Phys.org Newsletter Monday, Sep 17

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 17, 2012:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Memory vs. Math: Same brain areas show inverse responses to recall and arithmetic
- Physicists experimentally demonstrate one-way quantum steering
- Blue Brain Project accurately predicts connections between neurons
- Dry-run experiments verify key aspect of Sandia nuclear fusion concept
- Breast cancer risk linked to early-life diet and metabolic syndrome
- Novel microscopy technique tracks motion of thousands of cells at a time
- New voice verification technology prevents impersonators from obtaining voiceprints
- Toxic protein build-up in blood shines light on Huntington's disease
- Spacetime ripples from dying black holes could help reveal how they formed
- World's most powerful digital camera opens eye, records first images in hunt for dark energy
- Your body doesn't lie: People ignore political ads of candidates they oppose
- Rapid urban expansion threatens biodiversity: study
- Toshiba plans rollout of entire-home battery system
- Songbirds shed light on brain circuits and learning
- Low-power optical nanotweezers may benefit cellular-level studies

Space & Earth news

NASA selects advanced robotics projects for development
(Phys.org)—NASA has selected eight advanced robotics projects that will enable the agency's future missions while supporting the Obama administration's National Robotics Initiative.

Boeing completes first milestone for NASA's commercial crew initiative
(Phys.org)—The Boeing Company completed its first performance milestone Aug. 23 for NASA's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of human spaceflight transportation services for government and commercial customers.

Studies of Desoto canyon and shelf in Gulf of Mexico uncover upwelling during Hurricane Isaac
As Hurricane Isaac barreled toward New Orleans, a team led by University of Miami (UM) Professor and Deep-C (Deep Sea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico) Co-Principal Investigator Nick Shay was planning NOAA's P-3 aircraft missions to fly into the storm. Dr. Benjamin Jaimes and UM graduate students Jodi Brewster and Ryan Shuster prepared and loaded 39 profilers into the plane. Their goal: to drop these profilers into the storm at optimum locations where they could collect measurements of ocean heat content, salinity and currents during the hurricane.

Effectiveness and impact of climate change mitigation measures unclear
Strict targets for mitigating climate change require effective climate policy and emission reduction measures. In his thesis, Sampo Soimakallio, Senior Scientist at VTT, analyses uncertainties relating to the effects of greenhouse gas reduction methods and policy measures by examining biofuel production and network electricity consumption, as well as the differentiation of emission reduction commitments among nations and groups of nations.

Rapid intensification of global struggle for land
The earth's limited surface is expected to stretch to everything: food for soon to be nine billion people, feed for our beef cattle and fowl, fuel for our cars, forests for our paper, cotton for our clothes. What is more, the earth's forests are preferably to be left untouched to stabilise the climate. Human ecologist and economist Kenneth Hermele will shortly be defending a thesis at Lund University, Sweden, in which he demonstrates that the struggle for land is intensifying rapidly.

Berkeley Lab sensors enable first light for the dark energy camera
Early in the morning of September 12 the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the Victor Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, recorded its first images of a southern sky spangled with galaxies. Galaxies up to eight billion light years away were captured on DECam's focal plane, whose imager consists of 62 charge-coupled devices (CCDs) invented and developed by engineers and physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

Brazil to begin rebuilding its burned Antarctic base
Three navy supply ships will head for Antarctica next month to begin rebuilding a Brazilian naval base destroyed by a deadly fire in February, Defense Minister Celso Amorim said Monday.

Weather woes delay space shuttle Endeavour's transfer
Bad weather is delaying the transfer of the shuttle Endeavour from Florida to California where it will be put on show, the US space agency said.

Woman takes command of ISS after crew return
A woman took command of the International Space Station for only the second time Monday as three of her US and Russian colleagues made a safe return from the orbiting space lab to the Kazakh steppe.

Guatemalan volcano erupting: NASA provides a satellite view
One of Central American's most active volcanos erupted on September 13th, 2012 prompting officials to evacuate 35,000 residents in Guatemala. The Volcan de Fuego, or Fire Volcano, began belching out ash at 10 a.m. local time with ash now falling up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the volcano. Residents within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the volcano were being removed from the area in buses and cars.

Researchers to test alien soils for use in heat shield
(Phys.org)—An important test is coming up next week to see whether a heat shield made from the soil of the moon, Mars or an asteroid will stand up to the searing demands of a plunge through Earth's atmosphere.

Webb telescope uses powerful mirrors to detect distant light
(Phys.org)—The powerful primary mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to detect the light from distant galaxies. The manufacturer of those mirrors, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., recently celebrated their successful efforts as mirror segments were packed up in special shipping canisters (cans) for shipping to NASA.

India to launch Mars mission in 2013: official
India plans to launch a space probe that will orbit Mars in November 2013, a senior official from the country's space research establishment said on Monday.

Model used by US government underestimates costs of carbon pollution, climate change
The U.S. federal government is significantly underestimating the costs of carbon pollution because it is using a faulty analytical model, according to a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences.

