Science X Newsletter Monday, Sep 22

Dear Reader ,

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

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Best of Last Week - Zero friction quantum engine, twisted radio beams and Ebola outbreak update
- New 'topological insulator' could lead to superfast computers
- Sandia magnetized fusion technique produces significant results
- Geologists find well water chemicals changed prior to two different earthquakes
- Lego-like modular components make building 3-D 'labs-on-a-chip' a snap
- Graphene imperfections key to creating hypersensitive 'electronic nose'
- Antifreeze proteins in Antarctic fishes prevent freezing... and melting
- Improved liquid battery: Longer-lasting materials could enable batteries that make renewables more competitive
- Immune response turned up, not down, by flu during pregnancy, study finds
- Plant variants point the way to improved biofuel production
- The fine line between breast cancer and normal tissues
- Piezoelectric chin device harvests jaw movements for energy
- Firelight talk of the Kalahari Bushmen: Did tales told over fires aid our social and cultural evolution?
- Platelets modulate clotting behavior by 'feeling' their surroundings
- Infant solar system shows signs of windy weather

Astronomy & Space news

	US spacecraft enters Mars orbit, India probe next (Update) NASA's Maven spacecraft entered orbit around Mars for an unprecedented study of the red planet's atmosphere following a 442 million-mile (710 million-kilometer) journey that began nearly a year ago.
	Sky survey of gamma ray sources reveals galactic energy bubbles Yesterday I talked about the Fermi gamma ray telescope, and how it allowed us to make much more precise observations of gamma rays in the universe. Part of the purpose of the Fermi telescope is to observe gamma ray bursts, but its broader purpose is to make a sky survey of gamma ray sources in the universe. Already it has found something quite interesting.
	Finding hints of gravitational waves in the stars Scientists have shown how gravitational waves—invisible ripples in the fabric of space and time that propagate through the universe—might be "seen" by looking at the stars. The new model proposes that a star that oscillates at the same frequency as a gravitational wave will absorb energy from that wave and brighten, an overlooked prediction of Einstein's 1916 theory of general relativity. The study, which was published today in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, contradicts previous assumptions about the behavior of gravitational waves.
	Infant solar system shows signs of windy weather Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have observed what may be the first-ever signs of windy weather around a T Tauri star, an infant analog of our own Sun. This may help explain why some T Tauri stars have disks that glow weirdly in infrared light while others shine in a more expected fashion.
	An anomaly in satellite flybys confounds scientists When space probes, such as Rosetta and Cassini, fly over certain planets and moons in order to gain momentum and travel long distances, their speed changes slightly for an unknown reason. A Spanish researcher has now analysed whether or not a hypothetical gravitomagnetic field could have an influence. However, other factors such as solar radiation, tides, or even relativistic effects or dark matter could be behind this mystery.
	What causes the diffraction spikes in images of stars? When stars are portrayed in media, they are often shown with long spikes emanating from them. Perhaps the most common example is that of the "star of Bethlehem" which, according to the story, led the wise men to baby Jesus. Of course when we look at stars in the night sky, we don't see any such spikes. Stars twinkle due to atmospheric disturbances, but that's about it. In photographs, however, bright stars often have such long spikes. So what causes them? It all has to do with an interesting bit of optics.
	The frequency of high-energy gamma ray bursts In the 1960s a series of satellites were built as part of Project Vela.  Project Vela was intended to detect violations of the 1963 ban on above ground testing of nuclear weapons.  The Vela satellites were designed to detect bursts of gamma rays, which are high energy electromagnetic waves (light) produced by radioactive decay.  If any nuclear weapon was detonated in space, the resulting radioactive decay would release a large amount of gamma rays which would be detected by the Vela satellites.
	How gamma ray telescopes work Yesterday I talked about the detection of gamma ray bursts, intense blasts of gamma rays that occasionally appear in distant galaxies. Gamma ray bursts were only detected when gamma ray satellites were put into orbit in the 1960s. This is because gamma rays are absorbed by our atmosphere. Even then, the detectors were relatively primitive and couldn't determine the direction of the bursts. Instead, multiple satellites were used to triangulate the location of these bursts. Since then, gamma ray astronomy has gotten much more sophisticated.
	Experts and audience contest Pluto's 'dwarf planet' status Could the stars be aligned for Pluto to reassume its place in the solar system? The International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted in 2006 to demote Pluto from planetary status. But after an hourlong debate Thursday night between planetary science experts on what constitutes a planet, an audience packed into Phillips Auditorium at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) voted to restore it to its former rank.
	University launches world's first photographs taken with telescope made by 3D printing The University of Sheffield has released the very first photos of space ever taken with a telescope that has been made using a 3D printer.
