Monday, August 25, 2014

Science X Newsletter Monday, Aug 25

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 25, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Quantum meets classical: Qubit fabricated with integrated micromagnet increases speed of quantum manipulation in silicon
- Best of Last Week – Evidence of quark-gluon interactions, new portable device hack and why we may never live forever
- A long childhood feeds the hungry human brain
- Evolutionary history of honeybees revealed by genomics
- 'Robo Brain' will teach robots everything from the Internet
- Fully functional immune organ grown in mice from lab-created cells
- Biomimetic photodetector 'sees' in color
- Over 500 gas plumes found to be bubbling up in the ocean along the eastern US coast
- Researchers develop artificial lens based glaucoma sensor
- Taung Child's skull and brain not human-like in expansion
- Are you as old as what you eat? Researchers learn how to rejuvenate aging immune cells
- Driving brain rhythm makes mice more sensitive to touch
- Bioengineers close to brewing opioid painkillers without using opium from poppies
- Amazon readying an attack on Google's ad business
- Europe sees five possible sites for comet landing

Astronomy & Space news

SpaceX rocket explodes during test flight

A SpaceX rocket exploded in midair during a test flight, though no one was injured, as the company seeks to develop a spacecraft that can return to Earth and be used again.

Two Galileo satellites lose their way

Two European Galileo satellites launched as part of a navigation system designed to rival GPS have failed to locate their intended orbit, launch firm Arianespace said Saturday.

Image: Hubble stirs up galactic soup

(Phys.org) —This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows a whole host of colorful and differently shaped galaxies; some bright and nearby, some fuzzy, and some so far from us they appear as small specks in the background sky. Together they appear as kind of galactic soup.

How Titan's haze help us understand life's origins

Where did life on Earth come from? There are several theories as to what might have happened. Maybe comets came bearing organic material, or life was transported from another planet such as Mars, or something happened in the chemistry of our planet that made life possible.

Mars rover team chooses not to drill 'Bonanza King'

(Phys.org) —Evaluation of a pale, flat Martian rock as the potential next drilling target for NASA's Curiosity Mars rover determined that the rock was not stable enough for safe drilling.

Europe sees five possible sites for comet landing

The European Space Agency (ESA) on Monday said it had drawn up a shortlist of five possible sites for carrying out the first-ever landing on a comet.

NASA: Former astronaut Nagel dies after illness

Steven R. Nagel, a former astronaut who flew on four space shuttle flights, has died after a long illness. He was 67.

NASA turns down the volume on rocket noise through SLS scale model acoustic testing

NASA engineers recently went on an auricle ride as a scale model of the Space Launch System (SLS), including solid rocket motors, was fired—giving an "earful" of information about how low- and high-frequency sound waves will affect the rocket on the launch pad.

India's maiden Mars mission one month out from red planet arrival

India's maiden foray to Mars is now just one month out from the Red Planet and closing in fast on the final stages of the history making rendezvous culminating on September 24, 2014.

Experts probe launch failure for EU's satnav project

Experts are racing to identify and fix a problem that saw two satellites from Europe's troubled Galileo satnav programme sent into the wrong orbit.

Hypersonic weapon detonated after lift-off: US military

The US military had to detonate a hypersonic weapon seconds after lift-off Monday due to a technical problem, cutting short a flight test for the experimental project, officials said.

ACEs are high with space station colloidal research

One global marketer took to space to find a way to be leaner and greener back on Earth. For Procter & Gamble (P&G), product innovation and improvement relied on use of the International Space Station (ISS) as a science platform for the Advanced Colloids Experiment-Microscopy-1 (ACE-M-1) investigation.

Last Call: Pluto-bound craft crosses Neptune orbit

NASA calls it a cosmic coincidence.

Technology news

'Robo Brain' will teach robots everything from the Internet

Robo Brain – a large-scale computational system that learns from publicly available Internet resources – is currently downloading and processing about 1 billion images, 120,000 YouTube videos, and 100 million how-to documents and appliance manuals. The information is being translated and stored in a robot-friendly format that robots will be able to draw on when they need it.

Amazon readying an attack on Google's ad business

US online giant Amazon is preparing to take on Google in one of its core businesses, Internet advertising, the Wall Street Journal said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

US warns shops to watch for customer data hacking

The US Department of Homeland Security on Friday warned businesses to watch for hackers targeting customer data with malicious computer code like that used against retail giant Target.

