Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Mar 11

The Phys.org team would like to share a valuable resource from this month's content sponsor, COMSOL.

Join COMSOL for this free webinar "From Model to Simulation Apps with COMSOL" and see how you can use simulation models to create custom applications. Register here: http://goo.gl/RFzYao

***************************************************

Phys.org Newsletter for March 11, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Researchers solve the mystery of the dancing droplets (w/ video) 
- The corrugated galaxy: Milky Way may be much larger than previously estimated 
- Study shows Saturn moon Enceladus' ocean may have hydrothermal activity 
- 'Quantum jitters' could form basis of evolution, cancer 
- Frankensquid creature roamed seas 480m years ago 
- Scientists use X-ray vision to probe early stages of DNA 'photocopying' 
- Iron-oxidizing bacteria found along Mid-Atlantic Ridge 
- Tetanus shot improves patient survival with brain tumor immunotherapy 
- Rett syndrome may result from overexpression of long genes 
- Epoch-defining study pinpoints when humans came to dominate planet Earth 
- Media portray unrealistic timelines for stem cell therapies 
- The physics of clouds: Experimental results disprove long-held ideas about turbulence 
- Silk could be new 'green' material for next-generation batteries 
- Saharan 'carpet of tools' is earliest known man-made landscape 
- Scientists reconstruct evolutionary history of whale hearing with rare museum collection 

Nanotechnology news

	Silk could be new 'green' material for next-generation batteries Lithium-ion batteries have enabled many of today's electronics, from portable gadgets to electric cars. But much to the frustration of consumers, none of these batteries last long without a recharge. Now scientists report in the journal ACS Nano the development of a new, "green" way to boost the performance of these batteries—with a material derived from silk.
	New formula for identifying suitable graphene substrate Physicists from Forschungszentrum Jülich have developed a criterion with which scientists can seek suitable substrate materials for graphene in a targeted way. Interactions with the substrate material often lead to a loss of the amazing properties that characterize this special form of carbon. Together with partners at other institutions, the scientists were able to demonstrate that the influence exerted by the substrate on the electronic properties of graphene can be estimated by means of a simple structural parameter. The related publication was chosen as the Editor's Suggestion of the journal Physical Review Letters.
	Graphene: A new tool for fighting cavities and gum disease? Dental diseases, which are caused by the overgrowth of certain bacteria in the mouth, are among the most common health problems in the world. Now scientists have discovered that a material called graphene oxide is effective at eliminating these bacteria, some of which have developed antibiotic resistance. They report the findings in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Physics news

	Researchers solve the mystery of the dancing droplets (w/ video) A puzzling observation, pursued through hundreds of experiments, has led Stanford researchers to a simple yet profound discovery: under certain circumstances, droplets of fluid will move like performers in a dance choreographed by molecular physics.
	Fractal patterns may uncover new line of attack on cancer Studying the intricate fractal patterns on the surface of cells could give researchers a new insight into the physical nature of cancer, and provide new ways of preventing the disease from developing.
	Shape shifting liquid metal able to propel itself through liquids (w/ video) (Phys.org)—A team of researchers at Tsinghua University in China has, according to a report in Newscientist, found a way to mimic, if only in a small way, the shape shifting robot in the Terminator movies. The team has published their findings in the journal Advanced Materials.
	Theoretical physicists design 'holy grail' of materials science Physicists of Utrecht University and their French colleagues have theorized the 'holy grail' of material science. It's a material that should exhibit a unique combination of the exceptional electronic properties of graphene with the important properties that graphene misses at room temperature. "If we manage to synthesize this 'holy grail' and it exhibits the theoretically predicted properties, a new field of research and applications opens up we can't fathom yet," says Prof. Cristiane Morais Smith from Utrecht University. Their findings are published in Nature Communications on 10 March 2015.
	Metamaterials used to make metamirrors capable of reflecting one frequency and ignoring all others (Phys.org)—A small team of researchers working at Aalto University in Finland has discovered a way to create "metamirrors" capable of acting on a single radiating frequency while allowing others to pass through. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the researchers describe how they embedded metamaterials in certain other materials allowing for the creation of metamirrors with interesting properties.
	New 2-color X-ray laser technique could reveal atomic detail of medically important proteins A unique X-ray laser innovation developed at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory may make it easier and faster for scientists to fully map medically important proteins whose structures have remained stubbornly out of reach.
	The physics of clouds: Experimental results disprove long-held ideas about turbulence In 1941, Russian physicist Andrey Kolmogorov developed a theory of turbulence that has served as the basic foundation for our understanding of this important naturally occurring phenomenon.
Largest-scale silicon photonic switch: Low loss optical design enables up to 2,500 switch elements on 1 x 1 cm chip Today's explosion of video and Internet data is driving unprecedented traffic demand within datacenters. With data transfer rates exceeding 100 gigabits-per-second (Gb/s), communication between servers requires optical switches with faster switching time (micro-to nano-second level), broader band operation, larger capacity for switching elements and lower energy consumption.
	Particle jets reveal the secrets of the most exotic state of matter Shortly following the Big Bang, the Universe was filled with a chaotic primordial soup of quarks and gluons, particles which are now trapped inside of protons and neutrons. Study of this quark-gluon plasma requires the use of the most advanced theoretical and experimental tools. Physicists from the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has taken one crucial step towards a better understanding of the plasma and its properties, and recently published the results of their latest analysis.
Physicists propose new classification of charge density waves LSU Professors in the Department of Physics and Astronomy Ward Plummer and Jiandi Zhang, in collaboration with their colleagues from the Institute of Physics, Beijing, China, have published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Vol. 112, pg. 2367) titled "Classification of Charge Density Waves based on their Nature." This work is a result of a collaboration funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Earth news

