Science X Newsletter Thursday, Sep 4

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 4, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Fabric circuit boards that can take bending, washing, stretching and bullets fired at them
- Gold's unexpected oxidation activity: Decoding the role of water in gold nanocatalysis
- Half of all exoplanet host stars are binaries
- Electron microscopes take first measurements of nanoscale chemistry in action
- Coffee genome sheds light on the evolution of caffeine
- Intel is linking into fashion with MICA bracelet
- Artificial cells take their first steps: Movable cytoskeleton membrane fabricated for first time
- Bats change strategy when food is scarce
- Atomically thin material opens door for integrated nanophotonic circuits
- Retracted papers needlessly stigmatize and jeopardize solid research in related fields, study finds
- Researcher advances a new model for a cosmological enigma—dark matter
- Study shows calcium carbonate takes multiple, simultaneous roads to different minerals
- Scientists apply biomedical technique to reveal changes within the body of the ocean
- Magnetic nanocubes self-assemble into helical superstructures
- Research resolves discrepancy in Greenland temperatures during end of last ice age

Astronomy & Space news

	Half of all exoplanet host stars are binaries (Phys.org) —Imagine living on an exoplanet with two suns. One, you orbit and the other is a very bright, nearby neighbor looming large in your sky. With this "second sun" in the sky, nightfall might be a rare event, perhaps only coming seasonally to your planet. A new study suggests that this could be far more common than we realized.
	Historic comet landing site to be unveiled this month The European Space Agency (ESA) will on September 15 announce which of five possible sites it has chosen for the first-ever landing of a probe from Earth on a comet, it said Thursday.
	Small asteroid to safely pass close to Earth Sunday (Phys.org) —A small asteroid, designated 2014 RC, will safely pass very close to Earth on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. At the time of closest approach, based on current calculations to be about 2:18 p.m. EDT (11:18 a.m. PDT / 18:18 UTC), the asteroid will be roughly over New Zealand. From its reflected brightness, astronomers estimate that the asteroid is about 60 feet (20 meters) in size.
	Evidence of forming planet discovered 335 light years from Earth An international team of scientists led by a Clemson University astrophysicist has discovered new evidence that planets are forming around a star about 335 light years from Earth.
	How NASA's new Orbiting Carbon Observatory will help us understand alien worlds On July 2, NASA successfully launched the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), a remote sensing satellite on a mission to precisely measure carbon dioxide levels in our planet's atmosphere. As a bonus OCO-2 will also help prepare us for eventually probing the atmospheres of alien worlds in sharper detail.
	Where should the European Mars rover land? Picking a landing site on Mars is a complex process. There's the need to balance scientific return with the capabilities of whatever vehicle you're sending out there. And given each mission costs millions (sometimes billions) of dollars—and you only get one shot at landing—you can bet mission planners are extra-cautious about choosing the right location.
	Get set for the supermoon 3 of 3 for 2014 Time to dust off those 'what is a perigee Full Moon' explainer posts… the supermoon once again cometh this weekend to a sky near you.
	Rosetta-Alice spectrograph obtains first far ultraviolet spectra of a cometary surface NASA's Alice ultraviolet (UV) spectrograph aboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta comet orbiter has delivered its first scientific discoveries. Rosetta, in orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, is the first spacecraft to study a comet up close.
	Volunteers needed to preserve astronomical history and promote discovery Before iPhones and laptops there were human computers, some of whom worked at the Harvard College Observatory. Women like Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Williamina Fleming, and Annie Jump Cannon made some of the most important discoveries in astronomy in the early 20th century. Their work was even featured in the TV series Cosmos, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Now, Harvard is seeking your help to transcribe the logbooks that record the century-long observations behind (and beyond) their discoveries.
	Image: IXV drop-test model This drop-test model of ESA's IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle will be among the attractions on display at this year's ESTEC Open Day on 5 October.

Technology news

	Fabric circuit boards that can take bending, washing, stretching and bullets fired at them A pair of researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has developed a computerized knitting technology that allows for creating fabric circuit boards (FCBs) that can take a beating and keep on working. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, the two describe how the new technology works and just how strong the resulting products can be.
	Selfie-centric phone among new Microsoft offerings (Update) Microsoft will seek to draw more people to its Internet-based services with two new mid-range smartphones it unveiled Thursday, including one designed to help people take better selfies.
	Intel is linking into fashion with MICA bracelet Wait, that Intel? The chipmaker is involved in a bracelet to retail at Barneys? Yes, because retail ties in with wearables; women in office settings will look for accessories beyond fitness bands and sensor-filled socks; and Intel is casting ropes around new market opportunities beyond chips for PCs. Intel is stepping into the women's fashion marketplace on the high end with MICA, a bracelet with a curved sapphire touchscreen display and semiprecious gems. MICA stands for My Intelligent Communication Accessory. The bracelet was developed from a partnership between Intel, Opening Ceremony and Barneys. The Intel-engineered bracelet will be available by the holidays at Barneys New York and Opening Ceremony stores, reported CNET on Wednesday, and will be priced under $1,000.
