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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 24, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Robotic fabric could bring 'active clothing,' wearable robots
- Fossil has evidence of limb regeneration in 300 million year old amphibian
- Researcher shows that black holes do not exist
- Nanotechnology leads to better, cheaper LEDs for phones and lighting
- New milestone in the search for water on distant planets
- Are weak values quantum? Don't bet on it
- Interface surprises may motivate novel oxide electronic devices
- Samsung, BlackBerry speed arrivals of new smartphones
- Immune activity shortly after surgery holds big clue to recovery rate, study finds
- Brain scans reveal true nature of muscle control in 'floating arm trick'
- Brain scans reveal 'gray matter' differences in media multitaskers
- Scientists use stem cells to learn how common mutation in Asians affects heart health
- From rats to humans: Project NEUWalk closer to clinical trials
- Eyeless Mexican cavefish eliminate circadian rhythm to save energy
- Most metal-poor star hints at universe's first supernovae

Astronomy & Space news

	Researcher shows that black holes do not exist Black holes have long captured the public imagination and been the subject of popular culture, from Star Trek to Hollywood. They are the ultimate unknown – the blackest and most dense objects in the universe that do not even let light escape. And as if they weren't bizarre enough to begin with, now add this to the mix: they don't exist.
	New milestone in the search for water on distant planets Astronomers have found water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet about four times bigger than Earth, in the constellation Cygnus about 124 light years - or nearly 729 trillion miles - from our home planet. In the quest to learn about planets beyond our solar system, this discovery marks the smallest planet for which scientists have been able to identify some chemical components of its atmosphere.
	Mars mission opens India for space business (Update) India celebrated putting a spacecraft into orbit around Mars on Wednesday, hoping the rare feat will show the world it is open for business in space exploration and inspire a new generation of homegrown scientists to help drive growth.
	Solar explosions inside a computer Strong solar flares can bring down communications and power grids on Earth. By demonstrating how these gigantic eruptions are caused, ETH physicists are laying the foundations for future predictions.
	Most stars are born in clusters, some leave 'home' New modeling studies from Carnegie's Alan Boss demonstrate that most of the stars we see were formed when unstable clusters of newly formed protostars broke up. These protostars are born out of rotating clouds of dust and gas, which act as nurseries for star formation. Rare clusters of multiple protostars remain stable and mature into multi-star systems. The unstable ones will eject stars until they achieve stability and end up as single or binary stars. The work is published in The Astrophysical Journal.
	Most metal-poor star hints at universe's first supernovae A team of researchers, led by Miho N. Ishigaki, at the Kavli IPMU, The University of Tokyo, pointed out that the elemental abundance of the most iron-poor star can be explained by elements ejected from supernova explosions of the universe's first stars. Their theoretical study revealed that massive stars, which are several tens of times more immense than the Sun, were present among the first stars. The presence of these massive stars has great implications on the theory of star formation in the absence of heavy elements.
	ESA spaceplane on its way The Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle is ready to fly and left the Netherlands today for the launch site in French Guiana.
	Signs of the formation of a planetary system around the star HD169142 Planets are formed from disks of gas and dust that orbit around young stars. Once the "seed" of the planet —composed of a small aggregate of dust— is formed, it will continue to gather material and it will carve out a cavity or gap in the disk along its orbital path.
	Why is everyone vying for a piece of Mars? The red planet is about to welcome a new visitor: India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) started orbiting Mars on September 24. But MOM is not the only new kid in town. The American MAVEN explorer arrived at the planet on September 21.
	Evidence of gravity waves clouded by interstellar dust In March, scientists working on the BICEP2 experiment, a microwave telescope based at the South Pole, announced that they had seen 'gravity waves' from the early universe, created just after the Big Bang. Ever since the announcement, the cosmological community has been excitedly debating the implications of their detection.
	The origin of Uranus and Neptune elucidated? A team of French-American researchers led by the UTINAM Institute (CNRS/Université de Franche-Comté) has just proposed a solution to the problematic chemical composition of Uranus and Neptune, thus providing clues for understanding their formation. The researchers focused on the positioning of these two outermost planets of the Solar System, and propose a new model explaining how and where they formed. Their results have been published in The Astrophysical Journal on September 20.
	What is the geometry of the universe? One of the big questions in cosmology regards the shape of the universe. "Shape" in this case is not the distribution of galaxies, but rather the shape of space and time itself. In general relativity, space and time can be warped by masses (producing the effect of gravity), and it can be warped by dark energy (producing cosmic expansion). Knowing the shape of the cosmos lets us determine if it is finite in size or infinite, and whether it will expand forever or collapse back upon itself.
	Coronal mass ejections at Mars Looking across the Mars landscape presents a bleak image: a barren, dry rocky view as far as the eye can see. But scientists think the vista might once have been quite different. It may have teemed with water and even been hospitable to microbial life. What changed?
	New ISERV tool enables rapid view of Earth images from space Flipping through online photo albums and social media collections of "selfies" is one thing, but when pictures can show land areas where millions of people live, it can put things in a completely different perspective - especially for scientists.