Characterizing the surface composition of Mercury
The MESSENGER spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mercury since March 2011, has been revealing new information about the surface chemistry and geological history of the innermost planet in the solar system.

Record loss of Arctic ice may trigger extreme weather
Arctic sea ice is shrinking at a rate much faster than scientists ever predicted and its collapse, due to global warming, may well cause extreme weather this winter in North America and Europe, according to climate scientists.

Space shuttle Endeavour stuck at home in Florida
(AP)—Space shuttle Endeavour apparently doesn't want to leave home.

Russian rocket sends European weather satellite into orbit
The European meteorological satellite Metop-B was put into orbit Monday by a Russian Soyuz rocket launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the space agency Roskosmos said.

Shrinking snow depth on Arctic sea ice threatens ringed seal habitat
(Phys.org)—As sea ice in the Arctic continues to shrink during this century, more than two thirds of the area with sufficient snow cover for ringed seals to reproduce also will disappear, challenging their survival, scientists report in a new study.

NASA sees powerful Typhoon Sanba make landfall
Typhoon Sanba made landfall in southern South Korea on Monday, Sept. 17 and was moving northeast bringing heavy rainfall, and gusty winds along its path. Sanba downed trees, and caused power outages, canceled flights and canceled ferries. NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Sanba on Sept. 17 after it made landfall and observed the large extent of its cloud cover from South Korea to eastern Siberia.

NASA's Hurricane Mission explores Tropical Storm Nadine
NASA's Hurricane Severe Storms Sentinel (HS3) Mission is in full-swing and one of the unmanned Global Hawk aircraft investigate Tropical Storm Nadine on Sept. 14 and 15, while NASA satellites continued to obtain imagery of the storm as seen from space.

Russia boasts of huge diamond field
(AP)—Russian scientists are claiming that a gigantic deposit of industrial diamonds found in a huge Siberian meteorite crater during Soviet times could revolutionize industry.

NASA sees Eastern Pacific storms power up and down
While Tropical Storm Kristy faded into a remnant low pressure area, Lane strengthened into a hurricane. NASA's Terra satellite caught a look at both storms when it passed overhead on Sept. 16 and showed a much tighter circulation within Hurricane Lane than in weakening Tropical Storm Kristy.

US, Russian space trio lands in Kazakhstan
An international three-man crew onboard a Russian-made Soyuz capsule touched down successfully on the cloudless central Kazakhstan steppe Monday morning after 123 days at the International Space Station.

Study estimates rate of intensification of extreme tropical rainfall with global warming
Extreme precipitation in the tropics comes in many forms: thunderstorm complexes, flood-inducing monsoons and wide-sweeping cyclones like the recent Hurricane Isaac.

Glacial organic matter and carbon cycling
An international collaboration led by Tom Battin from the Department of Limnology of the University of Vienna unravels the role of Alpine glaciers for carbon cycling. The scientists uncover the unexpected biogeochemical complexity of dissolved organic matter locked in glaciers and study its fate for carbon cycling in glacier-fed streams. Their paper, now published in Nature Geoscience, expands current knowledge on the importance of the vanishing cryosphere for biogeochemistry.

Improved simulation methods help scientists bolster theories of Moon's formation
(Phys.org)—There are still unanswered questions regarding how the Moon was formed. Improved simulation methods and higher-performance supercomputers have now paved the way for an alternative development model that could close gaps in our knowledge. This model allows the researchers more scope in the basic assumptions they make.

Hubble sees an actively star-forming galaxy, NGC 7090
(Phys.org)—This image portrays a beautiful view of the galaxy NGC 7090, as seen by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The galaxy is viewed edge-on from the Earth, meaning we cannot easily see the spiral arms, which are full of young, hot stars.

Oceanic islands preferred thin crust
(Phys.org)—Debate over how and where oceanic island chains, like Hawaii, form, is at an end according to an academic from The Australian National University.

World's most powerful digital camera opens eye, records first images in hunt for dark energy
(Phys.org)—Eight billion years ago, rays of light from distant galaxies began their long journey to Earth. That ancient starlight has now found its way to a mountaintop in Chile, where the newly-constructed Dark Energy Camera, the most powerful sky-mapping machine ever created, has captured and recorded it for the first time.

Rapid urban expansion threatens biodiversity: study
A brief window of opportunity exists to shape the development of cities globally before a boom in infrastructure construction transforms urban land cover, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Technology news

Google blocks anti-Islam film in Malaysia
Google has begun barring access in Malaysia to an anti-Islamic film that has sparked fury across the Muslim world after the country's Internet regulator lodged an official complaint.

US expands Hyundai Elantra air bag probe
(AP)—U.S. safety regulators have added two model years to an investigation of an air bag problem with Hyundai Elantras that cut a car owner's ear in half.

Two Romanians plead guilty in US hacking case
Two Romanian nationals pleaded guilty Monday to charges stemming from a scheme to hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of US merchants, officials said.

