Science X Newsletter Friday, Oct 16

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 16, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- System that replaces human intuition with algorithms outperforms human teams
- Researchers explore stealthy injections of voice commands
- Open platform to help the blind navigate surroundings
- Genes involved in schizophrenia and obesity highlighted
- Using smartphones to predict bi-polar episodes
- Scientists solve structure of virus linked to diabetes, infant death, and neurological conditions
- How reward and daytime sleep boost learning
- Camels test positive for respiratory virus in Kenya
- Discovery about protein structure opens window on basic life process
- Team finds that targeting sodium-potassium pump in fat cells may help reduce obesity
- Research boosts optical fiber data speeds
- Is black phosphorous the next big thing in materials?
- Study questions dates for cataclysms on early moon, Earth
- Nanodiamonds might prevent tooth loss after root canals
- Chemical transformation of human glial cells into neurons

Astronomy & Space news

	Closest northern views of Saturn's moon Enceladus NASA's Cassini spacecraft has begun returning its best-ever views of the northern extremes of Saturn's icy, ocean-bearing moon Enceladus. The spacecraft obtained the images during its Oct. 14 flyby, passing 1,142 miles (1,839 kilometers) above the moon's surface. Mission controllers say the spacecraft will continue transmitting images and other data from the encounter for the next several days.
	Study questions dates for cataclysms on early moon, Earth Phenomenally durable crystals called zircons are used to date some of the earliest and most dramatic cataclysms of the solar system. One is the super-duty collision that ejected material from Earth to form the moon roughly 50 million years after Earth formed. Another is the late heavy bombardment, a wave of impacts that may have created hellish surface conditions on the young Earth, about 4 billion years ago.
	Sentinel-3A shows off Before the latest satellite for Copernicus is packed up and shipped to the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia for launch at the end of the year, the media and specialists were given the chance to see this next-generation mission centre-stage in the cleanroom.
	Opportunity rover prospecting for water-altered minerals at crater rim in Marathon Valley As NASA's Opportunity rover approaches the 12th anniversary of landing on Mars, her greatest science discoveries yet are likely within grasp in the coming months since she has successfully entered Marathon Valley from atop a Martian mountain and is now prospecting downhill for outcrops of water altered clay minerals.
	Large solar storms 'dodge' detection systems on Earth According to observations from the Tihany Magnetic Observatory in Hungary, the indices used by scientists to assess the Sun's geomagnetic perturbations to the Earth are unable to detect some solar storms, which could put both power supply and communication networks at risk. The Tihany Magnetic Observatory registered a solar storm similar to the largest one ever recorded while other observatories were completely unaware of the event.
	ESA's first technology nanosatellite reporting for duty ESA's first technology-testing CubeSat, released last week from the International Space Station, is in good health and is set to start work on its six-month mission.
	NASA's Scott Kelly breaks US record for most days in space Waking up hundreds of miles above the Himalayas, astronaut Scott Kelly broke the U.S. record Friday for the most time spent in space with 383 days.
	Jupiter's moon Ganymede In 1610, Galileo Galilei looked up at the night sky through a telescope of his own design. Spotting Jupiter, he noted the presence of several "luminous objects" surrounding it, which he initially took for stars. In time, he would notice that these "stars" were orbiting the planet, and realized that they were in fact Jupiter's moons – which would come to be named Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Technology news

	System that replaces human intuition with algorithms outperforms human teams Big-data analysis consists of searching for buried patterns that have some kind of predictive power. But choosing which "features" of the data to analyze usually requires some human intuition. In a database containing, say, the beginning and end dates of various sales promotions and weekly profits, the crucial data may not be the dates themselves but the spans between them, or not the total profits but the averages across those spans.
	Researchers explore stealthy injections of voice commands French researchers want you to listen up about voice-controlled assistants Siri and Google Now. These assistants can also issue orders from a hacker even if the mischief maker issues commands in silence. This was Wednesday news from Andy Greenberg, senior writer for Wired.