To deter cyberattacks, build a public-private partnership

Cyberattacks loom as an increasingly dire threat to privacy, national security and the global economy, and the best way to blunt their impact may be a public-private partnership between government and business, researchers say. But the time to act is now, rather than in the wake of a crisis, says a University of Illinois expert in law and technology.

Official says hackers hit up to 25,000 US workers

The internal records of as many as 25,000 Homeland Security Department employees were exposed during a recent computer break-in at a federal contractor that handles security clearances, an agency official said Friday.

Ahead of Emmys, Netflix already winning online

Even if it doesn't take home any of the major trophies at Monday's Emmy Awards, Netflix will have already proven itself the top winner in one regard: Internet programming.

LG bets on pricey OLED technology as future of TVs

LG Electronics Inc. announced two new giant OLED TVs with ultra-high definition screens Monday, sticking with its strategy of using the exceptionally expensive OLED display technology.

Smartphones set out to decipher a cryptographic system

While carrying out her master thesis on computer science, Ramasany Gowthami participated in the creation of an Android app by means of which users get together to crack a modern cryptographic code.

Sony network hacked, exec's flight diverted (Update)

Hackers attacked Sony's PlayStation Network and disrupted the travel plans of a top company executive by going on Twitter to suggest that there was a bomb on his American Airlines plane.

Electricity helping the blind navigate

Specialists at the Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM) developed a device able to guide blind or visually impaired people in established routes through electrical stimulation of the organs associated with balance (vestibular apparatus).

Self-driving cars need 'adjustable ethics' set by owners

One of the issues of self-driving vehicles is legal liability for death or injury in the event of an accident. If the car maker programs the car so the driver has no choice, is it likely the company could be sued over the car's actions.

Overly polite drivers, not roadworks, cause traffic jams

British motorists who are too polite or timid in their driving style are the cause of lengthy traffic jams across the UK, particularly when faced with roadworks or lane closures, according to a leading Heriot-Watt research scientist who found traffic jams can be up to 20 per cent worse than engineers plan for, due to drivers being overly polite on the road.

Team launches world's first ZigBee-based inter-satellite communication system

Engineers at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have successfully piloted the world's first ZigBee-based inter-satellite communication system.

Expert calls for nuke plant closure

A senior federal nuclear expert is urging regulators to shut down California's last operating nuclear plant until they can determine whether the facility's twin reactors can withstand powerful shaking from any one of several nearby earthquake faults.

Amazon to pay $1bn for gaming site Twitch: report

Amazon is buying the videogame platform Twitch for $1 billion, bringing it access to millions of people who watch games being played on the site, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

TiVo to make version for those without cable

Here's a sign more households are going without cable or satellite TV: TiVo Inc. is making a digital video recorder just for so-called cord-cutters.

Medicine & Health news

Are you as old as what you eat? Researchers learn how to rejuvenate aging immune cells

Researchers from UCL (University College London) have demonstrated how an interplay between nutrition, metabolism and immunity is involved in the process of aging.

Driving brain rhythm makes mice more sensitive to touch

By striking up the right rhythm in the right brain region at the right time, Brown University neuroscientists report in Nature Neuroscience that they managed to endow mice with greater touch sensitivity than other mice, making hard-to-perceive vibrations suddenly more vivid to them.

Fully functional immune organ grown in mice from lab-created cells

Scientists have for the first time grown a complex, fully functional organ from scratch in a living animal by transplanting cells that were originally created in a laboratory. The advance could in future aid the development of 'lab-grown' replacement organs.

Researchers develop artificial lens based glaucoma sensor

(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers working at Stanford University has developed a glaucoma sensor that fits onto an artificial lens. The sensor works in conjunction with a smartphone peripheral and app, and allows the person to whom it has been affixed, to measure fluid pressure insider their eyeball—a way of testing for blindness causing glaucoma. The team has published details of their sensor in the journal Nature Medicine.

A long childhood feeds the hungry human brain

A five-year old's brain is an energy monster. It uses twice as much glucose (the energy that fuels the brain) as that of a full-grown adult, a new study led by Northwestern University anthropologists has found.

Study suggests repurposing anti-depressant medication to target medulloblastoma

An international research team reports in Nature Medicine a novel molecular pathway that causes an aggressive form of medulloblastoma, and suggests repurposing an anti-depressant medication to target the new pathway may help combat one of the most common brain cancers in children.

