Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Oct 15

COMSOL Blog: Improving the Beer Brewing Process With Simulation

In this latest blog post from COMSOL they explain how simulation can be used to improve the beer brewing process. Read more: http://goo.gl/sDWikn

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 15, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Voice search: Google has numbers on who, why, where
- Researchers find LEDs attract more flying invertebrates than conventional lighting
- Australian water bird found to migrate long distance when the weather dictates
- Elephants may be able to hear rain generated sound up to 150 miles away
- Researchers look to exploit females' natural resistance to infection
- How malaria is shaping the human genome
- Man with Google Glass had 'Internet addiction disorder'
- A brighter design emerges for low-cost, 'greener' LED light bulbs
- Dolphin 'breathalyzer' could help diagnose animal and ocean health
- Comet A1 Siding Spring vs Mars—views in space and time
- Unique capabilities of 3-D printing: Innovative manufacturing process holds unparalleled potential for engineering
- Researchers develop world's thinnest electric generator
- A global natural gas boom alone won't slow climate change
- Researchers boost the heart's natural ability to recover after heart attack
- Tuning light to kill deep cancer tumors

Astronomy & Space news

	Construction secrets of a galactic metropolis Galaxy clusters are the largest objects in the Universe held together by gravity but their formation is not well understood. The Spiderweb Galaxy (formally known as MRC 1138-262) and its surroundings have been studied for twenty years, using ESO and other telescopes, and is thought to be one of the best examples of a protocluster in the process of assembly, more than ten billion years ago.
	Comet A1 Siding Spring vs Mars—views in space and time Oh, to be a stranded astronaut on the surface of the planet Mars this week. There's a great scene from Andy Weir's recent novel The Martian where chief protagonist Mark Watney uses the swift moving moons of Phobos and Deimos to roughly gauge his direction while travelling across the expansive Martian desert.
Astronomers spot faraway Uranus-like planet Our view of other solar systems just got a little more familiar, with the discovery of a planet 25,000 light-years away that resembles our own Uranus.
	Milky Way ransacks nearby dwarf galaxies, stripping all traces of star-forming gas Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia, along with data from other large radio telescopes, have discovered that our nearest galactic neighbors, the dwarf spheroidal galaxies, are devoid of star-forming gas, and that our Milky Way Galaxy is to blame.
Getting to know super-earths: Astronomers conduct atmospheric study of a second super-Earth "If you have a coin and flip it just once, what does that tell you about the odds of heads versus tails?" asks Heather Knutson, assistant professor of planetary science at Caltech. "It tells you almost nothing. It's the same with planetary systems," she says.
	Image: Rosetta selfie 16 km from comet Using the CIVA camera on Rosetta's Philae lander, the spacecraft have snapped a 'selfie' at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from a distance of about 16 km from the surface of the comet. The image was taken on 7 October and captures the side of the Rosetta spacecraft and one of Rosetta's 14 m-long solar wings, with the comet in the background.
2nd spacewalk in 2 weeks at space station (AP)—Astronauts are spacewalking at the International Space Station for the second week in a row.
	A crash course in galactic clusters and star formation Clusters of galaxies have back-stories worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster: their existences are marked by violence, death and birth, arising after extragalactic pile-ups where groups of galaxies crashed into each other.
	Europe gives green light for comet landing site The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed Wednesday its choice of the site for a historic unmanned landing next month on a comet in deep space.

Technology news

	Voice search: Google has numbers on who, why, where American teens are more likely to use voice search on their smartphones than are adults. About 55 percent of the 18-and-under crowd use Cortana, Google Voice Search or Siri more than once a day. While the majority of U.S. teens (55 percent) use hands-free search every day, the number goes up to 75 percent among teens who are heavy users of smartphones (using it 11-plus hours per day). Adults are, well, behind the teens but adults are certainly using voice search, with 41 percent talking to their phones every day.
	Researchers find LEDs attract more flying invertebrates than conventional lighting A pair of researchers with the New Zealand research institute Scion, has found that flying invertebrates are more attracted to LED lights than to conventional outdoor lighting. In their paper published in the journal, Ecological Applications, Stephen Pawson and Martin Bader describe a simple study they carried out to see how attractive lighting was to flying bugs and what they found in doing so.