	Engineers and students grapple with 3-D printing a habitable structure on Mars We are in the midst of a "Mars moment." This fall, the Matt Damon film, "The Martian," a story about a stranded astronaut who must learn to survive on Mars, grossed a whopping $55 million at the box office in its opening weekend. The same week, scientists breathlessly revealed the discovery of liquid water on Mars, raising the possibility that life might yet exist there.
	Open platform to help the blind navigate surroundings Scientists from IBM Research and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) today announced the first of a kind open platform designed to support the creation of smartphone apps that can enable the blind to better navigate their surroundings.
	Using smartphones to predict bi-polar episodes A team with the Center for Research and Telecommunication Experimentation for Networked Communities in Italy has conducted a small study to test the possibility of using smartphones to predict bi-polar episodes in people with the disorder. A paper by the team describing their study and results has been uploaded to the arXiv preprint server.
Malaysia arrests hacker linked to Islamic State group A Kosovo citizen has been arrested in Kuala Lumpur for computer hacking and allegedly providing information about U.S. service members to the Islamic State group, Malaysian and U.S. authorities said.
	Dozens of major websites crash all at once Dozens of major websites including Netflix, Uber and the BBC went down simultaneously on Thursday in some areas of the United States, but were soon up again in most cases.
Square bucks Unicorn trend with IPO plan By galloping to a life as a publicly traded company, mobile payments star Square is bucking a Silicon Valley trend of startups riding along on outlandish private valuations.
Justice Dept. expands cybercrime reach into southeast Asia The U.S. Justice Department is broadening its overseas efforts against cybercrime, for the first time stationing a legal adviser in Malaysia to help ensure Southeast Asian countries have the laws and tools to fight hackers.
	World's first accelerated testing facility for bridges Rutgers is launching the world's first outdoor laboratory capable of simulating deterioration that occurs on bridges by inflicting and intensifying stresses from the environment and heavy traffic on sections of bridges in the lab.
	Startup commercializes assistive wheelchair technology, develops first prototype A Purdue startup is commercializing an assistive wheelchair technology that could provide people with disabilities an efficient and easy-to-use method to more easily position and remove an iPad or other mobile device without being limited by a table or moving in and out of the chair. The company has recently developed its first prototype.
	Cybersecurity research looks to guard networks from 'insider threats' Even the best-protected, most sensitive computer networks resemble castles: They have walls to ward off outside threats, but their interiors are full of weak points. That's why the "insider threat"—someone within a system who, out of malice or naiveté puts a system at risk—is considered one of the most serious risks in the cybersecurity world.
	Smart car cyberattack warning as research finds flaws in security systems How Australia acts today will determine the security and safety of driverless cars, autonomous vehicles and intelligent transport systems in the future, with QUT academics warning there is a risk of in-vehicle cyberattack without appropriate safeguards.
Pakistani entrepreneurs launch 'Uber for rickshaws' A group of young Pakistani entrepreneurs have launched an Uber-like rickshaw app service that is quickly growing popular with commuters struggling to find transport in the teeming eastern city of Lahore.
Britain's High Court rules that Uber app is lawful Britain's High Court ruled Friday that the Uber app to hail minicabs is lawful—a blow to London's famous black cab drivers, who argued that it violated city regulations.
	Four things you should be doing to protect yourself from cyberattack It is easy to get lost in a sea of information when looking at cybersecurity issues. And hearing about hacks and cyberattacks as they happen is a surefire way to feel helpless and totally disempowered.
	Complaints, peeping toms and airplane near-misses show drone regulations are needed now The thing about unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones as they're commonly known, is that they're very useful. They've been put to use for inspecting infrastructure, firefighting, monitoring in disaster areas or for environmental purposes, for border control, and of course their military use has been clearly demonstrated.