Amazon's digital empire spreads offline
Amazon.com built its business for the digital age, but it's crossing over to the bricks-and-mortar world.

Groupon CEO Andrew Mason deals in growth, looking forward
In spring 2011, Groupon Inc. was said to be worth as much as $25 billion - an amazing valuation for a company that still isn't four years old.

Apple gets record 2 million iPhone 5 orders (Update 3)
Apple received more than two million orders for its new iPhone 5 in just 24 hours, the company said Monday, pushing back many deliveries into October because of unprecedented demand.

Powering the U.S. East Coast with offshore wind energy: A possibility?
(Phys.org)—A new analysis by Stanford researchers reveals that there is enough offshore wind along the U.S. East Coast to meet the electricity demands of at least one-third of the country.

Square raises $200 mn to expand mobile platform
Square, the tech startup which allows small businesses to take payments through smartphones, said Monday it has raised $200 million as it gears up for global expansion.

Federal judge delays Google case pending appeal
(AP)—A federal appeals judge in New York has agreed to delay a court challenge to Google Inc.'s plans to create the world's largest digital library while the court considers whether authors should receive class status.

Creator of Twitter sees blur of change
In creating Twitter, Jack Dorsey changed the world of communication. In founding the company Square, he is redefining mobile payments. Yet one of Silicon Valley's brightest stars says he believes the future is all about the past.

Civilian 'hacktivists' fighting terrorists online
Working from a beige house at the end of a dirt road, Jeff Bardin switches on a laptop, boots up a program that obscures his location, and pecks in a passkey to an Internet forum run by an Iraqi branch of al-Qaida.

Tablet sales to hit 126 million this year: survey
Global sales of tablet computers are expected to surge to 126.6 million in 2012, driven by the iPad and rivals with a smaller format, a market research firm said Monday.

Google buys smartphone photo app maker Nik
Google on Monday announced that it bought the company behind photo-sharing application Snapseed in a move evidently aimed at countering Facebook's acquisition of Instagram.

Zynga buys social game maker A Bit Lucky
Social games maker Zynga on Monday announced that it bought California-based A Bit Lucky and is adding the members of the small studio to its San Francisco team.

Improved structural support for wind turbines could lead to 100% greater efficiency
(Phys.org)—A University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering study suggests that offshore wind farms could be 100 per cent more efficient in terms of energy payback if manufacturers embraced new methods for making the structures that support the turbines.

New 'ATM' takes old phones and gives back green
When new cell phones or tablets enter the marketplace, yesterday's hot technology can quickly become obsolete - for some consumers. For others, the device still has value as an affordable alternative, or even as spare parts.

Improving positioning indoors with imaging data
Whether you're walking, biking or driving, navigation systems can help you get from A to B - as long as you have a GPS signal. To find our way around large and complex buildings like hospitals or airports, we often need to rely on vague signs. Researchers at Technische Universitaet Muenchen have come up with a new technology. The NAVVIS system uses visual information and realistic 3D images to point users in the right direction.

New voice verification technology prevents impersonators from obtaining voiceprints
Computer users have learned to preserve their privacy by safeguarding passwords, but with the rise of voice authentication systems, they also need to protect unique voice characteristics. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Language Technologies Institute (LTI) say that is possible with a system they developed that converts a user's voiceprint into something akin to passwords.

Flame cyber virus linked to more malware: report
The Flame virus believed to be part of a cyberwarfare effort against Iran was developed as early as 2006 and is linked to at least three other malware programs, a new analysis said Monday.

Toshiba plans rollout of entire-home battery system
(Phys.org)—Japan's residents well know the difficulties of power outages; unsurprisingly, efforts toward smarter solutions for backup power options are top priority for R&D at companies like Toshiba. The company plans to roll out a home storage battery system that can keep appliances running for a good part of the day. Toshiba Corp and Toshiba Lighting and Technology Corp have developed a storage battery system that makes use of the company's technology for rechargeable batteries. The system is called eneGoon, and it can do the work in the event of a power shortage to power up the gamut of frequently used household appliances Toshiba says eneGoon can powering a home dweller's refrigerator, TV, PC, and lights for 12 hours on a full charge.

Medicine & Health news

Varied license laws for older drivers
(AP)—More older drivers are on the road, and an Associated Press review finds a hodgepodge of rules governing what they must do to stay behind the wheel.

Genetic testing and the new population of the 'worried well'
Genetic testing and screening is increasingly becoming a presence in our lives. Daily news reports discuss new associations between genes and common conditions. And these associations are used to calculate risks for individuals who have the genes for the conditions, but don't display any symptoms.

Genetic research addresses fatalities due to sepsis
The genetics of a patient affects the extent of septic shock development and response to therapy. European researchers have identified genes related to sepsis in a study group of more than 2,500 patients in Europe.

Involuntary mental health admissions: Building a better road to recovery
A new University of Queensland study is examining how involuntary mental health admissions are experienced from the perspectives of mental health consumers, families and health care professionals within a recovery framework.

