Fwd: Science X Newsletter Thursday, May 28

RESPEKT!

Could better tests have predicted the rare circumstances of the Germanwings crash? Probably not

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Fri, May 29, 2015 at 3:06 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Thursday, May 28
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 28, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Breakthrough brings optical data transport closer to replacing wires
- Researchers find 'lost' memories using light
- Unlearning implicit social biases during sleep
- Spiraling laser pulses could change the nature of graphene
- NASA telescopes set limits on space-time quantum 'foam'
- Self-replicating nanostructures made from DNA
- Researchers prove magnetism can control heat, sound
- Hubble video shows shock collision inside black hole jet
- Benefits of calorie restriction on par with balancing protein and carb intake in mice
- Genetic analysis of the American eel helps explain its decline
- Dawn spirals closer to Ceres, returns a new view
- Do you have the time? Flies sure do
- Researchers unravel a genetic link with autistic behaviors—and find a way to undo it
- Pavegen looking to harness energy from pedestrian footsteps
- Acquiring 'perfect' pitch may be possible for some adults

Nanotechnology news

	Self-replicating nanostructures made from DNA (Phys.org)—Is it possible to engineer self-replicating nanomaterials? It could be if we borrow nature's building blocks. DNA is a self-replicating molecule where its component parts, nucleotides, have specific chemical interactions that allow for the design of self-assembled structures. In biological systems, DNA replicates with the aid of proteins. However, Junghoon Kim, Junwye Lee, Shogo Hamada, Satoshi Murata, and Sung Ha Park of Sungkyunkwan University and Tohoku University have designed a controllable self-replicating system that does not require proteins. Their work appears in Nature Nanotechnology.
	Spiraling laser pulses could change the nature of graphene A new study predicts that researchers could use spiraling pulses of laser light to change the nature of graphene, turning it from a metal into an insulator and giving it other peculiar properties that might be used to encode information.
	Could computers reach light speed? Light waves trapped on a metal's surface travel nearly as fast as light through the air, and new research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory shows these waves, called surface plasmons, travel far enough to possibly be useful for ultra-fast electronic circuit interconnects. The PNNL team captured, on video, surface plasmons moving at least 250 microns across the surface.
	Physicists precisely measure interaction between atoms and carbon surfaces Physicists at the University of Washington have conducted the most precise and controlled measurements yet of the interaction between the atoms and molecules that comprise air and the type of carbon surface used in battery electrodes and air filters—key information for improving those technologies.

Physics news

	Breakthrough brings optical data transport closer to replacing wires Stanford electrical engineer Jelena Vuckovic wants to make computers faster and more efficient by reinventing how they send data back and forth between chips, where the work is done.
	Researchers prove magnetism can control heat, sound Phonons—the elemental particles that transmit both heat and sound—have magnetic properties, according to a landmark study supported by Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) services and recently published by a researcher group from The Ohio State University.
	What's fair?: New theory on income inequality The increasing inequality in income and wealth in recent years, together with excessive pay packages of CEOs in the U.S. and abroad, is of growing concern, especially to policy makers. Income inequality was identified as the #1 Top 10 Challenging Trends at the 2015 World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos last January. Columbia Engineering Professor Venkat Venkatasubramanian has led a study that examines income inequality through a new approach: he proposes that the fairest inequality of income is a lognormal distribution (a method of characterizing data patterns in probability and statistics) under ideal conditions, and that an ideal free market can "discover" this in practice.
	How researchers listen for gravitational waves A century ago, Albert Einstein postulated the existence of gravitational waves in his General Theory of Relativity. But until now, these distortions of space-time have remained stubbornly hidden from direct observation. At the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hanover, researchers are on the trail of this phenomenon with the GEO600 detector. At the heart of the installation is a laser.
	Donuts, math, and superdense teleportation of quantum information Putting a hole in the center of the donut—a mid-nineteenth-century invention—allows the deep-fried pastry to cook evenly, inside and out. As it turns out, the hole in the center of the donut also holds answers for a type of more efficient and reliable quantum information teleportation, a critical goal for quantum information science.
	Endless oscillations: A theoretical study on quantum systems A quantum system never relaxes. An isolated system (like a cloud of cold atoms trapped in optical grids) will endlessly oscillate between its different configurations without ever finding peace. In practice, these types of systems are unable to dissipate energy in any form. This is the exact opposite of what happens in classical physics, where the tendency to reach a state of equilibrium is such a fundamental drive that is has been made a fundamental law of physics, i.e., the second law of thermodynamics, which introduces the concept of entropy.
	An efficient approach to concentrate arbitrary N-particle W state Entanglement is an important quantum resource in both quantum communication and computation. The applications of entanglement information processing such as quantum teleportation, quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum dense coding, quantum secret sharing (QSS), and quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) all resort the entanglement to set up the quantum channel between long distant locations. The multi-particle W entangled state cannot be converted to the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state directly with local operation and classical communication (LOCC). The multi-particle W entangled state also plays an important role in quantum information processing, such as teleportation, superdense coding, and so on.
	NIST seeks calibration methodologies for determining the accuracy of micro-flows Many medical treatments both new and old involve extremely small doses of powerful drugs in liquid form – from scorpion venom for cancer research to opioid analgesics for pain control. Often, these substances are administered on the scale of a few tens of nanoliters (nL, billionths of a liter) at a time.

Earth news

	Global climate on verge of multi-decadal change A new study, by scientists from the University of Southampton and National Oceanography Centre (NOC), implies that the global climate is on the verge of broad-scale change that could last for a number of decades.
	Volcanic ash proves inefficient cloud ice maker When tons of ash spewed into the atmosphere from a 2010 Icelandic volcano it caused havoc for vacationers across Europe. But did it also dramatically change clouds? Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that volcanic ash is not as efficient as common dust in birthing clouds' ice particles. Using a novel laboratory testing chamber they formed cloud ice, a process called ice nucleation, around particles of dust and volcanic ash. Their results revealed the importance of optimal particle structure to efficiently attract super cold water vapor to nucleate ice.
	Large igneous provinces associated with mid-ocean ridges Lip reading normally involves deciphering speech patterns, movements, gestures and expressions just by watching a person speak. Planet Earth has LIPS, too - they are an acronym for large igneous provinces, huge accumulations of igneous rocks that form when hot magma extrudes from inside the Earth and flows onto the surface of the seafloor under several kilometres of water.
	New study shows influence on climate of fresh water during last ice age A new study shows how huge influxes of fresh water into the North Atlantic Ocean from icebergs calving off North America during the last ice age had an unexpected effect - they increased the production of methane in the tropical wetlands.
	US expands protection for streams, water supply The US Environmental Protection Agency unveiled expanded safeguards for streams and wetlands that supply drinking water to more than 100 million people.
	New technique allows study of clouds in 3-D With two off-the-shelf digital cameras situated about 1 kilometer apart facing Miami's Biscayne Bay, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists David Romps and Rusen Oktem are collecting three-dimensional data on cloud behavior that have never been possible to collect before.
	Roadside air can be more charged than under a high-voltage power line Despite community concerns about living under high-voltage power lines, a world-first QUT study reveals that there are far more charged particles beside busy roads.
	Science can influence policy and benefit the public—here's how We have all heard the calls to translate research into action, and have it influence policy and management. Each year, volumes of research are published that could help policy makers make better decisions.
	Technologies will tackle irrigation inefficiencies in agriculture's drier future Water is a finite but crucial resource. In most river basins around the world, water is diverted for industrial, municipal and domestic consumption. It's also a critical component of wetlands and other natural ecosystems that are of tremendous value to society. Worldwide, the bulk of water use is tied to agriculture – it accounts for approximately 66% of water diverted from natural sources for human use and 85% of water consumption. In the arid western United States, it's not uncommon for irrigation to represent 75%-90% of all diversions.
	Oil globs close Los Angeles-area beaches to swimming (Update) Popular beaches along nearly 7 miles of Los Angeles-area coastline were off-limits to surfing and swimming Thursday as scientists looked for the source of globs of tar that washed ashore.
	Research station moved nearly 500 km across the Greenland ice sheet The entire research station NEEM has been moved 465 km across the Greenland ice sheet on skis to the new camp EGRIP, where there will be a future international drilling camp and a gateway to research programmes in East Greenland.
	Building collapse during earthquake aftershocks Earthquakes kill, but their aftershocks can cause the rapid collapse of buildings left standing in the aftermath of the initial quake. Research published in the International Journal of Reliability and Safety offers a new approach to predicting which buildings might be most susceptible to potentially devastating collapse due to the ground-shaking aftershock tremors.
	The Arctic: Interglacial period with a break Scientists at the Goethe University Frankfurt and at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre working together with their Canadian counterparts, have reconstructed the climatic development of the Arctic Ocean during the Cretaceous period, 145 to 66 million years ago. The research team comes to the conclusion that there was a severe cold snap during the geological age known for its extreme greenhouse climate. The study published in the professional journal Geology is also intended to help improve prognoses of future climate and environmental development and the assessment of human influence on climate change.
	First Eastern Pacific tropical depression runs ahead of dawn The first tropical depression of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season formed during the early morning of Thursday, May 28, 2015, well southwest of Mexico. An image of the storm taken from NOAA's GOES-West satellite shows the depression in infrared light as it was born in the early morning hours before sunrise. To the east of the depression, the GOES image shows the sunlight of dawn reaching Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
	The Albian Gap, salt rock, and a heated debate Salt rock behaves as a fluid and can play a pivotal role in the large-scale, long-term collapse of the world's continental margins. However, the precise way in which this occurs is laced in controversy; nowhere is this controversy more apparent than along the Brazilian continental margin, where the origin of a feature called "the Albian Gap" has generated much heated debate over several decades.
	New planning toolset gives farmers more options for improving water quality With agriculture increasingly on the hook to improve water quality, curb erosion, and meet other environmental goals, it only makes sense to target soil and water conservation practices to the places on the landscape where they'll do the most good. Exactly how to achieve this is the catch, but a promising new solution is now at the ready, thanks to research led by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and Environmental Defense Fund.
	Indians crowd rivers, shady trees as heat toll passes 1,400 Eating onions, lying in the shade and splashing into rivers, Indians were doing whatever they could Thursday to stay cool during a brutal heat wave that has killed more than 1,400 in the past month.
New Orleans' levee system failure after Katrina has mistaken culprit A Missouri University of Science and Technology professor has defined the elements that led to the flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and has established a clear sense of responsibility in the levee system's failure.
More densely populated urban areas call for more urban quality If urban sprawl is to be stopped, the use of developed areas needs to be intensified. The results of the now completed National Research Programme "New Urban Quality" (NRP 65) show new ways of remodelling suburban areas. Developing building and land use in suburban areas will improve quality of life and efficiency in the densely populated Swiss plateau.
West coast log and lumber exports decreased in first quarter of 2015 Log exports from Washington, Oregon, northern California, and Alaska totaled 272 million board feet in the first quarter of 2015, a decrease of nearly 16 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2014, the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station reported today. During this same period, west coast lumber exports declined 4 percent in volume to 162 million board feet.
	Ancient microbe-sediment systems of the barberton greenstone belt, South Africa The modern sedimentary environment contains a diversity of microbes that interact very closely with the sediments, sometimes to such an extent that they form "biosediments." But can such a phenomenon be fossilized? How far back in time can "biosedimentation" be traced? In this study for Geology, Frances Westall and colleagues examine some of the oldest rocks on Earth—in the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa (older than 3.3 billion years), to answer this question.

