Science X Newsletter Thursday, Oct 9

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 9, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- A cold-atom ammeter: Superfluid current is only as strong as its weak link
- Nanoparticles get a magnetic handle
- Hybrid materials could smash the solar efficiency ceiling
- Electrically conductive plastics promising for batteries, solar cells
- Hubble maps temperature, water vapor on wild exoplanet
- Snakes and snake-like robots show how sidewinders conquer sandy slopes
- DNA nano-foundries cast custom-shaped 3-D metal nanoparticles
- Researchers reveal lung cancer can stay hidden for over 20 years
- Embryos receive parent-specific layers of information, study shows
- Mouse version of an autism spectrum disorder improves when diet includes a synthetic oil
- Low birth rates can actually pay off in the US and other countries, study shows
- Climate change alters the ecological impacts of seasons
- Apple watcher spots room for HomeKit in Apple TV beta
- Migrating animals' pee affects ocean chemistry
- Advanced X-ray, neutron beam imaging reveal workings of powerful biochemical switch PKA

Astronomy & Space news

	Hubble maps temperature, water vapor on wild exoplanet A team of scientists including a University of Colorado Boulder professor used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to make the most detailed global map yet of the glow from a giant, oddball planet orbiting another star, an object twice as massive as Jupiter and hot enough to melt steel.
	Dark matter half what we thought, say scientists A new measurement of dark matter in the Milky Way has revealed there is half as much of the mysterious substance as previously thought.
	NASA prepares its science fleet for Oct. 19 Mars comet encounter NASA's extensive fleet of science assets, particularly those orbiting and roving Mars, have front row seats to image and study a once-in-a-lifetime comet flyby on Sunday, Oct. 19.
	The spectra of white dwarf stars Yesterday I talked about the Higgs, and how its discovery has led to a flurry of articles about how it might apply to astrophysics. So today here's another example, and this one's interesting because it's not simply trying to use the Higgs to explain known phenomena, it's trying to use astronomical observations to understand things about the Higgs. It comes from a paper recently published in the Astrophysical Journal, and concerns the spectra of white dwarf stars.
	Spirals in a galaxy may arise from density waves It's often said that the shape of a spiral galaxy follows the curve of a golden spiral. You can see this, for example, in the image above. While it's often implied that this curve matches exactly, that isn't the case. The spirals of a spiral galaxy do tend to approximately follow a logarithmic spiral (of which the golden spiral is a special case), it is typically only a rough approximation.
	NASA's new winds mission installed, gathers first data NASA's newest Earth observing mission, the International Space Station-Rapid Scatterometer, or ISS-RapidScat, is collecting its first science data on ocean wind speeds and direction following its successful installation and activation on the exterior of the station's Columbus module.
	NASA parachute engineers have appetite for destruction Engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are bound and determined to destroy a perfectly good parachute this week during the latest test for the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project. The parachute to be tested at the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in California is the same 100-foot (30.5-meter) parachute design that flew during the first supersonic flight of LDSD this past summer. That test took place in June in Kauai, Hawaii, at the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility.
	NASA partners with X-37B program for use of former space shuttle hangars NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Air Force's X-37B Program for use of the center's Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) Bays 1 and 2 to process the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle for launch.
	Report reveals continued growth of UK space sector The UK Space Agency has today (Thursday 9 October) published its biennial study into the progress of the UK space sector.
	Image: Astronaut Reid Wiseman on the first spacewalk of Expedition 41 On Oct. 7, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman (pictured here) and European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst completed the first of three spacewalks for the Expedition 41 crew aboard the International Space Station.

Technology news

	Snakes and snake-like robots show how sidewinders conquer sandy slopes The amazing ability of sidewinder snakes to quickly climb sandy slopes was once something biologists only vaguely understood and roboticists only dreamed of replicating. By studying the snakes in a unique bed of inclined sand and using a snake-like robot to test ideas spawned by observing the real animals, both biologists and roboticists have now gained long-sought insights.
	Toshiba Glass shown at Ceatec in Japan Toshiba plans to introduce its own brand of smart glasses called Toshiba Glass, part of the peeks, prototypes and general buzz events at Ceatec in Japan.
	The Grid: Artificial intelligence as your personal graphic designer A preorder campaign has been launched for a web design platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to bring people closer to the quality websites they wish they had without a lot of bother and time. The offer: Any user, regardless of knowledge of web development, can use the platform to get an elegant website. The target: Anyone wanting to start a business or showcase talent with a good web site, without the fear of having to drop beans into pipes of a template-driven ordeal with results that in the end disappoint. Say hello to something called The Grid, which proposes to become a new way to create beautiful websites using AI to design the site based on content and user goals. The Grid engine auto-designs; the technology involves algorithms which analyze the media and apply palettes that can keep the messages consistent.
