Fwd: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, May 26

RESPEKT!

Soy supplements don't improve asthma

Say Freeze: Photogs do 365-gigapixel sweep of Mont Blanc

Apple design star Jony Ive rises to higher role

Interspecies love-ins and the offbeat history of our species

The legacy of John Nash and his equilibrium theory

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Wed, May 27, 2015 at 3:07 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, May 26
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 26, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Toward sold-state molecular circuitry: Molecular shuttle within a metal-organic framework
- Multiplexing technique for nanoMRI imaging cuts scan time from two weeks to two days
- Protocol corrects virtually all errors in quantum memory, but requires little measure of quantum states
- Squeezed quantum cats
- Genomic data reveals emergence in Africa of drug resistant strain of typhoid
- Researchers develop intelligent handheld robots
- Understanding how cells become coronary vessels may lead to advances in repairing heart damage
- Neuroscientists reveal autism's 'noisy' secret
- Breakthrough helps explain how DNA is organized in our cells
- Severe ozone depletion avoided
- Researchers find 'decoder ring' powers in micro RNA
- Research could lead to biodegradable computer chips
- Watching worms will help humans age more gracefully
- Paradigm shift in treatment of addiction holds promise, thanks to epigenetics
- Researchers develop a novel device to image the minute forces and actions involved in cell membrane hemifusion

Nanotechnology news

Physicists advance understanding of electrical vortices in certain materials Computational physicists have developed a novel method that accurately reveals how electrical vortices affect electronic properties of materials that are used in a wide range of applications, including cell phones and military sonar.
Nanotechnology identifies brain tumor types through MRI 'virtual biopsy' in animal studies Biomedical researchers at Cedars-Sinai have invented a tiny drug-delivery system that can identify cancer cell types in the brain through "virtual biopsies" and then attack the molecular structure of the disease.
	Nano-capsules designed for diagnosing malignant tumours Japanese researchers have developed adaptable nano-capsules that can help in the diagnosis of glioblastoma cells – a highly invasive form of brain tumour.

Physics news

	Multiplexing technique for nanoMRI imaging cuts scan time from two weeks to two days NanoMRI is a scanning technique that produces nondestructive, high-resolution 3-D images of nanoscale objects, and it promises to become a powerful tool for researchers and companies exploring the shape and function of biological materials such as viruses and cells in much the same way as clinical MRI today enables investigation of whole tissues in the human body.
	Protocol corrects virtually all errors in quantum memory, but requires little measure of quantum states Quantum computers are largely theoretical devices that could perform some computations exponentially faster than conventional computers can. Crucial to most designs for quantum computers is quantum error correction, which helps preserve the fragile quantum states on which quantum computation depends.
	Fine-tuned molecular orientation is key to more efficient solar cells Polymer solar cells are a hot area of research due to both their strong future potential and the significant challenges they pose. It is believed that thanks to lower production costs, they could become a viable alternative to conventional solar cells with silicon substrates when they achieve a power conversion efficiency—a measure that indicates how much electricity they can generate from a given amount of sunlight—of between 10 and 15 percent. Now, using carefully designed materials and an "inverted" architecture, a team of scientists has achieved efficiency of 10 percent, bringing these cells close to the threshold of commercial viability.
	New model sheds light on 'flocking' behaviour Understanding how turbulence can alter the shape and course of a flock of birds, a swarm of insects or even an algal bloom could help us to better predict their impact on the environment.
	Squeezed quantum cats ETH professor Jonathan Home and his colleagues reach deep into their bag of tricks to create so-called 'squeezed Schrödinger cats.' These quantum systems could be extremely useful for future technologies.
	On-demand X-rays at synchrotron light sources Consumers are now in the era of "on-demand" entertainment, in which they have access to the books, music and movies they want thanks to the internet. Likewise, scientists who use synchrotron light sources are welcoming an era of "on-demand" X-rays, in which they have access to the light beams they want thanks to a technique developed at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
	Visualizing anisotropic carrier transport in organic semiconductor materials Organic single crystal semiconductors have uniform crystal structures throughout their bulk. This means that any charge-carrying particles within the crystal will encounter different obstacles depending on their direction of travel (as an analogy, a stack of boxes looks different from different angles!). This property, known as mobility anisotropy, is very important to consider when using single crystals in the development of electronic devices.
	Science historian tells a timely story about Einstein and his most dangerous critic Two of the 20th century's greatest minds, one of them physicist Albert Einstein, came to intellectual blows one day in Paris in 1922. Their dispute, before a learned audience, was about the nature of time - mostly in connection with Einstein's most famous work, the theory of relativity, which marks its centennial this year.
Physicist's Nobel Prize up for auction, $325,000 to start A retired Chicago physicist has put his 1988 Nobel Prize up for auction.

