Fwd: Science X Newsletter Monday, Apr 25

HOT!

Image: Morning sunglint over the Pacific

From fiction to gallows humour – how Chernobyl survivors are coping with trauma

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 3:37 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Monday, Apr 25
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 25, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- How metal-organic frameworks could help realize a carbon-neutral energy cycle
- Solar cell mystery solved, expected to greatly increase efficiency
- A close up look at how bacteria make ice
- Modern DNA reveals ancient male population explosions linked to migration and technology
- Italian scientists detect chemical anomalies in a low-mass globular cluster
- Best of Last Week – New state of water, solar plane crosses Pacific and OTC medicine found to cause cognitive problems
- Physicists demonstrate using non-polarized light to produce spin voltage in metal for first time
- Missing links brewed in primordial puddles?
- Research identifies compound that reverses symptoms of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's
- Engineers develop micro-sized, liquid-metal particles for heat-free soldering
- Why is visceral fat worse than subcutaneous fat?
- Nurturing during preschool years boosts child's brain growth
- Ancient marine sediments provide clues to future climate change
- Rare Earth atoms see the light: Promising route for combined optical, solid state-based quantum information processing
- Physicists detect the enigmatic spin momentum of light

Physics news

Physicists demonstrate using non-polarized light to produce spin voltage in metal for first time With apologies to Isaac Asimov, the most exciting phase to hear in science isn't "Eureka," but "That's funny..." A "that's funny" moment in a Colorado State University physics lab has led to a fundamental discovery that could play a key role in next-generation microelectronics.
	Scientists take next step towards observing quantum physics in real life Small objects like electrons and atoms behave according to quantum mechanics, with quantum effects like superposition, entanglement and teleportation. One of the most intriguing questions in modern science is if large objects – like a coffee cup - could also show this behavior. Scientists at the TU Delft have taken the next step towards observing quantum effects at everyday temperatures in large objects. They created a highly reflective membrane, visible to the naked eye, that can vibrate with hardly any energy loss at room temperature. The membrane is a promising candidate to research quantum mechanics in large objects.
	Physicists detect the enigmatic spin momentum of light Ever since Kepler's observation in the 17th century that sunlight is one of the reasons that the tails of comets to always face away from the sun, it has been understood that light exerts pressure in the direction it propagates. Radiation pressure is produced by the momentum carried by light, and it plays a crucial role in a variety of systems, from atomic to astronomical scales.
	Rare Earth atoms see the light: Promising route for combined optical, solid state-based quantum information processing Tiny units of matter and chemistry that they are, atoms constitute the entire universe. Some rare atoms can store quantum information, an important phenomenon for scientists in their ongoing quest for a quantum Internet.
	Engineers develop micro-sized, liquid-metal particles for heat-free soldering Martin Thuo likes to look for new, affordable and clean ways to put science and technology to work in the world.
	CERN CMS releases 300 terabytes of research data from LHC Today, the CMS Collaboration at CERN has released more than 300 terabytes (TB) of high-quality open data. These include over 100 TB, or 2.5 inverse femtobarns (fb−1), of data from proton collisions at 7 TeV, making up half the data collected at the LHC by the CMS detector in 2011. This follows a previous release from November 2014, which made available around 27 TB of research data collected in 2010.
	Do wind vent holes in banners make a difference? We used a wind tunnel to find out The next time you see a banner hung across a street or from a bridge, or hoisted as part of a street march, protest or demonstration, take a closer look. You may see that the banner has holes or slits cut into it.
	Ultrafast photoelectron imaging grasps competition in molecular autoionization Using time, energy and angular-resolved photoelectron imaging, a team of researchers from the Max Born Institute in Berlin, in collaboration with colleagues from Milan and Padova, has been able to make snapshots of coupled Rydberg orbitals evolving in time during an ultrafast autoionization process.
	New spin Seebeck thermoelectric device with higher conversion efficiency created A thermoelectric (TE) device using cutting edge thermoelectric conversion technology has been created by a team comprising NEC Corporation, NEC TOKIN Corporation and Tohoku University.

Earth news

	Role of animals in mitigating climate change varies across tropical forests Large animals play a key role in mitigating climate change in tropical forests across the world by spreading the seeds of large trees that have a high capacity to store carbon, new research co-led by the University of Leeds has said.
	Algae disrupt coral reefs' recycling Coral reefs—the world's most productive and diverse marine ecosystems—rely on a masterful recycling program to stay healthy. The corals and algae that form the base of the reef's food web release a variety of nutrients that support a complex and efficient food chain. But when this system gets out of whack, the cycle breaks down and endangers the coral reef's health. A new study led by researchers at San Diego State University and published today in the journal Nature Microbiology explores how a process known as "microbialization" destroys links in this delicate food chain.
	Scientists inch closer to predicting phreatic volcanic eruptions Throughout the centuries, volcanic eruptions have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives due in part to the lack of accurate signs indicating imminent eruptions. One type of a volcanic eruption, a phreatic eruption, which involves external water, is particularly energetic causing a disproportionate number of fatalities. Phreatic eruptions are extremely difficult to forecast, often occurring with little or no geophysical precursors.
	CO2 fertilization greening the Earth An international team of 32 authors from 24 institutions in eight countries has just published a study titled "Greening of the Earth and its Drivers" in the journal Nature Climate Change showing significant greening of a quarter to one-half of the Earth's vegetated lands using data from the NASA-MODIS and NOAA-AVHRR satellite sensors of the past 33 years. The greening represents an increase in leaves on plants and trees. Green leaves produce sugars using energy in the sunlight to mix carbon dioxide (CO2) drawn in from the air with water and nutrients pumped in from the ground. These sugars are the source of food, fiber and fuel for life on Earth. More sugars are produced when there is more CO2 in the air, and this is called CO2 fertilization.
	Ancient marine sediments provide clues to future climate change Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was the major driver behind the global climatic shifts that occurred between 53 and 34 million years ago, according to new research led by the University of Southampton.
	US absorbed carbon dioxide despite drought In the US, spring 2012 was the warmest on record. The subsequent summer was dryer and hotter than any summer since the 1930s, a period that became known in the history books as the 'Dust Bowl'. In 2012, drought and heat afflicted almost the entire contiguous United States.
	Researchers discover fate of melting glacial ice in Greenland Over the past several decades, scientists have observed a significant increase in the melting of glacial land ice on the island of Greenland, spurring concerns about global sea level rise and the long-term effects of atmospheric warming. What has been less clear, however, is what happens to this meltwater once it enters the ocean.
	Nepal has done little to protect itself from next 'big one' Last year's massive earthquake in Nepal killed nearly 9,000 people, yet could have been much deadlier. It was spared not by disaster preparedness, but by the calendar.
	Brackish groundwater can augment supplies, relieve stress on freshwater resources Development of brackish groundwater in the United States, if carried out responsibly, can augment supplies and relieve growing stress on freshwater resources, according to an issue brief from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
	Italy monitoring oil slick off Riviera Italian authorites said Saturday they were monitoring a two-kilometre- (1.25 mile-) long oil slick off the country's Riviera coast but said the risk of a new spill into the Mediterranean was under control.
	Riviera beaches spared as Italy oil slick dissolves Oil slicks off the Italian Riviera have largely dissolved and no longer pose a threat to the region's beaches, the official overseeing the clean-up operation said Sunday.
	Test finds Chernobyl residue in Belarus milk On the edge of Belarus' Chernobyl exclusion zone, down the road from the signs warning "Stop! Radiation," a dairy farmer offers his visitors a glass of freshly drawn milk. Associated Press reporters politely decline the drink but pass on a bottled sample to a laboratory, which confirms it contains levels of a radioactive isotope at levels 10 times higher than the nation's food safety limits.
	Conservation alliance to focus on Peruvian Amazon deforestation Wake Forest University has received nearly $10 million in support to establish The Amazon Center for Environmental Research and Sustainability (ACERS). The new center, established through the University's Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (CEES), aims to develop transformative solutions to promote sustainable use of tropical landscapes, combat environmental destruction and improve human health in the Amazonian province of Madre de Dios (MDD) in Peru.
	NASA sees wind shear end Tropical Cyclone Amos On Sunday, April 24, 2016 Tropical Cyclone Amos ran into increasing wind shear that tore the storm apart. A composite satellite image from two satellites showed waning precipitation and lack of thunderstorm development from wind shear.
Environmental impacts of demand-side technologies and strategies for carbon mitigation As global leaders convened at the UN last week to sign on to the Paris climate agreement, they committed to a wide range of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Expectations are particularly high for two of the most widely recognized solutions to climate change: energy efficiency and renewable energy. But how much do we know about the environmental impacts of a large-deployment of these technologies—including the benefits or costs from a life-cycle perspective? And by how much can the gains from energy efficient technologies be multiplied if GHG emissions from electricity production are also reduced?
	Economic concerns drive sustainability in American cities and towns While environmental issues are often cited as a major factor in cities and towns in pursuing sustainability, a new study shows that economic concerns can be just as important to local governments in adopting concrete sustainability plans.
	Champs-Elysees to be pedestrianised once a month to combat smog Paris' most famous boulevard, the Champs-Elysees, will be off-limits to cars on the first Sunday of every month starting in May, Paris city hall said Monday.