	Metal made like plastic may have big impact Open a door and watch what happens—the hinge allows it to open and close, but doesn't permanently bend. This simple concept of mechanical motion is vital for making all kinds of movable structures, including mirrors and antennas on spacecraft. Material scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are working on new, innovative methods of creating materials that can be used for motion-based mechanisms.
	Apple watcher spots room for HomeKit in Apple TV beta At the core of the connected home decked out with smart devices could be none other than the Apple TV, with the company's latest beta software bringing HomeKit support to its $99 streaming set-top box, reported Neil Hughes, the managing editor of AppleInsider earlier this week. This could mean enabled remote access relay for HomeKit connected accessories. Hughes was referring to Apple's own notes for Apple TV Software beta 2 released on Tuesday which said that the pre-release build "includes support for Family Sharing and can be used for testing AirPlay and HomeKit with your iOS apps." What is HomeKit? This is the very framework in iOS 8 for communicating with and controlling connected accessories around the home. Christopher Breen of Macworld defined HomeKit, as "a suite of tools for controlling such devices in your home as thermostats, furnaces and air conditioners, smart appliances, lights, cameras, garage-door openers, and sec! urity systems."
	Google's Schmidt fears spying could 'break' Internet Google's Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday US online spying is a threat so dire it could wind up "breaking the Internet."
	Startup helps app developers identify code that quickly drains smartphone batteries An official at a software startup based on a Purdue University innovation says his company could extend the life of smartphone batteries by helping application developers identify code that drains batteries quickly.
	A shiny, new graph query system As computing tools and expertise used in conducting scientific research continue to expand, so have the enormity and diversity of the data being collected. Developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Graph Engine for Multithreaded Systems, or GEMS, is a multilayer software system for semantic graph databases. In their work, scientists from PNNL and NVIDIA Research examined how GEMS answered queries on science metadata and compared its scaling performance against generated benchmark data sets. They showed that GEMS could answer queries over science metadata in seconds and scaled well to larger quantities of data. They also demonstrated that GEMS generally outperformed a custom-hardware solution, showing the feasibility of using cheaper, commodity hardware to obtain comparable performance.
Architectural engineering professor leads study on perceptions of LED lighting A research team led by Kevin Houser, professor of architectural engineering, has determined that color and whiteness rendition has a profound effect on LED light source preference. The team's findings were published in Lighting Research & Technology in an article titled "Perceptual responses to LED illumination with colour rendering indices of 85 and 97".
Reducing your carbon bootprint - electric vehicles for countryfolk Electric vehicles in towns and cities are not the answer to pollution problems and climate change, but they might help country folk reduce their carbon bootprints. Researchers in the UK are questioning the received wisdom regarding the promotion of electric vehicles in towns and cities. Writing in the International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, they suggest that the evidence of benefits in terms of energy usage and emissions points to electric vehicle use in sub-urban and rural settings as being much stronger.
	Engineer recounts decades developing unmanned aerial vehicles for all kinds of uses On an overcast morning in late May 1976, Douglas Thorpe '82, then a UC Irvine freshman, was on his way to school when a small plane fell out of the sky. The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza crashed in an empty field near campus, killing everyone on board. Thorpe was first on the scene, and what he saw changed his life.
	EBay brands itself as a place to 'shop the world' E-commerce site eBay is kicking off a global branding campaign that aims to draw attention to the wide array of goods it has available ahead of the holiday shopping season.
	Facebook founder aims to get India online Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday his social media network wanted to help India's new prime minister connect remote villages in the country of over 1.2 billion to the Internet.
	Icahn asks 'undervalued' Apple to boost share buybacks Activist investor Carl Icahn urged Apple on Thursday to accelerate its share buybacks, saying the tech giant remains "dramatically undervalued" despite its recent runup.
	Miniature camera may lead to fewer accidents Measuring only a few cubic millimeters, a new type of camera module might soon be integrated into future driver assistance systems to help car drivers facing critical situations. The little gadget can be built into the vehicle without taking up space. The way it works is particularly reliable, thanks to its special encapsulation.
	Robots to save lives in calamity situations in the Alps Scientists at the University of Twente are working on robots that are expected to save lives in calamity situations in the Alps. The emphasis within this SHERPA project is on cooperation between human rescue workers, the ground robot ('ground rover') with a robotic arm and flying robots. This week all the members of the SHERPA consortium will meet in Twente in order to harmonize their results and to experiment with the various parts of the robot platform.
Whither the Internet of Things? The Internet of Things – IoT – it's a phrase we hear more and more, often hyped, often discussed seriously in the context of cloud computing but definitely a buzz phrase. Put simply, it is the connection of "smart" (and otherwise) devices, washing machines, refrigerators, scanners and printers, health monitoring devices, environmental sensors, earthquake and tsunami early warning systems, and much more to the Internet so that they can provide a service as a whole, being accessed, calibrated and controlled remotely from a browser window or mobile device.