	Japan toymaker unveils tiny talking, singing humanoid Japanese toymaker Tomy on Wednesday unveiled a multi-talented humanoid robot, named "Robi jr.," which can converse using some 1,000 phrases and belt out about 50 songs, as well as move its limbs and head.
A brighter design emerges for low-cost, 'greener' LED light bulbs The phase-out of traditional incandescent bulbs in the U.S. and elsewhere, as well as a growing interest in energy efficiency, has given LED lighting a sales boost. However, that trend could be short-lived as key materials known as rare earth elements become more expensive. Scientists have now designed new materials for making household LED bulbs without using these ingredients. They report their development in ACS' Journal of the American Chemical Society.
	Man with Google Glass had 'Internet addiction disorder' A 31-year-old American was treated for addiction after wearing Google Glass for up to 18 hours a day and even experienced dreams as if looking through the device, doctors said.
	Unique capabilities of 3-D printing: Innovative manufacturing process holds unparalleled potential for engineering Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated an additive manufacturing method to control the structure and properties of metal components with precision unmatched by conventional manufacturing processes.
	Google unveils 'Lollipop' Android system, new devices Google on Wednesday ramped up its mobile arsenal, upgrading its Nexus line with a new tablet and smartphone, and unveiling its revamped Android software, to be dubbed "Lollipop."
	Air Umbrella R&D evolves as shield from pelting rain A Chinese R&D team have invented an Air Umbrella which can blast water away from the umbrella's owner. They explain how their invention deflects rain: "Air is everywhere on the earth. The flowing air can change the moving path of the object. The faster the air moves, the greater the energy is. The jet airflow can isolate some objects. So when we make use of the airflow, we can protect ourselves from the rain drops. Then the airflow forms an umbrella without a visible cover."
New iPads aim to boost Apple in premium tablet market With the global tablet computer market showing signs of cooling, Apple's expected unveiling of its new iPads Thursday looks to shore up its position at the high end.
Facebook challenging Google in online ad market For years, Google has been the undisputed leader in online advertising, but Facebook is gaining quickly in the fast-evolving market.
	Designing tomorrow's air traffic control systems On a good day, flying can be a comfortable and efficient way to travel. But all too often, weather or overcbooking can cause delays that ripple through the system, inducing missed flights, anxiety, discomfort and lots of lost time and money.
China's Alipay offers mobile wallet for US sites (AP)—China's half billion online shoppers will soon have an easier way to shop in the U.S.
	When companies in the same industry have common owners, consumers pay If you owned two companies in the same industry, would you make them compete? Probably not, knowing the firms make higher profits if they don't.
Prospects of ending corporate corruption 'bleak' Legislation designed to help law enforcement agencies respond to economic crimes such as corporate corruption and bribery is facing significant obstacles to enforcement – and the situation is unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future.
	Robot project envisions factories where more people want to work Rather than taking jobs, robots will one day soon join people on the factory floor, as co-workers and collaborators. That's the vision of a EUR 6.5 million project led by Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Researchers' new way of syncing music to video will revolutionise the production of TV ads A university of Huddersfield researcher has shown that tiny tweaks to the soundtrack can make TV adverts much more memorable, increasing their commercial impact.
	Tablet sales show fresh signs of cooling: survey The market for tablet computers is cooling off rapidly as consumers take another look at newer PCs and turn to large-screen smartphones, a market tracker said Wednesday.
Tech review: Fitness watches help you keep tabs on your vital statistics I'm old enough to have seen wristwatches fall out of favor, replaced by the cellphones in our pockets.
	Shire: AbbVie should proceed with $55B acquisition The drugmaker Shire wants AbbVie to stick with its roughly $55 billion acquisition bid, and it is reminding its U.S. counterpart of the hefty breakup fee it could receive if things don't work out.
Qualcomm buying CSR in $2.5 billion deal (AP)—Qualcomm is buying British chip maker CSR in a deal worth approximately $2.5 billion as it pushes aggressively into technology that connects devices over the Internet.
	Graduate inventor captures the imagination with interactive typewriter An antique typewriter has been transformed for the digital generation, using sensors and circuit boards to turn it into an interactive social tool.
China blocks BBC website amid Hong Kong protests The BBC's website was blocked in China Wednesday, hours after a video of Hong Kong police beating and kicking a pro-democracy protester began circulating online.
	UK judge: No payout to cleared hacking defendant (AP)—The judge in Britain's phone hacking trial said Wednesday that acquitted defendant Charles Brooks shouldn't be reimbursed for his legal costs because even though he was innocent, his behavior was "incredibly stupid" and suspicious.