	Living on the edge: Rosetta's lander philae is set to take the plunge This is a very exciting time for space science in general and for the Rosetta spacecraft in particular. A little more than a month after arriving at comet 7P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Rosetta has mapped its surface well enough to help scientists choose a location to set down Philae, the first-ever comet lander. Or, at least, try to. Here to tell us more about the recent mapping of comet 7P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the announcement Philae's landing site, and what comes next for the Rosetta spacecraft is Dr. Claudia Alexander of the Rosetta mission.
	NASA launches RapidScat wind watcher to Space Station A new NASA mission that will boost global monitoring of ocean winds for improved weather forecasting and climate studies is among about 5,000 pounds (2,270 kilograms) of NASA science investigations and cargo now on their way to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The cargo ship launched on the company's Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 10:52 p.m. PDT Saturday, Sept. 20 (1:52 a.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21).
	Explainer: What makes the spring equinox? It's the time of the equinox or more specifically the spring equinox for us in the southern hemisphere.
	Breezy science, plant studies and more head to space station on SpaceX-4 Imagine a dragon flying through the heavens on mighty, outstretched wings. The majestic beast knows the currents of winds and how to harness their power as it soars above the clouds. SpaceX's real Dragon- the company's spacecraft that transports supplies and science to the International Space Station (ISS) - will deliver, and later return, new technology, biology and biotechnology and Earth and space science research to the orbiting outpost.
Gravitational waves according to Planck Scientists of the Planck collaboration, and in particular the Trieste team, have conducted a series of in-depth checks on the discovery recently publicized by the Antarctic Observatory, which announced last spring that it had detected some direct effects of gravitational waves on cosmic microwave background radiation, a potentially groundbreaking discovery in the field of cosmology. Analysis of the Planck satellite data demonstrates that the effect of contaminating sources, such as gases from our galaxy, cannot be ruled out.
SpaceX breaks ground on Texas rocket launch site SpaceX founder Elon Musk says his company expects to spend $100 million in South Texas over the next three to four years on the first commercial orbital spaceport.
	NASA launches new citizen science website; opens challenge to participate in future Mars missions NASA announced Saturday the opening of registration for its Mars Balance Mass Challenge and the launch of its new website, NASA Solve, at the World Maker Faire in New York.

Technology news

	Improved liquid battery: Longer-lasting materials could enable batteries that make renewables more competitive Researchers at MIT have improved a proposed liquid battery system that could enable renewable energy sources to compete with conventional power plants.
	Lego-like modular components make building 3-D 'labs-on-a-chip' a snap Thanks to new LEGO-like components developed by researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, it is now possible to build a 3-D microfluidic system quickly and cheaply by simply snapping together small modules by hand.
	Nature's elegant and efficient vision systems can detect cancer (Phys.org) —Mantis shrimp eyes are inspiring the design of new cameras that can detect a variety of cancers and visualise brain activity.
	Record iPhone weekend sales top 10 million (Update) Apple broke its sales record for an opening weekend of a new iPhone model, delivering 10 million in three days and boasting it could have sold more if it had them.
	New RFID technology helps robots find household objects Mobile robots could be much more useful in homes, if they could locate people, places and objects. Today's robots usually see the world with cameras and lasers, which have difficulty reliably recognizing things and can miss objects that are hidden in clutter. A complementary way robots can "sense" what is around them is through the use of small ultra-high frequency radio-frequency identification (UHF RFID) tags. Inexpensive self-adhesive tags can be stuck on objects, allowing an RFID-equipped robot to search a room for the correct tag's signal, even when the object is hidden out of sight. Once the tag is detected, the robot knows the object it's trying to find isn't far away.
	New ZEBRA bracelet strengthens computer security In a big step for securing critical information systems, such as medical records in clinical settings, Dartmouth College researchers have created a new approach to computer security that authenticates users continuously while they are using a terminal and automatically logs them out when they leave or when someone else steps in to use their terminal.
	Piezoelectric chin device harvests jaw movements for energy Two researchers share the wish for more autonomy for mobile technologies, greater convenience for consumers contemplating electronic wearables, and better solutions for avoiding the environmental effects of cast-off batteries. A quest for human-powered electronics may be worth contemplating; in this context their piezoelectric chin-strap to harvest energy from chewing is drawing interest. Kinetic energy (limb motion), strain energy (muscle force), and thermal energy (body heat) are three forms of energy that can be harvested from the human body, said the two in their report, "Flexible piezoelectric energy harvesting from jaw movements," which appears in Smart Materials and Structures. Their paper details the energy conversions and transformations that occur while the device is in operation.
	Auf Wiedersehen to plastic at Berlin's no-packaging store Clutching their preserve jars, Tupperware boxes and cloth shopping bags, Berliners can now buy their groceries package-free in a "precycling" first for the environmentally switched-on city.
	Microsoft delays launch of Xbox in China Microsoft, which was due to launch the Xbox One in China on Tuesday, has said it will put back the "historic" event to later this year, slowing what was billed as the first game console to enter the market after a 14-year ban.