	Who are the two new arrivals at Mars? As I write this, a team of engineers and scientists will be nervously watching the clock (in fact they are probably in their beds not sleeping). They are waiting for the time when the Mars Orbiter Mission (or MOM) will fire its thrusters and start a gravitational pas-de-deux with Mars.
	NASA image: Sunrise at the Soyuz launch pad The sun rises as the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft is rolled out by train to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Sept. 23, 2014.
	A challenging series of occultations this weekend and more Got clear skies? This week's equinox means the return of astronomical Fall for northern hemisphere observers and a slow but steady return of longer nights afterwards. And as the Moon returns to the evening skies, all eyes turn to the astronomical action transpiring low to the southwest at dusk.

Technology news

	Robotic fabric could bring 'active clothing,' wearable robots (Phys.org) —Researchers are developing a robotic fabric that moves and contracts and is embedded with sensors, an approach that could bring "active clothing" and a new class of "soft" robots.
	Nanotechnology leads to better, cheaper LEDs for phones and lighting Princeton University researchers have developed a new method to increase the brightness, efficiency and clarity of LEDs, which are widely used on smartphones and portable electronics as well as becoming increasingly common in lighting.
	Samsung to launch new phone in China before Apple Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday its latest Galaxy Note 4 smartphone will go on sale in China and South Korea later this month as its flagging mobile business tries to defend sales from Apple's new iPhones.
	Solar-powered family car Stella rides California coast A solar-powered family car completed its drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco fueled by good vibes and pure California sunshine.
	Microsoft display adapter brings device info to big screen An item called the Wireless Display Adapter from Microsoft can beam video from your PC or phone to your TV. If your PC can run Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 and your wireless display supports Miracast, you might want to check this new device. The adapter is available for pre-order in the U.S. and Canada and it will be generally available next month, for $59.95. The adapter connects to an HDTV, monitor, or projector and allows users to share content from any Miracast-enabled device, which includes various PCs and tablets running Windows 8.1. You can use this to share what you are doing on your PC, whether presenting a slide show or wanting to play a game on a larger screen. Miracast is generally described as a peer-to-peer wireless screencasting standard using Wi-Fi Direct connections. Other descriptions note that Miracast is technology that allows you to output video and audio to and from different devices.
	Samsung, BlackBerry speed arrivals of new smartphones South Korea's Samsung on Wednesday moved up the release date for it hotly anticipated Galaxy Note 4 big-screen smartphone, hitting the key Chinese market ahead of arch-rival Apple.
	'Skin-like' device monitors cardiovascular and skin health A new wearable medical device can quickly alert a person if they are having cardiovascular trouble or if it's simply time to put on some skin moisturizer, reports a Northwestern University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign study.
	Review: Samsung Alpha big on design, short on tech Apple filled a gaping hole in its product lineup with new iPhones boasting larger screens like Samsung's flagship Galaxy smartphones. Now, Samsung is coming out with a smaller phone that looks and feels more like an iPhone.
	Robotic swimmer with supple silicone web mimics octopus Highlighting this month's news of developments in marine robotics: Researchers from the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas in Greece have worked out a way to mimic the movements of an octopus. The robot, which swims and crawls, is inspired by the morphology and very able locomotor capabilities of the octopus. The octopus of their creation, which is being described by various sites as the octobot or "robotic swimmer," among other terms, propels itself underwater either alone of interconnected via a passively compliant web, said the team. Their study, "Multi-Arm Robotic Swimming with Octopus-Inspired Compliant Web," was prepared for this year's IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Chicago. They used flexible silicone webbing, which served them well. The authors said, "Speeds of 0.5 body lengths per second and propulsive forces of up to 10.5 N were achieved, with a cost of transport as lo! w as 0.62."
Netflix refuses to give subscriber data to Canada regulator Online video streaming service Netflix has refused to turn over subscriber data to the Canada's broadcast regulator, a spokesman for the agency told AFP Tuesday.
One million Filipinos join booming Philippine outsourcing sector The Philippines' booming outsourcing industry now employs a million people after growing almost tenfold in just over a decade, the industry association said Wednesday.
	Direct Vision lorries would save hundreds of lives, says study A longer, more aerodynamic cab with better vision for lorry drivers could save the lives of hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians, according to a new study by academics at Loughborough University's Design School.
Island to get first German drone delivery service Deutsche Post DHL says it is starting Germany's first drone package delivery service, a test program transporting medicine to a pharmacy on a North Sea island.
	Even without Tesla, electric car batteries can help California California leaders are wringing their hands now that Tesla Motors has chosen Nevada as the site for its planned $5 billion "gigafactory." Lost to California is a battery superfactory with 6,500 on-site jobs, plus thousands more in supportive industries.
	Plant-based building materials may boost energy savings Scientists worldwide are turning to plants as a resource for biodegradable, renewable and environmentally friendly products and materials that can reduce landfill waste, help the environment and cause little to no damage to natural ecosystems.