HBO unleashes streaming from cable contracts (AP)—No cable? No problem. Viewers longing to watch "Game of Thrones", "True Detective" and "Veep" will no longer have to pay big bucks for cable and satellite contracts. Next year HBO is cutting the cord and selling its popular streaming video service HBO Go as a stand-alone product, as more Americans choose to watch the Web, not the TV.
US Supreme Court weighs generic drug dispute (AP)—The US Supreme Court seems divided as it considers a high-stakes patent dispute between rival pharmaceutical companies over the world's best-selling multiple sclerosis treatment.

Medicine & Health news

	Brain's compass relies on geometric relationships, say researchers (w/ Video) The brain has a complex system for keeping track of which direction you are facing as you move about; remembering how to get from one place to another would otherwise be impossible. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have now shown how the brain anchors this mental compass.
Possible breast cancer 'achilles heel' discovered A leading team of Newcastle University scientists have found that 'turning off' two proteins reduces the ability of breast cancer cells to survive and grow.
	How malaria is shaping the human genome For millennia, malaria has been a major killer of children in Africa and other parts of the world. In doing so, it has been a major force of evolutionary selection on the human genome.
	Effects of high-risk Parkinson's mutation are reversible Mutations in a gene called LRRK2 carry a well-established risk for Parkinson's disease, however the basis for this link is unclear.
Researchers look to exploit females' natural resistance to infection Researchers have linked increased resistance to bacterial pneumonia in female mice to an enzyme activated by the female sex hormone estrogen.
	Researchers boost the heart's natural ability to recover after heart attack Researchers from the UNC School of Medicine have discovered that cells called fibroblasts, which normally give rise to scar tissue after a heart attack, can be turned into endothelial cells, which generate blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients to the injured regions of the heart, thus greatly reducing the damage done following heart attack.
Many older adults still homebound after 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake A new study, published online in the journal Age and Ageing today, shows that the homebound status of adults over the age of 65 in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake is still a serious public health concern. Of 2,327 older adults surveyed, approximately 20% were found to be homebound.
Two-faced gene: SIRT6 prevents some cancers but promotes sun-induced skin cancer A new study published in Cancer Research shows SIRT6—a protein known to inhibit the growth of liver and colon cancers—can promote the development of skin cancers by turning on an enzyme that increases inflammation, proliferation and survival of sun-damaged skin cells.
Prostate cancer's penchant for copper may be a fatal flaw Like discriminating thieves, prostate cancer tumors scavenge and hoard copper that is an essential element in the body. But such avarice may be a fatal weakness.
First report of long-term safety of human embryonic stem cells to treat human disease New research published in The Lancet provides the first evidence of the medium-term to long-term safety and tolerability of transplanting human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in humans.
	How a memory boost from exercising could pass on to your baby We all know that exercise is good for our bodies, but current research is revealing that it is also good for our brains. Exercise has been shown to boost executive functions such as planning, working memory and multi-tasking.
	As Ebola kills some, it may be quietly immunizing others As Ebola continues to spread in West Africa, it may be silently immunizing large numbers of people who never fall ill or infect others, yet become protected from future infection. If such immunity is confirmed, it would have significant ramifications on projections of how widespread the disease will be and could help determine strategies that health workers use to contain the disease, according to a letter published Tuesday in the Lancet medical journal.
Oh brother! Having a sibling makes boys selfless A new study brings good news to all the brothers out there: Having a sibling is just as good for you as it is for your sister.
	New miniature device monitors heart failure patients remotely Congestive heart failure. Hypertension. Peripheral neuropathy. Sciatica.
	Lagos tries to tackle noise pollution Nigeria's chaotic megacity Lagos on Wednesday sought to impose a one-day ban on the use of the car horn, hoping to raise awareness about damaging noise pollution and improve quality of life.
	A tool enhances social inclusion for people with autism The University of Alicante has developed, together with centres in the UK, Spain and Bulgaria, a tool designed to assist people with autism spectrum disorders by adapting written documents into a format that is easier for them to read and understand. This is the main result of the three-year project FIRST (A Flexible Interactive Reading Support Tool), funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme.
Low-risk prostate cancer patients will benefit from active surveillance guidelines New guidelines for active surveillance of prostate cancer will improve health outcomes for those with low grade diagnoses, according to two University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) experts who had input in to the international recommendations.