Neuroscientists show how neurons respond to sequences of familiar objects

The world grows increasingly more chaotic year after year, and our brains are constantly bombarded with images. A new study from Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), a joint project between Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, reveals how neurons in the part of the brain responsible for recognizing objects respond to being shown a barrage of images. The study is published online by Nature Neuroscience.

Neuroscience and big data: How to find simplicity in the brain

Scientists can now monitor and record the activity of hundreds of neurons concurrently in the brain, and ongoing technology developments promise to increase this number manyfold. However, simply recording the neural activity does not automatically lead to a clearer understanding of how the brain works.

Train your heart to protect your mind

Exercising to improve our cardiovascular strength may protect us from cognitive impairment as we age, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Montreal. "Our body's arteries stiffen with age, and the vessel hardening is believed to begin in the aorta, the main vessel coming out of the heart, before reaching the brain. Indeed, the hardening may contribute to cognitive changes that occur during a similar time frame," explained Claudine Gauthier, first author of the study. "We found that older adults whose aortas were in a better condition and who had greater aerobic fitness performed better on a cognitive test. We therefore think that the preservation of vessel elasticity may be one of the mechanisms that enables exercise to slow cognitive aging."

How a microscopic 'pump' could get drugs into cancer cells

A major challenge for chemotherapy has been balancing the ability to damage and kill cancer cells with the collateral damage it can cause to normal, healthy cells.

Anticipating experience-based purchases more enjoyable than material ones, researchers show

To get the most enjoyment out of our dollar, science tells us to focus our discretionary spending on trips over TVs, on concerts over clothing, since experiences tend to bring more enduring pleasure than do material goods. New research shows that the enjoyment we derive from experiential purchases may begin before we even buy.

Common gut bacteria prevent sensitization to allergens in mouse model for peanut allergy

The presence of Clostridia, a common class of gut bacteria, protects against food allergies, a new study in mice finds. By inducing immune responses that prevent food allergens from entering the bloodstream, Clostridia minimize allergen exposure and prevent sensitization – a key step in the development of food allergies. The discovery points toward probiotic therapies for this so-far untreatable condition, report scientists from the University of Chicago, Aug 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Key to universal flu vaccine: Embrace the unfamiliar

Vaccine researchers have developed a strategy aimed at generating broadly cross-reactive antibodies against the influenza virus: embrace the unfamiliar.

Researchers discover protein's ability to inhibit HIV release

A family of proteins that promotes virus entry into cells also has the ability to block the release of HIV and other viruses, University of Missouri researchers have found.

Exposure to toxins makes great granddaughters more susceptible to stress

Scientists have known that toxic effects of substances known as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), found in both natural and human-made materials, can pass from one generation to the next, but new research shows that females with ancestral exposure to EDC may show especially adverse reactions to stress.

High insulin levels tied to obesity pathway, research shows

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a crucial link between high levels of insulin and pathways that lead to obesity, a finding that may have important implications when treating diabetes.

New biomarker highly promising for predicting breast cancer outcomes

A protein named p66ShcA shows promise as a biomarker to identify breast cancers with poor prognoses, according to research published ahead of print in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Sleep drunkenness disorder may affect one in seven

A study is shining new light on a sleep disorder called "sleep drunkenness." The disorder may be as prevalent as affecting one in every seven people. The research is published in the August 26, 2014, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Aspirin cuts risk of clots, DVT by a third, new study finds

Low dose aspirin lowers the occurrence of new venous blood clots – and represents a reasonable treatment option for patients who are not candidates for long-term anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin, according to a new study published in today's issue of Circulation.

Ice bucket challenge may change nonprofit world

The ice bucket challenge's phenomenal success is making other charitable organizations rethink how they connect with a younger generation of potential donors.

American Heart Association issues e-cigarette recommendations

The American Heart Association issued new policy recommendations today on the use of e-cigarettes and their impact on tobacco-control efforts. The guidance was published in the association's journal, Circulation.

New term will banish stigma, educate providers on postmenopausal problems

Talking about genital, sexual, and urinary problems can be uncomfortable for postmenopausal women and their doctors. Having a term that doesn't carry stigma, isn't embarrassing to say, and is medically accurate could go a long way in helping women get the help they need and allowing them to make smarter healthcare decisions. That term is "genitourinary syndrome of menopause" or GSM, developed and endorsed by The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH). The article about the term's development is published online today in the NAMS journal Menopause.

