Science X Newsletter Monday, Sep 14

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 14, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Chameleon-inspired stretchable e-skin changes color when touched
- You're not irrational, you're just quantum probabilistic: Researchers explain human decision-making with physics theory
- Best of Last Week—Extending entanglement time, a Frankenvirus and slowing aging muscle degradation
- System learns to distinguish words' phonetic components, without human annotation of training data
- The Lords of the Rings among centaurs
- Was Darwinius a little longer in the tooth than previously thought?
- Physicists develop key component for terahertz wireless
- Improving memory with a flash of light
- New catalyst addresses engine efficiency, emissions quandary
- World's longest continental volcano chain in Australia
- First realization of an electric circuit with a magnetic insulator using spin waves
- Sierra Nevada snowpack lowest in 500 years
- Real X-ray vision: See-through brains ready for study
- Biodiesel made easier and cleaner with waste-recycling catalyst
- Low vitamin D level predicts cognitive decline in older population

Astronomy & Space news

	The Lords of the Rings among centaurs (Phys.org)—Chariklo, the largest known centaur object, orbiting in a region between Saturn and Uranus, is a very intriguing celestial body that surprised astronomers last year. This remote minor planet has unveiled the existence of its rings during a stellar occultation, when it passed in front of a star UCAC4 248-108672. Astronomer José Luis Ortiz from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia in Spain, who was a member of the team that made the discovery, assumes that the ring systems on other minor objects in the solar system could be more common than we think.
	Russian cosmonaut back after record 879 days in space Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka returned safely to Earth with two other astronauts from the International Space Station Saturday with the record for having spent the most time in space.
	Mars panorama from Curiosity shows petrified sand dunes Some of the dark sandstone in an area being explored by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows texture and inclined bedding structures characteristic of deposits that formed as sand dunes, then were cemented into rock.
	Astronomers peer into the 'amniotic sac' of a planet-hosting star Astronomers have successfully peered through the 'amniotic sac' of a star that is still forming to observe the innermost region of a burgeoning solar system for the first time.
	Shocks in a distant gamma-ray burst Gamma ray bursts (GRBs)—flashes of high-energy light occur about once a day, randomly, from around the sky—are the brightest events in the known universe. While a burst is underway, it is many millions of times brighter than an entire galaxy. Astronomers are anxious to decipher their nature not only because of their dramatic energetics, but also because their tremendous brightness enables them to be seen across cosmological distances and times, providing windows into the young universe.
	Supervising two rovers from space ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen is proving to be an expert space driver after commanding two rovers from space this week. As part of ESA's Meteron project, Andreas drove a second, car-sized rover from the International Space Station to repair a mockup lunar base in the Netherlands.
	Image: Hubble sees a galactic sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower. So the nickname for this cosmic object—the Sunflower Galaxy—is no coincidence.
	Record-breaking astronauts return to Earth – taking us one step closer to Mars Expedition 44 to the International Space Station has been successfully completed after three astronauts landed in Kazakhstan. The mission saw a cosmonaut clock up more days in space than any other human being, the launch of the most audacious twin study in the history of science, and astronauts eating lettuce grown in space for the first time.
	Rocky planets may be habitable depending on their 'air conditioning system' The quest for potentially habitable planets is often interpreted as the search for an Earth twin. And yet, some rocky planets outside our Solar System may in fact be more promising candidates for further research. Scientists from KU Leuven, Belgium, have run 165 climate simulations for exoplanets that permanently face their 'sun' with the same side. They discovered that two of the three possible climates are potentially habitable.
N. Korea hints at possible rocket launch North Korea hinted Monday at a possible satellite launch, fuelling speculation that it might attempt to fire a long-range rocket to coincide with a key political anniversary next month.
	Russia successfully launches satellite with Proton rocket Russia on Monday successfully launched a Proton rocket, carrying a Russian telecoms satellite, from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in the second successful launch since the disastrous loss of a Mexican satellite in May.
US astronaut misses fresh air halfway through year-long mission Halfway into a year in space—the longest ever attempted at the International Space Station—American astronaut Scott Kelly said Monday he misses fresh air but is adapting well.
Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' takes off in Toronto Matt Damon got to relive his childhood fantasies of being an astronaut in Ridley Scott's 3D space epic "The Martian," where he portrays a character left for dead on the Red Planet.
ESA video: Soyuz TMA-16M landing ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Soyuz spacecraft commander Gennady Padalka and Kazakh cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov landed 12 September at 00:51 GMT (02:51 CEST ) in the steppe of Kazakhstan, marking the end of their missions to the International Space Station.
	The moons of Saturn Saturn is well known for being a gas giant, and for its impressive ring system. But would it surprise you to know that this planet also has the second-most moons in the Solar System, second only to Jupiter? Yes, Saturn has at least 150 moons and moonlets in total, though only 53 of them have been given official names.
	What are asteroids made of? What are asteroids made of? Asteroids are made mostly of rock—with some composed of clay and silicate—and different metals, mostly nickel and iron. But other materials have been found in asteroids, as well.
