Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Oct 7

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 7, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Two Japanese, one American win Nobel Prize in physics (Update)
- Research suggests people with autism may have an impaired predictive ability
- A closer look at the blood-brain barrier
- New mechanism of photoconduction could lead to next-generation excitonic devices
- Study shows most water in lunar soil generated by solar wind, not result of comet or meteorite impacts
- Yahoo says some systems breached, not by Shellshock
- Four year study shows there are patterns in the ways users download BitTorrent files
- Study shows manure from cows not given antibiotics still causes increase in resistant bacteria in soil
- The 'cyberwar' against cancer gets a boost from intelligent nanocarriers
- New 'lab-on-a-chip' could revolutionize early diagnosis of cancer
- Back off: Female chimps stressed out by competing suitors
- Live and let-7: MicroRNA plays surprising role in cell survival
- Around the world in 400,000 years: The journey of the red fox
- Omron develops 3D display technology using transparent sheet
- How female fruit flies know when to say 'yes'

Astronomy & Space news

	Study shows most water in lunar soil generated by solar wind, not result of comet or meteorite impacts (Phys.org) —A pair of researchers with the Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, has determined that most of the water in the soil on the surface of the moon was formed due to protons in the solar wind colliding with oxygen in lunar dust, rather than from comet or meteorite impacts. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Alice Stephant and François Robert describe their study and the results they found.
	Astronauts resume routine spacewalks for NASA (Update) Two spacewalking astronauts moved an old, broken pump into permanent storage Tuesday, NASA's first routine maintenance outside the International Space Station in more than a year.
Japan puts new weather satellite into space Japan put a new weather satellite into space Tuesday in the hope it can improve the forecasting of typhoons and detect volcanic gas plumes.
	Setting sail for ESA spaceplane recovery The boat that will lift ESA's unmanned IXV spaceplane out of the Pacific Ocean after the research flight next month set sail on Saturday from Genoa in Italy.
	Launch abort system installed on NASA's Orion capsule The emergency launch abort system (LAS) has been installed on NASA's pathfinding Orion crew capsule to prepare for its first launch – now just under two months away.
	What is the upper limit for massive stars? Yesterday I mentioned that hypernovae (super-supernovae) are the result of the explosion of a star that's about as massive as a star can be (about 150-200 solar masses). But how exactly do we know that this is an upper limit?
	Americas, Asia to get view of total lunar eclipse A total lunar eclipse, the second this year, will take place Wednesday and will be visible in much of North and South America and Asia, NASA said Tuesday.
	NASA selects nine space radiobiology research proposals NASA's Human Research Program will fund nine proposals for ground-based research that will help enable extended and safer human exploration of space by quantifying and, ultimately, reducing the risks posed by space radiation.

Technology news

	Talking to your car can be dangerous, studies say Two new studies have found that voice-activated smartphones and dashboard infotainment systems may be making the distracted-driving problem worse instead of better.
	IBM Research, Airlight Energy work on affordable solar tech A system that can concentrate the sun's radiation by 2,000 times and convert 80 percent of it into useful energy has been developed by IBM Research in a team effort with Airlight Energy of Switzerland.
	Health T-shirts and a mind-reading bar unveiled in Japan Glasses that tell you how to get home, adverts that know where you are looking and a T-shirt that knows how fast your heart is beating were on display at a huge tech gathering in Japan Tuesday.
	Funky robots display Japan's latest technologies A smartphone-controlled dinosaur, synchronized cheerleaders and a ping pong-playing spider are some of the robot technology showcased at the CEATEC Japan electronics exhibition.
	Superhuman vision All through his childhood, Ramesh Raskar wished fervently for eyes in the back of his head. "I had the notion that the world did not exist if I wasn't looking at it, so I would constantly turn around to see if it was there behind me." Although this head-spinning habit faded during his teen years, Raskar never lost the desire to possess the widest possible field of vision.
	Technology can identify the hidden properties of receipts containing fingerprint deposits A crime-fighting 'magic' marker pen that can identify the hidden properties of receipts containing fingerprint deposits within a matter of seconds is one of many innovative gadgets developed by scientists at the University of Leicester that will be demonstrated at the Knowledge Transfer Network's (KTN) 'Applications of Forensic Science Research and Development Technology Showcase 2014' event on Wednesday 8 October in London.
	Four year study shows there are patterns in the ways users download BitTorrent files (Phys.org) —A team of researchers with members from Spain and the U.S. has conducted a four year study of the file sharing habits of thousands of BitTorrent users and has found that predictable patterns have emerged. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes how they carried out their study, what they found, and how their results might be used by systems planners in the future.
Yahoo says some systems breached, not by Shellshock Yahoo said some of its servers were breached briefly by hackers, but that the attack was unrelated to the newly discovered Shellshock vulnerability, and that no user data was compromised.
	Omron develops 3D display technology using transparent sheet Omron has technology that projects images in air by means of a transparent sheet. Naoki Tanaka of Nikkei Electronics recently reported on what is called "Transparent Plate-type Space Projection Technology." The approach projects a three-dimensional still image in space by emitting light from a transparent sheet. A light-emitting diode (LED) lamp serves as a light source.