Group bonding halts depression for all walks of life

(Medical Xpress)—Becoming a part of a social group can significantly reduce the effects of depression, according to new research from The University of Queensland.

The future of regenerative medicine

(Medical Xpress)—If regenerative medicine is to become a reality, research efforts must now focus on the environment that stem cells need to grow and transform, a review has found.

Phosphate increases the concentration of sodium in the blood

A previously undiscovered role played by the hormone FGF23 has now been discovered in a project funded by the FWF. Scientists were already aware that greater quantities of this hormone are produced when there is too much phosphate in the blood plasma and that it reduces the absorption of this mineral from the urine. The new results now also show an effect on the absorption of sodium. The hormone actually increases – through a newly discovered complex signalling pathway – the frequency of a transport protein which serves to re-absorb sodium from the urine in the kidneys. Excess phosphate in the plasma therefore leads, via FGF23, to augmented absorption of sodium into the blood – with all of the long-term consequences that this entails, such as high blood pressure and strain on the heart.

New social media surveillance tool vital to public health preparedness, researchers say

A new social media surveillance tool may be the key to helping public health officials prepare for health epidemics or public crises like gun violence.

Clinical assessment may benefit postpartum women with methadone treatment changes

(Medical Xpress)—A recent study led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) found that women may not need significant methadone dose reductions in the first three months after pregnancy. Researchers reviewed the charts of 101 women who received care at a methadone maintenance treatment program between 2006 and 2010 after giving birth. They discovered that under the clinical assessment model—in which clinicians estimate patients' methadone dose based on their individual physiologic parameters, rather than using a standard formula to reduce doses—women experienced on average only a small reduction in methadone dose. This suggests that, contrary to prior belief, changes in the physiology of women's bodies from delivery to 12 weeks postpartum did not significantly affect their response to methadone.

Botox for stomach cancer? No, but the research is fascinating

Amid continuing tales of global woe, Thursday morning's news carried one of those quirky 'fancy-that!' medical research stories that often captures the imagination, but which can inadvertently raise false hope in patients.

Knee surgery shows no benefit for people with mild osteoarthritis

A new study indicates that there is no apparent benefit to arthroscopic knee surgery for age-related tears of the meniscus in comparison with nonsurgical or sham treatments. The study, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), provides evidence that middle-aged or older patients with mild or no osteoarthritis of the knee may not benefit from the procedure.

Increased risk of stroke in people with cognitive impairment

People with cognitive impairment are significantly more likely to have a stroke, with a 39% increased risk, than people with normal cognitive function, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Retinal thinning can be used as an early marker for frontotemporal dementia

Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes and University of California, San Francisco have shown that a loss of cells in the retina is one of the earliest signs of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in people with a genetic risk for the disorder—even before any changes appear in their behavior.

Scientists discover that drug used for DNA repair defects could treat leukaemia and other cancers more effectively

A team of scientists led by Research Associate Professor Motomi Osato and Professor Yoshiaki Ito from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that a drug originally designed for killing a limited type of cancer cells with DNA repair defects could potentially be used to treat leukaemia and other cancers.

Lung cancer is rarely detected by current X-ray procedures

Each year, nearly 3000 Norwegians develop lung cancer. Current x-ray- examinations capture only 20 percent of cases. With modern ultralow-dose CT, the radiologists hit the bull's eye 90 per cent of the time.

Predicting aggressive lymphoma

Each year, more than one thousand Norwegians develop lymphoma. A statistical genetic analysis can detect when the disease will be aggressive. Thereby, treatment can be initiated in time.

Obsessive 'sharenting' could be more than digital narcissism

It's summer and Facebook news feeds are awash with idyllic, sun-drenched snapshots of family life. This kind of "sharenting" is bigger than ever but we rarely stop to think about whether it is appropriate, why we do it and whether we might use social media for something less self-indulgent.

Overweight causes hazardous inflammations

Researchers have found a possible molecular explanation for why overweight is harmful. This new knowledge may provide new drugs for heart attack, stroke, cancer and chronic intestinal inflammation.

Heart group: E-cigarettes might help smokers quit

The American Heart Association's first policy statement on electronic cigarettes backs them as a last resort to help smokers quit. The American Cancer Society has no formal policy but quietly took a similar stance in May.