	New solar cells serve free lunch One of the most common complaints about solar power is solar panels are still too expensive to be worth the investment. Many researchers have responded by making solar cells, the tile-like components of solar panels that absorb and transfer energy, more efficient and longer lasting. But even the longest living solar cells that most effectively convert sunlight to energy will not become common if they are prohibitively expensive. Therefore, Professor Yabing Qi, the head of the Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, has a different idea: make solar cells using a type of semiconductor called perovskite materials, which are, in Qi's words, "dirt cheap." If solar cells are cheap enough, Qi reasons that people will want to use them for the immediate payback in energy savings.
Soft design for a sustainable world "Around the world at unprecedented rates, people are moving from the country to the city," says Sheila Kennedy, professor of the practice at MIT's Department of Architecture. "But this rapid urbanization is not a one-way movement—there's an increasing level of mobility and an inevitable permeability between the borders of our natural and urban environments."
Geo-ranking the Internet The Internet is a critical component of modern communication for billions of people and businesses. But, how resilient is it to sabotage, accidents and political abuse? Writing in the International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations this month, researchers in Germany explain how geography is one of the most prominent factors in how well the Internet might cope with such issues particularly in terms of misuse for political ends. Specifically, in their research paper, Annika Baumann and Benjamin Fabian of the Institute of Information Systems at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, describe a new metric for assessing resilience at a national level.
	After all these hacks, tech firms could do more – but better security starts with you After various celebrities' accounts on Apple's iCloud servers were hacked, the company has made a point of addressing these issues. It has made new claims for the security of iOS 8, the firm's latest phone operating system, and for its cloud services. Similarly, Google announced the next version of its Android phone operating system will encrypt all data by default. But what sort of security do these measures provide?
	Drivers, don't trade in your smartphone for Google Glass yet Texting while driving with Google Glass is clearly a distraction, a new University of Central Florida study has concluded—but there is a twist. In the study, texting Glass users outperformed smartphone users when regaining control of their vehicles after a traffic incident.
	BlackBerry returns to biz user roots with new smartphone BlackBerry on Wednesday unveiled its newest smartphone with a full physical keyboard and a large screen, aiming to return to its roots targeting business users.
	French telecom titan Orange courts US tech startups French telecom powerhouse Orange on Wednesday announced that Visa, LG Electronics and four more industry veterans have become allies in its program to nurture promising US tech startups.
	Drones left out of air traffic plans Designers of the ambitious U.S. air traffic control system of the future neglected to take drones into account, raising questions about whether it can handle the escalating demand for the unmanned aircraft and predicted congestion in the sky.
	Complaints on 'bendy' iPhone, software bugs dog Apple Apple released and then abruptly pulled back an update for the iOS software powering the iPhone on Wednesday after users complained of bugs, including one that disabled cellular service.
	Arabic tweets point to US influence as fuel for anti-Americanism An analysis of millions of Arabic-language tweets confirms high levels of anti-Americanism there, provides new and interesting information about attitudes in the Middle East toward particular U.S. actions, and charts a path for using Twitter to measure public sentiment in ways opinion polls cannot.
Apple pulls software update for iPhones Apple has stopped providing an update to its new iOS 8 mobile operating software, following complaints that the update interferes with users' ability to make phone calls.
	Image sensor for analysis of blood samples for early diagnosis of diabetes and Alzheimer's disease Professor Kazuaki Sawada and Dr. Takigawa of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology and colleagues at Toyohashi University of Technology have established an easy to use, low-cost, rapid, and high sensitivity semiconductor-imaging based medical diagnostic biosensing system for analyzing blood and urine for early diagnosis of ailments including diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
	Experimental study on dynamic behavior of unreinforced masonry walls The main reason for extensive earthquake damage in developing countries is the collapse of unreinforced masonry houses.
	Versatile design pilotage for wireless power transfer systems Wireless power transfer (WPT) is expected to be a huge market for in-motion electric motor car powering as the fourth-generation personal mobility.
	New Zealanders warming to solar power Dr Rebecca Ford, a lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington's School of Engineering and Computer Science, is the lead researcher on the report which looks into the uptake of Photovoltaic (PV) to generate electricity in New Zealand.
	Toshiba delivers world's first propulsion system integrating PMSM and SiC diode to Tokyo metro Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has delivered the world's first train propulsion systems incorporating totally enclosed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) and silicon carbide (SiC) Variable Voltage Variable Frequency (VVVF) traction inverters. The propulsion systems were delivered to Japan's Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. for Ginza Line 1000 third series trains. The details of technology were explained by Tokyo Metro today at Toshiba booth in InnoTrans, international transport technology trade fair on transport technology taking place in Berlin this week.
	How new social movements take root Contemporary movements, such as those initiated after the recent shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., can be born seemingly overnight in the digital age. UA researchers point to several factors.
GE to give Penn State $10M for gas drilling center General Electric Co. says it will give Penn State University up to $10 million to create a new center for natural gas industry research.
US government sues Kansas bitcoin business A company that offered bitcoin-generating computers is being sued by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which said it bilked more than 20,000 consumers out of as much as $50 million.