Astronomy & Space news

	Hubble video shows shock collision inside black hole jet When you're blasting though space at more than 98 percent of the speed of light, you may need driver's insurance. Astronomers have discovered for the first time a rear-end collision between two high-speed knots of ejected matter. This discovery was made while piecing together a time-lapse movie of a plasma jet blasted from a supermassive black hole inside a galaxy located 260 million light-years from earth.
	NASA telescopes set limits on space-time quantum 'foam' A team of scientists has used X-ray and gamma-ray observations of some of the most distant objects in the universe to better understand the nature of space and time. Their results set limits on the quantum nature, or "foaminess," of spacetime at extremely tiny scales.
	New Horizons sees more detail as it draws closer to Pluto What a difference 20 million miles makes! Images of Pluto from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft are growing in scale as the spacecraft approaches its mysterious target. The new images, taken May 8-12 using a powerful telescopic camera and downlinked last week, reveal more detail about Pluto's complex and high contrast surface.
	The kinematics of merging galaxies The unprecedented sensitivity of space telescopes has powered a revolution over the past decade in our understanding of galaxies in the young universe during its first billion years of existence. These primitive objects are so remote that their light has been traveling towards us for more than ninety percent of the age of the universe, but they could be detected by space observatories because they are intrinsically bright in the infrared. Their luminosity is almost surely the result of huge numbers of newly formed stars whose light warms the dust that then radiates at infrared wavelengths.
	Large Hubble survey confirms link between mergers and supermassive black holes with relativistic jets In the most extensive survey of its kind ever conducted, a team of scientists have found an unambiguous link between the presence of supermassive black holes that power high-speed, radio-signal-emitting jets and the merger history of their host galaxies. Almost all of the galaxies hosting these jets were found to be merging with another galaxy, or to have done so recently. The results lend significant weight to the case for jets being the result of merging black holes and will be presented in the Astrophysical Journal.
	Dawn spirals closer to Ceres, returns a new view A new view of Ceres, taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on May 23, shows finer detail is becoming visible on the dwarf planet. The spacecraft snapped the image at a distance of 3,200 miles (5,100 kilometers) with a resolution of 1,600 feet (480 meters) per pixel. The image is part of a sequence taken for navigational purposes.
	Results for microbes collected by citizen scientists and grown on the International Space Station Do microbes grow differently on the International Space Station than they do on Earth? Results from the growth of microbes collected by citizen scientists in Project MERCCURI indicate that most behave similarly in both places.
	NASA begins testing Mars lander for next mission to red planet Testing is underway on NASA's next mission on the journey to Mars, a stationary lander scheduled to launch in March 2016.
	Ariane 5's second launch of 2015 An Ariane 5 lifted off last night from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana and delivered two telecom satellites into their planned orbits.
Shining message about the end of the Dark Ages An international team, including researchers from the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University (ZAH), has discovered three "cosmic Methusalems" from the earliest years of the universe. These unusual stars are about 13 billion years old and experts assign them to the first generations of stars after the "dark ages". The chemical qualities of these extremely rare stellar bodies enable new insights into the events that must have led to the origins of the stars. The first stars have been assumed to be high-mass and to shine especially brightly. However, the latest observations point to hitherto unknown phenomena in the young universe, allowing for the emergence of much smaller stars. This conclusion is suggested by analyses in part conducted at the State Observatory Königstuhl and at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, both of which belong to the ZAH.
	New technique for isolating sunny-day 'light' scattering could help illuminate Universe's birth Astrophysicists have developed a new method for calculating the effect of Rayleigh scattering on photons, potentially allowing researchers to better understand the formation of the Universe.
	Two Southwest Research Institute instruments selected for NASA Europa mission Two Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) instruments have been selected for a NASA mission to Europa, which will launch in the 2020s to study this large, potentially habitable Jovian moon. The Mass Spectrometer for Planetary EXploration (MASPEX) and Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) were selected from 33 candidate instruments for the yet-to-be named mission.