Astronomy & Space news

	Italian scientists detect chemical anomalies in a low-mass globular cluster (Phys.org)—Globular clusters have for a long time been considered as formed of stars with similar initial chemical composition, but recently, increasing evidence has emerged regarding their more complex nature. On Apr. 14, a team of Italian scientists led by Alessio Mucciarelli of the University of Bologna, has published a research paper describing chemical anomalies in the low-mass globular cluster NGC 6362, implying that globular clusters may be not as simple as previously thought. The results are available on the arXiv pre-print server.
	Kepler recovered and returned to the K2 mission The Kepler spacecraft has been recovered and, as of 8:30 a.m. PDT today, it is back on the job as the K2 mission searching for exoplanets—planets beyond our solar system.
	British astronaut runs marathon in space (Update) British astronaut Tim Peake ran a marathon in space in record time on Sunday, strapped into a treadmill on the International Space Station as thousands ran the London Marathon below.
	Image: Hubble captures NGC 4111 The elegant simplicity of NGC 4111, seen here in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, hides a more violent history than you might think. NGC 4111 is a lenticular, or lens-shaped, galaxy about 50 million light-years from us in the constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs).
Europe makes fourth attempt to launch Russian rocket Europe will attempt to launch a Russian Soyuz rocket for the fourth time Monday after weather conditions and technical faults halted previous take-offs, launch service Arianespace said.
	NASA moves to begin historic new era of X-plane research History is about to repeat itself. There have been periods of time during the past seven decades – some busier than others – when the nation's best minds in aviation designed, built and flew a series of experimental airplanes to test the latest fanciful and practical ideas related to flight.
	Stunning auroras from the space station in ultra HD Stunning high definition views of Earth's auroras and dancing lights as seen from space like never before have just been released by NASA in the form of ultra-high definition videos (4K) captured from the International Space Station (ISS).
	Students track, observe damaged Hitomi X-ray satellite and its debris with optical telescope Engineering Physics students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach Campus have made several high cadence telescope observations of the recently damaged Hitomi X-ray satellite and several of its debris pieces.
	Understanding Spica (Alpha Virginis) The familiar star Spica (Alpha Virginis) is the fifteenth brightest star in the night sky, in part because it is relatively nearby, only about 250 light-years away. It is easy to find by following the arc of the Big Dipper's handle and using the mnemonic, "Arc to Arcturus (Alpha Bootes) and then spike to Spica." In fact Spica is a "spectroscopic" binary, two stars orbiting each other and too close together to separate visually. They were revealed as being a binary pair in 1890 when spectroscopic observations discovered that the stellar lines were doubled due to each star having a slightly different velocity and corresponding Doppler shift. The stars in Spica are, moreover, an unusual pair: They are very close, separated by about twenty-eight solar-radii, and orbit each other in only 4.01 days. This puts them so close together that their mutual gravity tidally distorts their atmospheres, with the result that the stars are not spher! ical. Oh, and the more massive star pulses in size and luminosity.
	How do we know there's a Planet 9? At this point, I think the astronomy textbook publishers should just give up. They'd like to tell you how many planets there are in the solar system, they really would. But astronomers just can't stop discovering new worlds, and messing up the numbers.
	Possible new mission proposed for Dawn spacecraft The Dawn spacecraft, NASA's asteroid hopping probe, may not be going gently into that good night as planned. Dawn has visited Vesta and Ceres, and for now remains in orbit around Ceres. The Dawn mission was supposed to end after its rendezvous with Ceres, but now, reports say that the Dawn team has asked NASA to extend the mission to visit a third asteroid.
	Image: Morning sunglint over the Pacific This Earth observation composite image from the International Space Station captures morning sunglint and low clouds over the central Pacific Ocean.
	Mission Discovery experiments Science experiments designed by pupils from the Mission Discovery Programme held at King's College London in 2013 and 2014 have been launched into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, on a journey to the International Space Station.