Earth news

	Severe ozone depletion avoided We are already reaping the rewards of the Montreal Protocol, with the ozone layer in much better shape than it would have been without the UN treaty, according to a new study in Nature Communications.
	Climate change debate fueled by 'echo chambers,' study finds A new study from researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) and the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) demonstrates that the highly contentious debate on climate change is fueled in part by how information flows throughout policy networks.
	Morocco's majestic cedars threatened by climate change The cedar tree, considered by many to be Morocco's national treasure, is coming under attack from climate change, greedy humans who indulge in illegal logging, and monkeys.
Blueprint for a thirsty world from Down Under The Millennium Drought in southeastern Australia forced Greater Melbourne, a city of 4.3 million people, to successfully implement innovations that hold critical lessons for water-stressed regions around the world, according to findings by UC Irvine and Australian researchers.
	Bright facades and trees against heat and smog Cities represent "heat islands" within their surroundings, which are characterized by many heat sources and small air flows. In southern Europe, bright buildings produce relief and provide for a cooler urban climate. Simulation calculations of KIT researchers for the city of Stuttgart as an example, however, reveal that such measures for enhancing cooling may adversely affect air quality on the ground. The solution of the researchers: Bright facades for cooling and planting of certain types of trees to reduce pollutant concentration.
Researchers say anti-pollution rules have uncertain effects Air pollution regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are estimated to save thousands of lives annually. A new study by researchers at Indiana University says these estimates are more uncertain than commonly believed.
	Researchers solve another piece of the puzzle how forests can effect our climate A first global scale study has estimated how forest emitted compounds affecting cloud seeds via formation of low-volatility vapours. According to the latest projections, terrestrial vegetation emits several million tons of extremely low-volatility organic compounds (ELVOCs) per year to the atmosphere. These oxidation products of compounds such as monoterpenes results in an increase of condensing vapours that can further form cloud condensation nuclei over the continents and thus has an influence on the formation of clouds. They can therefore play an important role for the climate, especially in the great forest regions of the world such as the taiga or the tropical rainforests.
	Changes in forest structure affect bees and other pollinators Over the past century, many forests have shifted from open to closed canopies. The change in forest structure could be contributing to declines in pollinator species, especially native bees, according to a new study by U.S. Forest Service scientists.
	Company hopes to remove ruptured oil pipeline by Tuesday Officials from Plains All American Pipeline say they hope the broken section of a pipeline that spilled oil along the California Coast can be removed for investigation by Tuesday.
Researchers create marine biodiversity database The world's epicentre of marine biodiversity is under threat. Researchers in the Philippines are developing a marine biodiversity database to help identify local hotspots requiring urgent management.
	Mapping Singapore''s urban heat island phenomenon Researchers in Singapore are developing a microclimatic modelling tool to prevent further deterioration of the country's urban heat island phenomenon.
	Using recovery methods, oil production in Mexico would increase by nearly 800 thousand barrels per day Mexico has a wide range of oil fields; however, most of them are mature, which makes it difficult to maintain oil production. Therefore, advanced and improved recovery methods should be implemented to increase reserves and production of supplies in the country, says Edgar René Rangel Germán commissioner in the National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) of Mexico.
Biofuels regime failing to meet its objectives under current regulatory framework The European Union (EU) regulatory framework for biofuels has the potential to address its climate, energy and environmental objectives, but only if carefully tailored and effectively implemented, according to research from the University of Eastern Finland. The current regulatory framework for biofuels is failing to meet these underlying objectives.

Astronomy & Space news

	A solar eclipse sheds light on physics On 29 May 1919, a shadow dance took place over the Caribbean which was to make history: While the new moon covered the blazingly bright disk of the Sun, astronomers around Arthur Stanley Eddington measured the shift of stars which showed up in the dark sky right next to the totally eclipsed Sun. The result actually did correspond very accurately with what Albert Einstein had predicted less than four years before in his General Theory of Relativity. "Revolution in Science" was the headline in the London Times of November 1919. What was the reason for this euphoria? How did the confirmation of a new scientific view of the world come about?
	Watching worms will help humans age more gracefully The plot of many a science fiction TV series or movie revolves around the premise that people traveling long distances in space age more slowly than their counterparts on Earth. Now, tiny worms who spent time aboard the International Space Station could help humans understand more about the effects of aging in space for real.
	New project aims to establish a human colony on Mars MarsPolar, a newly started international venture is setting its sights on the Red Planet. The project consisting of specialists from Russia, United Arab Emirates, Poland, U.S. and Ukraine has come up with a bold idea to establish a human settlement on Mars' polar region, the part of the planet with abundant quantities of water ice. The targeted area could be very interesting in terms of alien life hunting as the MarsPolar team puts it: "life begins where the water exists." The plan is to create the colony around 2029. "We want to send to Mars a crew of 4-6 astronauts, every 2 years," Roman Juranek, the project's Director of Communications for Poland, told astrowatch.net.
Magnetospheres: Researcher works to debunk the theory behind massive stars Queen's University PhD student Matt Shultz is researching magnetic, massive stars, and his research has uncovered questions concerning the behaviour of plasma within their magnetospheres.
	Earth-like planets are more likely to orbit Sun-like stars than lower-mass stars Simulations by researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Tsinghua University indicate that Earth-like planets are more likely to be found orbiting Sun-like stars rather than lower-mass stars that are currently targeted, in terms of water contents of planets.
	SpinSat and things that slither splashdown with end of sixth SpaceX mission The International Space Station had worms. Roundworms to be exact, but those and several other samples, hardware and data are now returning aboard the completed sixth SpaceX contracted resupply mission. The Dragon spacecraft originally delivered research equipment for physical science, biology, biotechnology, human research and a myriad of technology demonstrations to the station on April 14.
	MaterialsLab improves how we conduct research on Earth and in space When companies try to "build a better mousetrap," the process can involve lots of internal studies and tests on the kinds of materials to use and effective designs. It can be a time-consuming but necessary operation, which means less time for people to use the device to solve a particular problem.
	Supernovas help 'clean' galaxies Supernovas just might be the maid service of the universe.
	NASA's Europa mission begins with selection of science instruments NASA has selected nine science instruments for a mission to Jupiter's moon Europa, to investigate whether the mysterious icy moon could harbor conditions suitable for life.