	Toshiba develops lifelike communication android Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has developed a lifelike communication android that can move its arms and hands smoothly and use Japanese sign language. The android is a prototype that the company will continue to develop towards achieving a service robot able to assist people in the fields of welfare and healthcare. The android will be showcased at CEATEC JAPAN 2014, which will be held from October 7 to 11.
Hewlett-Packard split aims to sharpen focus Hewlett-Packard announced plans Monday to break itself into two companies, one with a focus on personal computers and printers, and the other on software and enterprise services.
	Samsung expects lowest profit in over three years The world's biggest smartphone maker is suffering a financial decline in the face of intense competition from Apple Inc. and upstart Chinese brands.
	Mobile revolution shakes up Silicon Valley Smartphones, tablets and other gadgets aren't just changing the way we live and work. They are shaking up Silicon Valley's balance of power and splitting up businesses. Long-established companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and eBay Inc. are scrambling to regain their footing to better compete against mobile-savvy trendsetters like Apple and Google, as well as rising technology stars that have built businesses around "cloud computing."
New York cancels phone booth transmitter program New York City is scuttling a project that would have installed in payphone booths thousands of transmitters that could track people's movements.
	EU broadens corporate tax crackdown to Amazon (Update) The European Union is broadening its crackdown on multinationals' tax avoidance schemes, opening Tuesday an investigation into Amazon's practices on suspicion the online retailer is not paying its dues on profits made across the 28-nation bloc.
Jennifer Lawrence slams stolen nude photos as 'sex crime' Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has spoken publicly for the first time after naked pictures of her were hacked and posted online, angrily slamming the leak as a "sex crime."
New paper examines the significant social strategies in human communication A new study by researchers from the University of Notre Dame and Tsinghua University offers great potential for understanding the social principles that underpin the highly connected world, from individuals to groups to societies.
	New technology gives truck drivers all-around visibility Volvo Trucks has developed new technology specifically to protect pedestrians and cyclists. The unique technology enables a vehicle to do a 360 degree scan of everything that happens around it. Much like a human mind works, the vehicle can interpret its environment and suggest actions to avoid any incidents. The technology is in the test phase and may become a reality five to ten years from now.
	Lead-free glass decor Whether on baby bottles, beer mugs or perfume bottles, imprints on glass consist mainly of lead oxide. Fraunhofer researchers have developed printing inks for glass that do not contain any toxic elements. At the glasstec tradefair from October 21st to 24th in Düsseldorf, they are going to present the new imprints (Hall 15, Booth A33).
	New NASA technology brings critical data to pilots over remote Alaskan territories NASA has formally delivered to Alaskan officials a new technology that could help pilots flying over the vast wilderness expanses of the northern-most state. The technology is designed to help pilots make better flight decisions, especially when disconnected from the Internet, telephone, flight services and other data sources normally used by pilots.
	Dynamic encryption keeps secrets Professor Lars Ramkilde Knudsen from DTU Compute has invented a new way to encrypt telephone conversations that makes it very difficult to 'eavesdrop'. His invention can help to curb industrial espionage.
	Printing in the hobby room: Paper- thin and touch-sensitive displays on various materials Until now, if you want to print a greeting card for a loved one, you can use colorful graphics, fancy typefaces or special paper to enhance it. But what if you could integrate paper-thin displays into the cards, which could be printed at home and which would be able to depict self-created symbols or even react to touch? Those only some of the options computer scientists in Saarbrücken can offer. They developed an approach that in the future will enable laypeople to print displays in any desired shape on various materials and therefore could change everyday life completely.
	Mesh networks and Firechat make 'switching off the internet' that much harder The events in Hong Kong have seen technology play a huge role in organising political protest, as much as in the days of the Arab Spring of 2011. But governments have become wise to the potential influence of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and blocking websites is easy (if you're the government).
Insiders seen most at fault in data breaches A new study says that most breaches of personal data in Europe over the past decade were due to errors and abuse committed by an organization's employees, not hackers.
	E-car sharing comes of age Giving up your own car and sharing one with other people instead – car sharing is the hot trend of the moment. But if it's going to succeed with electric vehicles, charging times need to be shorter and booking processes simpler. That means a straightforward process for finding the electric car that best suits your needs as well as a wide-ranging charging infrastructure. At the eCarTec trade fair in Munich on October 22, six Fraunhofer Institutes will be demonstrating the technology that will make e car sharing a viable concept.
	'World of Tanks' game finds ally in 'Fury' film "Fury" is rolling into "World of Tanks." Before the World War II tank drama reaches theaters Oct. 17, video gamers can make like Brad Pitt's character, Sgt. Don "Wardaddy" Collier, and steer a virtual rendition of the tank he commands in the film. It's the latest example of a likeminded movie and game aligning to hype each other, and it marks the first Hollywood pact for the popular online tank combat title.
Nokia suspends production at Indian handset factory Finnish telecom equipment group Nokia said Tuesday it was halting production in its Indian factory near Chennai and that a dispute with local tax authorities was hindering finding a buyer for the facility that employs 7,000 workers.
AT&T employee improperly viewed customer accounts AT&T has informed about 1,600 customers that a rogue employee had accessed account information that might have included Social Security numbers and other personal data.
	Facebook opens ad targeting to outside applications Facebook on Tuesday ramped up its "Audience Network" that mines what it knows about users to target ads in other applications on smartphones or tablet computers.
