Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Aug 26

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 26, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- New insights into 'switchable water' have implications for water purification and desalination
- Do we live in a 2-D hologram? New Fermilab experiment will test the nature of the universe
- Competition for graphene: Researchers demonstrate ultrafast charge transfer in new family of 2-D semiconductors
- Symphony of nanoplasmonic and optical resonators produces laser-like light emission
- Researchers devise several ways to orient nonmagnetic objects in 3D space using magnetic levitation
- 2013 study on happiness and gene expression flawed, new research shows
- Duality principle is 'safe and sound': Researchers clear up apparent violation of wave-particle duality
- Scientists craft atomically seamless, thinnest-possible semiconductor junctions
- Study says Earth can sustain more terrestrial plant growth than previously thought
- Best view yet of merging galaxies in distant universe
- Researchers find ionic liquids able to safely penetrate both skin and bacteria biofilm
- Existing power plants will spew 300 billion more tons of carbon dioxide during use
- Study: Social media users shy away from opinions
- Lack of naturally occuring protein linked to dementia
- Team shows calibrated multiple-projector spherical display

Astronomy & Space news

	New Horizons spacecraft crosses Neptune orbit en route to historic Pluto encounter (Phys.org) —NASA's Pluto-bound New Horizons spacecraft has traversed the orbit of Neptune. This is its last major crossing en route to becoming the first probe to make a close encounter with distant Pluto on July 14, 2015.
	Best view yet of merging galaxies in distant universe Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and other telescopes, an international team of astronomers has obtained the best view yet of a collision that took place between two galaxies when the Universe was half its current age. They enlisted the help of a galaxy-sized magnifying glass to reveal otherwise invisible detail. These studies of the galaxy H-ATLAS J142935.3-002836 have shown that this complex distant object looks like the local galaxy collision, the Antennae Galaxies.
	Eta Carinae: Our Neighboring Superstars (Phys.org) —The Eta Carinae star system does not lack for superlatives. Not only does it contain one of the biggest and brightest stars in our galaxy, weighing at least 90 times the mass of the Sun, it is also extremely volatile and is expected to have at least one supernova explosion in the future.
	Image: 25 years ago, Voyager 2 captured images of Neptune NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft gave humanity its first glimpse of Neptune and its moon Triton in the summer of 1989. This picture of Neptune was produced from the last whole planet images taken through the green and orange filters on the Voyager 2 narrow angle camera.
	Low on fuel, rainfall satellite slowly spirals to its death in 2016 After 17 years of faithful service, the end is in sight for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). The joint NASA-Japanese mission is out of fuel (except for a small reserve amount for emergencies) and beginning its slow descent back to Earth.
	EUV calibrations for satellite sensors Thanks to precision calibration measurements recently performed at NIST, satellites may soon be looking at sunlight with new and improved vision.
	Moderate solar flare erupts from the sun, but likely won't affect Earth While this solar peak has been weaker than usual, from time to time we get a moderate punch from the Sun. Here's an example—what NASA calls a "mid-level" solar flare blasting off the Sun at 8:16 a.m. EDT (1:16 p.m. UTC) yesterday (Aug. 26).
	Image: Astronaut training in Sardinia, Italy ESA trainers and caving specialists are pictured here underground in Sardinia, Italy, setting the scene for space-like astronaut training next month.
	Collaboration aims to reduce, treat vision problems in astronauts To reduce and better treat spaceflight-induced visual impairment, University of Houston (UH) optometrists are collaborating on a NASA study that examines ocular changes seen in a number of astronauts.

Technology news

	Amazon could be ESPN of video games in Twitch deal Amazon is hoping to become the ESPN of video games. The e-commerce giant is buying streaming platform Twitch Interactive for $970 million in cash as it seeks to take part in video gaming's growth as an online spectator sport.
	Microsoft researchers use social media to teach Skype how to translate languages in real-time (Phys.org) —A few months ago, Microsoft made headlines by announcing at Code Conference that Skype would soon be able to translate language between speakers in real time—that product, which Microsoft calls simply Skype Translator, if successful will be the first real time language translator—a primitive version of the Universal Translator of Star Trek fame. The demo showed two people talking in real time using Skype—one in English, the other German. The words by the speakers were displayed as translated text on each other's screen and were also played aloud by a voice generator that allowed the listener, to listen in their own language. Now new details of how Microsoft has achieved this feat are coming out, and some of them are a little surprising.