	SideSwipe: UW team uses in-air gestures for phones Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle have come up-with a SideSwipe system that enables in-air gestures above and around a mobile device. This is an interesting way to interact with the phone without using physical buttons or touchscreens. Chen Zhao, Ke-Yu Chen, Md Tanvir Islam Aumi, Shwetak Patel, Matthew Reynolds have joined forces to design their system which, they said, leverages the actual GSM signal to detect hand gestures around the device. "We developed an algorithm to convert the bursty reflected GSM pulses to a continuous signal that can be used for gesture recognition," said the team in their paper."SideSwipe: Detecting In-air Gestures Around Mobile Devices Using Actual GSM Signals." The paper discusses the prototype which they designed.
	Hovering drones adapted for photo lighting (Phys.org) —A professional photographer doesn't just carry a camera. A typical shoot involves carefully arranged lighting, perhaps some assistants to move the light stands around. Complicated enough in the studio and even more challenging on location. And if the subject is a moving target, good luck.
	Couch gets robotic makeover (Phys.org) —It's an innovation that adds a whole new dimension to the term "couch surfing". A team of UNSW engineering students has created a robotic couch that can move in any direction and be controlled using an Xbox gamepad.
	A novel liquid metal battery for grid-level storage The challenge of selling any new idea is that it has to compete with every other new idea. The process is more difficult when the idea's technology hasn't existed and addresses an issue that some industries don't see as a problem. Such is the reality of Ambri.
	Toyota: Cars will be safer, but still need drivers Your car soon will do more to help avoid a crash. As for one day leaving all the driving to the vehicle while you relax in back, don't get your hopes up.
	News media losing role as gatekeepers to new 'social mediators' on Twitter, study finds The U.S. government is doing a better job of communicating on Twitter with people in sensitive areas like the Middle East and North Africa without the participation of media organizations, according to a study co-authored by a University of Georgia researcher.
	Japan launch of Microsoft Xbox One a damp squib The Japanese launch of Microsoft's Xbox One fell flat on Thursday, with journalists covering the debut far outnumbering buyers.
	Review: Samsung phones impress, but new apps key After years of promoting its phones as "the next big thing," Samsung is realizing that bigger isn't necessarily better.
	Stolen photos of stars find 'safe harbor' online Imagine what the Internet would be like if most major websites had imposed controls preventing the naked photos stolen from Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities from being posted online.
Chinese firm serves up 'smart chopsticks' for food-wary diners From recycled cooking oil to fox meat and chemicals, a litany of food scandals have turned Chinese diners' stomachs, but a new "smart chopsticks" concept by Internet search giant Baidu could put the answer in their hands.
	Sony attack shows shifting online security threat The boundary between the online and physical worlds got blurry last week when Sony's PlayStation Network was disabled by an online attack, while simultaneously an American Airlines passenger jet carrying a Sony executive was diverted due to a bomb threat on Twitter.
	It's time for privacy invasion to be a legal wrong The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) yesterday recommended introducing new laws that would give a legal remedy for serious invasions of privacy.
	NASA helps harness an ocean of energy NASA is helping the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) harness the power of the oceans by first harnessing the power of the crowd.
	Spatial movie production – more creative and better value The days when the camera viewed a scene from a single position are long gone. Nowadays, special effects are in demand, and even more so if they're in 3D. Researchers in the Spatial-AV project looked at how more creativity can be brought to three-dimensional cinema. Fraunhofer will be presenting the new technological solutions at this year's International Broadcasting Convention, taking place September 12th to 16th in Amsterdam (hall 8, booth B80).
	Tracking traces of alternative jet fuels Flying high above the California desert, NASA researchers recently took to the skies for the second year in a row with a DC-8 and other aircraft to study the effects on emissions and contrail formation of burning alternative fuels in jet engines.
	SwRI expands biofuels capabilities with custom-designed circulating fluidized bed system SwRI announced today the addition of a custom-designed circulating fluidized bed (CFB) to convert heavy crude oils or biological feedstock such as corn, into valuable, refined fuel samples that clients can assess for quality and profitability. SwRI's system produces samples at about a half liter per hour, allowing more tests to be run in a shorter time.
USA Today cuts jobs amid print woes USA Today said Thursday it was eliminating 60 to 70 jobs as the large daily responds to declining print circulation and ad revenues.
	Apple supplier in China accused of violations An Apple supplier in China is violating safety and pay rules despite the computer giant's promises to improve conditions, two activist groups said Thursday, ahead of the expected release of the iPhone 6.
Home Depot CEO: Probe of possible breach continues Home Depot's outgoing CEO Frank Blake told investors Thursday that the nation's largest home-improvement chain continues to investigate a potential breach at the company and reassured that customers will not be liable for any potential fraudulent charges.