	Samsung may launch first Tizen phone in India Samsung Electronics Co., which faces a slowdown in emerging market smartphone sales, will release its long-delayed Tizen-powered handset in India before the end of this year, a report said Monday.
Fracking's environmental impacts scrutinised (Phys.org) —Greenhouse gas emissions from the production and use of shale gas would be comparable to conventional natural gas, but the controversial energy source actually faired better than renewables on some environmental impacts, according to new research.
Line says no IPO this year The Japan-based operator of popular mobile messaging app Line said Monday it has decided not to go ahead with an initial public offering in Japan or overseas this year.
Entrepreneur, activist Sina Khanifar on digital copyright reform When the Librarian of Congress reversed course and banned the unlocking of cellphones two years ago, Sina Khanifar took it as almost a personal affront.
	Apple intercepts Microsoft's Surface tablet NFL play Microsoft Corp. thought it had scored a touchdown when it struck a multiyear deal with the NFL that would allow teams to use the company's Surface tablets during games.
	Review: Moto 360 smartwatch is no perfect circle Outside of Apple Watch, Motorola's Moto 360 has been the most widely anticipated smartwatch of late.
Where's the app for an earthquake warning? Among the many things the Bay Area learned from the recent shaker near Napa is that the University of California, Berkeley's earthquake warning system does indeed work for the handful of people who receive its messages, but most folks find out about a tremor only after it knocks them out of bed.
	Visio.M consortium presents safety package for compact electric vehicles Efficient, subcompact vehicles with electric drives provide an excellent opportunity to push forward electromobility. However, traffic experts warn that the current safety standards of the L7E vehicle class are not sufficient for wide-scale deployment in traffic. Researchers of the Visio.M consortium's 'Safety' subproject have accepted this challenge and are now demonstrating how even light and efficient electric vehicles can achieve an acceptable level of safety.
FBI widens probe of naked celebrity photos The FBI vowed Monday to widen a probe into the massive hacking of naked celebrity photos if necessary, after new reported leaks including nude shots of Kim Kardashian.
	Investors fret Yahoo's future, stock dips (Update) Yahoo may be losing some appeal on Wall Street now that U.S. investors can buy directly into Alibaba.
	A Closer Look: Ways to hide, secure data on phones Apple got a lot of attention last week when it released a new privacy policy along with a declaration that police can't get to your password-protected data.
	China blocks 'privacy' search engine DuckDuckGo China has begun blocking the privacy-protecting search engine DuckDuckGo, which avoids storing user data or tracking online activity, according to the company and security researchers.
Apple set to shut down Beats music service: report Apple is set to discontinue the Beats streaming music service it acquired earlier this year to focus on iTunes, the news website TechCrunch reported Monday.
BlackBerry sets new phone launch in revival bid BlackBerry is set to unveil its latest smartphone Wednesday, in a move aimed at reviving the fortunes of the struggling Canadian tech group.
Gov. Brown signs clean-air vehicle legislation Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law several bills designed to boost use of clean-air vehicles in California.
	Yale engineer to build 'hot' solar cells Associate professor of electrical engineering Minjoo Larry Lee has been awarded $2,540,000 to develop dual-junction solar cells that can operate efficiently at extreme temperatures above 750 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to converting a portion of the sunlight directly into electricity, the solar cells will use the remainder of the light to heat high-temperature fluids that can drive a steam turbine or be stored for later use.
	Imec demonstrates organic photovoltaics modules showing excellent optical properties, high efficiencies At this week's European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2014), nanoelectronics research center imec presents a fullerene-free organic photovoltaic (OPV) module of 160cm2 achieving a conversion efficiency above 5 percent, and a semi-transparent OPV module with an efficiency above 4.5 percent. With both modules showing excellent electrical and optical properties, imec's latest achievement in the upscaling of OPV cells into highly efficient and stable modules is an important step in realizing the product development of organic photovoltaics.
	Imec, RENA develop a new low-cost texturing process for high efficiency PERC solar cells At this week's European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2014, nanoelectronics research center imec, and RENA, a leading supplier for wet chemical production tools, present a novel isopropyl-alcohol (IPA)-free process for the texturing of Cz-Si wafers for high-efficiency silicon solar cell manufacturing at low cost.
	Victoria team defend title with speedy robot A team from Victoria's School of Engineering and Computer Science, led by Robby Lopez, beat 15 other teams from Australian and New Zealand universities to take top honours in the 2013 competition with its autonomous mining robot, Michelangelo.
	NTT Electronics ships industry's first 20nm low-power coherent DSP NTT Electronics (NEL), a leading supplier of coherent Digital Signal Processor (DSP) solutions to system and module manufacturers worldwide, announced shipment of industry's first 20nm 100G Long-haul/Metro coherent DSP to customers. Substantial reductions in size and power consumption of the new Low Power DSP (LP-DSP) enhance scalability and flexibility of cost-effective 100-Gbps long-haul and metropolitan networks.