Technology news

	Samsung details a dual-OS phone-docking hybrid device What's this? A dual operating system hybrid device? The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office this month revealed a patent application from Samsung Electronics, titled "Electronic Apparatus, Docking Apparatus, Controlling Method Thereof, and Computer-Readable Recording Medium."
	Robot swarms use collective cognition to perform tasks The COCORO project's robot swarms not only look like schools of fish, they behave like them too. The project developed autonomous robots that interact with each other and exchange information, resulting in a cognitive system that is aware of its environment.
	AI expert calls on colleagues to take a stand on autonomous killer robots Artificial Intelligence expert and professor at the University of California, Stuart Russell, has published a Comment piece in the journal Nature, calling out colleagues to take a stand on the development of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS)—armed robots that enter the battlefield without human masters and make decisions about who to kill. He suggests the technology is developed enough now that it is time those in the field, such as roboticists, AI experts and computer scientists, step up and take a stand regarding the development of such systems.
	Machine vision system could help the visually impaired shop for food You're in the mood for pasta, so on the way home from work you stop at the grocery store and pick up rotini, shaved Parmesan cheese, and the organic tomato sauce you favor. Into the store and back out, 15 minutes, tops. Simple, right?
	A super cool roof solution to being hot in the city Sydney materials scientists are claiming a breakthrough in cool roof technology with a surface they've developed that will stay cooler than the ambient air temperature, even under the mid-summer Australian sun.
	Pavegen looking to harness energy from pedestrian footsteps A company called Pavegen has launched a Crowdcube Project looking for investors in its footfall energy harvesting technology. The company has been making and selling its flooring product for several years, but thus far, it has been able to take on only small projects. With investment funds from Crowdcube the company hopes to pave the way for much larger installations.
	Thriving market for dwindling IP addresses is a good commercial reason to finally adopt IPv6 The Internet Protocol (IP) has been phenomenally successful. From an experiment in the 1970s, it has evolved to an internet spanning the globe, connecting billions of users. IP underpins the enormous success that is the World Wide Web – and its ubiquity has led to the convergence a wide range of technologies upon it, including digital phone calls made using Voice-over-IP (VoIP).
	Google unveils Android Pay in fresh challenge to Apple (Update) Google on Thursday unveiled its pay-with-a-phone system for Android devices, ramping up its challenge to Apple in mobile payments.
FCC takes aim at annoying telemarketing calls Those automated phone calls during the dinner hour, late at night or to your wireless phone can be so frustrating—and the government is taking note.
	Software glitch can cause iPhones to crash A newly-discovered glitch in Apple's software can cause iPhones to mysteriously shut down when they receive a certain text message.
	AP sources: IRS believes identity thieves from Russia IRS investigators believe the identity thieves who stole the personal tax information of more than 100,000 taxpayers from an IRS website are part of a sophisticated criminal operation based in Russia, two officials told the Associated Press.
	FBI: Surveillance tools in jeopardy amid Patriot Act debate As Congress wrestles over renewing the bulk collection of Americans' phone records, federal law enforcement officials are warning that legal authority is also at risk for lesser-known surveillance tools that are even more valuable in fighting terrorism.
	GM installs Apple CarPlay, Android Auto in more cars General Motors said Wednesday it will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in more of its Chevrolet models next year, as tech firms seek to expand their reach in the auto world.
Jawbone files lawsuit against rival Fitbit In a clash of rival makers of fitness trackers, Jawbone is suing Fitbit and a group of employees who quit Jawbone to work for Fitbit, saying they stole trade secrets, business plans, market research, and other information.
Slow start, gradual improvement for US Internet gambling Internet gambling is off to a slow start in the United States, with banks hesitant to handle credit card payments for online bets and some politicians and casino moguls pushing to ban it, but there remains potential for great growth, participants in a major gambling conference agreed Wednesday.
Pro­fessor of materials/​physics chem­istry discusses Tesla's Powerwall for home energy storage Last month Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a grand plan for home energy storage, and preorders for the system have already sold out until mid-2016. The Powerwall home battery unit comes in two options: a 7 kWh version designed for daily use at $3,000 and a 10 kWh version designed as a backup supply for $3,500, plus installation. It would charge using electricity generated from solar panels—or when energy rates are low—and would also serve as an alternative to using the utility grid and as a backup in case of a power outage. Powerwall's lithium-ion battery is geared toward homeowners and is based on the technology used in Tesla vehicles.
Three innovative components can pave the way for cheaper wind energy generation Wind turbines began cropping up across the landscapes of Spain and Germany in the 1990s. These two countries have the highest wind energy production in the EU. But according to the Global Wind Energy Council, the global installed power capacity in Europe—which is 134,007 MW—has been surpassed by Asia with 141,964 MW, at the end of 2014. The wind power industry is arguably the most mature—and fastest developing—among renewable energies. But, there is still considerable room for improvement to compete with other sources of electricity.
	Recycling nuclear waste via advanced reactor design An advanced nuclear reactor under development by Hitachi could help solve the nuclear waste problem, and University of Michigan researchers were involved in verifying its safe performance through computer simulations.
	Study ranks cities with the longest commutes A New York minute may be an instant, but for workers in the Big Apple, their commute is anything but.
	Is technology making your attention span shorter than a goldfish's? If you've ever found it hard to concentrate on one thing without stopping to check your emails or post to social media, you're not alone. The average human attention span – how long we can concentrate effectively on a single task – was recently reported by Microsoft to have dropped below the level attributed to goldfish.
GoPro gets real ... virtually real Shares of GoPro jumped to a five-month high Thursday after the company's CEO said the company is getting into the drone and virtual reality business.
Avago looks to grow with $37B deal for chipmaker Broadcom (Update) Avago Technologies is buying rival chipmaker Broadcom in a cash and stock deal worth about $37 billion, vastly expanding its lineup of products for the rapidly growing wireless device market at a time when sales growth has otherwise been tough to come by for smaller chipmakers.
Amazon to offer free same-day delivery to Prime members Amazon wants to make your impulse buys even more impulsive. The e-commerce powerhouse is offering free same-day delivery service in some cities to its Prime loyalty club members.
Munchery raises $85 million in bid to make healthy meals accessible to all If meal preparation and delivery service Munchery gets its way, it will be the new default dinner option for Americans alongside home cooking and takeout.
Microsoft's Cortana coming to Google, Apple devices Microsoft's Cortana virtual assistant will be released later this year for users of Google and Apple smartphones.
Bing no longer a search-engine blip In Microsoft's expensive, decadelong battle against Google's search engine, no detail is too small.
Theme parks introduce food apps for restaurant orders Theme parks are using technology to reduce waits, but not just for rides.
VCs bet big on Silicon Valley biotech Companies searching for cures for cancer and testing treatments for crippling genetic diseases are capturing the interest of venture capitalists - and their money - more than at any time in the last seven years.
	Air traffic control failure shows we need a better approach to programming The causes of the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) flight control centre system failure in December 2014 that affected 65,000 passengers directly and up to 230,000 indirectly have been revealed in a recently published report.
	Uber, Lyft push back against proposed NYC regulations Representatives of Uber and Lyft warned Thursday that a New York City effort to regulate app-based ride-hailing services will stall innovation and threaten competition.
	FCC head unveils proposal to narrow 'digital divide' (Update) The head of the Federal Communications Commission is proposing that the government agency expand a phone subsidy program for the poor to include Internet access.
	Google unveils Android's latest technological tricks Google's next version of its Android operating system will boast new ways to fetch information, pay merchants and protect privacy on mobile devices as the Internet company duels with Apple in the quest to make their technology indispensable.
	Google offers unlimited free storage of photos, videos Google is willing to store and organize all of the world's digital photos and videos for free.
New tech is changing the restaurant reservations game At noon on a recent Wednesday in May, San Francisco's Lazy Bear restaurant began taking reservations for June. Just 45 minutes later, nearly every seat for the entire month was sold out.
	Google's new Android seeks to make smartphone smarter Google's updated Android mobile software seeks to make the smartphone smarter, while keeping the search titan relevant in a world where people rely on apps on the go.
	HBO Now will be available through Android too this summer HBO Now, the premium channel's new online service for people who don't pay for cable, will be available through Android devices this summer.
	Cartier boss snubs 'useful' smartwatches for classic chic Luxury jeweller Cartier said Wednesday it doesn't intend to climb on the smartwatch bandwagon, viewing none of the hi-tech gadgets equal to the traditional timepieces the 168 year-old company makes.
US to review pilot mental health issues after Germanwings crash US aviation regulators announced on Wednesday a study of the mental health of US airline pilots in the wake of the Germanwings and Malaysia Airlines disasters.
RAPTOR turbulent combustion code selected for next-gen supercomputer readiness project RAPTOR, a turbulent combustion code developed by Sandia National Laboratories mechanical engineer Joseph Oefelein, was selected as one of 13 partnership projects for the Center for Accelerated Application Readiness (CAAR).
	Image: View from an F-15D NASA pilot Jim Less and photographer Jim Ross pull their F-15D #897 aircraft away from a KC-135 refueling tanker. NASA is supporting the Edwards Air Force Base F-15 program with safety and photo chase expertise.
	Destructive factors causing deterioration of paints on buildings walls Dr. Ruta Miniotaite of the University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania, has conducted a series of investigations on how various destructive factors affect painted building walls. According to Miniotaite, the external surface of building walls is continuously affected by the natural climate of variable intensity and the factors occurring due to anthropogenic activity.
Off-road run-ins for driverless fleets Carlos Holguin from the University of Rome, project coordinator with the CITYMOBIL2 project, talks about how the project is demonstrating automated road passenger transport through large and small-scale off-normal traffic experiments in European cities.
	Crowd-sourced formal verification program generates thousands of software annotations The initial phase of a DARPA program that used publicly accessible online games to accelerate the verification of software has helped produce hundreds of thousands of program annotations in common software programming languages, adding credence to the idea that digital games can be an effective means of crowdsourcing solutions to software problems. The results have inspired DARPA to launch a new round of games with the goal of extending the successes to date and learning more about the approach's potential.
	Collision course: ONR testing high-speed planing hulls to better understand wave slam Earlier this month, scientists sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) performed experiments to better understand the motions, forces and pressures generated by waves on boats with high-speed planing hulls.

Chemistry news

	Stress triggers key molecule to halt transcription of cell's genetic code If DNA is the cookbook of life, then RNA is the scratch paper where the cell writes down its favorite recipes. These recipes could make the pigments of your skin, the vehicles that carry oxygen through your veins, or the signaling molecules that keep cancer in check. Sometimes, when the cell's transcription machinery copies these recipes, it stutters or stalls, either because it gets off task or it comes across a problem with the cookbook. Then, the cell has to decide whether to keep going or give up on the recipe.
	Chemists discover key reaction mechanism behind the highly touted sodium-oxygen battery Chemists at the University of Waterloo have discovered the key reaction that takes place in sodium-air batteries that could pave the way for development of the so-called holy grail of electrochemical energy storage.
	3D printing technique explored to help treat type 1 diabetes Researchers from the Netherlands have explored how 3D printing can be used to help treat type 1 diabetes in results presented today, Thursday 28 May, in the journal Biofabrication.
	Simulations and experiments aim to improve on spiders in creating strong, resilient fibers After years of research decoding the complex structure and production of spider silk, researchers have now succeeded in producing samples of this exceptionally strong and resilient material in the laboratory. The new development could lead to a variety of biomedical materials—from sutures to scaffolding for organ replacements—made from synthesized silk with properties specifically tuned for their intended uses.
	A century on, experts crack mystery of holes in Swiss cheese Eureka! After about a century of research, Swiss scientists have finally cracked the mystery of the holes in Swiss cheese.
	Researchers discover importance of using right rubber for the job Researchers from the University of Leicester have discovered that when it comes to rubbers, textured surfaces, and reproduction, more fluid formulations have greater reliability than those that are thick and sticky.
Vulnerability found in some drug-resistant bacteria Using a complex modeling program that helps analyze the physical dynamics of large, structurally complex protein molecules, a research team has made progress towards finding a weak spot in the architecture of a group of enzymes that are essential to antibiotic resistance in a number of bacteria.
French, US biochemists win top Spanish prize for science Biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier from France and Jennifer Doudna from the United States have been awarded Spain's Princess of Asturias scientific research award for their work in biotechnology.
	Video: Critter chemistry: Three amazing insect scientists There are an estimated 10 quintillion insects on the planet. While you may want to swat them all away, some of them are actually fascinating little scientists. In this week's Speaking of Chemistry, Matt Davenport brings you a beetle, a worm and an ant that can do extraordinary things with chemistry.