	Study: Social media users shy away from opinions People on Facebook and Twitter say they are less likely to share their opinions on hot-button issues, even when they are offline, according to a surprising new survey by the Pew Research Center.
	Team shows calibrated multiple-projector spherical display Researchers from Canada and Brazil offer designers a hard-to-resist invitation—a spherical display that lets you use gestures to interact with three-dimensional display objects. Their formal description is "A 3D perspective-corrected interactive spherical scalable display." Attendees at SIGGRAPH 14 in Vancouver had a close-up look at. the device called Spheree. A detailed report on their work in IEEE Spectrum on Sunday called out its significance, representing "the first display capable of projecting uniform, high resolution pixels on a spherical surface."
	Indonesia passes law to tap volcano power The Indonesian parliament on Tuesday passed a long-awaited law to bolster the geothermal energy industry and tap the power of the vast archipelago's scores of volcanoes.
	Australia follows EU, US in allowing mobile devices in-flight Passengers on Qantas and Virgin Australia from Tuesday will be allowed to use mobile electronic devices in-flight with limited restrictions after a relaxation of the rules by the country's aviation authority.
	Singapore boosts cyber security after hacking incidents Singapore on Tuesday announced new measures to strengthen cyber security to prevent a recurrence of attacks on government websites incuding those of its president and prime minister.
Eye implant could lead to better glaucoma treatment For the 2.2 million Americans battling glaucoma, the main course of action for staving off blindness involves weekly visits to eye specialists, who monitor—and control—increasing pressure within the eye.
US closes probe into Camry Hybrid brake problems An eight-month investigation into brake problems with some older Toyota Camry gas-electric hybrids has been closed without a recall.
Hewlett-Packard recalls 5 million AC power cords Hewlett-Packard Company is recalling about 5.6 million notebook computer AC power cords in this country and another 446,700 in Canada because of possible overheating, which can pose a fire and burn hazard.
Instagram launches time-lapse video app for iPhone Facebook-owned photo-sharing service Instagram on Tuesday launched an application for capturing time-lapse videos using Apple mobile devices.
	Google buys special effects technology firm Zync Google on Tuesday announced that it had bought Zync Render, a service that trims costs of special effects by pushing the work into the Internet "cloud."
80 percent of organizations are turning to citizen developers to drive innovation IBM today announced the results of a global study that revealed 80 percent of leading enterprises are forming new partnerships with "citizen developers," industry professionals operating outside the scope of enterprise IT. These citizen developers help to close the skills gap for application development to drive greater collaboration and innovation across cloud, analytics, mobile and social technologies.
	Robots lending a helping hand to build planes Trying to squeeze into small enclosed areas, carrying out highly repetitive tasks, retiring with back injuries even while your expertise is needed: these everyday realities of working in aviation construction may become a thing of the past. By helping to bring robots onto the factory floor to carry out the uncomfortable and tedious tasks, the VALERI project hopes to place a higher value on human know-how.
	Bombarded by explosive waves of information, scientists review new ways to process and analyze Big Data Big Data presents scientists with unfolding opportunities, including, for instance, the possibility of discovering heterogeneous characteristics in the population leading to the development of personalized treatments and highly individualized services. But ever-expanding data sets introduce new challenges in terms of statistical analysis, bias sampling, computational costs, noise accumulation, spurious correlations, and measurement errors.
	Chameleon: Cloud computing for computer science Cloud computing has changed the way we work, the way we communicate online, even the way we relax at night with a movie. But even as "the cloud" starts to cross over into popular parlance, the full potential of the technology to directly impact science, medicine, transportation, and other industries has yet to be realized.

Medicine & Health news

	2013 study on happiness and gene expression flawed, new research shows (Medical Xpress)—In 2013, a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggested that people who pursue happiness by seeking pleasure, rather than by searching for meaning, experience changes in gene expression similar to those experienced by people suffering from chronic stress. Nicholas Brown of the New School of Psychotherapy and Counseling in London and his colleagues reviewed the study and found it flawed. Their critique also appears in PNAS.
