Fwd: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Mar 29

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Children's Hospital Los Angeles initiates clinical trial for treatment-resistant leukemia

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 3:47 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Mar 29
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 29, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Investigating the mystery of migrating 'hot Jupiters'
- Fog on Titan detected by Huygens lander
- Spinning light waves might be 'locked' for photonics technologies
- Unravelling a geological mystery using lasers from space
- Mimicking a blood vessel to create a 'bridge' to better medicine and precision treatment
- Psychotherapy for depressed rats shows genes aren't destiny
- Yearly cost of US premature births linked to air pollution: $4.33 billion
- Gazelle fossils in Israel indicate southern Levant not as dry during Younger Dryas as thought
- Researchers prove Huygens was right about pendulum synchronization
- Postmortem on Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone offers new insights into effective intervention strategies
- Earth-Space telescope system produces hot surprise
- One crop breeding cycle from starvation
- Nanoparticles deliver anticancer cluster bombs
- An up-close view of bacterial 'motors'
- Separating charge and discharge in measuring next-generation car batteries

Nanotechnology news

	New method for strengthening hydrogels could direct stem cell growth A new method for manipulating the gel-like environments that house stem cells could help researchers direct the growth of these versatile cells into bone, tendon, tissue or other specific lineages, says a Texas A&M University biomedical engineer who has developed the approach.
	Revealing ion transport at the nanoscale EPFL researchers have shown that a law of physics having to do with electron transport at nanoscale can also be analogously applied to ion transport. This discovery provides insight into a key aspect of how ion channels function within our living cells.
	Mimicking a blood vessel to create a 'bridge' to better medicine and precision treatment Nanotechnology has led to better diagnostic techniques and more effective treatments for a variety of illnesses. Tiny devices measuring between 1 and 100 micrometers—one micrometer is equal to one millionth of a meter—enable scientists to observe cell activity and deliver drugs to individual cells—a breakthrough that is on the verge of revolutionizing precision medicine for treatment of diseases such as cancer.
	Nanoparticles deliver anticancer cluster bombs Scientists have devised a triple-stage "cluster bomb" system for delivering the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, via tiny nanoparticles designed to break up when they reach a tumor.
	Researchers developed manufacturing method for batteries with organic electrode materials With people wanting to use smaller electronic devices, smaller energy storage systems are needed. Researchers of Aalto University in Finland have demonstrated the fabrication of electrochemically active organic lithium electrode thin films, which help make microbatteries more efficient than before. Researchers used a combined atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) technique, to prepare lithium terephthalate, a recently found anode material for a lithium-ion battery.
	We don't talk much about nanotechnology risks anymore, but that doesn't mean they're gone Back in 2008, carbon nanotubes – exceptionally fine tubes made up of carbon atoms – were making headlines. A new study from the U.K. had just shown that, under some conditions, these long, slender fiber-like tubes could cause harm in mice in the same way that some asbestos fibers do.
	Effective graphene doping depends on substrate material Juelich physicists have discovered unexpected effects in doped graphene - i.e. graphene that is mixed with foreign atoms. They investigated samples of the carbon compound enriched with the foreign atom nitrogen on various substrate materials. Unwanted interactions with these substrates can influence the electric properties of graphene. The researchers at the Peter Gruenberg Institute have now shown that effective doping depends on the choice of substrate material. The scientists' results were published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Physics news

	Spinning light waves might be 'locked' for photonics technologies A newly described property related to the "spin" and momentum of light waves suggests potential practical applications in photonic communications and photonic circuits.
	Researchers prove Huygens was right about pendulum synchronization In 1665 Christiaan Huygens discovered that two pendulum clocks, hung from the same wooden structure, will always oscillate in synchronicity. Today, some 350 years on, Eindhoven and Mexican researchers present the most accurate and detailed description of this 'Huygens synchronization' to date in the journal Scientific Reports. It is evident that Huygens had come up with the right explanation insofar as this was possible back then. Moreover, these insights help us to understand synchronization in all kinds of oscillating systems, such as the biological rhythms of the human body.
	MIPT's scientists develop Russia's first two-qubit quantum circuit A research group from MIPT's Artificial Quantum System Lab and Collective Use Center developed and tested Russia's first superconducting, two-qubit, feedback-controlled circuit, an upgrade to qubits, the main components of future quantum computers, developed by MIPT scientists in 2015.