	Twitter sues FBI, DOJ to release NSA request info Twitter is suing the FBI and the Department of Justice to be able to release more information about government surveillance of its users.
	Boeing, Airbus at odds over black boxes that eject The world's two largest commercial aircraft manufacturers are at odds over equipping airliners with black boxes that eject in the event of a crash, making them easier to find.
MBIA says asset management unit may have been hacked Bond insurer MBIA said Tuesday that it shut down a computer server after learning that client data of an asset management subsidiary may have been accessed by hackers.
	Inspection system for high-strength steels High-strength steels are in demand as lightweight construction materials. Now Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new inspection system that allows them to examine the materials contact-free. They will be showcasing the MAGNUS technique at the EuroBLECH 2014 trade fair in Hannover, October 21-25.
	"Unlikely couples" of materials enable vehicle weight to be reduced CICmarGUNE, the Co-operative Research Centre into High-performance Manufacturing, is working to develop hybrid aluminium-steel and composite metal joints by means of different technologies that enable components with greater added value to be manufactured, thus contributing towards improving the competitive position of Basque companies. The Faculty of Engineering of Mondragon University, IK4-Lortek, IK4-Azterlan, IK4-Tekniker and Tecnalia are collaborating in this line of research within the framework of CIC marGUNE's "InProRet" (Etortek ) strategic research project.
	NVIDIA and IBM bring supercomputing to big data analytics NVIDIA and IBM are working to tackle some of the most vexing challenges of data center computing.
	Review: New 'Skylanders' delights and frustrates There's a peculiar kind of tension at work in Activision's wildly successful Skylanders series. If you just want a dozen or so hours of fun, with fast-paced action and an amusing story, a $75 starter pack will get the job done. But if you want to see every little thing packed into a Skylanders game, be prepared to spend a couple hundred dollars more on additional toys.
BIRDS is for sustainability: New NIST tool for evaluating building performance, trade-offs Designing a building that simply meets local code requirements is not necessarily the optimal way to do it when you consider all the long-term costs. Now, building professionals in more than 200 U.S. cities can use a new database developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to evaluate whether it pays to exceed code requirements for energy efficiency by tallying expected costs, kilowatts expended, carbon emissions and other impacts over a planned commercial building's lifetime.

Medicine & Health news

	Research suggests people with autism may have an impaired predictive ability (Medical Xpress)—People with autism might live in a "magical world" in which it's impossible to know what will happen next. Richard Held of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and colleagues have hypothesized that people with autism have difficulty predicting future events, and that an impaired predictive ability would explain many of the symptoms of autism. The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	A closer look at the blood-brain barrier (Medical Xpress)—Thousands of people today have various kinds of stimulators placed deep in their brains in the hope of curing their ills. Many others require systems of tubes, catheters, and shunts penetrating deep into their brain ventricles to deliver chemotherapy, analgesics, or to drain overpressurized cerebral liquids. Invariably, as in the commonly used Ommaya reservior for example, these devices have a crude and bulky insertion that is simply plowed through healthy brain tissue, sparing little in its path. To develop more delicate instrumentation for the brain we must imagine working with its natural barriers and protections rather than against them. In other words, we must come to know the wisping membranes that balance the brain's fluid constitution, and the blood brain barrier that seals its vessels, as we would know our own skin.
	New genetic variants associated with coffee drinking A new, large-scale study has identified six new genetic variants associated with habitual coffee drinking. The genome-wide meta-analysis, led by Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers, helps explain why a given amount of coffee or caffeine has different effects on different people and provides a genetic basis for future research exploring the links between coffee and health.
A new pathway discovered regulating autoimmune diseases The main function of the immune system is to protect against diseases and infections. For unknown reasons our immune system attacks healthy cells, tissues and organs in a process called autoimmunity, which can result in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. There are currently no existing cures for these diseases.
	I'll take that brain to go: Advancements in the transport of human brain samples and epilepsy research USC biomedical engineers, neurologists and neurosurgeons develop new methods to advance the study of human brains and epilepsy Studying the human brain is logistically complicated. Living samples of the complex and sensitive organ are limited and difficult to preserve, which means that research on them must be conducted quickly before they expire. Furthermore, the electrodes currently used to record neural activity are largely unsophisticated.
	Small molecule 'jams the switch' to prevent inflammatory cell death (Medical Xpress)—Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have discovered a small molecule that blocks a form of cell death that triggers inflammation, opening the door for potential new treatments for inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and psoriasis.
	Study reveals how deadly MERS virus enters human cells (Medical Xpress)—Cornell researchers have uncovered details of how the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) enters host cells, findings that help explain how it can infect many cell types – a hallmark of viral pathogenicity. The results also offer possible new avenues for treatment.
	The 'cyberwar' against cancer gets a boost from intelligent nanocarriers Two years ago, Prof. Eshel Ben-Jacob of Tel Aviv University's School of Physics and Astronomy and Rice University's Center for Theoretical Biological Physics made the startling discovery that cancer, like an enemy hacker in cyberspace, targets the body's communication network to inflict widespread damage on the entire system. Cancer, he found, possessed special traits for cooperative behavior and used intricate communication to distribute tasks, share resources, and make decisions.