	The gas (and ice) giant Neptune Neptune is the eight planet from our Sun, one of the four gas giants, and one of the four outer planets in our Solar System. Since the "demotion" of Pluto by the IAU to the status of a dwarf planet – and/or Plutoid and Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) – Neptune is now considered to be the farthest planet in our Solar System.
	A2100 satellite is now reprogrammable in-flight Saudi Arabia's newest communications satellite, the Lockheed Martin-built Hellas-Sat-4/SaudiGeoSat-1, will not only be one of the most powerful ever built, it will be among the most agile thanks to new flexible payload technology.

Technology news

	System learns to distinguish words' phonetic components, without human annotation of training data Every language has its own collection of phonemes, or the basic phonetic units from which spoken words are composed. Depending on how you count, English has somewhere between 35 and 45. Knowing a language's phonemes can make it much easier for automated systems to learn to interpret speech.
	Mobile phone data useful for more confident grip on city planning Seven scientists from MIT and Ericsson Research have authored a study, appearing on arXiv, "Visualizing signatures of human activity in cities across the globe." In doing so, they offer a special window on the world of urban change and efforts for planning ahead. As they put it, "Increasing dynamics of urban transformation in a rapidly developing world calls for adaptive urban planning."
	Drone policing in US seen as 'Wild West' Drones are increasingly making their mark in the arsenal of US police forces, operating in a legal gray area and sparking concerns of constant surveillance of civilians.
	Bike freedom driving experience beckons in Honda Project 2&4 Car marketers talk about the "driving experience" as much as they do about the car's ability to start, run and brake. When it comes to the so-called driver experience, nothing much beats the experience of a motorcycle, at least for those who like the experience of biking on the open roads.
	Xerox PARC chip shatters on command, shards all that remain Engineers at PARC, a Xerox company, have come up with a chip that will self-destruct on command; it was demonstrated at DARPA's Wait, What? event in St. Louis on Thursday.
	First system to create strong, solid glass structures from computerized designs The technology behind 3-D printing—which initially grew out of work at MIT—has exploded in recent years to encompass a wide variety of materials, including plastics and metals. Simultaneously, the cost of 3-D printers has fallen sufficiently to make them household consumer items.
	Now arriving: airport control towers with no humans inside Passengers landing at remote Ornskoldsvik Airport in northern Sweden might catch a glimpse of the control tower—likely unaware there is nobody inside.
	SteadXP offers quick and easy solution for video stabilization You're asked to watch a friend's video and your stomach goes weak, as in seasick weak. There are no disturbing scenes, just jerky movements from a camera trying to capture a person wheeling his bike up and down some rough terrain.
	'Mario', still super after 30 years Super Mario, the hyperactive little plumber who has become one of the best-known characters in video game history, celebrates his 30th birthday on Sunday and Japanese giant Nintendo is marking the event with the release of a creative new format.
	Robots take root on smaller dairy farms, upping production Robots have taken up residence at some small- and medium-sized dairy farms across the country, providing reliable and more efficient labor and helping the businesses remain viable. Plus, farmers say, the milking technology makes for happier, more productive cows.
New Steve Jobs film wins over "The Woz" Nearly four years after the death of Steve Jobs, the legacy of the iconic Apple co-founder continues to be debated in books and on film.
	What to look out for at the Frankfurt auto show New small cars for the mass market from Opel and Renault and powerful, expensive SUVs from Jaguar and Bentley for the upper crust are among the top offerings on display this week at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.
	Your face is part of Australia's 'national security weapon'—should you be concerned? Australian government plans to increase the use of facial recognition in its counter-terrorism strategy raise concerns about privacy and how the technology will be used in everyday policing.
	We built a robot butler (but don't throw out the ironing board just yet) The idea of a robotic servant is a lot older than you probably realise. It doesn't just go back to the 1960s cartoon series The Jetsons, whose Rosie the robot could prepare meals, clean the house, and solve unexpected troubles. As early as the 3rd century BC, the ancient Greek scientist Philo of Byzantium built an iconic human-like robot maid that could pour wine when a cup was placed in its hand.
	Toshiba posts $102 mn quarterly loss as sales drop Toshiba on Monday reported a first-quarter loss of $102 million after sales fell to a two-and-half-year low, in a fresh blow to the Japanese conglomerate after a huge accounting scandal.
Vista Equity affiliate buying Solera for $3.74B Solera is being acquired by an affiliate of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners for about $3.74 billion in cash.
	Fukushima dumps first batch of once-radioactive water in sea The operator of Japan's Fukushima on Monday began releasing previously radioactive groundwater from the crippled nuclear plant into the sea, saying a filtration process had made the discharge safe.
	How Amazon's Mechanical Turk is becoming a research tool This spring, Chris Callison-Burch, Ph.D., was in town to share an unusual approach to machine learning. This is one of the hottest topics in computer science: It is behind everything from Google's self-driving cars to Apple's Siri personal assistant.
