Science X Newsletter Friday, Aug 22

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 22, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Scientists fabricate defect-free graphene, set record reversible capacity for Co3O4 anode in Li-ion batteries
- Scientists uncover clues to role of magnetism in iron-based superconductors
- Study finds that human subjects prefer when robots give the orders
- Superabsorbing ring could make light work of snaps
- Scientists develop a water splitter that runs on an ordinary AAA battery
- C2D2 fighting corrosion
- Spectacular supernova's mysteries revealed
- An interesting glimpse into how future state-of-the-art electronics might work
- Are three brain imaging techniques better than one?
- A breakthrough in imaging gold nanoparticles to atomic resolution by electron microscopy
- Proteins: New class of materials discovered
- New enzyme targets for selective cancer therapies
- Research underway to create pomegranate drug to stem Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
- Tissue regeneration using anti-inflammatory nanomolecules
- Clinical trial of Auxilium's Xiaflex shows it to be effective in smoothing cellulite

Astronomy & Space news

	A chemical signature of first-generation very-massive stars A team of astronomers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the Konan University and the University of Hyogo in Japan, the University of Notre Dame, and New Mexico State University has used the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope's High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS) to discover a low-mass star, SDSS J0018-0939 (Fig. 1), that exhibits the peculiar chemical abundance ratios associated with the process of creating new atomic nuclei (nucleosynthesis) in a first-generation very-massive star. Until now, no observational evidence has supported numerical simulations of the existence of very-massive stars among the first generation of stars formed after the Big Bang.
	Voyager map details Neptune's strange moon Triton (Phys.org) —NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft gave humanity its first close-up look at Neptune and its moon Triton in the summer of 1989. Like an old film, Voyager's historic footage of Triton has been "restored" and used to construct the best-ever global color map of that strange moon. The map, produced by Paul Schenk, a scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, has also been used to make a movie recreating that historic Voyager encounter, which took place 25 years ago, on August 25, 1989.
	Supernova seen in two lights (Phys.org) —The destructive results of a mighty supernova explosion reveal themselves in a delicate blend of infrared and X-ray light, as seen in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton.
	Spectacular supernova's mysteries revealed (Phys.org) —New research by a team of UK and European-based astronomers is helping to solve the mystery of what caused a spectacular supernova in a galaxy 11 million light years away, seen earlier this year.
	New countdown for launch of European navigation satellites Two satellites for Europe's rival to GPS, the Galileo navigation system, will be lifted into space from French Guiana on Friday a day after bad weather delayed their blast-off, launch firm Arianespace said.
	How the sun caused an aurora this week On the evening of Aug. 20, 2014, the International Space Station was flying past North America when it flew over the dazzling, green blue lights of an aurora. On board, astronaut Reid Wiseman captured this image of the aurora, seen from above.
	Amazing raw Cassini images from this week When Saturn is at its closest to Earth, it's three-quarters of a billion miles away—or more than a billion kilometers! That makes these raw images from the ringed planet all the more remarkable.
	Space Station inspired robot to help heal sick children Children love robots. In all shapes, sizes, "personalities" and "smarts," these electronic wonders have been found under Christmas trees by kids and unwrapped on birthdays for years.
SpaceX gets 10-year tax exemption for Texas site Cameron County commissioners have agreed to waive 10 years of county taxes as part of an agreement bringing the world's first commercial site for orbital rocket launches to the southernmost tip of Texas.
Europe launches two navigation satellites Two satellites for Europe's rival to GPS were lifted into space on Friday to boost the Galileo constellation to six orbiters of a final 30, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.
NKorea launch pad expansion 'nearing completion' A U.S. research institute says construction to upgrade North Korea's main rocket launch pad should be completed by fall, allowing Pyongyang (pyuhng-yahng) to conduct a launch by year's end if it decides to do so.

Technology news

	Study finds that human subjects prefer when robots give the orders If you've seen a sci-fi flick with autonomous robots in the last 40 years, you may be wary of giving robots any semblance of control.