Imaging techniques help combat fibromatosis

A study by Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) researchers has highlighted the role of contrast enhanced MRI in managing fibromatosis of the breast, a rare form of breast tumour, and the use of diagnostic open biopsy in its diagnosis.

Researchers defined the early lineage segregation during early mammalian heart development

The heart contains four different chambers and different cell types such as cardiomyocytes (CMs), endocardial cells (ECs) covering the inner layer of the heart, epicardial cells covering the outer layer of the heart and smooth muscle cells  (SMCs) covering the coronary arteries and main vessels. During embryonic development, the cells that will formed the heart need to be specified at the correct time, migrate at the correct place, proliferate to ensure the harmonious morphogenesis and growth of the heart. Any defects during this critical stage of development will lead to congenital heart diseases, which represent the first cause of severe birth malformations. While different progenitors that contribute to the development of the heart have been identified, it remains unclear whether these cells arise from common progenitors or derive from distinct progenitors that are specified at different time during development.

Large-scale study focuses on heavy smokers

A study based on blood samples from more than 55,000 Danes conducted by the University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen University Hospital shows a direct correlation between smoking and mortality. A special gene variant increases the risk of heavy smoking. The findings have been published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Researchers develop new approach to identify 'drivers' of cancer

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have developed a new integrated approach to pinpoint the genetic "drivers" of cancer, uncovering eight genes that could be viable for targeted breast cancer therapy.

Expectant parents' play with doll predicts later parenting behavior

Having expectant parents role-play interacting with an infant using a doll can help predict which couples may be headed for co-parenting conflicts when their baby arrives.

Pediatricians offer new dental recommendations

(HealthDay)—All children should start using toothpaste with fluoride when their teeth appear, regardless of their risk level for cavities, according to new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Start school later for older kids, pediatricians urge

(HealthDay)—U.S. high schools and middle schools should start classes later in the morning to allow kids some much-needed sleep, a leading group of pediatricians is urging.

Organizations can help docs retain their independence

(HealthDay)—Ways for physicians to remain in independent practice are highlighted in an article published Aug. 7 in Medical Economics.

Today's parents less able to spot obesity in their kids, study shows

(HealthDay)—Parents have become less able to realize when their child is overweight or obese, a new study finds.

Study shows promise in automated reasoning, hypothesis generation over complete medical literature

With approximately 50 million scientific papers available in public databases– and a new one publishing nearly every 30 seconds – scientists cannot know about every relevant study when they are deciding where to take their research next.

Virus, zebrafish enable scientists to map the living brain

A virus and a zebrafish are helping scientists map the living brain. "You can kinda draw a diagram and see how cells within it are connected in a functioning brain," said Dr. Albert Pan, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University. "This will help us see how wiring is laid and how it functions."

Research shows 25 percent fewer opioid-related deaths in states allowing medical marijuana

On average, states allowing the medical use of marijuana have lower rates of deaths resulting from opioid analgesic overdoses than states without such laws. Opioid analgesics, such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, are prescribed for moderate to severe pain, and work by suppressing a person's perception of pain.

Surgical complications of deep brain stimulation no higher risk for older Parkinson's patients

Implantating deep brain stimulation devices poses no greater risk of complications to older patients than it does to younger patients with Parkinson's disease, researchers at Duke Medicine report.

Parents of anxious children can avoid the 'protection trap'

Parents naturally comfort their children when they are scared, but new research shows that some reactions may actually reinforce their children's feelings of anxiety.

Youths who try e-cigarettes triple since 2011

The number of US youths who have tried e-cigarettes tripled from 2011 to 2013, raising concerns about the potential for a new generation of nicotine addicts, US health authorities said Monday.

Racial and ethnic stereotypes may contribute to obesity among minorities

Many Americans need extraordinary willpower to avoid becoming obese – or to slim down if they already weigh too much. For members of minority groups, maintaining a healthy weight can be that much harder according to new research led by Luis Rivera, an experimental social psychologist at Rutgers University-Newark.

Learning by watching, toddlers show intuitive understanding of probability

Most people know children learn many skills simply by watching people around them. Without explicit instructions youngsters know to do things like press a button to operate the television and twist a knob to open a door. Now researchers have taken this further, finding that children as young as age 2 intuitively use mathematical concepts such as probability to help make sense of the world around them.