Earth news

	Hot days can trigger Yosemite rockfalls After more than three years of monitoring the towering granite cliffs of Yosemite National Park, scientists have new insights into a potentially important mechanism that can trigger rockfalls in the park. Although many conditions can trigger rockfalls, some rockfalls are more likely to happen in the hottest part of the day, during the hottest part of the year.
	Gazelle fossils in Israel indicate southern Levant not as dry during Younger Dryas as thought (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with the University of Connecticut, Harvard University and the Hebrew University in Israel has found that climate conditions in the southern Levant during the Younger Dryas were as cool as other studies have shown, but conditions were not as dry as expected. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study of gazelle teeth fossils, believed to have come from victims of human hunters during the Younger Dryas.
	Unravelling a geological mystery using lasers from space It's a mystery that has stumped geologists for more than a century.
	Worst bleaching on record for Great Barrier Reef: scientists Aerial surveys of Australia's Great Barrier Reef have revealed the worst bleaching on record in the icon's pristine north, scientists said Tuesday, with few corals escaping damage.
	Mini NASA methane sensor makes successful flight test As part of a project to improve safety in the energy pipeline industry, researchers have successfully flight-tested a miniature methane gas sensor developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, on a Vertical Take-off and Landing small unmanned aerial system (sUAS). The sensor, similar to one developed by JPL for use on Mars, enables detection of methane with much higher sensitivity than previously available for the industry in hand-carried or sUAS-deployable instruments.
	Pollution stifles wind, squelches rain Like a high stakes match of rock-paper-scissors, summertime pollution trumps both wind and precipitation in the valley air near Mt. Hua. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that human-caused air pollution suppresses up to 40% of the precipitation over Mt. Hua during one month in the summer.
Fracking—not wastewater disposal—linked to most induced earthquakes in Western Canada A survey of a major oil and natural gas-producing region in Western Canada suggests a link between hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" and induced earthquakes in the region, according to a new report published online in the journal Seismological Research Letters.
	Beach replenishment may have 'far reaching' impacts on ecosystems UC San Diego biologists who examined the biological impact of replenishing eroded beaches with offshore sand found that such beach replenishment efforts could have long-term negative impacts on coastal ecosystems.
Atlantic drilling off table but survey permits pending While drilling for oil and natural gas in the Atlantic is off the table for now, permits are still pending that could allow seismic surveys to map just how much might be out there.
In search of compromise among climate risk management strategies Balancing the impacts of climate change risks for all involved may not be within the realm of economics or physics, but a novel approach may help to achieve a better compromise, according to Penn State and Cornell climate researchers.
	Video: Fertilizing sustainable growth in the forest industry As money-makers, trees stand tall. The U.S. forest industry is an economic powerhouse. Southern states alone grow more commercial wood than any country in the world.
	Analysis method for cities to become resilient to rising sea levels In Norfolk, Virginia, an East Coast city that's home to the world's largest naval station and important seaports, catastrophic flooding could damage more than homes and roads. A new study from Sandia National Laboratories assesses how much the city, its region and the nation would suffer in damages to national assets and lost economic activity if it does nothing to address rising sea levels.
	Islands as microcosms for understanding interplay of ecological, environmental, and social systems One way to better understand the complex interactions between humans, biodiversity, and ecosystem services of any particular place—and how various sustainability initiatives or the consequences of impacts such as climate change will affect it—is to develop and run computational models that integrate ecological, environmental, and social system dynamics.
Longer-term weather and environmental forecasts will provide enormous benefit Weather and environmental forecasts made several weeks to months in advance can someday be as widely used and essential as current predictions of tomorrow's weather are, but first more research and sustained investment are needed, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee that conducted the study and wrote the report developed a research agenda, outlining strategies to address the scientific and capability gaps that currently limit the accuracy and usefulness of long-term weather and ocean predictions.
	Paris to revamp main squares to make way for bikes, pedestrians Paris authorities on Tuesday approved a plan to give seven major squares in the French capital a massive makeover to make way for pedestrians, cyclists and more greenery.
	NASA sees Tropical Cyclone 17S form Tropical Cyclone 17S formed in the Southern Indian Ocean late on March 28. NASA's Terra satellite passed overhead.
The Latest: Alaska volcano drops ash on several communities The Latest on the eruption of Alaska's Pavlof Volcano (all times local):

Astronomy & Space news

	Fog on Titan detected by Huygens lander Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, with its thick, dense atmosphere, is of special interest for scientists studying atmospheric features on other worlds. While the presence of fog on Titan was revealed in 2009 thanks to data provided by NASA/ESA Cassini spacecraft, a new study shows that this phenomenon is also visible from ground observations conducted by the ESA Huygens lander. A paper describing the new findings appeared online on Mar. 14 in the arXiv repository.
	Investigating the mystery of migrating 'hot Jupiters' The last decade has seen a bonanza of exoplanet discoveries. Nearly 2,000 exoplanets—planets outside our solar system—have been confirmed so far, and more than 5,000 candidate exoplanets have been identified. Many of these exotic worlds belong to a class known as "hot Jupiters." These are gas giants like Jupiter but much hotter, with orbits that take them feverishly close to their stars.
	Earth-Space telescope system produces hot surprise Astronomers using an orbiting radio telescope in conjunction with four ground-based radio telescopes have achieved the highest resolution, or ability to discern fine detail, of any astronomical observation ever made. Their achievement produced a pair of scientific surprises that promise to advance the understanding of quasars, supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies.
	Continuing the search for gravitational waves In February, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration announced it had detected gravitational waves for the first time, confirming the last prediction of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. Somewhat overlooked in the excitement that followed is the fact that scientists don't know the exact location the waves were coming from. University of Notre Dame astronomer Peter Garnavich is leading a group of researchers who are hoping to more precisely locate where future gravitational waves originate.
	Hubble Space Telescope spies galaxy 32 billion light years away When a team of astronomers found a galaxy in the direction of Ursa Major two years ago, they weren't sure what to make of it.
	NASA selects Penn State to lead next-generation planet finder A Penn State-led research group has been selected by NASA's Astrophysics Division to build a $10-million, cutting-edge instrument to detect planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. The team, led by Suvrath Mahadevan, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, was selected after an intense national competition. When completed in 2019, the instrument will be the centerpiece of a partnership between NASA and the National Science Foundation called the NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research program (NN-EXPLORE).