Volunteers critical in support of women suffering from antenatal, perinatal depression
(Medical Xpress)—An independent evaluation by Warwick Medical School warns that the health service lacks sufficient capacity to respond to perinatal depression, while highlighting a potential role for the voluntary sector, particularly in the antenatal period.

Young researcher on the trail of herbal snakebite antidote
A PhD student at the University of Copenhagen has drawn on nature's own pharmacy to help improve the treatment of snakebites in Africa.

Added benefit of Cannabis sativa for spasticity due to multiple sclerosis is not proven
An extract from the plant Cannabis sativa (trade name Sativex) was approved in May 2011 for patients suffering from moderate to severe spastic paralysis and muscle spasms due to multiple sclerosis (MS). In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the "Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products" (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined whether the new drug, which is used as a mouth spray, offers an added benefit over the optimized standard therapy. However, no such added benefit can be inferred from the dossier, as the drug manufacturer deviated from the specifications of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) and chose a different comparator therapy.

At the right place at the right time—new insights into muscle stem cells
Muscles have a pool of stem cells which provides a source for muscle growth and for regeneration of injured muscles. The stem cells must reside in special niches of the muscle for efficient growth and repair.

Tafamidis: Approval denotes proven added benefit
Tafamidis meglumine (trade name: Vyndaqel) was approved in November 2011 for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis in adults. This rare disorder ("orphan disease") is caused by a defective gene and is associated with progressive nerve damage (neurological degeneration) that tafamidis is supposed to delay. According to § 35a SGB (Social Code Book) V, an added benefit is regarded as proven if a drug for a rare disease - known as an orphan drug - has been approved. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has assessed tafamidis at the request of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA).

Scientists bid to develop anthrax vaccine to counteract world bioterrorism threat
A team of Cardiff University scientists is leading new research to develop a vaccine against anthrax to help counteract the threat of bioterrorism.

Canada needs approach to combat elder abuse
Canada needs a comprehensive approach to reduce elder abuse that includes financial supports and programs for seniors and their caregivers, argues an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Proof of added benefit of apixaban in hip replacement
The clot-inhibiting drug apixaban (trade name: Eliquis) was approved in May 2011 for the prevention of thrombosis (blood clots) after operations to replace a hip or knee joint. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the "Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products" (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined the added benefit of apixaban.

Considerably more patients may benefit from effective antidiabetic drug
The antidiabetic drug metformin is not prescribed for patients with reduced kidney function because the risk of adverse effects has been regarded as unacceptably high. A study at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has found that the risks have been substantially overrated. As a result, many more patients with diabetes may be able to enjoy the benefits of the medication.

Children without siblings are significantly more likely to be overweight
Children who grow up without siblings have a more than 50 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese than children with siblings. This is the finding of a study of 12,700 children in eight European countries, including Sweden, published in Nutrition and Diabetes. The University of Gothenburg, Sweden, was one of the participating universities in the study.

Further steps needed to reduce stigma and expand access to substance abuse
Outdated approaches to preventing and treating substance abuse, barriers to care, and other problems hinder the U.S. Defense Department's ability to curb substance use disorders among military service members and their families, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Service members' rising rate of prescription drug addiction and their difficulty in accessing adequate treatment for alcohol and drug-related disorders were among the concerns that prompted members of Congress to request this review.

Legacy bead program helps children and their families cope with life-threatening illnesses
When Kayla Dehnert tells friends and family in Northern California about life as a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital patient, she pulls out a string of beads taller than she is.

Biggest European health study identifies key priorities in 26 cities
Researchers have announced the results of the largest ever health and lifestyle survey of cities and conurbations across Europe – including five British urban centres.

Study suggests gap in treatment of sexually transmitted diseases among teens
California's pediatricians-in-training are not adequately educated about the methods to prevent recurrent sexually transmitted infections in teenagers. That's the conclusion of a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital examining pediatric residents' knowledge of laws governing treatment of their patients' sexual partners.

Attractive names sustain increased vegetable intake in schools
The age-old parental struggle of convincing youngsters to eat their fruits and vegetables has some new allies: Power Punch Broccoli, X-Ray Vision Carrots—and a host of catchy names for entrees in school cafeterias. Cornell University researchers studied how a simple change, such as using attractive names, would influence elementary-aged children's consumption of vegetables.

Clinic-based community program helps with childhood obesity
Could a clinic-based intervention that assists in dealing with childhood obesity be scaled down into an easily-taught, community-based program? Yes, according to a new feasibility study conducted by researchers at Temple University's Center for Obesity Research and Education and published in the journal, Pediatrics.

Some gains but many mysteries as Alzheimer's epidemic looms
More than 100 years after it was first caught in the act of decaying a patient's brain, Alzheimer's remains one of medicine's greatest challenges as it robs ever more people of their memory and independence.