New coping strategy for the memory impaired and their caregivers

Mindfulness training for individuals with early-stage dementia and their caregivers together in the same class was beneficial for both groups, easing depression and improving sleep and quality of life, reports new Northwestern Medicine study.

Doctors miss opportunities to offer flu shots

Doctors should make a point of offering a flu vaccine to their patients. A simple reminder could considerably reduce the number of racial and ethnic minorities who currently do not vaccinate themselves against this common contagious respiratory illness. This recommendation is based on research led by Jürgen Maurer of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and the RAND Corporation in the US. Their findings are published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Two case reports of rare stiff person syndrome

Two female patients achieved clinical remission from the rare, debilitating neurological disease called stiff person syndrome (SPS, which can be marked by a "tin soldier" gait) after an autologous (from your own body) stem cell transplant that eventually allowed them to return to work and regain their previous functioning.

Ever growing number of women with gestational diabetes suggests future will be filled with children with early diabetes

New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) shows that children exposed to gestational diabetes in the wombs of their mothers are themselves around six times more likely to develop diabetes or prediabetes than children not exposed. The research is by Dr Sonia Caprio, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA, and colleagues.

Cancer-fighting drugs might also stop malaria early

Scientists searching for new drugs to fight malaria have identified a number of compounds—some of which are currently in clinical trials to treat cancer—that could add to the anti-malarial arsenal.

Bullying starts before school years begin, study finds

(HealthDay)—In a finding that illustrates the complexity of bullying, Dutch researchers report that obese boys are more likely to bully and be bullied than their thinner peers and the vicious cycle begins before these children ever step foot inside a school.

Analytic strategy can cut bias in large observational studies

(HealthDay)—In multicenter observational studies, bias from variability in treatment selection between clinical centers can be reduced by matching recalibrated propensity scores within clinical centers, according to a study published online Aug. 12 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

State of the art review: eating disorders in children, teens

(HealthDay)—A new review presents recommendations for the management of eating disorders (EDs) in children. In addition, other research indicates that there has been a recent increase in the prevalence of eating disorders not otherwise specified who do not meet weight criteria (EDNOS-Wt), relative to anorexia nervosa (AN). The review and study have been published online Aug. 25 in Pediatrics.

No link found between diverticular disease, cancer

(HealthDay)—Colonic diverticular disease does not appear to be linked to an increased risk of subsequent colorectal cancer (CRC), according to research published in the August issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Last Ebola-free region of Liberia falls to virus

Every region of Liberia has now been hit by Ebola, officials said Friday, as the World Health Organization warned the fight against the worst-ever outbreak of the killer disease would take months.

How the world is underestimating Ebola: WHO

The Ebola epidemic tearing through western Africa is by far the deadliest known outbreak of the disease, yet the magnitude of the spread is believed to be severely underestimated.

Ivory Coast closes borders with Ebola-hit neighbours

The Ivory Coast has closed its borders with Ebola-hit Guinea and Liberia in a bid to protect citizens against an epidemic that has killed 1,427 people across West Africa, the prime minister said Saturday.

Possible Ebola patient in Canada tests negative (Update)

A patient who recently returned from West Africa suspected of being infected with Ebola was isolated in a Canadian hospital but tested negative for the disease, the hospital said Saturday.

Bolivia patient isolated for Ebola check

Authorities said Saturday they were investigating a first potential case of Ebola in Bolivia.

UN vows central role in fighting 'exceptional' Ebola epidemic

The United Nations vowed Saturday to play a "strong role" in helping Liberia and its neighbours fight a deadly outbreak of Ebola in west Africa, which it said could take months to bring it under control.

DR Congo confirms first Ebola cases (Update)

The Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday confirmed its two first cases of Ebola this year, but claimed they were unrelated to the epidemic raging in four countries of West Africa.

Briton with Ebola arrives in London hospital (Update)

A British nurse who contracted the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone arrived at a London hospital on Sunday, the ministry of defence said.

UN health agency announces first staff Ebola infection

The World Health Organization on Sunday announced the first Ebola infection among its experts, describing the infected person as an epidemiologist who had been deployed to Sierra Leone.

Medicaid reimbursements may affect cancer screening rates among beneficiaries

A recent study has found that in states with higher Medicaid payments for office visits, Medicaid beneficiaries were more likely to be screened for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings may help policy makers address barriers to access to care and improve the use of recommended cancer screening services.