World first effort to prevent dementia in high-risk people Dementia will soon engulf more than 100 million people across the globe, but an international research group is leading a world-first effort to prevent dementia in people who are at high risk of this insidious disease.
	Study to evaluate timing of pushing on C-section rates, birth complications More than 3 million pregnant women give birth annually in the United States. But physicians still know little about the best ways to manage the crucial second stage of labor, the stage that is the hardest physically on mothers and their babies.
	Study monitors effects of IV fluid on dog circulation during surgery (w/ Video) Almost anyone who has spent time in a hospital is familiar with the routine checks of blood pressure and oxygen levels that serve as signposts of a patient's overall health.
Gene variants implicated in ADHD identify attention and language Are deficits in attention limited to those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or is there a spectrum of attention function in the general population? The answer to this question has implications for psychiatric diagnoses and perhaps for society, broadly.
	The new challenges of parenting In 1964, when the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development (then known as Child Study) became part of Tufts, a family was generally understood to consist of two parents, one of whom was employed, plus two or three children. This cozy group kept its private life under wraps, presenting itself as happy no matter what. The authority that parents wielded over the children was unquestioned. And there were clear boundaries between the workplace, the home and the school.
Poll shows parents need to be more direct and specific with teens about sexuality and relationships October marks Let's Talk Month, aimed at getting families talking about sexuality and relationships, and this year the Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health (CLAFH) at New York University's Silver School of Social Work, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America are emphasizing how important it is for parents to go beyond "the talk" and have ongoing conversations throughout their children's lives.
	Dopamine cell therapy for Parkinson's shows promise Just one shot of dopamine cells derived from stem cells could be enough to reverse many of the features of Parkinson's disease for decades – and the barriers to developing such a treatment are finally being overcome.
Video: Girl bounces back with management of severe food allergies When Brynn was a baby, her parents noticed she was fussy and would vomit after eating. Several area hospitals couldn't help Brynn and her multiple adverse reactions to different foods.
Processing of oat dietary fibre for improved functionality as a food ingredient A dry fractionation process was developed based on defatted oats. Lipid removal by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction enabled concentration of the main components of oats: starch, protein, lipids and cell walls into specific fractions. A defatted oat bran concentrate (OBC) with 34% beta-glucan was obtained after two grinding and air classification steps. Ultra-fine grinding was needed to further dissociate the macronutrients of oat bran particles. Electrostatic separation was used to separate particles rich in beta-glucan and starch from those rich in arabinoxylan. The betaglucan from defatted OBC was enriched from 34 to 48% after two steps of electrostatic separation. The 48% beta-glucan fraction was further enriched by a combination of jet-milling and air classification, yielding a fraction with up to 56% betaglucan.
Better integration of health services could help patients with visual impairments People with visual impairment are more likely to suffer from multiple health conditions than those without sight problems, a new study has found.
Scientists 'must not become complacent' when assessing pandemic threat from flu viruses As our ability to assess the pandemic risk from strains of influenza virus increases with the latest scientific developments, we must not allow ourselves to become complacent that the most substantial threats have been identified, argue an international consortium of scientists.
French growers up in arms over EU's pending label requirements for lavender Next year, the European Commission is set to release guidelines for warning labels on products made with lavender oil, which reportedly can cause allergic reactions for some people. But lavender growers in France are putting up a fight, and some are even threatening to quit the business altogether if the rules go into effect, according to an article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society.
Pattern recognition receptors may be potent new drug targets for immune-mediated diseases Chronic inflammation caused by activation of the human immune system contributes to a large and rapidly growing list of diseases including some cancers, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and autoimmune diseases. Significant advances in understanding the role that the cytokine-mediated JAK/STAT signaling network and pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) play in regulating immune responses and their potential as novel targets for developing potent new therapies are presented in a Review article in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR).
Bullies in the workplace: Researcher examines the struggles for victims to tell their story The stories are shocking and heartbreaking, but they are often disjointed and hard to follow. In severe cases, the narratives are even more chaotic. This is reality for victims of workplace bullying and a major reason why they stay silent, said Stacy Tye-Williams, an assistant professor of communications studies and English at Iowa State University.