	VW market share dips in Europe amid emissions scandal Volkswagen saw its market share in Europe drop fractionally in September, when its emissions scandal broke mid-month, as its sales growth lagged the wider market.
Alibaba offers to buy rest of China's Youku in $3.6B deal Alibaba said Friday it's offering to buy up the rest of Chinese video streaming site Youku Tudou in a $3.6 billion deal signaling the e-commerce giant's intent to expand beyond its core business of online shopping.
	Appeals court rules in favor of Google's online library Google is not violating copyright laws by digitizing books for a massive online library, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a decadelong dispute by authors worried that the project would spoil the market for their books.
	Wal-Mart, others speed up deliveries to shoppers Christmas won't come early this year, but the gifts might.
Chris Young, Intel Security exec, on fighting cybercrime When Intel bought McAfee five years ago, it was a surprising move by a giant chip company with a core computer hardware mission into the complex software business of protecting computers from hackers and crooks.
Whatever your game, EverSport wants to stream it to you USC football fans in London, Japanese soccer followers in Los Angeles and kickboxing enthusiasts around the globe: Despair no more!
Animated characters help patients discuss ailments, levels of pain The company's vision initially seems fanciful: Create applications for health care featuring animated characters that can understand language in all its complexity, from context to regional idioms, detect emotion and recognize facial expressions, perceive differences in personalities, and on top of all that, constantly learn.
Amazon's growing clout in cloud computing stirs questions Retailers have long feared Amazon.com and the ease with which it has undermined the business of shopping on Main Street.
Review: New version of Mac OS X offers welcome tweaks When it comes to updating the software that underlies its Mac computers, Apple has generally opted for a conservative approach.
Former Microsoft CEO Ballmer discloses Twitter stake Former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer disclosed Friday that he has taken a four percent stake in Twitter, expressing confidence in the messaging platform's new management team.
	US appeals court backs Google's book-scanning project Google's colossal project to digitize the world's books does not violate copyright law, a US appeals court ruled Friday, affirming a 2013 decision seen as a landmark for the digital era.
	Daily fantasy sports deemed gambling in Nevada Daily fantasy sports companies suffered another blow this week as authorities in Nevada deemed them gambling enterprises and ordered them to suspend operations in the state until they have proper licenses.
	FTC reviewing VW's 'Clean Diesel' ads for fraudulent claims "Aren't diesels dirty?" asks the grandmother in the passenger seat of the gleaming new VW Golf SportWagen.
	First Netflix film set for big (and small) screen Netflix makes another play for entertainment domination Friday when its first feature film is released simultaneously in both theaters and on its online streaming platform.
Companies make big electric vehicle promises in California Corporate and government leaders gathered Thursday in Los Angeles to announce that hundreds more electric vehicles will be coming to California roads—and they'll have hundreds more places to charge up.

Medicine & Health news

Researcher develops light-based tools to study the brain When the brain is at work, large numbers of neurons within it interact rapidly, passing messages, sometimes across large distances. The most recent addition to Rockefeller University's faculty, Alipasha Vaziri, devises optical tools for capturing and manipulating these interactions to create dynamic maps of neural network activity. Vaziri's appointment to tenure-track associate professor was made in September and his laboratory will relocate to Rockefeller next year.
	Huntington's disease protein controls movement of precious cargo inside cells, study finds We've known for years that the Huntingtin protein (Htt) is responsible for Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that diminishes a person's mental and physical abilities.
	Genes involved in schizophrenia and obesity highlighted Genes involved in schizophrenia and obesity have been highlighted in a new UCL study, which could lead to a better understanding of the DNA variants which affect risk of these conditions and aid the development of improved strategies for prevention and treatment.