Pakistan launches fresh polio drive for tribal regions

Pakistan Monday launched a fresh drive to vaccinate more than 700,000 children in its restive tribal belt against polio, but officials said nearly 300,000 others would miss out because of threats from militants.

Japan ready to offer flu drug for Ebola treatment (Update)

Japan said Monday it is ready to provide a Japanese-developed anti-influenza drug as a possible treatment for the rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak.

Cutting the liver piece by piece

New surgical methods give hope to patients with cancer that has spread from the intestine to the liver. The disease can be changed from terminal to chronic by cutting the liver piece by piece using keyhole surgery.

Liberia: Doctor given experimental Ebola drug dies (Update 2)

A Liberian doctor who received one of the last known doses of an experimental Ebola drug has died, officials said Monday, as Canada said it has yet to send out doses of a potential vaccine that the government is donating.

APOB, a gene involved in lipid transport, linked to cases of familial extreme longevity

In a recent report in Aging Cell, a multidisciplinary team of Spanish scientists, led by Tim Cash and Manuel Serrano at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), identify rare variants in the APOB gene in several families where exceptional longevity (>100 years of age) appears to cluster. Investigators identified three Spanish families with at least two siblings of around 100 years of age and they sequenced their genes in the hope of finding rare variants that could be associated with extreme longevity. Remarkably, only one gene was found carrying rare variants in all the long-lived siblings of the three families, namely, APOB.

Nursing home care improves with culture change

If a nursing home makes an extensive investment in "culture change" it will see improvements in quality of care, according to a new study led by Brown University gerontology researchers.

Medical pot applicans face 'hoop jumping'

Julie Falco was active in lobbying Illinois to legalize medical marijuana, a drug she credits with "saving my life" since she started eating pot brownies to treat her multiple sclerosis 10 years ago.

Do closed-loop insulin delivery systems improve blood glucose control in type 1 diabetes?

In a closed-loop control approach to managing type 1 diabetes, glucose sensors placed under the skin continuously monitor blood sugar levels, triggering the release of insulin from an implantable insulin pump as needed. The aim of this closed-loop insulin delivery system is improved control of blood glucose levels throughout the day and night. But a new study in adults and adolescents found that mean blood glucose levels remained at safe levels 53-82% of the time, according to the results published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT).

Illinois scientists work with WHO to fortify condiments, seasonings

Two University of Illinois scientists are contributing to World Health Organization (WHO) efforts to fortify condiments and seasonings for use in countries with widespread micronutrient deficiencies.

Ukraine's former world's tallest man dies

Ukraine's tallest man, who briefly held the world record but gave it up to live as a recluse, has died due to complications from the condition that saw him never stop growing, local media reported Monday.

Yellow pigment in eye may aid vision through haze

Individuals with greater amounts of yellow pigment in the eye may be better able to see distant objects in hazy conditions, suggests a study in the September issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

Can auriculotherapy help relieve chronic constipation?

Nearly 1 in 6 adults worldwide may suffer from chronic constipation and, over time, the disorder can cause serious complications. Auriculotherapy, a form of acupuncture that involves stimulating targeted points on the outer ear, may help in managing constipation. Evidence from numerous clinical studies published between 2007-2013 that evaluated the effectiveness of auriculotherapy in treating patients with constipation is presented and discussed in a Review article in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

UN envoy says flight bans hindering 'war' on Ebola (Update)

The UN's new pointman on Ebola said Monday the fight against the epidemic was a "war" which could take another six months, and warned that airlines boycotting the region were hampering the response.

New clinical trial for children with autism to target parents

In a first of its kind clinical trial, Debra Zand, Ph.D., and her team at Saint Louis University, will run an intervention program to help parents address and manage their children's challenging behaviors immediately after being diagnosed with autism.

Nigeria revises confirmed Ebola cases from 14 to 13

Nigeria on Monday revised down the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country to 13, including five deaths, blaming the reporting of a 14th case on a false positive.

Weekend hospitalization linked to longer stay for pediatric leukemia patients

Weekend admission to the hospital for pediatric patients newly diagnosed with leukemia was associated with a longer length of stay, slightly longer wait to start chemotherapy and higher risk for respiratory failure but weekend admissions were not linked to an increased risk for death.

Biology news

Evolutionary history of honeybees revealed by genomics

In a study published in Nature Genetics, researchers from Uppsala University present the first global analysis of genome variation in honeybees. The findings show a surprisingly high level of genetic diversity in honeybees, and indicate that the species most probably originates from Asia, and not from Africa as previously thought.