	Trucks to drive with current collectors on a public road for the first time Trucks will soon drive with current collectors on a public road for the first time, thanks to overhead cables that Siemens is installing for electric and hybrid trucks in Carson, California. Up to four test trucks will be supplied with electricity in both directions, enabling them to travel along the two-mile eHighway system without producing any emissions. The technology will be tested in practice until mid-2016. Siemens is running the project in cooperation with Volvo Group's Mack Trucks subsidiary and the conversion specialist Transpower.
	Ultrafast Internet opens up new possibilities: experts Superfast Internet connections are likely open up new kinds of communication such as "telepresence" and improve services such as remote health care, a survey of experts showed Thursday.
	Apple, Google brands 'worth $100 billion each' The US Apple and Google brands which have become household names around the globe are worth more than $100 billion each, and top a ranking of the world's biggest brands, consultancy Interbrand said on Thursday.
	Darwin note, early Apple computer being auctioned A letter by Charles Darwin on the sex life of barnacles and a still-working vintage Apple computer—one of only 50 made in Steve Jobs' garage in 1976—are among the unique pieces of science history up for auction this month.
	Mobile wallet adoption years away: eMarketer Industry tracker eMarketer on Thursday said that use of smartphones as wallets will jump in the US next year, but shoppers won't be quick to abandon cash or credit cards.
	With Z3, Sony brings phones to US faster A new version of Sony's Xperia Z3 smartphone will soon be available through Verizon, the nation's largest wireless carrier. It joins a model coming to T-Mobile. The phones are hitting U.S. stores on the heels of their unveiling last month at a trade show in Berlin, as Sony ramps up efforts to expand its tiny market share by getting to the American market faster.
Amazon.com to open first physical store Online retail colossus Amazon.com plans to open its first brick-and-mortar store in New York ahead of the year-end holiday season, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
	Zynga revamps hit 'Words With Friends' game Pioneering social games maker Zynga on Thursday launched a new version of "Words With Friends" as the company strives to regain its footing in the mobile device age.
Son of Russian lawmaker faces new hacking charges A Russian national arrested this year by US officials was indicted on additional hacking charges, alleging he led a scheme to steal some two million credit card numbers, officials said.
Foxconn workers strike at China factory Taiwan's technology giant Foxconn on Thursday confirmed that about 1,000 workers went on strike at its factory in western China a day earlier, following a report that they were demanding higher pay.
Europe enlists Internet giants in fight against online extremism The European Union and US Internet giants including Facebook and Twitter will work together to combat online extremism and have discussed steps to block gruesome beheading videos, officials said Thursday.
	Poland to honor Wikipedia with monument A university professor says that an eastern Polish town is taking up his suggestion and will put up a monument to honor the authors of Wikipedia, the Internet encyclopedia which allows anyone to contribute.
	Using light frequencies to sniff out deadly materials from a distance DARPA yesterday issued a solicitation for proposals responsive to its Spectral Combs from UV to THz (SCOUT) program, which seeks new capabilities for highly sensitive remote detection of multiple biological or chemical agents in liquid or gaseous forms. A proposers day is set for Oct. 15 via webcast.
	Researchers develop small but powerful piezo­hydraulic actuator Researchers at Siemens have developed a small but powerful piezohydraulic actuator. Although it is only about nine centimeters long, it can apply a force of more than 150 newtons - equivalent to a weight of 15 kilograms. Such actuators are used to operate valves and flaps, for example, and can also be employed in robots.
	Review: 'Alien: Isolation' delivers sci-fi terror Ridley Scott's "Alien" has inspired dozens of video games since its debut in 1979, but "Alien: Isolation" (Sega, for the Xbox One, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, $59.95) is the first in a while that has aspired to the claustrophobic terror of the original film.
News Republic adds personal briefings on world affairs Thriving mobile application News Republic added a digest feature Thursday briefing news junkies on topics they care about in just three minutes.
Dairy Queen latest to suffer customer card hack Ice cream and fast food chain Dairy Queen is the latest retailer to reveal a hack of its customer data.

Medicine & Health news

	Cancer drug destroys tumours in pre-clinical trials Scientists at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute have used an experimental drug produced from the seeds of a rainforest plant to cure solid cancer tumours in pre-clinical trials.
	Fixing a faulty molecular 'transport hub' could slow brain degeneration University of Queensland researchers have gained new insights into how the body sorts and transports protein 'cargo' within our cells, in a finding that could eventually lead to treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
	Scientists discover a 'good' fat that fights diabetes Scientists at the Salk Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston have discovered a new class of molecules—produced in human and mouse fat—that protects against diabetes.
	From human embryonic stem cells to billions of human insulin producing cells Harvard stem cell researchers today announced that they have made a giant leap forward in the quest to find a truly effective treatment for type 1 diabetes, a condition that affects an estimated three million Americans at a cost of about $15 billion annually: With human embryonic stem cells as a starting point, the scientists are for the first time able to produce, in the kind of massive quantities needed for cell transplantation and pharmaceutical purposes, human insulin-producing beta cells equivalent in most every way to normally functioning beta cells.