	Chemical transformation of human glial cells into neurons For the first time, researchers have used a cocktail of small molecules to transform human brain cells, called astroglial cells, into functioning neurons for brain repair. The new technology opens the door to the future development of drugs that patients could take as pills to regenerate neurons and to restore brain functions lost after traumatic injuries, stroke, or diseases such as Alzheimer's. Previous research, such as conventional stem cell therapy, requires brain surgery and therefore is much more invasive and prone to immune-system rejection and other problems. The research, led by Gong Chen, Professor of Biology and the Verne M. Willaman Chair in Life Sciences at Penn State University, will be published online in the journal Cell Stem Cell on Oct. 15th, 2015.
	Team finds that targeting sodium-potassium pump in fat cells may help reduce obesity Researchers with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine (SOM) and the Marshall University Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (MIIR) have identified a mechanism for blocking the signal by which the cellular sodium-potassium pump amplifies oxidants (reactive oxygen species). These oxidants lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome.
	How reward and daytime sleep boost learning A new study suggests that receiving rewards as you learn can help cement new facts and skills in your memory, particularly when combined with a daytime nap.
Newly identified biomarker may help predict colon cancer progression, personalize therapy Researchers at Baylor Research Institute have identified a small RNA molecule that appears to enable certain colorectal cancers to become especially aggressive, resistant to treatment and likely to migrate and invade normal tissue.
The alcohol industry is not meeting its 'Responsibility Deal' labeling pledges A new study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, published online in the journal Addiction, has found that the signatories to the Public Health Responsibility Deal alcohol labelling pledge are not fully meeting their pledge. Labelling information frequently falls short of best practice, with fonts and logos smaller than would be accepted on other products with health effects.
Discovery opens door to new strategy for cancer immunotherapy New research by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists raises the prospect of cancer therapy that works by converting a tumor's best friends in the immune system into its gravest enemies.
Study quantifies threat of rising antibiotic resistance on surgery and chemotherapy Researchers report the strongest evidence yet that rising antibiotic resistance could have disastrous consequences for patients undergoing surgery or cancer chemotherapy. New estimates published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal suggest that up to half of infections after surgery and over a quarter of infections after chemotherapy are caused by organisms already resistant to standard prophylactic antibiotics in the USA.
Home reading environment is crucial for children's reading skills Children that are seldom read to and whose parents read very little are at a disadvantage when they start school.
Clues to opioid abuse from state prescription drug monitoring programs Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury death in the United States – mostly due to abuse and misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers, benzodiazepines (sedatives/tranquilizers), and stimulants. Information from state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) can be used to detect and measure prescribing patterns that suggest abuse and misuse of controlled substances, according to a report released today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summary.
	Study finds inflammation in the brain is linked to risk of schizophrenia A study published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry is the first to find that immune cells are more active in the brains of people at risk of schizophrenia as well as those already diagnosed with the disease.
Brief interventions in primary care clinics could curb drug use A few minutes of counseling in a primary care setting could go a long way toward steering people away from risky drug use—and possibly full-fledged addiction, a UCLA-led study suggests.
Few Canadians aware of dangers of blood clots Few Canadians realize that thrombosis, or blood clots, is behind one in four deaths, and fewer know that it is treatable and largely preventable, says a new study.
	How adult children with problems affect parents' well-being You did everything you could to raise them right and keep them safe, but their lives aren't turning out the way you'd planned. Maybe they're drinking too much. Or they're heading for divorce. Or they can't seem to manage their money. Or maybe they've been diagnosed with a serious illness.
Zebrafish study sheds new light on human heart defects University of Otago researchers working with zebrafish have published a study providing new insights into the causes of the congenital heart defects associated with a rare developmental disorder.
	Skin cancer survivor inspires research study A patient with a rare condition that led to him developing skin cancer is helping medical experts discover why some other patients are not protecting themselves from the sun.
	New tool to help melanoma's most at-risk group detect cancer early People who examine their own skin for melanoma may increase their chances to find cancers when they are less deep and more treatable than those people whose melanoma is found incidentally.