Ultrasound revealing secrets of deadly abdominal aortic aneurysms Researchers are exploring the usefulness of ultrasound imaging to study dangerous abdominal aortic aneurysms, a bulging of the aorta that is usually fatal when it ruptures and for which there is no effective medical treatment.
Eating breakfast increases brain chemical involved in regulating food intake and cravings According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many teens skip breakfast, which increases their likelihood of overeating and eventual weight gain. Statistics show that the number of adolescents struggling with obesity, which elevates the risk for chronic health problems, has quadrupled in the past three decades. Now, MU researchers have found that eating breakfast, particularly meals rich in protein, increases young adults' levels of a brain chemical associated with feelings of reward, which may reduce food cravings and overeating later in the day. Understanding the brain chemical and its role in food cravings could lead to improvements in obesity prevention and treatment.
$18 billion tobacco toll in California: More deaths than from AIDS, Alzheimer's or diabetes Smoking took an $18.1 billion toll in California – $487 for each resident – and was responsible for more than one in seven deaths in the state, more than from AIDS, influenza, diabetes or many other causes, according to the first comprehensive analysis in more than a decade on the financial and health impacts of tobacco.
Discovery of a new mechanism that can lead to blindness An important scientific breakthrough by a team of IRCM researchers led by Michel Cayouette, PhD, is being published today by The Journal of Neuroscience. The Montréal scientists discovered that a protein found in the retina plays an essential role in the function and survival of light-sensing cells that are required for vision. These findings could have a significant impact on our understanding of retinal degenerative diseases that cause blindness.
Poor quality data is informing the future of our patient care, warns study An investigation into how patient outcomes are assessed in clinical trials has revealed a worrying lack of consistency, raising concerns about funding being wasted on the acquisition of poor quality data.
Risking your life without a second thought People who risk their lives to save strangers may do so without deliberation, according to an analysis of statements from more than 50 recognized civilian heroes, conducted by David Rand from Yale University and colleagues published October 15, 2014 in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
Change your walking style, change your mood Our mood can affect how we walk—slump-shouldered if we're sad, bouncing along if we're happy. Now researchers have shown it works the other way too—making people imitate a happy or sad way of walking actually affects their mood.
	Blinded by science: Trivial scientific information can increase our sense of trust in products Do you believe in science? Your faith in science may actually make you more likely to trust information that appears scientific but really doesn't tell you much. According to a new Cornell Food and Brand Lab study, published in Public Understanding of Science, trivial elements such as graphs or formulas can lead consumers to believe products are more effective. "Anything that looks scientific can make information you read a lot more convincing," says the study's lead author Aner Tal, PhD, "The scientific halo of graphs, formulas, and other trivial elements that look scientific may lead to misplaced belief."
	Brain surgery through the cheek: A new way to treat severe epilepsy For those most severely affected, treating epilepsy means drilling through the skull deep into the brain to destroy the small area where the seizures originate – invasive, dangerous and with a long recovery period.
Why me? Many women living in poverty blame children, love life Having had children – particularly early in life – and a dysfunctional romantic relationship are the two most frequently cited reasons when low-income mothers are asked about why they find themselves in poverty. So say American researchers Kristin Mickelson of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Arizona State University, and Emily Hazlett of Kent State University and the Northeast Ohio Medical University, in a new article published in Springer's journal Sex Roles. The researchers believe that how a woman answers the question of "why me?" when thinking about her own impoverished state influences her mental health. Such answers can also provide clues to whether the woman believes she will ever rise out of poverty.
Uncontrolled hypertension highest among patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, are more prevalent among patients with psoriasis compared to those patients without. Previous studies suggest that psoriasis, especially when it is more severe, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke and death.
Fewer depressive symptoms associated with more frequent activity in adults at most ages Physical activity can reduce the risk of death, stroke and some cancers, and some studies suggest activity can also lower the risk for depressive symptoms. But the evidence on activity and depression has limitations.
Weight gain study suggests polyunsaturated oil healthier option Short-term modest weight gains in healthy, normal weight young adults was associated with more bad cholesterol levels in those who ate muffins cooked using saturated oil. However, individuals in the same study who ate muffins made with polyunsaturated oils had improved blood cholesterol profiles, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Personalized cellular therapy achieves complete remission in 90 percent of acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients studied Ninety percent of children and adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who had relapsed multiple times or failed to respond to standard therapies went into remission after receiving an investigational personalized cellular therapy, CTL019, developed at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results are published this week in The New England Journal of Medicine.