Technology news

	Say Freeze: Photogs do 365-gigapixel sweep of Mont Blanc Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and has taken on an added distinction as the subject of the world's largest photograph. The Telegraph reported Monday that a photography team accomplished a world record-setting panoramic photograph of this majestic mountain—no small feat, born out of a desire among the photography specialists who did it to pay tribute to Mont Blanc.
	Successful Kickstarter project Neurio now delivering home electricity sensing At the end of 2013, a group of people calling itself Energy Aware, launched a Kickstarter project for a device they had created called Neurio—an electricity sensor that connects to a home's breaker panel and keeps track of usage—data is sent from it via WiFI to a cloud storage facility where it is analyzed put into a form that makes sense and then sent to the user's smartphone. The purpose of the device is first and foremost to give homeowners a better picture of where the electricity in their home is being used. The Kickstarter project was successful in that the team received far more in pledges than they were asking, which meant that they were able to put the finishing touches on their product and have it put into production. And now, those that made pledges are receiving their product.
	New tech keeps your smart phone charged for 30 percent longer New technology developed at The Ohio State University makes cell phone batteries last up to 30 percent longer on a single charge.
	Researchers develop two-legged robot that walks like an animated character When Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse, he didn't give much thought to how he might bring his character to life in the real world. But robotics now puts that possibility within reach, so Disney researchers have found a way for a robot to mimic an animated character's walk.
	First smartphone app that predicts GPA created If you're a college student wondering how your study and party habits will affect your GPA, wonder no longer. Dartmouth researchers and their colleagues have built the first app that automatically predicts college students' grade point average based on their smartphone data.
	Researchers develop intelligent handheld robots What if handheld tools know what needs to be done and were even able to guide and help inexperienced users to complete jobs that require skill? Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed and started studying a novel concept in robotics - intelligent handheld robots.
	Research could lead to biodegradable computer chips Portable electronics - typically made of non-renewable, non-biodegradable and potentially toxic materials - are discarded at an alarming rate in consumers' pursuit of the next best electronic gadget.
	Periscope streaming app spreads to Android smartphones Twitter launched its Periscope application on Android-powered devices on Tuesday as the battle for live-streaming video spread to the world's leading smartphone platform.
	Subway riders' smartphones could carry tracking malware Millions of city dwellers with smartphones in hand, pocket or bag, use trains to get around night and day, seven days a week. The incoming message from three researchers in China is that an attacker could track them based on information from a phone's accelerometer. The three, from Nanjing University, have completed a study which went up on the arXiv server earlier this month. "We Can Track You If You Take the Metro: Tracking Metro Riders Using Accelerometers on Smartphones" describes the attack.
	Team presents induction-powered biosensor chips detecting many molecules in vivo It's only a centimeter long, it's placed under your skin, it's powered by a patch on the surface of your skin and it communicates with your mobile phone. The new biosensor chip developed at EPFL is capable of simultaneously monitoring the concentration of a number of molecules, such as glucose and cholesterol, and certain drugs.
	Mexico cab drivers snarl traffic in anti-Uber demo Thousands of Mexico City taxi drivers snarled traffic in the mega-capital on Monday in a protest demanding that the government ban US ride-sharing service Uber.
	Toughest leg of Solar Impulse's global journey delayed The most challenging leg of Solar Impulse 2's landmark flight around the world powered only by the sun was delayed on Tuesday due to concerns about the weather, organisers said.
	Corporate maneuver at Samsung strengthens heir's influence Two key Samsung companies are merging in a step toward ensuring the son of the group's ailing chairman inherits control of the theme parks to smartphones conglomerate.
	Apple design star Jony Ive rises to higher role The designer behind Apple's world-changing devices is rising to a new role that frees him to put his creative vision to work across the breadth of the company.
Video: Top scientist's materials research puts 'smart buildings' on the grid Timothy Long, one of three Virginia Outstanding Scientists for 2015, tells how materials of the future can be created to serve multiple functions. Printed on a 3D printer, walls of a "smart building" might be able to perform tasks such as move water or control sound. The research involves an interdisciplinary approach – chemists and other scientists working with architects and engineers.
	Green-mix concrete as an environmentally friendly building material Complementing the Government of Malaysia's efforts to encourage the use of environmentally friendly materials in the construction of green buildings, researchers from the faculty of civil engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia have successfully developed an environment friendly version of building concrete called green-mix concrete.
	Enhancing the productivity of yarn makers Researchers in Hong Kong have developed a new yarn manufacturing technology that can increase productivity with less energy consumption.
	Why Aussies aren't buying plug-in cars Is it price, perception or the sales person stopping Australians buying electric cars?
	Scientist created drones that fly autonomously and learn new routes With the goal of achieving autonomous flight of drones, researcher José Martínez Carranza from the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) in Mexico has developed a vision and learning system to control and navigate without relying on a GPS signal or trained personnel.
	Charter buying Time Warner Cable as TV viewers go online (Update) As TV watchers increasingly look online for their fix, cable companies are bulking up. In the latest round, Charter Communications is buying Time Warner Cable for $55.33 billion.
	Innovative technology to recover performance of CMOS devices damaged by hot carrier injection Tokyo Tech researchers demonstrate for the first time that application of pulsed reverse-voltages produce recovery of the performance of CMOS transistors damaged by the generation of electron-traps in the gate oxide due to hot carrier injection (HCI) of highly energetic electronics from the source-drain region.
	Eye tracking technology makes for safer drivers Advanced eye tracking technology applied to driver training by a Perth company is improving drivers' hazard perception skills.
	French bill seeks to boost renewable energy, cut nuclear use France's lower house of parliament has approved a bill aimed at boosting renewable energy and reducing the country's reliance on nuclear power, among other environment-friendly measures.
Global smartphone growth cools on China sales: tracker A slowdown in smartphone sales in China is cooling the global market for the devices, research firm IDC said Tuesday.
	Hyundai is first to offer Android Auto system Hyundai is the first carmaker to offer Google's Android Auto system.
	What Charter-Time Warner Cable deal could mean for consumers As the Internet has upended their business, cable companies have been racing to reinvent themselves as dominant broadband providers and distributors of online video.
Grass is an alternative to silage maize in biogas production Production of biogas from silage maize booms. But this green energy production also has its drawbacks: Maize monocultures block increasingly large areas for food production and result in a monotonous landscape. So far unused grass from landscaping is an ecological alternative, if economic drawbacks are compensated. This is the result of a recent study of KIT and the University of Hohenheim, which focused on locations in Baden-Württemberg.
	Safe, affordable technology opens the way to automated transport Relying on top-notch, highly expensive vehicle parts to make automated transport a reality may provide sufficient guarantees for a large-scale deployment, but such an expensive setup might discourage investors. To resolve this conundrum, the KARYON project has developed a technology capable of adapting its behaviour to the reliability of its sensors and connection with other vehicles.
	Preventing hydropower turbine failure The Francis turbine is the most common type of water turbine used in Norwegian hydropower plants, and has been for many years. About half of the world's Francis turbines are found in Norwegian plants.
	NIST develops first 'roadmap' for public safety communications research The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published the first "roadmap" for the next 20 years of research needed to establish seamless, broadband public safety communications networks across the United States. The new roadmap, the first of a planned series on relevant technologies, focuses on location-based services to improve situational awareness for police, firefighters, emergency medical services and other first responders.
Cable and pay-TV acquisitions and almost-deals at a glance Charter Communications agreed to buy Time Warner Cable on Tuesday for $55.33 billion. Here's a look at some of the biggest cable and pay-TV deals, and deals that almost happened, in the last few years.
Fire at giant Apple plant in Arizona quickly controlled A fire at a huge plant owned by tech giant Apple Inc. in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa caused a section of the roof to collapse, but no one was hurt.
Amazon hires 6K full-time workers for distribution centers Amazon is hiring 6,000 full-time workers to staff up across its more than 50 distribution centers in the U.S.