Biology news

	Pinpointing natural cancer drug's true origins brings sustainable production a step closer For decades, scientists have known that ET-743, a compound extracted from a marine invertebrate called a mangrove tunicate, can kill cancer cells. The drug has been approved for use in patients in Europe and is in clinical trials in the U.S.
	How longhorned beetles find Mr. Right A longhorned beetle's sexy scent might make a female perk up her antennae. But when the males of several species all smell the same, a female cannot choose by cologne alone.
	Sex chromosomes—why the Y genes matter Several genes have been lost from the Y chromosome in humans and other mammals, according to research published in the open access journal Genome Biology. The study shows that essential Y genes are rescued by relocating to other chromosomes, and it identifies a potentially important genetic factor in male infertility.
	Researchers discover surprisingly wide variation across species in genetic systems that influence aging A new Iowa State University study focusing on insulin signaling uncovered surprising genetic diversity across reptiles, birds and mammals.
	Genetic analysis of the American eel helps explain its decline The American eel has been a concern for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 2007, when it was first considered for, but failed to receive, Endangered Species Act protection. The numbers of these slender, slimy, ancient fish in freshwater areas have been decreasing rapidly due to dams, pollution, and overfishing, but scientists have been puzzled as to why the fish can't recolonize. Now, a new look at eel genetics published on May 28 in Current Biology finds that there are differences between eels that feed in freshwater and eels that feed in brackish environments that were previously thought to be genetically interchangeable.
	Do you have the time? Flies sure do Flies might be smarter than you think. According to research reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on May 28, fruit flies know what time of day it is. What's more, the insects can learn to connect different scents with the sweet reward of sugar, depending on the hour: menthol in the morning and mushrooms in the afternoon.
	Quasi-sexual gene transfer drives genetic diversity of hot spring bacteria New work from a team including Carnegie's Devaki Bhaya and Michelle Davison used massive DNA sequencing of bacterial populations that grow in the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park to determine their genetic diversity and explore the underlying evolutionary dynamics. They found an unexpectedly high degree of sharing and exchange of genetic material between the tiny, green, photosynthetic cyanobacteria Synechococcus, which are abundant in these scalding, inhospitable environments.
	Understanding how cells follow electric fields Many living things can respond to electric fields, either moving or using them to detect prey or enemies. Weak electric fields may be important growth and development, and in wound healing: it's known that one of the signals that guides cells into a wound to repair it is a disturbance in the normal electric field between tissues. This ability to move in response to an electric field is called galvanotaxis or electrotaxis.
Study tackles evolution mystery of animal, plant warning cues for survival Not every encounter between predator and prey results in death. A new study co-authored by a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, professor suggests that prey emit warning cues that can ultimately lead to both their survival and that of their predators.
	EPA plans temporary pesticide restrictions while bees feed If honeybees are busy pollinating large, blooming croplands, farmers wanting to spray toxic pesticides will soon have to buzz off, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing.
	Amur tiger numbers on the rise, say latest figures The population of the Amur tiger in Russia has increased to as many as 540 individuals over the last ten years, according to figures released by the Russian government.
	Conservation theory gets mathematical treatment Theories used for the last four decades as a tool to guide the conservation of flora and fauna may have misinterpreted the biological reality, according to new research by mathematicians at the University of York.
Bird beaks feeling the heat of climate change, say scientists While the human population grapples with ways to counter the effects of climate change, Deakin University research has discovered that birds might have been working on their own solution for the past 145 years – grow bigger beaks.
	Bacteria study could have agricultural impact Wichita State University microbiology professor Mark Schneegurt and ornithology professor Chris Rogers have discovered that one of North America's most common migratory birds – the Dark-eyed Junco – carries on its feathers a remarkable diversity of plant bacteria, the greatest ever found on wild birds.
	How DNA is helping us fight back against pest invasions They are the original globe trekkers. From spiders bunking along with humanity's spread into south-eastern Asia, to sea squirts hopping on military craft returning after the Korean War, invasive species have enveloped the globe.
	Scientists see a natural place for 'rewilded' plants in organic farming One of the key elements of organic agriculture, as defined by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), is that it rejects unpredictable technologies, such as genetic engineering. But what if adding a gene from undomesticated plants to bring back a natural trait isn't unpredictable, argue Danish scientists, ethicists, and legal experts in a review published May 28 in Trends in Plant Science. They present a case for using precise genetic engineering technologies to "rewild" crops in a way that would make organic farming more efficient, and thus more profitable.
	Researchers uncover the oldest tea in Britain Researchers have found what they believe to be the oldest tea in Britain. The dried green tea was acquired in China, around the year 1700, by ship's surgeon James Cuninghame, who subsequently gave it as a gift to the famous physician and collector of curiosities, Hans Sloane.
	First study to show that birds and not just mammals copy yawns Have you ever caught yourself yawning right after someone else did? The same happens to budgies, says Andrew Gallup of State University of New York in the US. His research team is the first to note that contagious yawning also occurs between members of a bird species. Thus far, it has only been known to happen with a few mammals. The results are published in Springer's journal Animal Cognition.
Pangolin trade study highlights the need for urgent reforms to CITES New research by conservationists at the University of Kent suggests that in order to manage trade-threatened species more effectively the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) needs to act more upon the economic reality of wildlife trade.
	Walnut twig beetle's origin and spread revealed in genetic studies Even though the walnut twig beetle (WTB) is likely native to Arizona, California, and New Mexico, it has become an invasive pest to economically and ecologically important walnut trees throughout much of the Western and into the Eastern United States. Through genetic testing, researchers from the Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) and partners from the University of California, Riverside and U.S. Forest Service Forest Health Protection have characterized the beetle's geographic distribution and range expansion. Results were recently published in the journal PLoS ONE.
	In battle of the sexes, a single night with a New York male is enough to kill Men and women often enter relationships with different long-term goals. In the animal world, differences in approaches to reproductive success can lead to sexual conflict.
	KeyGenes can predict future identity of human fetal stem cells A snapshot of gene activity is now all that's necessary to determine what organ or tissue type that a cluster of fetal stem cells will ultimately become. An algorithm developed by a team of Dutch scientists makes it possible to match what's happening inside of an immature stem cell to known human fetal cell gene expression, thus identifying what the stem cell has the potential to be. The platform, dubbed KeyGenes and presented May 28 in Stem Cell Reports, could also prove useful for testing the quality of stem cell transplants made up of undifferentiated cells.
	Scientists use unmanned aerial vehicle to study gray whales from above One recent spring day, John Durban, a NOAA Fisheries marine mammal biologist, stood on the California coast and launched an unmanned aerial vehicle into the air. The hexacopter—so called because it has six helicopter-type rotors—zipped over the ocean and hovered above a gray whale mother and her calf. The pair was migrating north from their calving grounds off Baja California, Mexico, to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic.
	English foxes safe for now as Cameron backs down English foxes won a temporary respite after Prime Minister David Cameron's promise to repeal a ban on hunting them failed to make it into his programme outlined in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday.
	Lawyer: Confinement of chimps for research akin to slavery A lawyer seeking to free two chimpanzees from a state university told a judge Wednesday that their confinement for research purposes is akin to slavery, the involuntary detention of people with mental illnesses and imprisonment.
	Ecuador seizes 200,000 shark fins Ecuador seized around 200,000 shark fins and arrested three suspected traffickers at the country's main fishing port, the government said Wednesday.
	New data on reported and unreported marine catches now available online Researchers with UBC's Sea Around Us project have launched a new web platform at www.seaaroundus.org that provides the first comprehensive coverage of both reported and unreported fish caught by every country in the world.
	Barking characterizes dogs as voice characterizes people An international group of researchers has conducted a study on canine behavior showing that gender, age, context and individual recognition can be identified with a high percentage of success through statistical and computational methods of pattern recognition applied to their barking. These results could help organizations to identify the dog state to develop certain tasks.
	First step towards global attack on potato blight European researchers and companies concerned with the potato disease phytophthora will work more closely with parties in other parts of the world. The first move was made during the biennial meeting of the European network EuroBlight, held in Romania earlier this month. Colleagues from North-America, South-America and Asia were also invited. "They are very interested in our approach; the way we analyse the genetic variation in the field, for example", says Huub Schepers, phytophthora specialist at Wageningen UR and one of the driving forces behind EuroBlight. "Conversely, we can learn a lot from them. The more we know about this pathogen, the more we can do to devise a comprehensive strategy."
Thirteen corporations control up to 40 per cent of world's most valuable fisheries Just thirteen corporations control 19-40% of the largest and most valuable stocks and 11-16 % of the global marine catch, according to new research. These "keystone" corporations of the global seafood industry critically shape the future of marine ecosystems, but have yet to assume this responsibility at the global scale.
	Public raises alarm about ineffectiveness of some Montagu's harrier conservation measures A citizen science programme reveals the protection measures for the Montagu's harrier in the cereal crop season in France to be ineffective if nests are not protected to decrease predation after harvesting. A study has been published as a result of this voluntary fieldwork, with the participation of the Hunting Resources Research Institute, which proposes fencing off the nests as a way of mitigating the damage and optimising conservation efforts in different areas.
Rules aim to protect imperiled bird's habitat in 10 states Interior Secretary Sally Jewell revealed plans Thursday to preserve habitat in 10 Western states for an imperiled ground-dwelling bird, the federal government's biggest land-planning effort to date for conservation of a single species.