	Google settles with FTC over in-app charges Google has agreed to pay full refunds totaling at least $19 million to consumers who were charged for purchases that children made via apps without parental consent from the Google Play app store.
Court rules for Yelp in suit over online ratings A federal appeals court says online review site Yelp can lower or raise the rating of a business depending on whether it advertises with the company.
	Season's new phones are all about selfie image Visit any tourist destination, and you're bound to see individuals and groups taking photos of themselves for sharing on social media. It's a declaration to the world that they were there.
Photo service Twitpic to shutter, blames Twitter The photo-sharing service Twitpic announced Thursday it was shutting down, saying it faced an ultimatum from Twitter to abandon its trademark or lose access to the messaging service.
Celebrity photo hackers 'committed sex crime' Those behind the massive leak of naked celebrity photos that shocked the show business world could and should be prosecuted, including for child sex crimes, experts said Wednesday.
	US police use technology to ID troubled officers (Update) Police departments across the U.S. are using technology to try to identify problem officers before their misbehavior harms innocent people, embarrasses their employer, or invites a costly lawsuit—from citizens or the federal government.
	Plea expected from CEO linked to black market site The top executive of a New York City-based Bitcoin company is scheduled to plead guilty Thursday to federal criminal charges.
Solving the energy challenge in public buildings Civil servants of the Government of Extremadura, located in Mérida, Spain, will have to work under challenging conditions when retrofitting public buildings with technological solutions based on renewable energy. They are participating as a showcase site in the EU-funded Project BRICKER, which focuses on the development of so-called passive—that is architecture-based—and active—that is facilities-based—measures to improve the energy efficiency in public buildings that are non-residential.
	LVMH, Google unite against fake online luxury goods French luxury products group LVMH and Internet search engine Google have agreed to work together to fight the sale of counterfeit goods online, the two firms said on Thursday.
	Researchers develop untethered, autonomous soft robot Imagine a non-rigid, shape-changing robot that walks on four "legs," can operate without the constraints of a tether, and can function in a snowstorm, move through puddles of water, and even withstand limited exposure to flames. Harvard advanced materials chemist George Whitesides, PhD and colleagues describe the mobile, autonomous robot they have created in Soft Robotics.
Obama names Google exec as new technology officer US President Barack Obama on Thursday named Google vice president Megan Smith as his new chief technology officer, charged with unleashing the power of data and computers inside the fusty world of government.
	Vice Media 'bad boy' strategy pays off handsomely The bad boy of digital media is now the king of the hill.

Medicine & Health news

	One person commits suicide every 40 seconds, WHO reports One person commits suicide every 40 seconds—more than all the yearly victims of wars and natural disaster—with the highest toll among the elderly, the United Nations said Thursday.
	Scientists reveal complexity in the brain's wiring diagram (Medical Xpress)—When Joanna Mattis started her doctoral project she expected to map how two regions of the brain connect. Instead, she got a surprise. It turns out the wiring diagram shifts depending on how you flip the switch.
	Reacting to personal setbacks: Do you bounce back or give up? Sometimes when people get upsetting news – such as a failing exam grade or a negative job review – they decide instantly to do better the next time. In other situations that are equally disappointing, the same people may feel inclined to just give up.
	How the brain finds what it's looking for Despite the barrage of visual information the brain receives, it retains a remarkable ability to focus on important and relevant items. This fall, for example, NFL quarterbacks will be rewarded handsomely for how well they can focus their attention on color and motion – being able to quickly judge the jersey colors of teammates and opponents and where they're headed is a valuable skill. How the brain accomplishes this feat, however, has been poorly understood.
Study identifies gene network behind untreatable leukemia and possible treatment target Researchers have identified a genetic/molecular network that fuels a high-risk and aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and its precursor disease Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) – providing a possible therapeutic strategy for an essentially untreatable form of the blood cancer.
	2-D or 3-D? That is the question: Study shows no difference in emotional reactions between film formats The increased visual realism of 3-D films is believed to offer viewers a more vivid and lifelike experience—more thrilling and intense than 2-D because it more closely approximates real life. However, psychology researchers at the University of Utah, among those who use film clips routinely in the lab to study patients' emotional conditions, have found that there is no significant difference between the two formats. The results were published recently in PLOS ONE.
	Yoga relieves multiple sclerosis symptoms, study finds (Medical Xpress)—Paula Meltzer was only 38 when out of nowhere everything she looked at was blurry. For the single mother, who had a lucrative career as a gemologist and spent hours examining valuable pieces of jewelry, it seemed as if – in a split second – her life changed.
	FDA approves 'game changing' drug for melanoma The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new immunotherapy drug to treat advanced melanoma, signaling a paradigm shift in the way the deadly skin cancer is treated.
