The regrowth of their long nerve fibers is hindered by scar tissue and molecular processes inside the nerves. An international team of researchers led by DZNE scientists in Bonn now reports in Science that help might be on the way from an unexpected quarter: in animal studies, the cancer drug epothilone reduced the formation of scar tissue in injuries to the spinal cord and stimulated growth in damaged nerve cells. Both promoted neuronal regeneration and improved the animals' motor skills.
German biologist who denies measles virus exists ordered to pay A German biologist who promised to pay 100,000 euros to anyone who could prove that the measles was indeed a virus was ordered by a court on Thursday to hand over the money.
Depression in dads as well as moms causes anxiety and bad behavior in toddlers A father's depression during the first years of parenting - as well as a mother's - can put their toddler at risk of developing troubling behaviors such as hitting, lying, anxiety and sadness during a critical time of development, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
The origin of the lymphatic vasculature uncovered In a new study, published in Cell Reports, researchers at Uppsala University describe a novel mechanism by which lymphatic vessels form during embryonic development. The finding may open new possibilities for repairing damaged lymphatic vessels using stem cells.
Health app leads to quicker treatment for therapeutic blood donors A web-based app designed by Murdoch researchers in conjunction with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is changing the lives of thousands of patients suffering from iron disorders.
Liver-sparing operation associated with higher survival rates in cancer patients A surgical approach in which a surgeon removes less than a lobe of the liver in a patient undergoing an operation for liver cancer is associated with lower mortality and complication rates, according to new study results published online as an "article in press" in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS). The article will appear in print in the April issue of the Journal.
Health law hasn't cut insurers' rate of overhead spending Despite claims by the Obama administration that the Affordable Care Act will reduce health insurance companies' spending on overhead, thereby channeling a greater share of consumers' premium dollars into actual patient care, insurers' financial filings show the law had no impact on the percentage of insurer expenditures on such things as administration, marketing and profits.
'Low risk' bird flu outbreak at Dutch farm: official Dutch authorities have identified an outbreak of avian flu in chickens at a farm in the centre of the country that is likely a "low risk" strain, officials said Thursday.
The ACA may reduce ER visits (slightly) but doesn't affect hospitalizations Two patient groups created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - Medicare patients enrolled in federally designated patient-centered medical homes and people under age 26 who are allowed to remain on their parents' health insurance - had slightly fewer emergency department visits than they had before health care reform. However, there was no change in the rate of the most expensive types of emergency visits: those that lead to hospitalization.
	Can breastfeeding women have menopause-like symptoms? After giving birth, a woman's estrogen levels drop to lower than usual levels, and while they return to the normal range relatively quickly among women who are not breastfeeding, this hypoestrogenic state may continue in lactating women and cause menopause-like symptoms. The results of a new study comparing vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and mood changes in women who are or are not breastfeeding 3 and 6 weeks after giving birth are reported in Breastfeeding Medicine, the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
Sierra Leone sees worrying spike in Ebola cases over week Sierra Leone has seen a worrying spike in confirmed Ebola cases over the past week in four districts, the head of the national Ebola response center said Thursday.
Inflammation in the mouth and joints in rheumatoid arthritis Today at the 93rd General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, researcher Sheila Arvikar, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA, will present a study titled "Inflammation in the Mouth and Joints in Rheumatoid Arthritis." The IADR General Session is being held in conjunction with the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and the 39th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research.
Chronic kidney disease may increase certain risks during pregnancy Even mild kidney disease during pregnancy may increase certain risks in the mother and baby, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings may be helpful for guiding prenatal counseling and for monitoring women during pregnancy.
	UN tally of Ebola deaths passes 10,000, most in West Africa The World Health Organization marked a grim milestone Thursday in the biggest-ever Ebola outbreak, estimating that the virus had killed over 10,000 people, mostly in the West African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
	Powdered alcohol approved by US regulators (HealthDay)—U.S. regulators have approved a controversial powdered alcohol product called Palcohol, which is meant to be mixed into drinks.
American Ebola patient to be treated near US capital An American healthcare worker who has tested positive for Ebola will be treated at a government hospital near the US capital, Washington, officials said Thursday.

Other Sciences news

	Professor probes why only some researchers cross boundaries Whether it's crossing disciplines, breaking down silos or thinking outside the box, everyone's talking about boundary spanning as the key to solving the world's toughest problems.
	Unique tooth reveals details of the Peking Man's life In 2011, a tooth from the Peking Man was found in a box at the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University. In the latest issue of Acta Anthropologica Sinica, researchers at Uppsala University and a Chinese research institute have now published their analysis of the tooth. The discovery gives us new knowledge about one of the most mythical ancestors of the modern man.
	Humans adapted to living in rainforests much sooner than thought An international research team has shed new light on the diet of some of the earliest recorded humans in Sri Lanka. The researchers from Oxford University, working with a team from Sri Lanka and the University of Bradford, analysed the carbon and oxygen isotopes in the teeth of 26 individuals, with the oldest dating back 20,000 years. They found that nearly all the teeth analysed suggested a diet largely sourced from the rainforest.
	Study shows benefits, downsides of migration within developing countries Migrating within one's own country for a job is largely beneficial for members of poor rural households in developing countries, but it poses a challenge to informal "social safety nets" in those villages, according to new Stanford research.
	Boston is made for walking, study finds Metro Boston is on the leading edge of a national shift away from drivable suburban living and toward walkable urbanism, according to a report released Wednesday and co-written by researchers at Northeastern's Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy.
	Report on women's economic status reveals earnings are worse or unchanged A report released today by the Institute for Women's Policy Research reveals that in nearly half of all U.S. states, women's economic status has either worsened or remained unchanged in the last decade. Kentucky ranks in the bottom third.
	Archaeologists unearth centuries-old pretzels in Bavaria Archaeologists say two pretzels unearthed during a dig on the banks of the Danube in the German city of Regensburg could be more than 300 years old—and are little different to the doughy product available in the state's famous beer halls today.
Actresses must be picky about with whom they work to survive in movie industry Actresses need to be pickier than men about with whom they work if they want to survive in the movie industry, suggests a new study.
New evidence that increasing economic inequality rises out of political partisanship Political scientists at the University at Buffalo and Pennsylvania State University have published new research investigating how partisan differences in macroeconomic policy have contributed to substantial and rising economic inequality in the United States.
New report shows surge in marriages for same-sex couples The number of legally married same-sex couples in the United States has nearly tripled in the last year, according to data from Gallup analyzed by researchers at the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute. The new figures suggest that, as of February 2015, there are about 350,000 married same-sex couples in the country.
	Native food, native wisdom For people who have been connected to the land it comes from for thousands of years, food is more than just a collection of calories and nutrients. For Native Americans, traditional staples can define their identity and represent their relationship to the earth, wind and sky.
	Fantasy author Terry Pratchett dies at 66 Fantasy writer Terry Pratchett, creator of the exuberant, satirical "Discworld" series and author of more than 70 books, has died. He was 66.