Medicine & Health news

	Unlearning implicit social biases during sleep Can we learn to rid ourselves of our implicit biases regarding race and gender? A new Northwestern University study indicates that sleep may hold an important key to success in such efforts.
	Researchers find 'lost' memories using light Memories that have been "lost" as a result of amnesia can be recalled by activating brain cells with light.
	Researchers tie unexpected brain structures to creativity—and to stifling it Investigators at Stanford University have found a surprising link between creative problem-solving and heightened activity in the cerebellum, a structure located in the back of the brain and more typically thought of as the body's movement-coordination center.
	Not making enough money? Check your attitude Holding cynical beliefs about others may have a negative effect on your income according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
	How we make emotional decisions Some decisions arouse far more anxiety than others. Among the most anxiety-provoking are those that involve options with both positive and negative elements, such choosing to take a higher-paying job in a city far from family and friends, versus choosing to stay put with less pay.
	Scientists discover key to what causes immune cell migration to wounds Immune cells play an important role in the upkeep and repair of our bodies, helping us to defend against infection and disease. Until now, how these cells detect a wounded or damaged site has largely remained a mystery. New research, led by University of Bristol academics in collaboration with a team from the University of Sheffield, has identified the triggers which lead these cells to react and respond in cell repair.
	Researchers identify unexpected functions in the determination of height for a gene expressed in sperm An interdisciplinary research team led by the deans of Virginia Commonwealth University's Schools of Medicine and Engineering has for the first time explained the association between human height and a specific protein-coding gene that is found in sperm.
	Researchers unravel a genetic link with autistic behaviors—and find a way to undo it Scientists at the University at Buffalo have identified the mechanisms behind a genetic mutation that produces certain autistic behaviors in mice, as well as therapeutic strategies to restore normal behaviors.
	Benefits of calorie restriction on par with balancing protein and carb intake in mice Cutting calories through dietary restriction has been shown to lower cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and even prolong life in mammals. Now, new research publishing on May 28th in Cell Reports shows that, at least in mice, low protein, high carbohydrate diets can provide benefits similar to those obtained with calorie restriction.
	Wild chimps teach scientists about gene that encodes HIV-fighting protein Different people can vary substantially in their genetic susceptibility to viruses, including HIV. Although the biology that underlies this variation in humans is still being uncovered, it seems that we may be able to learn some key lessons from our closest cousins. A gene variant in chimpanzees in a Tanzanian wildlife preserve probably protects them from rapidly succumbing to the primate equivalent of HIV, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists report in the open access journal PLOS Biology, publishing May 28.
	Can a new drug brown the fat and trim the obese person? New research has found that a variant of a drug used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension prompts weight loss in obese mice. Among mice fed a high-fat diet, those who did not get the medication became obese while medicated mice did not, the same study showed.
	Acquiring 'perfect' pitch may be possible for some adults If you're a musician, this sounds too good to be true: University of Chicago psychologists have been able to train some adults to develop the prized musical ability of absolute pitch, and the training's effects last for months.
	Even when we're resting, our brains are preparing us to be social Even when we're resting, our brains are preparing us to be social, UCLA psychologists report
	Weak electric current to the brain may improve thinking in people with schizophrenia Lightly stimulating the brain with electricity may improve short-term memory in people with schizophrenia, according to a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Congressional action needed to optimize regulation of genomic tests The latest generation of genomic testing offers a chance for significant improvements in patient care, disease prevention, and possibly even the cost-effectiveness of healthcare. A new report recommends that Congress act to incentivize the development of the massive data systems that doctors and regulators will need to make these tests safe and effective for patients.
	Focus on the Broccoli Benefits rather than the Hamburger Harms Tell your child or spouse what they can eat and not what they can't. Telling your child to eat an apple so they stay healthy will work better than telling them not to eat the cookie because it will make them fat. A new Cornell discovery shows that "Don't" messages don't work for most of us.
	Promising trial of brigatinib shows all next-gen ALK inhibitors may not be created equal Phase I/II clinical trial results reported at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2015 show promising results for investigational drug brigatinib against ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with 58 of 78 ALK+ patients responding to treatment, including 50 of 70 patients who had progressed after previous treatment with crizotinib, the first licensed ALK inhibitor. Progression-free survival (PFS) in patients previously treated with crizotinib was 13.4 months.
Importance of clinically actionable results in genetic panel testing for cancer While advances in technology have made multigene testing, or "panel testing," for genetic mutations that increase the risk of breast or other cancers an option, authors of a review published today in the New England Journal of Medicine say larger studies are needed in order to provide reliable risk estimates for counseling these patients. The international consortium of authors, including researchers at the Basser Center for BRCA at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center, acknowledges that panel testing can make a useful contribution to predicting a woman's risk of breast cancer, but says clinicians need to be aware of the limitations. The note of caution comes following news of low-cost genetic testing solutions for breast and ovarian cancer mutations.
Coping skills training in rheumaotoid arthritis research recognized by BSBS of MI Mark A. Lumley, Ph.D., professor and director of the clinical psychology Ph.D. program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University, recently received the 2015 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation McDevitt Excellence in Research Award in the area of clinical research.
US military shipped live anthrax to lab by accident (Update) The US military accidentally shipped at least one live anthrax sample across the country to a commercial lab in Maryland and four workers were undergoing medical treatment as a precaution, officials said Wednesday.
Aging demographic to push up Canada cancer rate 40% Canada must boost its capacity to treat cancers as new cases among its aging and growing population are set to soar, the Canadian Cancer Society said Wednesday.
	Study reveals novel use of 3-D imaging for measurement of injectable wrinkle reducers A three-dimensional imaging technique often used in the automotive and aerospace industries for accurate measurement may be useful to measure the efficacy of injectable wrinkle reducers such as Botox and Dysport, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The procedure, called three-dimensional speckle tracking photogrammetry, is described in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Authors say it has the potential to measure the efficacy of several treatments for which these types of injections are used, not only for cosmetic purposes but also to reduce facial paralysis arising from stroke and Bell's palsy.
Researchers find ending Medicaid dental benefit costly A new study suggests that states may not save as much money as anticipated by eliminating adult dental coverage under Medicaid.
	Tumor surroundings are shown to affect progression of different cancer subtypes Our environment can have a major impact on how we develop, and it turns out it's no different for cancer cells. In work published today in Neoplasia, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Mikala Egeblad at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) found that two different mouse models of breast cancer progressed differently based on characteristics of the tumor microenvironment - the area of tissue in which the tumor is embedded.
	Starting antiretroviral treatment early improves outcomes for HIV-infected individuals A major international randomized clinical trial has found that HIV-infected individuals have a considerably lower risk of developing AIDS or other serious illnesses if they start taking antiretroviral drugs sooner, when their CD4+ T-cell count—a key measure of immune system health—is higher, instead of waiting until the CD4+ cell count drops to lower levels. Together with data from previous studies showing that antiretroviral treatment reduced the risk of HIV transmission to uninfected sexual partners, these findings support offering treatment to everyone with HIV.
	Molecules involved in Alzheimer's have a role in weakening of connections between neurons Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting over 44 million people worldwide. Inside the brain, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by loss of neurons, and presence of abnormal tangles and plaques in the brain. Dr. Graham Collingridge, recently recruited from Bristol (U.K.) to the University of Toronto, has found that molecules that are strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease are important players in a process called long-term depression (LTD). LTD is a process through which the strength of synapses, the connections between neurons, is selectively reduced. Dr. Collingridge's recent research suggests improperly regulated LTD could cause the degeneration of the connections between neurons that is a core feature of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
	Americans keep getting fatter Waistlines of American adults kept growing last year with obesity creeping up to 27.7 percent, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.
Large but unexplained variations in paracetamol-induced liver failure among European countries A fifty-fold between-country difference in rates of paracetamol-induced acute liver failure that leads to liver transplant (ALFT) has been revealed by a study that compared patient data from seven countries at the request of the European Medicines Agency: France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and the UK. Researchers discovered that this variation was even more pronounced on a per-capita basis, with a 200-fold difference in ALFT cases. Publishing these findings in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, the authors call for further research to identify the underlying causes.
Earning a college degree before, but not after, getting married protects against obesity People who earn a college degree before getting married are much less likely to become obese than those who graduate from college after getting married, according to a new study.
Getting 'inked' may come with long-term medical risks, physicians warn In what they believe to be the first survey of its kind in the United States, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have found that as many as 6 percent of adult New Yorkers who get "inked"—in other words, those who get a tattoo—have experienced some form of tattoo-related rash, severe itching or swelling that lasted longer than four months and, in some cases, for many years.
Dozens may have come in contact with anthrax: US military As many as 22 people in South Korea and four US lab workers may have been exposed to anthrax after the American military accidentally shipped out at least one live sample, officials said.
	S. Korea reports seven MERS cases, one suspect flies to China South Korea said Thursday it had confirmed two more MERS virus infections, bringing the total number of cases to seven, as one suspected victim ignored warnings and flew to China on a business trip.
	Hacking the nervous system When Maria Vrind, a former gymnast from Volendam in the Netherlands, found that the only way she could put her socks on in the morning was to lie on her back with her feet in the air, she had to accept that things had reached a crisis point. "I had become so stiff I couldn't stand up," she says. "It was a great shock because I'm such an active person."
The extreme athlete who built a new knee When Brian Bartlett was 24 he was hit by a car from behind so hard it ripped his right leg off instantly. It all happened so fast. He doesn't like to talk about it. "You really can't understand," he told me. "There's just no way to…until you have an injury where you're ripped or cut apart instantly."
	Why male suicides outnumber female Finally, Drummond had everything he'd ever dreamed of. He'd come a long way since he was a little boy, upset at his failure to get into the grammar school. That had been a great disappointment to his mother, and to his father, who was an engineer at a pharmaceutical company. His dad had never showed much interest in him as a child. He didn't play with him and when he was naughty, he'd put him over the back of a chair and wallop him. That's just the way men were in those days. Your father was feared and respected. Dads were dads.
Nearly one in seven Hispanic/Latino adults has some hearing loss In the largest study to date of hearing loss among Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States, researchers have found that nearly 1 in 7 has hearing loss, a number similar to the general population prevalence. The analysis also looked at the differences between subgroups and found that Hispanics of Puerto Rican descent have the highest rate of hearing loss, while Mexican-Americans have the lowest. The study identified several potential risk factors for hearing loss, including age, gender, education level, income, noise exposure, and diabetes. The study, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was published online May 28 by JAMA Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.