40 percent of women with severe mental illness are victims of rape or attempted rape Women with severe mental illness are up to five times more likely than the general population to be victims of sexual assault and two to three times more likely to suffer domestic violence, reveals new research led by UCL (University College London) and King's College London funded by the Medical Research Council and the Big Lottery.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual men and women in England report poorer health, experiences of health care A survey of over two million people has found that lesbian, gay and bisexual men and women in England are more likely to report poor health and unfavourable experiences of the National Health Service than their heterosexual counterparts.
	Brazil's maternal milk banks model for globe Thirty years ago, poor Brazilian women were paid to give away their breast milk, leaving their children at risk of malnourishment. Equipment at the few milk collection centers that existed was so costly it limited the country's ability to expand the program's reach.
Tokyo closes park after dengue mosquitoes found Tokyo on Thursday closed most of Yoyogi Park, a popular green spot in the Japanese metropolis, after dengue-carrying mosquitoes were found there, an official said.
	New approaches for Ebola virus therapeutics Researchers from the University of Liverpool, in collaboration with Public Health England, have investigated new ways to identify drugs that could be used to treat Ebola virus infection.
	Could the blood of Ebola survivors help patients? As West Africa struggles to contain the biggest ever outbreak of Ebola, some experts say an unusual but simple treatment might help: the blood of survivors.
	Beta-blockers don't improve heart failure, A-fib outcomes (HealthDay)—Patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation given β-blockers have no significant reduction in all-cause mortality compared to those given placebo treatment, according to research published online Sept. 2 in The Lancet. These findings were published to coincide with the annual European Society of Cardiology Congress, held from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 in Barcelona, Spain.
Research targets early symptoms of Parkinson's University of Adelaide neuroscience researchers are investigating markers for potential earlier diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Imaging the noncentrosymmetric structural organization of tendons Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy is a powerful technique for biomedical imaging, especially of connective tissues rich in collagen type I/III, cartilage tissues rich in collagen type II, the myosin bands of muscle, and microtubules. One common aspect of all those biological structures is that they are composed of noncentrosymmetric proteins.
Body clock link could aid obesity treatments Scientists at The University of Manchester have discovered that the body clock plays an important role in body fat. Their findings are helping develop new ways of treating obesity and the fatal diseases linked to being overweight.
	Moles can quadruple risk of developing melanoma Having moles on your skin can quadruple your risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, according to a study released this week by experts at the University of Melbourne, University of Oxford, and the Epworth HealthCare.
Animal study holds promise for treating diabetic ulcers and burns A combination of two drugs already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for different applications reduces wound healing time by one-quarter and significantly decreases scar tissue in mice and rats, Johns Hopkins researchers report. If the findings, reported in the September issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, hold true in future human studies, the dual treatment could speed skin healing in people with skin ulcers, extensive burns, surgical wounds and battlefield injuries.
	Scientists tap natural extracts in search for malaria drug Resistance is … inevitable. "We can't afford to have huge gaps between discoveries of new antimalarial products; the pace of innovation is quite literally a matter of life and death," said Virginia Tech's David G.I. Kingston, University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, director of the Center for Drug Discovery, and an affiliate with the Fralin Life Science Institute.
Can insomnia be treated with two weeks in a specialized hospital? Insomnia is a disturbance that afflicts many people. Some new findings published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics indicate that a two week stay in a specialized hospital may help.
Is a hormone the key to understanding borderline personality disorder? In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a group of German investigators is reporting on the potential effects of a hormone in borderline personality disorder. Besides affective instability and identity diffusion, borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients show impaired interpersonal functionality. Recently, altered oxytocin regulation has been suggested to be one mechanism underlying such interpersonal dysfunctions in BPD, i.e. reduced plasma oxytocin levels were found in BPD, which were negatively correlated with a history of childhood trauma.
Paroxetine, an antidepressant drugs may provoke emotional disorders that persist after discontinuation Three patients (two men and a woman) were referred to the Affective Disorders Program of the University of Bologna for paroxetine postwithdrawal symptoms. Patients were treated with paroxetine (from 20 to 60 mg/day) respectively for major depressive disorders, panic disorder with agoraphobia, and anxious depression complicated by panic disorder with agoraphobia.
The remedy for buzzing comes from internet Chronic tinnitus is a disabling disorder. A new study published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics reports on a therapy that is performed over internet. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate the effects of conventional face-to-face group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) and an Internet-delivered guided self-help treatment (Internet-based CBT, ICBT) on tinnitus distress.
What are the neural circuits activated by cognitive behavioral therapy? A new study published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics provides new insights on how psychotherapy works. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for panic disorder with agoraphobia (PD/AG). It is unknown, how variants of CBT differentially modulate brain networks involved in PD/AG. This study evaluated the effects of therapist-guided (T+) versus self-guided (T-) exposure on the neural correlates of fear conditioning in PD/AG.