Technology news

	US hacks iPhone, ends legal battle but questions linger (Update) The extraordinary legal fight pitting the Obama administration against technology giant Apple Inc. ended unexpectedly after the FBI said it used a mysterious method without Apple's help to hack into a California mass shooter's iPhone.
	Smart Windshield is concept for motorbike rider safety The obvious advice for bike riders as well as car drivers is the same: stay focused. Avoid messaging and phone calls that could take your mind off the most important activity facing you, handling the car or bike on the road. And yet many drivers of all ages allow themselves to be distracted by smartphones.
	Waste not, grow more food: Engineering students' device makes composting easier It's good for crops, it's good for water and, in the end, it's good for people and the planet. Why would anyone not turn food waste into compost?
Separating charge and discharge in measuring next-generation car batteries Lithium ion phosphate batteries are widely used to power the batteries in electric cars, but, unlike the amount of gas in a fuel tank, their state of charge can't be measured directly by a physical quantity. Instead, they use an algorithm based on measurements of battery voltage and current, which are in turn influenced by conditions such as weather, electrovoltaic state and traffic conditions. However, the algorithms currently used to measure state of charge each carry drawbacks when used in real-time applications.
	FBI iPhone solution may not necessarily crack other cases The FBI's discovery of a way to hack into the phone of one of the San Bernardino killers may not be the master key that allows prosecutors across the country to unlock iPhones in hundreds of more ordinary criminal cases.
	Internet on a chip: Researchers step towards energy-efficient multicore chips In their recent paper, Wireless NoC for VFI-enabled multicore chip design: performance evaluation and design trade-offs, researchers from Carnegie Mellon's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Washington State University identify a new approach for enabling energy-efficient multicore systems. Much like bypassing road congestion when traveling long distances, by using wireless on-chip communication between individually controllable clusters, researchers were able to provide an efficient communication backbone, which can be tailored for large scale multicore systems. This paper presents a platform that is poised to save significant energy with little or no performance penalty. The article is the featured IEEE Transactions on Computers paper for the month of April.
	Google unveils landline phone, which lives in cloud Google on Tuesday unveiled a new landline telephone service aimed at helping consumers stay connected in the Internet cloud.
Yahoo sets deadline for buyers to present preliminary bids: report Yahoo Inc. has given prospective buyers until April 11 to present preliminary offers for some of its assets, the Wall Street Journal reported late Monday.
Explainer: Apple vs. FBI—What Happened? Apple's legal standoff with the FBI ended Monday, but experts say the issues behind it will come up again, as more tech companies take measures to guard their customers' messages, photos, business records and other files.
	Samsung follows Apple with launch in China of mobile payment South Korea's Samsung Tuesday announced the launch of its mobile payment service in China, where it is likely to struggle in an already crowded market that arch-rival Apple entered nearly six weeks ago.
	MedStar paralyzed as hackers take aim at another US hospital Modern medicine in the Washington area reverted to 1960s-era paper systems when one of the largest hospital chains was crippled by a virus that shuttered its computers for patients and medical staff.
	Breakthrough in cybersecurity is no phish story Corporations, small businesses and public sector entities have tried unsuccessfully for years to educate consumers and employees on how to recognize phishing emails, those authentic-looking messages that encourage users to open a cloaked, though malicious, hyperlink or attachment that appears harmless.
Researchers identify major security and privacy issues in popular china browser application, QQ A new study from the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab identifies security and privacy issues in QQ Browser, a mobile browser produced by China-based Internet giant Tencent, which may put many millions of users of the application at risk of serious compromise.
	How eye tracking gives players a new experience in video games Tracking people's eye movements is a concept that for a long time has captured people's imagination. More often than not, the technology has been depicted as part of rather dystopian futures: in the movie Minority Report, police could track your every move through your eyes; in Fifteen Million Merits, part of the television series Black Mirror, adverts would pause when you looked away, forcing you to pay attention.
New scrolling technique accelerates skim reading The amount of data that we take in from screens each day through documents, email chains, web pages and social media flows is enormous. The continuous scrolling technique we typically use to browse this data is, however, far from perfect.
	New regulations could further close China's Internet Draft Chinese Internet rules could further restrict access to websites not registered in the closely regulated country, experts said Tuesday, although the measures' potential impact remained unclear.
	SoundCloud expands into mainstream with paid streaming plan SoundCloud is entering paid music streaming, hoping to turn its huge community of cover singers, dubstep remixers and wannabe stars into a bigger source of revenue.
	New harmonized test protocols for PEM fuel cells in hydrogen vehicles A lack of standards for testing polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells - the most attractive type of fuel cells for powering vehicles - has hampered objective comparative assessment of their performance and durability under operating conditions and hence of their technological progress. By proposing a test methodology including a set of representative operating conditions and getting European industry and research stakeholders to agree on it, the JRC has helped fill the gap.
	Big Data-driven method could save money, increase efficiency in pharmaceutical management Researchers at Binghamton University and pharmacy solutions provider Innovation Associates have developed an optimized approach for determining prescribed medication associations within a high-volume pharmacy environment that could save money and time.
	New 'smart' bottle helps uncorked wine keep longer A US startup says it has created the world's first "smart" bottle which can keep wine as fresh as the day it was uncorked for up to a month.
	Jay-Z's Tidal streaming service hits three million users Tidal, the streaming service led by Jay-Z that launched to a mixed reception a year ago, said Tuesday it has climbed up to three million subscribers.
	Snapchat ramps up messaging service with 'chat 2.0' Snapchat is dressing up its messaging with an upgraded video chat and animations, part of the social network's efforts to be the preferred service for young users.
	Apple remains in dark how FBI hacked iPhone without its help The FBI's announcement that it mysteriously hacked into an iPhone is a public setback for Apple Inc., as consumers suddenly discover they can't keep their most personal information safe. Meanwhile, Apple remains in the dark about how to restore the security of its flagship product.
	The smallest television antenna in the world has extraordinary reception Researchers at the University of Morelos (UAEM) in Mexico have developed a dual antenna for broadcast TV with features that distinguish it from others already available worldwide. It is 11 centimeters long and 6.5 centimeters wide, six millimeters thick, weighing 12 grams and, when coated, weighs only 80 grams.
	Italian leader helps dedicate unique Nevada geothermal plant The Italian premier was in Nevada on Tuesday to attend the formal dedication of the only geothermal power plant in the world that combines geothermal energy with two kinds of solar technology.
	GM recalls nearly 6,300 police cars for steering problem General Motors is recalling nearly 6,300 police cars in the U.S. because the electric power-assisted steering can fail.
	Video Game Hall of Fame reveals finalists for May induction "Sonic the Hedgehog," ''Space Invaders" and "John Madden Football" are among 15 games named Tuesday as finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
DC-area hospital chain getting back online after cyberattack A large chain of Washington-area hospitals says it's made "significant progress" toward restoring its computer systems after a cyberattack and it has "no evidence" that patient information was stolen or compromised.