	Chairless Chair solution offered as leg exoskeleton for work We have read the medical news about exoskeletons developed to empower people to walk and leap but there is another pathway for the application of exoskeletons, this time being a wearable device that can help working people in settings such as factories experience better comfort. Some workers have tasks that make it difficult for them to avoid the stress and fatigue of having to stand, bend, and stoop for long periods, assuming postures that may cause physical, muscle-related problems. The creators say the Chairolution is here, and they are referring to their product, the Chairless Chair. In this instance, researchers are promoting a wearable device that can help people at work maintain optimal posture. This is a wearable chair that could be worn by production-line workers; the wearable chair idea is to relieve the stress of tasks that can cause such problems and pain. Unhealthy postures also lead to fatigue. Whether the difficulty! is pain or fatigue or both, the worker's issue becomes a productivity issue, which is not beneficial to employers. The company behind this wearable is Zurich-based noonee. The noonee website describes the product as a wearable ergonomic leg device; or a leg exoskeleton; or a powered, lightweight and energy-efficient lower limb posture-support device.
	Meet the "swarmies"- robotics' answer to bugs (Phys.org) —A small band of NASA engineers and interns is about to begin testing a group of robots and related software that will show whether it's possible for autonomous machines to scurry about an alien world such as the moon searching for and gathering resources just as an ant colony does.
	Researchers reverse-engineering China's online censorship methods reveal government's deepest concerns A trio of researchers, two from Harvard University and one from the University of California has used two broad techniques to better understand how online censorship works in China. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes how they set up their own Chinese web site in one part of their study and engaged in massive posting in the other, and what they learned as a result. Mara Hvistendahl offers an in depth perspective piece on the work by the trio in the same journal issue.
	C2D2 fighting corrosion Bridges become an infrastructure problem as they get older, as de-icing salt and carbon dioxide gradually destroy the reinforced concrete. A new robot can now check the condition of these structures, even in places that people cannot reach.
	Google to help boost Greece's tourism industry Internet giant Google will offer management courses to 3,000 tourism businesses on the island of Crete as part of an initiative to promote the sector in Greece, industry union Sete said on Thursday.
Does your computer know how you're feeling? Researchers in Bangladesh have designed a computer program that can accurately recognize users' emotional states as much as 87% of the time, depending on the emotion.
	Traffic light hacking shows the "Internet of Things" must come with better security The growing extent to which our day-to-day infrastructure is computer-controlled and internet-connected leaves it open to the possibility that malicious hackers could intercept data or take control of devices.
	How much do we really know about privacy on Facebook? The recent furore about the Facebook Messenger app has unearthed an interesting question: how far are we willing to allow our privacy to be pushed for our social connections? In the case of the Facebook Messenger app, the answer appears to be: "Not as far as Facebook thinks."
	Should you be worried about paid editors on Wikipedia? Whether you trust it or ignore it, Wikipedia is one of the most popular websites in the world and accessed by millions of people every day. So would you trust it any more (or even less) if you knew people were being paid to contribute content to the encyclopedia?
	Lawsuits challenge US drone, model aircraft rules Model aircraft hobbyists, research universities and commercial drone interests filed lawsuits Friday challenging a government directive that they say imposes tough new limits on the use of model aircraft and broadens the agency's ban on commercial drone flights.
	People stick with favorites in sea of mobile apps There may be a growing number of applications for smartphones, but people in the US tend to cling to the few they like and shun the rest, an industry tracker says.
	Google buys product design firm Gecko Google on Friday confirmed that it bought Gecko Design to bolster its lab devoted to technology-advancing projects such as self-driving cars and Internet-linked Glass eyewear.
Oregon sues Oracle over failed health care website Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum says she's filed a lawsuit against Oracle Corp. and several of its executives over the technology company's role in the state's troubled health insurance exchange.
	Enabling a new future for cloud computing The National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced two $10 million projects to create cloud computing testbeds—to be called "Chameleon" and "CloudLab"—that will enable the academic research community to develop and experiment with novel cloud architectures and pursue new, architecturally-enabled applications of cloud computing.