	Newly discovered brain cells explain a prosocial effect of oxytocin Oxytocin, the body's natural love potion, helps couples fall in love, makes mothers bond with their babies, and encourages teams to work together. Now new research at Rockefeller University reveals a mechanism by which this prosocial hormone has its effect on interactions between the sexes, at least in certain situations. The key, it turns out, is a newly discovered class of brain cells.
	Researchers reveal lung cancer can stay hidden for over 20 years Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that lung cancers can lie dormant for over 20 years before suddenly turning into an aggressive form of the disease, according to a study published in Science today.
	Embryos receive parent-specific layers of information, study shows The information that interprets the genetic code in a new embryo differs depending on whether it comes from the father or mother, researchers at San Francisco State University have found.
	Mouse version of an autism spectrum disorder improves when diet includes a synthetic oil When young mice with the rodent equivalent of a rare autism spectrum disorder (ASD), called Rett syndrome, were fed a diet supplemented with the synthetic oil triheptanoin, they lived longer than mice on regular diets. Importantly, their physical and behavioral symptoms were also less severe after being on the diet, according to results of new research from The Johns Hopkins University.
Researchers reveal genomic diversity of individual lung tumors Known cancer-driving genomic aberrations in localized lung cancer appear to be so consistently present across tumors that a single biopsy of one region of the tumor is likely to identify most of them, according to a paper published today in Science.
	Study finds link between neural stem cell overgrowth and autism-like behavior in mice People with autism spectrum disorder often experience a period of accelerated brain growth after birth. No one knows why, or whether the change is linked to any specific behavioral changes.
	Manipulating memory with light Just look into the light: not quite, but researchers at the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology have used light to erase specific memories in mice, and proved a basic theory of how different parts of the brain work together to retrieve episodic memories.
Timing of epidural is up to the mother When a woman is in labour, the appropriate time to give an epidural during childbirth is when she asks for it, a new study suggests. Published in The Cochrane Library, the systematic review compared early and late epidurals during labour and found that they had very similar effects.
	Circulating tumor cells provide genomic snapshot of breast cancer The genetic fingerprint of a metastatic cancer is constantly changing, which means that the therapy that may have stopped a patient's cancer growth today, won't necessarily work tomorrow. Although doctors can continue to biopsy the cancer during the course of the treatment and send samples for genomic analysis, not all patients can receive repeat biopsies. Taking biopsies from metastatic cancer patients is an invasive procedure that it is frequently impossible due to the lack of accessible lesions. Research published October 10th in the journal Breast Cancer Research suggest that tumor cells circulating in the blood of metastatic patients could give as accurate a genomic read-out as tumor biopsies.
	Smoking ups pseudarthrosis after 2-level fusion of lumbar spine (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing posterolateral fusion (PLF) of the lumbar spine, smoking is associated with increased rate of pseudarthrosis among those undergoing two-level, but not single-level, PLF, according to research published in the Oct. 1 issue of Spine.
US, Canada increase Ebola screenings as toll nears 3,900 The United States and Canada announced stepped-up airport screening measures Wednesday to look for passengers carrying Ebola, as the deadly virus killed a man in Texas and the worldwide toll neared 3,900.
Haiti's cholera epidemic still emergency: UN envoy Haiti's cholera epidemic is still an emergency and a let up in response based on the decreasing number of cases could have "tragic consequences," a UN special envoy said Wednesday.
	Sitting around in middle age doesn't bode well for old age (HealthDay)—Your lifestyle at midlife helps predict how active you'll be in old age, a new study says.
	Nearly 10 percent of ketamine abusers have liver injury (HealthDay)—Liver injury is seen in about 10 percent of chronic abusers of ketamine, according to a study published in the October issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
More research needed on benefits of psychedelic drugs A University of Adelaide philosophy scholar is calling for more research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs, with early studies suggesting these substances can provide lasting psychological benefits.
	Mining big data yields Alzheimer's discovery Scientists at The University of Manchester have used a new way of working to identify a new gene linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. The discovery fills in another piece of the jigsaw when it comes to identifying people most at risk of developing the condition.
	Legendary marshmallow test yields lessons for everyday challenges in self-control Walter Mischel, the psychologist renowned for the groundbreaking study known as the "marshmallow test," has finally decided to tell the story of that research for a general audience.
	Researchers testing non-drug treatment for fibromyalgia Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) are testing a non-drug treatment for fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by chronic and widespread pain.
	Cholesterol-like molecules vital for the survival of motor neurons Scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Swansea University in Wales have, in studies in rodents and humans, identified two cholesterol-like molecules that play an important role in regulating the survival of nerve cells in the brain. The discovery is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, and may be significant in the long-term for the treatment of motor neuron disorders, such as ALS.