Technology news

	How metal-organic frameworks could help realize a carbon-neutral energy cycle (TechXplore)—Concerns over climate change have prompted researchers to search for alternative energy sources to fossil fuels. Fossil fuels produce CO2, a greenhouse gas, but our reliance on fossil fuels will likely continue into the foreseeable future until an efficient and sustainable alternative fuel source can be realized. One option is to use metal-organic frameworks both as a short-term solution for capturing and converting CO2 and as a long-term solution for hydrogen production and storage.
	Chinese firms accelerate in race toward driverless future Chinese manufacturers and Internet giants are in hot pursuit of their US counterparts in the race to design driverless cars, but the route to market is still littered with potholes.
	Solar plane's crossing of Pacific going smoothly (Update) A solar-powered airplane on an around-the-world journey had traveled 80 percent of the way from Hawaii to California by Saturday morning.
	Authentication may be all in your head through SkullConduct (Tech Xplore)—There are things that are unique about you—and researchers are eager to turn those things into identification tools. They are even listening to the unique sound of the person's skull. To be sure, researchers are going after alternative ways to confirm user identification. The arsenal of biometrics tools is filling up with new concepts based on physiological features.
	Solar-powered plane completes journey across Pacific Ocean (Update) A solar-powered airplane on a mission to fly around the world landed in California, completing a risky, three-day flight across a great expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
	New theory establishes a path to high-performance 2D semiconductor devices Researchers at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have uncovered a way to overcome a principal obstacle in using two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors in electronic and optoelectronic devices.
	China aims to build floating nuclear power plants, the first by 2018 (Tech Xplore)—China has plans to build a floating nuclear power plant in South China Sea and may build a total of about 19 more. China's intentions were emphasized as civilian in nature; the goal is to provide stable power for offshore projects.
	The Latest: Solar plane's Pacific crossing going smoothly The Latest on the flight of a solar-powered airplane from Hawaii to California in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe (all times local):
Feds say they've accessed phone at center of Apple data case The U.S. Justice Department said it has withdrawn a request to force Apple to reveal data from a cellphone linked to a New York drug case after someone provided federal investigators with the phone's passcode.
Dutch students open world's first pop-up drone cafe Would you like a drone with your cocktail? The world's first cafe using the tiny domestic unmanned aircraft as servers has opened in a Dutch university.
	Solar plane pilot hopes to link to Silicon Valley's spirit The pilot of a solar-powered airplane on an around-the-world journey said Saturday that stopping in California's Silicon Valley will help link the daring project to the pioneering spirit of the area.
	Alaska aquarium replaces fossil fuel with seawater system Thousands of people visit the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward for a look at Steller sea lions or harlequin ducks.
	Solar-plane pilots say trip was also test of human endurance The two Swiss pilots taking turns to fly a solar-powered airplane around the world said Sunday the endeavor is not only a demonstration of the importance of renewable energy but also of the many challenges the human body can endure.
Philips profit hit as readies lighting spin-off Electronics giant Philips on Monday posted a 63-percent slump in first quarter profits for 2016, blaming the fall on a high tax bill incurred for a major company restructuring.
Survival of the hugest: Chinese consumers seek safety in SUVs Chinese drivers are rushing to buy sport-utility vehicles in an "arms race" for safety on the country's hair-raising roads, analysts say, as SUV sales hit the gas despite a slowing economy.
	Review: Amazon Echo Dot offers greatest hits in slimmer package When I reviewed the Amazon Echo last July, I said I believed we were all going to have something like this in our homes in the future. After a few months of owning my own Echo, I'm convinced I'm right.
	Diesel emissions inquiry findings should shake up car industry Motor manufacturers need to ensure new vehicles are cleaner in the wake of a UK inquiry which revealed diesel car emissions are far higher on the road than in laboratory tests. That is the view of a leading air quality expert from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) who believes the investigation's findings should have a significant impact on the industry.
	Demand for electric vehicles will increase – if the price is right According to a new McMaster-led survey, there's pent up consumer demand for electric vehicles- if the price is right.
Companies eye partnership deals to counter low growth With global economic growth slowing, inflation staying low and digital innovation generating uncertainty, companies are increasingly looking at partnership deals with other firms, even competitors, to boost revenues, consulting firm EY said Monday.
	Measuring river surface flow with image analysis Fujita Ichiro, a Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering in Kobe University, has developed a piece of software that can measure the flow rate of rivers using image analysis. The software is called KU-STIV (Kobe University Space-Time Image Velocimetry). This technology makes it easier to obtain accurate data about river flow rates that can be used in strategies for flood risk management.
Exploding hoverboards on EU list of 'made in China' horrors From exploding hoverboards to cancer-causing children's pyjamas, the EU on Monday warned of a tide of dangerous products for sale with most still coming from China.
	Dubai pushes the pedal to the metal on driverless cars (Update) Already home to the world's biggest skyscraper, Dubai has another tall order to fill: By 2030, its leader wants 25 percent of all trips on its roads to be done by driverless vehicles.
	Going off-grid easier with friends With WA's power grid ageing and energy bills soaring, microgrids have never been more talked about—and they're easier with friends.
	Hundred-meter long solar platforms that remain steady and stable in rough sea weather Solar panels require a lot of space, so why not use the space which is abundant in large bodies of water to produce environmentally-friendly electricity? The main obstacle to this is waves, which endanger large floating installations on the water. A new lightweight construction has been developed at TU Wien which can be used to build platforms spanning one hundred metres long which remain steady and firmly in place – even in rough sea weather.
	Your devices' latest feature? They can spy on your every move We now have dozens of smart devices in our houses and even on our bodies. They improve our lives in so many ways – from lowering energy consumption in our homes to egging us on to be active.
	How the power to control objects with our minds stopped being science fiction The recent announcement that a young paralysed man in Ohio in the US named Ian Burkhart managed to regain the use of his fingers after having a chip implanted in his brain is an exciting step forward for science and healthcare. In fact, you may now be wondering how long it will be before we can unlock a door, turn on a kettle, or even send an email simply by thinking about it?
	France fires up push for renewable energies France announced Monday it was raising its renewable energy goals and would become the first country to issue "green bonds" to fund projects which benefit the enviroment.
	Internet video portals do not control views well Video portals have counters that register the number of views, thus reflecting the success of the piece. This data can have economic implications, since with some online advertising campaigns that use videos, the portals can charge based on the number of registered views. And one of the problems with the fraud that exists in this area is that of "bots", computer programs that replicate the behavior of an Internet user, and which can therefore artificially increase the number of views.
	Microsoft axes production of Xbox 360 consoles Microsoft will stop producing the Xbox 360, the decade-old video-game console that cemented the company's place in the living room.
Oakland drawing more tech startups When Uber opens its massive new headquarters near downtown Oakland next year, flooding the area with as many as 3,000 workers, it will become part of an already thriving tech scene.
LinkedIn's Lynda.com creates 'learning paths' for certain careers The road to becoming a music producer or small business owner through online courses may come with too many choices for some learners even on LinkedIn-owned Lynda.com.
New apps help taxpayers report waste, fraud and abuse In Long Beach, Calif., six city employees were fired after people complained items had gone missing from inside impounded cars. In Philadelphia auditors found safety issues in a dozen rental properties as well as more than $350,000 in unpaid taxes. And in Richmond, Va., a city employee is on the hook for nearly $10,000 in bogus expenses.
How retail stores are using virtual reality to make shopping more fun The next item you try on at the mall might be a virtual reality headset.
Delivery services vie to offer instant —or at least same-day —gratification Not long ago, two-day delivery was considered a premium service. And fast, too. Fast enough, it seemed.
	Time Warner Cable deal gets OK, with online video conditions (Update) Federal regulators will impose several conditions meant to protect online video services as they back Charter's bid to buy Time Warner Cable and create the country's second-largest home Internet provider.
	Obama says 'spirit of innovation' turns ideas into jobs President Barack Obama it putting in a few good words for the "spirit of innovation" that he says turns ideas into jobs and growth.
	A look at the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in numbers Telling the story of Chernobyl in numbers 30 years later involves dauntingly large figures and others that are even more vexing because they're still unknown. A look at numbers that hint at the scope of the world's worst nuclear accident, the explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986:
	Hollywood is pushing reset button on video game adaptations At long last, it seems Hollywood has pushed the reset button on its approach to video game adaptations.
Planned Intel job cuts create uncertainty in New Mexico city Intel's plan for massive job cuts is creating uncertainty in one of New Mexico's largest cities.
	Innovation making waves pulling water from air Researchers in Simon Fraser University's School of Mechatronics Systems Engineering are tackling the world's water crisis by pulling water out of the air.
2nd security firm raises concerns about Cruz and Kasich apps Another computer-security firm is raising concerns about the potential for hackers to glean users' personal data from phone apps released by the campaigns of Republican presidential contenders Ted Cruz and John Kasich.

Chemistry news

	Solar cell mystery solved, expected to greatly increase efficiency (Phys.org)—For the past 17 years, spiro-OMeTAD, has been keeping a secret. Despite intense research efforts, its performance as the most commonly used hole-transporting material in perovskite and dye-sensitized solar cells has remained stagnant, creating a major bottleneck for improving solar cell efficiency. Thinking that the material has given all it has to offer, many researchers have begun investigating alternative materials to replace spiro-OMeTAD in future solar cells.
	Missing links brewed in primordial puddles? The crucibles that bore out early building blocks of life may have been, in many cases, modest puddles.
	A close up look at how bacteria make ice (Phys.org)—A combined team of researchers from Germany and the U.S. has taken a closer look at a type of bacteria that is able to cause ice to form, sometimes even under conditions above the normal freezing point.
	Flipping a chemical switch helps perovskite solar cells beat the heat Thin films of crystalline materials called perovskites provide a promising new way of making inexpensive and efficient solar cells. Now, an international team of researchers has shown a way of flipping a chemical switch that converts one type of perovskite into another—a type that has better thermal stability and is a better light absorber.
Novel anti-biofilm nano coating developed Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have developed an innovative anti-biofilm coating, which has significant anti-adhesive potential for a variety of medical and industrial applications.
	Folding molecules into screw-shaped structures An international research team describes the methods of winding up molecules into screw-shaped structures in the journal Angewandte Chemie. With the aid of artificial molecules, the researchers imitated the principles underlying the assigning a specific function to biomolecules in nature. Giving artificial molecules a specific helical shape has posed a considerable challenge, because it has been difficult to control if a molecule would wind up in the shape of a left-handed or right-handed screw. This is where the team from France, Germany and Japan made a breakthrough.
	Red light controls signaling in human cells Optogenetics now enables the development of new methods that can be used like light switches to turn on and off specific processes in cells. Optogenetic methods are based on the isolation and modification of light-sensitive proteins in a first step and their subsequent incorporation into an individual target cell or an entire tissue.
Soy shows promise as natural anti-microbial agent Soy isoflavones and peptides may inhibit the growth of microbial pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses, according to a new study from University of Guelph researchers.
Scientists make receptor discoveries that pave the way for new drugs to treat metabolic diseases New structural information obtained with the help of intense X-rays generated by Diamond Light Source, the UK's synchrotron science facility in Oxfordshire, has enabled scientists from Heptares Therapeutics ("Heptares", the UK-based subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation) to solve the high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of the glucagon receptor. This biological receptor plays a crucial role in the management of blood glucose levels and is considered to be an important target for drugs designed to treat metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.