Police in US capital put body cameras to the test Washington's city police force began putting body cameras to the test Wednesday, making the US capital the latest to use video technology as a routine part of law enforcement.
Vermont college blocks anonymous social media site A Vermont college president has blocked access to the anonymous social media site Yik Yak, saying it was being used to make cyberattacks on some students.

Medicine & Health news

	New analysis of human genetic history reveals female dominance Female populations have been larger than male populations throughout human history, according to research published today in the open access journal Investigative Genetics. The research used a new technique to obtain higher quality paternal genetic information to analyse the demographic history of males and females in worldwide populations.
	Researchers find clues to superbug evolution Imagine going to the hospital with one disease and coming home with something much worse, or not coming home at all. With the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistance pathogens, healthcare-associated infections have become a serious threat. On any given day about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one such infection and as many as one in nine die as a result, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	Imaging studies open a window on how effective antibodies are formed Sometimes, in order to understand what's happening in the immune system, you just have to watch it. By imaging the immune response, researchers have observed how two types of immune cells, T and B cells, interact with one another during a critical period following infection in order to prepare the best antibodies and establish long-lasting protection. Their surprising finding: T cells and B cells form numerous short-term contacts, each lasting no more than a few minutes, in a dynamic process that is very different from how T cells interact with other cell types. The results were recently published in Science.
	Brain scans reveal true nature of muscle control in 'floating arm trick' (Medical Xpress)—A trio of neuroscientists has learned more about what the brain does during the "floating arm trick" by enlisting volunteers who underwent brain scans while performing the trick. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Arko Gosh, John Rothwell and Patrick Haggard, describe their ideas leading into the experiment and what they learned from the brain scans.
	How a single, genetic change causes retinal tumors in young children Retinoblastoma is a childhood retinal tumor usually affecting children one to two years of age. Although rare, it is the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children. Left untreated, retinoblastoma can be fatal or result in blindness. It has also played a special role in understanding cancer, because retinoblastomas have been found to develop in response to the mutation of a single gene – the RB1 gene—demonstrating that some cells are only a step away from developing into a life-threatening malignancy.
	Brain scans reveal 'gray matter' differences in media multitaskers Simultaneously using mobile phones, laptops and other media devices could be changing the structure of our brains, according to new University of Sussex research.
	Scientists use stem cells to learn how common mutation in Asians affects heart health Over 500 million people worldwide carry a genetic mutation that disables a common metabolic protein called ALDH2. The mutation, which predominantly occurs in people of East Asian descent, leads to an increased risk of heart disease and poorer outcomes after a heart attack. It also causes facial flushing when carriers drink alcohol.
	Immune activity shortly after surgery holds big clue to recovery rate, study finds The millions of people who undergo major surgery each year have no way of knowing how long it will take them to recover from the operation. Some will feel better within days. For others, it will take a month or more. Right now, doctors can't tell individual patients which category they'll fit into.
	From rats to humans: Project NEUWalk closer to clinical trials Lausanne, Switzerland. EPFL scientists have discovered how to control the limbs of a completely paralyzed rat in real time to help it walk again. Their results are published today in Science Translational Medicine.
Family-based therapies can treat anorexia in teens, study finds Two different family-based therapies are both effective at combating anorexia nervosa in teenagers, according to the largest study ever to compare two such treatments for the life-threatening eating disorder.
First mouse model for ALS dementia The first animal model for ALS dementia, a form of ALS that also damages the brain, has been developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists. The advance will allow researchers to directly see the brains of living mice, under anesthesia, at the microscopic level. This will allow direct monitoring of test drugs to determine if they work.
Modest effect of statins on diabetes risk and bodyweight related to mechanism of action The mechanism by which statins increase the risk of type 2 diabetes has been investigated in a large-scale analysis from an international team led by researchers from UCL and the University of Glasgow, using information from genetic studies and clinical trials.
	New EEG electrode set for fast and easy measurement of brain function abnormalities A new, easy-to-use EEG electrode set for the measurement of the electrical activity of the brain was developed in a recent study completed at the University of Eastern Finland. The solutions developed in the PhD study of Pasi Lepola, MSc, make it possible to attach the electrode set on the patient quickly, resulting in reliable results without any special treatment of the skin. As EEG measurements in emergency care are often performed in challenging conditions, the design of the electrode set pays particular attention to the reduction of electromagnetic interference from external sources.
	Protein Mfn2 may increase the currently short therapeutic window in stroke A new study published in the prestigious publication The EMBO Journal shows that the mitochondrial protein Mfn2 may be a future therapeutic target for neuronal death reduction in the late phases of an ischemic stroke. The study has been coordinated by Dr Francesc Soriano, Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Department of Cell Biology of the University of Barcelona (UB) and member of the Research Group Celltec UB.
Potential new drug for childhood leukaemia Nearly 40% of children with leukaemia whose disease returns after treatment could benefit from a drug designed to treat colon, skin and lung cancer.
Diabetes researchers urge for new screening and management approach Doctors at three leading research institutions and the American Diabetes Association report that treating patients with prediabetes as if they had diabetes could help prevent or delay the most severe complications associated with this chronic disease, which affects about thirty million people in the United States.