Metformin use associated with reduced risk of developing open-angle glaucoma Taking the medication metformin hydrochloride was associated with reduced risk of developing the sight-threatening disease open-angle glaucoma in people with diabetes, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology.
Estimating the global burden of cancer in 2013; 14.9 million new cases worldwide Researchers from around the world have worked together to try to measure the global burden of cancer and they estimate there were 14.9 million new cases of cancer, 8.2 million deaths and 196.3 million years of a healthy life lost in 2013, according to a Special Communication published online by JAMA Oncology.
	Peek eye testing app shown to work as well as charts for visual acuity An app to test eyesight easily and affordably using a smartphone is as accurate as traditional charts, according to a study published today.
	Science-based online exercises to boost personal well-being Got 15 minutes a day to become a happier and more compassionate person? There's now a website for that.
	Study explores development of epilepsy after brain injury Scientists at Newcastle University will carry out a pioneering study to look at the development of epilepsy following a serious brain injury.
	Could better tests have predicted the rare circumstances of the Germanwings crash? Probably not When people do terrible things, it seems reasonable to believe we should have taken steps to identify them beforehand. If we can do that, then surely we can prevent them from doing harm.
	Team of diabetic researchers zeroing in on pathways that activate insulin-producing cells Professor Jeffery Tessem has pinpointed a gene that may help solve a riddle at the root of diabetes, the high-blood-sugar disease affecting 400 million people worldwide.
Conceptual confusion among researchers of value-based health care A new study from Karolinska Institutet suggests that the management concept Value-Based Health Care (VBHC) is frequently misinterpreted and misunderstood by researchers. According to the study, which is being published in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety, this conceptual confusion may contribute to the carousel-like rapid replacement of management ideas in health care.
	Australian GPs lead the way with early referrals for suspected cancer patients Doctors in Victoria and New South Wales are more likely to immediately refer people with possible cancer for tests or to a specialist than those in comparable countries, new research published in BMJ Open has revealed.
	How mutations in a high risk gene affect motor neurons Scientists at the flagship motor neuron disease research centre, based at the University of Sheffield, investigated how specialised nerve cells that control voluntary movements die – something which is key to understanding motor neuron disease (MND).
	Bladder cells regurgitate bacteria to prevent urinary tract infections Duke Medicine researchers have found that bladder cells have a highly effective way to combat E. coli bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs).
	Researchers identify a new target for treating drug-resistant melanoma A new collaborative study led by researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), published today in Cell Reports, provides new insight into the molecular changes that lead to resistance to a commonly prescribed group of drugs called BRAF inhibitors. The findings suggest that targeting newly discovered pathways could be an effective approach to improving the clinical outcome of patients with BRAF inhibitor-resistant melanoma tumors.
	Controlling typhoid bacterium key to prevent gallbladder cancer in India and Pakistan Controlling bacterial infections responsible for typhoid fever could dramatically reduce the risk of gallbladder cancer in India and Pakistan, according to a study published by Cell Press May 28th in Cell Host & Microbe. The findings establish for the first time the causal link between bacterial infection and gallbladder cancer, explaining why this type of cancer is rare in the West but common in India and Pakistan, where typhoid fever is endemic. Public policy changes inspired by this research could have an immediate impact on preventing a type of cancer that currently has a very poor prognosis.
A new tool to study an important anti-cancer and immunosuppressive target The chemical rapamycin is used clinically as an immunosuppressant and as an anti-cancer agent that works by inactivating a protein named TOR (Target Of Rapamycin). This protein is essential for the growth of normal cells, but is hyperactive in tumor cells. To be able to carry out its various growth-related tasks, TOR needs to assemble into one of two larger protein complexes named TORC1 and TORC2. Curiously, whereas TORC1 is inhibited by rapamycin, TORC2 is unaffected by this drug. The team of Robbie Loewith, professor in biology at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, has just lifted the veil on this mystery.
New findings shed light on complexities of emerging zoonotic malaria Zoonotic malaria has been shown to be caused by two genetically distinct Plasmodium knowlesi parasite subpopulations associated with different monkey host species in Malaysia, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens. The authors believe this could have important implications for how the parasite adapts and spreads in humans.
	New strategy to halt HIV growth: Block its sugar and nutrient pipeline HIV has a voracious sweet tooth, which turns out to be its Achilles' heel, reports a new study from Northwestern Medicine and Vanderbilt University.
	Team discovers key step in how taste buds regenerate Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered a key molecular pathway that aids in the renewal of taste buds, a finding that may help cancer patients suffering from an altered sense of taste during treatment.
	Inmates denied methadone treatment less likely to seek it once free New trial results published in The Lancet show that inmates forced off of methadone maintenance treatment upon incarceration—a widespread policy in U.S. prisons and jails—were significantly less likely to return to the effective addiction-controlling remedy after they were released than those who, because of the study, were allowed to remain in treatment.
A new mechanism protecting the liver from dangerous inflammation Life-threatening liver inflammation can be caused by excess alcohol, fatty foods, toxins, as well as viral, bacterial, and parasite infections. A study published on May 28th in PLOS Pathogens reports that a specific immune cell type in the liver can dampen the immune response, reduce inflammation, and protect against liver damage.
Deciphering dark and bright The human sensory systems contend with enormous diversity in the natural world. But it has been known for a long time the brain is adapted to exploit statistical regularities that nonetheless arise amongst this diversity. Research publishing this week in PLOS Computational Biology reports that established statistical distributions of visual features, such as visual contrast, spatial scale and depth, differ between dark and bright components of the natural world.
	How sleep helps us learn and memorize Sleep is important for long lasting memories, particularly during this exam season. Research publishing in PLOS Computational Biology suggests that sleeping triggers the synapses in our brain to both strengthen and weaken, which prompts the forgetting, strengthening or modification of our memories in a process known as long-term potentiation (LTP).
Genetically elevated triglyceride level associated with protection against type 2 diabetes Elevated plasma triglyceride level is considered a risk factor for type-2 diabetes, but new findings suggest that a genetically-elevated triglyceride level is associated with protection against type-2 diabetes. Yann Klimentidis, an Assistant Professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, and colleagues found that triglyceride-increasing alleles are associated with decreased type-2 diabetes incidence. Their findings were published recently in PLOS Genetics.
	Your smartphone could be good for your mental health When it comes to mental health, technologies such as smartphones and social media networks are almost always discussed in terms of the dangers they pose. Alongside concerns expressed in the media, some experts believe that technology has a role in the rising rates of mental health problems. However, there is also evidence to suggest your smartphone could actually be good for your mental health.
	Poor diet can cause Alzheimer's or Parkinson's in rats For several years, a researcher fed rodents in his laboratory a high caloric diet with glucose concentrations, which resulted in diabetes. By scientifically assessing what occurred in rats, Samuel Treviño Mora from the Meritorious University of Puebla (BUAP) in Mexico observed that "Diabetes and poor diet is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's or Parkinson's."
	Higher tobacco prices are an effective preventative measure Thirty percent of the estimated 2.3 million smokers in Austria are considered to be heavily tobacco-dependent and, according to experts at MedUni Vienna, require professional treatment. This would mean around 690,000 people. According to Michael Kunze, an expert on smoking at the Center for Public Health at MedUni Vienna, an effective strategy would be to increase the price of tobacco products: "If the price of cigarettes were to rise just one percent above the inflation rate, that would bring about a 0.5% reduction in consumption worldwide."
	Vegan diet might ease diabetic nerve pain (HealthDay)—A vegan diet might help people with diabetes-related nerve damage shed weight and find some pain relief, a small pilot study suggests.
	Global trial finds HIV drugs should be taken right after diagnosis (HealthDay)—People with HIV should start taking medications to battle the virus that causes AIDS as soon as they're diagnosed, a new international study finds.
Rare reaction puts 8-year-old on waiting list for 2d heart transplant An 8-year-old Spanaway, Wash., girl has been hospitalized since December with a failing heart, waiting for a second transplant that could save her life.
Signposts for improving cancer survival rates in Wales The findings of a new in-depth study of cancer could pin-point ways to improve cancer survival rates in Wales.
	Study identifies pathway that may cause seizures and shorten survival for patients with severe brain tumors Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have identified a chemical pathway that may be associated with seizures and shorter patient survival in some patients with malignant glioma, the most common and deadly form of brain tumor. In findings published May 27 in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers suggest that a transporter known as SXC is responsible for boosting levels of glutamate in the brains of some glioma patients.
	We trust kids to know what gender they are I will start by asking two questions: at what age did you know your gender, and do you think someone else had to tell you what it was? I'm director of mental health at a leading gender clinic in the US. Our clinic is a half-decade old – and in that short period the number of families coming to us with questions about their child's gender has grown astronomically every month.
	Can we cure Huntington's disease? I didn't cry until page 123 of Lisa Genova's terrific new novel Inside the O'Briens. That's when 44-year-old Boston police officer Joe O'Brien tells his four young adult offspring that his "weird temper"; his frequent toe-tapping, shoulder-shifting, and eyebrow lifting; and his inability to sequence the events in a routine crime report, are all due to Huntington's disease (HD).
	How men and women see each other when online dating In the world of online dating, nothing is as it seems. But that doesn't stop many of us from leaping to the wrong conclusions about people. A recent paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association and reported on in the press suggested that when evaluating photographs from online dating profiles, men and women judge enhanced and un-enhanced photos somewhat differently.
	Scary TV's impact on kids is overstated, say psychologists The impact of scary TV on children's wellbeing has been overstated, according to University of Sussex psychologists.
New MRI technique could expand treatment options for stroke victims A recent study by scientists from Trinity College Dublin has shown how a new MRI scanning technique, which looks at sodium levels rather than water levels in the brain, offers the potential to extend the time-window during which drug therapy may be given to stroke patients.
	Exercise offers cancer survivors significant improvements in quality of life For many cancer survivors, a better quality of life is as close as the nearest pair of sneakers. That's because a growing body of research, including two recent studies led by Yale Cancer Center, show that exercise is a powerful way for survivors to improve quality of life.
	High rates of MRSA transmission found between nursing home residents, healthcare workers Healthcare workers frequently contaminate their gloves and gowns during every day care of nursing homes residents with drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, according to a new study. The findings were published online today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
	Protecting women from multiple sclerosis An innocent mistake made by a graduate student in a Northwestern Medicine lab (she accidentally used male mice instead of female mice during an experiment) has led scientists to a novel discovery that offers new insight into why women are more likely than men to develop autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
Study shows treatment for genetically caused emphysema is effective A landmark clinical study in the Lancet provides convincing evidence that a frequently overlooked therapy for genetically-caused emphysema is effective and slows the progression of lung disease.
	Sleep quality influences the cognitive performance of autistic and neurotypical children One night of poor sleep significantly decreases performance on intelligence tests in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and also in neurotypical children (without ASD). This is the conclusion made by researchers at the Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, affiliated with the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal and Université de Montréal.