	DESY and IBM develop big data architecture for science IBM today announced it is collaborating with Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), a leading national research center in Germany, to speed up management and storage of massive volumes of x-ray data. The planned Big Data and Analytics architecture based on IBM software defined technology can handle more than 20 gigabyte per second of data at peak performance and help scientists worldwide gain faster insights into the atomic structure of novel semiconductors, catalysts, biological cells and other samples.
	Gesture-controlled, autonomous vehicles may be valuable helpers in logistics and trans-shipment centers Transporting big boxes, holding shopping bags, or carrying suitcases to the plane or taxi: Often, we would like to have a second pair of arms for routine work. Many flows of materials and goods at factories and workshops take place manually. An electrical "gofer" is needed, which is controlled by natural gestures, relieves the workers of heavy loads, and transports them independently. This is done by the assistance system FiFi of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). It is now being tested in first industrial pilot applications.
Philippines makes arrests in online extortion ring Philippine police have arrested eight suspected members of an online syndicate accused of blackmailing more than 1,000 Hong Kong and Singapore residents after luring them into exposing themselves in front of webcam, an official said Friday.
	CU-Boulder leads international unmanned aircraft testing event at Pawnee Grassland An international research effort organized by the University of Colorado Boulder conducted the first multiple, unmanned aircraft interception of a telltale rush of cold air preceding a thunderstorm known as a "gust front" as it rolled across the Pawnee National Grassland in northeast Colorado on Aug. 14.
Fitbit to Schumer: We don't sell personal data The maker of a popular line of wearable fitness-tracking devices says it has never sold personal data to advertisers, contrary to concerns raised by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.

Medicine & Health news

	Stem cell therapies hold promise, but obstacles remain (Medical Xpress)—In an article appearing online today in the journal Science, a group of researchers, including University of Rochester neurologist Steve Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., review the potential and challenges facing the scientific community as therapies involving stem cells move closer to reality.
	Are three brain imaging techniques better than one? (Medical Xpress)—Many recent imaging studies have shown that in children with autism, different parts of the brain do not connect with each other in typical ways. Initially, most researchers thought that the autistic brain has fewer connections between key regions. The most recent studies, however, point to an opposite conclusion: The brains of people with autism exhibit overconnectivity.
	Clinical trial of Auxilium's Xiaflex shows it to be effective in smoothing cellulite (Medical Xpress)—Biopharmaceutical company Auxilium has announced that the results of Phase 2a clinical trials of its drug Xiaflex are thus far showing promising results in smoothing cellulite in women. In a double-blind study, they claim 68 percent of participants reported being either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the results, compared to 34 percent who reported the same degree of satisfaction after being given a placebo.
	Research underway to create pomegranate drug to stem Alzheimer's and Parkinson's The onset of Alzheimer's disease can be slowed and some of its symptoms curbed by a natural compound that is found in pomegranate. Also, the painful inflammation that accompanies illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson's disease could be reduced, according to the findings of a two-year project headed by University of Huddersfield scientist Dr Olumayokun Olajide, who specialises in the anti-inflammatory properties of natural products.
	New enzyme targets for selective cancer therapies Thanks to important discoveries in basic and clinical research and technological advances, the fight against cancer has mobilized into a complex offensive spanning multiple fronts.
	Living forever may never be possible, study says Is there a limit to how old humans could one day become?
Genetics and lifestyle have a strong impact on biomarkers for inflammation and cancer In a new study published in Nature Communications, research scientists from Uppsala University present for the first time a large-scale study of the significance of genetic, clinical and lifestyle factors for protein levels in the bloodstream. The results of the study show that genetics and lifestyle are determining factors for protein levels, a discovery which greatly influences the possibilities for using more biomarkers to identify disease.
Treatment for overactive bladder and irritable bowel syndrome advanced through pioneering research Researchers at the University of Surrey have discovered how the receptors responsible for contractions in the bladder, regulate the body's clock genes.
	Playing hunger games: Are gamified health apps putting odds in your favor? For many people, finding motivation to exercise is a challenge. Thankfully, there are Zombies chasing you.
Low birth weight linked to higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in African American women African American women born at a low or very low birth weight may be at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The findings, which appear in Diabetes Care, may explain in part the higher occurrence of type 2 diabetes in African American populations, which has a high prevalence of low birth weight.