Researchers develop new anticancer peptide vaccines and inhibitors (Medical Xpress)—Researchers have developed two new anticancer peptide vaccines and two peptide inhibitors as part of a larger peptide immunotherapy effort led by investigators at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
	Details of monkey antibodies against chikungunya virus could help to fight the disease in humans Chikungunya fever can cause severe and long-lasting joint pain, with several epidemics affecting multiple continents in the past decade. The illness is caused by chikungunya virus (CHIKV), but there is no effective vaccine or drug against it. Now, research led by Lisa Ng from the A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network provides details of how the immune system responds to CHIKV—findings that could support the development of vaccines and therapies.
	Dual-action chemical agents improve a high-resolution and noninvasive way to detect cancer Concerns over toxicity have constrained the clinical application of photoacoustic imaging—a new experimental technique used to detect tumors lurking among healthy cells. A*STAR researchers from the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium and an international team have now discovered how to improve both the safety and the tumor-locating efficacy of photoacoustic imaging using 'photosensitizer' contrast agents.
	Organ donation – do we opt-in or opt-out? Researchers say there should be an international data base containing the very latest information about organ donations and transplants so policy makers can make informed decisions on whether to adopt an opt-out or opt-in system.
	Bowel cancer patients may do better if diagnosed through screening Although bowel cancer screening usually detects cancer at an earlier stage, new research indicates that when screening detects a late stage cancer patients may be more likely to survive than those whose late stage cancer is only diagnosed after developing symptoms.
	Ageing isn't fixed—we can manipulate it to live longer When I was younger, about ten years old, I realised that everyone ages and dies. And I thought well why should that be? Can't we do something about it? I then thought I'd do it. I'll study ageing and figure it out, and I'll find a solution so people don't have to age and die. And that's what I do today.
Cardiorespiratory fitness is often misdiagnosed A recent study by the University of Eastern Finland shows that scaling maximal oxygen uptake and maximal workload by body weight confounds measures of cardiorespiratory fitness. It has been a common practice in exercise testing to scale the results by body weight and, according to researchers, this practice should be abandoned. More reliable data on cardiorespiratory fitness can be observed by using lean mass proportional measures. The results were published recently in Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging.
	Teens world-wide self-medicate with over-the-counter and prescription drugs Adolescents around the world are frequently using over-the-counter and prescription medications without a doctor's order, a risky practice that can lead to overuse and abuse and is often continued into adulthood, reveals a new review in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
	Child maltreatment alters hormone levels linked to obesity (Medical Xpress)—Children who are maltreated may be at an increased risk of obesity and inflammatory disorders because of low levels of leptin—a hormone involved in regulating appetite, according to new research from King's College London.
New intervention in the fight against bowel cancer It is widely known that bowel cancer is often driven by increased tumour cell survival and proliferation mediated by the deregulation of a key mechanism within gut cells controlled by the protein Wnt.
Higher risk of autism found in children born at short and long interpregnancy intervals A study published in the MONTH 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that children who were conceived either less than 1 year or more than 5 years after the birth of their prior sibling were more likely to be diagnosed with autism than children conceived following an interval of 2-5 years.
	Children can be trained recognise emotions Children can using training to spot crucial cues on someone's emotional state, new research from the University of Lincoln, UK, has show.
First screen for genetic risk factors of IBS in the general population In the largest gene-hunting effort ever conducted in irritable bowel syndrome, IBS, researchers have found that some regions in the genome may be associated with an increased risk of developing the disease. The results from the international study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet are published in the journal Gut.
	States need to assume greater role in regulating dietary supplements Dietary supplements, which are marketed to adults and adolescents for weight loss and muscle building, usually do not deliver promised results and can actually cause severe health issues, including death. But because of lax federal oversight of these supplements, state governments need to increase their regulation of these products to protect consumers.
	Researchers identify brain areas activated by itch-relieving drug Areas of the brain that respond to reward and pleasure are linked to the ability of a drug known as butorphanol to relieve itch, according to new research led by Gil Yosipovitch, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Temple University School of Medicine (TUSM), and Director of the Temple Itch Center. The findings point to the involvement of the brain's opioid receptors—widely known for their roles in pain, reward, and addiction—in itch relief, potentially opening up new avenues to the development of treatments for chronic itch.
Many elite college athletes return to play after ACL surgery The majority of athletes included in a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine were able to return to play after having knee surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
	Most breast cancer patients who had healthy breast removed at peace with decision More women with cancer in one breast are opting to have both breasts removed to reduce their risk of future cancer. New research shows that in the long term, most have no regrets. Mayo Clinic surveyed hundreds of women with breast cancer who had double mastectomies between 1960 and 1993 and found that nearly all would make the same choice again. The findings are published in the journal Annals of Surgical Oncology.
	Tonsil stem cells could someday help repair liver damage without surgery The liver provides critical functions, such as ridding the body of toxins. Its failure can be deadly, and there are few options for fixing it. But scientists now report in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces a way to potentially inject stem cells from tonsils, a body part we don't need, to repair damaged livers—all without surgery.