	How solar tech can help California's drought In the midst of California's ongoing drought, researchers at the University of California Advanced Solar Technologies Institute (UC Solar) at UC Merced are turning to an unlikely ally to help solve the problem of water availability for California's farmlands: the sun.
	Meeting the data challenges of urban computing Many people living in the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong have a new habit: they check the air pollution index before venturing outside. Air quality has deteriorated rapidly in China, with nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter levels frequently exceeding safety guidelines set by the World Health Organization.
	Google names auto veteran to lead self-driving car push (Update) Google has hired auto industry veteran and former Hyundai U.S. CEO John Krafcik to run its self-driving car program.
	Apple says sales for latest iPhones may surpass other models (Update) Preorders for its latest iPhone have been so strong that Apple expects to surpass last year's record, when it sold 10 million phones during the first weekend.
	Wearable tech market bursting at the seams: survey The market for wearable tech, led by Apple Watch and a range of connected fitness gadgets, is exploding, a survey showed Monday.
	US seizes music-sharing website US authorities have seized the website of Sharebeast, said to be the largest illegal music-sharing operation based on the United States.
	It's time to stop thinking in terms of food versus fuel Whether you have taken a side or a backseat in the discussion, the "food versus fuel" debate affects us all. Some say growing more biofuel crops today will decrease greenhouse gas emissions, but will make it harder to produce food tomorrow, which has prevented the U.S. from maximizing the potential of environmentally beneficial biofuels.
	Russian authorities find Google guilty in antitrust probe Russia's antitrust authority said Monday it had found US Internet giant Google guilty of unfairly keeping rival services off mobile devices in a probe demanded by local search engine provider Yandex.
Schumer wants to keep drones way from airports, major events Drone manufacturers would be forced to implement technology to keep the unmanned crafts away from airports and possibly events like parades and major sporting contests under a proposal Sen. Charles Schumer plans to introduce this week.
	Nintendo names new president after sudden death of CEO Japanese videogame giant Nintendo said on Monday it has appointed Tatsumi Kimishima as its new president two months after its chief executive died from cancer.
How smart can the electricity grid be? Opportunities will open for European citizens with more and more renewables on the European electricity system.
Wearable technology for improving sports performance In cooperation with Finland's national swimming team and archery association, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed wearable technology for improving sports performance. Wearable sensors can be attached to, say, a swimmer's hand paddles or an archers' equipment. From there, data is wirelessly transferred to the coach's smartphone or tablet.
	Turbocharging drug development and production with less paperwork Pharmaceutical manufacturing is governed by strict guidelines that necessitate extensive documentation of all steps in the production process. A new Siemens solution for "paperless pharma production" significantly boosts efficiency – making it easier to introduce personalized cancer therapies, for example.
	Facebook pledges to combat racism on German platform Facebook pledged Monday to combat racist hate speech on its German-language network amid a spike in xenophobic comments online as Germany faces an unprecedented influx of refugees.
New York to be main testing ground for vehicle safety device The U.S. secretary of transportation says New York City will be the main testing ground for a smart device installed in vehicles to warn motorists of impending dangers and congestion.

Medicine & Health news

	Pedaling like a Tour de France winner is a losing strategy for most of us Pedalling like Chris Froome or Alberto Contador might seem appealing, but Oxford University researchers have found that for most of us it's likely to reduce rather than improve our performance.
	Mediterranean diet plus olive oil associated with reduced breast cancer risk Eating a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil was associated with a relatively lower risk of breast cancer in a study of women in Spain, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Low vitamin D level predicts cognitive decline in older population Older adults with deficiencies in vitamin D experience more rapid cognitive decline over time than those with adequate vitamin D levels.
	Real X-ray vision: See-through brains ready for study Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have developed a new technique for creating transparent tissue that can be used to illuminate 3D brain anatomy at very high resolutions. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the work showcases the new technology and its practical importance in clinical science by showing how it has given new insights into Alzheimer's disease plaques.
	10K genomes project explores contribution of rare variants to human disease and risk factors The largest population genome sequencing effort to date is published today in Nature. A series of papers describing resources and application of the data is published at the same time in Nature, Nature Genetics, Bioinformatics and Nature Communications.
Switched before birth: Study shows protein creates tumor-fighting cells Revealing a biological combat strategy worthy of a five-star general, researchers from Houston Methodist Hospital, University of Chicago and Cornell University have shown how a cell surface receptor—a specialized protein which communicates signals between a cell and the outside world—can mobilize immune cells to attack, rather than protect, malignant tumors.
	Molecule made by muscle shown for first time to build bone A recently identified molecule produced by skeletal muscle in response to exercise, has been shown to increase bone mass, according to a collaborative study between researchers at the Mount Sinai Bone Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine at University of Ancona in Italy, and the Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs at the University of Bari in Italy, and published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
	Drug prevents type 1 diabetes in mice, study finds The buildup of a substance in the pancreas during the pre-symptomatic stage of Type 1 diabetes is essential to the development of the disease, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have shown.