Chemistry news

	Toward sold-state molecular circuitry: Molecular shuttle within a metal-organic framework (Phys.org)—In 1959 Moore observed that from the time the integrated circuit was invented, the number of transistors per square inch doubled about every eighteen months. A contemporary of Moore, Feynman, suggested that denser circuitry could be achieved by making molecular-scale circuitry. Since that time, mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) have proven a viable contender for eventually making molecular-based circuitry, including molecular switches. However, most molecular switches are made and studied in solution.
	DNA mutations get harder to hide Rice University researchers have developed a method to detect rare DNA mutations with an approach hundreds of times more powerful than current methods.
Researchers find 'decoder ring' powers in micro RNA MicroRNA can serve as a "decoder ring" for understanding complex biological processes, a team of New York University chemists has found. Their study, which appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, points to a new method for decrypting the biological functions of enzymes and identifying those that drive diseases.
	New chip makes testing for antibiotic-resistant bacteria faster, easier We live in fear of 'superbugs': infectious bacteria that don't respond to treatment by antibiotics, and can turn a routine hospital stay into a nightmare. A 2015 Health Canada report estimates that superbugs have already cost Canadians $1 billion, and are a "serious and growing issue." Each year two million people in the U.S. contract antibiotic-resistant infections, and at least 23,000 people die as a direct result.
	Researchers develop a novel device to image the minute forces and actions involved in cell membrane hemifusion Cells are biological wonders. Throughout billions of years of existence on Earth, these tiny units of life have evolved to collaborate at the smallest levels in promoting, preserving and protecting the organism they comprise. Among these functions is the transport of lipids and other biomacromolecules between cells via membrane adhesion and fusion—processes that occur in many biological functions, including waste transport, egg fertilization and digestion.
	Use your smartphone for biosensing An Australian research team has shown that smartphones can be reconfigured as cost-effective, portable bioanalytical devices, with details reported in the latest edition of the Open Access Journal 'Sensors'.
	Nearly indestructible virus yields tool to treat diseases By unlocking the secrets of a bizarre virus that survives in nearly boiling acid, scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have found a blueprint for battling human disease using DNA clad in near-indestructible armor.

Biology news

	One to ovoid? Using 3-D printing, researchers can study what causes birds to reject eggs with greater precision Old-school field work meets cutting-edge technology! For decades, researchers have been making artificial eggs out of plaster, wood, and other materials to test how birds identify and reject the eggs that invading "brood parasites" sometimes sneak into their nests. But these methods have many limitations, and a new study published in the open-access journal PeerJ is the first to test the usefulness of 3D printed eggs for research on egg rejection.
	Pheromones produced by gut bacteria found to kill resistant variants of its own kind (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with members from Harvard Medical School and the University of Kansas has found that pheromones produced by one type of non-resistant bacteria can kill other bacteria that have grown resistant to agents meant to kill them. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes how they discovered such occurrences while investigating mobile elements and metabolic pathways of resistant bacteria.
	Understanding how cells become coronary vessels may lead to advances in repairing heart damage The heart has its own dedicated blood supply, with coronary arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart and cardiac veins that remove deoxygenated blood. This system of vessels nourishes the heart, enabling it to pump blood to all the other organs and tissues of the body. Yet despite their critical importance, the process and molecules required for coronary vessel development have not been fully determined.
	From worker to queen at the drop of a gene Biologists from the University of Leicester have discovered that one of nature's most important pollinators - the buff-tailed bumblebee – either ascends to the status of queen or remains a lowly worker bee based on which genes are 'turned on' during its lifespan.
	Breakthrough helps explain how DNA is organized in our cells A team of researchers at the IRCM led by François Robert, PhD, uncovered a critical role for two proteins in chromatin structure. Their breakthrough, recently published in the scientific journal Molecular Cell, helps explain how DNA is organized in our cells. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of what causes certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma.
Extremophile bacteria could be key to solving nuclear problems Radiation-tolerant bacteria could be even more effective at clearing up nuclear waste through natural processes than previously thought.
Research helps support Indian Ocean sanctuary Research by scientists at the University of St Andrews, published today in PLOS One, proves that the Vamizi Island marine sanctuary, in the north of Mozambique, has had a positive effect on fish populations not only within the reserve but also in the surrounding area.
	Petrels tracked across the Oceans Staff at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are following the journeys of White-chinned Petrel fledglings as they make their first journeys over the South Atlantic Ocean in search of food. The birds have been fitted with small satellite transmitters and the location data are processed at BAS' head office in Cambridge, UK. The devices were attached just before the chicks fledged on Bird Island, South Georgia, in early April.
	What is the best way to kill a cane toad? Like many pests, cane toads are killed in their thousands in Australia every year, especially by community-based 'toad-busting' groups. New research has now revealed the most humane way to do it.
	Phenotyping wheat breeding lines takes on new look Gathering millions of data points from thousands of wheat breeding lines across Texas is now as simple as riding a bike – or pushing one, in this case.
	A faster sequence homology search algorithm based on database subsequence clustering Sequence homology searches are widely used in genome studies. New DNA sequencers produce large amounts of sequence data, which require continual increases in the size of sequence databases.
	Synthetic biology reveals mechanism of gene-overexpression to induce cell reprogramming In iPS technology, gene overexpression of the four genes can induce reprogramming of a cell from differentiated state to stem cell state.
	Plant fertility—how hormones get around Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have identified a transporter protein at the heart of a number of plant processes associated with fertility and possibly aging.
	Poachers kill half Mozambique's elephants in five years, survey finds Poachers have killed nearly half of Mozambique's elephants for their ivory in the past five years, the US based Wildlife Conservation Society said Tuesday.
How to get high-quality RNA from chemically complex plants Ask any molecular plant biologist about RNA extractions and you might just open up the floodgates to the woes of troubleshooting. RNA extraction is a notoriously tricky and sensitive lab procedure. New protocols out of the University of Florida are quicker, more effective, and more reliable than previous methods.
	Starved for fire, Wisconsin's pine barrens disappear A century spent treating wildfires as emergencies to be stamped out may have cost Central Wisconsin a natural setting that was common and thriving before the state was settled.
	Galapagos volcano calms, pink iguanas out of danger A volcano in the Galapagos Islands whose fiery eruption raised fears for the world's only population of pink iguanas has calmed, sparing the unique critters from danger, officials said Tuesday.
	South American parrot in trouble: researchers A South American parrot with a wine-colored chest is in deep trouble, with its population down to some 3,000 and a habitat reduced to a speck of what it once was, researchers said Tuesday.
	New book promotes care for Earth's treasures A new and comprehensive book on how to care for the world's great natural and cultural treasures protected in national parks, written by experts from around the globe, will be launched at The Australian National University (ANU) on Wednesday.
Ensuring that protected areas are more than "paper parks" Protected areas are the cornerstone to prevent species extinctions. The Convention on Biological Diversity have set a target to protect 17% of all terrestrial land by 2020.
	Japan must stop killing of whales in the name of science The illegitimate killing of whales in the name of science must be rejected, WWF says.
	Fertilization regimen reduces environmental impact of landscape palms Palms are an important part of the environment in subtropical and warm temperate climates. Palms' aesthetics and small "footprints" make them desirable in a variety of landscapes throughout the southeastern United States. Unfortunately, palms also have some of the highest nutrient requirements of any plants. Timothy Broschat, a scientist from the University of Florida's Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, explained that most palms in the southeastern US are grown in sandy, nutrient-poor soils. "The result is that most landscape palms in this region are deficient in one or more elements," he said. "These deficiencies are conspicuous and unsightly; they reduce canopy size and vigor, and can become fatal for palms."
	Protecting South America's iconic golden dorado fish A new study launched this month by University of Massachusetts Amherst fisheries biologist Andy J. Danylchuk, in collaboration with Argentina's Ministry of Environment and regional partners including Juramento Fly Fishing, Tigres del Rio, Fish Simply, and Patagonia Inc., is the first to assess the impact of catch-and-release fishing and other human and environmental pressures on the golden dorado, a fish of high economic and recreational value across South America.