Medicine & Health news

	Study reveals how gene expression affects facial expressions A person's face is the first thing that others see, and much remains unknown about how it forms—or malforms—during early development. Recently, Chong Pyo Choe, a senior postdoctoral fellow working in the lab of USC stem cell researcher Gage Crump, has begun to unwind these mysteries.
	Neuroscientists challenge long-held understanding of the sense of touch Different types of nerves and skin receptors work in concert to produce sensations of touch, University of Chicago neuroscientists argue in a review article published Sept. 22, 2014, in the journal Trends in Neurosciences. Their assertion challenges a long-held principle in the field—that separate groups of nerves and receptors are responsible for distinct components of touch, like texture or shape. They hope to change the way somatosensory neuroscience is taught and how the science of touch is studied.
	Brainwave test could improve autism diagnosis and classification A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that measuring how fast the brain responds to sights and sounds could help in objectively classifying people on the autism spectrum and may help diagnose the condition earlier. The paper was published today in the online edition of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities.
	The fine line between breast cancer and normal tissues Up to 40 percent of patients undergoing breast cancer surgery require additional operations because surgeons may fail to remove all the cancerous tissue in the initial operation. However, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have successfully tested a tool they developed that will help surgeons better distinguish cancerous breast tissue from normal tissue, thereby decreasing the chances for repeat operations.
	Immune response turned up, not down, by flu during pregnancy, study finds Pregnant women have an unusually strong immune response to influenza, an unexpected finding that may explain why they get sicker from the flu than other healthy adults, new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford has found.
	Platelets modulate clotting behavior by 'feeling' their surroundings Platelets, the tiny cell fragments whose job it is to stop bleeding, are very simple. They don't have a cell nucleus. But they can "feel" the physical environment around them, researchers at Emory and Georgia Tech have discovered.
	Using mathematical theory and software tools, team studies why a variable heart rate is a sign of health and fitness Although the heart beats out a very familiar "lub-dub" pattern that speeds up or slows down as our activity increases or decreases, the pattern itself isn't as regular as you might think. In fact, the amount of time between heartbeats can vary even at a "constant" heart rate—and that variability, doctors have found, is a good thing.
	Old drug may be key to new antibiotics McMaster scientists have found that an anticonvulsant drug may help in developing a new class of antibiotics.
	Dry roasting could help trigger peanut allergy Dry roasted peanuts are more likely to trigger an allergy to peanuts than raw peanuts, suggests an Oxford University study involving mice.
E-cigarettes unhelpful in smoking cessation among cancer patients In a new study of cancer patients who smoke, those using e-cigarettes (in addition to traditional cigarettes) were more nicotine dependent and equally or less likely to have quit smoking traditional cigarettes than non-users. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings raise doubts about the potential benefits of e-cigarettes for helping cancer patients give up smoking.
Mothers of children with autism less likely to have taken iron supplements Mothers of children with autism are significantly less likely to report taking iron supplements before and during their pregnancies than the mothers of children who are developing normally, a study by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.
Research evaluates neurodevelomental and medical outcomes in single family room NICU The prevalence of preterm birth – the birth of an infant prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy – is a significant health problem that has increased over the past two decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), preterm birth affects nearly 500,000 babies each year, or one of every eight born in the U.S. While medical care has improved survival rates for preterm infants, questions remain about ways to positively impact the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants.
	Brief intervention may prevent increased risk of depression in teens A low-cost, one-time intervention that educates teens about the changeable nature of personality traits may prevent an increase in depressive symptoms often seen during the transition to high school, according to new research published in Clinical Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Narrow focus on physical activity could be ruining kids' playtime While public health authorities focus on the physical activity benefits of active play, a new study from the University of Montreal reveals that for children, playing has no goal – it is an end in itself, an activity that is fun, done alone or with friends, and it represents "an opportunity to experience excitement or pleasure, but also to combat boredom, sadness, fear, or loneliness."
Researchers study impact of smoking ban in homeless shelter Instituting a partial smoking ban at a homeless shelter can lead to a reduction in expired carbon monoxide levels, an indicator of exposure to cigarette smoke, and may have positive effects on shelter residents' health, according to new research. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) released the study results last week in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
The effects of soy and whey protein supplementation on acute hormonal reponses to resistance exercise in men With protein supplement use by athletes on the rise, a group of researchers expanded upon prior research examining the effects of soy and whey protein supplementation on testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and cortisol responses to an acute bout of resistance exercise. Their study, "The Effects of Soy and Whey Protein Supplementation on Acute Hormonal Reponses to Resistance Exercise in Men" is the 2014 Ragus Award Winner as Best Article from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the official publication of the American College of Nutrition.