	New leukemia gene stops blood cells 'growing up' Scientists have identified a gene - FOXC1 - that, if switched on, causes more aggressive cancer in a fifth of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients, according to a Cancer Research UK study published in the journal Cancer Cell, today.
	US military develops prosthetic hand that can 'feel' Researchers fitted a man who has been paralyzed for more than a decade with an experimental prosthetic hand that lets him "feel" sensations, the US military's futuristic development department said.
	Tall and slim: They go together, genetic study shows University of Queensland scientists have found a genetic basis for height and body mass differences between European populations.
	Viruses flourish in guts of healthy babies Bacteria aren't the only nonhuman invaders to colonize the gut shortly after a baby's birth. Viruses also set up house there, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
	Scientists chart lost highway in the brain A study three years ago sparked a medical mystery when it revealed a part of the brain not found in any present-day anatomy textbooks.
Saudi bans hajj camel slaughter Saudi Arabia on Friday banned the slaughter of camels during this year's hajj pilgrimage, after a surge in deaths from the MERS virus linked to the animals.
	Study links marijuana use to poor blood sugar control in middle age New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) shows that current and former users of marijuana are more likely to have prediabetes—the state of poor blood sugar control that can progress to type 2 diabetes—than never users of marijuana. However the researchers, led by Mike Bancks (University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA) failed to establish a direct link between marijuana use and type 2 diabetes.
	Treatment protocol improves outcomes for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome A new protocol to treat babies born in withdrawal from drugs can be used widely to improve outcomes for these babies.
	Social factors may impact young leukemia patients' survival A new study reveals that insurance status, marital status, and county-level income may affect the chances of survival in young patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings indicate that efforts are needed to address the social factors that impact critical aspects of health in these patients.
Tricycle injuries send thousands of tykes to ERs each year Tricycles might seem pretty tame but they send thousands of kids to emergency rooms each year and are even linked to a handful of deaths, new research shows. Here are three things to know about tricycle risks:
Toxins in herbal medicines 'can harm our health' People who take unregulated complementary medicines are at a higher risk of being contaminated by heavy metals, a medical scientist has warned.
New guideline aims to reduce fractures in seniors in long-term care facilities A new guideline that aims to prevent fractures in residents of long-term care facilities is targeted at frail seniors and their families as well as health care workers. The guideline, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), was developed with input from residents of long-term care facilities and their families, as well as researchers and health care professionals.
Efforts to drive quality improvement inadvertently penalize hospitals serving vulnerable populations To encourage hospitals to improve quality of care, Medicare penalizes those with higher than expected rates of readmission within 30 days of discharge. The logic behind the penalties is that if patients receive high quality care, including proper discharge planning, they should be less likely to end up back in the hospital.
Racial disparities in pain children of children with appendicitis in EDs Black children were less likely to receive any pain medication for moderate pain and less likely to receive opioids for severe pain than white children in a study of racial disparities in the pain management of children with appendicitis in emergency departments, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
	Brain scans reveal that negative emotional responses can powerfully drive decisions to protect environmental resources Natural resources are under increasing threat from both human development and climate change, and environmental economists have struggled to understand how the public assigns value to remaining pristine wilderness areas. In a recent study, environmental scientists and psychologists teamed up to explore how people make environmental decisions. To do so, the researchers used fMRI brain scanning.
	Study seeks to make it easier for adults on the autism spectrum to use public transportation Public transportation for autistic adults is available throughout New Jersey, but do the residents who need it know about it and can they easily use it?
	Why Americans are so obsessed with pumpkin spice everything—according to science It was a humid, sticky 32°C when I made a quick trip to the grocery store in shorts and a tank top earlier this week. Despite the heat, however, the store clearly wanted me to think it was the fall season – and for us Americans, that means pumpkin spice.
	Helping babies with neuromuscular disorders crawl and explore the world Three years ago in Oklahoma a mother, playing with her 8-month-old twin daughters, placed a toy on the ground. One of the sisters pulled herself to the toy while the other focused on it and moved her arms and legs, but got nowhere.
	Plant extract from traditional Indian medicine may fight blood cancer A University of Kentucky study shows that withaferin A, a component of Withania somnifera (winter cherry) plant extract, may hold promise as a new treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
	How are cancer patients diagnosed? And could it be better? Around 330,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the UK every year, and each of them will have a different story to tell.
Public support for healthy food in schools Strong public support for the Government to take a lead on healthy food in schools and childcare services is revealed in a recent poll.
	Facebook's effect on how we feel about ourselves Women in their mid-30s to mid-40s are the most likely to feel dissatisfied with the way they look after using Facebook, a new University of Auckland study shows.
	Bilingual children lag behind in language learning early on, but catch up by age five Given the increasing number of non-English speaking families in the UK, concern has increased over the impact that growing up in a bilingual or non-English speaking home environment may have on children's performance and readiness for school. So are bilingual children at an educational disadvantage when starting school compared to their classmates who speak just one language?