Biology news

	Modern DNA reveals ancient male population explosions linked to migration and technology The largest ever study of global genetic variation in the human Y chromosome has uncovered the hidden history of men. Research published today (25 April) in Nature Genetics reveals explosions in male population numbers in five continents, occurring at times between 55 thousand and four thousand years ago.
	New pathogen takes control of gypsy moth populations A new fungal pathogen is killing gypsy moth caterpillars and crowding out communities of pathogens and parasites that previously destroyed these moth pests.
	Study reveals how cholera's two chromosomes communicate to coordinate replication (Phys.org)—A team of researchers from France and Denmark, working at Institut Pasteur, in Paris has found the mechanism that is involved that allows dual chromosomes in Vibrio cholerae cells to split at the same time as part of replication. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the team describes how they closely studied cell replication in V. cholerae, the bacteria that cause cholera, and then verified their understanding of how chromosome division was occurring by disabling different parts involved in the process.
	How researchers teach bacteria new behaviours Researchers working in the field of synthetic biology use components that occur in nature and combine them in a new way. This is how bacteria acquire functions that they hadn't previously possessed. This offers great potential for biotechnology.
	New gene-detecting technology brings new, resilient superwheat closer Scientists at the John Innes Centre (JIC) and The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) have pioneered a new gene-detecting technology which, if deployed correctly could lead to the creation of a new elite variety of wheat with durable resistance to disease.
	New technique accelerates isolation of potato late blight resistance genes A team of scientists from The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) and The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) have developed a new method to accelerate isolation of plant disease resistance genes. The team have also identified a brand new source of blight resistance genes in Solanum americanum, a wild relative of the potato.
	Socially meaningful sounds can change ear, improve hearing, study finds Hearing socially meaningful sounds can change the ear and enable it to better detect those sounds, according to researchers at Georgia State University who studied the phenomenon in green treefrogs.
	How and why single cell organisms evolved into multicellular life Throughout the history of life on Earth, multicellular life evolved from single cells numerous times, but explaining how this happened is one of the major evolutionary puzzles of our time. However, scientists have now completed a study of the complete DNA of one of the most important model organisms, Gonium pectorale, a simple green algae that comprises only 16 cells.
	Controlling RNA in living cells: Modular, programmable proteins can be used to track or manipulate gene expression MIT researchers have devised a new set of proteins that can be customized to bind arbitrary RNA sequences, making it possible to image RNA inside living cells, monitor what a particular RNA strand is doing, and even control RNA activity.
	New structure identified in membrane of disease-causing bacteria Mycobacteria cause a number of dangerous, difficult-to-treat diseases including leprosy and tuberculosis, and progress has been slow in eradicating them. But new strategies for combating these bacteria may eventually emerge from better understanding their basic structure and mechanisms, say molecular microbiologist Yasu Morita and his doctoral student Jennifer Hayashi at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
	Patterns of glowing sharks get clearer with depth A team of researchers led by scientists from the American Museum of Natural History has found that catsharks are not only able to see the bright green biofluorescence they produce, but that they increase contrast of their glowing pattern when deep underwater. The study, conducted with a custom-built "shark-eye" camera that simulates how the shark sees underwater, shows that fluorescence makes catsharks more visible to neighbors of the same species at the depths that they live and may aid in communication between one another. The work was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Top African producer bans GM cotton Burkina Faso, Africa's top cotton producer and the sole West African nation to venture into biotech farming, is dropping genetically-modified (GM) cotton on quality grounds.
	German scientists seek way to end live chick shredding In a basement of Dresden University, German scientists are busy refining a technique that could save millions of fluffy chicks from being shredded to death moments after they hatch.
	Cambodian Royal Turtle nearly extinct—less than 10 in wild Cambodia's Royal Turtle is nearly extinct, with fewer than 10 left in the wild, because increased sand dredging and illegal clearance of flooded forest have shrunk its habitat, a conservationist group warned Monday.
	Do fish survive in streams in winter? Most stream-resident fish stay throughout winter despite the ice. This has been shown by Christine Weber, previous researcher at Umeå University, by tagging trout and sculpins with transponders to follow fish migration. Fish's general state of health is the single most important factor for surviving winter. The findings have been published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
	How vibrio cholera is attracted by bile revealed A group of researchers from Osaka University, Hosei University, and Nagoya University have revealed the molecular mechanism that Vibrio cholerae, the etiological agent of cholera, is attracted by bile. This group has also successfully detected the ligand binding to the bacteria chemoreceptor in vivo for the first time. These results may significantly advance research on mechanism and control of V. cholerae.
	Threatened orchid locations top secret for survival The future of four stunning but highly threatened orchid species in WA's wheatbelt region is now more secure thanks to a special collaboration between community volunteers and a dedicated scientist.
	There be dragons? Creatures you might find on a real journey to the centre of the Earth Who knows what wonders may lie beneath our feet. Herds of prehistoric creatures in deep subterranean caverns were described in Jules Verne's novel Journey to The Centre of The Earth. And when 17th century scientists discovered the first troglobite – a creature that lives permanently in a cave – they initially thought it was the offspring of a dragon.
	UK researchers one step closer to understanding regeneration in mammals A long-standing question in biology is why humans have poor regenerative ability compared to other vertebrates? While tissue injury normally causes us to produce scar tissue, why can't we regenerate an entire digit or piece of skin? A group of University of Kentucky researchers is one step closer to answering these questions after studying a unique mammal, and its ears.
Do bed bugs have favorite colors? Researchers from the University of Florida and Union College in Lincoln, NE wondered whether bed bugs preferred certain colors for their hiding places, so they did some testing in the lab. The tests consisted of using small tent-like harborages that were made from colored cardstock and placed in Petri dishes. A bed bug was then placed in the middle of the Petri dish and given ten minutes to choose one of the colored harborages. A few variations of the test were also conducted, such as testing bed bugs in different life stages, of different sexes, individual bugs versus groups of bugs, and fed bugs versus hungry bugs.
	Live-bearing anemone undergoes major shifts in nutrition as young develop The offspring of a brooding sea anemone transition from using egg yolks to pre-natal, then post-natal, parental feeding during their development, according to a study published April 22, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Annie Mercier from Memorial University, Canada, and colleagues.
	Tracing the ancestry of dung beetles One of the largest and most important groups of dung beetles in the world evolved from a single common ancestor and relationships among the various lineages are now known, according to new research by an entomologist from Western Kentucky University.
	Scientists advance disease resistance in three of world's most important crops Today's advanced online publication of the journal Nature Biotechnology carries three important papers on crop disease resistance. They report the isolation of novel disease resistance genes and the successful transfer of resistance into wheat, soybean, and potato. The 2Blades Foundation supported the development of these efforts as part of the organization's mission to discover, advance, and deliver genetic improvements in crop disease resistance.
	Can mountain-climbing bears rescue cherry trees from global warming? As the planet warms, one way for plants and animals to find their way to cooler territory is to move up higher into the mountains. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on April 25 have found that cherry trees are indeed making their way to the mountaintops with help from an unexpected source: mountain-climbing bears.
Changes in 'microbiome' during canine atopic dermatitis could lead to antibiotic-free therapies Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin condition and the most common form of eczema, is estimated to afflict as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population, and is much more common now than it was 50 years ago. Veterinary clinical estimates also show that approximately 10 percent of dogs have atopic dermatitis. How AD arises isn't yet fully understood, but a new study from researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine, have uncovered important insights about the association of AD in dogs compared to humans. The study appears online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
	Ties to Alaska's wild plants: Ethnobotany film series connects plants with traditional uses A new series of films produced by ethnographic filmmaker Sarah Betcher explores traditional Alaskan indigenous uses of wild plants for food, medicine and construction materials.
	Low mortality of Dutch honeybee colonies this winter Last winter saw the lowest winter mortality of bee colonies for many years. While the loss rate was still around 20% in 2011, it fell below 10% over the last two years and this year was just 6.5%. Winter mortality in the Netherlands is measured by a honeybee surveillance programme conducted by Naturalis and Wageningen UR in partnership with the Dutch Beekeepers Association (NBV).
	Surprising findings from research on saiga die-off Last year, approximately 200,000 saiga antelopes died very suddenly across central Kazakhstan without obvious cause.
	Gorilla gives birth unexpectedly at Prague zoo It was an unexpected birth that took everyone at the Prague zoo by surprise.
	Critically endangered and ancient Himalayan wolf needs global conservation attention Although the Himalayan wolf is visibly distinct from its European cousin, its current distribution has mostly been a matter of assumption, rather than evident truth. The most ancient wolf lineage, known to science, has been listed as Critically Endangered in the National Red List.
A predator fish in California has lost its White House support A still-controversial 1992 law intended to boost California's striped-bass population can be scaled back, the Obama administration now believes.
Role of life's timekeeper—a novel theory of animal evolution This article presents a new theory of animal (metazoan) evolution, suggesting that it was partly mediated through a biochemical oscillator (cycler), named Life's Timekeeper, present in all animal cells. The cycler controls cell maintenance and repair, thereby determining how long cells survive (longevity). It originated in the single-celled ancestor of all animals, which had very short cell longevity. Animal evolution progressed by extending cell longevity, and this was mediated by extended cycle time of the oscillator. Multi-celled animals and cell-cell communication systems evolved later. The cycler controls the overall rate of development and aging, these time periods being proportionate to maximum cell longevity. Simple animals have cell rejuvenating abilities hence are potentially long lived, whereas complex animals lost such ability and have limited lifespan determined by the maximum potential longevity of their cells.
Feds won't designate critical habitat for threatened bat The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided against designating any caves, mines or forests as critical habitat for the northern long-eared bat, the agency said Monday.