Chemistry news

	New approach to preventing embrittlement could be useful in nuclear reactors High-tech metal alloys are widely used in important materials such as the cladding that protects the fuel inside a nuclear reactor. But even the best alloys degrade over time, victims of a reactor's high temperatures, radiation, and hydrogen-rich environment. Now, a team of MIT researchers has found a way of greatly reducing the damaging effects these metals suffer from exposure to hydrogen.
	Recycling waste wool a step closer From the shearing shed to catwalk, world stockpiles of waste wool are suddenly in fashion with Flinders scientists who have found a way to give them high value.
	Physicists 'undiscover' technetium carbide An international team of scientists led by Artem Oganov, head of the Computational Materials Discovery Lab at MIPT, has proven that technetium carbide does not exist—it was pure technetium that was wrongly identified as such. This is significant for the chemistry of transition metal carbides which are considered to be promising substances. The article was published in RSC Advances.
	Scientists show charged salts can extract specific central lanthanide elements Rare earth elements are metals used in technologies from wind turbines and magnetic resonance imaging agents to industrial catalysts and high-definition televisions. Most are lanthanides, elements with atomic number from 57 to 71, lanthanum to lutetium, in the periodic table. The lanthanides predominantly form trivalent cations (with a net positive charge of three). Lanthanides have similar chemical properties, and the only significant physical characteristic that distinguishes them from each other is size.
	Bugs make ideal crime scene clues It might seem like an idea out of CSI: Las Vegas, but local forensic researchers have come up with a way of using blowflies to determine if someone has died via nicotine poisoning.

Biology news

	Bat finding may provide clues to human limb development, malformations An international team of scientists, including groups from UC San Francisco, Gladstone Institutes, and the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, have for the first time identified genes and gene regulatory elements that are essential in wing development in the Natal long-fingered bat (Miniopterus natalensis), a species widely distributed in eastern and southern Africa.
	Scientists discover new way of testing reproductive compatibility Scientists from The University of Western Australia have discovered a new way of measuring the effectiveness of different sperm competing to fertilise eggs in blue mussels.
	Perfecting a viral pack mule Viruses aren't always bad. In fact, scientists can harness the capabilities of some viruses for good—modifying the viruses to carry drug molecules, for example.
	One crop breeding cycle from starvation In the race against world hunger, we're running out of time. By 2050, the global population will have grown and urbanized so much that we will need to produce 87 percent more of the four primary food crops - rice, wheat, soy, and maize - than we do today.
	Eating green could be in your genes Could there be a vegetarian gene? Cornell University researchers have found evidence of a genetic variation - called an allele - that has evolved in populations that have historically favored vegetarian diets, such as in India, Africa and parts of East Asia. They also discovered a different version of this gene adapted to a marine diet discovered among the Inuit in Greenland, who mainly consume seafood.
	An up-close view of bacterial 'motors' Bacteria are the most abundant form of life on Earth, and they are capable of living in diverse habitats ranging from the surface of rocks to the insides of our intestines. Over millennia, these adaptable little organisms have evolved a variety of specialized mechanisms to move themselves through their particular environments. In two recent Caltech studies, researchers used a state-of-the-art imaging technique to capture, for the first time, three-dimensional views of this tiny complicated machinery in bacteria.
Conservation research is not happening in the right places Conservation research is not being done in the countries where it is most needed - a situation which is likely to undermine efforts to preserve global biodiversity. That's the conclusion of a new study publishing in the Open Access journal PLOS Biology on 29th March, led by Associate Professor Kerrie Wilson from The University of Queensland and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED).
	World's most endangered sea turtle species in even more trouble than we thought Newly examined video of Kemp's ridley sea turtles, which are found primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, shows that the species' recovery from endangerment has stalled at less than one-tenth of historic nesting levels.
	Ancient genes to protect modern wheat Scientists from The University of Queensland are undertaking world-first research into ancient wheats to ensure the crop's future.
	Half a million-dollar tick University of Oxford and Monash University scientists have discovered how proteins present in tick saliva prevent the immune system from running amok.
	Multiple methods for microbial diversity in one lake Researchers sequenced, assembled and analyzed bacterial genomes from a nine-year study tracking the evolution of microbial communities in a Wisconsin freshwater lake.
	Predators drive social complexity Variation in social organization and behavior of highly social animals like cichlids is primarily explained by predation risk and related ecological factors. This stresses the significance of predation for social evolution.
Knowledge of bacteria's origin and spread can prevent disease Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 is an aggressive type of bacteria, which is particularly problematic because it has developed resistance to a number of antimicrobials and has been able to quickly spread throughout the world. Using new technology the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, has been able to trace the bacteria back to its origin and work out when it developed resistance. The technology can likely be used to monitor new bacterial strains, prevent and not least understand infectious diseases.
Using twitter to generate a realistic birdsong soundscape Scientists in Brazil are using a genetic algorithm to create a realistic soundscape of birdsong that can be triggered by updates from the micro-blogging service, Twitter, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Details of the computer model which mimics the behavior of a bird's songbox, its "syrinx", to create realistic sounds are published this month in the International Journal of Arts and Technology.
	Cambodia rescues half a tonne of smuggled tortoises, pythons Cambodian authorities rescued more than half a tonne of live tortoises and pythons stolen by smugglers, a forestry official said Tuesday, the latest haul in a country with a thriving illegal wildlife trade.
	Infradian oscillation of circadian genes in a mouse model of bipolar disorder Molecular basis of changes in mood and mood-associated behaviors are unknown. Researchers in Japan have succeeded in predicting states of mood-change-like behavior by studying the gene expression patterns in the brain in a bipolar disorder mouse model. They found that expressions of circadian rhythm-associated genes concomitantly change with mood-change-like behaviors in these mice. The current results also provide a novel insight into the molecular basis of bipolar disorder in the brain.
	Baby giraffe born at Santa Barbara Zoo seen on video The public is getting its first glimpse of a baby Masai giraffe born over the weekend at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Medicine & Health news