Instant noodles carry health risks for women: study Women who eat instant noodles, like Ramen, at least two times a week face a greater risk of high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and high cholesterol, US researchers said Thursday.
Climate change could see dengue fever come to Europe Dengue fever could make headway in popular European holiday destinations if climate change continues on its predicted trajectory, according to research published in open access journal BMC Public Health.
	New hope in fight against muscular dystrophy Research at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology offers hope to those who suffer from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, an incurable, debilitating disease that cuts young lives short.
Scientists map risk of premature menopause after cancer treatment (Medical Xpress)—Women treated for the cancer Hodgkin lymphoma will be able to better understand their risks of future infertility after researchers estimated their risk of premature menopause with different treatments.
	Obesity affects breast cancer treatment (Medical Xpress)—Obesity may affect a common drug that is used as part of the treatment to fight breast cancer in post-menopausal women.
Healthy diet vital for adolescent mental health (Medical Xpress)—New Zealand adolescents may need to increase their fruit and vegetable intake and reduce unhealthy options like sugary drinks and takeaways, to protect their mental health.
	Women fare worse than men following heart attack (Medical Xpress)—Young women who have heart attacks have worse health outcomes than men, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.
	Drug trial provides hope of new treatment for some oesophageal cancer patients Findings of a trial of a drug aimed at treating advanced oesophageal - or gullet - cancer could lead to a new treatment approach for a sub-group of patients with this kind of cancer.
	The striatum acts as hub for multisensory integration A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden provides insight on how the brain processes external input such as touch, vision or sound from different sources and sides of the body, in order to select and generate adequate movements. The findings, which are presented in the journal Neuron, show that the striatum acts as a sensory 'hub' integrating various types of sensory information, with specialised functional roles for the different neuron types.
	Using computers to design drugs Designing a new medicine is an expensive and time consuming business. Typically it takes around $2 billion and ten years for a new drug to move from its initial design in the lab, to the clinic. All the while malaria and tuberculosis kill approximately one person every 10 seconds.
	The impact of bacteria in our guts The word metabolism gets tossed around a lot, but it means much more than whether you can go back to the buffet for seconds without worrying about your waistline. In fact, metabolism is the set of biochemical processes by which cells turn food into energy, biological building blocks and—inevitably—waste products. Every living cell does it, but not every cell does it in the same way.
	Scientists urge public to take part in second wave of health survey Scientists in Cornwall are making a second appeal for people to take part in research that will shed light on the health effects of marine pollution.
	Scientists uncover why major cow milk allergen is actually allergenic Cow milk allergy occurs in children and in adults. Scientists at Messerli Research Institute at the Vetmeduni Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, and the University of Vienna investigated what actually makes the milk allergenic. A specific protein in milk known as beta-lactoglobulin is able to initiate an allergy only when being devoid of iron. Loaded with iron, the protein is harmless. The scientists discovered the same mechanism recently with regard to birch pollen allergy. Their findings help to decipher allergic reactions and were published in the journal PLOS ONE.
	Smokers consume same amount of cigarettes regardless of nicotine levels Cigarettes with very low levels of nicotine may reduce addiction without increasing exposure to toxic chemicals, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo.
	Poll finds many in US lack knowledge about Ebola and its transmission Although the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) reports no known cases of Ebola transmission in the United States, a Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)/SSRS poll released today (August 21, 2014) shows that four in ten (39%) adults in the U.S. are concerned that there will be a large outbreak in the U.S., and a quarter (26%) are concerned that they or someone in their immediate family may get sick with Ebola over the next year.
	Wellness visits, physicals need different documentation (HealthDay)—Documentation rules for annual wellness visits (AWVs) for Medicare differ from those for preventive visits, which are not covered by Medicare, according to an article published Aug. 5 in Medical Economics.
	Educational intervention helps ensure appropriate ECHO use (HealthDay)—An appropriate use criteria (AUC)-based educational intervention can improve the appropriate use of outpatient transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the JACC Cardiovascular Imaging.
	Use a rule of thumb to control how much you drink Sticking to a general rule of pouring just a half glass of wine limits the likelihood of overconsumption, even for men with a higher body mass index. That's the finding of a new Iowa State and Cornell University study to be published in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Drug Policy.