Medicine & Health news

	Smoking cessation medications do not appear to increase risk of neuropsychiatric side effects, study finds The smoking cessation medications varenicline and bupropion do not appear to increase the incidence of serious neuropsychiatric side effects compared to placebo, according to a study published in The Lancet today.
	Scientists solve immune system mystery for Type 1 diabetes Scientists have solved a decades-old medical mystery by finally identifying a previously unknown molecule which is attacked by the immune system in people with Type 1 diabetes.
	20 year-old puzzle solved through genetic advances Researchers from the University of Liverpool have identified a specific gene that plays a key role in an inherited eye disorder.
	New understanding of key enzymes could help to develop new drugs to treat diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's New knowledge about the mechanism of specific protein complexes in the body could help in the development of better drugs for the treatment of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's, according to research led by the University of Leicester.
Chronic inflammation leads to imbalanced blood system and potentially cancer risk A study published today in the journal Nature Cell Biology shows that chronic exposure to an inflammatory "emergency" signal, interleukin-1, causes blood-forming bone marrow stem cells to produce cells needed to fight infection and repair injury, but at the expense of their own ability to self-renew and maintain a healthy blood system. This results in overproduction of aggressive immune cells capable of severely damaging tissues. Elevated interleukin-1 (IL-1) accompanies the chronic inflammation associated with human conditions including obesity, diabetes and autoimmune disorders. The imbalance of blood system cell types can result in inefficient oxygen delivery, immunodeficiency, and could predispose the development of cancer.
	Key mechanism identified in brain tumor growth A gene known as OSMR plays a key role in driving the growth of glioblastoma tumors, according to a new study led by a McGill University researcher and published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
	Dopamine neurons have a role in movement, new study finds Princeton University researchers have found that dopamine - a brain chemical involved in learning, motivation and many other functions - also has a direct role in representing or encoding movement. The finding could help researchers better understand dopamine's role in movement-related disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
	Brain signals between seizures may explain memory problems in patients with epilepsy Between seizures and continually, brain cells in epileptic patients send signals that make "empty memories," perhaps explaining the learning problems faced by up to 40 percent of patients. This is the finding of a study in rats and humans led by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and published April 25 in Nature Medicine.
	Research identifies compound that reverses symptoms of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's A five-year study by an international team led from the University of Leicester has found a way of 'reversing' symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's - using fruit flies as test subjects.
Pre-surgical exposure to blue light reduces organ damage in mice A 24-hour exposure to bright blue light before surgery reduces inflammation and organ damage at the cellular level in a mouse model, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
	Change in the brain: Astrocytes finally getting the recognition they deserve Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI) in Japan have demonstrated that astrocytes help control the strength of connections between neurons. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study used cultured cells and brain slices to show that astrocytes in the hippocampus regulate changes in the brain brought on by neural activity.
	Music improves baby brain responses to music and speech Rock your baby in sync with music and you may wonder how the experience affects her and her developing brain.
	The female pelvis adjusts for childbearing years Mother Nature has the answer: With the onset of puberty, the female pelvis expands; with the onset of menopause, it contracts again. In contrast, the male pelvis remains on the same developmental trajectory throughout a lifetime. The striking results of a study by the University of Zurich suggest that the morphology of the female pelvis is influenced by hormonal changes in puberty and during menopause.
A rational drug engineering approach could breathe new life into drug development A new strategy for engineering protein fusions—to make specific cell-targeted drugs without side effects—could enable a safer, more potent class of protein drugs. A team at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering designed a better variant of the widely-used drug erythropoietin (EPO), showing how rational design can improve in vivo efficacy and safety of protein therapeutics, reduce potential side effects, and also accelerate new drug development. The findings were published online April 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.
	Why is visceral fat worse than subcutaneous fat? Researchers have long-known that visceral fat - the kind that wraps around the internal organs - is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin around the belly, thighs and rear. But how visceral fat contributes to insulin resistance and inflammation has remained unknown.
	Nurturing during preschool years boosts child's brain growth Children whose mothers were nurturing during the preschool years, as opposed to later in childhood, have more robust growth in brain structures associated with learning, memory and stress response than children with less supportive moms, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
	Scientists uncover how a cell's 'fuel gauge' promotes healthy development Salk scientists have revealed how a cellular "fuel gauge" responsible for monitoring and managing cells' energy processes also has an unexpected role in development. This critical link could help researchers better understand cancer and diabetes pathways.
Nearly 72,000 cases of Zika in Colombia since October Nearly 72,000 cases of Zika have been reported in Colombia since October, with almost 13,000 occurring in pregnant women, although the country is going through a decline in outbreaks, health authorities said Saturday.
Disease experts to compare Zika notes in Paris Some 600 disease experts from 43 nations will gather in Paris on Monday to pore over scant but increasingly worrisome data emerging about the Zika virus sweeping Latin America and threatening the world.
	Top tobacco control experts to FDA: Studies of e-cigs suggest more benefit than harm Seven top international tobacco control experts are prompting regulators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have a broad "open-minded" perspective when it comes to regulating vaporized nicotine products, especially e-cigarettes.
	'Mediterranean' diet linked to lower risk of heart attacks and strokes in heart patients A "Mediterranean" diet, high in fruit, vegetables, fish and unrefined foods, is linked to a lower risk of heart attack and stroke in people who already have heart disease, according to a study of over 15,000 people in 39 countries around the world. The research also showed that eating greater amounts of healthy food was more important for these people than avoiding unhealthy foods, such as refined grains, sweets, desserts, sugared drinks and deep-fried food - a "Western" diet.
	New study finds laundry detergent packets more dangerous than other types of detergent A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Central Ohio Poison Center found that exposure to laundry detergent packets is more dangerous to young children than exposure to other types of laundry and dishwasher detergent.
	Six African nations could be malaria-free by 2020: WHO Six countries in Africa, the continent where malaria is most widespread, could be free of the disease by 2020, according to a WHO report published Monday to mark World Malaria Day.
	WHO warns of risk of 'marked increase' in Zika cases (Update) The UN's health agency warned Monday of the potential for a "marked increase" in Zika infections, and the spread of the virus to new parts of the world, even as the outbreak declines in Brazil.
Successful treatment for hepatitis C reduces risk of liver cancer later in veterans A new study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that treatment and cure of chronic hepatitis C reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially if given early, before cirrhosis develops, and while patients are still young. The report appears in the journal Hepatology.
	Increased saturated fat in diet linked to aggressive prostate cancer Eating a diet higher in saturated fat, a type of fat found commonly in foods such as fatty beef and cheese, was linked to more aggressive prostate cancer, a study by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and collaborators has found. The preliminary results were presented Monday, April 18, at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
	Opinion: There's no such thing as a natural-born gambler The fight to recruit online gamblers in the UK is at fever pitch. If you googled "play live blackjack" in March, it cost an advertiser £148.51 to be the first ad that came up. In fact, 77 of March's top 100 most expensive keywords were about gambling. With this relentless clamour to grab attention, you might think gambling was hardwired into human nature; that we were doomed to cave in to the enticements of bookmakers and casinos.
	Cannabis use increases risk of premature death Heavy cannabis use at a young age increases the risk of early death, according to the longest follow-up study to date on cannabis use. The new study, which was done by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, is published in the American Journal of Psychology.
Doping's lingering effects – and not just among aging athletes Decades after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and the 1990s media exposé of East German abuses – systematically administered performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to Olympics-bound top-level athletes, without the athletes' knowledge or consent – drug traces have long since cleared from the blood.
	Identifying drug targets for leukaemia Researchers from Hong Kong and the U.S. have developed a new statistical and mapping method that could help identify drug targets for treating leukaemia.
Research opens new treatment strategies for specific form of psoriasis Psoriasis is a long-lasting autoimmune disease that is characterized by patches of abnormal and inflamed skin. It is generally thought to have a genetic origin, which can be further triggered by environmental factors. People with specific mutations in the CARD14 gene have a high probability of developing psoriasis. A VIB/UGent research team now reveals the molecular signaling mechanism by which mutations in CARD14 lead to increased inflammation in patients with psoriasis. The results are published in the prestigious journal EMBO Reports.
	Study finds shared network of genes in COPD and pulmonary fibrosis Research on chronic lung diseases has primarily focused on studying conditions, such as emphysema or lung fibrosis, in isolation. In a new study, Yale scientists identified a common genetic network for two chronic lung diseases that could inform both future research and drug development.
	Implants can help deaf people hear again Cochlear implants should be an alternative for patients with long-term deafness as well. This was found in a new study at Uppsala University. Previously, patients with an extended deafness duration were thought to derive limited benefit from cochlear implants.