	Yearly cost of US premature births linked to air pollution: $4.33 billion The annual economic cost of the nearly 16,000 premature births linked to air pollution in the United States has reached $4.33 billion, according to a report by scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center. The sum includes $760 million spent on prolonged hospital stays and long-term use of medications, as well as $3.57 billion in lost economic productivity due to physical and mental disabilities associated with preterm birth.
	Uncertainty can cause more stress than inevitable pain Knowing that there is a small chance of getting a painful electric shock can lead to significantly more stress than knowing that you will definitely be shocked, finds a new UCL study funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Early-stage embryos with abnormalities may still develop into healthy babies, study shows Abnormal cells in the early embryo are not necessarily a sign that a baby will be born with a birth defect such as Down's syndrome, suggests new research carried out in mice at the University of Cambridge. In a study published today in the journal Nature Communications, scientists show that abnormal cells are eliminated and replaced by healthy cells, repairing - and in many cases completely fixing - the embryo.
	Psychotherapy for depressed rats shows genes aren't destiny Genes are not destiny in determining whether a person will suffer from depression, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. Environment is a major factor, and nurture can override nature.
	Study finds unpredictability improves memory recall Memory training with unpredictable components could be more effective in enhancing episodic memory than training with predictable elements, according to new findings from UT Dallas researchers published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
	Plant peptide could prevent onset of multiple sclerosis MedUni Vienna has made a crucial development in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Together with his team and the research group led by Gernot Schabbauer, international partners from Australia, Germany and Sweden, Christian Gruber, Chief Researcher at the Center for Physiology and Pharmacology has demonstrated in an animal model that, following treatment with a specially synthesized plant peptide (cyclotide), there is no further progression of the usual clinical signs of multiple sclerosis. Gruber: "The one-off oral administration of the active agent brought about a great improvement in symptoms. There were no further attacks of the disease. This could slow down the course of the disease in general."
	Study finds disease transmission dynamics linked to climate can differ within a megacity (Medical Xpress)—A small team of researchers from the U.S. and Bangladesh has found that transmission of diseases not typically associated with climate can have different dynamics in a very large city. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers describe their study, what they found and why they believe that infectious diseases should be studied differently in large cities, particularly those in developing countries and in the tropics.
	Postmortem on Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone offers new insights into effective intervention strategies (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers from China, the U.S. and Sierra Leone has performed a postmortem on the Ebola outbreak that occurred during 2014/15 infecting approximately 8,700 people in Sierra Leone and killing 3,590 of them. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers describe the large amount of data they were able to obtain, how they used it, what was learned and how it showed that modern epidemic strategies can work even in the absence of a vaccine.
	'I care for you,' says the autistic moral brain Is it true that autistic people are cold and feel no empath? It is a pervasive stereotype, but when analyzed through the lens of science, reality turns out to be quite different. According to a study at SISSA carried out in collaboration with the University of Vienna, when autistic people are placed in "moral dilemma" situations, they show an empathic response similar to the general population. The myth of coldness in autism is likely due to the presence of the subclinical trait of alexithymia, which is often associated with autism, but is distinct and can be present in the general population. it is characterized by the inability to recognize one's own emotions or those of others. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
	WHO: Ebola no longer world health emergency The World Health Organization said Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa no longer qualifies as an international health emergency, although it cautioned that male survivors can infect their sexual partners for up to a year after recovering.
Children with Cushing syndrome may have higher suicide risk Children with Cushing syndrome may be at higher risk for suicide as well as for depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions long after their disease has been successfully treated, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
	Imaging predicts long-term effects in veterans with brain injury Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a type of MRI, may be able to predict functional post-deployment outcomes for veterans who sustained mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), or concussion, during combat, according to a new study published in the journal Radiology.
	Delayed diagnosis of acromegaly reported in elderly woman (HealthDay)—In a letter to the editor published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, delayed diagnosis of acromegaly is described in an elderly woman who initially presented with cutis verticis gyrata (CVG).
	Record number of med school grads choosing family medicine (HealthDay)—For the seventh consecutive year, the number of students selecting family medicine has increased, reaching a record of 3,105 graduating medical students choosing family medicine in 2016, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
	CPAP ups exercise performance in tracheobronchomalacia (HealthDay)—Use of a portable continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device can augment exercise performance in tracheobronchomalacia, according to research published online March 16 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	For prostate cancer, more radiation may not improve survival New technology has enabled doctors to administer higher doses of radiation to prostate cancer patients with fewer side effects. However, a new study shows that escalating the dose may not actually help a patient in the long term, at least not patients with localized prostate cancer. The results were published online last week in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Screening tools to identify developmental delay in healthy young children not beneficial The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommends against using a screening tool to identify developmental delay in children aged 1 to 4 years who have no apparent signs or parental concerns, according to a new guideline published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Women with endometriosis at higher risk for heart disease Women with endometriosis—especially those 40 or younger—may have a higher risk of heart disease, according to new research published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.
Complement immune system involved in rare epilepsy The complement system, which forms part of our immune system, is involved in a special form of epilepsy. This is the conclusion of a recently published single-case study. The study, carried out as part of a project sponsored by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, provided useful information for patient-specific treatment.
New study finds similarities in blood cytokine levels across three major psychiatric disorders Emory researchers recently released a study comparing blood cytokine levels in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Cytokines are key signaling molecules of the immune system. The study indicates similarities in the pattern of cytokine levels across these psychiatric disorders, during acute and chronic phases, and could have important implications for treatment of certain individuals with major psychiatric disorders.