'The FDA, e-cigarettes, and the demise of combusted tobacco' The popularity of E-cigarettes could lead to the "demise" of cigarette smoking and save thousands of lives, but not until they are proven safe and are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That's the message from two Georgetown University Medical Center researchers in a perspective piece published Oct. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Study identifies risk factors for sexual assault, including age and alcohol consumption Risk factors for sexual assault, including young age and alcohol consumption, must be addressed when considering preventative strategies, suggests a new study, published today (15 October) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG).
Psychiatrist appointments hard to get, even for insured, study finds Obtaining access to private outpatient psychiatric care in the Boston, Chicago and Houston metropolitan areas is difficult, even for those with private insurance or those willing to pay out of pocket, a new study by Harvard researchers shows.
	How are nurses becoming infected with Ebola? American nurse Nina Pham is the second health worker to contract Ebola outside of West Africa while caring for patients with the virus, despite using personal protective equipment. Authorities were quick to attribute lapses in protocol for Pham's and Madrid nurse Teresa Romero Ramos' infection. But inadequate guidelines for personal protective equipment (PPE) may equally be to blame.
Hospitals at risk of no-show health care workers during Ebola outbreak Hospitals and other health care agencies are at risk of doctors, nurses, janitors and other essential workers walking off the job during an infectious disease outbreak, says a University of Illinois expert in labor relations.
'Blood in pee' campaign set to tackle bladder and kidney cancers Today sees the launch of an NHS awareness campaign, backed by Premier League football clubs, to tackle bladder and kidney cancers.
Study identifies a method for optical detection and laser-based photo destruction of ovarian cancer cells Research conducted by Baharak Bahmani, PhD, Yadir Guerrero, BS, Danielle Bacon, Vikas Kundra, MD, PhD, Valentine I. Vullev, PhD, and Bahman Anvari, PhD was selected as Editor's Choice for the September 2014 issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM).
Urban dwellers more likely to be admitted to care A new study has shown that older people living in towns and cities in Northern Ireland are a quarter more likely to be admitted to care homes than people living in rural areas.
Study shows anesthesia-related deaths decline; improvement needed to reduce injuries October 15, 2014—Although recent trends show a decline in anesthesia-related deaths, a study published today by the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management concludes that risks are evolving and both physicians and patients can take steps to reduce injuries.
Food labels can reduce livestock environmental impacts With global food demand expected to outpace the availability of water by the year 2050, consumers can make a big difference in reducing the water used in livestock production.
Subsidies help breast cancer patients adhere to hormone therapy A federal prescription-subsidy program for low-income women on Medicare significantly improved their adherence to hormone therapy to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer after surgery.
Drexel study questions 21-day quarantine period for Ebola As medical personnel and public health officials are responding to the first reported cases of Ebola Virus in the United States, many of the safety and treatment procedures for treating the virus and preventing its spread are being reexamined. One of the tenets for minimizing the risk of spreading the disease has been a 21-day quarantine period for individuals who might have been exposed to the virus. But a new study by Charles Haas, PhD, a professor in Drexel's College of Engineering, suggests that 21 days might not be enough to completely prevent spread of the virus.
Treating sleep apnea in cardiac patients reduces hospital readmission A study of hospitalized cardiac patients is the first to show that effective treatment with positive airway pressure therapy reduces 30-day hospital readmission rates and emergency department visits in patients with both heart disease and sleep apnea. The results underscore the importance of the "Stop the Snore" campaign of the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project, a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Research Society and other partners.
	Study models ways to cut Mexico's HIV rates To address the HIV epidemic in Mexico is to address it among men who have sex with men (MSM), because they account for a large percentage of the country's new infections, says Omar Galárraga, assistant professor of health services policy and practice in the Brown University School of Public Health.
Transforming safety net practices into patient-centered medical homes A recently concluded demonstration project made meaningful progress toward introducing a "patient-centered medical home" approach at "safety net" practices serving vulnerable and underserved populations. Lessons learned in the course of developing and implementing the Safety Net Medical Home Initiative (SNMHI) are featured in a special November supplement to Medical Care.
EU suggests informing travellers about Ebola at airports The EU suggested Wednesday that member states give medical information at airports to travellers from Ebola-hit west African countries but stopped short of recommending full continent-wide screening.