	Candidate H7N9 avian flu vaccine works better with adjuvant An experimental vaccine to protect people against H7N9 avian influenza prompted immune responses in 59 percent of volunteers who received two injections at the lowest dosage tested, but only if the vaccine was mixed with adjuvant—a substance that boosts the body's response to vaccination. Without adjuvant, immune responses produced by the investigational vaccine were minimal regardless of vaccine dosage, according to findings from a clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.
	Working memory hinders learning in schizophrenia A new study pinpoints working memory as a source of learning difficulties in people with schizophrenia.
	What 20 years of research on cannabis use has taught us: review In the past 20 years recreational cannabis use has grown tremendously, becoming almost as common as tobacco use among adolescents and young adults, and so has the research evidence. A major new review in the scientific journal Addiction sets out the latest information on the effects of cannabis use on mental and physical health.
'Virological penicillin': Plant MIR2911 directly targets influenza A viruses In a new study, Chen-Yu Zhang's group at Nanjing University present an extremely novel finding that a plant microRNA, MIR2911, which is enriched in honeysuckle, directly targets influenza A viruses (IAV) including H1N1, H5N1 and H7N9. Drinking of honeysuckle soup can prevent IAV infection and reduce H5N1-induced mice death.
Stroke patients past the 90-day danger period remain at high risk for repeat event People who have had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke) are at high risk for a second similar event or other serious medical problems for at least five years and need better follow up and strategies to prevent these problems, according to data presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress.
Probiotics protect children and pregnant women against heavy metal poisoning Yogurt containing probiotic bacteria successfully protected children and pregnant women against heavy metal exposure in a recent study. Working with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Canadian and Tanzanian researchers created and distributed a special yogurt containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus bacteria and observed the outcomes against a control group. The work is published this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
	MRI technique detects evidence of cognitive decline before symptoms appear A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique can detect signs of cognitive decline in the brain even before symptoms appear, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. The technique has the potential to serve as a biomarker in very early diagnosis of preclinical dementia.
Rural hospitals replicate experiences of big city stroke care A new model for stroke care is being studied in rural Alberta to reduce inequities in health across communities. This model, presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress, shows how hospitals in rural areas can mimic the type of care that's often only available in larger centres.
Adolescents with cerebral palsy report similar quality of life to their able-bodied peer Adolescents with cerebral palsy face multiple challenges, but they rate their quality of life on a par with their able-bodied peers, according to new research published in The Lancet reporting on how adolescents with cerebral palsy from nine European countries.
Tobacco display bans may lower smoking rates: Australia study Smoking rates have dropped among young Australians in recent years, and research released Tuesday suggests that banning tobacco displays from shops is a factor.
Ebola: Simple methods of protection Preventing infection by the Ebola virus entails simple but rigorously-observed methods of barrier protection and monitoring for signs of ill-health, say experts.
	Simple lifestyle interventions during pregnancy can prevent your children from becoming obese In a study that followed more than 2,200 obese women during pregnancy, scientists affiliated with Professor Jodie Dodd from the University of Adelaide, Australia found that some simple interventions can help prevent high birth weights in newborns. This is important because previous studies have shown that infants with a high birth weight have a greater risk of becoming obese as children or adults.This study is part of the EC-funded EarlyNutrition Project (http://www.project-earlynutrition.eu/), which is coordinated by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich.
	Depression increases risk of falls in elderly Falls are common in elderly people but the risk increases markedly when they have depressive symptoms, research from Neuroscience Research Australia shows.
Researchers study whether DVD-delivered fitness plan helps at-risk older adults Human health researchers have life-saving advice for those over 65: keep moving.
	Social media puts body-conscious girls off sport A growing number of teenage girls are shying away from sports in high school because Facebook and Instagram are making them self-conscious about their bodies, a new Flinders University study reveals.
	Texting to improve mental health Many Australians send and receive dozens of text messages each week – but what if one of those texts had the power to help transform your life?
	Are we on the point of finding the key to a cure for HIV? In newborns whose mothers are infected with HIV and who are not properly treated, combination antiretroviral therapy – or triple therapy – initiated within 72 hours after birth can help suppress the virus to the point where it becomes undetectable.
	Study links declining fitness, sleep complaints A new study from the University of Georgia finds a link between a person's fitness level—specifically cardiorespiratory fitness—and sleeping ability.
	Specialist intervention needed in grief support model A new public health model for supporting mourning is one step closer to being implemented, according to Curtin and La Trobe University researchers.
Sandwiches are a major contributor to dietary sodium intake Sandwiches Account for One-Fifth of Total Sodium Intake, with Nearly Half of American Adults Consuming Them on Any Given Day, According to New Study Published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
	Biomarker reveals cause of thyroid carcinoma The expression of the protein CLIP2 provides information on whether a papillary thyroid carcinoma was induced by radiation or had a sporadic origin. With this discovery, scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München have identified a new biomarker for the diagnosis of the cancer cause. Their findings have been published in the journal Oncogene.
	Explainer: What happens in the hippocampus? This year's Nobel Prize in medicine recognises work on "cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain." Those cells are found in the hippocampus. It is just one tiny part of the brain, but this structure gets at least its fair share of research attention.