	New test for early detection of Lyme disease As part of the EU "ID Lyme" project, the infection immunology working group at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology at the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology at the Medical University of Vienna is working on developing of a new test for early detection of Lyme disease (borreliosis). This will  improve the ability to detect an active infection more easily than before so that healthy people with Lyme disease antibodies in their blood do not receive unnecessary antibiotic treatment and so that appropriate treatments can be initiated at an early stage. The antibody tests that are currently available only provide a reliable result 3 – 4 weeks after infection has occurred.
Intensive care delusions hamper recovery People admitted to intensive care have experienced feelings of being trapped in metal tubes, alien abduction, and having a gun to their head, amongst other things. While none of this really happened, for patients struggling with hospital-acquired delirium they seemed all too real.
	How lessons from history could reduce the 'immunisation gap' A rise in the number of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases has highlighted the growing trend for parents not to have their child vaccinated. Could the activities of a group of teenagers in 1950s America inspire a fresh look at the effectiveness of pro-vaccine public health information campaigns?
	Could a combined dietary supplement help ward off heart disease? Combining marine fish oil, cocoa extract and phytosterols into a dietary supplement could offer new hope in the fight against heart disease, a new study suggests.
	Over the counter advice to benefit older drinkers Local GPs, pharmacists and other health professionals are being urged to discuss how much alcohol older people should drink, as they are more physiologically at-risk of the effects of drinking.
Infection alert in catheters could tackle hospital superbugs A new infection alert system in catheters could prevent serious infections in millions of hospital patients worldwide. The system, detailed in a new paper in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, changes the color of the urine so patients and carers can see easily if bacteria are starting to block the catheter.
Hearing aid use is associated with improved cognitive function in hearing-impaired elderly A study conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that older adults who used a hearing aid performed significantly better on cognitive tests than those who did not use a hearing aid, despite having poorer hearing. The study was published online in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Responsible pet care associated with well-controlled blood sugar in diabetic children In a sample of young people with type I diabetes, those who actively helped care for family pets were 2.5 times more likely to have well-controlled blood sugar levels, according to a study published April 22, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Louise Maranda from University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA, and colleagues.
	Pre-pregnancy obesity increases odds of having overweight children A new Kaiser Permanente study, published in Pediatric Obesity, found that pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of the child becoming overweight at age 2. The study also found breastfeeding for at least six months helped reduce the likelihood of a child being overweight at age 2.
Stark Medicare Advantage disparities present in Puerto Rico As Puerto Rico suffers through an ongoing financial crisis and recent credit default, and its Medicare Advantage (MA) plans receive 40% lower payment rates than those in the mainland U.S., a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine reports substantial disparities in health care quality experienced by Hispanic Puerto Rican residents in MA plans.
	Effort to detect, isolate asymptomatic C. difficile carriers linked to lower incidence An intervention at a Canadian acute care facility to screen and isolate asymptomatic Clostridium difficile carriers was associated with decreased incidence of health-care associated C. difficile infection, a finding that needs to be confirmed in additional studies, according to a new study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Infants who ate rice, rice products had higher urinary concentrations of arsenic Although rice and rice products are typical first foods for infants, a new study found that infants who ate rice and rice products had higher urinary arsenic concentrations than those who did not consume any type of rice, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
For some cancers, risk lower among kids of non-US-born Hispanic mothers The children of Hispanic mothers not born in the United States appeared to have a lower risk for some types of childhood cancers, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
	Meaning of brain scans for 'pain' called into question Patterns of brain activity thought to show pain responses have been called into question after researchers from UCL and the University of Reading saw such patterns in rare patients born without a sense of pain.
	Providing guidance on criteria for endocrine disruptor legislation in Europe A group of seven independent researchers from universities and research institutions from Europe and the United States, including Thomas Zoeller, professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, believe they have paved the way to end a nearly three-year-long stalemate over legal requirements by the European Commission to provide criteria identifying endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and put to rest claims of a lack of consensus on the issue among scientists.
	Videogame addiction linked to ADHD Young and single men are at risk of being addicted to video games. The addiction indicates an escape from ADHD and psychiatric disorder.
Changing climate conditions in Michigan pose an emerging public health threat Changing climate conditions—including warmer temperatures and an increased frequency of heavy rainstorms—represent "an emerging threat to public health in Michigan," according to a new report from university researchers and state health officials.
Study finds online HIV prevention resources face resistance from black female college students New research from North Carolina State University and Pennsylvania State University finds that black female college students were often unlikely to use online resources related to HIV prevention, due to the stigma associated with the disease and concerns that their social network would learn they were accessing HIV-related materials.
	Patient attitudes to diabetic foot ulcers have 'significant effect' on survival New research by health psychologists has shown that the beliefs and expectations of people with diabetic foot ulcers about their illness have a significant independent effect on their survival.
	Study shows attitude makes a champion On the path to greatness, why do some become champions while others fall short? Coaches, parents, and aspiring athletes have all sought to answer this question. In their search for the optimal path to greatness, some believe that the path should be smoothed of all obstacles, while others say that such challenges are instrumental to talent development. Now, a recent study suggests that what really distinguishes champions is how they face and overcome such obstacles.
	Are money problems and violence related? Researchers at the University of Iowa have found an association between financial stress and severe domestic abuse, which is an important step in the effort to develop effective interventions. Their findings don't prove that one leads to the other, but they do affirm the complexity of domestic violence.
	Vitamin D insufficiency, low rate of DNA methylation in black teens may increase disease risk Low levels of vitamin D in black teens correlates with low activity of a major mechanism for controlling gene expression that may increase their risk of cancer and other disease, researchers report.
	Risks of harm from spanking confirmed by analysis of five decades of research The more children are spanked, the more likely they are to defy their parents and to experience increased anti-social behavior, aggression, mental health problems and cognitive difficulties, according to a new meta-analysis of 50 years of research on spanking by experts at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan.
Common steroid shows promise in healing damaged newborn lungs Research from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago conducted in mice shows the drug hydrocortisone—a steroid commonly used to treat a variety of inflammatory and allergic conditions—can also prevent lung damage that often develops in premature babies treated with oxygen.
Microbial cooperation in the intestine The human intestine is home to a dense and diverse ecosystem of microbes, but little is known about how the abundant bacteria in our gut interact with each other. In a new study published in Nature this week, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) investigators, in collaboration with colleagues at Boston Children's Hospital, report on a rare example of cooperation between different species of bacteria.
Birth defects, pregnancy terminations and miscarriages in users of acne drug Canada's program that aims to prevent pregnancy in women who use the powerful acne drug isotretinoin (Accutane) is not effective, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Expand HPV vaccination programs in Canada to include males Expanding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs to include males in Canada will help protect them against HPV-related cancers, according to an analysis published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Even low levels of air pollution appear to affect children's lung health According to new research led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) pulmonologist and critical care physician Mary B. Rice, MD, MPH, improved air quality in U.S. cities since the 1990s may not be enough to ensure normal lung function in children. The findings were recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, a journal of the American Thoracic Society.
	Focus on healthy foods, not avoiding 'Bad' ones, for heart health: study (HealthDay)—Emphasizing healthy foods in your diet, not just banishing "bad" foods, may be the key to avoiding heart attack and stroke, a new study suggests.
	Temporarily turning blue sometimes normal for babies, doctors say (HealthDay)—It's a heart-stopping moment experienced by many parents—they discover their baby has turned blue, is breathing irregularly, or won't respond to a gentle wake-up nudge. Yet, mere seconds later the infant is back to normal.
	E-cigarette ads may help lure teens to the habit: study (HealthDay)—The more ads for electronic cigarettes middle and high school students see, the more likely they are to use these devices, a new study finds.
	Homocysteine tied to Alzheimer's via A-beta-fibrinogen interaction (HealthDay)—Plasma homocysteine (HC) and its metabolite homocysteine thiolactone (HCTL) contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology via the amyloid-β (Aβ)-fibrinogen interaction, according to a study published online April 19 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
	Alkali eye injuries secondary to airbag deployment reported (HealthDay)—In a report published online April 15 in Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, two cases are presented of alkali eye injuries secondary to airbag deployment.