Skin cells can be engineered into pulmonary valves for pediatric patients Researchers have found a way to take a pediatric patient's skin cells, reprogram the skin cells to function as heart valvular cells, and then use the cells as part of a tissue-engineered pulmonary valve. A proof of concept study published in the September 2014 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery provides more detail on this scientific development.
Good news for young patients with a leukemia subtype associated with a poor prognosis St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators found that adjusting treatment based on early response to chemotherapy made a life-saving difference to young patients with an acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) subtype associated with a poor outcome. The study appeared in the September 20 edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Enzyme discovery paves way to tackling deadly parasite diseases An enzyme found in all living things could hold the key to combatting deadly diseases such as sleeping sickness, a study suggests.
	Lower buffet prices lead to less taste satisfaction Does the price you pay at a buffet influence how much you like the food? Surprisingly, yes! In a new Cornell Food and Brand Lab study published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, researchers found that when charged more for an all-you-can-eat buffet diners rated the food higher than when charged less for the same food.
Newly-developed drug for rigid muscles moves ahead in clinical trials A new formulation for a University of Minnesota-developed drug targeted at rare disorders is under development, with the potential to help a small number of Americans each year. The new drug formulation is designed to prevent serious complications that can occur when drug delivery is interrupted.
Pain keeps surgery patients awake, extends hospital stay Pain can make it difficult for some patients to get a good night's rest while recovering in the hospital following certain surgical procedures, often resulting in longer hospital stays, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
New FDA label bolsters safety case for Chantix New government-approved labeling on Pfizer's drug Chantix suggests that the anti-smoking medication may not carry the risks of suicidal behavior that first earned it the Food and Drug Administration's strongest warning more than five years ago.
The plus side of population aging Around the world, people are living longer and having fewer children, leading to a population that is older, on average, than in the past. On average, life expectancy in developed countries has risen at a pace of three months per year, and fertility has fallen below replacement rate in the majority of Europe and other developed countries.
	Think you have Alzheimer's? You just might be right, study says New research by scientists at the University of Kentucky's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging suggests that people who notice their memory is slipping may be on to something.
Clinical trial examined treatment for complicated grief in older individuals Bottom Line: A treatment designed to help older individuals deal with complicated grief (CG) after the loss of a loved one appeared to be more effective than using a treatment designed for depression.
	Alzheimer's patients can still feel the emotion long after the memories have vanished A new University of Iowa study further supports an inescapable message: caregivers have a profound influence—good or bad—on the emotional state of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Patients may not remember a recent visit by a loved one or having been neglected by staff at a nursing home, but those actions can have a lasting impact on how they feel.
False memories could be a side-effect of human ability to learn rules Our tendency to create false memories could be related to our ability to learn rules according to research from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
	Better-educated people more open to dubious health info on web, study finds (HealthDay)—Younger college graduates are more likely to trust health information from questionable sources on the Internet than older high school grads would, new research reports.
	US still lags in infant mortality rates, report finds (HealthDay)—More babies are dying before they turn 1-year-old in the United States than in most of Europe and several other developed countries, a new U.S. government report says.
	Review: Desmopressin offers modest benefit for nocturia (HealthDay)—Desmopressin offers a modest benefit for treating nocturia in generally healthy adults, according to a systematic review published in the September issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Clinical practice guideline issued for comorbid conditions in CVD (HealthDay)—Comorbid conditions must be considered when applying clinical practice guidelines to the treatment of cardiovascular disease, according to an article published online Sept. 11 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Most doctors are over-extended or at full capacity (HealthDay)—Most physicians report being over-extended or at full capacity, according to a survey conducted by Merritt Hawkins for The Physicians Foundation.
	29 states, district of Columbia reporting respiratory illness that targets kids (HealthDay)—Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia now have a total of 213 confirmed cases of Enterovirus D68, the severe respiratory illness that typically targets children, U.S. health officials are reporting.
Skirt size increase linked to 33 percent greater postmenopausal breast cancer risk Going up a skirt size over a period of 10 years between your mid 20s and mid 50s is linked to a 33 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer after the menopause, finds a large observational study published in the online journal BMJ Open.
	Bacterial 'communication system' could be used to stop and kill cancer cells Cancer, while always dangerous, truly becomes life-threatening when cancer cells begin to spread to different areas throughout the body. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered that a molecule used as a communication system by bacteria can be manipulated to prevent cancer cells from spreading. Senthil Kumar, an assistant research professor and assistant director of the Comparative Oncology and Epigenetics Laboratory at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, says this communication system can be used to "tell" cancer cells how to act, or even to die on command.
	A way to kill chemo-resistant ovarian cancer cells: Cut down its protector Ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynecological cancer, claiming the lives of more than 50% of women who are diagnosed with the disease. A study involving Ottawa and Taiwan researchers, published today in the influential Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provides new insight into why ovarian cancer is often resistant to chemotherapy, as well as a potential way to improve its diagnosis and treatment.