	Online screening for rare lung cancer subtypes opens door to new kind of clinical trial In the previous few years, several breakthrough treatments have become available for key subtypes of lung cancer. Patients who may benefit from these treatments can be pre-identified by looking for defined genetic abnormalities in their cancer. For example, patients whose lung cancer is driven by rearrangement of the gene ALK derive significant benefit from the drug crizotinib, which targets this abnormality. Many ongoing clinical trials are now attempting to replicate this success by matching different drugs with specific subtypes of the disease based on the presence of such "predictive biomarkers." However, testing these new drugs in clinical trials requires finding and enrolling patients with what may be very rare molecular subtypes of a disease – one of the challenges is discovering enough needles in enough haystacks to prove the effectiveness of each biomarker-drug pairing.
Women with severe, chronic health issues are screened for breast cancer less often Women with severe disabilities and multiple chronic conditions are screened for breast cancer less often than women with no disabilities or no chronic conditions, a new study has found.
From happiness to pain: Understanding serotonin's function In a study published today, in the scientific journal PLoS One, researchers at the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme establish the effect of serotonin on sensitivity to pain using a combination of advanced genetic and optical techniques.
Cognitive-behavioral coping skills training has positive effects on rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a complex autoimmune disease that affects 1 to 2 percent of adults, requires patients to not only cope with pain, disability and joint disfigurements, but also other stressors such as disrupted work, family life and marital functioning. While many pharmacological advances help some RA patients, residual pain and disability is common. In addition, some patients avoid newer medications due to their high cost or side effects. Because of this, there is interest in psychosocial interventions for RA such as cognitive-behavioral and emotional processing approaches.
Novel oncogenic RET mutation found in small cell lung cancer For the first time an oncogenic somatic mutation at amino acid 918 in the RET (rearranged during transfection) protein has been identified in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumors and enforced expression of this mutation within SCLC cell lines produced increased intracellular signaling and cell growth.
Electronic alerts significantly reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections A Penn Medicine team has found that targeted automated alerts in electronic health records significantly reduce urinary tract infections in hospital patients with urinary catheters. In addition, when the design of the alert was simplified, the rate of improvement dramatically increased.
High concordance between EGFR mutations from circulating-free tumor DNA and tumor tissue in non-small cell lung cancer Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations found in the circulating free tumor DNA (ctDNA) from the plasma of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients correlates well with the EGFR mutations from patient-matched tumor tissue DNA.
New study of self-awareness in MS has implications for rehabilitation A new study of self-awareness by Kessler Foundation researchers shows that persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be able to improve their self-awareness through task-oriented cognitive rehabilitation. The study was epublished ahead of print on July 2 in NeuroRehabilitation. Self-awareness is one's ability to recognize cognitive problems caused by brain injury. This is the first study of self-awareness in MS that includes assessment of online awareness, as well as metacognitive awareness.
	Cosmetic eye procedure may ease migraines, small study says (HealthDay)—Cosmetic eyelid surgery involving specific nerves may do more than improve your looks—the procedure may also provide migraine relief for some, according to new research.
	Simple steps make shots less scary for kids, nurse says (HealthDay)—Many children get anxious or afraid when they have to get a vaccination, but there are a number of ways that parents can make these shots easier for their kids, an expert suggests.
	With kids in school, parents can work out (HealthDay)—Back-to-school time provides an opportunity for parents to develop an exercise plan that fits into the family schedules, an expert suggests.
	Endogenous hormones improve breast cancer risk models (HealthDay)—Inclusion of endogenous hormones in prediction models improves prediction of invasive breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online Aug. 18 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Study IDs risk factors for severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HealthDay)—Risk factors associated with severity of the disease may help guide therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Extracorporeal support can significantly increase number of organs for transplant Using heart-lung support technology, the University of Michigan's Transplant Center was able to increase the number of kidneys, livers and pancreases available for transplant by about 20 percent.
	American Ebola doc: 'I am thrilled to be alive' Calling it a "miraculous day," an American doctor infected with Ebola left his isolation unit and warmly hugged his doctors and nurses on Thursday, showing the world that he poses no public health threat one month after getting sick with the virus.