Automatic enrollment significantly boosts employer-based health plan sign-ups New and innovative wellness programs make health insurance available to more people, yet health plans and employers often have a difficult time enrolling individuals in them.
	Extra vitamin D benefits infants Infants whose mothers take vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and infancy are less likely to get respiratory infections, according to research from the University of Auckland.
Pharmacists involved in stroke prevention Many community pharmacists can now manage anticoagulant levels for people, using testing and evaluation done at the pharmacy.
Text message service aids malaria care A mobile phone text message reminder service has proved to be a successful way of ensuring health workers stick to new protocols for malaria in Papua New Guinea.
	Research finding: Morning exercise beneficial to students Many school-age children happily engage in traditional physical games such as tag and "sharks and minnows" that allow them to run around with friends and schoolmates, blow off a little steam, take turns being "it," and have fun. Teachers and parents have long thought that routinely making time for such activities can have a positive effect on kids' moods and behaviors, and now researchers are documenting just that.
Sierra Leone Ebola lockdown was too short: Swiss research Three-day quarantines are not enough to net all Ebola cases in a given area, Swiss scientists said this week after using genetic sequencing to map the early spread of the virus in Sierra Leone.
	New clues for the early detection of colorectal cancer Researchers at the University of Luxembourg have identified potential new ways to test for the first signs of one of the most deadly types of cancer: colorectal cancer. They have found new "biomarkers": molecules whose increased presence or absence in tissue suggests the development of tumorous cells. These indicators could help detect colorectal cancer at an early stage, predict its severity or even offer new treatments.
	Pregnant women with psychiatric conditions require higher doses of neuroleptics The new generation of neuroleptics for psychiatric conditions has the advantage over older medications of fewer adverse side effects. An investigation into their effectiveness in pregnant women has now discovered that higher doses are needed during pregnancy to maintain the desired effect.
	Discovery may lead to lower doses of chemotherapy No matter what type of chemotherapy you attack a tumor with, many cancer cells resort to the same survival tactic: They start eating themselves.
Coastal living boosts physical activity People who live close to the coast are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than inland dwellers, finds a new study released today.
	The mathematics behind the Ebola epidemic Researchers in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich have calculated new benchmark figures to precisely describe the Ebola epidemic in West Africa from a mathematical perspective. Their results may help health authorities to contain the epidemic.
	Cellular 'power grid' failure triggers abnormal heart rhythms after a heart attack Heart attack survivors often experience dangerous heart rhythm disturbances during treatment designed to restore blood flow to the injured heart muscle, a common and confounding complication of an otherwise lifesaving intervention.
	New computational approach finds gene that drives aggressive brain cancer Using an innovative algorithm that analyzes gene regulatory and signaling networks, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have found that loss of a gene called KLHL9 is the driving force behind the most aggressive form of glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer. The CUMC team demonstrated in mice transplants that these tumors can be suppressed by reintroducing KLHL9 protein, offering a possible strategy for treating this lethal disease. The study was published today in the online issue of Cell.
Set of molecules found to link insulin resistance in the brain to diabetes A key mechanism behind diabetes may start in the brain, with early signs of the disease detectable through rising levels of molecules not previously linked to insulin signaling, according to a study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai published today in the journal Cell Metabolism.
	Family and lifestyle factors affect child literacy UWA researchers have demonstrated that accurately identifying children at risk of literacy problems before they begin to struggle at school requires an assessment approach which combines child, family and environmental factors.
Fast-track bluetongue vaccine could save millions for the European economy Scientists have developed a faster method of producing an effective vaccine for the devastating animal disease caused by Bluetongue virus (BTV); a virus that has infected and killed thousands of livestock throughout the world.
College athletes in contact sports more likely to carry MRSA, study finds Even if they don't show signs of infection, college athletes who play football, soccer and other contact sports are more likely to carry the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), suggests a study on MRSA and athletes, which is being presented at IDWeek 2014. This puts them at higher risk for infection and increases the likelihood of spreading the bug, which can cause serious and even fatal infections. The study is the first to observe college athletes who are not part of a larger MRSA outbreak.
Can dogs transmit Ebola? Following the uproar over the killing of an Ebola patient's dog in Spain, experts said on Thursday there was a risk of canines carrying the deadly virus but none that they could infect humans.
Multiple neurodevelopmental disorders have a common molecular cause Neurodevelopmental disorders such as Down syndrome and autism-spectrum disorder can have profound, lifelong effects on learning and memory, but relatively little is known about the molecular pathways affected by these diseases. A study published by Cell Press October 9th in the American Journal of Human Genetics shows that neurodevelopmental disorders caused by distinct genetic mutations produce similar molecular effects in cells, suggesting that a one-size-fits-all therapeutic approach could be effective for conditions ranging from seizures to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
	Drinking decaf coffee maybe good for the liver Researchers from the National Cancer Institute report that decaffeinated coffee drinking may benefit liver health. Results of the study published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that higher coffee consumption, regardless of caffeine content, was linked to lower levels of abnormal liver enzymes. This suggests that chemical compounds in coffee other than caffeine may help protect the liver.