Airline stocks tumble on fresh Ebola fears (AP)—News that a health worker diagnosed with Ebola flew on a commercial flight the night before showing symptoms raised fears on Wall Street that the scare over the virus could reduce air travel.
	Parenthood may push cancer patients to seek more treatment (HealthDay)—Being a parent makes cancer patients more likely to seek life-extending treatments, a new study says.
Post-tonsillectomy complications more likely in kids from lower-income families Removing a child's tonsils is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States, with approximately 500,000 children undergoing the procedure each year. New research finds that children from lower-income families are more likely to have complications following the surgery.
Researchers find removal of entire lobe of lung offers increased survival benefit compared to partial resection Removal of the entire lobe of lung may offer patients with early-stage lung cancer better overall survival when compared with a partial resection, and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) may offer the same survival benefit as a lobectomy for some patients, according to a study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Giving physicians immunity from malpractice claims does not reduce 'defensive medicine' Changing laws to make it more difficult to sue physicians for medical malpractice may not reduce the amount of "defensive medicine" practiced by physicians, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
New research center to focus on family caregivers of elderly, disabled The University of Illinois at Chicago has received a five-year, $4.3 million grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Administration for Community Living to establish a new, multi-institutional center to study the needs of families caring for people with disabilities. More than 65 million family caregivers in the U.S help 12 million seniors and people with disabilities to live at home. While family caregivers save the federal government billions each year in long-term care services, "these caregivers aren't getting much support in return," said principal investigator Sandy Magaña, professor of disability and human development at UIC. Family caregivers themselves often suffer health and stress-related problems, too, she said, due to the demands of providing care at home.
How closely do urologists adhere to AUA guidelines? Evidence-based guidelines play an increasing role in setting standards for medical practice and quality but are seldom systematically evaluated in the practice setting. Investigators evaluated the rate of physician adherence to the American Urological Association's (AUA) guidelines on the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS) to establish a benchmark for future research. Their findings are published in The Journal of Urology.

Biology news

	Elephants may be able to hear rain generated sound up to 150 miles away A team of researchers working in Nambia has found that elephants are able to detect rain storms from distances as far away as 150 miles. In their paper published in the journal PLOS ONE, the researchers describe how they tracked both elephants and rain over the course of several years and found the elephants were clearly able to detect rain events from great distances and move towards them.
	Australian water bird found to migrate long distance when the weather dictates Researchers with Deakin University in Australia have conducted a study of the native Australian water bird banded stilt and have found it has truly unique migration behavior. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the team describes how they attached satellite transmitters to several specimens and what they learned by tracking the birds for over a year.
	What goes up must come down Found in warm regions of the world, geckos are extremely capable of climbing up steep, smooth surfaces. To do so, they employ an adhesive system – a key evolutionary innovation that facilitates climbing vertically, and even in inverted positions. On the underside of their toes are "setae," millions of very fine hair-like structures, which provide increased surface area and close contact between the foot and the surface on which it rests.
	Collapsible wings help birds cope with turbulence Collapsible wings may be a bird's answer to turbulence according to an Oxford University study in which an eagle carried its own 'black box' flight recorder on its back.
	How the fruit fly could help us sniff out drugs and bombs A fly's sense of smell could be used in new technology to detect drugs and bombs, new University of Sussex research has found.
	Researchers use ancient gene to study virus biology Researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered that an ancient gene—ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which occurs in all cellular life—provides important biological insights into the characteristics of unknown viruses in the sea.
	Designer viruses could be the new antibiotics Bacterial infections remain a major threat to human and animal health. Worse still, the catalogue of useful antibiotics is shrinking as pathogens build up resistance to these drugs. There are few promising new drugs in the pipeline, but they may not prove to be enough. Multi-resistant organisms – also called "superbugs" – are on the rise and many predict a gloomy future if nothing is done to fight back.
	There's no such thing as reptiles any more – and here's why You have likely been to a zoo at some point and visited their reptile house. A building where the climate control dial is stuck on the "wet sauna" setting, and filled with maniacal children competing to be the first to press their ice cream covered face and hands on every available piece of clean glass.
	Genesis of the enzyme that divides the DNA double helix during cell replication The proteins that drive DNA replication—the force behind cellular growth and reproduction—are some of the most complex machines on Earth. The multistep replication process involves hundreds of atomic-scale moving parts that rapidly interact and transform. Mapping that dense molecular machinery is one of the most promising and challenging frontiers in medicine and biology.