Some people store fat and still avoid the harmful complications of obesity What if you could gain as much weight as you wanted and remain relatively healthy? For a small percentage of people, that scenario isn't far-fetched.
Asthma risk varies with ethnic ancestry among Latinos Native American ancestry is associated with a lower asthma risk, but African ancestry is associated with a higher risk, according to the largest-ever study of how genetic variation influences asthma risk in Latinos, in whom both African and Native American ancestry is common. The study, led by UC San Francisco researchers, was published online October 6, 2014 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Program to reduce hospital readmissions doesn't have impact Researchers at UC San Francisco have found that a nurse-led intervention program designed to reduce readmissions among ethnically and linguistically diverse older patients did not improve 30-day hospital readmission rates. Their findings suggest hospitals evaluate such programs before implementing or continuing.
	Cutting resident physician work hours has not led to lower-quality physicians Amidst rising concerns about medical errors, residents' hours were capped at 80 per week in 2003 with shift lengths not to exceed 30 consecutive hours. To assess whether shortened residency training resulted in lower-quality physicians upon completion of residency (as measured by health outcomes of patients treated by newly independent physicians), Anupam Jena, assistant professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School and colleagues at Stanford School of Medicine studied data from more than 4 million Florida patients between 2000 and 2009.
	Study finds type 1 and type 2 diabetes are equally psychologically challenging in young adults New research shows that young adults with type 2 diabetes experience similar levels of depression and anxiety symptoms as young adults with type 1 diabetes, according to a world-first study published in Diabetic Medicine journal.
	Research could revolutionise treatment of eye conditions Sufferers of eye disorders have new hope after researchers at the University of Reading discovered a potential way of making eye drops more effective.
	Major new resource for fungal research Researchers led by Conway Fellow, Prof Geraldine Butler have constructed a set of tools that will be of huge benefit to the scientific community as they try to understand the how the fungal pathogen, Candida parapsilosis causes infection.
	Researchers turn computers into powerful allies in the fight against AIDS The battle against AIDS cannot be won in the laboratory alone. To fight the potentially deadly virus that 34 million people are suffering from we need help from computers. Now research fron University of Southern Denmark turns computers into powerful allies in the battle.
Easy recipe to make bone and cartilage Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Monash University and RIKEN Centre for Developmental Biology have used a combination of small molecules to generate mouse cells that can form bone and cartilage. This new method is easily scalable, and hence is a promising approach for the repair of human bone and cartilage defects. The research has just been published at http://dev.biologists.org/ in the scientific journal Development.
New study finds nearly six million more dengue cases in India than official annual tally The annual number of dengue fever cases in India is 282 times higher than officially reported, and the disease inflicts an economic burden on the country of at least US$1.11 billion each year in medical and other expenses, according to a new study published online today in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.
Do video games, phones and the internet impact children's cognition? Children have an increasing attraction towards electronic media in their play. With video games, phones and the internet in abundance, this article in Educational Psychology examines if such leisure activity is impacting children's cognition or academic performance or whether it would be more beneficial to read.
	Researchers develop personalized ovarian cancer vaccines Researchers at the University of Connecticut have found a new way to identify protein mutations in cancer cells. The novel method is being used to develop personalized vaccines to treat patients with ovarian cancer.
	Orchestrating the healing process in a damaged cornea It is safe to say that the eye is an amazing biological system. One reason is its keratocyte cells—specialized cells that make up the bulk of the cornea. Unlike most of the other cells in our body, those in the cornea are transparent, making sight possible. Should something happen to make the cornea opaque, blindness results.
Researchers identify molecule that protects women's eggs A new study led by Professor Kui Liu at the University of Gothenburg has identified the key molecule 'Greatwall kinase' which protects women's eggs against problems that can arise during the maturation process.
Results of medical study of the human mind and consciousness at the time of death The results of a four-year international study of 2060 cardiac arrest cases across 15 hospitals published and available now.
	Americans drink less when cigarettes cost more In the U.S., higher cigarette taxes and strict smoke-free policies not only curb smoking but also lower alcohol consumption, a new study shows.
	Many adults support equal access to healthcare for undocumented immigrant children Access to health insurance is very limited for immigrants living in the U.S. – both undocumented immigrants and permanent residents. But a new survey has found that many U.S. adults who work on behalf of children think undocumented immigrant children should have access to healthcare equal to that of U.S.-born children.
Small spills at gas stations could cause significant public health risks over time A new study suggests that drops of fuel spilled at gas stations—which occur frequently with fill-ups—could cumulatively be causing long-term environmental damage to soil and groundwater in residential areas in close proximity to the stations.
Testosterone promotes prostate cancer in rats A researcher who found that testosterone raised the risk of prostate tumors and exacerbated the effects of carcinogenic chemical exposure in rats is urging caution in prescribing testosterone therapy to men who have not been diagnosed with hypogonadism, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's journal Endocrinology.
	First womb-transplant baby won't be alone for long The world's first baby born from a transplanted womb is soon to have company.
Very low concentrations of heavy metals and antibiotics contribute to resistance New Swedish research shows that plasmids containing genes that confer resistance to antibiotics can be enriched by very low concentrations of antibiotics and heavy metals. These results strengthen the suspicion that the antibiotic residues and heavy metals (such as arsenic, silver and copper) that are spread in the environment are contributing to the problems of resistance. These findings have now been published in the highly regarded journal mBio.