	Cancer leaves a common fingerprint on DNA Regardless of their stage or type, cancers appear to share a telltale signature of widespread changes to the so-called epigenome, according to a team of researchers. In a study published online in Genome Medicine on Aug. 26, the investigators say they have found widespread and distinctive changes in a broad variety of cancers to chemical marks known as methyl groups attached to DNA, which help govern whether genes are turned "on" or "off," and ultimately how the cell behaves. Such reversible chemical marks on DNA are known as epigenetic, and together they make up the epigenome.
	WSU flu outbreak provides rare study material Five years ago this month, one of the first U.S. outbreaks of the H1N1 virus swept through the Washington State University campus, striking some 2,000 people. A university math and biology professor has used a trove of data gathered at the time to gain insight into how only a few infected people could launch the virus's rapid spread across the university community.
	ADHD study flags pre-natal use of antidepressants Children born to women who took antidepressants during pregnancy are statistically likelier to develop the mental disorder called ADHD, researchers said on Tuesday.
	Curcumin blocks the metastasis of colon cancer by a novel mechanism Novel research led by the UA Steele Children's Research Center has identified one of the mechanisms by which curcumin, a bioactive molecule derived from the spice turmeric, can prevent cancer cell metastasis in colon cancer.
	Brain size matters when it comes to remembering Before we had mobile phones, people had to use their own memory to store long phone numbers (or write them down). But getting those numbers into long-term memory could be a real pain.
	Potential therapy for incurable Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A is the most common inherited disease affecting the peripheral nervous system. Researchers from the Department of Neurogenetics at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine and University Medical Centre Göttingen have discovered that the maturity of Schwann cells is impaired in rats with the disease. These cells enwrap the nerve fibres with an insulating layer known as myelin, which facilitates the rapid transfer of electrical impulses. If Schwann cells cannot mature correctly, an insufficient number of nerve fibres is covered with myelin during development. According to the researchers, the growth factor neuregulin-1 has immense therapeutic potential: rats treated with neuregulin-1 have more myelinated nerve fibres. The symptoms of the disease diminish significantly as a result.
	Researchers find ionic liquids able to safely penetrate both skin and bacteria biofilm (Medical Xpress)—A team of medical researchers from several institutions in the U.S. has found that some ionic liquids are able to safely penetrate both skin and bacterial biofilms, opening the door to a possible breakthrough in the treatment of skin infections. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes how they synthesized several ionic liquids and tested them on their ability to penetrate skin and bacterial biofilms, and also on their toxicity, and what they found as a result.
	Lack of naturally occuring protein linked to dementia Scientists at the University of Warwick have provided the first evidence that the lack of a naturally occurring protein is linked to early signs of dementia.
	Targeting estrogen receptors prevents binge eating in female mice Binge eating, an eating disorder in which a person frequently consumes unusually large amounts of food in a short period of time, affects about 5 to 10 percent of U.S. adults and is more common in women than men. Researchers at the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital found that the hormone estrogen can specifically trigger brain serotonin neurons to inhibit binge eating in female mice in a report today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
RNA sequence could help doctors to tailor unique prostate cancer treatment programs Sequencing RNA, not just DNA, could help doctors predict how prostate cancer tumors will respond to treatment, according to research published in the open access journal Genome Biology. Because a tumor's RNA shows the real time changes a treatment is causing, the authors think this could be a useful tool to aid diagnosis and predict which treatment will most benefit individual cancer patients.
	Common European MRSA originated in Africa The predominant strain of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infecting people in Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa derived from a single sub-Saharan ancestor, a team of international researchers reported this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
	Wii Balance Board induces changes in the brains of MS patients A balance board accessory for a popular video game console can help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) reduce their risk of accidental falls, according to new research published online in the journal Radiology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans showed that use of the Nintendo Wii Balance Board system appears to induce favorable changes in brain connections associated with balance and movement.
Methadone treatment suppresses testosterone in opioid addicts Treatment for opioid addiction tampers with the testosterone levels of male but not female opioid users, McMaster University research has shown.
Finding keys to glioblastoma therapeutic resistance Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found one of the keys to why certain glioblastomas – the primary form of a deadly brain cancer – are resistant to drug therapy. The answer lies not in the DNA sequence of the tumor, but in its epigenetic signature. These findings have been published online as a priority report in the journal Oncotarget.