	New drug approach could offer relief to patients, hospitals fighting antibiotic resistance Virginia Tech researchers have discovered a new group of antibiotics that may provide relief to some of the more than 2 million people in the United States affected by antibiotic resistance.
	Why walking to improve your health is not quite as straightforward as it seems The US Surgeon General last week issued another call to action to get his nation walking. Faced with the fact that 50% of the US adult population (a statistic replicated in other western countries) suffers from chronic disease or cancer, he has argued that any increase in activity is going to bring significant public health benefits. Walking represents one of the easiest and most effective ways of achieving this goal.
	Testosterone levels linked to higher autistic traits Local researchers say foetus' exposure to high levels of testosterone in utero might explain increased autistic-like traits, according to Baron-Cohen's Extreme Male Brain theory (EMB).
	Stem cells could help mend a broken heart, but they've got to mature Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the US. The most common type is coronary heart disease, which occurs when there's a buildup of plaque within the heart's blood vessels. Smoking, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure can all contribute. When there's a complete blockage – a heart attack – a large portion of the heart muscle dies. The heart responds by creating scar tissue, eventually leading to heart failure – the heart muscle just can't pump enough blood to the rest of the body.
Three new studies converge on promising new target for addiction treatment The latest issue of Biological Psychiatry presents the results of three studies implicating metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) as a new molecular target for the treatment of addiction.
Programs in the US and Taiwan result in reduced lifetime cardiovascular risk One in four middle-aged adults who survive to age 85 will develop heart failure, according to current estimates. Intervention programs to improve lifestyles are widely advocated, but do they actually work? Investigators in the U.S. and Taiwan independently examined programs that may reduce cardiovascular risk and concluded that both programs will reduce lifetime risk of heart failure. Results are reported in The American Journal of Medicine.
Protein NBS1 is crucial for macrophage functional activity Protein NBS1, which plays a key role in DNA damage repair, is required for macrophage functional activity. This is one of the conclusions of a scientific paper published in the journal Blood by a team of experts from the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona (UB), the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona). The protein also has implications for understanding the immune defects observed in patients with Nijmegen breakage syndrome and other related disorders.
Light-sensitive protein from a fungus expands the optogenetic toolkit Optogenetics is a quickly expanding field of research which has revolutionized neurobiological and cellbiological research around the world. It uses natural or tailored light-sensitive proteins in order to switch nerve cells on and off without electrodes with unprecedented accuracy in respect to time and location. The discovery of the light-gated ion channel channelrhodopsin in algae in 2002 was a key finding for this field. In 2005, Frankfurt scientists working with Prof. Alexander Gottschalk succeeded in transferring the protein to the translucent nematode C. elegans in order to control its movements with light. Together with the lab of Georg Nagel at the University of Würzburg, Gottschalk has now added another tool to the optogenetics toolbox: The protein 'CyclOp' from the aquatic fungus blastocladiella emersonii.
Nutritional deficiencies common before weight loss surgery Malnutrition is a known complication of weight loss surgery, but findings from a small study by researchers at Johns Hopkins show many obese people may be malnourished before they undergo the procedure.
Does social capital explain community-level differences in organ donor designation? A new study finds that the characteristics of one's community may be as important as individual factors on the decision to become an organ donor. The study, published in The Milbank Quarterly, shows an association between sociodemographic/social capital measures and organ donor registrations across 4,466 Massachusetts neighborhoods. In order to increase organ donation registrations, the research suggests that future health policies adopt a community-level focus.
	Blacks in all socioeconomic groups have poorer outcomes after heart attack Black patients and patients with low socioeconomic status have shorter life expectancies after a heart attack. However, the largest racial differences in life expectancy after a heart attack occur in patients with high socioeconomic status, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
	Take your PICC: New guide aims to decrease dangers from long-term IV devices More than a billion times a year, doctors and nurses insert tiny tubes into the veins of American hospital patients, so they can deliver lifesaving medicines, give fluids and nutrition, monitor key vital signs, and help patients with conditions ranging from cancer and pain to kidney failure and serious infections.
Heightened injury risk linked to shift length for emergency services clinicians Working shifts of 16 to 24 hours in length is linked to a 60% heightened risk of injury and illness among emergency services (EMS) clinicians, compared to shifts of 8-12 hours, finds research published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
	Smokers at higher risk of losing their teeth, research shows A new study has confirmed that regular smokers have a significantly increased risk of tooth loss.
	Drug resistance in cancer patients linked to oxygen-bearing molecules in body, study finds Increased levels of certain chemically reactive, oxygen-containing molecules in the body can cause patients to become resistant to cancer drugs such as chemotherapy, according to researchers at Georgia State University.
	Modulation of brain cholesterol: A new line of research in Alzheimer's disease treatment? We have known for some years that Alzheimer's disease is characterised by two types of lesions, amyloid plaques and degenerated tau protein. Cholesterol plays an important role in the physiopathology of this disease. Two French research teams (Inserm/CEA/University of Lille/University of Paris-Sud ) have just shown, in a rodent model, that overexpressing an enzyme that can eliminate excess cholesterol from the brain may have a beneficial action on the tau component of the disease, and completely correct it. This is the first time that a direct relationship has been shown between the tau component of Alzheimer's disease and cholesterol. This work is published in the 10 September 2015 issue of Human Molecular Genetics.