	Many UK patients with gonorrhea prescribed outdated antibiotics Many UK patients with gonorrhoea are being prescribed antibiotics that are no longer recommended for treating the infection by their family doctor (GP), reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open.
End European agreements with tobacco industry designed to curb smuggling, urge experts The agreements drawn up between the European Union (EU) and the four major transnational tobacco companies, to crack down on cigarette smuggling and recoup lost tax revenues, are failing to meet their stated aims, concludes research published online in the journal Tobacco Control.
The new normal? Addressing gun violence in America Article Spotlight features summaries written in collaboration with authors of recently published articles by the Journals Program of the American Psychological Association. The articles are nominated by the editors as noteworthy to the scientific community.
	Research links impulsivity and binge eating Do you get impulsive when you're upset? If so, this could be putting you at risk for binge eating.
	Teen drivers a danger to others on the road, report warns (HealthDay)—Teen drivers are a threat to everyone on the road, a new study warns.
	Oil and gas industry worker death rate down by a third (HealthDay)—Even as the oil and gas extraction industry in the United States boomed, there was a decline in the rate of worker deaths, a new federal government study shows.
	Women, poor, uninsured face higher risk of psychological distress: CDC (HealthDay)—Women, people with chronic medical conditions, the poor and those without health insurance are more likely to struggle with "serious psychological distress," U.S. health officials reported Thursday.
	Average New Yorker sits seven hours each day: study (HealthDay News)—They may live in the "City That Never Sleeps," but most New Yorkers still sit around a lot—an average of seven hours every day, a new study shows.
	FDA approves new drugs for irritable bowel syndrome (HealthDay)—Two new drugs for adults with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday.
	Post-CABG predictors of stroke identified for diabetes patients (HealthDay)—For patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), predictors of stroke include previous stroke, warfarin use, and surgery outside the United States or Canada, according to research published in the May 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
	House call primary care practices vary substantially (HealthDay)—Home-based primary care practices vary in terms of size and approaches to quality of care assessment, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Higher disease burden for patients with fibromyalgia (HealthDay)—Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) have a higher disease burden than those with chronic widespread pain (CWP), according to research published online May 16 in Pain Practice.
	Specific trans fatty acids linked with incident diabetes (HealthDay)—Among older adults, specific trans fatty acids (TFAs) may be associated with diabetes mellitus (DM), according to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care.
	Population-based FIT screening can reduce CRC mortality (HealthDay)—Population-based fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) screening in adults aged 50 to 69 years can reduce colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality, according to a study published online May 20 in Cancer.
	Primary androgen deprivation Tx ups diabetes risk by 60 percent (HealthDay)—Primary androgen deprivation therapy increases diabetes risk, particularly in men under 70 years of age, according to research published in the June issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Focus on the brain: Researchers address unmet needs in neurosciences In the human brain and retina, glutamate is an important messenger that carries information from one neuron to another. The level of glutamate transmitted between neurons is crucial to cell communication: too high and neurons die, too low and the information is not communicated properly. In either case this can contribute to neurological diseases including stroke, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's.
	ASCO: Trial creates six percent weight loss after breast cancer treatment Carrying extra body fat increases the risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and also increases risk of cancer recurrence after a breast cancer diagnosis. A multi-institutional study presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2015 shows that female breast cancer survivors are able to lose weight through modest lifestyle changes.
A better understanding of links between pain and anxiety reveals treatment opportunities Pain has both physical and emotional components. Anxiety is common in people suffering from chronic pain, and people with anxiety are more likely to suffer from chronic pain. Dr. Min Zhuo and his team at the University of Toronto have found the biological basis for this link in the connections between neurons in a brain region known as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Better yet, they have identified a molecule that can reduce chronic pain-related anxiety. Dr. Zhuo's latest results were presented at the 9th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, on May 27th 2015 in Vancouver British Columbia.
Wide variability in organ donation rates: Midwest leads nation in highest rates of donations More than 123,000 Americans are currently waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, but 21 patients die each day because there aren't enough organs to go around. New research shows wide variation in the number of eligible organ donors whose loved ones consent to organ donation across the country. Donation consent rates are highest in the Midwest and lowest in New York State, according to a study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Kansas Hospital in the new issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.
First hearing in House lawsuit over Obama health law Obama administration attorneys are urging a federal judge to throw out an election-year lawsuit by House Republicans over the president's health care law.
	African-American families share autism experiences in new video series Sometimes, a personal story is what it takes to connect people to help they need and to overcome hidden struggles.
New biospecimen bank enrolls more than 12,000 patients, begins dispersing samples to researchers More than 12,000 UK HealthCare patients have consented to join UK's new Research Registry and Biospecimen Bank, or biobank, allowing blood or tissue leftover from their normal health care procedures to be stored for use by researchers. Access to human tissue is critical for learning about human health and disease, developing treatments, and finding cures. The biobank, developed by the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), serves as resource to catalyze such discoveries.
Researchers assess non-fatal suicidal behaviors in US Army administrative records Although the U.S. Army suicide rate is known to have risen sharply over the past decade, information about medically documented, non-fatal suicidal behaviors is far more limited. According to findings published in Psychiatry: Interpersonal & Biological Processes incidence rates of suicide ideation and suicide attempts increased annually among Soldiers during the years 2004-2009. This study provides the most comprehensive picture to date of non-fatal suicidal events in the U.S. Army.
A sight for sore eyes: Visually training medical students to better identify melanomas Each year, thousands of Canadians are given the news: they have skin cancer. It is the most common form of cancer in Canada and around the world, but if detected early, survival rates are extremely high. According to Liam Rourke, it doesn't happen nearly as often as it could.
Challenges ahead for European clinical trials The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), in collaboration with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), expressed their views on the EU Clinical Trials Regulation in an official position paper recently published in Annals of Oncology.
	Most people want it, but the UK isn't ready to legalise assisted dying The same week that the UK press reported the death of Jeffrey Spector, who travelled to Switzerland to die rather than face a life of pain and paralysis, the Scottish parliament has rejected the general principles of the Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill by 82 votes to 36.
WHO warns that Ebola crisis isn't over The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday warned against complacency about the deadly Ebola virus, saying that the crisis isn't over.
Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/r in hepatitis C: Indication of added benefit in certain patients The fixed-dose drug combination ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (trade name Viekirax) has been available since January 2015 for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis C infection. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this drug combination offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy.
	Demi Lovato gets vocal about mental illness (HealthDay)—Demi Lovato huddled in the back of her tour bus, eyes wet with tears as she watched a horde of fans streaming into the venue where she was about to play.
Health factors influence ex-prisoners' chances of returning to jail Ex-prisoners with a history of risky drug use, mental illness or poverty are more likely to end up back behind bars. Those who are obese, are chronically ill or have attempted suicide are more likely to remain in the community. These are some of the findings from an exploratory study into health-related factors that could be used to predict whether a person released from prison will end up in custody again. It was led by Emma Thomas of the University of Melbourne in Australia and is published in Springer's journal Health & Justice, an open access journal.
New rapid-deployment plasma protocol for trauma care effectively treats patients quicker in the emergency room Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death among people under age 45, but if trauma physicians could deliver plasma to these injury victims within minutes of their arrival in the emergency room, more of them would stand a better chance of survival.
ASCO: JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib has promising efficacy in CMML patients Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a rare type of myelodysplastic, myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by increased numbers of peripheral monocytes and less than 20 percent blasts. CMML has few treatment options and patients only survive on average for 12 to 24 months. Preclinical studies suggest that JAK2 inhibitors may be an effective treatment option for CMML. Eric Padron, M.D., assistant member of the Malignant Hematology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center will report on the first phase 1 study of the JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in CMML patients at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago.
ASCO: Component in green tea may help reduce prostate cancer in men at high risk Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men and is predicted to result in an estimated 220,00 cases in the United States in 2015. In recent years, an emphasis has been placed on chemoprevention - the use of agents to prevent the development or progression of prostate cancer. A team of researchers led by Nagi B. Kumar, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.D.A. at Moffitt Cancer Center recently published results of a randomized trial that assessed the safety and effectiveness of the active components in green tea to prevent prostate cancer development in men who have premalignant lesions. The results will be presented at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
ASCO: Nivolumab treatment in melanoma patients has manageable safety profile The monoclonal antibody nivolumab has shown promise as a therapeutic agent, particularly by improving the survival rates of melanoma patients. Jeffrey S. Weber, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center at Moffitt Cancer Center will be presenting data from a retrospective analysis of the safety of nivolumab in 4 ongoing phase I-III studies in melanoma patients at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago.
ASCO: MEDI4736 combined with tremelimumab results in acceptable toxicity in NSCLC patients Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients have few effective treatment options and low 5-year survival rates. The checkpoint inhibitors MEDI4736 and tremelimumab have both demonstrated acceptable safety and potential efficacy when used as single-agents in several different types of cancer. Scott J. Antonia, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Thoracic Oncology Department at Moffitt Cancer Center will be presenting data from a phase 1b dose-escalation and expansion study of MEDI4736 combined with tremelimumab at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Brain training induces lasting brain, mental health gains for veterans, civilians with brain injury In the first study of its kind, veterans and civilians with traumatic brain injury showed improved cognitive performance and psychological and neural health following strategy-based cognitive training. The Department of Defense-funded study, published this week in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of cognitive neuroscientists, rehabilitation specialists, and neuroimaging experts from the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas.
	Portable finger-probe device can successfully measure liver function in potential organ donors A portable, finger-probe device successfully measured liver function in brain dead adult organ donors, a finding that could change the way organs are assessed and save thousands of dollars per transplant, a UCLA study has found.
Census: No. of Americans on assistance may be leveling off The once-increasing number of Americans getting some kind of public assistance from the U.S. government may be slowing down, according to new information from the U.S. Census Bureau.
CDC: 150 possibly had contact with Lassa fever victim Federal and New Jersey health officials have identified more than 150 people who possibly had contact with a patient who died of Lassa Fever.
Parents feel racial socialization may help minority children succeed in school A child's ability to succeed academically is one of the strongest determinants of his or her future quality of life. In particular, it has been directly linked to overall longevity and several other critical health outcomes.