	Motion analysis to detect arthrosis Arthrosis  is excessive wear of joints beyond the usual age-related degeneration. For this reason, about 150,000 Germans are provided with an artificial knee joint every year. Early diagnosis and corresponding therapies could delay or even help to avoid these operations. Joints, however, degrade slowly over several years before causing pain and prompting the persons affected to see a doctor. In cooperation with the Sana Gelenk- und Rheumazentrum (Center for Degenerative Joint and Rheumatic Diseases), Bad Wildbad, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are presently working on a system that detects first indications of arthrosis based on changed motion patterns.
Experts debate experimental treatments for Ebola Some 200 experts huddled in Geneva on Thursday to debate experimental treatments for the Ebola virus as the world's worst-ever outbreak raged in west Africa, having killed more than 1,900 people so far.
	Avian flu in seals could infect people The avian flu virus that caused widespread harbor seal deaths in 2011 can easily spread to and infect other mammals and potentially humans.
	Additional immune dysfunction related to cystic fibrosis discovered Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a frequent genetic disease affecting the lung and the gastrointestinal tract. Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München now have shown that many of the adult patients with CF in addition lack a cell surface molecule, which is important for immune defence. The results have been published recently in the 'Journal of Molecular Medicine'.
	Research group identifies potential pathway for blocking transmission of Chikungunya virus (Medical Xpress)—Researchers have taken the first step towards preventing transmission of the mosquito-borne tropical chikungunya virus, which is in danger of invading Central and South America and the south-eastern states of the USA.
Eight possible treatments, two vaccines for Ebola: WHO Eight experimental treatments and two vaccines for Ebola were on the table Thursday as 200 health experts met to discuss how to end the world's worst-ever outbreak of the killer virus.
	Flu vaccine protects mothers, babies A study showing that the influenza vaccination of pregnant HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected women is safe and protects the women against confirmed influenza illness, has been published by researchers from Wits University and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
	Breast vs. bottle feeding in rhesus monkeys (Medical Xpress)—Infant rhesus monkeys receiving different diets early in life develop distinct immune systems that persist months after weaning, a study by researchers from UC Davis, the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) at UC Davis and UC San Francisco has shown.
	Study shows 'less is more' for kids learning new words (Medical Xpress)—Toddlers are much more successful at learning new words when the learning environment stays the same, according to new University of Sussex research.
	Visualising plastic changes to the brain Tinnitus, migraine, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's: all these are examples of diseases with neurological causes, the treatment and study of which is more and more frequently being carried out by means of magnetic stimulation of the brain. However, the method's precise mechanisms of action have not, as yet, been fully understood. The work group headed by PD Dr Dirk Jancke from the Institut für Neuroinformatik was the first to succeed in illustrating the neuronal effects of this treatment method with high-res images.
Intestinal barrier damage in multiple sclerosis The present study investigates whether the function of the intestines is also attacked in MS. The results, obtained from a disease model of MS in mice, shows inflammation and changes in the barrier function of the intestines early in the course of the disease. The study has been published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
Liver injury caused by herbals, dietary supplements rises in study population New research shows that liver injury caused by herbals and dietary supplements increased from 7% to 20% in a U.S. study group over a ten-year period. According to the study published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, liver injury caused by non-bodybuilding supplements is most severe, occurring more often in middle-aged women and more frequently resulting in death or the need for transplantation than liver injury from bodybuilding supplements or conventional medications."
	Yellow filters in eye result in higher visibility, research finds Human eyes naturally contain yellow pigment in the macula, a spot near the center of the retina responsible for high-resolution vision. Those with more yellow in their macula may have an advantage when it comes to filtering out atmospheric particles that obscure one's vision, commonly known as haze. According to a new University of Georgia study, people with increased yellow in their macula could absorb more light and maintain better vision in haze than others.
Messenger molecules identified as part of arthritis puzzle The way in which some cells alter their behaviour at the onset of osteoarthritis has been identified for the first time by researchers at the University of Liverpool.
Researchers identify new rare neuromuscular disease An international team of researchers has identified a new inherited neuromuscular disorder. The rare condition is the result of a genetic mutation that interferes with the communication between nerves and muscles, resulting in impaired muscle control.
The newest precision medicine tool: Prostate cancer organoids Research led by investigators at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has shown for the first time that organoids derived from human prostate cancer tumors can be grown in the laboratory, giving researchers an exciting new tool to test cancer drugs and personalize cancer treatment.
	New research offers help for spinal cord patients In a study on rats, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered the cause of the involuntary muscle contractions which patients with severe spinal cord injuries frequently suffer. The findings have just been published in the Journal of Neuroscience and, in the long run, can pave the way for new treatment methods.
Normal-weight counselors feel more successful at helping obese patients slim A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that normal-weight nutrition and exercise counselors report feeling significantly more successful in getting their obese patients to lose weight than those who are overweight or obese.
	Adult obesity in US 'unacceptably high,' report finds Poor eating and exercise habits have kept obesity rates high in the United States, said a report Thursday that found increases in six states and no decreases across the nation.