	Home pesticide use tied to child cancer risk (HealthDay)—Children exposed to insecticides at home may have a slightly increased risk of developing leukemia or lymphoma, a new review finds.
	Disaster aftereffects may linger for children (HealthDay)—Natural and man-made disasters can put children's health and development at risk for years to come, a new report from a leading group of pediatricians suggests.
	Gaining weight in adulthood linked to lower fecundity (HealthDay)—Body mass index (BMI) at age 18 years, weight change since age 18, and weight in adulthood correlate with fecundity, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Migraine frequency, intensity linked to cholesterol levels (HealthDay)—Migraine frequency and intensity seem to be positively associated with total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, according to a study published in the September issue of Pain Practice.
	For pharma reps, access to physicians continuing to drop (HealthDay)—Physician access for pharmaceutical representatives is continuing to decline, with access restricted to some degree for more than half of physicians, according to an AccessMonitor survey published by ZS.
	Leptin suppresses the rewarding effects of running (HealthDay)—Leptin appears to inhibit running reward via signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), according to an experimental study published online Sept. 1 in Cell Metabolism.
	New findings could shed light on cancer, aging Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University have found molecular evidence of how a biochemical process controls the lengths of protective chromosome tips, a potentially significant step in ultimately understanding cancer growth and aging.
	Larger and private colleges and universities more likely to attract hookah establishments Larger and private colleges and universities seem to attract hookah cafes and lounges, but smoke-free policies decrease these odds, according to findings published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine this month.
	Scientist rescuing vast amounts of vital knowledge on remarkably small budget A scientist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine is rescuing vast amounts of humanity's knowledge of the submicroscopic world from potential oblivion, making it more accessible than ever before and doing so on a budget many thought impossible. His work will ultimately benefit not just his fellow scientists but also private industry and the battle against human disease.
	Lung 'filtering' technique can reduce transplant rejection University of Manchester researchers have used a new technique to recondition poorly functioning lungs and remove donor white blood cells in an attempt to increase the number of lungs available for transplant, and at the same time reduce the risk of acute rejection.
New classification system developed for gout A panel of experts and researchers have developed a new classification system for gout, the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. This new system standardizes the classification of this condition using a variety of evidence-based criteria.
	Larger-sized portions, packages and tableware lead to higher consumption of food and drink A new review has produced the most conclusive evidence to date that people consume more food or non-alcoholic drinks when offered larger sized portions or when they use larger items of tableware. The research, carried out by the University of Cambridge and published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, suggests that eliminating larger-sized portions from the diet completely could reduce energy intake by up to 16% among UK adults or 29% among US adults.
Study uncovers anticonvulsant effects of valproic acid University of California, Irvine researchers with the School of Medicine have identified the mechanism by which valproic acid controls epileptic seizures, and by doing so, also revealed an underlying factor of seizures.
Solo grandparents raising grandchildren at greater risk than parents for serious health problems Single grandparents raising grandchildren are more vulnerable to poor physical and mental health than are single parents, according to a study recently published in Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research.
Act now to improve the health of women, children and adolescents worldwide, say experts Societies are failing women, children and adolescents, particularly in the poorest communities around the world, and urgent action is needed to save lives and improve health, say global health experts.
	Study examines role of vegetable food pairings in school plate waste A study led by a team of Texas A&M University System researchers found school meals paired with popular vegetables are less likely to wind up in garbage bins.
	Student targets MRSA after it costs father his leg MRSA is bad news. If you've never heard of it, here's what you need to know: It's pronounced MER-suh, it's a nasty bacterial infection and it can cause serious disease and death.
Microbiologists describe new insights into human neurodegenerative disease Microbiology researchers at the University of Georgia studying a soil bacterium have identified a potential mechanism for neurodegenerative diseases.
Whole genome-sequencing uncovers new genetic cause for osteoporosis Using extensive genetic data compiled by the UK10K project, an international team of researchers led by Dr. Brent Richards of the Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital has identified a genetic variant near the gene EN1 as having the strongest effect on bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture identified to date. The findings are published in the forthcoming issue of the prestigious journal Nature.
Loss of cellular energy leads to neuronal dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease model A new study from the Gladstone Institutes shows for the first time that impairments in mitochondria—the brain's cellular power plants—can deplete cellular energy levels and cause neuronal dysfunction in a model of neurodegenerative disease.
	Researcher finds evidence of emotional 'load sharing' in close relationships New research out of Queen's University has found evidence of emotional load sharing between partners in a close relationship. The study, co-authored by PhD candidate Jessica Lougheed, found that a strong relationship with a loved one can help ease stress when placed in difficult situations.
Medtronic gets approval for MRI-safe heart implant Medtronic said Monday that it has been cleared to market a heart defibrillator implant that can be safely used in an MRI scanner.