	Bright light and caffeine improve driver alertness Caffeine and blue-green light have significant effects on improving the driving performance of chronically sleep deprived young people, an innovative QUT study has found.
	Decoding sugar molecules offers new key for combating muscular dystrophy A group of Japanese scientists have succeeded in decoding a sugar molecule and clarifying a mechanism linked to muscular dystrophy. Their discovery has potential implications for muscular dystrophy treatment. The results of their research were published in the journal Cell Reports on February 25, 2016 EST.
	No clinical symptoms in study of Alzheimer's transmissibility MedUni Vienna researchers have published the results of a clarifying research study on the potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease. Although the protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-β, might be transmissible under very unusual circumstances, this does not go along with a transmission of the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease. The affected persons develop no clinical symptoms of the disease.
New sight test detects early AMD Researchers based at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology designed a new test that can spot the first stages of sight loss in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The test could lead to earlier diagnosis for millions of people worldwide. Professor Roger Anderson led the research team.
	How studying child prodigies helps us understand autism Scientists may learn a lot about autism from studying a group of people who don't have the disorder.
Trust is key to boosting diversity in genetics research  Gene therapies could one day offer life-saving treatments for diabetes, cancer, sickle cell disease and other illnesses that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities, yet many black Americans have profound reason to be skeptical of genetic research.
New method to identify asymmetrical fingerprints can forecast risk for diabetes, study finds The same technology used by forensic investigators to capture fingerprints also can help doctors predict whether patients might be at risk for developing diabetes, a new study finds.
	Deploying mosquitoes against Zika A mosquito genetically modified to fight Zika virus, dengue fever, and other mosquito-borne ailments is being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for possible release in Florida. The mosquito is programmed to pass along a lethal gene to offspring.
	Simulations show how helmets would have protected bike crash victims' brains Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of concussions by 54 percent, and drastically cut the risk of skull fractures, according to a study at Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Researchers found new clue to fighting acute myeloid leukaemia A study led by researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has uncovered a new clue that may help fight acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), the most common form of cancer of the blood and bone marrow, and an aggressive type of cancer. The findings open a new door to treating the disease more effectively.
	UGA, Sanofi Pasteur develop new vaccine for H1N1 influenza Researchers at the University of Georgia and Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announced today the development of a vaccine that protects against multiple strains of both seasonal and pandemic H1N1 influenza in mouse models. They published their findings recently in the Journal of Virology.
	Gene study could help heart patients cut craving for salt Scientists have shed light on why some people crave salty food, even when they know it can seriously damage their health.
Take-home naloxone should be an additional standard of care for prevention of heroin overdose death Death from opioid overdose is preventable through timely administration of the antidote naloxone. Several countries now provide take-home naloxone (THN) to opioid users for emergency use, but mostly as pilot schemes and without formal evaluation. A new study published today by the scientific journal Addiction found that take-home naloxone programs reduce overdose mortality and have a low rate of adverse events. The study recommends take-home naloxone as a new standard of care for prevention of heroin overdose deaths.
Individualized treatment duration of blood thinning drugs after heart stent procedures Nearly 1 million people in the United States receive coronary artery stents each year. Nearly all stent patients are expected to take dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) using the combination of aspirin and a second antiplatelet medication to prevent the formation of blood clots. Exactly how long patients should receive DAPT has been debatable.
	Statement published on pairing smoking cessation with lung cancer screening Researchers, including an associate professor from the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center, say smokers who go to a doctor to be screened for lung cancer should also be encouraged to quit smoking during their visit, according to a paper co-written by Benjamin A. Toll, Ph.D., associate professor of public health at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
	Another reason to break the habit: Smoking alters bacterial balance in mouth Smoking drastically alters the oral microbiome, the mix of roughly 600 bacterial species that live in people's mouths. This is the finding of a study led by NYU Langone Medical Center and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center to be published online March 25 in the ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology) Journal.
Nonpathogenic viruses transferred during fecal transplants Communities of viruses can be transferred during fecal transplants, according to a study published this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Fortunately for patients who use this procedure, the viruses found to be transmitted in this study appear to be harmless to humans.
Are stem-cell therapies for Parkinson's disease ready for clinical trials? As stem cell-based therapies are moving rapidly towards clinical trials, treatments for Parkinson's Disease (PD), an incurable condition, may be on the horizon. A recent announcement of a Phase I/IIa clinical trial involving transplantation of stem cells into the first human subjects has raised hope among patients and sparked discussions in the research community. In a commentary published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, authors propose five key questions that should be addressed as this trial begins.
	Sweet, tasty and healthy—the new essence of juice? Lime, fibre and stevia provide a cocktail of ingredients that can be added to fruit juice to increase its nutritional value and promote the sensory experience of the juice.
	Researchers investigate four promising new treatments for Lyme disease The ticks that transmit Lyme disease have multiplied aggressively over the past 20 years, and now thrive in half of all counties in the U.S., according to a recent study in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
	Is your doctor trustworthy? Past records tough to find, experts say (HealthDay)—Most Americans would want to know if their doctor has a troubled past, but getting that information is difficult, a new report finds.
UN says 736 meningitis cases, 61 deaths this year in Niger Sixty-one people have died of meningitis since January in Niger, the United Nations said Tuesday, despite mass vaccinations to prevent a possible epidemic.
	Scientists unlock genetic secret that could help fight malaria A group of scientists, including one from the University of California, Riverside, have discovered a long-hypothesized male determining gene in the mosquito species that carries malaria, laying the groundwork for the development of strategies that could help control the disease.
	Medicare spends billions on chronic kidney disease, study finds (HealthDay)—Chronic kidney disease affects nearly 14 percent of Americans and costs Medicare billions of dollars a year, a new study reveals.
	Muscle training may help with mild pelvic organ prolapse (HealthDay)—Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) results in greater pelvic floor symptom improvement than watchful waiting in women with pelvic organ prolapse, according to a study published online March 21 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