	Helper cells in the brain could hold the clue to motor neuron disease Helper cells in the brain, which support nerve function, change their behaviour with the progression of motor neuron disease (MND), a new study has found.
Crowd funding bid to test whether malaria drug kills cancer Medical experts investigating whether a common malaria drug could have a significant impact on colorectal cancer have launched a crowd funding project to fund their work.
	Scientists find evidence of how incurable cancer develops Researchers in the West Midlands have made a breakthrough in explaining how an incurable type of blood cancer develops from an often symptomless prior blood disorder. The findings could lead to more effective treatments and ways to identify those most at risk of developing the cancer.
Psychological principles could explain major healthcare failings A paper in the BMJ's Journal of Medical Ethics breaks new ground by using psychological approaches and insights to review major health crises within the NHS.
	Pursuing links between inflammation and Parkinson's, in lab and clinic A group of UAB researchers have set themselves a two-year target—put an interdisciplinary team in place and have the necessary results in hand that will support the development of a Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence at UAB. Only nine such NIH-supported centers—also known as Morris K. Udall Centers—exist today, none in the Deep South.
	Girls' happiness plummets as they reach teenage years, research reveals English schoolgirls are less satisfied with their lives than boys and feel more pressure to succeed at school – a report authored by University of Hertfordshire researchers has revealed.
	The diagnosis that rocked football As the most junior of his office's five pathologists, Bennet Omalu had to work weekends. One Saturday in September 2002, he saw on TV that everyone was talking about a great football player who died unexpectedly at age 50: Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame center Mike Webster.
	Is the end in sight for reading glasses? A University of Leeds researcher is developing a new eye lens, made from the same material found in smartphone and TV screens, which could restore long-sightedness in older people.
	Doctors use ultrasound waves to stop hand tremors The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is one of six locations nationally - and the only one in the Midwest - studying the safety and effectiveness of a promising new technology using MR-guided focused ultrasound to treat patients suffering from essential tremor as part of a multi-center FDA trial.
	Positive outlook may help heart disease patients heal (HealthDay)—Heart disease patients with a sunny disposition are more likely to exercise, stick with their medications and take other steps to ward off further heart trouble, a new study suggests.
	Age impacts outcomes after ablation for atrial fibrillation (HealthDay)—Age significantly impacts long-term outcomes after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published online Oct. 7 in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology.
	Internet interventions interest informed melanoma patients (HealthDay)—The melanoma patients receptive to an Internet-delivered behavioral intervention to promote skin self-examination (SSE) and sun protection behaviors may already have higher knowledge of melanoma signs, according to a research letter published online Oct. 14 in JAMA Dermatology.
	Premixed insulin ups hypoglycemia in inpatients (HealthDay)—For hospitalized patients with diabetes, treatment with premixed insulin results in similar glycemic control but higher frequency of hypoglycemia compared with a basal-bolus regimen, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in Diabetes Care.
	Team discovers a link between a rare form of anemia and cancer Researchers from the Tumour Suppression Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), headed by Manuel Serrano, have discovered the molecular mechanisms that determine cancer predisposition in patients with Diamond-Blackfan anaemia (DBA). To achieve this, they have created the first animal model that recapitulates key characteristics of this type of anaemia in humans, including high cancer susceptibility. The finding, published in the journal Cell Reports, could potentially improve current treatments for this disease, which are effective in resolving the haematological disorders but not in preventing the greater predisposition to cancer.
	The world's first female sex drug could spur similar meds Most women with low sexual desire won't rush to get the first prescription drug to boost female libido when it becomes available on Saturday. But they may have more options down the road.
	Nicotine gives brain more codeine relief, risk of addiction According to new research in rat models, nicotine use over time increases the speed that codeine is converted into morphine within the brain, by increasing the amount of a specific enzyme. It appears smokers' brains are being primed for a bigger buzz from this common pain killer - which could put them at a higher risk for addiction, and possibly even overdose.