	Researcher tackles the prevalence of diabetes in South Asian population A Rutgers graduate student is striving to reduce the chances that his fellow South Asians will acquire diabetes by getting them to alter their traditional, high-carb diet. South Asians are four times more likely than other ethnic groups to develop Type 2 diabetes – one in two go undiagnosed – due to genetics and diets high in refined carbohydrates, such as rice.
	Mechanism of Parkinson's spread demonstrated An international, interdisciplinary group of researchers led by Gabor G. Kovacs from the Clinical Institute of Neurology at the MedUni Vienna has demonstrated, through the use of a new antibody, how Parkinson's disease spreads from cell to cell in the human brain. Until now, this mechanism has only been observed in experimental models, but has now been demonstrated for the first time in humans too.
Researchers discover gene that increases incidence of acute myelogenous leukaemia A novel study by the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that an increase in a gene known as Leo1 affects other genes that are directly implicated in acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML), increasing the incidence of cancer.
	Healthy lifestyle choices may dramatically reduce risk of heart attack in men Following a healthy lifestyle, including maintaining a healthy weight and diet, exercise, not smoking and moderating alcohol intake, could prevent four out of five coronary events in men, according to a new study publishing today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Spain: Ebola test drug out of supply worldwide Doctors treating a Spanish priest who was repatriated from West Africa on Monday after being diagnosed with the Ebola virus said there were no samples of experimental drug ZMapp available in the world right now, and they were considering alternative treatments.
	New blood test may help diagnose depression The World Health Organisation has determined that depressive disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide. The recurrent and chronic forms of depression account for the bulk of the problem.
	Mesothelioma risk endures over long-term Western Australian researchers have determined the risk of developing mesothelioma continues to increase even 40 years after a person's first exposure to asbestos.
	Western diet leads to poorer performance Higher intake of a western diet by 14-year-olds has been linked with diminished cognitive performance at age 17.
New study finds 34 percent of severely injured patients undertriaged in the US According to the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Trauma, patients with severe injuries should be treated at level I or level II trauma centers. Those centers have the resources to provide the best care for those patients.
	Communication without detours: Previously unknown nerve cell shape presented Certain nerve cells take a shortcut for the transmission of information: signals are not conducted via the cell`s center, but around it like on a bypass road. The previously unknown nerve cell shape is now presented in the journal Neuron by a research team from Heidelberg, Mannheim and Bonn.
	New rules for anticancer vaccines Scientists have found a way to find the proverbial needle in the cancer antigen haystack, according to a report published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Classroom intervention helps shy kids learn A program that helps teachers modify their interactions with students based on an individual's temperament helps shy children to become more engaged in their class work, and in turn, improves their math and critical thinking skills.
Evidence supports deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder Available research evidence supports the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who don't respond to other treatments, concludes a review in the October issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS).
New guidelines issued for managing peri- and postoperative atrial fibrillation The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) has released new evidence-based guidelines for the prevention and treatment of perioperative and postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) and flutter for thoracic surgical procedures. The guidelines are published in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
	Sales influence consumer food shopping habits (HealthDay)—Consumers are more likely to buy high-calorie foods (HCF), but not low-calorie foods (LCF) on sale, according to a study published in the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
	CDC: Oral health in young women needs improvement (HealthDay)—Women of childbearing age in the United States should be encouraged to maintain better oral care and visit the dentist routinely, according to a study published Sept. 18 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease. Researchers found young pregnant women, those who are non-Hispanic black or Mexican-American, as well as those with lower income and less education, need to improve their oral care.
Common diabetes drug associated with risk of low levels of thyroid hormone Metformin, a commonly used drug for treating type 2 diabetes, is linked to an increased risk of low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in patients with underactive thyroids (hypothyroidism), according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Low levels of TSH can cause harm, such as cardiovascular conditions and fractures.
Influenza A potentiates pneumococcal co-infection: New details emerge Influenza infection can enhance the ability of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae to cause ear and throat infections, according to research published ahead of print in the journal Infection and Immunity.
Environment plays bigger role than genetics in food allergic disease eosinophilic esophagitis Researchers have found that environment has a much stronger role than genetics in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a severe, often painful food allergy that renders children unable to eat a wide variety of foods.
	Lack of thyroid hormone blocks hearing development Fatigue, weight gain, chills, hair loss, anxiety, excessive perspiration—these symptoms are a few of the signs that the thyroid gland, which regulates the body's heart rate and plays a crucial role in its metabolism, has gone haywire. Now, new research from Tel Aviv University points to an additional complication caused by thyroid imbalance: congenital deafness.
Some concussion education more useful than others, parents say Many parents whose kids participate in athletics will be asked to sign a waiver about concussion education, but that's not enough to ensure parents are confident about handling the injury, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.
	Research study analyzes the best exercise for obese youths What exercise program can best fight the "epidemic" of teen obesity? According to a study published in the JAMA Pediatrics, by combining aerobic exercise with resistance training.