Cambodians fight malaria with the push of a button
Cambodian villagers armed with a little medical know-how—and their mobile telephones—are the nation's new foot soldiers in the fight against drug-resistant malaria.

Officials: US kids eat too much salt
(AP)—American children eat as much salt as adults—about 1,000 milligrams too much, or the same amount as in just one McDonald's Big Mac hamburger. Extra salt is linked with higher blood pressure, even in kids, but government research says those who are overweight and obese may be most vulnerable to its effects.

Orangutan's cancer treatment similar to humans
(AP)—Peanut is an 8-year-old orangutan and a star attraction at Miami's Jungle Island. These days she's also got a team of cancer doctors huddling around her, watching as the chemo drip flows into her veins.

'Three-parent babies' public consultation launched
The British public are being consulted on the ethics of a fertility treatment that uses DNA from a third parent to help eliminate genetic diseases, the government announced on Monday.

Volume of grey matter may predict degree of altruism
What makes a person altruistic? Philosophers throughout the ages often pondered the question but failed to get concrete answers. New research from the University of Zurich in Switzerland shows that the answer may lie in our brains, or more accurately, that the volume of a small brain region can influences one's predisposition for altruistic behaviour. The results, presented in the journal Neuron, indicate that individuals who behave more altruistically than others have more grey matter at the junction between the parietal and temporal lobe. This shows for the very first time that there is a connection between brain anatomy, brain activity and altruistic behaviour.

Federal food program pays $2 billion annually for sugar-sweetened beverages
(Medical Xpress)—The federal government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pays at least $2 billion annually for sugar-sweetened beverages purchased in grocery stores alone, according to a study by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.

Doctors subjects of patients' verbal, physical aggression
More than 70 per cent of doctors faced verbal or written aggression and almost a third confronted physical aggression in the workplace over a 12-month period, according to new research.

Men's body image positively impacted by psychological bond with superheroes
(Medical Xpress)—Batman's awesome power may come not only from his ability to defeat the likes of Mr. Freeze and the Joker, but from the fact that his mere presence makes his devoted fans feel strong and physically fit.

Identification of newborn congenital ear deformities allows for timely, non-surgical correction
(Medical Xpress)—Enlisting newborn hearing screeners to help identify common ear deformities allows doctors to easily correct the condition without surgery before a baby leaves the hospital, according to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The new study is published online ahead of print in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.

Gene mutation study results could lead to less expensive, more accessible breast and ovarian cancer screening
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers conducting a study of gene mutations that increase a woman's likelihood of breast and ovarian cancers have made a discovery that could open doors to less expensive and more accessible breast and ovarian cancer screening. Additionally, the surprising study results may also explain how human embryos with these breast cancer mutations survive.

Indoor marijuana grow operations pose healthy threat
(Medical Xpress)—Houses and other buildings used to grow marijuana indoors contain high levels of mold, which could pose a health threat to residents living there and law enforcement agents investigating them, according to new research from National Jewish Health. Industrial hygienist John Martyny, PhD, led a team that evaluated potential hazards including mold, pesticides, fertilizers, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana.

Promising compound selected as drug candidate for tuberculosis
(Medical Xpress)—A New Zealand-designed compound that shows promise against treatment-resistance tuberculosis (TB) has been selected as a drug candidate by international non-profit drug developer the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance).

Fewer friends, lower self-esteem can lead to distorted perceptions of life challenges
(Medical Xpress)—People who have fewer social resources, such as friends and family, literally see challenging objects and events in a more exaggerated way than do people who feel emotionally supported, according to research by Kent Harber, associate professor of psychology at Rutgers-Newark.

Toward a better understanding of human consciousness
(Medical Xpress)—What consciousness is, and why and how it exists, are some of the oldest questions in philosophy. They are also central to one of the fastest-growing areas of neuroscience.

Study illuminates roles of novel epigenetic chemical in the brain
Researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have identified a new role of a chemical involved in controlling the genes underlying memory and learning.

Scientists reveal how natural antibiotic kills tuberculosis bacterium
A natural product secreted by a soil bacterium shows promise as a new drug to treat tuberculosis report scientists in a new study published in EMBO Molecular Medicine. A team of scientists working in Switzerland has shown how pyridomycin, a natural antibiotic produced by the bacterium Dactylosporangium fulvum, works. This promising drug candidate is active against many of the drug-resistant types of the tuberculosis bacterium that no longer respond to treatment with the front-line drug isoniazid.

Report: Cancer now leading cause of death in US hispanics
A new report from American Cancer Society researchers finds that despite declining death rates, cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death among Hispanics in the U.S. In 2009, the most recent year for which actual data are available, 29,935 people of Hispanic origin in the U.S. died of cancer, compared to 29,611 deaths from heart disease. Among non-Hispanic whites and African Americans, heart disease remains the number one cause of death.

Radiography unnecessary after spinal fusion surgery
(HealthDay)—In patients who have undergone spinal fusion surgery with intraoperative fluoroscopic guidance and have no postoperative problems, postoperative radiographs do not provide additional clinical information and are not cost-effective, according to a study published in the July issue of The Spine Journal.