Medicine & Health news

	Tiny spheres of human cells mimic the brain, researchers say The human brain is a highly organized, three-dimensional mass of cells responsible for our every move, thought and emotion. Snugly housed in the bony confines of the skull, it's also relatively inaccessible, making it difficult to study.
	Strength-based parenting improves children's resilience and stress levels Children are more likely to use their strengths to effectively cope with minor stress in their life if they have parents who adopt a strength-based approach to parenting.
	Master gene regulator could be new target for schizophrenia treatment Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have identified a master genetic regulator that could account for faulty brain functions that contribute to schizophrenia.
	Obese male mice produce more disease-promoting immune cells than females Obesity may be tougher on male immune systems than females, a new study in mice at the University of Michigan Medical School suggests.
	Study identifies Ebola virus's Achilles' heel An international team including scientists from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) has identified the molecular "lock" that the deadly Ebola virus must pick to gain entry to cells. The findings, made in mice, suggest that drugs blocking entry to this lock could protect against Ebola infection. The study was published in today's edition of the online journal mBio.
	Team finds two new and very large classes of RNAs linked to cancer biomarker Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified two new classes of RNAs that are closely associated with a protein known to be a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer and could play a role in progression of prostate cancer. Their findings were published in the June issue of the scientific journal RNA.
	Neuroscientists reveal autism's 'noisy' secret Strapped into a motion-enabled simulator and wearing 3D glasses, 36 adolescent volunteers recently experienced what it was like to "travel" through a field of virtual stars. The experiments provided new and convention-busting data about how sensory stimuli are processed by the brains of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
	Genomic data reveals emergence in Africa of drug resistant strain of typhoid The team has completed two genomics studies on the tropical disease, a condition that is estimated to cause up to 30 million illnesses and over a quarter of a million deaths globally each year.
	Babies can think before they can speak Two pennies can be considered the same—both are pennies, just as two elephants can be considered the same, as both are elephants. Despite the vast difference between pennies and elephants, we easily notice the common relation of sameness that holds for both pairs.
	Do people transmit happiness by smell? As emotions go, happiness usually hides in plain sight: seen in a broad smile, heard in a raucous laugh, felt in a big hug.
	Paradigm shift in treatment of addiction holds promise, thanks to epigenetics One of the major challenges of cocaine addiction is the high rate of relapse after periods of withdrawal and abstinence. But new research reveals that changes in our DNA during drug withdrawal may offer promising ways of developing more effective treatments for addiction.
Oldest old less likely to be investigated or aggressively treated after surgery Patients aged 80 and above are significantly less likely to be investigated or aggressively treated after surgery than their younger counterparts, reveals a national audit of hospital deaths, published in the online journal BMJ Open.
	Very overweight teens may double their risk of bowel cancer in middle age Being very overweight in your teens may double the risk of developing bowel cancer by the time you are middle aged, suggests research published online in the journal Gut.
	Cannabis use can be prevented, reduced or delayed Responding to rapidly shifting legal and cultural environments, researchers at the University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine Children's Hospital have found a way to prevent, reduce or delay cannabis use amongst some at-risk youth. Cannabis users are at risk of neurocognitive deficits, reduced educational and occupational attainment, motor vehicle accidents, exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms, and precipitation of psychosis. Adolescents are particularly at risk due to the developing nature of their brain. Youth who have used marijuana have been shown to have less ability to sustain their attention and control their impulse control and have impaired cognitive processes.
Simple recipe to make sensory hair cells in the ear Scientists at the Molecular Medicine Institute in Lisbon, Portugal, and at the University College London Ear Institute, United Kingdom, have developed a simple and efficient protocol to generate inner ear hair cells, the cells responsible for our hearing and sense of balance. This study is an important step for the future production of large numbers of these cells for use in cell transplantation therapies or large-scale drug screens. The research has just been published in the scientific journal Development.
	Hospice use linked to fewer depressive symptoms for surviving spouses Spouses of patients receiving hospice for three or more days more frequently reported reduced depression symptoms, compared to surviving spouses of patients who did not receive hospice, according to a study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai published online today in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Caution urged over giving patients online access to their health records The Government is aiming for all adults to have online access to their health and social care records by 2020, but researchers from the Institute of Child Health, QMUL and the University of Bristol are concerned about the potential for unintended harm.
	Distance running is a perfect lab to investigate whether men are more competitive than women What are the psychological differences between women and men? What causes these differences, and are they shrinking over time?
	Give yourself some loving, parents urged The struggle of parenting is real, but are mothers and fathers making the situation worse by failing to give themselves sufficient credit?
Statins have benefits for asthma sufferers Statins continue to show that their benefits extend beyond their original focus of lowering high cholesterol. With the increasing prevalence of asthma, scientists are studying the effects of statins in the lungs. In a new study in Physiological Reports, a team of researchers from the University of California, Davis, has demonstrated the feasibility of using statins to treat asthma.
	E-cigarette vapor found to damage lung cells even when nicotine-free Electronic cigarette (e-cig) use has now surpassed traditional cigarette use among middle and high school students, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This leaves many parents, public health officials and consumers asking whether e-cigarettes are better or worse for lung health than traditional cigarettes. Now, a team of researchers adds its findings to others that suggest nicotine in any form is damaging to lungs. This new research also suggests that non-nicotine-containing e-cig solutions have a damaging effect on lung health, leading researchers to call for more e-cig research.
	Scientists reverse aging in human cell lines and give theory of aging a new lease of life Can the process of aging be delayed or even reversed? Research led by specially appointed Professor Jun-Ichi Hayashi from the University of Tsukuba in Japan has shown that, in human cell lines at least, it can. They also found that the regulation of two genes involved with the production of glycine, the smallest and simplest amino acid, is partly responsible for some of the characteristics of aging.
	You're driving yourself to burnout, literally Commuting length, distance, and means are stress factors that can lead to burnout, says Annie Barreck of the University of Montreal's School of Industrial Relations. "A correlation exists between commuting stress factors and the likelihood of suffering from burnout. But their importance varies according to the individual, the conditions in which their trips take place, and the place where the individual works," she explained. Barreck will present her research today at the 83rd congress of the Association francophone pour le savoir (ACFAS).
	Juice is not equal to fruit Word emerged last week that Health Canada was reconsidering whether it should continue to view a serving of juice (125 ml) as being equivalent to a half cup of fresh/frozen fruit. I think this would be a wonderful development, and I believe that my own personal experience helps to explain why.
	Stem cell therapy for inherited skin blistering Promising results from a trial of a new stem-cell based therapy for a rare and debilitating skin condition have been published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. The therapy, involving infusions of stem cells, was found to provide pain relief and to reduce the severity of this skin condition for which no cure currently exists.