	Few kids receive psychotherapy along with medication for ADHD, study finds About one quarter of commercially-insured children who are treated with medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also receive psychotherapy, and the percentage is far lower in many parts of the country, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
	Maternal breast milk is risk factor for cytomegalovirus transmission in premature infants Premature infants, especially those born with very low-birth-weight (VLBW), are particularly vulnerable to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection because of their immature immune systems. CMV infection can cause serious disease and, in severe cases, lead to death.
	Statin use during hospitalization for hemorrhagic stroke associated with improved survival Patients who were treated with a statin in the hospital after suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke were significantly more likely to survive than those who were not, according to a study published today in JAMA Neurology. This study was conducted by the same researchers who recently discovered that the use of cholesterol-lowering statins can improve survival in victims of ischemic stroke.
	Blood test may help determine who is at risk for psychosis A study led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers represents an important step forward in the accurate diagnosis of people who are experiencing the earliest stages of psychosis.
	Ebola kills 2,811, outbreak 'contained' in Senegal, Nigeria: WHO The deadliest Ebola epidemic ever has now killed 2,811 in west Africa, the World Health Organization said Monday, adding though that in Senegal and Nigeria the outbreak had been basically contained.
Silicon Valley launches another bid to 'hack' aging, cheat death Ever wanted to stretch your life to Old Testament proportions? You may be in luck. A movement of Silicon Valley thinkers and entrepreneurs wants you to live as long as Jacob, who died at 147, and maybe even Noah, who made it to 950.
When cancer simply vanishes, could it be a key to a cure? In her 28-year career, Dr. Deborah Axelrod, a New York physician, says she's had just one patient whose advanced breast cancer inexplicably vanished.
	Online ratings influence parents' choices of physicians for their children Almost three-quarters (74%) of parents are aware of online rating sites for physicians, and more than one-quarter (28%) have used those online ratings to choose a healthcare provider for their children, according to U-M research published today in Pediatrics.
Obesity and stress pack a double hit for health If you're overweight, you may be at greater risk for stress-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a new study by Brandeis University.
	Operative management of femoral neck Fx has changed (HealthDay)—Trends in operative management of femoral neck fractures by orthopedic surgeons applying for board certification have changed over time, according to research published in the Sept. 3 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
	Unsolicited job leads may negatively impact mental health (HealthDay)—Unsolicited job leads can have a deleterious effect on mental health, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
	AACR: tumor vulnerability varies with clonal evolution in ALL (HealthDay)—In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), tumor vulnerability to different chemotherapeutic agents varies at different stages of clonal evolution, which could represent a viable strategy in avoiding drug resistance. These findings were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's special conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies, held from Sept. 20 to 23 in Philadelphia.
	Pediatricians urge flu vaccine for all kids 6 months and older (HealthDay)—Pediatricians are urging that all children aged 6 months and older be vaccinated for the upcoming flu season.
	Pancreatic cancer risk not higher with diabetes Rx DPP-4i (HealthDay)—There is no increased short-term pancreatic cancer risk with dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) compared to sulfonylureas (SU) and thiazolidinediones (TZD) for glycemic control, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
	Compound from hops aids cognitive function in young animals Xanthohumol, a type of flavonoid found in hops and beer, has been shown in a new study to improve cognitive function in young mice, but not in older animals.
Study reveals gene expression patterns in pancreatic CTCs Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer identified distinct patterns of gene expression in several groups of CTCs, including significant differences from the primary tumor that may contribute to the ability to generate metastases. In their study reported in the Sept. 25 issue of Cell Reports, investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center identified several different classes of pancreatic CTCs and found unexpected factors that may prove to be targets for improved treatment of the deadly tumor.
	Reversing the effects of pulmonary fibrosis Yale University researchers are studying a potential new treatment that reverses the effects of pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory disease in which scars develop in the lungs and severely hamper breathing.
Experts provide much-needed policy analysis for clinical integration of next generation sequencing As genetic sequencing technologies continue to evolve rapidly, becoming part of clinical care, there is a critical need to establish appropriate policies and regulatory frameworks to address potential challenges, legal and ethical experts have said. A special policy issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics published online today and edited by experts with the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine gives policy makers the tools to jumpstart this process.
Think the system for paying US doctors is rigged to favor surgeons? Study may surprise you A surprising new study pulls back the curtain on one of the most contentious issues in health care: differences in payment and income between physicians who perform operations, procedures or tests, and those who don't.
	We drink more alcohol on gym days A new Northwestern Medicine study finds that on days when people exercise more—typically Thursdays to Sundays—they drink more alcohol, too.
Job loss fears may boost first-time asthma risk Job loss fears may boost the risk of developing asthma for the first time, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Uganda government challenged over carnage in the delivery room As she lay bleeding to death in Valente Inziku's arms in a Ugandan government hospital in October 2010, Jennifer Anguko, pregnant with the couple's fourth child, wished her husband well as a single parent.