Vitamin D in pregnancy critical for brain development, study says
(HealthDay)—Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy could hinder babies' brain development, impeding their mental and motor skills, a new study suggests.

'Sexting' may go hand-in-hand with unprotected sex among teens
(HealthDay)—Teens who "sext" sexually explicit texts or images are probably taking other sexual risks as well, with new research indicating these adolescents are seven times more likely to be sexually active and significantly more apt to be having unprotected sex.

Adequate sleep helps weight loss
Adequate sleep is an important part of a weight loss plan and should be added to the recommended mix of diet and exercise, states a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

No increased risk of cancer for people with shingles
Herpes zoster, or shingles, does not increase the risk of cancer in the general population, according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Behavior issues are a bigger headache for children with migraines
Kids who get migraine headaches are much more likely than other children to also have behavioral difficulties, including social and attention issues, and anxiety and depression. The more frequent the headaches, the greater the effect, according to research out now in the journal Cephalagia.

Study compares duodenal switch vs. gastric bypass for morbid obesity
A study comparing bariatric surgical procedures for obesity suggests that even though undergoing the less commonly used biliopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch (DS) may be associated with higher early risks compared with gastric bypass (GB), the DS appears to achieve better weight loss and control of co-existing illnesses, especially among patients whose body mass index (BMI) was more than 50, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Surgery.

Resuming warfarin after gastrointestinal tract bleeding linked with lower risk for thrombosis, death
A study of patients treated with the anticoagulant medication warfarin suggests that resuming warfarin therapy after an episode of gastrointestinal tract bleeding was associated with lower risk for thrombosis (blood clot) and death, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine.

Thalidomide relieves disabling cough for people with deadly lung disease, study shows
In the first clinical trial to demonstrate an effective treatment for constant, disabling cough among people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that taking thalidomide significantly reduced the cough and improved quality of life.

Simple test to predict if pregnant women will give birth prematurely
Babies born early run a greater risk of serious complications. The researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have now developed a method to predict if pregnant women with preterm contractions will give birth within seven days. The method offers new possibilities to delay delivery and prepare care for the premature baby.

Back to school: Is higher education making you fat?
A new study published today in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (APNM) looks beyond the much-feared weight gain common to first-year students and reports on the full 4-year impact of higher education on weight, BMI, and body composition.

Eating well during pregnancy reduces baby's obesity risk regardless of mom's size
If you are overweight and pregnant, your baby isn't destined to a life of obesity after all, according to a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal. In the report, a team of U.S. scientists show that modifying fat intake during pregnancy to a moderate level is enough to benefit the child regardless of the mother's size. Specifically, they found that a protein called "SIRT1" rewrites a developing fetus' histone code, which affects his or her "epigenetic likelihood" of being overweight or obese throughout his or her lifetime.

Researchers call for early diagnosis of flesh-eating infections
Dr. Russell Russo, an Orthopedic Surgeon at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and other researchers stress that orthopedists should have a high index of suspicion for necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating bacterial infection, in every patient with pain or other symptoms that are out of proportion to the initial diagnosis. Their recommendations are published in the September 2012 issue of Orthopedics Today.

Majority of US Schools not ready for next pandemic, researchers say
Many U.S. schools are not prepared for bioterrorism attacks, outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases or pandemics, despite the recent 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic that resulted in more than 18,000 deaths worldwide, Saint Louis University researchers say.

Mechanism of smoking-induced insulin resistance elucidated
(HealthDay)—Smoking-induced insulin resistance, which improves with smoking cessation, may be due to activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Diabetes.

Distinct chromatin patterns linked to heart development
(HealthDay)—Distinct chromatin patterns accompany the development of heart cells from embryonic cells, providing a blueprint that could help identify the causes of congenital heart disease, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in Cell.

Nicotine replacement doesn't increase cardio risk after ACS
(HealthDay)—Use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) does not increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events in the first year following acute coronary syndromes (ACS), according to research published in the Oct. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

Study looks at pain processing abnormalities in knee OA
(HealthDay)—For patients with knee osteoarthritis (K-OA), the lack of correlation between clinical pain and radiographic evidence of disease severity may be due to central sensitization, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.

White matter structural changes ID'd in children with T1DM
(HealthDay)—Children with type 1 diabetes have significant structural differences in the white matter of their brain compared to healthy children, which correlates with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Diabetes Care.

Bipolar II disorder affects nearly 6 million in U.S. alone
Harlan Didrickson was a model of middle-class stability. He lived with his partner of more than two decades in a handsome Victorian on a leafy North Side Chicago street. He worked as manager of executive and administrative services for a high-powered architectural firm, where he made hospitality and travel arrangements for large meetings and oversaw budgets that ran into millions of dollars.