	Population health: Statewide study finds decreasing rates of osteoporosis treatment A statewide study has found that from 2005 to 2012, fewer than a quarter of men and women with documentation of osteoporosis or fragility fracture, conditions for which national guidelines would recommend treatment for osteoporosis, actually received that treatment.
Diabetic women at 34 percent higher risk of heart attack than diabetic men as they age New research presented at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Stockholm shows that diabetic women are more at risk than diabetic men of having a heart attack and other complications as they age. The study is by Dr Giuseppe Seghieri, Regional Health Agency, Florence, Italy, and colleagues.
Study: No sex differences in research funding at Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine Though national data suggest that women researchers are less likely to obtain independent research funding than men, a study published in the Journal of Women's Health found that male and female researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are funded at nearly the same rate.
	Big jump in number of immigrants losing health law coverage A change in government procedures has led to a big jump in people losing coverage under the Obama health care law because of immigration and citizenship issues.
US hospital ship brings care, hope to poor Haitians The huge white hospital ship anchored in the Port-au-Prince bay is impossible to miss, drawing Haitians from all over in hopes of a chance to see a doctor and get medical treatment.
	Alzheimer's-disease-related proteases control axonal guidance by regulating growth cone dynamics BACE1 is the major drug target for Alzheimer's disease, but we know surprisingly little about its normal function in the CNS. Soraia Barão and Bart De Strooper (VIB/KU Leuven) now show that this protease is critically involved in axonal guidance processes in thalamic and hippocampal neurons. An active membrane bound proteolytic CHL1 fragment is generated by BACE1 upon Sema3A binding. This fragment relays the Sema3A signal to the neuronal cytoskeleton. APH1B-y-secretase- mediated degradation of this fragment stops the Sema3A-induced collapse and sensitizes the growth cone for the next axonal guidance cue.
	Long sleep and high blood copper levels go hand in hand Persons sleeping less than 6 hours or more than 10 hours suffer from low-grade inflammation more often than persons sleeping 7-8 hours per night. This was observed in a University of Eastern Finland study focusing on the health and lifestyle habits among middle-aged men.
	Better surveillance and improved sampling tactics of wild animal populations could impact public health What do Ebola, rabies and bovine tuberculosis have in common? The answer is that they are all zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that originate in one species and then spillover into another. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that six out of 10 infections that occur in humans first appeared in animals. In fact, diseases that we would commonly think of as specialized human diseases, such measles and HIV/AIDS, first originated in animals. Oftentimes, zoonotic disease outbreaks seem to practically appear out of nowhere. Monitoring the health of animals that live near humans and interact with humans is important. But while monitoring the health of domestic animals is easy—they are used to us and are more tolerant of our poking and prodding—sampling wild animal populations presents a challenge.
New Ebola death in SLeone dims optimism for epidemic's end (Update 2) A 16-year-old girl in Sierra Leone has died from Ebola, dealing a blow to optimism that the west African country has finally turned the page on the devastating epidemic.
Will pembrolizumab improve recurrence-free survival for patients with high-risk melanoma? A recently opened double- blind phase III EORTC trial 1325 will prospectively assess whether post-operative adjuvant therapy with pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, improves recurrence-free survival as compared to placebo in patients with high-risk stage III melanoma.
	EORTC and ESSO launch CLIMB for patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases Is it possible to cure patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases? Are complex surgeries safe for patients with extensive metastatic disease? How can we monitor and improve the quality of these surgical strategies? How can we improve surgical care for patients through research?
	20-year follow-up of academic EORTC boost no-boost trial earns Best Abstract at ECC 2015 Results of a 20-year follow-up of the academic EORTC 22881-10882 boost no-boost trial presented as a "Best Abstract" at the European Cancer Congress 2015 in Vienna show that young age, high-grade invasive tumor, and the presence of associated ductal carcinoma in situ were all factors increasing the local recurrence rate. An earlier analysis had already shown that young age and high-grade invasive carcinoma were the most important risk factors for local relapse in this trial conducted from 1989 to 1996.
Delhi orders extra hospital beds after dengue outbreak New Delhi's government ordered Monday 1,000 extra beds in hospitals to treat dengue patients, as the Indian capital reels from the worst outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease in five years.
	EORTC trial evaluating functional imaging for patients with non-small cell lung cancer Each year well over one million patients die of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) making it the leading cause of tumor-related deaths. For patients with this disease, it would be quite valuable to be able to decide whether they should continue with a specific line of treatment.
Depomed rejects Horizon's latest takeover offer Depomed Inc. on Monday rejected Horizon Pharma PLC's sweetened $2.4 billion hostile takeover offer, saying it still undervalues the company, and recommended that its shareholders reject the bid.
	Study suggests improving blood sugar control could help prevent dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes A study of 350,000 patients with type 2 diabetes shows that those with poor blood sugar control have 50% higher risk of being admitted to hospital in future for dementia as those with good control. The research, which suggests improving blood sugar control could prevent many cases of dementia, is by Dr Aidin Rawshani, National Diabetes Register and Institute of Medicine, Gothenburg, Sweden, and colleagues, and is presented at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Stockholm.