Study examines effect of antibiotic susceptibility for patients with bloodstream infection In an analysis of more than 8,000 episodes of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections, there were no significant differences in the risk of death when comparing patients exhibiting less susceptibility to the antibiotic vancomycin to patients with more vancomycin susceptible strains of S. aureus, according to a study published in JAMA. The study is being released early online to coincide with the IDWeek 2014 meeting.
	Hunger games: How the brain 'browns' fat to aid weight loss Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have uncovered a molecular process in the brain known to control eating that transforms white fat into brown fat. This process impacts how much energy we burn and how much weight we can lose. The results are published in the Oct. 9 issue of the journal Cell.
Cold exposure prompts body to convert white fat to calorie-burning beige fat Exposure to cold temperatures can convert white fat tissue from the thighs and belly to beige fat that burns calories for heat, but this biological response is hampered in obese people, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals alter thyroid hormone activity during pregnancy A new study in human placenta provides the strongest evidence to date that Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) can interfere with thyroid hormone action in pregnant women. The implication is that flame retardant chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can infiltrate the placenta during pregnancy and affect thyroid hormone activity at the cellular level, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
Quantifying physical changes in red blood cells as they mature in the bloodstream During their approximately 100-day lifespan in the bloodstream, red blood cells lose membrane surface area, volume, and hemoglobin content. A study publishing this week in PLOS Computational Biology finds that of these three changes, only the observed surface-area loss can be explained by RBCs shedding small hemoglobin-containing vesicles budding off their cells' membrane.
	Entire female reproductive tract susceptible to HIV infection in macaque model Most women are infected with HIV through vaginal intercourse, and without effective vaccines or microbicides, women who cannot negotiate condom use by their partners remain vulnerable. How exactly the virus establishes infection in the female reproductive tract (FRT) remains poorly understood. A study published on October 9th in PLOS Pathogens reports surprising results from a study of HIV transmission in the FRT of rhesus macaques.
	Unusual skin cancer linked to chronic allergy from metal orthopedic implant In rare cases, patients with allergies to metals develop persistent skin rashes after metal devices are implanted near the skin. New research suggests these patients may be at increased risk of an unusual and aggressive form of skin cancer.
Ebola research shows rapid control interventions key factor in preventing spread New Ebola research demonstrates that quick and forceful implementation of control interventions are necessary to control outbreaks and avoid far worse scenarios.
	'Sepsis sniffer' generates faster sepsis care and suggests reduced mortality An automated early warning and response system for sepsis developed by Penn Medicine experts has resulted in a marked increase in sepsis identification and care, transfer to the ICU, and an indication of fewer deaths due to sepsis. A study assessing the tool is published online in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Why men are the weaker sex when it comes to bone health Alarming new data published today by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), shows that one-third of all hip fractures worldwide occur in men, with mortality rates as high as 37% in the first year following fracture. This makes men twice as likely as women to die after a hip fracture. Osteoporosis experts warn that as men often remain undiagnosed and untreated, millions are left vulnerable to early death and disability, irrespective of fracture type.
Australian who worked with Ebola victims tested for virus An Australian woman was being assessed Thursday for Ebola after developing a fever following her return from a month working with patients of the virus in Sierra Leone, officials said.
More health workers hospitalised in Spain Ebola scare Three more health workers in Spain have been admitted to hospital for monitoring for Ebola on Wednesday, including two doctors who had contact with a nurse who has been infected with the disease.
S.Africa pregnancy deaths 'unacceptably' high: Amnesty Rights watchdog Amnesty International said Thursday that Africa's most developed country, South Africa, still has "unacceptably" high numbers of women dying from largely avoidable deaths during pregnancy.
EU well armed to prevent an Ebola epidemic: experts The European Union must fill gaps to stop the spread of Ebola now that an infected nurse in Spain has exposed these failings, but it is well armed to prevent an epidemic, EU officials and experts said.
Germany takes in third Ebola patient for treatment A third UN employee infected with the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, a Sudanese doctor, arrived for treatment in Germany on Thursday from Liberia, local health officials said.
	Optometrist helps get athletes' eyes in shape Whether shooting pucks or catching fly balls, athletes work hard to be at the top of their game and research shows that vision training can help improve athletes performance in sports.
	Why hospitals need more generalist doctors and specialist nurses New medical technologies and treatments over the past few decades have led to remarkable improvements in treating older patients. The annual death rate for an 80-year-old male in 2011 was just 5.6%, compared with 10% thirty years earlier.
Mapping system to reveal Australia's mental illness hot spots A world-first mapping system that will pinpoint areas of high male self-harm and suicide, as well as hot spots for men with poor mental health, has been unveiled today as part of National Mental Health Week.