	Epoch-defining study pinpoints when humans came to dominate planet Earth The human-dominated geological epoch known as the Anthropocene probably began around the year 1610, with an unusual drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide and the irreversible exchange of species between the New and Old Worlds, according to new research published today in Nature.
	Iron-oxidizing bacteria found along Mid-Atlantic Ridge Bacteria that live on iron were found for the first time at three well-known vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, one of the longest undersea mountain ranges in the world. Scientists report that these bacteria likely play an important role in deep-ocean iron cycling, and are dominant members of communities near and adjacent to sulfur-rich, black-smoker hydrothermal vents prevalent along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These unique chemosynthetic communities live off the chemical components in the vent fluid, rather than sunlight used by their photosynthetic counterparts. This specialized group of iron-oxidizing bacteria, Zetaproteobacteria, appears to be restricted to environments where iron is plentiful, which suggests that these bacteria are highly evolved to utilize iron as an energy source.
	India-backed port won't dump dredge in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Plans to dump dredge waste in Australia's Great Barrier Reef as part of an Indian-backed port expansion have been shelved in favour of land disposal, Queensland state said Wednesday.
	Emissions reductions are thought to shift from emerging countries to advanced industrialized countries Taking into account real-world factors that affect investment decision-making could substantially increase estimates of the cost of limiting global warming. It could also shift some of the burden of cutting emissions from developing to industrialized countries. These are the central findings of a paper published today in Nature Climate Change, authored by the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI), the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, Resources for the Future and the University of California at San Diego.
	Water jets help mobile oil rigs move on The use of water jets to more easily extract the anchoring legs of mobile oil rigs from deep inside the ocean floor, allowing them to move to new worksites, is the focus of a study through the University of Western Australia.
	New instrument for NASA unmanned aircraft Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire have designed and built a new type of instrument for climate research that is capable of detecting and analysing microscopic airborne particles at altitudes twice as high as a commercial jet flies.
	Research submersible Alvin completes depth certification to 4500 meters The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announces that the Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin has achieved certification from the U. S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for operations to its rated depth of 4,500 meters (approx. 2.8 miles). Two certification dives were conducted in the waters off Arica, Chile, on January 26-27 from the research vessel Atlantis, to demonstrate vehicle performance. Navy representatives were on hand to monitor the process and participate in the dives.
	Concern over India plan to stop publishing smog data Environmental activists expressed concern Wednesday after Indian authorities said they would stop releasing raw air pollution figures for New Delhi, the world's most polluted city.
	Rapid coastal population growth may leave many exposed to sea-level rise The number of people potentially exposed to future sea level rise and associated storm surge flooding may be highest in low-elevation coastal zones in Asia and Africa, according to new projections published March 11, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Barbara Neumann from Kiel University, Germany, and colleagues.
	New research reveals low-oxygen impacts on West Coast groundfish When low-oxygen "dead zones" began appearing off the Oregon Coast in the early 2000's, photos of the ocean floor revealed bottom-dwelling crabs that could not escape the suffocating conditions and died by the thousands.
Group wants probe of whether Fla. banned climate-change talk Did Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration ban state environmental scientists from using the terms "climate change" and "global warming" in their work?
	TRMM sees large and more powerful Cyclone Pam, warnings posted The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite saw powerful towering thunderstorms in Tropical Cyclone Pam, indicating the storm was strengthening as it moved through the Solomon Islands. Pam has now triggered warnings in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Zealand.
	Satellite sees Tropical Cyclone Nathan begin circling near Queensland coast NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of Tropical Cyclone Nathan as it was beginning to make a cyclonic loop near the eastern coast of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula on March 11.
	Oil shipments to resume in pipeline that broke under river A Wyoming company is preparing to resume oil shipments through a pipeline that broke and spewed 30,000 gallons of crude into Montana's Yellowstone River, even as most of the spilled oil remains unrecovered.
	NASA captures birth of Tropical Cyclone Olwyn headed for northwestern Australia NASA's Aqua satellite saw newly formed Tropical Cyclone Olwyn nearing northwestern Australia on March 11 when it passed overhead. Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Nathan was threatening northeastern Australia.
	GPM satellite sees birth of Tropical Depression 3W in northwestern Pacific The third tropical depression of the northwestern Pacific Ocean typhoon season has formed in eastern Micronesia as NASA-JAXA's GPM satellite gathered rainfall data on the developing storm.

Astronomy & Space news

	Study shows Saturn moon Enceladus' ocean may have hydrothermal activity A new study by a team of Cassini mission scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder have found that microscopic grains of rock detected near Saturn imply hydrothermal activity is taking place within the moon Enceladus.
	The corrugated galaxy: Milky Way may be much larger than previously estimated The Milky Way galaxy is at least 50 percent larger than is commonly estimated, according to new findings that reveal that the galactic disk is contoured into several concentric ripples. The research, conducted by an international team led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor Heidi Jo Newberg, revisits astronomical data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey which, in 2002, established the presence of a bulging ring of stars beyond the known plane of the Milky Way.
	A grand extravaganza of new stars This dramatic landscape in the southern constellation of Ara (The Altar) is a treasure trove of celestial objects. Star clusters, emission nebulae and active star-forming regions are just some of the riches observed in this region lying some 4000 light-years from Earth. This beautiful new image is the most detailed view of this part of the sky so far, and was taken using the VLT Survey Telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile.
	Electric propulsion system improves maneuverability of small satellites Small satellites are becoming increasingly popular tools for Earth-imaging, communications, and other applications. But they have major control issues: Once in space, they can't accurately point cameras or change orbit, and they usually crash and burn within a few months.
	NASA to investigate magnetic explosions Magnetic reconnection could be the Universe's favorite way to make things explode.
	Comet mission in bid to contact dormant Philae probe Ground controllers will open a communications line Thursday with a robot lab perched on a comet zipping through space, hoping for signs it is alive, the European Space Agency (ESA) said Wednesday.
	Magnetospheric multiscale spacecraft poised for launch On March 12, NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft are scheduled to launch aboard an Atlas V rocket to begin a two-year investigation of one of the most basic and important physical processes in the universe—magnetic reconnection. The mission will fly four identical spacecraft in a pyramid formation, using the Earth's magnetosphere as a laboratory to study how the Sun's magnetic field merges with the Earth's magnetic field, explosively converting magnetic energy into heat and kinetic energy.
	UK skies set to dim in decade's deepest solar eclipse On 20 March a total eclipse of the Sun will take place, visible from the North Atlantic Ocean. Observers in the UK and Ireland will see a partial solar eclipse, with up to 97% of the Sun blocked out. This will be the deepest eclipse in the UK since 1999 and until 2026.
	Scientists will try to contact the Philae comet lander on March 12 Scientists from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will make the first attempt to contact the stranded comet lander Philae on Thursday Mar. 12. "The first attempt will take place already this week, on March 12," Stephan Ulamec, Lander Project Manager at DLR, told astrowatch.net. If we're lucky, the first signal will be received by ESA's Rosetta spacecraft at 05:00 CET. Philae came to rest on Nov. 12 2014 in a rather shaded location on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and it needs to receive sufficient energy before it can wake up.
	Have you ever used a camera on board an interplanetary craft? In May, the 'webcam' on board Mars Express will be available for public imaging requests. We're inviting schools, science clubs and youth groups to submit proposals for one of eight opportunities to image another planet.
	First-light images from NASA's soil moisture satellite revealed As severe weather hazards continue to afflict parts of the country to historic extremes, Professor Dara Entekhabi of the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and a team of NASA scientists provide an unprecedented resource to accurately observe moisture levels within the land for more precise prediction of weather and climate.
	NASA deploys satellite designed to re-enter atmosphere using revamped drag device NASA mission controllers confirmed that a small satellite launched from the International Space Station at 5:30 p.m. PST on Tuesday, March 3, has successfully entered its orbit, setting the stage to test technology that could enable rapid return of payloads from space. Over the next four weeks, the TechEdSat-4 satellite will deploy a second-generation exo-brake, an aerodynamic drag device, to perform a maneuver that will cause the satellite to de-orbit and re-enter Earth's atmosphere.
	In 'milestone' toward Mars, NASA test-fires rocket The most powerful solid rocket booster ever built was fired up for the first time Wednesday in a test that NASA described as a "significant milestone" toward Mars.
	Astronauts board Soyuz to return to Earth Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut on Wednesday boarded a Soyuz space capsule in preparation for their return to Earth after spending six months at the International Space Station.
	Sun emits significant solar flare The sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 12:22 p.m. EDT on March 11, 2015. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however—when intense enough—they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.