	Revolutionary handheld DNA diagnostic unit allows lab-quality analysis in the field A revolutionary handheld and battery-powered DNA diagnostic device invented at New Zealand's University of Otago is poised to become a commonly used field tool for rapidly detecting suspected viruses or bacteria in samples while also determining the level of infection.
India doctors remove foetus left inside mother for 36 years Doctors in India have removed the skeleton of a foetus that had been inside a woman for 36 years in what is believed to be the world's longest ectopic pregnancy, a doctor has said.
	Restrictive, non-solicitation covenants are valid (HealthDay)—Restrictive and non-solicitation covenants are valid and can be enforced, according to an article published Aug. 5 in Medical Economics.
	USPSTF recommends counseling for adults at risk for CVD (HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends offering or referring overweight and obese adults with cardiovascular disease risk factors to intensive behavioral counseling. These findings are presented in a final recommendation statement published online Aug. 26 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Mayo Clinic offers at-home colon cancer test Mayo Clinic is taking another step toward making detection of colorectal cancer as convenient as possible, announcing Monday an at-home kit that arrives and is sent back in the mail, stool sample included.
Do sleepy teens need later school start times? Pediatricians say yes If you thought trying to get a groggy teenager out of bed in time for school each morning was your own private struggle, you thought wrong.
WHO calls for ban on e-cigarette sales to minors (Update) The World Health Organization called Tuesday on governments to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, warning they pose a "serious threat" to unborn babies and young people.
	Optimizing your energy throughout the workday As more and more Americans work long hours, it is no surprise that individuals are looking for ways to improve energy, feel better and perform at their best – both at work and at home. Researchers have noted that fatigue in the United States workforce is a common symptom with reported prevalence ranging from 7 percent to 45 percent.
	Animal joint surgeries may lead to human repairs A pair of unique surgical procedures performed on animals promises to revolutionize the ways surgeons repair cartilage and meniscus tears in human knees and other joints.
Substance abuse journal calls for changes regarding pejorative language In a ground-breaking editorial article published in Substance Abuse journal, the Editorial Board encourages researchers, reviewers, and even readers to consider and change some common terminology used to describe alcohol and other drug use and disorders, individuals affected by these conditions, their related behaviors, treatment, and recovery. Substance Abuse journal is the first scientific addiction journal to attempt to do so.
Patients with eating disorders have an increased risk of autoimmune diseases Finnish researchers have observed an association between eating disorders and several autoimmune diseases with different genetic backgrounds. These findings support the link between immune-mediated mechanisms and development of eating disorders.
	How the brain makes sense of spaces, large and small When an animal encounters a new environment, the neurons in its brain that are responsible for mapping out the space are ready for anything. So says a new study in which scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus examined neuronal activity in rats as they explored an unusually large maze for the first time.
	New statin guidelines are an improvement, study shows (Medical Xpress)—New national guidelines can improve the way statin drugs are prescribed to patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, a Yale University study has found.
	Cold kids hot to trot in winter (Medical Xpress)—Children are more active in winter than in spring and summer, a breakthrough Deakin University study has found.
	New tool to probe cancer's molecular make-up Scientists have shown how to better identify and measure vital molecules that control cell behaviour – paving the way for improved tools for diagnosis, prediction and monitoring of cancer.
	Vitamin D does not stop heart attack or stroke (Medical Xpress)—Taking vitamin D tablets cannot ward off heart attacks or stroke according to a new study from researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
	No 'harm' to offspring of new reproductive technologies Children are not harmed by being brought into existence even if they suffer severe genetic disease - according to a new report from the University of East Anglia.
	New gluten-free ingredient may cause allergic reaction (Medical Xpress)—A popular new ingredient in gluten-free products could be causing an allergic reaction, according to a Kansas State University food safety specialist.
Quality childcare leads to benefits at school age (Medical Xpress)—Children who receive a quality childcare experience at age 2-3 are more likely to be attentive and better able to deal with their emotions as they start school, according to new research from the University of Adelaide.
	How neuroscience is being used to spread quackery in business and education During World War II, residents on the islands in the southern Pacific Ocean saw heavy activity by US planes, bringing in goods and supplies for the soldiers. In many cases, this was the islanders' first exposure to 20th century goods and technology.