Bioengineers close to brewing opioid painkillers without using opium from poppies

For centuries poppy plants have been grown to provide opium, the compound from which morphine and other important medicines such as oxycodone are derived.

Signatures of selection inscribed on poplar genomes

One aspect of the climate change models researchers have been developing looks at how plant ranges might shift, and how factors such as temperature, water availability, and light levels might come into play. Forests creeping steadily north and becoming established in the thawing Arctic is just one of the predicted effects of rising global temperatures.

Zombie ant fungi 'know' brains of their hosts

(Phys.org) —A parasitic fungus that reproduces by manipulating the behavior of ants emits a cocktail of behavior-controlling chemicals when encountering the brain of its natural target host, but not when infecting other ant species, a new study shows.

Deploying exosomes to win a battle of the sexes

There are many biological tools that help animals ensure reproductive success. A new study in The Journal of Cell Biology provides further detail into how one such mechanism enables male fruit flies to improve their odds by stopping females from mating with other flies.

Scientists uncover navigation system used by cancer, nerve cells

Duke University researchers have found a "roving detection system" on the surface of cells that may point to new ways of treating diseases like cancer, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Researchers find boron facilitates stem cell growth and development in corn

Boron deficiency is one of the most widespread causes of reduced crop yield. Missouri and the eastern half of the United States are plagued by boron deficient soil and, often, corn and soybean farmers are required to supplement their soil with boron; however, little is known about the ways in which corn plants utilize the essential nutrient. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that boron plays an integral role in development and reproduction in corn plants. Scientists anticipate that understanding how corn uses the nutrient can help farmers make informed decisions in boron deficient areas and improve crop yields.

Invasive insect threatens iconic Florida citrus

The tourists stream to Florida in their cars, intent on a week at Disney or a sugar-sand seashore or a nonstop party on South Beach. Road weary and thirsty, they pull over at one of the state's five official welcome centers. They walk inside, and then they look up.

Wildlife 'WikiLeaks' targets Africa poaching elite

Poachers slaughtering Africa's elephants and rhinos with impunity are often shielded from police by powerful connections, but a group of conservationists has turned to the anonymity of tip-offs to try to stem the killing.

Edible insects a boon to Thailand's farmers

Depending solely on the rains to either yield a good rice crop or leave their fields dry and barren, farmers in this village in northeastern Thailand, the country's poorest region, led a precarious and back-breaking existence. Then they discovered bugs.

Forensics research to make cadaver dogs more efficient

Specially-trained victim recovery dogs can perform phenomenal feats in sniffing out the whereabouts of bodies and body parts, even beneath mounds of rubble or deep below water.  But University of Huddersfield researcher Lorna Irish is investigating ways in which they can carry out their grim but vital tasks even more efficiently.  

Pig pheromone proves useful in curtailing bad behavior in dogs

A professor at Texas Tech discovers Androstenone can stop dogs from barking, jumping. In a sense, John McGlone was just like any other pet owner a few years ago. He simply wanted to keep his Cairn Terrier from barking incessantly.

Habitat loss and fragmentation reduce chameleon population in Tanzania

(Phys.org) —Tucked away among the lush rainforests of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania are a host of species of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.

Removing odor from wastewater using bacteria

EcoVerde removes odor and other contaminants through a biological process based on bacteria that feed on hydrogen sulfide

Core mechanism for root growth identified

PLETHORA proteins and plant hormone auxin orchestrate root growth together.

Maine lobsterman catches rare blue lobster

A lobsterman says one of his traps caught a one-in-two-million crustacean: a blue lobster.

Famed Galapagos tortoise 'Pepe the Missionary' dies

"Pepe the Missionary," a giant tortoise who rose to fame as one of the most photographed animals on Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, has died at age 60, officials said Friday.

Cannibalism may contribute to the successful invasion by harlequin ladybirds of new habitats

INRA research scientists, working in collaboration with European and Russian scientists, have studied the cannibalistic behaviour of native and invasive populations of the Harmonia axyridis ladybird. Their findings suggest that this behaviour may procure them a real survival advantage during the colonisation of new habitats.

Norway fishermen post record-breaking whale haul

Fishermen in Norway have caught 729 whales this year, the highest number since it resumed the controversial practice in defiance of international pressure, industry sources said on Monday.


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