	Rapid-onset diabetes described with anti-PD-1 treatment (HealthDay)—In a case report published online April 11 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation, researchers document rapid-onset insulin-dependent diabetes in an Asian patient undergoing treatment with anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) therapy.
	Poor persistence/Adherence with long-term topical AK treatment (HealthDay)—A considerable proportion of patients with actinic keratosis (AK) receiving long-term topical treatment have poor persistence or adherence, according to a study published online April 18 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
	Positive midface rejuvenation with mesh suspension thread (HealthDay)—Midface rejuvenation using novel modified mesh suspension thread produces positive aesthetic results and minimal complications, according to a small study published online April 18 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
	Continued aspirin treatment safe with partial nephrectomy (HealthDay)—Continuing aspirin for chronic antiplatelet therapy is safe in patients undergoing laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
New details on death caused by measles infection The first person to die from a measles infection in the U.S. in a dozen years was a 28-year-old former dental hygienist and college student who suffered from a rare inflammatory muscle disease.
Experts launch largest-ever autism research study in US Autism experts at the University of Washington are bracing for a flood of interest starting Thursday as they help launch the nation's largest-ever autism research study, which will seek DNA and other information from 50,000 U.S. families.
Increased odds of ADHD for kids with some types of vision problems Children with vision problems not correctable with glasses or contact lenses may be twice as likely to have a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggests a study in the May issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.
	GI problems in autism may originate in genes, study suggests Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have found evidence in mice that, for some types of autism, gastrointestinal difficulties may originate from the same genetic changes that lead to the behavioral and social characteristics of the condition. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
	Relapses of childhood leukemia improve with high doses of common chemo drug With a cure rate approaching 90 percent, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) - the most common type of childhood cancer - is often hailed as one of the "success stories" of modern cancer treatment. But up to 20 percent of patients with a high risk of relapse are not cured. That could change with the results from a clinical trial co-led by investigators from NYU Langone Medical Center, which shows giving high doses of a commonly-used chemotherapy drug increases the survival rate for these patients.
	Gut feeling: New research examines link between stomach bacteria, PTSD Could bacteria in your gut be used to cure or prevent neurological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or even depression? Two researchers sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) think that's a strong possibility.
Head impacts from season of high school football produce measurable change in brain cells Repeated impacts to the heads of high school football players cause measurable changes in their brains, even when no concussion occurs, according to research from UT Southwestern Medical Center's Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Bottled water infects over 4,000 people in Spain with norovirus More than 4,000 people fell ill with norovirus in northeastern Spain after drinking bottled spring water contaminated with human faecal matter, local health officials said Monday.
	Medical literature may overemphasize role of hospital volume in patient outcomes Current medical research and literature may be overemphasizing the role that hospital volume plays in patient outcomes, according to a study by researchers at Rice University.
	What scientists know—and don't know—about sexual orientation Over the last 50 years, political rights for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals have significantly broadened in some countries, while they have narrowed in others. In many parts of the world, political and popular support for LGB rights hinges on questions about the prevalence, causes, and consequences of non-heterosexual orientations.
Study finds no change in antibody levels associated with food allergy A new study using 5,000 stored blood samples found no increase in the presence of food-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE)—a blood marker associated with food allergy—in children's blood between the 1980s and the 2000s.
	Risk factors identified for acute pancreatitis that can disrupt leukemia treatment Researchers have identified a rare genetic variation associated with a dramatically increased risk of severe acute pancreatitis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients treated with the chemotherapy agent asparaginase. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital led the study, which appears today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Medicare patients have low adherence to biologic drug therapy for psoriasis About half of Medicare patients who start taking biologic therapies for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis stop within a year, according to a new study led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
	How many children were vaccinated in 2015? More and more children in Norway are being vaccinated and now the vast majority of children and adolescents have taken the vaccines recommended in the Childhood Immunisation Programme. This comes from the national vaccination coverage statistics for 2015.
	A participatory research project tackling Alzheimer's disease Earlier this year, we introduced you to WeCureALZ – a groundbreaking new project that for the first time is set to use the power of citizen science to conduct Alzheimer's research. Enabled by the support of the BrightFocus Foundation, the team is already preparing for the alpha testing of our first online activity – a game that will allow everyone to search for stalled capillaries in the brains of Alzheimer's-affected mice.
	It's past time for a more holistic response to malaria Since the early 2000s the world has seen considerable success in the fight against malaria, with a significant decrease in overall numbers of cases and deaths. But this success is uneven: there are still contexts where the toll of malaria is worsening and seasonal spikes in patient numbers are getting higher. Teams at projects run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) saw particularly high peaks in 2012, 2014 and 2015—largely in the most difficult-to-reach areas of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan, but also in countries like Uganda and Mali, which have stronger health systems.
	Physical therapy treatment proves to notably improve quality of life of COPD patients The treatment, designed by scientists at the University of Granada and Virgen de las Nieves Hospital in Granada, allows for cost savings to the health system as it reduces the need for patients to stay in hospital.
	Videogames against malaria Shoot bubbles while helping research against malaria? It is possible with MalariaSpot Bubbles, an online game that launches today, April 25, World Malaria Day. Players analyze digitalized images of parasites to differentiate between the five species that cause malaria. They do it while having fun shooting at mosquitoes and bubbles. It is an application to learning through play and to contribute to the research of new diagnosis methods. MalariaSpot Bubbles has been developed by researchers of the Biomedical Imaging Technologies Group at the Technical University of Madrid - International Excellence Campus Moncloa.
	From fiction to gallows humour – how Chernobyl survivors are coping with trauma It's been exactly 30 years since the world's worst nuclear disaster occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in Ukraine. Yet the trauma is still fresh. Exactly how the survivors handle this trauma has been the subject of a lot of psychological research – and it has identified a range of sometimes surprising defence mechanisms.
New database for sharing MS clinical trial data A new database containing nearly 2500 patient records from the placebo arms of nine multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trials is now available for research by qualified investigators. This is just one of the tools generated through the Multiple Sclerosis Outcome Assessments Consortium (MSOAC), a global effort launched by the National MS Society and Critical Path Institute (C-Path). MSOAC is striving to develop an outcomes measure that addresses the critical need for a more sensitive way to detect the benefit of potential treatments that slow or reverse progressive disability in people with MS.
Atrophosclerodermic manifestations of lyme borreliosis This review summarizes the literature on scleratrophic skin lesions as a manifestation of a Borrelia infection. An association of morphea with Lyme borreliosis LB was mainly reported from Middle-European Countries, Japan and South America.
Valeant names new chief executive Embattled Canadian pharmaceutical company Valeant named as its new chief executive and chairman on Monday Joseph Papa, who has left his post leading Perrigo, a maker of over-the-counter medical products.
National clinical database to help reduce number of miscarriages A new national database could help relieve the misery of miscarriage for thousands of women.
HIV PrEP currently too pricey to justify use in people who inject drugs HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has individual and population health benefits, but the intervention is currently too expensive to implement in in people who inject drugs. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
	First-degree relative grafts don't up liver disease recurrence (HealthDay)—In liver transplantation (LT), patients who receive living donor grafts from first-degree relatives due to autoimmune liver diseases are not prone to increased disease recurrence, compared to those who receive grafts from distant/unrelated donors and deceased donors, according to a study published online April 18 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
Court: Law doesn't bar suits against cigarette manufacturers Cigarette manufacturers aren't immune to lawsuits by smokers who get sick, the state's highest court ruled Monday in a decision that bolsters the case of a smoker who was stricken with laryngeal cancer and won a $28 million judgment against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Transplanted liver cells protect against liver failure after massive hepatectomy surgery Liver failure often occurs after an extensive hepatectomy, which is the surgical resection of the liver. While liver cell transplantation is a useful therapy for acute liver failure after massive hepatectomy, when cells are transplanted through liver portal veins raises the risk of embolization, such as the formation and movement of a blood clot, often with fatal consequences.
Probiotics protect mice from estrogen deficiency-related bone loss After menopause, a decline in estrogen levels is linked to increases in inflammation that can cause osteoporosis. Intestinal bacteria have been shown to influence inflammation by modulating immune responses, and a new study suggests that differences in gut microbial populations may determine the extent of post-menopausal bone loss.
Feds issue new standards for Medicaid insurance plans The Obama administration Monday set new standards for Medicaid private insurance plans, which in recent years have become the main source of coverage for low-income people.