Technology news

	Beating bird wings generate electricity for data collector A technology that generates electricity from the beating wings of birds, bats or even moths could produce enough power to run a device that collects data – such as location, migration habits or vital physiological statistics – used by biologists.
Build your own Siri: An open-source digital assistant An open-source computing system you command with your voice like Apple's Siri is designed to spark a new generation of "intelligent personal assistants" for wearables and other devices. It could also lead to much-needed advancements in the datacenter infrastructure to support them.
	Solar Impulse 2 sets distance record Solar Impulse 2 has broken a distance record for solar-powered planes as part of its bid to be the first to circumnavigate the globe powered solely by the sun.
	Review: Google laptop impresses, but don't try it offline There's a lot to love about Google's new high-end Chromebook Pixel laptop: a vivid, high-resolution touch screen, powerful speakers and next-generation USB ports meant to standardize power chargers. All for $300 cheaper than the original model.
	Project Zero sheds more light on rowhammer problem Researchers have discussed exploits with some DRAM memory devices, allowing attackers access to target machines. That was a Tuesday report from Threatpost's editor-in-chief Dennis Fisher, who is also security evangelist for Kaspersky Lab Americas. This is the "rowhammer" problem; Fisher described it as a method for "repeatedly hammering on rows of cells of memory in DRAM devices to induce cells to flip from one state to another."
	Flying cars, robot petting zoo: It's South by Southwest time Flying cars and a robot petting zoo. Mobile wallets and net neutrality. The most outlandish ideas of the future and tech trends shaping the world today will be in focus as the freewheeling South by Southwest Interactive Festival kicks off Friday.
	EU parliament adopts law for safer, greener trucks The European parliament on Tuesday adopted a law allowing for longer heavier trucks as long as manufacturers build more aerodynamic, less polluting and less dangerous vehicles.
	Netradar: World's fastest mobile Internet in Denmark, Singapore and Switzerland People have the fastest mobile Internet connections in the world in Denmark (22.3 Mbit/s), followed by Singapore (16.9 Mbit/s), Switzerland (16.6 Mbit/s), Norway (14.8 Mbit/s) and Korea (13.0 Mbit/s).
	Unlikely allies fight for solar energy in Florida Florida is widely known as the Sunshine State but when it comes to harnessing solar power, lots of customers find it just doesn't pay because electricity is already cheap and there is little incentive to make the change from fossil fuels.
	Sony to launch PlayStation in China after delay Japanese electronics giant Sony will launch its PlayStation gaming console in China next week, it said after a more than two-month delay in officially selling its products to Chinese consumers.
	Security risks and privacy issues are too great for moving the ballot box to the Internet Contrary to popular belief, the fundamental security risks and privacy problems of Internet voting are too great to allow it to be used for public elections, and those problems will not be resolved any time soon, according to David Jefferson, who has studied the issue for more than 15 years.
	Solar plane pilots urge India to support clean energy drive The Swiss pilots of a solar-powered airplane on a historic round-the-world journey said Wednesday that they want the people of India to support their campaign for clean energy, a day after the aircraft landed in the country.
Slick mobile payments can rebound on retailers Research by two of the UK's leading experts on the social impact of technology shows that slick smartphone payment systems may boomerang on retailers.
Sweetie 2.0 software tackles online child sex abuse Tilburg professors Stefan Bogaerts (Clinical Forensic Psychology) and Bert-Jaap Koops (Regulation & Technology) are involved, in cooperation with children's rights organization Terre des Hommes, in upgrading Sweetie 1.0, the virtual minor girl that identified thousands of pedophiles on the internet. The Tilburg researchers are working on a new method (Sweetie 2.0) with which potential perpetrators of webcam sex with children on the internet can be more easily traced.
	Soon smartwatches will listen to your body to work out how you're feeling Final details of Apple's new smartwatch have finally arrived at the firm's glitzy Spring Forward event. But while the hype machine steps up another notch, there are other issues regarding health and self-tracking and, possibly even more important, over wearable tech companies' interest in our emotional lives.
	Technology for early detection of irregularities in motor functions using a sensory smart house Fujitsu announced it has developed a technology that uses sensors, embedded in smart houses and worn by patients, for the early detection of abnormalities in motor functions that might otherwise go unnoticed. Since July 2013 Fujitsu Laboratories, together with the Irish research institutions CASALA and Insight@UCD have implemented the KIDUKU Research Project, an initiative to provide health monitoring services and assisted independent living for senior citizens and patients who live in smart houses in Ireland. This project uses approximately 110 ambient sensors in a residence, along with body wearable sensors, to collect a vast array of data relating to a person's daily routine. In the past, there was no easy way to extract data related to signs of health decline and risks such as abnormal motor functions from vast amounts of data in a way that was meaningful to medical practitioners; it had also been difficult to make detections ! suited to individual circumstances.
	Computer scientists present guarantees for online anonymity Anonymity on the Internet is possible only up to a certain degree. Therefore, it is possible that others may see who is visiting an online advice site on sexual abuse, or who frequently looks up information about a certain disease, for example. Seeing that this kind of private information can be linked to their identity, users will often resort to special online anonymization services. One of the most popular tools is Tor. Since the beginning of the year, alone more than two million users have used it to anonymize their Internet connection data. These services will not only conceal browsing behavior, but also the identity of the user, and that of any other recipients. These will usually be other websites, but could also be another person. Tor works in a way that allows users to establish a connection that is then upheld through its own network. The Tor network comprises up to 6,000 servers, mostly run by volunteers, which computer scientists refer to as "nodes". And since every node only receives the minimal amount of data necessary to relay the information in question, it becomes far more difficult to de-anonymize both the transmitter and the recipient of the data.
It's sound—Bristol Pound encourages community unity There is a rapidly growing momentum driving the development of mobile payment systems. New research has shown systems, such as the Bristol Pound, can have a positive effect on the local community by encouraging consumers to support and value their local businesses.
	Court scraps Dutch data retention law, cites privacy concern (Update) A judge scrapped the Netherlands' data retention law Wednesday, saying that while it helps solve crimes it also breaches the privacy of telephone and Internet users.
	ResearchKit: 5 things to know about Apple's medical apps Amid all the talk of Apple Watch, a new MacBook laptop and a partnership with HBO, a set of Apple tools aimed at promoting medical research didn't get much attention. The tools, called ResearchKit, promise to help researchers study asthma, Parkinson's and other diseases by recruiting test subjects through iPhone apps.
	Apple reopens iTunes, App stores after lengthy outage (Update) Apple has restored service to its widely used iTunes and app stores after a rare breakdown Wednesday.
	FTC sues DirecTV, alleges hidden fees and deceptive ads The government is taking the nation's biggest satellite TV provider to court, accusing DirecTV of misleading millions of consumers about the cost of its programming.
Lights out for Weather Channel for Verizon FiOS customers Verizon has dropped The Weather Channel on its FiOS TV service and is instead carrying the new AccuWeather Network.
Toyota recalls cars, SUVs for steering, software issues Toyota is recalling 112,500 cars and SUVs to fix problems with electric power steering controls and electric vehicle software.
How secretaries of state handle classified information Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she never sent classified information through her private email account while she served as America's top diplomat, a claim that has been met with skepticism.
Google chief financial officer retiring Google chief financial officer Patrick Pichette is retiring after nearly seven years as one of the Internet titan's top executives.
	Visio.M Automotive Service Bus goes open source Up to 80 different systems putter around in many cars. The complexity has come to a limit. Within the "Visio.M" research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research with a total of 7.1 million euro, scientists at the Technische Universität München have developed a two-tier IT system that reduces this complexity drastically. Now the researchers put their 'Automotive Service Bus' under an open-source license.
Argentina to make military drones Argentina will manufacture locally designed military drones, according to an announcement Tuesday in the official government gazette.
Japan tourism site hit by pro-IS hackers A Japanese tourism agency said Wednesday its website was hijacked by hackers who displayed a message purportedly from the Islamic State (IS) group, less than two months after the group claimed to have beheaded two Japanese hostages.
	Recycling aircraft more efficiently The aviation industry is constantly evolving so that it can design lighter aircraft, reduce consumption and emissions and put in place more efficient recycling systems that allow the valuable materials used to build aircraft to be reused.
	Selfie stick bans go into effect at French, UK attractions (Update) "Selfie sticks" have now been banned at a French palace and a British museum, joining a growing list of global tourist attractions to take such measures.
	Toyota's 2015 Sienna climbs to best-selling van Toyota's Sienna, the best-selling family van in the country this year, has refreshed styling, stiffened vehicle structure, more safety equipment and new features for 2015.