	Yearly treatment could slow osteoarthritis (Medical Xpress)—Researchers are trialling a once-a-year treatment to slow osteoarthritis. Led by Monash University Professor Flavia Cicuttini, the researchers are looking at whether medications currently used to treat osteoporosis, a progressive bone disease, might be able to treat osteoarthritis.
	A multiscale approach to Ebola response The Ebola outbreak in western Africa continues to spread uncontrolled, affecting thus far five countries. On September 16th, President Obama spoke at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta and pledged a dramatically higher involvement: funding, providing supplies and beds and a military command center in Liberia. 3000 military personnel will be on the ground to help train and coordinate thousands of healthcare workers. However, treating patients is not enough. The success of this, or any, intervention depends on stopping the spread of the disease.
	Nipah outbreak in South Asia offers lessons for controlling Ebola in West Africa It is a deadly virus, killing more than half the people it infects. It originates in bats, crossing into humans who come in contact with them. It first causes fever, as do many other ailments, leaving health care workers with few early hints that they're dealing with something contagious and potentially deadly.
	Are pregnant women getting enough key nutrients? A research study at Massey University aims to uncover more about the dietary habits of pregnant women in New Zealand.
Auxilium Pharma rejects Endo's takeover offer Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s board has rejected an approximately $1.4 billion unsolicited takeover offer from Ireland's Endo International PLC.
German Merck to buy St. Louis-based Sigma-Aldrich German drug company Merck says it has agreed to buy St. Louis-based chemical firm Sigma-Aldrich Corp. for $17 billion in a deal Merck says will strengthen its business in chemicals and laboratory equipment.
Neurosurgery tackles past, current and future concepts of sports concussion An estimated 1.68 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur in the United States each year, and there are likely a significant number that go unreported. Current Concepts in Sports Concussion is a comprehensive, 16-article supplement of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Chicago-area neurosurgeon Gail Rosseau, MD, the lead guest editor, is well known for her longtime commitment to sports-related head injury prevention, and serves on the Board of Directors of USA Football and ThinkFirst. Additional guest editors are neurosurgeons Julian Bailes, MD, and Joseph Maroon, MD – leading authorities in the field of sports-related concussion and head injury prevention.
Comprehensive Neurosurgery supplement covers sports-related concussions Neurosurgeons have treated head and spinal sports injuries since the specialty was formed in the early 20th century, with formal efforts to mitigate these injuries dating back to 1931. Current Concepts in Sports Concussion is a comprehensive, 16-article supplement of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, part of Wolters Kluwer Health. The supplement includes a detailed, fascinating history of concussion treatment and research. The lead guest editor is Chicago-area neurosurgeon Gail Rosseau, MD, who serves on the Board of Directors of USA Football and ThinkFirst.
Nurse survey shows longer working hours impact on quality of care Results of a survey of more than 30,000 nurses across Europe show that nurses who work longer shifts and more overtime are more likely to rate the standard of care delivered on their ward as poor, give a negative rating of their hospitals safety and omit necessary patient care.
	SLU researcher to study new hepatitis C medication in children After the success of a new drug treatment in adults with hepatitis C infection, a Saint Louis University pediatric researcher is testing the safety and efficacy of the medications in children.
	Streets bustling after Sierra Leone shutdown ends Streets in Sierra Leone's capital bustled again Monday after an unprecedented nationwide shutdown during which officials said more than 1 million households were checked for Ebola patients and given information on the deadly disease.
Involving female offenders in release planning can increase reintegration success Women who are about to be released from prison need to be more involved in their discharge planning if they are to successfully reintegrate into their communities and avoid returning to prison, according to a new study.
Discount generic drug programs grow over time Generic discount drug programs (GDDPs, which charge nominal fees to fill prescriptions) have grown over time and their initial lower use by racial/ethnic minorities has evaporated, writes author Song Hee Hong, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, and Sunghee H. Tak, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N., of the University of Memphis, Tennessee.
Hardwiring AHA guidelines into order system reduced telemetry orders A health care system reduced its use of telemetry (monitoring to detect irregular heartbeats) by 70 percent by integrating the American Heart Association's (AHA's) guidelines into its electronic ordering system.
Good bowel cleansing is key for high-quality colonoscopy The success of a colonoscopy is closely linked to good bowel preparation, with poor bowel prep often resulting in missed precancerous lesions, according to new consensus guidelines released by the U.S. Multi-Society Task force on Colorectal Cancer. Additionally, poor bowel cleansing can result in increased costs related to early repeat procedures. Up to 20 to 25 percent of all colonoscopies are reported to have an inadequate bowel preparation.
S. Leone faces 'overflow' of Ebola dead as curfew ends Millions of Sierra Leoneans emerged from their homes on Monday after a controversial nationwide lockdown during which more than 200 dead bodies and new cases of Ebola infections were uncovered.