	Savoring meals increases energy expenditure after meal intake The benefits of eating slowly and chewing thoroughly have been proposed for over a century, but there has been little actual proof of the theory. Now, Naoyuki Hayashi and Yuka Hamada at Tokyo Institute of Technology have shown that, in the three-hour period after eating, energy expenditure is greater if the food was eaten slowly than if it was eaten quickly.
	Fruit fly studies shed light on adaptability An international team of researchers at German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have revealed in a collaborative study that neurons change on the molecular level when they are exposed to prolonged light. The researchers could identify that a feedback signalling mechanism is responsible for these changes. The innate neuronal property might be utilized to protect neurons from degeneration or cell death in the future.
Scientists at the forefront of fighting superbugs Researchers at Newcastle University are part of a multi-million pound flagship project looking at antimicrobial resistance and the development of new antibiotics.
New research shows that 40% of people with arthritis don't take their drugs as prescribed New UK research has challenged the assumption that people with rheumatoid arthritis always take their medication as prescribed.
Measuring arm circumference is a more reliable indicator of malnutrition Adam C. Levine, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at Rhode Island Hospital found that the World Health Organization's current weight-based guidelines for assessing malnutrition in children with diarrhea are not as reliable as measuring the child's upper arm circumference. His research was published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Study finds association between exposure to aflatoxin and gallbladder cancer In a small study in Chile that included patients with gallbladder cancer, exposure to aflatoxin (a toxin produced by mold) was associated with an increased risk of gallbladder cancer, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA.
	Study examines association of genetic variants with cognitive impairment Individually rare but collectively common intermediate-size copy number variations may be negatively associated with educational attainment, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA. Copy number variations (CNVs) are regions of the genome that differ in the number of segments of DNA.
	Soy supplements don't improve asthma Despite previous findings suggesting a link between soy intake and decreased asthma severity, a new study from Northwestern Medicine and the American Lung Association Asthma Clinical Research Network shows soy supplements do not improve lung function for patients with asthma.
Subclinical hyperthyroidism associated with an increased risk of hip and other fractures In an analysis that included more than 70,000 participants from 13 studies, subclinical hyperthyroidism was associated with an increased risk for hip and other fractures including spine, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA. Subclinical hyperthyroidism is a low serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration in a person without clinical symptoms and normal thyroid hormone concentrations on blood tests.
	Study examines umbilical cord clamping and neurodevelopment Delayed clamping of the umbilical cord to help prevent iron deficiency in infancy was associated with improved scores in fine-motor and social skills in children at age 4, particularly in boys, although it was not associated with any effect on overall IQ or behavior compared with children whose cords were clamped seconds after delivery, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
	Researchers advocate 'whole person' approach to understanding and developing elite athletes Exercise scientists from Australia and the USA are advocating a 'whole person' approach to understanding and developing elite athletes.
	Pregnant women lack guidance on iodine intake levels Pregnant women are not getting enough information about the need to include iodine in their diets, despite high awareness of general advice for pregnancy nutrition.
	The first fraction of ejaculate is the most effective for conception Sperm in the first fraction of ejaculate are more numerous, move more and present better quality DNA than those lagging behind. This is the conclusion of a study led by the Ginemed fertility clinic, which confirms that while the objective of the first fraction is to fertilise the egg, the second phase is so that no sperm from any other male has a chance to fertilise it.
New insights could result in changes to the therapeutic strategy to combat Alzheimer's A typical characteristic of the brain of an Alzheimer sufferer is the presence of insoluble Tau protein aggregates. Scientists at VIB, KU Leuven and Janssen Pharmaceutica have demonstrated that the distribution of these aggregates through the brain is facilitated by synaptic connections between brain cells. This news is highly significant because the focus is increasingly on repairing synaptic connections as a therapeutic strategy in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In fact, it is generally accepted that a loss of synaptic connections leads to a loss in cognitive skills.
Therapy-resistant breast cancer mechanism revealed Mitsuyoshi Nakao, Director of the Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics in Kumamoto University and Associate Professor Noriko Saitoh revealed that a cluster of defined, non-coding RNAs are mechanistically involved in endocrine therapy resistance in human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, resveratrol, a kind of polyphenol, was found to repress these RNAs and inhibit the proliferative activity of breast cancer cells which had acquired resistance. The work was published in Nature Communications on April 29th, 2015.
	New urine test could reduce need for blood samples If you've been to the doctor, you probably know what to do when you're handed a plastic cup and shown to the bathroom.
ER doctors stress need for good communications with police A good working relationship with police is essential for the smooth operation of a busy Emergency Department. Police are in and out of EDs regularly, supporting EMS, transporting patients and helping to provide a safe environment for hospital staff.
New findings about mechanisms underlying chronic pain reveal novel therapeutic strategies Chronic pain affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is a major cause of disability, causing more disability than cancer and heart disease. Canadian researchers, including Michael Salter at SickKids are shedding light on the molecular dynamics of chronic pain. They have uncovered a critical role for a class of cells present in the brain and spinal cord, called microglia, in pain. They have found microglia-to-neuron-signaling to be crucial in the development of pain hypersensitivity after injury, but also for one of the paradoxical effects morphine and other opioids sometimes produce, called hyperalgesia, which is an increase in pain sensitivity. The identification of these key players in the development of chronic pain helps identify important targets for the development of novel therapeutic avenues. Dr. Salter presented his latest results at the 9th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, on May 26th 2015 in Vancouver,! British Columbia.
	Study suggests using excess stress to kill therapy resistant breast cancer Maxing out the inherently stressed nature of treatment-resistant breast cancer cells thwarts their adaptive ability to evolve genetic workarounds to treatment, a new study suggests.
	Friendships start better with a smile If you want to strike up a new relationship, simply smile. It works because people are much more attuned to positive emotions when forming new bonds than they are to negative ones such as anger, contempt or sadness. Don't try to fake it, however, because people can recognize a sincere smile a mile away. This is according to a study led by Belinda Campos of the University of California, Irvine, in the US that sheds light on how relationships are formed and maintained. The findings are published in Springer's journal Motivation and Emotion.
	Season influenza vaccination of children predicted to be highly cost-effective in Thailand Seasonal influenza vaccination of children is likely to represent good short-term value for money in Thailand, according to a study published this week in PLOS Medicine. The study, led by Aronrag Meeyai of the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program and Mahidol University, Thailand, uses an age-structured model to estimate the health benefits and cost-effectiveness of flu vaccination among Thai children aged 2 to 17 years.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans linked to lower death rates in population in southeast US Adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is linked to lower death rates in a low-income population in southeastern US.
	Breakthrough measures Parkinson's progression in the brain University of Florida researchers have identified a biomarker that shows the progression of Parkinson's disease in the brain, opening the door to better diagnosis and treatment of the degenerative disease.