	Discovery explains how receptor regulates fat accumulation in obesity The sensitivity of fat cells to signals that increase the breakdown of fat is linked to the receptor ALK7, according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The discovery, which is published in the new scientific journal eLife, suggests that ALK7 might be an interesting target for future strategies to treat obesity.
	Education and dog-friendly neighbourhoods could tackle obesity A study from the University of Liverpool has recommended investing in dog owner education and facilities as a strategy to target physical inactivity and problems such as obesity in both people and their pets.
Fibre-based satiety ingredient shown to make you eat less Scientists from the University of Liverpool have demonstrated the effectiveness of a fibre-based dietary ingredient that makes people feel less hungry and consume less food.
Crohn's disease gene discovery points towards new treatments Genetic changes that occur in patients with the bowel condition Crohn's disease could hold clues to fighting the illness.
Brain benefits from weight loss following bariatric surgery Weight loss surgery can curb alterations in brain activity associated with obesity and improve cognitive function involved in planning, strategizing and organizing, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Study finds young driver's gender linked to crash type, injury severity Gender is often related to what type of severe or fatal crash a young male or young female driver will be involved in, according to a Kansas State University study.
Surgery to repair a hip fracture reduces lifetime health care costs by more than $65,000 per patient Each year, more than 300,000 Americans, primarily adults over age 65, sustain a hip fracture, a debilitating injury that can diminish life quality and expectancy, and result in lost work days and substantial, long-term financial costs to patients, families, insurers and government agencies. And while surgery, the primary treatment for hip fractures, successfully reduces mortality risk and improves physical function, little is known about the procedure's value and return on investment.
	Study finds less domestic violence among married couples who smoke pot New research findings from a study of 634 couples found that the more often they smoked marijuana, the less likely they were to engage in domestic violence.
Fetal medicine leaders at CHOP report on 100 prenatal surgeries for spina bifida Reporting on 100 recent cases of fetal surgery for spina bifida, specialists at a premier fetal surgery program achieved results similar to those published three years previously in a landmark clinical trial that established a new standard of care for prenatal repair of this birth defect.
Expanding the age of eligibility for measles vaccination could increase childhood survival in Africa Expanding the age of eligibility for measles vaccination from 12 to 15 months could have potentially large effects on coverage in Africa, according to a new report published by Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
	HIV antibodies block infection by reservoir-derived virus in laboratory study A laboratory study led by scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lends further weight to the potential effectiveness of passive immunotherapy to suppress HIV in the absence of drug treatment. Passive immunotherapy for HIV is an experimental strategy that involves periodically administering broadly neutralizing HIV-specific antibodies (bNAbs) to control the virus. It would be advantageous to control HIV without antiretroviral drugs because of their cost, the potential for cumulative toxicities from lifelong therapy, and the difficulties some patients have adhering to drug regimens and tolerating certain drugs.
	Do-it-yourself blood pressure care can beat MDs "Do-it-yourself" blood pressure measurements and medicine changes work better than usual doctor-office care in some patients, a study of older adults in England found.
Collaborative care improves depression in teens How best to care for the many adolescents who have depression? In a collaborative care intervention, a care manager continually reached out to teens—delivering and following up on treatment in a primary-care setting (the office of a pediatrician or family doctor, not a psychiatrist or psychologist) at Group Health Cooperative. Depression outcomes after a year were significantly better with this approach than with usual care, according to a randomized controlled trial published in JAMA.
Alcoholics have an abnormal CD8 T cell response to the influenza virus It is well known that chronic drinking is associated with an increased incidence and severity of respiratory infections. Previous research had demonstrated that an increase in disease severity to influenza virus (IAV) infections was due, in part, to a failure to mount a robust IAV-specific CD8 T cell response, along with a specific impairment in the ability of these T cells to produce interferon γ (IFNγ). A new rodent study further examines chronic drinking's damage to CD8 T cells, finding that some effector functions of CD8 T cells become limited or reduced while other effector functions are left intact.
Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with later excess weight/obesity during adolescence Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) refer to a range of disabilities, and include individuals with neurocognitive impairments as well as growth irregularities ranging from deficient to normal. However, very little is known about the prevalence of excessive weight and obesity as components of FASD in the long-term. A study examining body mass index (BMI) in a large clinical sample of children with FASD has found that rates of excess weight/obesity are elevated in children with partial fetal alcohol syndrome (pFAS).