Senegal closes border as UN warns on Ebola flare-up Senegal has become the latest country to seal its border with a west African neighbour to ward off the deadly Ebola virus, as the new UN pointman on the epidemic said preparations must be made for a possible flare-up of the disease.
NY councilman wants ban on kid toys in high-calorie meals A New York city councilman wants to ban toys in fast-food restaurant kid meals that do not meet strict dietary guidelines.
Lilly psoriasis drug fares well in late-stage test Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. said its potential psoriasis treatment fared better than both a fake drug and a competitor's product during late-stage testing on patients with the most common form of the skin disease.
Death from cancer more likely in New Zealand Although cancer death rates in New Zealand are falling, they are still substantially higher than Australian rates.
New technologies help people with heart disease People taking part in cardiac rehabilitation exercise programmes are likely to maintain healthy behaviours for longer with text message and web-based support, according to recent research from the University of Auckland.
	Childhood obesity unevenly distributed in Norway Overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity are distributed unevenly among children in Norway. Maternal education level, parental marital status and whether the child lives in urban or rural areas all play a role. These findings come from a new report from the Child Growth Study at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Closing the health care disparities gap for women and minorities A new action plan released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to increase the participation of women, minorities, and the elderly in research trials was welcomed today by four leading health organizations as taking an important step toward closing the health care disparities gap. The groups called on the agency to implement the plan swiftly.
	Nigeria confirms two new Ebola cases Two new cases of Ebola have emerged in Nigeria and, in an alarming development, they are outside the group of caregivers who treated an airline passenger who arrived with Ebola and died, Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said Friday.
Unidentified fever kills 13 in DR Congo in 10 days A fever of unidentified origin has killed 13 people in the northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo since August 11, the health minister said.
Many patients are discharged without a diagnosis Chest pain, breathing difficulties, fainting. Each year approx. 265,000 Danes are acutely admitted to medical departments with symptoms of serious illness. New research from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital now shows that many of them – as many as every fourth patient – are sent home again without receiving a diagnosis of the severe symptoms that led to the acute hospitalisation.
Study shows epigenetic changes in children with Crohn's disease A new study finds a wide range of epigenetic changes—alterations in DNA across the genome that may be related to key environmental exposures—in children with Crohn's disease (CD), reports Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, official journal of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).
	Study identifies challenges faced by NYU nurses after Hurricane Sandy Many recall the dramatic images of nurses at New York University's Langone Medical Center (NYULMC) heroically evacuating over three hundred patients, carrying many including the youngest and most vulnerable down flights of stairs during the power outage resulting from the storm surge generated by Hurricane Sandy.
More common procedures for painful facial tics carry high costs, reports study in Neurosurgery For patients who need surgery for facial pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia, the most cost-effective procedure is the least often used, reports a study in the September issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Towards renal artery stenosis treatment Renal artery stenting to open blockages in the kidney arteries may benefit patients who have historically been excluded from modern clinical trials, according to new recommendations for renal artery stenosis e-published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions today by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI).
Obama offers new accommodations on birth control The Obama administration will offer a new accommodation to religious nonprofits that object to covering birth control for their employees. The measure allows those groups to notify the government, rather than their insurance company, that birth control violates their religious beliefs.
Study shows Hera Therapeutics compound combats HPV types that cause most cervical cancer Research presented at the 29th Annual International Papillomavirus Conference shows that a therapy being developed by Hera Therapeutics Inc. combats three types of human papillomavirus, including the two that cause 70 percent of all cervical cancer.
Deletion predicts survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer Bcl-2-like protein 11 (BIM) deletion in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with shorter progression free survival (PFS) in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) or chemotherapy treated Asian patients. Also, BIM deletion independently predicts overall survival (OS) of advanced NSCLC patients.
CDC director to visit Ebola outbreak countries A top U.S. health official plans to travel to West Africa to see firsthand how the Ebola outbreak is unfolding.
Ebola death toll rises to 1,427: WHO The death toll from the Ebola outbreak sweeping through west African countries has risen to 1,427 out of more than 2,600 cases, the World Health Organization said Friday.