Temple finds app facilitates early detection and treatment of COPD exacerbation symptoms A digital health application for reporting symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) facilitated early detection and treatment of COPD exacerbation symptoms, according to an analysis from the Temple Lung Center published by Telemedicine and eHealth.
College students say prescription stimulants easy to find on campus Seven out of 10 college students say it is somewhat or very easy to obtain controlled stimulants without a prescription, according to a new survey conducted on eight U.S. campuses.
Native Americans in Arizona had nation's highest obesity and overweight rates, report finds Four of five adult Native Americans in Arizona were obese or overweight in 2013, the highest rate in the nation among states studied in a new report.
	Many skin cancer patients skip routine self-exams (HealthDay)—Many people who've had melanoma skin cancer don't regularly check their skin for new or recurring signs of cancer, a new study reveals.
	Peri-op experience similar for children with, without autism (HealthDay)—Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a significant difference in premedication type compared with children without ASD, although in other respects, their perioperative experiences are similar, according to a study published in the November issue of Pediatric Anesthesia.
	Treatment patterns for DCIS shift from 1991 to 2010 (HealthDay)—There were substantial shifts in treatment patterns for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) from 1991 to 2010, with more women opting for lumpectomy and radiation therapy rather than single mastectomy, according to a study published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
	Hormonal contraceptives safe after complete hydatidiform mole (HealthDay)—The use of current hormonal contraceptives (HC) can safely prevent new conception after complete hydatidiform mole (CHM) irrespective of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
	Statistical tool predicts risk of major postop complications (HealthDay)—A statistical tool can accurately estimate an individual patient's risk of developing a major complication after surgery for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
	Time-limited strategies feasible for ICU critical cancer care (HealthDay)—For patients with poor-prognosis cancer, trials of intensive care unit (ICU) care of short duration may be sufficient, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in JAMA Oncology.
	CDC: teen smoking down, marijuana use up (HealthDay)—Although new statistics show that smoking among American teenagers has dropped 64 percent in recent years, the same report also shows that marijuana use has doubled. The report was published Oct. 16 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Nation's pediatricians to rally around children's health issues An expected 10,000 pediatricians and other health care professionals will gather in the nation's capital October 24-27 to deepen their knowledge and widen their scope on child advocacy at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition.
	Investigators create complex kidney structures from human stem cells derived from adults Investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) have established a highly efficient method for making kidney structures from stem cells that are derived from skin taken from patients. The kidney structures formed could be used to study abnormalities of kidney development, chronic kidney disease, the effects of toxic drugs, and be incorporated into bioengineered devices to treat patients with acute and chronic kidney injury. In the longer term, these methods could hasten progress toward replacing a damaged or diseased kidney with tissue derived from a patient's own cells. These results were published in Nature Biotechnology this week.
Scientists make advancements that may lead to new treatments for Parkinson's More than one million people in the United States are afflicted with Parkinson's disease, a progressive disorder of the brain that affects movement and coordination. The cause is typically unknown, and presently there is no cure for the disease.
Metabolism may keep cancer cells in check Researchers have found that a long-known tumor suppressor, whose mechanism of holding cell growth in check has remained murky for over 40 years, works in part by keeping the cell's energy metabolism behaving in grown-up fashion.
Peppier handicapped symbol gets support, but problems remain The ubiquitous handicapped symbol that marks parking spaces, building entrances and restrooms around the world is getting an update, a modernization that emphasizes ability rather than disability.
Policy makes Plan B more accessible to American Indian women The federal Indian Health Service has finalized a policy that makes emergency contraception more accessible to American Indian women.
FDA approves drug to reverse blood thinner Pradaxa Federal health regulators have approved a drug to reverse the blood-thinning effects of the popular pill Pradaxa, which has been subject to thousands of reports of severe bleeding.