	Sex hormones, inflammation affect asthma in obese women (HealthDay)—Sex hormones and systemic inflammation may be mediating the obese-asthma phenotype, according to a study published online March 23 in Allergy.
	Local allergic rhinitis responds to allergen immunotherapy (HealthDay)—Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (AIT) seems safe and effective for local allergic rhinitis (LAR), according to a study published online March 23 in Allergy.
	Intensive glucose control offers lasting reduction in risk of ESKD (HealthDay)—For patients with type 2 diabetes, intensive glucose control has long-term benefits for preventing end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), according to a study published online March 22 in Diabetes Care.
	Blood pressure targets relevant for children, teens (HealthDay)—Prehypertension and hypertension in children and adolescents are associated with cardiovascular target organ damage and set the trajectory for early adulthood high blood pressure (BP), according to an editorial published online March 28 in Hypertension.
	Key protein that by protecting the body from damage in hookworm infections ensures benefits outweigh risks Researchers in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside have identified an immune protein in mice that is quickly triggered in the body following infection and serves to protect the body's tissues. Called "RELMalpha," this protein, whose homologue in humans is called "resistin," is responsible more for protecting the body than attacking the parasite.
	Many in families with pregnant women don't know key facts about Zika Many people in U.S. households where someone is pregnant or considering getting pregnant in the next 12 months are not aware of key facts about Zika virus, according to a new poll by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers. The nationally representative poll of 1,275 adults, including 105 who live in households where someone is pregnant or considering getting pregnant in the next 12 months, was conducted March 2-8, 2016 in cooperation with the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC), an organization serving state and local public health communications officers.
	Curbing malaria resistance with multiple therapies In order to preserve first-line drugs for treating malaria, multiple combination therapies should be deployed within a population to prevent resistance from developing, according to Maciej Boni from the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues in a Policy Forum article published in this week's PLOS Medicine.
	How to tell if your teen has a mental health problem (HealthDay)—Mood swings and other challenging behaviors are normal in teens, which can make it difficult for parents to spot serious mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, an expert says.
Narcissism linked to sexual assault perpetration in college, study finds Almost 20 percent of college men have committed some kind of sexual assault, and 4 percent have committed rape, according to a study published by University of Georgia researchers who were examining the link between different kinds of narcissism and the perpetration of sexual assaults.
New tool mines whole-exome sequencing data to match cancer with best drug A University of Colorado Cancer study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) describes a new tool that interprets the raw data of whole exome tumor sequencing and then matches the cancer's unique genetics to FDA-approved targeted treatments.
Gov't panel backs drug for delusions in Parkinson's patients Federal health experts have endorsed an experimental drug intended to treat psychotic delusions and behaviors that often afflict patients with Parkinson's disease, the debilitating movement disorder.
Remote Italian village could harbor secrets of healthy aging The average life expectancy in the United States is approximately 78 years old. Americans live longer, with better diets and improved health care, than ever before, but only 0.02 percent will hit the century mark.
Research on risky sexual behaviors is lacking Sexual health research focused on men who have sex with men is lacking, according to health researchers, even in the midst of rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, in this population.
	WHO urges more oversight in wake of China vaccine scandal China must exert stronger oversight over vaccines sold on the private market in the wake of a developing scandal involving expired or improperly stored vaccines, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
	Obama highlights nation's growing opioid problem The Obama administration issued a proposed rule Tuesday that aims to increase medication-based treatment for tens of thousands of people addicted to opioids, and the White House called for lawmakers to dedicate more resources to fighting the growing problem.
	Heart attacks—different signs for men, women We've all seen the movie scenes where a man gasps, clutches his chest and falls to the ground. In reality, a heart attack victim could easily be a woman, and the scene not so dramatic.
How destructive traits of anorexics can help them escape eating disorder Heather Purdin had run out of options. Aged 33, she had been suffering from anorexia nervosa for more than two decades and her weight had plummeted to that of a small child, an all-time low for her. Her case worker, out of frustration and desperation, suggested hospice care as a way to spend her remaining days in relative comfort. But for the first time in years, Heather was sure of one thing: she desperately wanted to live.
Bloomberg, others donate $125M for new cancer institute Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others have donated $125 million to create a cancer-fighting institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the school said Tuesday.
Another drug company in the crosshairs of Congress Another pharmaceutical company is being targeted by lawmakers over drug pricing.
	Food insecurity and hospital visits—is there a link? More than half of patients with high hospitalization rates (at least 3 inpatient visits in a 12-month period) used food pantries or other community food resources, and 40% were worried that they would run out of food, according to the results of a study published in Population Health Management.
	Pricey prostate cancer drug's makers targeted by Congress Lawmakers again are targeting the pharmaceutical industry over sky-high prescription drug prices, a hot issue this year in Washington and on the campaign trail that's been dragging down stock prices of many drugmakers.
	Automated Ebola blood test performs well in field evaluation An automated "sample-to-answer" system could provide Ebola virus disease (EVD) diagnosis more quickly and easily than the current standard test, according to research published this week in PLOS Medicine. In a field evaluation study, Nira Pollock of Boston Children's Hospital and colleagues from Public Health England and Partners In Health found that the Cepheid GeneXpert Ebola assay provided results in near agreement with the standard laboratory test for both whole blood (WB) and cheek swab (buccal swab, BS) samples.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles initiates clinical trial for treatment-resistant leukemia The Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases (CCCBD) at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is one of the first sites in the world to offer a promising new investigational therapy to treat pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
	Justices seem to seek compromise in birth control case A seemingly divided Supreme Court is exploring a possible compromise ruling in the dispute between faith-based groups and the Obama administration over birth control.
Study finds adaptive IGRT for bladder preservation clinically feasible A prospective study examining a trimodality treatment approach in localized bladder cancer cases using adaptive image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) found that the bladder preservation rate at three years was 83 percent.
Should I take antibiotics for that cough that won't go away? Antibiotics are excellent for treating bacterial infections. But viral illnesses? Not so much.
Demand surges for addiction treatment during pregnancy As soon as the home pregnancy test strip turned blue, Susan Bellone packed a few things and headed straight for Boston Medical Center's emergency room. She'd been using heroin and knew she needed medical help to protect her baby.