Chemistry news

	'Quantum jitters' could form basis of evolution, cancer The molecular machines that copy DNA in a living cell are amazingly fast and accurate at pairing up the correct bases—G with C and A with T—into each new double helix.
	Discovery demystifies origin of life chirality phenomenon The origin of life is still a mystery with many unsolved puzzles. How were molecules created? How did they assemble into large structures? Among the conundrums, the "homochirality" phenomenon upon which amino acids and sugars form is particularly fascinating.
	New material captures carbon at half the energy cost UC Berkeley chemists have made a major leap forward in carbon-capture technology with a material that can efficiently remove carbon from the ambient air of a submarine as readily as from the polluted emissions of a coal-fired power plant.
	Polymers designed for protection Today's Soldiers rely on polymers as part of their protective systems. Polymers are molecular chains that can vary from a few linked monomers to millions of chemical units. With highly tunable properties and versatile processing they have become ubiquitous in use. In the defense community polymer fibers are particularly well known, especially polyamide fibers such as Kevlar and Nomex and polyethylene fibers such as Dyneema and Spectra. By combining good ballistic protection with a minimal weight penalty these materials have become commonplace in Soldier protection systems.
	Uncovering the effects of cooking, digestion on gluten and wheat allergens in pasta Researchers trying to understand wheat-related health problems have found new clues to how the grain's proteins, including gluten, change when cooked and digested. They report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that boiling pasta releases some of its potential allergens, while other proteins persist throughout cooking and digestion. Their findings lend new insights that could ultimately help celiac patients and people allergic to wheat.
How 3-D bioprinting could address the shortage of organ donations Three-dimensional bioprinting has come a long way since its early days when a bioengineer replaced the ink in his desktop printer with living cells. Scientists have since successfully printed small patches of tissue. Could it someday allow us to custom-print human organs for patients in need of transplants? An article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, explores the possibility.

Biology news

	Blue blood on ice: How an Antarctic octopus survives the cold An Antarctic octopus that lives in ice-cold water uses an unique strategy to transport oxygen in its blood, according to research published in Frontiers in Zoology. The study suggests that the octopus's specialized blood pigments could help to make it more resilient to climate change than Antarctic fish and other species of octopus.
	All creatures great and small: How the environment controls traits Until now scientists have believed that the variations in traits such as our height, skin colour, tendency to gain weight or not, intelligence, tendency to develop certain diseases, etc., all of them traits that exist along a continuum, were a result of both genetic and environmental factors. But they didn't know how exactly these things worked together. By studying ants, McGill researchers have identified a key mechanism by which environmental (or epigenetic) factors influence the expression of all of these traits, (along with many more).
	Method to find bad mutations may improve maize crops Cornell researchers have developed a way to predict bad mutations in the maize genome, addressing a major challenge for breeders trying to grow better crops and feed rising populations. The researchers found regions of the genome that were riddled with such unwanted DNA.
	New research shows that the Asian monsoon rains played a key role in the evolution of mammals New research has shown that the Asian monsoon rains played a key role in the evolution of mammals.
	Scientists reconstruct evolutionary history of whale hearing with rare museum collection A team of scientists from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History gained new understanding about the evolutionary history of whale hearing thanks to a rare collection of whales at the museum.
	Scientists use X-ray vision to probe early stages of DNA 'photocopying' Scientists at Johns Hopkins have created a 3-D model of a complex protein machine, ORC, which helps prepare DNA to be duplicated. Like an image of a criminal suspect, the intricate model of ORC has helped build a "profile" of the activities of this crucial "protein of interest." But the new information has uncovered another mystery: ORC's structure reveals that it is not always "on" as was previously thought, and no one knows how it turns on and off.
	Blue whales 'switch on' Antarctic song A team of Australian and New Zealand researchers has tracked scores of blue whales off Antarctica, eavesdropping as the world's largest animals began their rumbling song, which can be detected 750 kilometres (465 miles) away.
	Meat-eating plants stay the same on dining habits The manner in which a local carnivorous plant known as bladderworts (Utricularia volubilis) captures their meal does not influence the type of trapped algae and prey they consume, which is a method different to some other members of the Utricularia family, research has found.
	Climate change may draw gray whale back to Atlantic The effects of global warming are proving so severe that the gray whale, famous for its annual migrations along the Pacific Coast, could find its way back to the Atlantic Ocean, according to a new study co-authored by scientists at the Graduate Center.
	CT scanning shows why tilting trees produce better biofuel Imperial researchers have used medical imaging techniques to explore why making willow trees grow at an angle can vastly improve their biofuel yields. Using micro-CT scans, the team showed that the trees respond to being tilted by producing a sugar-rich, gelatinous fibre, which helps them stay upright.
Rather than being a one-way street, DNA-directed RNA transcription may have profound adaptability The central dogma of molecular biology describes the flow of genetic information. It was first described by Francis Crick in 1956 as one-way traffic: as: "DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein."
	Coco de mer performs 'parental care' and modifies its habitat Tourists are familiar with the Lodoicea maldivica palm, also called coco de mer, mainly because of their bizarrely shaped fruits. Scientists, however, are fascinated by the huge plants – which are abundant on the Seychelles islands of Praslin and Curieuse – for entirely different reasons.
	Leatherback sea turtles use mysterious 'compass sense' to migrate hundreds of miles Imagine yourself swimming in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic. The color blue dominates this part of the world - there's nothing to see but a vast expanse of water and sky in all directions. The winds are calm. The water is warm, clear and deep. You have a destination in mind, but how do you choose your direction, and maintain it, day and night, for thousands of miles? Without a compass or GPS for guidance, this would be an impossible task for a human being. Yet many marine animals routinely achieve this feat during their yearly migrations between breeding and feeding habitats.
	A sea change for ocean resource management Ocean ecosystems around the world are threatened by overfishing, extensive shipping routes, energy exploration, pollution and other consequences of ocean-based industry. Data exist that could help protect these vulnerable ecosystems, but current management strategies often can't react quickly enough to new information, said San Diego State University biologist Rebecca Lewison.
	Bomb-sniffing elephants? Not so nutty, US Army says Armed with a sharp sense of smell, dogs have a long history of detecting explosives for their human handlers. Trained rats sniff out land mines from old African wars. In Croatia, researchers have tried to train bees to identify TNT.
	A new species of tapaculo in South America From museum drawers to the new species list: tapaculos add to the biodiversity of the New World tropics! After being misidentified and sitting in a museum drawer for more than seventy years, a group of bird specimens collected in Colombia and Venezuela has been determined to represent a previously unknown species, now dubbed the Perijá Tapaculo (Scytalopus perijanus). In a new paper in The Auk: Ornithological Advances, Jorge Avendaño of the Universidad de los Llanos and his colleagues describe how the Perijá Tapaculo differs from the other birds in its genus in its genetics, appearance, ecology, and vocalizations.
	Understanding plants' immune systems could lead to better tomatoes, roses, rice Spring is just around the corner and for millions of Americans, that means planting a garden with plenty of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes. However, some of the plants will be infected by bacteria, leading to stunted growth and less nutritional value. Now, a University of Missouri research team has uncovered new regulations of defense pathways for plants. This discovery could lead to helping those home-grown tomatoes fight off certain bacteria better and has implications for pear trees, roses, soybeans and rice.
	Extracting 'gold' from fish and plant waste New industrial processing techniques are enabling us to obtain valuable proteins, antioxidants and oils from salmon and rapeseed waste. These extracts can be used in health foods, nutritional supplements and skin care products.
	Norway whale meat dumped in Japan after pesticide finding Whale meat imported into Japan from Norway has been dumped after tests found it contained up to twice the permitted level of harmful pesticide, the government said Wednesday.
	How to avoid seabird bycatch in the Mediterranean Night setting; bird scaring lines; weighted branchlines that sink rapidly; covering fish offal and bait on board so it doesn't attract seabirds to the boats; deck lights kept at the minimum level, and discards not thrown back into the sea. These are some of the best strategies to avoid seabird bycatch in longline fisheries in the Mediterranean, according to the "Manual de buenas prácticas en la pesca de palangre de fondo," a good practice guide by Jacob González Solís and Vero Cortés, experts in the Department of Animal Biology of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio).