Study discovers new therapeutic target for diabetic wound healing Research led by scientists in Dr. Song Hong's group at LSU Health New Orleans has identified a novel family of chemical mediators that rescue the reparative functions of macrophages (a main type of mature white blood cells) impaired by diabetes, restoring their ability to resolve inflammation and heal wounds. The research is in-press and is scheduled to be published in the October 23, 2014 issue of Chemistry & Biology, a Cell Press journal.
Oxidized LDL might actually be 'good guy' A team of investigators at the University of Kentucky has made a thought-provoking discovery about a type of cholesterol previously believed to be a "bad guy" in the development of heart disease and other conditions.
	Greener neighborhoods lead to better birth outcomes, new study shows Mothers who live in neighborhoods with plenty of grass, trees or other green vegetation are more likely to deliver at full term and their babies are born at higher weights, compared to mothers who live in urban areas that aren't as green, a new study shows.
Plant-based research prevents complication of hemophilia treatment in mice While healthy people have proteins in their blood called clotting factors that act quickly to plug wounds, hemophiliacs lack these proteins, making even minor bleeds difficult to stop.
World experts race to deploy experimental Ebola drugs (Update) World health experts met in Geneva on Thursday for urgent talks on fast-tracking experimental drugs as doctors in the worst-hit countries pleaded to be given the serums.
Researchers define a spontaneous retinal neovascular mouse model Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which involves formation of abnormal blood vessels in the retina, is a leading cause of vision loss. A subgroup of neovascular AMD, known as retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) disease, occurs when neovessels originating from the inner retinal vascular bed grow toward the outer retina and form leaky pathologic vessels beneath the retina.
Team identifies important regulators of immune cell response In a collaborative study, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology have developed a more effective method to determine how immune cells called T cells differentiate into specialized types of cells that help eradicate infected cells and assist other immune cells during infection.
The yin and yang of overcoming cocaine addiction Yaoying Ma says that biology, by nature, has a yin and a yang—a push and a pull. Addiction, particularly relapse, she finds, is no exception.
More than 8 in 10 US homes forbid smoking Health officials say smoking is banned in more than eight out of 10 U.S. homes—nearly twice what the numbers were two decades ago.
	A lifetime of outdoor activity may contribute to common eye disease, sunglasses may help Residential geography, time spent in the sun, and whether or not sunglasses are worn may help explain why some people develop exfoliation syndrome (XFS), an eye condition that is a leading cause of secondary open-angle glaucoma and can lead to an increased risk of cataract and cataract surgery complications, according to a study published on Sept. 4 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Potassium-rich foods cut stroke, death risks among older women Postmenopausal women who eat foods higher in potassium are less likely to have strokes and die than women who eat less potassium-rich foods, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.
Soy supplementation adversely effects expression of breast cancer-related genes Soy supplementation alters expression of genes associated with breast cancer, raising concerns that soy could have adverse effects in breast cancer, according to a new study published September 4 in the JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
	Scientists identify rare stem cells that hold potential for infertility treatments Rare stem cells in testis that produce a biomarker protein called PAX7 help give rise to new sperm cells—and may hold a key to restoring fertility, research by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center suggests.
	FDA OKs Merck drug, first in new cancer drug class (Update) Merck & Co. on Thursday won the first U.S. approval for a new kind of cancer drug with big advantages over chemotherapy and other older cancer treatments.
	Sugar substitutes not so super sweet after all The taste of common sugar substitutes is often described as being much more intense than sugar, but participants in a recent study indicated that these non-nutritive sugar substitutes are no sweeter than the real thing, according to Penn State food scientists.
	More evidence ties some bone-building drugs to rare fractures (HealthDay)—Taking osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates to help prevent fractures may carry a slight risk for unusual breaks in the thigh bone, Swedish researchers report.
	Ten percent of Americans admit to illicit drug use (HealthDay)—Nearly 10 percent of Americans aged 12 and older were illicit drug users in 2013, and almost 20 million said they used marijuana, making it the most widely used drug, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.
	New myeloma treatment options show promise (HealthDay)—New multiple myeloma treatment options appear promising for patients aged 65 years and younger and for newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for stem-cell transplantation, according to two studies published in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Global epidemic of diabetes threatens to jeopardise further progress in tuberculosis control The rapid increase in rates of type 2 diabetes* in low- and middle-income countries where tuberculosis (TB) is endemic could hamper global efforts to control and eliminate TB, according to a new three-part Series about TB and diabetes, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
	Ebola survivors: Hospital staff exposed in Africa The hospital in Liberia where three American aid workers got sick with Ebola has been overwhelmed by a surge in patients and doesn't have enough hazard suits and other supplies to keep doctors and nurses safe, a missionary couple told The Associated Press.
	Gaming app to improve health A mobile gaming app developed by University of Queensland students to help cystic fibrosis sufferers manage their illness has garnered national attention at the recent iAwards.