	Potty training before age two linked to increased risk of later wetting problems Children who start toilet training before age 2 have a three times higher risk of developing daytime wetting problems later, according to new research at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Stroke-fighting drug offers potential treatment for traumatic brain injury The only drug currently approved for treatment of stroke's crippling effects shows promise, when administered as a nasal spray, to help heal similar damage in less severe forms of traumatic brain injury.
Hospitalized patients don't wash their hands enough, study finds Hospital visitors and staff are greeted with hand sanitizer dispensers in the lobby, by the elevators and outside rooms as reminders to wash their hands to stop infections, but just how clean are patients' hands?
	Efficacy of potential therapy for autoimmune disorder of muscle weakness Nearly 60,000 Americans suffer from myasthenia gravis (MG), a non-inherited autoimmune form of muscle weakness. The disease has no cure, and the primary treatments are nonspecific immunosuppressants and inhibitors of the enzyme cholinesterase.
Advocating weight diversity A new review of the way health care professionals emphasise weight to define health and wellbeing suggests the approach could be harmful to patients.
	Sharing makes both good and bad experiences more intense Undergoing an experience with another person—even if we do it in silence, with someone we met just moments ago—seems to intensify that experience, according to new research published in Psychological Science. The research shows that people who share experiences with another person rate those experiences as more pleasant or unpleasant than those who undergo the experience on their own.
	Anorexia/bulimia: A bacterial protein implicated Eating disorders (ED) such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder affect approximately 5-10% of the general population, but the biological mechanisms involved are unknown. Researchers at Inserm Unit 1073, "Nutrition, inflammation and dysfunction of the gut-brain axis" (Inserm/University of Rouen) have demonstrated the involvement of a protein produced by some intestinal bacteria that may be the source of these disorders. Antibodies produced by the body against this protein also react with the main satiety hormone, which is similar in structure. According to the researchers, it may ultimately be possible to correct this mechanism that causes variations in food intake.
	Sugar linked to memory problems in adolescent rats Studying rats as model subjects, scientists found that adolescents were at an increased risk of suffering negative health effects from sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.
Toddlers regulate behavior to avoid making adults angry When kids say "the darnedest things," it's often in response to something they heard or saw. This sponge-like learning starts at birth, as infants begin to decipher the social world surrounding them long before they can speak.
Even motivated dieters need close access to healthy food You're obese, at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and so motivated to improve your diet that you've enrolled in an intensive behavioral program. But if you need to travel more than a short distance to a store that offers a good selection of healthy food, your success may be limited.
Oral chelation for environmental lead toxicity Treatment with dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), an oral chelation agent, was linked to reductions in the amount of lead in blood in young children in Zamfara State, Nigeria following environmental lead contamination, according to a study by Jane Greig and colleagues from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) published in this week's PLOS Medicine.
Hypoglycemia link to HbA1c has declined in type 1 diabetes The link between low average glucose blood levels and greater risk for severe hypoglycemia and hypoglycemic coma substantially declined between 1995 and 2012 in young Germans and Austrians with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published by Beate Karges and colleagues from the RWTH Aachen University, Germany in this week's PLOS Medicine.
State policies can influence access to heroin treatment, study finds State policies can influence the number of physicians licensed to prescribe buprenorphine, a drug that can treat addiction to heroin and other opioids in outpatient settings, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
'You can't overprotect' against Ebola: virus pioneer One of the scientists who discovered Ebola said Tuesday he was not surprised a Spanish nurse contracted the deadly virus, stressing it was impossible to be too careful when dealing with the disease.
New at-risk group identified for gastrointestinal stromal tumors Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have, for the first time, clearly defined the epidemiology of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), which occur primarily in the lining of the stomach and small intestine. One key finding: Patients of Asian descent, who have not previously been identified as an at-risk population, are 1.5 times more likely than other patient groups to be diagnosed with this type of tumor. Results of the study were published this week in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
	Survival molecule helps cancer cells hide from the immune system A molecule that helps cancer cells evade programmed self-destruction, an internal source of death, might also help malignant cells hide from the immune system, an external source of death.
	A universal Ebola drug target University of Utah biochemists have reported a new drug discovery tool against the Ebola virus. According to a study published in this week's online edition of Protein Science, they have produced a molecule, known as a peptide mimic, that displays a functionally critical region of the virus that is universally conserved in all known species of Ebola. This new tool can be used as a drug target in the discovery of anti-Ebola agents that are effective against all known strains and likely future strains.
	Researchers identify 'Achilles heel' in metabolic pathway that could lead to new cancer treatment Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found an "Achilles heel" in a metabolic pathway crucial to stopping the growth of lung cancer cells.
It's time to fight sepsis like we fight heart attack, researchers say A decade ago, America's health care community took on heart attacks with gusto, harnessing the power of research and data to make sure that every patient got the best possible care.
Researchers find link between tobacco use and viral infection that causes oral cancers Johns Hopkins scientists have shown a strong association between tobacco use or exposure and infection with oral human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16), the sexually transmitted virus responsible for mouth and throat cancers worldwide. The numbers of such cancers have increased 225 percent in the United States over the past two decades.