	Big data in managing the future health of Singapore Continuous data collection for chronic illness management is crucial to deliver personalized care for patients. In the era of globalization, patients still do not have the right tools to collect and share their physiological information on a frequent, real time basis. This becomes more crucial in scenarios where patients travel from regions of the world affected by epidemic diseases; e.g. Ebola in Africa, MERS in South Korea, and to travel as an infected host to other parts of the world.
	Interview with Connectomics founder Olaf Sporns Last month marked the 10th anniversary of the landmark paper that launched "connectomics", overthrowing the predominant approach to localizing individual functions in the brain in favor of mapping the entirety of the brain's connections. In the decade since, connectomics has redefined how we collect, analyzing, and interpret our data. Along the way numerous international endeavors like the Human Connectome Project have sprung up, spurring hundreds of institutions to amass never before seen volumes of brain data from thousands of individuals. This revolution has moved cognitive neuroimaging from a small scale endeavor, governed by many isolated labs conducting small scale studies in closed settings, to a massive open science bonanza of data sharing. Today most brain science institutes find themselves engaged in the collection of large scale datasets, whether to establish normative samples of particular patient groups or to bolster ! ongoing connectomics and computational approaches. This movement has not been without its detractors however, as many have raised concerns about the cost and long-term payoff of these massive scale projects, arguing that they come at the cost of more flexible and small scale hypothesis-driven research.
8 fresh ways fruits and vegetables are getting into your diet Half of Americans are determined to eat more fruits and vegetables this year according to Innova Market Insights. Because fruits and vegetables are now in just about every food and beverage category, consumers shouldn't have a problem doing so. In the October issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), senior associate editor Karen Nachay looks at eight different ways fruits and vegetables are turning up in unexpected places.
	Update on global polio eradication and the polio vaccine Shortly after the successful global Smallpox Eradication Programme (SEP) in the 80's, world leaders and public health officials announced a plan to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio) off the face of the Earth; the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (WHO) together championed the cause. They originally anticipated the virus would be eradicated by 2000. Yet here we are in 2015 and the virus is still making headlines around the world.
	Medicine tackles concussions A few decades ago, when a football player got his "bell rung" with a hard hit to the head, he would shake it off, take smelling salts and return to the game.
	What can we learn from nutrigenomics testing? There is insufficient scientific evidence to support the utility of commercially available nutrigenomics tests that claim to link genetic variants to dietary intake or nutrition-related disorders. While nutrigenomics remains a promising tool for advancing personalized medicine and healthcare, more research is needed before it can help guide health-related decisions, according to a study published in OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, the peer-reviewed interdisciplinary systems science journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
	UN: 2 new Ebola cases in Guinea show virus still spreading The World Health Organization says there were two new cases of Ebola in Guinea this week, ending two consecutive weeks in West Africa when no cases of the devastating disease were reported.
	New study to recruit thousands of parkrunners Every day, millions of us pull on our trainers and hit the streets in an attempt to get fitter while enjoying the great outdoors. But is our love affair with running storing up health problems for us in the future?
Researchers use neuroimaging to explore reading deficits after left stroke October 16, 2015 Researchers at Kessler Foundation and Rutgers University correlated neuroimaging data with reading deficits in patients with subacute left hemispheric stroke. Their findings add to our knowledge of the neural mechanisms of reading and may be useful in the development of reading interventions that address specific neurological deficits. The article, "Neurally dissociable cognitive components of reading deficits in subacute stroke" was published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Judge to rule on Planned Parenthood funding in Louisiana A federal judge said he will decide by Monday whether to block Gov. Bobby Jindal's attempt to cut off state Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood's Louisiana clinics.
Kentucky election puts Medicaid expansion in crosshairs Kentucky, one of the only Southern states to expand Medicaid under President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, could become the first state to repeal that expansion depending on the outcome of a closely contested governor's race.

Biology news

	Learning the right lesson from Mendel's peas Biologists arguing about whether the results of experiments by the man hailed as the father of modern genetics are "too good to be true" have been distracted from a more important debate.