	Findings give hope to plant extract as possible lupus treatment New findings by a biomedical engineer and his team at the University of Houston (UH) raise hope for a new class of drugs to treat lupus that may not include the long list of adverse risks and side effects often associated with current treatments for this disease.
	Study supports camels as primary source of MERS-CoV transmission National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Colorado State University (CSU) scientists have provided experimental evidence supporting dromedary camels as the primary reservoir, or carrier, of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The study, designed by scientists from CSU and NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, involved three healthy camels exposed through the eyes, nose and throat to MERS-CoV isolated from a patient. Each camel developed a mild upper respiratory tract infection consistent with what scientists have observed throughout the Middle East.
	Trend for trying e-cigarettes may be leveling off A new government study suggests the number of U.S. adults who have tried electronic cigarettes may be leveling off.
	Dengue-blocking mosquito released in Brazil Brazilian researchers have freed a batch of mosquitoes infected with a dengue-blocking bacteria they hope can combat the tropical disease naturally.
	Anti-addiction groups call for new FDA chief Anti-addiction activists are calling for the Food and Drug Administration's top official to step down, saying the agency's policies have contributed to a national epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse.
Women and children bear brunt of domestic violence, Stanford scholar says Domestic violence kills far more people than civil wars worldwide, new research by a Stanford faculty member has found.
Indian man lives for two months with bullet in his heart An Indian man was recovering well after undergoing surgery to remove a bullet that had been lodged in his heart for two months, a doctor said Wednesday.
Pressure mounts on FDA and industry to ensure safety of food ingredients Confusion over a 1997 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule that eases the way for food manufacturers to use ingredients "generally regarded as safe," or GRAS, has inspired a new initiative by food makers. Food safety advocates say the current GRAS process allows substances into the food supply that might pose a health risk, while industry defends its record. An article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) details what changes are on the table.
Wavefront optics emerging as new tool for measuring and correcting vision A technique developed by astronomers seeking a clear view of distant objects in space is being intensively studied as a new approach to measuring and correcting visual abnormalities. The October issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry, is a theme issue devoted to research on wavefront refraction and correction.
	Pitt drug discovery researchers receive grant to build 3-D liver model With a new $5.8 million, three-year award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine will further develop a state-of-the-art, microfluidic 3D model system that mimics structure and function of the liver to better predict organ physiology, assess drug toxicity and build disease models.
Dutch doctor feared to have Ebola has malaria: official One of two Dutch doctors feared to have been infected with the killer Ebola virus in Sierra Leone has malaria, Dutch public health authorities said on Wednesday.
SLeone says 300 sick or dead found in Ebola lockdown Sierra Leone said on Wednesday around 100 bodies and 200 patients had been collected from homes during its three-day lockdown to stem the deadly Ebola epidemic raging in west Africa.
Survey: Costs of ACA health insurance in Texas vary significantly depending on income The cost of monthly premiums for health insurance plans for Texans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can vary by hundreds of dollars, depending on a person's income and the level of coverage chosen, according to a report released today by the Episcopal Health Foundation and Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Modest acute changes in cardiac biomarkers and electrocardiogram findings following thoracic radiation therapy There were only modest acute changes in cardiac biomarkers and electrocardiograms and there were no clinically significant cardiac events in patients with high-dose radiation exposure to the heart following thoracic radiation therapy (RT) and short-term follow-up.
Less costly to screen for and treat early-stage lung than to treat late-stage lung cancer The average cost to screen high-risk individuals for developing lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) plus the average cost of curative intent treatment, like surgery, is lower than the average cost to treat advanced stage lung cancer, which quite rarely results in a cure.
Valeant Pharma expects 3Q revenue to top forecasts Shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. climbed Wednesday after the Canadian drugmaker said it expects market share gains in most of its businesses and that its third-quarter revenue will top forecasts.
Ebola outbreak could peak by end of year: EU The deadly Ebola epidemic in west Africa could peak by the end of the year if global aid efforts are kept up, EU experts said Wednesday after visiting the stricken region.
Identification of genetic risk factors for stroke Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. While many lines of evidence suggest that stroke risk is heritable, only a small number of genes associated with stroke have been identified.
Wound healing response promotes breast cancer metastasis in postpartum mice Within the first 5 years after the birth of a child, women are at an increased risk of developing metastatic breast cancer. Women diagnosed with postpartum breast cancer have a decreased disease free survival time compared to women that have never given birth. The aggressive tendency of postpartum breast cancer suggests that the post-birth breast environment promotes tumor metastasis.
Realizing the promise of education Two decades after its initiation, the University of Miami (UM) Linda Ray Intervention Program for substance-exposed babies and toddlers demonstrates long-term success.
Justice Department says Shire will pay $56.5M fine The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday that Irish drugmaker Shire will pay $56.5 million to settle allegations it broke the law in promoting five different drugs, including its attention deficit disorder drugs Adderall XR and Vyvanse.
Nigeria in first step towards all-clear on Ebola Nigeria has cleared all patients being monitored for the Ebola virus, the federal health ministry said on Wednesday, but doctors said they would have to wait to declare the outbreak over.