	Study investigates age-related vision loss and driving performance Older drivers with age-related vision loss will be the focus of a new QUT study designed to test their on-the-road performance.
Low fat diet sees heart disease rates drop New Zealanders have never been healthier in terms of heart disease with death rates plummeting since the 1960s, according to cardiac epidemiologist, Professor Rod Jackson.
	Spain: Six in Madrid hospital for Ebola observation Two doctors who treated a Spanish nursing assistant diagnosed with Ebola have been admitted to a Madrid hospital for precautionary observation, bringing to six the number being monitored at the center, health officials said Thursday.
EU top court sees no fault in 'medical tourism' The EU's top court, ruling on a so-called "medical tourism" case, said patients seeking treatment in another member state should have the cost covered by their home authorities if local care is not available in "good time."
	'Advergames' a new front in fight against childhood obesity American food and beverage manufacturers are turning to digital media and mobile devices to encourage children to like their products, opening up a new front in the nation's war on obesity.
	Researchers to build wearable interface to make prosthetics more comfortable UT Arlington researchers have been awarded a $744,300 grant from the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Orthapaedic Research Program to create an adaptive interface that fits between a prosthetic and a patient's limb so that the fit and comfort of the prosthetic are improved.
Intracranial stents: More strokes than with drug treatment alone The risk of having another stroke is higher if patients, after dilation of their blood vessels in the brain, not only receive clot-inhibiting drugs, but also have small tubes called stents inserted. However, studies have provided no hint of a benefit from stenting, which is also referred to with the abbreviation "PTAS". This is the conclusion reached in the rapid report of the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), as published on 9 October 2014.
UPMC programs to improve hand hygiene reduced infections, increased compliance UPMC Presbyterian Hospital's infection prevention teams have improved hand washing and sanitizing compliance at the hospital to nearly 100 percent among clinical staff through accountability and educational measures. In a separate effort at UPMC Mercy Hospital, rates of a deadly infection were reduced by educating patients about hand hygiene.
UPMC investigation into GI scope-related infections changes national guidelines National guidelines for the cleaning of certain gastrointestinal (GI) scopes are likely to be updated due to findings from UPMC's infection prevention team.
Kindred Healthcare buying Gentiva in $719.6M deal Kindred Healthcare Inc. is buying home health and hospice care provider Gentiva Health Services Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $719.6 million, sealing a deal after previous rejections by Gentiva.
University awarded $8M for brain cell database The University of California, Irvine has been awarded an $8 million grant for the creation of a database of brain cell activity.
Spain Ebola patient at 'serious risk' of dying (Update) The Spanish nurse infected with Ebola is at "serious risk" of dying from the disease after her condition worsened on Thursday, officials said.
Intensity of Ebola spread unseen since AIDS: CDC chief The deadly spread of Ebola in West Africa is something unseen since the outbreak of AIDS, Thomas Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Thursday.
Human papillomavirus vaccines offer public health opportunity for Texas The state of Texas should create a policy that encourages adolescents to obtain the full series of shots for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, according to a new paper from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus known to cause cancer.
	Long-term treatment success using gene therapy to correct a lethal metabolic disorder Excessive and often lethal blood levels of bilirubin can result from mutations in a single gene that are the cause of the metabolic disease known as Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 1 (CNS1). A new gene therapy approach to correcting this metabolic error achieved significant, long-lasting reductions in bilirubin levels in a mouse model of CNS1 and is described in an Open Access article in Human Gene Therapy.
Hospitalized children benefit from antibiotic stewardship programs Hospitalized children go home sooner and are less likely to be readmitted when the hospital has an antibiotic stewardship program that's dedicated to controlling antibiotic prescriptions and treatment, according to a study being presented at IDWeek 2014. The study is the first to show the benefits of such programs on children's health.
UN chief: 20 times more Ebola aid needed The presidents of three Ebola-stricken West African nations made urgent pleas for money, doctors and hospital beds Thursday and representatives of nations gathered for a World Bank meeting promised to send more aid quickly.
US urges action to keep Ebola from becoming 'next AIDS' A top US health official urged swift action Thursday to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from becoming the next AIDS epidemic, as the health of an infected Spanish nurse deteriorated.
Recent kidney policy changes have not created racial disparities in care Recent policy and guideline changes related to the care of patients with kidney failure have not created racial disparities, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). Such studies are needed to ensure that all patients continue to receive the highest quality of care after such changes are implemented.
Britain announces anti-Ebola screening at airports, rail hubs Britain on Thursday said it would start screening travellers coming from Ebola-hit parts of west Africa at Heathrow and Gatwick airports and on Eurostar trains from Belgium and France.
Tumor segmentation software receives 510k clearance from FDA Columbia University's imaging software that facilitates 3-D lung tumor segmentation, licensed to Varian Medical Systems, has been incorporated into the Smart Segmentation module of Varian's Eclipse treatment planning system and has received FDA 510k clearance.