	Doctor describes importance of interpretation in patient care (HealthDay)—Understanding patients is important for all doctors, including those working with patients with limited English proficiency, according to an article published in the September/October issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Higher risk of heart disease for South Asians in Canada South Asians living in Canada have a higher rate of heart disease and double the rate of diabetes compared with while people, McMaster researchers have found.
Pilot study demonstrates benefits of wellness program for people with MS Kessler researchers have published a pilot study showing the benefits of a 10-week psychoeducational wellness program in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Improvements were seen in mood, overall mental health, perceived stress, and pain.
Looking ahead: Whole eye transplant under development The concept of a whole eye transplant seems futuristic, if not impossible. But with a $1million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine hope to someday make implantation of an entire, functional eye a reality.
BBC begins nightly Ebola service in west Africa BBC World Service radio on Monday began nightly Ebola broadcasts for west Africa, concentrating on efforts to combat the virus across the region.
	Sierra Leone, Liberia brace for new Ebola cases Two of the West African nations hardest hit by Ebola were bracing for new caseloads on Monday after trying to outflank the outbreak with a nationwide checkup and a large new clinic.

Biology news

	Antifreeze proteins in Antarctic fishes prevent freezing... and melting Antarctic fishes that manufacture their own "antifreeze" proteins to survive in the icy Southern Ocean also suffer an unfortunate side effect, researchers report: The protein-bound ice crystals that accumulate inside their bodies resist melting even when temperatures warm.
	Geometry, programmed death might have enabled evolution of multicellularity Geometry and programmed cell death may have helped along the evolution of multicellular life, according to new research led by SFI Omidyar Fellow Eric Libby.
Plant variants point the way to improved biofuel production Manufacturing biofuels from food crop by-products such as straw could be made quicker and cheaper thanks to the work of scientists in the UK and France.
	Genetic switch regulates a plant's internal clock based on temperature Scientists have discovered a key molecular cog in a plant's biological clock – one that modulates the speed of circadian (daily) rhythms based on temperature.
	Livingstone beetle specimens found after 150 years Dr David Livingstone's only known beetle specimens have been discovered at the Museum - 150 years after he brought them back from Africa.
	Different watering regimes boost crop yields Watering tomato plants less frequently could improve yields in saline conditions, according to a study of the impact of water and soil salinity on vegetable crops.
	Chapman River corridor the focus of revegetation efforts The Geraldton Community Nursery is working to regenerate and revegetate critical areas of denuded natural growth, including the Chapman River wildlife corridor.
	The accelerator of molecular motors: What drives peroxisomes to degrading pollutants Peroxisomes are vital cell components that degrade cellular toxins and long-chain fatty acids. Their malfunction may result in severe, often lethal disorders. RUB researchers—Medical Faculty—have been studying the precise working mechanisms of peroxisomes for 25 years. In collaboration with Dortmund-based institutes at Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften, they have successfully identified the 'molecular accelerator' that activates the peroxisomal processes.
	Mown grass smell sends SOS for help in resisting insect attacks, researchers say The smell of cut grass in recent years has been identified as the plant's way of signalling distress, but new research says the aroma also summons beneficial insects to the rescue.
	Researcher developing wheat that does not sprout when exposed to wet harvest conditions Visiting scientist Dae Wook Kim hopes to develop a line of Korean wheat that does not sprout when exposed to wet harvest conditions, thanks to genetic screening techniques he learned at South Dakota State University.
	Big science from small insects Anniversaries are often a time to look back. But after taking stock of the past, it can be just as important to look to the future.
	Woolly mammoth genome sequencer at UWA How can a giant woolly mammoth which lived at least 200,000 years ago help to save the Tasmanian Devil from extinction? The answer lies in DNA, the carrier of genetic information.
	Pakistan releases smuggled turtles into the wild Pakistani officials and environmentalists on Monday released some 200 rare turtles into the River Indus after the reptiles were retrieved from a southwestern Chinese town where they were seized by customs officials.
	22 elephants poached in Mozambique in two weeks Poachers slaughtered 22 elephants in Mozambique in the first two weeks of September, environmentalists said Monday, warning that killing for ivory by organised syndicates was being carried out on an "industrialised" scale.
Project launched to study evolutionary history of fungi The University of California, Riverside is one of 11 collaborating institutions that have been funded a total of $2.5 million by the National Science Foundation for a project focused on studying zygomycetes – ancient lineages of fungi that include plant symbionts, animal and human pathogens and decomposers of a wide variety of organic compounds.
	Can tapioca replace corn as the main source for starch sweeteners? Cassava, also known as tapioca, has large starch-filled roots and can grow at high yields in areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America where corn and sugarcane are not commonly grown. With the availability of novel enzymes and processes designed to break down tapioca starch into sugars that can then be used to produce sweeteners such as glucose, fructose, or maltose syrup, tapioca may be an ideal alternative to corn, as described in a Review article in Industrial Biotechnology.

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