Medicine & Health news

	Voices in people's heads more complex than previously thought Voices in people's heads are far more varied and complex than previously thought, according to new research by Durham and Stanford universities, published in The Lancet Psychiatry today.
	Team develops computer model explaining how brain learns to categorize New York University researchers have devised a computer model to explain how a neural circuit learns to classify sensory stimuli into discrete categories, such as "car vs. motorcycle." Their findings, which appear in the journal Nature Communications, shed new light on the brain processes underpinning judgments we make on a daily basis.
	Research shows that salt affects more than just blood pressure Sodium is essential for fluid balance and cellular homeostasis, or maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism. But the amount of salt needed to maintain homeostasis in adults is quite low—about 500 milligrams (mg) per day.
	New clues about the risk of cancer from low-dose radiation Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have uncovered new clues about the risk of cancer from low-dose radiation, which in this research they define as equivalent to 100 millisieverts or roughly the dose received from ten full-body CT scans.
	Brainpower peaks in different ways as people age, study finds (HealthDay)—For everyone over 40 who fears that their mind is slowly failing them, a new study suggests that older brains are better than younger brains in some ways.
	Drug restores brain function and memory in early Alzheimer's disease A novel therapeutic approach for an existing drug reverses a condition in elderly patients who are at high risk for dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found.
	Harder-to-abuse OxyContin doesn't stop illicit use A reformulation of OxyContin that makes it harder to abuse has curtailed the drug's illicit use. But some 25 percent of drug abusers entering rehab said they still abused the prescription painkiller despite package labeling that emphasizes its abuse-deterrent properties, new research indicates.
	Swine flu outbreak in India raises concern Since December, an outbreak of swine flu in India has killed more than 1,200 people, and a new MIT study suggests that the strain has acquired mutations that make it more dangerous than previously circulating strains of H1N1 influenza.
	Study shows two new flu strains do not yet easily infect humans Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have analyzed a key protein from two influenza strains that recently began causing sporadic infections among people in China and Taiwan.
	Media portray unrealistic timelines for stem cell therapies A new study by University of Alberta law researchers reveals sometimes overly optimistic news coverage of clinical translation of stem cell therapies—and as spokespeople, scientists need to be mindful of harnessing public expectations.
	Tetanus shot improves patient survival with brain tumor immunotherapy An innovative approach using a tetanus booster to prime the immune system enhances the effect of a vaccine therapy for lethal brain tumors, dramatically improving patient survival, according to a study led by Duke Cancer Institute researchers.
	Rett syndrome may result from overexpression of long genes Mutations in the methyl CpG binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) are the cause of the devastating childhood neurological disorder Rett Syndrome. Despite intense efforts spanning several decades the precise function of MECP2 has been difficult to pin down. Research primarily funded by the Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT) and the National Institutes of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS), and published today in the journal Nature reveals important information that could lead to new treatment approaches. The study, led by Michael Greenberg, Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard University, shows that MECP2 dampens the expression of long genes.
	Experts sound warning over flu dangers in China, India Scientists sounded warnings Wednesday over H7N9 bird flu in China and the H1N1 strain of swine flu in India that have jointly claimed more than 1,700 lives.
	Network theory sheds new light on origins of consciousness Where in your brain do you exist? Is your awareness of the world around you and of yourself as an individual the result of specific, focused changes in your brain, or does that awareness come from a broad network of neural activity? How does your brain produce awareness?
Alternative way to pay for expensive drugs may be needed, analysis says In an era of $1,000-a-pill medications, a new approach may be needed to finance an emerging breed of highly expensive pharmaceuticals and vaccines, according to a new RAND Corporation analysis.
Naproxen plus acid blocking drug shows promise in preventing bladder cancer The anti-inflammatory class of drugs NSAIDs have shown great promise in preventing cancers including colon, esophagus and skin. However, they can increase the risks of heart attacks, ulcers and rare but potentially life-threatening bleeds.
	Researchers identify control mechanism for glutamine uptake in breast cancer cells Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have discovered a mechanism that explains why some breast cancer tumors respond to specific chemotherapies and others do not. The findings highlight the level of glutamine, an essential nutrient for cancer development, as a determinant of breast cancer response to select anticancer therapies, and identify a marker associated with glutamine uptake, for potential prognosis and stratification of breast cancer therapy.
One in six college students misuse ADHD stimulant drugs Getting into trouble with drugs is one way to derail a promising future, and a lot more than traffickers in hard narcotics are engaging in risky behavior on university campuses. A recent literature review published by researchers at the University of South Carolina shows that one in six college students misuse common stimulant medications prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Given that Ritalin, Adderall and their ilk are Schedule II controlled substances—the same as cocaine and methamphetamine—a lot of young adults are flirting with potentially serious legal jeopardy.
	Brain development controlled by epigenetic factor McGill researchers have discovered, for the first time, the importance of a key epigenetic regulator in the development of the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with learning, memory and neural stem cells. Epigenetic regulators change the way specific genes function without altering their DNA sequence. By working with mutant mice as models, the research team, led by Prof. Xiang-Jiao Yang, of McGill's Goodman Cancer Center & Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Center, was able to link the importance of a specific epigenetic regulator known as BRPF1 to the healthy development of a region in the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus.
	Researchers discover new signaling pathway in embryonic development During pregnancy, the mother supplies the fetus with nutrients and oxygen via the placenta. If placental development is impaired, this may lead to growth disorders of the embryo or to life-threatening diseases of the mother such as preeclampsia, a serious condition involving high blood pressure and increased urinary protein excretion. Now, Dr. Katharina Walentin and Professor Kai Schmidt-Ott of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have discovered a new molecular signaling pathway which regulates the development of the placenta. Perturbations of this pathway in mice cause developmental defects of the placenta.
	Age of death for retirees will cluster in the early 90s, study says Age at death will increasingly cluster in the 90s and the life expectancy of men and women will converge, according to a study by academics from Cass Business School in partnership with the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC UK). Over the coming decades, men in particular will live longer, increasing the need for the country to face the challenges of an ageing society.
	Strengthening Native American families to improve children's health Strengthening Native American families will help improve their children's health—that's the premise behind a research study targeting 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds and their caregivers on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Unituxin approved for deadly pediatric cancer (HealthDay)—Unituxin (dinutuximab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat children with high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that most often affects children aged five and under.
	Outcomes vary with transcatheter valve surgery (HealthDay)—Of more than 12,000 patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement, nearly one-quarter died within a year, while roughly 4 percent had a stroke, new research reveals. However, almost half who survived past one year weren't re-hospitalized in that time, while less than one-quarter were readmitted once. The research findings were reported in the March 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	Dark neural patches in the neostriatum Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University's Brain Mechanisms for Behaviour Unit have found a surprise upon mapping the precise connectivity inside a brain structure called the neostriatum. The cell groups here do not seem to be talking to each other, and are less interdependent in their functioning than previously suspected. Their findings were published in Brain Structure and Function.
	Researchers tap stem cells to heal rotator cuff injuries He's shirtless when he steps into the camera frame, late 30s, brown hair with a mustache. He swings his arms out to the side and back down, then straight up and down.
	Scientists sequence genome of classical Hodgkin lymphoma A team of researchers has sequenced the genome of classical Hodgkin lymphoma, illuminating exactly which proteins are altered in individual patients. The findings could pave the way to delivering personalized treatments and more effective options, since current treatments can be toxic and don't work for nearly 20 percent of patients diagnosed with the disease.
	Considerable potential savings with generic medicines Substituting branded medications with drugs containing the same active ingredients (generics) can save considerable amounts of money. A study at the Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems (CeMSIIS) at the MedUni Vienna in cooperation with the Main Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions, has calculated the potential savings from generic medications used in the treatment of common conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes mellitus. The potential annual financial savings for health insurance companies stand at around 18 per cent, equating to tens of millions of Euros.