Other Sciences news

	Paleontologists pioneer laser-beam scanning of dinosaur fossils A team of scientists based largely at the University of Kansas and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Washington has developed methods of using commercial-grade laser equipment to find and analyze fossils of dinosaurs. Their techniques are introduced via a paper in the journal PLOS ONE today.
	Humans migrated north, rather than south, in the main successful migration from Cradle of Humankind New research suggests that European and Asian (Eurasian) peoples originated when early Africans moved north - through the region that is now Egypt - to expand into the rest of the world. The findings, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, answer a long-standing question as to whether early humans emerged from Africa by a route via Egypt, or via Ethiopia.
	Ancient DNA may provide clues into how past environments affected ancient populations A new study by anthropologists from The University of Texas at Austin shows for the first time that epigenetic marks on DNA can be detected in a large number of ancient human remains, which may lead to further understanding about the effects of famine and disease in the ancient world.
	Girls receive conflicting career messages from media, new research shows Teenage girls like and feel more similar to women in appearance-focused jobs such as models and actresses, though they find female CEOs and military pilots to be better role models, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon State University.
Notre Dame paper examines how students understand mathematics It's both the bane of many parents and what has been called a major national vulnerability: the inability of many children to understand mathematics. Understanding that problem and developing strategies to overcome it is the research focus of Nicole McNeil, Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, and the researchers in her lab.
	New index of children's 'school readiness' highlights importance of family support The importance of family support on a child's 'school readiness' is highlighted in a study published this month in the British Journal of Educational Psychology. Researchers developed and piloted a new index that might provide a simple and stress-free alternative to the government's proposed baseline assessments for four-year-olds starting school.
	How well does technology solve social problems? University of Michigan professor Kentaro Toyama was in India leading a team studying how to make computers work better in the classroom when he noticed that students far outnumbered computers at the underfunded government schools.
	1,500 ultrasound tongue recordings reveals secrets of our accents Phonetics experts have completed a project to reveal the hidden workings of our tongues and vocal tracts using 1,500 ultrasound videos. The unique corpus of ultrasound videos was compiled as part of a research project looking at how speakers of different accents move their tongue and lips.
	Study shows as people non-consciously categorize others by political affiliation, they ignore race—but not age, gender Beatles versus Rolling Stones. Ironman versus the Incredible Hulk. Deep dish versus thin crust. Such differences of opinion among family and friends rarely end in serious squabbles. Let the conversation turn to political parties, however, and lively disagreements can become downright ugly.
	Study finds news may influence racial bias A recent University of Houston (UH) study suggests that long-term exposure to news may negatively influence racial bias towards social groups.
Science magazine retracts study on voters' gay-rights views Science magazine on Thursday formally retracted a highly publicized article about a study gauging the ability of openly gay canvassers to shift voters' views toward support for same-sex marriage.
	Israeli Burning Man festival torches ancient remains The Israeli Antiquities Authority says revelers at a Burning Man festival famous for its pyrotechnic spectacles have accidentally torched some remnants of prehistoric man.
Bacteria renew mystery over Chilean poet Neruda's death Family of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda said Thursday forensic experts have found evidence of a massive bacterial infection in his remains, increasing their suspicion that he was poisoned by dictator Augusto Pinochet's regime.

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