Biology news

	New England experts concerned by sighting of invasive turtle Two odd-looking Chinese soft-shelled marsh turtles raised for food in Asia have been seen south of Boston, and there's concern they could eventually threaten local ecosystems if they become established in New England.
	Elephants born when mothers are stressed age faster, produce fewer offspring Elephants born into stressful situations have fewer offspring and age faster, researchers at the University of Sheffield have found.
	Swinging on 'monkey bars': Motor proteins caught in the act The first images of motor proteins in action are published in the journal Nature Communications today.
	Bar-coding technique opens up studies within single cells All of the cells in a particular tissue sample are not necessarily the same—they can vary widely in terms of genetic content, composition, and function. Yet many studies and analytical techniques aimed at understanding how biological systems work at the cellular level treat all of the cells in a tissue sample as identical, averaging measurements over the entire cellular population. It is easy to see why this happens. With the cell's complex matrix of organelles, signaling chemicals, and genetic material—not to mention its miniscule scale—zooming in to differentiate what is happening within each individual cell is no trivial task.
	Size matters—the more DNA the better A new study from researchers at Uppsala University shows that variation in genome size may be much more important than previously believed. It is clear that, at least sometimes, a large genome is a good genome.
	Birds reveal the evolutionary importance of love Humans are extremely choosy when it comes to mating, only settling down and having kids after a long screening process involving nervous flirtations, set-ups by friends, online matchmaking sites, awkward dates, humiliating rejections, hasty retreats and the occasional lucky strike. In the end, we "fall in love" and "live happily ever after." But evolution is an unforgiving force - isn't this choosiness rather a costly waste of time and energy when we should just be "going forth and multiplying?" What, if anything, is the evolutionary point of it all? A new study may have the answer.
	Upslope migration of tropical plants due to climate change The plants on the highest mountain in Ecuador have migrated more than 500 meters to higher altitudes during the last two centuries. This is determined in a new study, in which Aarhus University researchers compared Humboldt's data from 1802 with current conditions.
	Improving memory with a flash of light The burgeoning field of optogenetics has seen another breakthrough with the creation of a new plant-human hybrid protein molecule called OptoSTIM1. In South Korea, a research team led by Won Do Heo, associate professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and group leader at the IBS Center for Cognition and Sociality, together with Professor Yong-Mahn Han and Professor Daesoon Kim, have refined the process for precision control of cellular calcium (Ca2+) channels in living organisms with their new OptoSTIM1 molecule.
	Research shows evolution in real time In ongoing research to record the interaction of environment and evolution, a team led by University of California, Riverside biologist David Reznick has found new information illustrating the evolution of a population of guppies.
	Oriental honey buzzards use nose and eyes to forage for sweet treats Winnie the…Buzzard? The Oriental honey buzzard Pernis orientalis feeds primarily on honey and bee or wasp larvae. But how do they find their food?
Strategies to decrease bacterial colonization Among the bacterial infections that are most difficult to treat, chronic infections associated with bacterial biofilms are one of the most hazardous. Bacterial biofilms are densely packed communities of microbial cells surrounded with secreted polymers. In her doctoral thesis, chemist Shoghik Hakbyan has studied ways to decrease the bacterial colonization at Umeå University in Sweden.
	World's turtles face plastic deluge danger An international study led by a University of Queensland researcher has revealed more than half the world's sea turtles have ingested plastic or other human rubbish.
	Researchers find major gaps in understanding risks, benefits of eating fish Fish tissue is rarely measured for concentrations of both harmful contaminants and healthful nutrients across a range of species and geographic regions, say a Dartmouth researcher and her colleagues who reviewed the risks and benefits of eating seafood.
Team identifies a form of congenital night blindness in dogs People with congenital stationary night blindness, or CSNB, have normal vision during the day but find it difficult or impossible to distinguish objects in low light. This rare condition is present from birth and can seriously impact quality of life, especially in locations and conditions where artificial illumination is not available.
Decision soon on listing eels under Endangered Species Act Fishermen benefiting from booming prices for American eels are squirming about a decision expected this month on whether to list the fish under the Endangered Species Act.
	A wash that reduces health risks in fresh produce An Agricultural Research Service scientist in Pennsylvania has developed a sanitizing wash formulated with natural compounds that could reduce the number of foodborne illnesses caused each year by Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Listeria on fresh-cut produce.
Large-scale illegal trade in hundreds of wild-collected ornamental plants in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a widely recognised centre of illegal wildlife trade – both as the source region for species ranging from seahorses to tigers, and as a global consumer of ivory carvings, wild pets, and traditional Chinese medicinal products.
Navy to limit some training that harms whales in Pacific The Navy agreed to limit its use of sonar and other training that inadvertently harms whales, dolphins and other marine mammals off Hawaii and California in a settlement with environmental groups approved Monday.

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