Other Sciences news

	Text in lost language may reveal god or goddess worshipped by Etruscans at ancient temple Archaeologists in Italy have discovered what may be a rare sacred text in the Etruscan language that is likely to yield rich details about Etruscan worship of a god or goddess.
	Novel collagen fingerprinting identifies a Neanderthal bone among 2,000 fragments Scientists from the universities of Oxford and Manchester have used a new molecular fingerprinting technique to identify one Neanderthal bone from around 2,000 tiny bone fragments.
	Humans, 'unicorns' may have walked Earth at same time: study A long-extinct animal known as the Siberian unicorn—which was actually a long-horned rhinoceros—may have walked the Earth 29,000 years ago, at the same time as prehistoric humans, researchers say.
	Is HUD housing affordable? New study says not when you factor in costs to commute Where to live can be a dilemma for many Americans. Do you pay more for housing located near work and other destinations or do you pay less for housing that requires extensive driving? What about families with housing subsidies? Does this tradeoff on housing and transportation expenses hold true for them?
New study suggests that academics make poor entrepreneurs The research, published in the journal Industry and Innovation, calls into question increasing pressure on universities to act as drivers of economic growth, and suggests that policy-makers focus on more vocational FE colleges instead.
	The scientific reasons we engage in politics (or don't) If you flip on the television during an election year, chances are you'll be met with a barrage of political chatter from candidates, analysts, news reporters, and the like. For William & Mary Assistant Professor of Government Jaime Settle, what's more intriguing than the outpouring of political noise is the silence that stems from it.
	Anthropologists reconstruct mitogenomes from prehistoric dental calculus Using advanced sequencing technologies, University of Oklahoma anthropologists demonstrate that human DNA can be significantly enriched from dental calculus (calcified dental plaque) enabling the reconstruction of whole mitochondrial genomes for maternal ancestry analysis—an alternative to skeletal remains in ancient DNA investigations of human ancestry.
	Ancient quarry proves human impact on landscape Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem uncovered in central Israel the earliest known Neolithic quarry in the southern Levant, dating back 11,000 years. Finds from the site indicate large-scale quarrying activities to extract flint and limestone for the purpose of manufacturing working tools.
	Study reveals how diet shaped human evolution Homo sapiens, the ancestor of modern humans, shared the planet with Neanderthals, a close, heavy-set relative that dwelled almost exclusively in Ice-Age Europe, until some 40,000 years ago. Neanderthals were similar to Homo sapiens, with whom they sometimes mated—but they were different, too. Among these many differences, Neanderthals were shorter and stockier, with wider pelvises and rib-cages than their modern human counterparts.
Market reactions to sudden CEO deaths highlight CEOs' importance When Tootsie Roll chairman and CEO Melvin Gordon died unexpectedly on Jan. 20, 2015, the firm's value saw an immediate 7 percent increase, which was equivalent to about $140 million. Craig Crossland, an assistant professor of management at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, and his research colleagues examined 240 sudden and unexpected CEO deaths like Gordon's to determine how shareholders' perceptions of CEO significance have changed over time. They found that market reactions to these events in U.S. public firms have increased markedly between 1950 and 2009.
	How hostile states' immigration policies changed Latino migration in the late 2000s For many immigrants in this country, anti-immigration rhetoric is not just something that you hear on the campaign trail but a reality. In fact, about a third of U.S. states, have had restrictive laws directed at undocumented immigrants in place since the late 2000s. As a result, many Latinos have become averse to moving to these states according to a new University of Washington - Dartmouth study just published in the Annals of the American Association of Geographers).
	Archaeologists digging at Malcolm X's boyhood home in Boston Archeologists in Boston are digging at the boyhood home of slain black rights activist Malcolm X.
	Just 50p a week could decide the UK's future in Europe, study finds If people feel Brexit will reduce their income - even by as little as £25 a year, or 50p a week - then a majority will vote to remain. If people think they'll be better off out, then a majority will vote to leave.
	Archaeologists digging at Malcolm X's boyhood home in Boston Archeologists are digging at a boyhood home of Malcolm X in an effort to uncover more about the slain black rights activist's early life as well as the property's long history, which possibly includes Native American settlement.

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