Young children's sipping/tasting of alcohol reflects parental modeling Previous research had determined that whether or not a child sips or tastes alcohol is associated with the child's attitude toward sipping and with a family environment supportive of alcohol use. This study extends this former research to examine antecedent predictors of childhood initiation of sipping or tasting alcohol. Findings indicate that initiation of sipping/tasting was less related to psychosocial proneness for problem behavior and more related to perceived parental approval.
EPO may help reduce risk of brain abnormalities in preterm infants High-dose erythropoietin (EPO; a hormone) administered within 42 hours of birth to preterm infants was associated with a reduced risk of brain injury, as indicated by magnetic resonance imaging, according to a study in the August 27 issue of JAMA.
Team discovers fever's origin Fever is a response to inflammation, and is triggered by an onset of the signaling substance prostaglandin. Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden can now see precisely where these substances are produced – a discovery that paves the way for smarter drugs.
Attacking a rare disease at its source with gene therapy Treating the rare disease MPS I is a challenge. MPS I, caused by the deficiency of a key enzyme called IDUA, eventually leads to the abnormal accumulation of certain molecules and cell death.
US has seen widespread adoption of robot-assisted cancer surgery to remove the prostate A new study reveals that the US has experienced widespread adoption of robot-assisted prostate removal surgery to treat prostate cancer in recent years. The BJU International study also found that while such surgeries are more expensive than traditional surgeries, their costs are decreasing over time.
'Perfect storm' for Ebola to spread: virus pioneer Peter Piot, the Belgian scientist who co-discovered the Ebola virus in 1976, on Tuesday said a "perfect storm" in West Africa had given the disease a chance to spread unchecked.
Ebola 'easier to avoid than malaria': USAID The head of the US Agency for International Development said Tuesday poor understanding of Ebola was undermining the fight against the epidemic, pointing out that the fever is harder to get than malaria.
	Study explores the social norms of electronic cigarette use by teenagers "The Social Norms and Beliefs of Teenage Male Electronic Cigarette Use," a research study published in Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse (Routledge), delves into the social norms and beliefs of teenage male electronic cigarette users. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery operated inhalation devices that provide warm, vaporized nicotine to users without the inconvenience of tobacco smoke. Often marketed as a "healthier alternative," e-cigarettes have filled shelves of convenience stores and have been used much more frequently in public spaces since their inception in late 2011.
Project helps states mine data to improve services for kids When children are placed in foster care, the ultimate goal is to give them the best possible services to achieve permanency, either by returning them home or finding a stable, supportive home environment. A project directed by the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare has developed a Web-based reporting system that helps child welfare agencies know how well they are achieving timely permanency as well as many other performance metrics. The project is currently working with 12 states across the country.
New guidance on antithrombotic use in AF patients with ACS A new European joint consensus document on the use of antithrombotic drugs, including the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) presenting with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and undergoing PCI is published today in the European Heart Journal.
	Breathing new life into psychiatric education in Zimbabwe A programme of education and research in Zimbabwe, led in collaboration with the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King's, has boosted the number of psychiatrists in the country, and allowed a once fledging faculty to embrace research, and develop new specialist mental health services.
	Mind over matter for people with disabilities People with serious physical disabilities are unable to do the everyday things that most of us take for granted despite having the will – and the brainpower – to do so. This is changing thanks to European projects such as TOBI (Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction). People with limited mobility can write emails and even regain control of paralysed limbs through thought alone.
	Ebola has 'upper hand' says US health official (Update) The Ebola virus may have the "upper hand" in an outbreak that has killed more than 1,400 people in West Africa but experts can stop the virus' spread, a top American health official said at the start of his visit to the hardest-hit countries.
Challenges ahead in improving child health by increasing access to sanitation in India A study published in this week's PLOS Medicine on large-scale rural sanitation programs in India highlights challenges in achieving sufficient access to latrines and reduction in open defecation to yield significant health benefits for young children.
Change in tube feeding practice improves nutrition for ICU patients, audit finds While the importance of enteral nutrition (EN), or feeding patients through a tube, in an intensive care unit is well understood, underfeeding is still common. A practice of a certain amount of feeding per hour can be interrupted by tests, procedures, or emergencies. Changing to a volume-based system, which calls for a certain nutrition volume per day, could reduce underfeeding.