	Research offers new insight into light detection in vertebrates Research carried out by scientists from The University of Western Australia, the University of Oxford and University College London will help better understand how light detection works in vertebrates.
	Neuroscientists decode the brain activity of the worm Manuel Zimmer and his team at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) present new findings on the brain activity of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. The scientists were able to show that brain cells (neurons), organized in a brain-wide network, albeit exerting different functions, coordinate with each other in a collective manner. They could also directly link these coordinated activities in the worm's brain to the processes that generate behavior. The results of the study are presented in the current issue of the journal Cell.
	Researchers quantify biomechanical noise in cancer cells In an article recently published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Cambridge researchers have reported on a new method to measure biomechanical noise in cells under normal growth conditions and when subjected to increasing levels of environmental stress. The new method may provide the basis for a tool to study complex disease mechanisms like cancer.
	Camels test positive for respiratory virus in Kenya A new study has found that nearly half of camels in parts of Kenya have been infected by the virus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and calls for further research into the role they might play in the transmission of this emerging disease to humans.
	Dwindling genetic diversity of farm animals is a threat to livestock production It is hard to overestimate the importance of global livestock production to society and the economy. It constitutes the main source of income for 1.3 billion farmers, providing vital food for 800 million subsistence farmers, and making up 40% of global agricultural GDP. But overbreeding and dwindling genetic diversity could limit the ability of livestock populations to adapt the environmental changes, such as global warming and related new diseases. Currently on the sidelines, lesser-known livestock breeds and the DNA they carry could become key to securing the future of livestock farming.
Gannets starve because parents too polite to travel into another colony's territory Gannets are refusing to travel into another colony's territory to find food, affecting their breeding, according to new Deakin University research which offers insight into how the seabirds are responding to climate change.
	Scent is the route to the very best fruit Monkeys and other primates have a better sense of smell than is often claimed. Researchers at Linköping University and two German universities have studied spider monkeys – and found that they are experts at sniffing out optimally ripe fruit.
	The contribution of mare genetics to gestation length and foal sex In horse breeding, stallions are usually used to establish a breeding line. In some cases, however, the maternal lineage plays a more important role. Researchers from the Vetmeduni Vienna looked at the gestation length of different mare families and discovered that the length of gestation varies significantly from lineage to lineage. Certain families also produce more female offspring than male foals. The results were published in the journal PLOS One.
	Shrinking habitats in store for Arctic mammals A new study examining how 28 of Alaska's mammal species will respond to future climate warming was released recently by the U.S. Geological Survey. Information for the study, conducted by several University of New Mexico alumni, was gathered using field research coupled with genetic analyses to determine how mammals responded to past climate changes.
	Wallaby sighting in Kalbarri the first in 20 years The WA nature conservation community is abuzz with excitement with the rediscovery of black-flanked rock-wallabies (Petrogale lateralis lateralis) in Kalbarri National Park after two decades of presumed local extinction.
	A single-cell pipeline for soil samples To investigate in situ function of uncultivated microbes, scientists evaluated a process for preparing soil samples for single-cell analysis methods.
	How plants turn into zombies Scientists from Jena University (Germany) shed light on the molecular reasons for a bacterial plant disease: In the latest issue of the science journal Trends in Plant Science, the researchers explain how phytoplasmas destroy the life cycle of plants and inflict a 'zombie' existence on them.
	New research could revolutionize farming in developing world A brand new technology developed by researchers at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, has the potential to reduce crop losses across the developing world and boost the incomes of subsistence farmers.
	A new way to help plants utilize indigestible organic phosphorus The current dilemma of inorganic phosphorus depletion and pollution caused by excess phytate levels in the soil poses a long-term risk for sustainable agriculture.
Wyoming Stock Growers challenges sage grouse plans The Wyoming Stock Growers Association has filed a legal challenge to a series of federal sage grouse plans, saying they overstep the government's authority.

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