	Study identifies possible role for carbon monoxide in treating hemorrhagic stroke Carbon monoxide is known by many as a poisonous gas that causes brain injury and other neurological symptoms, including memory loss and confusion. But a new study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) suggests the opposite may be true: When administered in small, carefully controlled amounts, carbon monoxide may actually protect the brain from damage following subarachnoid hemorrhage, a devastating stroke that results from bleeding in the brain.
	World first as viral immunotherapy for skin cancer shows patient benefit in phase III trial A genetically engineered herpes virus can halt the progression of skin cancer by killing cancer cells and sparking the immune system into action against tumours, a landmark clinical trial has shown.
	Future vaccine may help lower blood pressure long-term A vaccine may one day help lower blood pressure for up to six months, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.
	Moderate drinking in later years may damage heart Drinking two or more alcoholic beverages daily may damage the heart of elderly people, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. The study correlated weekly alcohol consumption among 4,466 people—average age 76—to the size, structure and motion of various parts of the heart.
	Scientists identify origins of process that is key to diabetes Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists have pinpointed a cell that begins the process of scarring in fatty tissue. The findings cast new light on a biological process that occurs with obesity and can lead to diabetes.
Genetic defect linked to visual impairment in dyslexics A risk gene for dyslexia is associated with impairments in visual motion detection, according to a study published May 27 in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Study adds to evidence that increasing dietary fiber reduces the risk of developing diabetes New research published today in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) indicates that consuming greater quantities of dietary fibre reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
New evidence confirms link between newer contraceptive pills and higher clot risks A study published by The BMJ today provides new evidence to confirm the link between newer contraceptive pills and higher risk of serious blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism or VTE).
Drug treatment to prevent hip fracture is neither viable nor cost effective The current focus on drugs to prevent hip fractures is neither viable as a public health strategy nor cost effective, argue an international team of researchers in The BMJ this week.
	Fewer US hospitals send new moms home with formula (HealthDay)—While the percentage of hospitals that send breast-feeding mothers home with formula packs has fallen dramatically during the last several years, about one-third of U.S. hospitals still do so, newly released data shows.
	Self-hypnosis training doesn't cut epidural use (HealthDay)—Self-hypnosis training does not reduce women's epidural use during childbirth, according to a study published online May 11 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
	Treating periodontitis may help ease prostatitis symptoms (HealthDay)—Treatment of periodontitis may help reduce symptoms of prostate inflammation in prostatitis, according to a study published recently in Dentistry.
	CDC: Low-income southerners at highest risk of vision loss (HealthDay)—New U.S. government research connects severe vision loss with poverty, and reveals that people in the southern part of the country have the highest prevalence of both poverty and severe vision loss. The findings were published in the May 22 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Factors linked to development of celiac disease identified (HealthDay)—Certain perinatal factors, including sex of the child, maternal celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes, are associated with development of celiac disease in children, according to a study published in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Gender-based differences in glycemic control in T2DM (HealthDay)—For patients with type 2 diabetes, there are gender-based differences in glycemic control and hypoglycemia after insulin treatment, according to research published in the June issue of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
	Changing diagnosis codes will challenge emergency medicine Emergency medicine faces special challenges during this fall's changeover in how medical diagnoses are coded. Nearly a quarter of all ER clinical encounters could pose difficulties.
Beliefs about complementary and alternative medicine predict use among patients with cancer A new study has shed light on how cancer patients' attitudes and beliefs drive the use of complementary and alternative medicine. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings may help hospitals develop more effective and accessible integrative oncology services for patients.
Surgical skills lab and dissection curricula train neurosurgical residents A surgical skills laboratory and corresponding dissection curricula were established in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Cleveland Clinic in the 2011-2012 academic year. The authors describe how this came about and what it has meant for neurosurgical resident training and assessment of residents' surgical skills in the following paper: "Establishing a surgical skills laboratory and dissection curriculum for neurosurgical residency training" by James K. C. Liu, MD, and colleagues, published today online, ahead of print in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
Man diagnosed with Lassa fever dies in US after Liberia trip A New Jersey man died Monday evening after been diagnosed with Lassa fever—a frightening infectious disease from West Africa that is rarely seen in the United States, a federal health official said.
	Customisable female footware based on smart materials could prevent some of the most common foot problems An adjustable female shoe based on a new memory shape composite of leather and Nitinol material is now available. The new material allows fitting the shoe to the foot shape after obtaining anthropometric measurements through the Shopintantshoe portable scanner and modifying it with the Shoptool, a machine that completes the process directly in the shop. The consortium of EU-funded project Demo ShopInstantShoe presented the results in Villena, Spain, at Calzamedi's installations.
	Ozone antiseptic shows potential for treating severe gum infections A powerful new antiseptic agent, called ozone nanobubble water, holds promise for the treatment of periodontitis, or severe gum infections, according to research published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.
	Paramedics to be recruited in new 'fast response' stroke trial Paramedics from seven ambulance services across the UK are to be recruited to help trial a new 'rapid response' treatment for stroke patients.
Cholera outbreak among Burundi refugees in Tanzania slowing: UN A cholera outbreak raging among Burundian refugees in Tanzania has slowed significantly with no new deaths reported in the past five days, the United Nations said Tuesday.
	Tackling child abuse in Africa with research and fun In one of South Africa's poorest areas, an imaginative new parenting programme is tackling the physical and emotional abuse of children. Oxford University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, travelled to the villages of the Eastern Cape to see the results for himself.
Zimbabweans get 100 million condoms in HIV battle More than 100 million condoms were distributed in Zimbabwe last year, a huge increase on previous years, indicating that more people were practising safe sex in the battle against HIV, authorities said Tuesday.
	Video: Debunking three common food myths You might have heard that microwaving your food is dangerous. Maybe your health nut friend told you that eating frozen veggies is less healthful than eating fresh ones. Is a glass of red wine really good for your heart?
WHO shake-up approved after Ebola debacle The World Health Organization got the go-ahead Tuesday for a sweeping shake-up, including a $100-million war chest to battle future emergencies following the Ebola fiasco.
	Clinical trial reduces stress of cancer caregivers Stem cell transplant is essential in the care of many blood cancers, but leaves patients requiring in-home care for months after. Frequently the role of caregiver falls to family or other committed members of the patient's support network. Previous work shows dramatically increased stress in cancer caregivers, directly impacting the caregiver and indirectly impacting the cancer patient via reduced quality of care. A randomized control trial funded by the National Cancer Institute by members of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, published in the journal Bone Marrow Transplantation, demonstrates an intervention that successfully reduces the stress of caregivers in the context of cancer patients treated with stem cell transplantation.