	Limited self-renewal of stem cells in the brain Stem cells in the brain can produce neurons and are consequently seen as a hope for treatment. A team of researchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum München and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) has now discovered that the self-renewal rate of the stem cells is however limited, explaining why their number drops over the course of a lifetime. This work now sets the basis for further investigation of the signalling pathways that maintain the stem cells. The results have been published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
	Environmental factors that modulate childhood allergy risk A number of factors that have a decisive impact on the likelihood that young children will develop asthmatic conditions or allergies have been identified in recent years. However, the mechanisms that account for their effects remain largely obscure. A new article written by LMU pediatricians and immunologists from Dr. von Hauner's Children's Hospital, in collaboration with colleagues from Finland and China, now presents an up-to-date review of the issue. In the paper, the authors subject eight previously published studies, based on work done in various countries on several continents, to critical reappraisal. The data reported in these studies provide a comprehensive picture of the living conditions of tens of thousands of children in both rural and urban settings, and enables a comparative analysis of the environmental factors that determine allergy risk. The article has just appeared in the journal Pediatric Allergy Immunology.
	Health experts find no evidence homeopathy works, again There's no reliable evidence that health conditions can be effectively treated with homeopathic medicine, according to a statement by the National Health and Medicine Research Council (NHMRC) released today.
	Vagus nerve stimulation shows promise for stroke rehabilitation An experimental technique to help stroke patients regain the use of their arms has shown promising results in a small-scale trial.
Effectiveness of point of care diagnostics for schistosomiasis Researchers from the Cochrane Infectious Disease Group, hosted at LSTM, have conducted an independent review to assess how well point of care tests detect Schistosoma infections in people living in endemic regions.
	Could flexible working hours be the answer to the sleep loss epidemic? It is estimated that around 30% of adults do not get enough sleep on a regular basis. To put it another way, their sleep need – the actual amount of sleep an individual needs to feel rested and function at their best – is not being met.
Researchers identify gene linked with early epilepsy Certain types of early-onset epilepsy are caused by previously unknown mutations of a potassium channel gene, KCNA2. The mutations disrupt the electrical balance in the brain in two ways. In some patients, the flow of potassium is greatly reduced; while in others, it is raised enormously. Both states can lead to hard-to-treat epileptic seizures. Mental and motor development can come to a stop, or even to regress. These findings were made by a group of European scientists led by researchers at the Universities of Leipzig and Tübingen. Their results are published in the latest Nature Genetics.
Physicians and patients overestimate risk of death from acute coronary syndrome Both physicians and patients overestimate the risk of heart attack or death for possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as well as the potential benefit of hospital admission for possible ACS.
	Religion and support for birth control health coverage can mix New research debunks the assumption that a woman's religion predicts her views on policies affecting reproductive health care such as insurance coverage for birth control.
	Study reveals sexual appeal of war heroes Women are more attracted to war heroes than regular soldiers or men who display heroic traits in other fields, such as in sports or natural disaster work, according to new research from the University of Southampton and partners in Europe. The findings also suggest that men did not find heroism to be a sexually attractive trait in women.
	Brain processes ongoing pain more emotionally A momentary lapse of concentration is all it takes for a finger to become trapped or sprain an ankle - and it hurts. Pain is the body's protective mechanism and a complex neurological phenomenon. Moreover, ongoing pain in the sense of chronic pain can be a disease. Scientists from Technische Universität München (TUM) have now demonstrated that already during a few minutes of ongoing pain, the underlying brain activity changes by shifting from sensory to emotional processes.
A molecular cause for selective effectiveness of parvovirus therapy discovered Parvoviruses are a class of viruses that normally infect rodents; in humans, they do not cause any disease symptoms. However, they are able to infect and kill cancer cells. The details behind this biological selectivity on the part of the viruses have not been understood until now. "Since the viruses might soon play a role in cancer medicine, it is important to know why they replicate exclusively in tumor cells in humans," says virologist Dr. Jürg Nüesch from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ).
	Promising Alzheimer's treatment moves toward clinical trials A promising new natural treatment for Alzheimer's disease is moving toward clinical trials. This will be a major step forward as there is nothing on the market that slows the progression of Alzheimer's.
	Urging HPV vaccine for boys could protect more people at same price A Duke University study proposes a strategy to better use limited public health care dollars for protecting more people from a sexually transmitted infection called human papillomavirus (HPV) and the cancers it can cause.
	Psychosocial phone counseling aids cervical cancer survivors (HealthDay)—A psychosocial telephone counseling (PTC) intervention can be beneficial for cervical cancer survivors, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Study shows even injured kidneys can be used for transplants Kidneys from deceased donors that have acute injuries are frequently discarded instead of being used for transplant. However, a Yale-led study finds that such kidneys may be more viable than previously thought, and should be considered to meet the growing demand for organ transplants.
Finding strengths—and weaknesses—in hepatitis C's armor Using a specially selected library of different hepatitis C viruses, a team of researchers led by Johns Hopkins scientists has identified tiny differences in the pathogens' outer shell proteins that underpin their resistance to antibodies. The findings, reported in the January 2015 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest a reason why some patients' immune systems can't fend off hepatitis C infections, and they reveal distinct challenges for those trying to craft a successful vaccine to prevent them. Due to concerns about the rising costs of newly available hepatitis C drugs, researchers are looking to a vaccine as a more viable and less costly option.
	Therapeutic exercise lessens lung injury and muscle wasting in critically ill patients Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening lung condition that affects approximately 200,000 people a year in the United States and has a higher mortality rate than breast and prostate cancer combined. The condition most often occurs in people who are critically ill or who have significant injuries; those who do survive it often experience profound skeletal muscle weakness.
Gender and race influences when teens start drinking, smoking and doing drugs Cigarette use among white teenagers is substantially higher than among black and Hispanic teenagers, especially at 18 years old, according to Penn State researchers. Alcohol and marijuana use are also higher in white teenagers, and the numbers continue to increase until age 20. Throughout their 20s, blacks and Hispanics are more likely to pick up a cigarette-smoking habit, while the numbers start to decrease for whites.
Researchers develop tool to understand how the gut microbiome works Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Columbia University in the United States have developed a way to study the functions of hard-to-grow bacteria that contribute to the composition of the gut microbiome. The new method is published in the journal Molecular Systems Biology.
Canada measles outbreak spreads A measles outbreak linked to a flareup of the virus in the United States has spiked in neighboring Canada's Quebec province to 119 cases, health officials said Wednesday.
	Brain waves predict our risk for insomnia There may not yet be a cure for insomnia, but Concordia University researchers are a step closer to predicting who is most likely to suffer from it—just in time for World Sleep Day on March 13.
	Study shows feasibility of blood-based test for diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease UCLA researchers have provided the first evidence that a simple blood test could be developed to confirm the presence of beta amyloid proteins in the brain, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
	Repairing the cerebral cortex: It can be done A team led by Afsaneh Gaillard (Inserm Unit 1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, University of Poitiers), in collaboration with the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research in Human and Molecular Biology (IRIBHM) in Brussels, has just taken an important step in the area of cell therapy: repairing the cerebral cortex of the adult mouse using a graft of cortical neurons derived from embryonic stem cells. These results have just been published in Neuron.
Underlying subfertility may affect ART birth outcomes, study finds Birth outcomes for babies whose mothers used assisted reproductive technology (ART) are better in some cases, and worse in others, than for subfertile women who did not use ART, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers.
	Meta-study shows that the experience of time is altered in depression Time perception is highly subjective and usually depends on the relevant situation so that, for instance, your sense of how fast or slow time is passing can be influenced by whether you are waiting for something or if a deadline is approaching. Patients suffering from depression appear to experience time differently than healthy individuals. Statements made by corresponding patients indicate that for them time seems to pass extremely slowly or even stands still.
	Meat industry fights new dietary proposal The meat industry is seeing red.