Improving memory for specific events can alleviate symptoms of depression
(Medical Xpress)—Hear the word "party" and memories of your 8th birthday sleepover or the big bash you attended last New Year's may come rushing to mind. But it's exactly these kinds of memories, embedded in a specific place and time, that people with depression have difficulty recalling.

Risk of developing diabetes higher in neighborhoods that aren't walk-friendly
Whether your neighbourhood is conducive to walking could determine your risk for developing diabetes, according to a new study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

Study shows vitamin E may decrease cancer risk in Cowden syndrome patients
Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered that vitamin E may prevent cancer in patients with an under-recognized genetic disorder.

Researchers identify new enzyme to fight Alzheimer's disease
An enzyme that could represent a powerful new tool for combating Alzheimer's disease has been discovered by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida. The enzyme—known as BACE2—destroys beta-amyloid, a toxic protein fragment that litters the brains of patients who have the disease. The findings were published online Sept. 17 in the science journal Molecular Neurodegeneration.

Researchers find cause of chemotherapy resistance in melanoma
Researchers with UC Irvine's Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a major reason why melanoma is largely resistant to chemotherapy.

Researchers reveal underlying mechanism of powerful chemotherapy for prostate cancer treatment
The power of taxane-based chemotherapy drugs are misunderstood and potentially underestimated, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the September 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research.

Prenatal damage from dioxin shown to involve microRNAs
(Medical Xpress)—Research carried out at the University of South Carolina has identified novel mechanisms through which dioxin, a well-known environmental contaminant, can alter physiological functions, according to a study published online in the journal PLOS ONE.

PARP inhibitors may have clinical utility in HER2-positive breast cancers
Poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, shown to have clinical activity when used alone in women with familial breast and ovarian cancers linked to BRCA mutations, may be a novel treatment strategy in women with HER2-positive breast cancers, according to the results of a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Identifying the key genes to infection resistance
Manning the gates of our immune system are toll-like receptors (TLR)—tiny hairs that stick out of the cell membrane, recognize foreign bodies, and rally an organism's defense mechanisms. The molecular building blocks of TLRs are present in bacteria and plants, and are believed to be one of the most ancient, conserved components of the immune system. These tiny receptors and other molecular messengers play a big role in human health as well.

Study shows brain function differences in women with anorexia
A new study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience by researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas and UT Southwestern found brain-based differences in how women with and without anorexia perceive themselves. The findings shed light on how brain pathways function in ill and fully recovered individuals who have had anorexia nervosa.

Single change in genetic sequence can significantly impact BMI variability
(Medical Xpress)—One small change to the DNA sequence can cause more weighty changes to the human body, according to a new study released today.

Cervical cancer and pre-cancer cervical growths require single HPV protein
(Medical Xpress)—Human papillomavirus (HPV) has long been implicated in cervical cancer, but details of how it happens have remained a mystery. Now researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that a single HPV protein is required for cervical cancer and even pre-cancer growths in the cervix to survive.

Study identifies mechanism that leads to diabetes, blindness
The rare disorder Wolfram syndrome is caused by mutations in a single gene, but its effects on the body are far reaching. The disease leads to diabetes, hearing and vision loss, nerve cell damage that causes motor difficulties, and early death.

Drug combination against NRAS-mutant melanoma discovered
A new study published online in Nature Medicine, led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, describes the discovery of a novel drug combination aimed at a subset of melanoma patients who currently have no effective therapeutic options.

Toxic protein build-up in blood shines light on Huntington's disease
A new light-based technique for measuring levels of the toxic protein that causes Huntington's disease (HD) has been used to demonstrate that the protein builds up gradually in blood cells. Published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the findings shed light on how the protein causes damage in the brain, and could be useful for monitoring the progression of HD, or testing new drugs aimed at suppressing production of the harmful protein.

Breast cancer risk linked to early-life diet and metabolic syndrome
Striking new evidence suggesting that diet and related factors early in life can boost the risk for breast cancer—totally independent of the body's production of the hormone estrogen—has been uncovered by a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis.

Cystic fibrosis disrupts pancreas two ways in CF-related diabetes
A new University of Iowa study suggests there are two root causes of a type of diabetes associated with cystic fibrosis (CF). The findings, which already have sparked a clinical trial, may guide development of new treatments or even help prevent diabetes in patients with CF.

Researchers target physiological factors that lead to asthma attack
A new study that identifies ways to reduce the factors that lead to an asthma attack gives hope to asthma sufferers. A UCSF researcher and his colleagues believe they have found a way to help asthma sufferers by impeding the two most significant biological responses that lead to an asthma attack.

Sex matters: Why guys recognize cars and women recognize birds best
(Medical Xpress)—Women are better than men at recognizing living things and men are better than women at recognizing vehicles.

Songbirds shed light on brain circuits and learning
By studying how birds master songs used in courtship, scientists at Duke University have found that regions of the brain involved in planning and controlling complex vocal sequences may also be necessary for memorizing sounds that serve as models for vocal imitation.