Other Sciences news

	Interspecies love-ins and the offbeat history of our species Revolutionary developments in the study of the DNA of our fossil ancestors are forcing a major rewrite of the human evolutionary story.
The legacy of John Nash and his equilibrium theory The American mathematician John Nash, who died in a taxi accident at the weekend, is probably best known to the wider public through Russell Crowe's portrayal of him in the 2001 movie A Beautiful Mind.
TVs and second screens a bad combination for advertisers If you're watching television while using a second screen - like a smartphone or tablet - new research suggests that some of the most expensive marketing messages aimed at you are missing their mark.
	How will Congressmen vote? Just look at their social circles, study finds U.S. Congress members' social circles are more important in how they vote than their liberal or conservative beliefs or constituents' opinions, according to a new model of voting behavior created by Dartmouth College researchers.
Honesty can keep companies' stock prices up during hard times Honesty is the best policy, and a new study from the University of Missouri finds that companies can benefit when they publicly accept the blame for poor performance. Researchers found companies that performed poorly yet blamed other parties—such as the government, competitors, labor unions or the economy—experienced a significant blow to their stock and had difficulty recovering. Companies that accepted blame and had a plan to address their problems stopped the decline in their share prices after their announcement, but those companies that blamed others continued to experience falling share prices for the entire year following their public explanation.
	How racial stereotypes impact the way we communicate Racial stereotypes and expectations can impact the way we communicate and understand others, according to UBC research.
	New University of Texas System database connects government and industry to researchers The University of Texas System launched a cutting-edge web portal today that allows private sector and government agencies to quickly find thousands of renowned researchers and facilities at the System's campuses and health institutions.

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