Other Sciences news

	Best of Last Week – New state of water, solar plane crosses Pacific and OTC medicine found to cause cognitive problems (ScienceX)—It was another good week for physics as a team at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced that a new state of water molecule was discovered. The new tunneling state was found to exist under extreme confinement and notably was not a sold, liquid or gas. A team at the University of Utah demonstrated the Inverse spin Hall effect: A new way to get electricity from magnetism—they changed magnetic "spin current" into electric current, possibly paving the way for use in electronic devices. And a team with members from Spain, France and Egypt demonstrated hydrogen atoms on graphene yielded a magnetic moment—offering a new and better way to give graphene magnetic properties.
	Study shows dinosaur families chose to exit Europe Researchers have used 'network theory' for the first time to visually depict the movement of dinosaurs around the world during the Mesozoic Era - including a curious exodus from Europe.
	First performance in 1,000 years: 'Lost' songs from the Middle Ages are brought back to life An ancient song repertory has been heard for the first time in 1,000 years after being 'reconstructed' by a Cambridge researcher and a world-class performer of medieval music.
	How history can help us solve global economic issues As MIT works to advance solutions for global challenges in the realms of innovation, education, planetary environment, and human health, MIT's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) has tapped key scholars and researchers to provide insight into meeting these challenges from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives.
	Accounting for politics in green energy transitions Politics plays a hand in how, and whether, a nation transitions to renewable energy. But despite the significant effects of policy on technological progress, few growth projections for renewables take political dynamics into account.
	How scientists are addressing the 'reproducibility problem' Recently a friend of mine on Facebook posted a link whose headline quoted a scientist saying "Most cancer research is largely a fraud." The quote is both out of context and many decades old. But its appearance still makes a strong point: the general public has a growing distrust of science and research.
	Fighting against counterfeit medicine Around the world, especially in developing nations, counterfeit medicines are a real problem. Until now, in many countries there hasn't been a standard protocol to conduct investigations and pursue prosecution.
	If your favorite brand is sincere, is innovation what you expect? Open the box of that new smartphone. Oops, it feels differently from expectations based on what you'd seen. Embrace it or be disappointed? Your reaction is likely tied to your perception of the brand, says Aparna Sundar of the University of Oregon.
	Mammal-like reptile survived much longer than thought Teeth can reveal a lot, such as how the earliest mammals lived with their neighbors. Researchers have uncovered dozens of fossilized teeth in Kuwajima, Japan and identified this as a new species of tritylodontid, an animal family that links the evolution of mammals from reptiles. This finding suggests that tritylodontids co-existed with some of the earliest mammal species for millions of years, overturning beliefs that mammals wiped out mammal-like reptiles soon after they emerged.
Framing discourse around conservative values shifts climate change attitudes Conservatives' attitudes toward climate change and other environmental concerns shift when the issues are reframed in terms more closely aligned with their values, a new study from Oregon State University indicates.
Do successful leaders produce more successful leaders? "Black Monday" has become as much a part of the National Football League season as Draft Day. The Monday after the last game of the season is marked by the firing of a number of head coaches and the start of a frenetic search for new ones. Many NFL teams searching for a coach rely on "coaching trees" and turn to assistants of highly successful head coaches.
	Children still face barriers in accessing music education Music education is still not easily accessible for all children due to a number of barriers including parental concerns about career prospects and time pressures on the curriculum, according to new research from the UCL Institute of Education (IOE).
	How game theory can lead to energy efficient solutions EU researchers have applied game theory in order to develop new ways of efficiently controlling complex systems such as heating and power.
Attending US charter schools may lead to higher earnings in the future A new study suggests that charter school students are more likely to do well at college and earn significantly more than their counterparts at other schools.

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