Blue Brain Project accurately predicts connections between neurons
One of the greatest challenges in neuroscience is to identify the map of synaptic connections between neurons. Called the "connectome," it is the holy grail that will explain how information flows in the brain. In a landmark paper, published the week of 17th of September in PNAS, the EPFL's Blue Brain Project (BBP) has identified key principles that determine synapse-scale connectivity by virtually reconstructing a cortical microcircuit and comparing it to a mammalian sample. These principles now make it possible to predict the locations of synapses in the neocortex.

Memory vs. Math: Same brain areas show inverse responses to recall and arithmetic
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists have historically relied on neuroimaging – but not electrophysiological – data when studying the human default mode network (DMN), a group of brain regions with lower activity during externally-directed tasks and higher activity if tasks require internal focus. Recently, however, researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine recorded electrical activity directly from a core DMN component known as the posteromedial cortex (PMC) during both internally- and externally-directed waking states – specifically, autobiographical memory and arithmetic calculation, respectively. The data they recorded showed an inverse relationship – namely, the degree activation during memory retrieval predicted the degree of suppression during arithmetic calculation – which they say provides important anatomical and temporal details about DMN function at the neural population level.

Biology news

'Red List' for ecosystems highlights global conservation needs
Leading Australian environmental scientists have helped to establish the first global list of threatened ecosystems at an international conservation summit.

System developed for optimising juvenile fish production
A European project, ALFA, has developed a state-of-the-art automatic system to control the most important variable parameters in live feed production for fish hatcheries. The systems were geared to suit conditions for aquaculture in Greece and Norway.

Molecular sequencing technology and the origins of biodiversity
Evolutionary relationships among a group of arthropods from Gondwana, a supercontinent that existed between 510 and 180 million years ago, were investigated by EU scientists using molecular sequencing technology. The results provided researchers with a clearer picture of the origins of biodiversity and why species arise in a particular place.

Sorghum eyed as a southern bioenergy crop
Sweet sorghum is primarily grown in the United States as a source of sugar for syrup and molasses. But the sturdy grass has other attributes that could make it uniquely suited to production as a bioenergy crop, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) studies suggest.

The battle to identify the world's smallest vertebrate
More and more really tiny species are being discovered, like a 7.9mm fish in 2006 and a 7.7mm frog in 2011. There's increasing competition for the title of the 'world's smallest vertebrate', but exactly how do you determine what is the smallest?

Cub born to giant panda at National Zoo (Update)
(AP)—A giant panda at Washington's zoo surprised scientists and zookeepers by becoming a mom again after years of failed pregnancies.

Assessing a new technique for ensuring fresh produce remains Salmonella-free
Researchers at the Institute of Food Research have tested a new technique to ensure fresh produce is free of bacterial contamination.

Group wants 'Nemo' classified as endangered species
An environmental group asked the U.S. government on Thursday to consider classifying the orange clownfish - Nemo, to a whole generation of children - as endangered.

Ancient diatoms could make biofuels, electronics and health food—at the same time
Diatoms, tiny marine life forms that have been around since the dinosaurs, could finally make biofuel production from algae truly cost-effective – because they can simultaneously produce other valuable products such as semiconductors, biomedical products and even health foods.

Antibiotic-resistant pathogens persist in antibiotic-free pigs
(Phys.org)—Researchers from North Carolina State University have found identical strains of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter coli (C. coli) in both antibiotic-free (ABF) and conventionally raised pigs. This finding may indicate that these antibiotic-resistant pathogens can persist and thrive in the environment, regardless of antimicrobial usage by pork producers.

First 3-D model of protein linked to human birth defects, cancer development
(Phys.org)—The first detailed and complete picture of a protein complex that is tied to human birth defects as well as the progression of many forms of cancer has been obtained by an international team of researchers led by scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Knowing the architecture of this protein,  PRC2, for Polycomb Repressive Complex 2, should be a boon to its future use in the development of new and improved therapeutic drugs.

Study reveals complex process behind sea sponge's toxicity
(Phys.org)—The solution to a biochemical puzzle over the molecular make-up of a coral reef sea sponge (Theonella swinhoei) has revealed the origin of its extremely toxic agents.

First mammalian 'cell phone'
(Phys.org)—Researchers from ETH Zurich have quite literally created a "cell phone": they have reprogrammed mammalian cells in such a way that they can "phone" each other via chemical signals.

Novel microscopy technique tracks motion of thousands of cells at a time
Researchers have developed a new way to observe and track large numbers of rapidly moving objects under a microscope, capturing precise motion paths in three dimensions.

New gene could lead to better bug-resistant plants
(Phys.org)—The discovery of a new gene could lead to better bug-resistant plants.

Most extensive pictures ever of organism's DNA mutation processes
Biologists and informaticists at Indiana University have produced one of the most extensive pictures ever of mutation processes in the DNA sequence of an organism, elucidating important new evolutionary information about the molecular nature of mutations and how fast those heritable changes occur.

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