E. coli outbreak at hospital associated with contaminated specialized GI endoscopes Despite no lapses in the disinfection process recommended by the manufacturer being identified, specialized gastrointestinal endoscopes called duodenoscopes had bacterial contamination associated with an outbreak of a highly resistant strain of E coli at a hospital in Illinois, according to a study in the October 8 JAMA, a theme issue on infectious disease.
Antimicrobial use in hospitals appears to be common A one-day prevalence survey of 183 hospitals found that approximately 50 percent of hospitalized patients included in the survey were receiving antimicrobial drugs, and that about half of these patients were receiving 2 or more antimicrobial drugs, according to a study in the October 8 JAMA, a theme issue on infectious disease. Most antimicrobial use was for infection treatment.
Sanofi probing alleged bribery in Africa, Middle East French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said Monday that it initiated a probe into alleged bribery by company officials in the Middle East and Africa to healthcare workers.
	US health providers expand their Ebola precautions Public hospitals in New York City are concerned enough about Ebola that they've secretly been sending actors with mock symptoms into emergency rooms to test how good the triage staff is at identifying and isolating possible cases.
EU demands explanation from Spain on Ebola case The EU said Tuesday it has asked Spain to explain how a nurse treating Ebola patients in Madrid contracted the deadly disease, the first known case of transmission outside Africa.
Spanish Ebola case 'should not have happened': experts The first home-grown European case of Ebola, in a Spanish nurse, was avoidable, virologists said Tuesday as the EU demanded answers from Madrid.
	Five things you should know about Ebola virus Last week, the first case of the Ebola virus was confirmed in the United States, a fact that has no doubt caused concern as the number of fatalities in West Africa continues to rise. In an effort to get a little more educated about the disease and its threat now that it's reached the U.S., DrexelNow looked to Esther Chernak, MD, an infectious disease physician and associate professor in the School of Public Health, to provide some insight.
Infectious-disease expert offers primer on Ebola virus Dr. Arthur Reingold, professor of epidemiology and associate dean for research at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, has worked for more than 30 years on prevention and control of infectious diseases at the national level and globally in developing countries. On Sept. 30, the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the United States was confirmed in a person who traveled to Dallas from West Africa. In light of this news, we talked to Reingold about what this might mean for the epidemic, and any possible risks to the UC Berkeley campus and others in the Bay Area.
Six die in dengue virus outbreak in southern China The dengue virus has killed six people and infected more than 23,000 in southern China's worst outbreak of the mosquito-transmitted disease in about two decades, officials said Tuesday.
What to know if breast cancer runs in your family Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in women. A woman's lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 12 percent (1 of every 8 women). Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have this disease.
	Spain quarantines 3 more after nurse gets Ebola Three more people were placed under quarantine for Ebola at a Madrid hospital where a Spanish nurse became infected, authorities said Tuesday. More than 50 other possible contacts were being monitored.
Gastrostomy tube not advised for advanced dementia or other near end-of-life patients Based on current scientific literature, gastrostomy tube (G-tube) placement or other long-term enteral access devices should be withheld or withdrawn in patients with advanced dementia or other near end-of-life conditions, according to a special report published today in the OnlineFirst version of Nutrition in Clinical Practice (NCP), the official journal of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.).
Anguish and fear at Spain hospital where Ebola spread At Madrid's La Paz-Carlos III hospital, where a Spanish nurse became the first person to contract Ebola outside of Africa, anxious staff gathered in small groups on Tuesday to discuss their anger and dismay over the case.
	Why do women struggling with low sexual desire not seek treatment? Low sexual desire is common among both pre- and post-menopausal women. It can cause personal distress, harm relationships, and have a negative impact on body image and self confidence. Yet few women seek medical care for this condition, and the reasons are explored in a timely article in Journal of Women's Health.
Can physical therapy before hip or knee replacement surgery improve outcomes? Physical therapy after total hip (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) surgery is standard care for all patients. A new study, appearing in the October 1 issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS), also found that physical therapy before joint replacement surgery, or "prehabilitation," can diminish the need for postoperative care by nearly 30 percent, saving an average of $1,215 per patient in skilled nursing facility, home health agency or other postoperative care.
	Liquid detergent pods pose risk to children's eye health Liquid laundry and dishwasher detergent pods are an emerging source of chemical exposure in children. When squeezed or bitten into, these pods can burst and send detergent into the mouth, nose, and eyes. A new report published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) cautions that these products should be kept away from children because the bursting detergent pods can cause significant corneal injury.
Equation helps assess blood flow to flaps for breast reconstruction For women undergoing breast reconstruction using the advanced "DIEP" technique, a simple formula can reliably tell whether there will be sufficient blood flow to nourish the DIEP flap, reports a paper in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery—Global Open, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
US Coast Guard sector issues new Ebola protocol One U.S. Coast Guard sector says it will contact ships that have recently been to Ebola-affected countries to ask whether passengers have symptoms of the virus before they are allowed into port.
	Ebola in Spain raises questions about protection Three more people were under quarantine Tuesday for possible Ebola at a Madrid hospital after a Spanish nursing assistant became infected there, authorities said. More than 50 others were being monitored as experts pressed to figure out why Spain's anti-infection practices failed.