	Chimpanzees have favorite 'tool set' for hunting staple food of army ants (w/ Video) West African chimpanzees will search far and wide to find Alchornea hirtella, a spindly shrub whose straight shoots provide the ideal tools to hunt aggressive army ants in an ingenious fashion, new research shows.
	Researchers find a strong correlation between Northern Hemisphere seabird diversity and environmental stressors Modern-day puffins and auks have long been recognized as environmental indicator species for ongoing faunal shifts, and fossil records now indicate that ancient relatives were similarly informative. Researchers have found that puffins and auks may have been at their most diverse and widespread levels during a relatively warm period of Earth's history. The results also explain how past extinctions have shaped the geographic distribution and population size of existing species.
	Study shows rock gobies use rapid color change camouflage to hide from predators Research from the University of Exeter has revealed that the rock goby (Gobius paganellus), an unassuming little fish commonly found in rock pools around Britain, southern Europe, and North Africa, is a master of camouflage and can rapidly change colour to conceal itself against its background.
	Extinct giant kangaroos may have been hop-less Now extinct giant kangaroos most likely could not hop and used a more rigid body posture to move their hindlimbs one at a time, according to a study published October 15, 2014 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Christine Janis from Brown University and colleagues.
	New study shows the importance of jellyfish falls to deep-sea ecosystem (w/ Video) This week, researchers from University of Hawai'i, Norway, and the UK have shown with innovative experiments that a rise in jellyfish blooms near the ocean's surface may lead to jellyfish falls that are rapidly consumed by voracious deep-sea scavengers. Previous anecdotal studies suggested that deep-sea animals might avoid dead jellyfish, causing dead jellyfish from blooms to accumulate and undergo slow degradation by microbes, depleting oxygen at the seafloor and depriving fish and invertebrate scavengers, including commercially exploited species, of food.
	Centuries-old 'Chinese' fishing tradition fades on Indian shores Tugging ropes and bellowing chants, five men hoist from the water a huge spidery frame gripping a web of fishing net—a centuries-old custom on the southern Indian coast.
	Study proves biodiversity buffers disease When a community is biodiverse with many different species, the risk of disease decreases, according to a new study that uses experiments to understand the mechanisms for this pattern, called the "dilution effect."
	Scientists track movements of desert waterbirds from space Deakin University scientists have gained fascinating new insights into the secret lives of a nomadic Australian waterbird whose ability to somehow know it has rained up to thousands of kilometres away has intrigued researchers for generations.
	Wind breaks and ground cover the key to beneficial wasps on farms Farms with windbreaks with significant areas of ground cover vegetation have been shown to attract wasps that are beneficial to agricultural pest control, according to a new study from the University of Melbourne.
	Tracking pesticide residues in citrus allows export Agricultural exports still represent a significant economic benefit for Mexican companies, but they can be affected by the presence of pests or substances harmful to the consumer.
	Genetic barcode denotes gangbuster spider diversity A molecular biologist says the Pilbara has 161 per cent more Mygalomorph spider species than previously thought, according to a new genetic analysis.
	A new mechanism affecting cell migration found Cell migration is important for development and physiology of multicellular organisms. During embryonic development individual cells and cell clusters can move over relatively long distances, and cell migration is also essential for wound healing and many immunological processes in adult animals. On the other hand, uncontrolled migration of malignant cells results in cancer invasion of metastasis.
Light pollution contributing to fledgling 'fallout' Turning the street lights off decreased the number of grounded fledglings, according to a study published October 15, 2014 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Airam Rodríguez and colleagues from Phillip Island Nature Parks, in Victoria, Australia, and Estación Biológica de Doñana, in Spain.
	Could sleeper sharks be preying on protected Steller sea lions? Pacific sleeper sharks, a large, slow-moving species thought of as primarily a scavenger or predator of fish, may be preying on something a bit larger – protected Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska.
Camargue flamingos starved in freezing conditions in 1985 and 2012 mass mortalities 1985 was one of the worst years in living memory for the flamingo population of the Camargue, France. Over a 15 day period in January, temperatures plummeted, the lagoons, ponds and salt pans where the birds feed froze and by the time the Arctic blast had loosened its grip, almost one third of the population was dead.
EPA approves new weed killer for engineered crops (AP)—The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a new version of a popular weed killer to be used on genetically modified corn and soybeans.

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