Lawmakers approve $700 million to fight Ebola The Republican chairmen of House panels that oversee the Pentagon signed off Thursday on an additional $700 million to pay for the military mission to help fight Africa's deadly Ebola outbreak.
HealthCare.gov fixes error on website for Latinos HealthCare.gov has fixed a conspicuous translation error on its Spanish-language website that had puzzled native speakers.
How Europe is trying to prevent Ebola from spreading European officials have said the risk of Ebola spreading on the continent is highly unlikely, but it has not stopped countries across the region adopting a series of measures to make doubly sure.

Biology news

	Cane toads that move in lines most responsible for their deadly spread (Phys.org) —How are cane toads taking over Australia with such alarming haste? New research from the University of Sydney offers new insight into the pervasiveness of one of the nation's most reviled pests.
Special chromosomal structures control key genes Within almost every human cell is a nucleus six microns in diameter—about one 300th of a human hair's width—that is filled with roughly three meters of DNA. As the instructions for all cell processes, the DNA must be accessible to the cell's transcription machinery yet be compressed tightly enough to fit inside the nucleus. Scientists have long theorized that the way DNA is packaged affects gene expression. Whitehead Institute researchers present the first evidence that DNA scaffolding is responsible for enhancing and repressing gene expression.
	Thanks, fruit flies, for that pleasing beer scent The familiar smell of beer is due in part to aroma compounds produced by common brewer's yeast. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports on October 9th have discovered why the yeast (formally known as S. cerevisiae) make that smell: the scent attracts fruit flies, which repay the yeast by dispersing their cells in the environment.
	How conservation and animal psychology can work together Researchers are calling for animal cognition experts and conservationists to come together to help animals adapt their behaviour to changing environmental issues and aid their own preservation.
	Why do people risk infection from bat meat? Ebola, as with many emerging infections, is likely to have arisen due to man's interaction with wild animals – most likely the practice of hunting and eating wild meat known as 'bushmeat'. A team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has surveyed almost six hundred people across southern Ghana to find out what drives consumption of bat bushmeat – and how people perceive the risks associated with the practice.
	Black swans and seagrass strike a delicate balance Seagrass in the Swan River needs to be protected to help maintain populations of WA's iconic black swan.
	The cichlids' egg-spots: How evolution creates new characteristics The evolution of new traits with novel functions has always posed a challenge to evolutionary biology. Studying the color markings of cichlid fish, Swiss scientists were now able to show what triggered these evolutionary innovations, namely: a mobile genetic element in the regulatory region of a color gene. Their results have been published in the latest issue of the renowned scientific journal Nature Communications.
Balancing birds and biofuels: Grasslands support more species than cornfields In Wisconsin, bioenergy is for the birds. Really. In a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) scientists examined whether corn and perennial grassland fields in southern Wisconsin could provide both biomass for bioenergy production and bountiful bird habitat.
	Protecting the flavor of mandarin oranges Fresh and juicy mandarin oranges are good for you and have a delightfully sweet flavor that makes them a favorite of kids and adults alike.
	Researchers capture images of the elusive protein HIV uses to infect cells HIV is adept at eluding immune system responses because the protein it uses to infect cells is constantly changing.
	Putin's rare Russian tiger 'emigrates to China' An endangered Siberian tiger released into the wild by Vladimir Putin has become Russia's latest export to China, after the beast wandered over the border in search of a meal, Chinese state-run media said Thursday.
	Wild tomato species focus of antioxidant study Tomatoes are known to be rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C, lycopene, β-carotene, and phenolics. Antioxidants, substances capable of delaying or inhibiting oxidation processes caused by free radicals, are of interest to consumers for their health-related contributions, and to plant breeders for their ability to provide plants with natural resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. While tomato domestication and breeding programs have typically focused on traits such as fruit weight, color, shape, and disease resistance, scientists are now looking at ways to develop tomato cultivars that boast higher antioxidant traits.
Clove oil tested for weed control in organic Vidalia sweet onion Weed control is one of the most challenging aspects of organic crop production. Most growers of certified organic crops rely heavily on proven cultural and mechanical weed control methods while limiting the use of approved herbicides. A new study of herbicides derived from clove oil tested the natural products' effectiveness in controlling weeds in Vidalia® sweet onion crops.
	German hunters angered by proposed ban on shooting cats German hunters are up in arms over a proposed law that would prohibit them from shooting cats, a practice they say helps save birds and rodents.
	New leafhopper species named after University of Illinois entomologist Three new species of leafhoppers from China in the genus Futasujinus were recently identified during a review of leafhoppers in museum collections in China, the UK, and Illinois. One of them, Futasujinus dietrichi, was "named after Dr. Chris Dietrich, University of Illinois, USA, in recognition of his good work on leafhoppers." The new species are described in an article in Annals of the Entomological Society of America.

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