Three Ugandans in isolation after Ebola-like Marburg virus death Three Ugandans are being monitored in medical isolation for possibly contracting the Ebola-like Marburg virus, health officials said Tuesday, after a hospital worker died.
Sleeping in dentures doubles the risk of pneumonia in the elderly Poor oral health and hygiene are increasingly recognized as major risk factors for pneumonia among the elderly. To identify modifiable oral health-related risk factors, lead researcher Toshimitsu Iinuma, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Japan, and a team of researchers prospectively investigated associations between a constellation of oral health behaviors and incidences of pneumonia in the community-living of elders 85 years of age or older. This study, titled "Denture Wearing During Sleep Doubles the Risk of Pneumonia in Very Elderly," has been published by the International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR in the OnlineFirst portion of the Journal of Dental Research (JDR).
	Ebola escapes Europe's defenses; pet dog must die Health officials in Spain rushed to contain the Ebola virus Tuesday after it escaped Europe's defenses, quarantining four people at a Madrid hospital where a nursing assistant got infected and even getting a court order to kill the woman's dog.
Physician addresses stigma against patients and providers with disabilities Nearly 20 percent of Americans have a disability, yet only 25 percent of medical schools include in their curricula caring for people with disabilities. Numerous reports have documented that people with disabilities have poorer health and receive inferior care.
Hospital: Dallas Ebola patient critical but stable Hospital officials say the man being treated for Ebola in Dallas is showing improved liver function, though he remains in critical condition.

Biology news

	Biodiversity is more than just a numbers game A new look at one of ecology's unsolved puzzles—why biodiversity is higher in the tropics compared with colder regions—revealed that while this long-recognized pattern holds true for the sheer number of species, it does not for how different species make a living.
	Study reveals messenger molecules in cell walls can double as hormones Researchers have discovered that some common messenger molecules in human cells double as hormones when bound to a protein that interacts with DNA. The finding could bring to light a class of previously unknown hormones and lead to new ways to target diseases – including cancers and a host of hormone-related disorders.
	Study shows manure from cows not given antibiotics still causes increase in resistant bacteria in soil (Phys.org) —A team of researchers working out of Yale University has found that soil treated with cow manure from cows that never received antibiotics, still had more resistant bacteria in it than soil treated with nonorganic fertilizer. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study and offers some theories regarding their results.
	Live and let-7: MicroRNA plays surprising role in cell survival Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a microRNA molecule as a surprisingly crucial player in managing cell survival and growth. The findings, published in the October 7 issue of Cell Metabolism, underscore the emerging recognition that non-coding RNAs – small molecules that are not translated into working proteins – help regulate basic cellular processes and may be key to developing new drugs and therapies.
	Back off: Female chimps stressed out by competing suitors Being the center of attention can have its drawbacks. For female chimpanzees, being around too many rowdy males is disadvantageous when foraging for food, an effect that can ultimately interfere with her reproductive ability. These are some of the findings of an 11-year-long study of wild East African chimpanzees in Uganda, led by Melissa Emery Thompson of the University of New Mexico in the US. It is published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
	How female fruit flies know when to say 'yes' A fundamental question in neurobiology is how animals, including humans, make decisions. A new study publishing in the open access journal PLOS Biology on October 7 reveals how fruit fly females make a very important decision: to either accept or reject male courtship. This decision appears to be generated by a very small number of excitatory neurons that use acetylcholine as their neurotransmitter located in three brain regions. This study provides the framework to understand how decisions are generated and suggests that a decision is reached because that option is literally the most exciting.
	Around the world in 400,000 years: The journey of the red fox Imagine attempting to trace your genetic history using only information from your mother's side. That's what scientists studying the evolution of the red fox had been doing for decades.
	Researchers pump up oil accumulation in plant leaves Increasing the oil content of plant biomass could help fulfill the nation's increasing demand for renewable energy feedstocks. But many of the details of how plant leaves make and break down oils have remained a mystery. Now a series of detailed genetic studies conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and published in The Plant Cell reveals previously unknown biochemical details about those metabolic pathways-including new ways to increase the accumulation of oil in leaves, an abundant source of biomass for fuel production.
	Closing the gap: Extreme desert gecko spotted on salt-flats in central Oman The Gulf Sand gecko is a remarkable desert reptile in that it is the only lizard found habitually on sabkha substrate across large parts of the eastern Arabian Peninsula. These arid salt flats constitute one of the harshest habitats on earth, due to their extraordinary salinity.
	The unexamined diversity in the 'Coral Triangle' Research on zoantharians, a group of animals related to corals and anemones, by researchers James Reimer of the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, Angelo Poliseno of Universita Politecnica delle Marche in Italy, and Bert Hoeksema from Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands, has demonstrated how little we know about marine diversity in the so-called "center of marine biodiversity" located in the central Indo-Pacific Ocean. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
	Bio researchers receive patent to fight superbugs Superbugs, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, have been on the rise since antibiotics were first introduced 80 years ago. That's because these germ-fighting agents have lost their punch from being overprescribed and misused, allowing bacteria pathogens to develop immunities against them.
	Interpol announces special team to combat illegal ivory trafficking International police organisation Interpol announced Tuesday it would establish a team to target ivory trafficking and more generally, environmental crime, in Africa.

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