Biology news

Calcium and reproduction go together Everyone's heard of the birds and the bees. But that old expression leaves out the flowers that are being fertilized. The fertilization process for flowering plants is particularly complex and requires extensive communication between the male and female reproductive cells. New research from an international team from Stanford, Regensburg, Heidelberg, and Munich, and including Carnegie's Wolf Frommer, David Ehrhardt, and Guido Grossmann reports discoveries in the chemical signaling process that guides flowering plant fertilization. It is published in Nature Communications.
	Canola genome sequence reveals evolutionary 'love triangle' An international team of scientists including researchers from the University of Georgia recently published the genome of Brassica napus—commonly known as canola—in the journal Science. Their discovery paves the way for improved versions of the plant, which is used widely in farming and industry.
	Fungus deadly to AIDS patients found to grow on trees Researchers have pinpointed the environmental source of fungal infections that have been sickening HIV/AIDS patients in Southern California for decades. It literally grows on trees.
	A better understanding of cell to cell communication Researchers of the ISREC Institute at the School of Life Sciences, EPFL, have deciphered the mechanism whereby some microRNAs are retained in the cell while others are secreted and delivered to neighboring cells.
	Hormone analysis helps identify sexual receptivity of female rhinos The first comprehensive study of captive black rhino reproduction in Europe highlights how hormone analysis could improve the success of breeding programmes.
	New tool to assess noise impact on marine mammals A new desktop tool which will allow offshore renewable energy developers to assess the likely impacts of their projects on marine mammal populations has been developed by scientists at the University of St Andrews and SMRU Marine, a university spin-out company.
	Speckled beetle key to saving crops in Ethiopia (Phys.org) —An invasive weed poses a serious and frightening threat to farming families in Ethiopia, but scientists from a Virginia Tech-led program have unleashed a new weapon in the fight against hunger: a tiny, speckled beetle.
	A glimpse at the rings that make cell division possible Forming like a blown smoke ring does, a "contractile ring" similar to a tiny muscle pinches yeast cells in two. The division of cells makes life possible, but the actual mechanics of this fundamental process have proved difficult to pin down.
	Plants can 'switch off' virus DNA A team of virologists and plant geneticists at Wageningen UR has demonstrated that when tomato plants contain Ty-1 resistance to the important Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), parts of the virus DNA (the genome) become hyper-methylated, the result being that virus replication and transcription is inhibited. The team has also shown that this resistance has its Achilles heel: if a plant is simultaneously infected with another important (RNA) virus, the Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), the resistance mechanism is compromised.
	How plant cell compartments change with cell growth A research team led by Kiminori Toyooka from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science has developed a sophisticated microscopy technique that for the first time captures the detailed movement of subcellular organelles over large areas within plant cells. The technique reveals how the distribution of organelles involved in the maintenance and growth of the cell membrane changes with the growth cycle.
	Pollen on birds shows feeding grounds Encrusted pollen on migrating birds' heads can shed light on where they've taken a break from migration to refuel, scientists say.
Best wine-making yeast has clever trick to ensure survival Wine-making yeast produces nice smells to attract the highest number of fruit flies which in turn helps it disperse over the widest area of a vineyard, according to research from the University of Auckland.
	New threatened tree populations discovered in Vietnam The new findings are the result of over two weeks of fieldwork in forests surrounding the villages of Phieng Luong and Phieng Phoc in northern Vietnam.
	Researchers look at small RNA pathways in maize tassels Researchers at the University of Delaware and other institutions across the country have been awarded a four-year, $6.5 million National Science Foundation grant to analyze developmental events in maize anthers and tassels, the male reproductive organs that produce pollen.
Crambe could be an even better oil crop thanks to gene technology It is possible to apply genetic modification to the crop crambe so it meets market demands and takes into account what modern society wants. These are the results of research for which Weicong Qi will receive his PhD on 27 August at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR.
	Neutering project curbed feral cat population (HealthDay)—An intensive effort to sterilize feral cats reduced the number of felines taken to an animal shelter in Florida and euthanized, a new study reveals.

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