US issues new rules for university germ research The Obama administration is tightening oversight of high-stakes scientific research involving dangerous germs that could raise biosecurity concerns, imposing new safety rules on universities and other institutions where such work is done.

Biology news

	Fossil has evidence of limb regeneration in 300 million year old amphibian (Phys.org) —A trio of researchers with Germany's Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions und Biodiversitätsforschung, has found evidence of limb regeneration in a 300 million year old amphibian fossil, which suggests that the ability to regenerate entire limbs by such creatures is not restricted to modern salamanders. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Nadia Fröbisch, Constanze Bickelmann and Florian Witzmann describe the fossil they've been studying and why they believe it was able to regenerate its limbs.
	By watching people walk, researchers decode the foot position's role in maintaining balance Researchers at The Ohio State University have gained new insight into how the body moves when we're walking. They learned everything they needed to know by watching people walk naturally on a treadmill.
	Skin coloring of rhesus macaque monkeys linked to breeding success, new study shows Skin colour displayed amongst one species of monkey provides a key indicator of how successfully they will breed, a new study has shown.
Insect genomes' analysis challenges universality of essential cell division proteins Cell division, the process that ensures equal transmission of genetic information to daughter cells, has been fundamentally conserved for over a billion years of evolution. Considering its ubiquity and essentiality, it is expected that proteins that carry out cell division would also be highly conserved. Challenging this assumption, scientists from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have found that one of the foundational proteins in cell division, previously shown to be essential in organisms as diverse as yeast, flies and humans, has been surprisingly lost on multiple occasions during insect evolution.
	Eyeless Mexican cavefish eliminate circadian rhythm to save energy Eyeless Mexican cavefish show no metabolic circadian rhythm in either light and dark or constant dark conditions, according to a study published September 24, 2014 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Damian Moran from Lund University, Sweden, and colleagues.
Researchers uncover structure of enzyme that makes plant cellulose Purdue researchers have discovered the structure of the enzyme that makes cellulose, a finding that could lead to easier ways of breaking down plant materials to make biofuels and other products and materials.
	When David beats Goliath Body size has long been recognized to play a key role in shaping species interactions, with larger species usually winning conflicts with their smaller counterparts. But Queen's University biologist Paul Martin has found that occasionally, small species of birds can dominate larger species during aggressive interactions, particularly when they interact with distantly related species.
	Indonesia enlists wasps in war on crop killer They are the size of a pinhead and don't even pack a sting, but these tiny wasps are cold-blooded killers nonetheless. They work as nature's SWAT team, neutralizing a pest that threatens to destroy one of the developing world's most important staple foods: cassava.
	Flying doctor bees to prevent cherry disease University of Adelaide researchers are introducing a method to use bees to deliver disease control to cherry blossom, preventing brown rot in cherries.
	Diet affects sperm competitiveness It's well known that omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) can help to prevent heart disease but new research has found that these essential fatty acids can also increase the chance of paternity success.
	Microscopic marine biodiversity mirrors larger life Distribution of microscopic plants and animals in our oceans mimics the distribution pattern of larger land-based plants and animals, research reveals.
	Harem-holding male primates fail to rise to the challenge Today the Royal Society launches a new open access, objective peer reviewed journal, Royal Society Open Science. In one of the studies published in the new journal, scientists add complexity to an accepted hypothesis of how hormone levels change in competing males.
	Project aims to turn mobile phones into detectors of disease-spreading insects Insects transmit many of the world's most infectious diseases, but there has been a decline in the expertise needed to recognize species of insects most likely to transmit illness to people.
Evolution of snake courtship and combat behavior A small study suggests snakes may have developed courtship and male-to-male combat behavior, such as moving undulations, neck biting, and spur-poking, over time, according to a study published September 24, 2014 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Phil Senter from Fayetteville State University and colleagues.
A look at Florida's charterboat-based recreational shark fishery The challenge and excitement of catching a large fish makes shark fishing very appealing for recreational anglers. However, many species of sharks have experienced population declines due to commercial overfishing. Although generally overlooked by conservation advocates, catch and release shark fishing can provide a strong economic incentive to protect sharks, benefiting both ecotourism businesses and shark conservation.
	Evolution of a novel organelle in Animalia Mitochondria and chloroplasts are descendants of bacteria that were engulfed by ancient unicellular organisms more than a billion years ago. During their evolution, many genes were transferred from ancestral organelles and other bacteria to the host genome. This process required incorporating intact genes into the host genome, acquiring the expression signals that enable their transcription in eukaryotic hosts, and evolving a targeting system to transport and import their protein products into the endosymbiotic organelles.
	Applied nutrition modeling producing beef more profitably, helping reduce methane emissions in feedlots Nutritional modeling systems developed in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University have helped participating Texas feedlot operators keep feed costs in check and produce beef more profitably. Now, these models have the potential to be applied to help reduce greenhouse emissions, according to researchers.
	Captive whooping cranes released into the wild Four whooping crane chicks raised in captivity began their integration into the wild Saturday as part of the continuing effort to increase the wild population of this endangered species.

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