Ames test adapted successfully to screen complex aerosols The Ames test, a widely used method to determine whether a chemical has the potential to cause cancer, has been successfully adapted for use with cigarette smoke and other complex aerosols.
Some health care workers lack gear to protect from HIV, other bloodborne infections Health care workers in some of the world's poorest countries lack basic equipment to shield them from HIV and other bloodborne infections during surgical and other procedures, new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests. The findings underscore the lack of adequate protective supplies in nations at the center of the current Ebola outbreak.
British Ebola sufferer 'receiving experimental drug' A British nurse infected with Ebola while working in Sierra Leone is being given the same experimental drug used on two US missionaries who have recovered for the disease, doctors in London said Tuesday.
Nigeria has only one Ebola patient: health minister Nigeria said Tuesday that two more people had been released from isolation after recovering from Ebola, leaving only one living patient with the disease in the country.
Ebola ruled out in Bolivia case Health authorities here said Tuesday they had ruled out Ebola in a traveler from India who arrived ill at Bolivia's Santa Cruz international airport.
Study questions generalizability of findings of CV trials for heart attack patients An analysis of a cardiovascular registry finds that of clinical trials that included heart attack patients, participation among eligible patients was infrequent and has been declining, and trial participants had a lower risk profile and a more favorable prognosis compared with the broader population of patients who have had a heart attack, according to a study in the August 27 issue of JAMA.
Drug for rare blood disorder developed at Penn receives orphan drug status from EU A Penn Medicine-developed drug has received orphan status in Europe this week for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare, life-threatening disease that causes anemia due to destruction of red blood cells and thrombosis. Orphan status brings such benefits as tax incentives, market exclusivity for 10 years, possibilities for additional research funding, and additional guidance from the European Medicines Agency during clinical development. This designation for the compound, called AMY-101, will allow Amyndas, the company currently developing the compound, to proceed with expedited clinical development.
E-cigarettes: growing, but fragmented $3 bn market The World Health Organization took aim Tuesday at e-cigarettes, the increasingly popular, ostensibly safer tobacco substitute which WHO nevertheless says poses a serious threat to young people.

Biology news

	Science could make canola oil more nutritious, and broccoli more tasty (Phys.org) —Genomics researchers of the University of Arizona's iPlant collaborative, housed in the BIO5 Institute, have helped unravel the genetic code of the rapeseed plant, most noted for a variety whose seeds are made into canola oil.
	Blocking cell division with two synergistic chemical inhibitors (Phys.org) —The cycle of cell division—one cell splitting itself into two—is a crucial and complex process managed by finely tuned molecular machines. When working properly, cell division assures healthy growth. When running out of control, it can usher in cancer.
	New research finds that world-class sprinters attack the ground to maximize impact forces and speed The world's fastest sprinters have unique gait features that account for their ability to achieve fast speeds, according to two new studies from Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
	90 percent of Earth's species are overlooked in conservation One of the biggest problems for conservation today is that it ignores 95% of all known species on Earth. Could a company ignored that proportion of its clients or a government so many of its voters? So why does this problem exist in conservation?
	French beetles tackle Great Southern cattle dung A two-year survey of dung beetle populations in Australia's south-west has pinpointed Kojonup as the WA release site most likely to establish a new population of French dung beetles.
	'Avian AIDS' virus poses threat to endangered New Caledonian parrots New Caledonian rainbow lorikeets infected with avian circovirus could act as a disease source, threatening native and endangered New Caledonian parrot populations.
	And then there were 10—unexpected diversity in New Zealand kanuka genus Kunzea At the stroke of a pen a New Zealand endemic tree has for the last 31 years been incorrectly regarded the same as a group of 'weedy' Australian shrubs and small trees. A New Zealand botanist has completed a 15-year study to reveal some surprises and discover astonishing cryptic diversity behind what was long considered a single tree species. The study was published in the open access journal PhytoKeys.
	Monarch butterflies plummet 90 percent, need protection Monarch butterflies are dying off fast, with 90 percent gone in the last 20 years, and they urgently need endangered species protection, a coalition of environmental and health groups said Tuesday.
	Vet's warning over waking snakes Early spring-like weather is attracting venomous snakes out of hibernation, pet owners are being warned.

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