	New treatment against transplantation complications tested It is not uncommon for kidney transplants to fail. Once transplanted, the kidney must connect back with the blood supply to start working properly and be truly accepted by the body. Delays can cause complications. An example, known as delayed graft function (DGF), is where the new kidney can become inflamed while starved of blood supply. This serious complication affects over half of those who receive kidneys from deceased donors.
Migrating to Australia a bad health move for immigrants Moving to Australia could be a health hazard for thousands of immigrants, according to unique research from Deakin University.
Collaboration leads to new rotavirus vaccine A new rotavirus vaccine that has the potential to save over half a million lives worldwide each year has reached a pivotal milestone after clinical trials results found the vaccine provided a strong immune response in over 90 per cent of babies that received a course of the vaccine.
	The cancer that kills men Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology are pioneering the use of a radioactive tracer in combination with PET MRI imaging to help some prostate cancer patients avoid lengthy and unnecessary surgery.
Choosing between psychodynamic therapy and family therapy for adolescents In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a Group of Greek investigators is reporting on a study exploring the role of self-esteem and social adjustment in children and adolescents. Both these dimensions have been found to enable youths to cope adequately with stressful life situations and act as protective factors against vulnerability to depression.
Cigarette co Reynolds taking nicotine gum national Cigarette maker Reynolds American Inc. is taking its Zonnic brand nicotine gum nationwide, challenging the pharmaceutical industry's hold and pricing power of the market for products to help people stop smoking.
Eight-kilo tumour removed from Austrian woman Austrian surgeons removed a tumour weighing some eight kilos (18 pounds), as heavy as a seven-month-old baby, from the stomach of a 75-year-old woman, doctors said Thursday.
	Massages for baby rats lead to better outcomes for premature infants What could we possibly learn from massaging rat pups? The answer is, a lot. Just ask the millions of families whose prematurely born infants have survived and thrived on account of that research.
International health systems fund could have averted Ebola outbreak The Ebola crisis in west Africa could have been averted if governments and health agencies had acted on the recommendations of a 2011 World Health Organisation (WHO) Commission on global health emergencies, according to a new Comment, published in The Lancet.
Would web support be good for patients in an exercise referral scheme? E-coachER – useful web support for patients in an exercise referral scheme with long-term physical and psychological conditions?
Breast conserving therapy shows survival benefit compared to mastectomy in early-stage patients When factoring in what is now known about breast cancer biology and heterogeneity, breast conserving therapy (BCT) may offer a greater survival benefit over mastectomy to women with early stage, hormone-receptor positive disease, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Disparities persist in early-stage breast cancer treatment, study finds Despite its acceptance as standard of care for early stage breast cancer almost 25 years ago, barriers still exist that preclude patients from receiving breast conserving therapy (BCT), with some still opting for a mastectomy, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Breast radiation trial provides more convenience, better compliance, lowered cost An experimental regimen of once-weekly breast irradiation following lumpectomy provides more convenience to patients at a lower cost, results in better completion rates of prescribed radiation treatment, and produces cosmetic outcomes comparable to the current standard of daily radiation.
Study shows complexities of reducing HIV rates in Russia Results of a new study conducted in St. Petersburg, Russia, show that decreasing HIV transmission among Russian HIV-infected drinkers will require creative and innovative approaches.
	Legal or not, the pot business is still wacky Legal or not, the business of selling weed in the U.S. is as wacky as ever.
	A minimally invasive, high-performance intervention for staging lung cancer Endoscopic biopsy of lymph nodes between the two lungs (mediastinum) is a sensitive and accurate technique that can replace mediastinal surgery for staging lung cancer in patients with potentially resectable tumours. Such were the conclusions of a prospective controlled trial conducted under Dr. Moishe Liberman, a researcher at the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) and an Associate Professor at the Université de Montréal. Moreover, the study showed that it is not necessary to perform surgery to confirm negative results obtained through the endoscopic approach during the pre-operative evaluation of patients with this type of cancer. This discovery has many advantages for both the patients and the health-care system.
	US to provide $75M to expand Ebola care centers The American aid agency announced Thursday it would donate $75 million to fund 1,000 more beds in Ebola treatment centers in Liberia and buy 130,000 more protective suits for health care workers.
Hospitalizations for heart failure increase CKD patients' risk of kidney failure Being hospitalized for heart failure increases kidney disease patients' risks of developing kidney failure or dying prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings indicate that coordinated care between heart and kidney specialists and primary care physicians is especially important in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have experienced one or more hospitalizations for heart failure.
	ASCO: Family docs can up return rates for mammograms (HealthDay)—A personalized letter from a family physician may help improve return rates for screening mammography, according to research scheduled to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's 2014 Breast Cancer Symposium, held from Sept. 4 to 6 in San Francisco.

Biology news

	Coffee genome sheds light on the evolution of caffeine Enzymes that help produce caffeine evolved independently in coffee, tea and chocolate, say scientists who have newly sequenced the coffee plant genome.