	Specialty drugs save lives, come with daunting price tags Mati Munoz lost her liver to hepatitis C, and the virus was attacking its transplanted replacement last year when her doctor prescribed a drug combination that could save the organ.
	Molecules in prostate tumors might predict whether RT can help prevent recurrence A new study has identified a group of molecules in prostate-cancer cells that doctors might one day use to distinguish which patients should be treated with radiation therapy if rising PSA levels indicate their cancer has recurred after surgical removal of the prostate.
	Exercise may help keep seniors moving longer despite old age brain decline Older people who are physically active may be protecting themselves from the effects of small areas of brain damage that can affect their movement abilities, according to a new study published in the March 11, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
	Could yoga lessen prenatal depression? In a small pilot study, researchers at Brown University, Butler Hospital, and Women & Infants' Hospital have found evidence suggesting that yoga could help pregnant women with significant depression reduce the severity of the mood disorder.
	Scientists find a new beta cell maturation step triggered by weaning from milk to chow A long-standing puzzle in the diabetes field has been the fact that only a small subset of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas of adult organisms can replicate (and hence contribute to beta cell regeneration in diabetes). Furthermore, this subset of replicating cells continues to decline with advancing age.
	Prescription for living longer: Spend less time alone Ask people what it takes to live a long life, and they'll say things like exercise, take Omega-3s, and see your doctor regularly.
Babies' body mass index may predict childhood obesity Body mass index (BMI) during infancy may help to predict if a child will be obese by age four. In a study focused on the infant BMI-childhood obesity relationship in a cohort with a majority of African-American children, researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) say that a better understanding of infant growth patterns may lead to more effective early efforts at obesity prevention.
	Rat brains point to lead's role in schizophrenia A study of the brains of rats exposed to lead has uncovered striking similarities with what is known about the brains of human schizophrenia patients, adding compelling evidence that lead is a factor in the onset of schizophrenia.
	Ebola-infected sewage may require longer holding period Storing Ebola-infected sewage for a week at 86° Fahrenheit or higher should allow enough time for more than 99.99 percent of the virus to die, though lower ambient temperatures may require a longer holding period, according to a new study by researchers at Georgia State University's School of Public Health.
Britain votes for plain cigarette packaging British lawmakers on Wednesday voted in favour of forcing tobacco firms to sell cigarettes in plain packaging despite fierce opposition from the industry.
	Exercise perfusion CT imaging IDs coronary stenosis (HealthDay)—For patients suspected of having hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis, exercise computed tomography (CT) myocardial perfusion imaging is feasible and accurate, according to a study published in the March issue of Radiology.
	CVD risk up with androgen deprivation Tx in prostate cancer (HealthDay)—For men with prostate cancer (PCa), the risk for incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), according to a study published online March 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Persistent EHR nonadoption could mean lower payment (HealthDay)—Persistent nonadopters of electronic health records (EHRs) tend to be older, and are employed in smaller practices, according to a letter published in the March 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	More than half of angiograms for IHD deemed appropriate (HealthDay)—More than half of coronary angiographic studies done to investigate suspected ischemic heart disease (IHD) would be classified as appropriate according to the 2012 appropriate use criteria for diagnostic catheterization (AUC). The findings were published in the March 10 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Age, race may affect Tx decision regret in prostate cancer (HealthDay)—Age, race, and other factors may influence treatment decisional regret among men with prostate cancer, according to research published online March 3 in Cancer.
	Frustrated by regulations, doctors increasingly miserable (HealthDay)—The nationwide Physician Misery Index is 3.7 out of 5, with the vast majority of physicians reporting that the business and regulation of health care has worsened the practice of medicine, according to a report published by Geneia.
	Study explores in vivo role of ubiquinone in mouse model (HealthDay)—Ubiquinone (UQ) does not act as an antioxidant in vivo, and partial restoration of UQ levels and mitochondrial function can reverse severe disease phenotypes and shortened lifespan, according to an experimental study published online March 6 in Nature Communications.
	Steroids rapidly restore blood-brain barrier function after blast Barclay Morrison III, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, has led the first study to determine underlying biological mechanisms that promote functional recovery of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after blast injury. The research demonstrates that treatment with the glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, after primary blast injury promotes rapid recovery of an in vitro model of the BBB, a highly restrictive semi-permeable barrier whose primary function is to maintain the brain's microenvironment and protect it from potentially toxic substances. The study is published in the March 11 Advance Online Publication of the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism.
	When should blood transfusions be given after cardiac surgery? New research has shown that patients having heart surgery do not benefit if doctors wait until a patient has become substantially anaemic before giving a transfusion.
Clinical trial sponsors fail to report results to participants, public Despite legal and ethical mandates for disclosure, results from most clinical trials of medical products are not reported promptly on a registry specifically created to make results of human studies publically available, according to Duke Medicine researchers.
New mums more satisfied after giving birth in a public hospital Women who give birth in a public hospital are more confident parents compared to women who have babies privately, a new Australian study has found.
Examining Africans' kidney disease World Kidney Day, celebrated on 12 March 2015, is commemorated to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
How changes in body weight affect the human metabolism Until now there have been few molecular epidemiological studies regarding the effects of weight changes on metabolism in the general population. In a recent study conducted and funded within the framework of the Competence Network Obesity, researchers at the Institute of Epidemiology II at Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU) evaluated molecular data of the KORA study.
	Telemedicine allows UTHealth to enroll patients remotely into acute stroke trial For the first time in the world, researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) were able to enroll patients at other hospitals into an acute stroke clinical trial.
	Are social networks helpful or harmful in long-distance romantic relationships? Social network sites such as Facebook play an important role in maintaining relationships, including romantic relationships, whether individuals are involved in a geographically close or long-distance romantic relationship. A new study that compares the relative importance of social networks and explores the role they play in helping to maintain a close-by versus a long-distance romantic relationship is published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
British Psychological Society report challenges received wisdom about mental illness 21st March 2015 will see the US launch of the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology's ground-breaking report 'Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia'.
Concurrent chemoradiation treatment at high-volume facilities improves survival for NSCLC Patients treated with definitive concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CCRT) for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have longer overall survival when treated by highly experienced facilities, whether or not they are academic or community cancer centers.
Arkansas poultry officials say avian flu found in turkeys Arkansas poultry officials say a strain of avian flu has been detected in a commercial turkey flock in the northern part of the state and that the sick birds are being destroyed.
Briton diagnosed with Ebola in Sierra Leone: London A British healthcare worker has been diagnosed with Ebola in Sierra Leone, authorities in London said Wednesday, adding that no decision had yet been taken on whether to transfer the person to Britain for care.
Treatment outlook for adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy move from grim to good Newly published research led by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) and Tufts Medical Center in Boston shows that implantable defibrillators (ICDs), along with other modern treatments, have reduced mortality rates and are helping patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) live longer, including normal life expectancy. This research "changes our perceptions of HCM from a grim, unrelenting, and largely untreatable condition to a contemporary disease with effective treatment options and a low rate of death," states Dr. Barry Maron, lead researcher and Director of the HCM Center at MHIF. Dr. Maron will present the results of the study at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) conference in San Diego, CA on March 14.
No new Ebola cases in Liberia for more than two weeks: WHO No new case of the deadly Ebola virus has been registered in Liberia since February 19, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, also hailing positive signs in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Endo Intl. tops Valeant's offer for fellow drugmaker Salix (Update) Specialty drugmaker Endo International PLC is trying to lure Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. with an offer Endo said is worth 11 percent more than the $10 billion Salix has agreed to accept from serial acquirer Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.
Record numbers join Swiss euthanasia organisation The Swiss right-to-die organisation Exit that helps with assisted suicides on Wednesday said its membership reached a record high in 2014 with the number of applicants increasing by 20 percent.

Other Sciences news

	Frankensquid creature roamed seas 480m years ago A 480-million-year-old relative of the lobster, cockroach and tarantula was a sea monster which snared food with spine-covered protrusions on its head, researchers said Wednesday.
	Professors expose the 'uncomfortably common' practice of coercive citation In today's highly competitive world, everyone wants to get ahead. But at what cost? That's the question Dr. Eric Fong, associate professor of management at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), had to ask himself at a pivotal time in his academic career.
	Math model helps explain how conformity works (Phys.org)—A pair of anthropologists has come up with a math model to help better understand individual conformity and how it relates to groups and societies as a whole. In their paper published in Royal Society Open Science, Paul Smaldino and Joshua Epstein with Johns Hopkins University describe the mathematical model they created to help show why it is that so often those who attempt to look or behave differently, wind up looking or behaving the same as others—the so-called hipster paradox.
	Slime mould builds an ancient road network Scientists from Greece and the UK have used slime moulds to help look back to a period from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD when Roman roads were being built in the Balkans.
	Fossil skull sheds new light on transition from water to land The first 3D reconstruction of the skull of a 360 million-year-old near-ancestor of land vertebrates has been created by scientists from the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge, UK. The 3D skull, which differs from earlier 2D reconstructions, suggests such creatures, which lived their lives primarily in shallow water environments, were more like modern crocodiles than previously thought.
	Saharan 'carpet of tools' is earliest known man-made landscape A new intensive survey of the Messak Settafet escarpment, a massive outcrop of sandstone in the middle of the Saharan desert, has shown that stone tools occur "ubiquitously" across the entire landscape: averaging 75 artefacts per square metre, or 75 million per square kilometre.
	Neandertals modified white-tailed eagle claws 130,000 years ago Krapina Neandertals may have manipulated white-tailed eagle talons to make jewelry 130,000 years ago, before the appearance of modern human in Europe, according to a study published March 11, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by David Frayer from University of Kansas and colleagues from Croatia.
	One fractal quantifies another, mathematicians find To humor mathematicians, picture a pile of sand grains – say, a billion – in one square of a vast sheet of graph paper. If four or more grains occupy a single square, that square topples by sending one grain to each of its four neighboring squares.
March Madness brackets: Flipping a coin is your best bet Each year, millions of people lose billions of dollars in NCAA March Madness basketball pools. Still, most return the following year for another pummeling.
	Why demographics and political economy are inseparable Births and birth rates are normally subjects for family sociology or demographics. So what are they doing in a research programme on the political economy of modern capitalism?
Assessing feedback interactions in a creative setting Feedback - the objective response, opinion, or input - is something most of us experience either at work or amongst friends to bodies of work or projects that are complete. But in the world of creative processes - where no one knows what the finished product should look like - feedback is inherently different, and more constructive, according to new research by a Boston College professor who says the findings should be utilized in the corporate world.
Researchers explore whether athletics organizations should hire fans While most employees might experience a dip in workplace morale from time to time, what happens when someone works for a sporting organization of which they are also a fan? Does their productivity ebb or flow when the team is winning, and do they feel appreciated or understood when all of the focus seems to be on coaches and players on the field? University of Kansas researchers have published research exploring those questions and laying the groundwork for models that can address organizational identification of sport employees, leading to better-performing organizations and happier, more productive employees.
	Research infrastructure cuts would hit northen Australia hard We live in a world where big data fuels a knowledge economy. In this world, innovative new tools for gathering, analysing and sharing information are crucial for continued economic growth and social prosperity.
Labor market key to reducing excessive risk taking by bankers Excessive bonuses and risk taking in the financial sector are inherent in the competition on the labor market for bankers. This is argued by Anton van Boxtel in his PhD thesis, which he will defend at Tilburg University on March 16. Given this situation, reducing excessive risk through taxes or bonus caps is very hard to achieve. Measures reducing labor market mobility might provide a solution. "Making it harder for bankers to switch from one employer to the next will make it cheaper for banks to keep their employees. This in turn may lead to lower bonuses and thus to less risk," Van Boxtel states.
	New measure evaluates human impact of Canterbury quake A new way of evaluating the immediate impact of natural disasters by a professor from Victoria University of Wellington shows that each person in Canterbury lost approximately 150 days of 'healthy life' in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake.
New genetic evidence resolves origins of modern Japanese Was there a single migration event or gradual mixing of cultures that gave rise to modern Japanese?
Canadian disability pioneer Vanier wins Templeton Prize Jean Vanier, who founded a pioneering global network of residential communities for people with and without mental disabilities, on Wednesday won the 2015 Templeton Prize, which honours "entrepreneurs of the spirit".
Is US immigration policy 'STEMming' innovation? Foreign born graduate students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines who wish to pursue a career in industry or NGOs are much more likely to stay in the U.S. than those who wish to pursue a career in academia or government concludes a study by researchers at UC Santa Barbara's Center for Nanotechnology in Society. Published on March 11, 2015 in the open access journal PLOS ONE, the study provides new insight into why foreign-born graduate students in STEM fields choose to remain in the United States or return to their home countries after graduation. These students make up one third of the entire student population in STEM fields, and therefore play a crucial role in U.S. economic competitiveness.
	Economist finds consumers willing to spend more for biotech potato products New research from an Iowa State University economist found consumers were willing to spend more for genetically modified potato products with reduced levels of a chemical compound linked to cancer.
	Evolution and neuroscience suggest ways to design more human-centric buildings and cities Take a walk along Hanover Street in Boston's North End, and you can't help but notice the number of people strolling along the sidewalk, the cozy shops with inviting window displays, the frequent cross streets. Less than half a mile away, City Hall Plaza is a study in contrast—a vast blank space, cold and uninviting, anchored by the huge, forbidding hunk of concrete that is City Hall.
	Two reports on social innovation trends and possible improvements The European social model has been central to the EU vision for years, but enhancing it is a never-ending process. To stay on top of the class, the EU needs a constant flow of new ideas, strategies and concepts. This is called social innovation, and the LIPSE project is playing an important role in its analysis and development with a focus on public sector environments and their capacity to adapt to society's changing needs.