	New reprogramming factor cocktail produces therapy-grade induced pluripotent stem cells Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)—adult cells reprogrammed back to an embryonic stem cell-like state—may hold the potential to cure damaged nerves, regrow limbs and organs, and perfectly model a patient's particular disease. Yet through the reprogramming process, these cells can acquire serious genetic and epigenetic abnormalities that lower the cells' quality and limit their therapeutic usefulness.
	Archerfish target shoot with 'skillfully thrown' water Archerfish hunt by shooting jets of water at unsuspecting insects, spiders, or even small lizards on leaves or twigs above, knocking them into the water below before gobbling them up. Now, a study in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on September 4 finds that those fish are much more adaptable and skillful target-shooters than anyone had given them credit for. The fish really do use water as a tool, the researchers say, making them the first known tool-using animal to adaptively change the hydrodynamic properties of a free jet of water.
	Bats change strategy when food is scarce Echolocating bats have historically been classified into two groups: 'loud' aerial hawkers who catch flying insects on the wing and 'whispering' gleaners that pick up prey from the ground. While some bat species can forage in multiple ways, others have limited flexibility in the amplitude of their echolocation calls.
	Artificial cells take their first steps: Movable cytoskeleton membrane fabricated for first time Cells are complex objects with a sophisticated metabolic system. Their evolutionary ancestors, the primordial cells, were merely composed of a membrane and a few molecules. These were minimalistic yet perfectly functioning systems.
	Breakthrough study identifies genetic link between the circadian clock and seasonal timing Researchers from the University of Leicester have for the first time provided experimental evidence for a genetic link between two major timing mechanisms, the circadian clock and the seasonal timer.
	Mutating virus suppresses cow's immune response Bovine viral diarrhea virus infections result in one of the most costly diseases among cattle with losses in U.S. herds estimated at $2 billion per year, according to professor Christopher Chase of the South Dakota State University Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department.
	Nyoongar names for newly classified sponges Two new species of marine sponges, found only in the south-west of Western Australia, have been identified and named in recognition of the Aboriginal peoples who are the traditional owners of the region.
	An "anchor" that keeps proteins together All organisms react to different external and internal stimuli: if, for example, the hyphae fungus Sordaria macrospora is supplied with food, it produces fruiting bodies as part of its oestrous cycle. To initiate this reaction, signals have to be transmitted within the cell, which are conveyed by proteins. Physical proximity is a fundamental requirement for different proteins to be able to communicate with each other. Generating that proximity is what scaffolding proteins do, by binding like an anchor to several proteins and keeping them together for the duration of signal transmission. Under the auspices of Dr Ines Teichert, RUB biologists have discovered a new scaffold protein in hyphae fungi. PRO40 is particularly important for the production of fruiting bodies.
Researchers obtain most accurate measures of gene expression RNA-sequencing data analysis method BitSeq developed by Academy Research Fellow Antti Honkela's research group and University of Manchester researchers has been found to be the most accurate gene transcript expression estimation method in a large international assessment. The method is based on probabilistic modelling which can capture the uncertainty related to the measurements.
New protagonist in cell reprogramming discovered A group of researchers from the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona have described the role of a protein that is crucial for cell reprogramming. The discovery also details the dynamics of this protein as well as its interaction with other factors involved in reprogramming and the maintenance of stem cell pluripotency. The results of this research are being published in the journal Cell Reports.
	Scientists prove ground and tree salamanders have same diets Salamanders spend the vast majority of their lives below ground and surface only for short periods of time and usually only on wet nights. When they do emerge, salamanders can be spotted not only on forest floors but also up in trees and on other vegetation, often climbing as high as 8 feet. Given their infrequent appearances aboveground, it has never been clear to biologists why salamanders take time to climb vegetation. Researchers at the University of Missouri recently conducted a study testing a long-standing hypothesis that salamanders might climb vegetation for food.
	Fisheries to cut catch of endangered bluefin tuna aThe multi-nation fisheries body that monitors most of the Pacific Ocean has recommended a substantial cut to the catch of juvenile bluefin tuna, a move conservationists say is only an initial step toward saving the dwindling species.
Researchers could improve how companies ship fresh produce A University of Florida-led research team's development of a tracking system could change the way companies ship fresh fruits and vegetables, letting them know which produce is closest to expiration and providing consumers the freshest products available.
	Key Pacific panel agrees to 50% cut in young tuna catch Countries and regions that fish in the northern Pacific agreed Thursday to cut by half the number of young bluefin tuna they catch in a bid to double the ocean's stock over 10 years.
	Behind the scenes at 'the biggest fish tank you have ever seen' An unusual large scale experiment being led by a group of scientists at the University of Exeter investigating how fish respond to underwater noise is the subject of a new NERC Planet Earth podcast.
	Last of his kind tortoise to go on display in New York The remains of "Lonesome George," the last of a subspecies of Galapagos Islands tortoise, will go on display at the Museum of Natural History in New York this month, Ecuador said Thursday.

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