Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Oct 13

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 13, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- On the precision frontier: A new calculation holds promise for new physics
- Measurements of dinosaur body temperatures shed new light on 150-year debate
- Optogenetic pacing possible alternative to electrical pacemakers
- Training found to cause the brain to be better at multitasking
- VLA reveals spectacular 'halos' of spiral galaxies
- Pebbles on Mars likely traveled tens of miles down a riverbed, study finds
- New deposition technique enhances optoelectronic properties of lasers
- Meteorite impact turns silica into stishovite in a billionth of a second
- Study finds that a comet's tail may shed light on solar wind heating
- Global warming may cause East Asian monsoon belt to shift north
- Sixth sense: How do we sense electric fields?
- Researchers discover hidden brain pathways crucial to communication
- Closer view of the brain
- Researchers create light emitting diodes from food and beverage waste
- Quantum coherent-like state observed in a biological protein for the first time

Astronomy & Space news

	What happens when your brain can't tell which way is up? In space, there is no "up" or "down." That can mess with the human brain and affect the way people move and think in space. An investigation on the International Space Station seeks to understand how the brain changes in space and ways to deal with those changes.
	Dead comets and near-earth encounters Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are asteroids or comets whose orbits sometimes bring them close to the Earth, thereby posing a potentially threat. The asteroid that struck Chelyabinsk last year was an NEO about 40 meters in diameter. While it is relatively easy to detect an NEO in visible light by watching its movement across the sky from night to night, determining its size and its potential hazard is more difficult because its optical brightness results from both its size and its reflectivity. CfA astronomers have for several years been using the IRAC infrared camera on Spitzer to measure the infrared light emitted by NEOs and, combined with optical measurements, to deduce their probable dimensions.
	Pebbles on Mars likely traveled tens of miles down a riverbed, study finds While new evidence suggests that Mars may harbor a tiny amount of liquid water, it exists today as a largely cold and arid planet. Three billion years ago, however, the situation may have been much different.
	VLA reveals spectacular 'halos' of spiral galaxies A study of spiral galaxies seen edge-on has revealed that "halos" of cosmic rays and magnetic fields above and below the galaxies' disks are much more common than previously thought.
	Hubble's planetary portrait captures changes in Jupiter's Great Red Spot Scientists using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have produced new maps of Jupiter that show the continuing changes in its famous Great Red Spot. The images also reveal a rare wave structure in the planet's atmosphere that has not been seen for decades. The new image is the first in a series of annual portraits of the Solar System's outer planets, which will give us new glimpses of these remote worlds, and help scientists to study how they change over time.
	Study finds that a comet's tail may shed light on solar wind heating We can't see the wind, but we can learn about it by observing things that are being blown about. And by studying changes in a comet's bright tail of gas and ions, scientists are on the trail to solving two big mysteries about the solar wind, the supersonic outflow of electrically charged gas from the Sun's million-degree upper atmosphere or corona.
	Image: BepiColombo in the spotlight BepiColombo is Europe's first mission to Mercury. It will set off in 2017 on a journey to the smallest and least explored terrestrial planet in our Solar System, following in the footsteps of Mariner 10 and Messenger.
	India's first space observatory in good shape, performing science operations India's Astrosat spacecraft, the country's first space observatory that was launched into orbit on Sept. 28, is in good shape and has already started performing science operations, according to a scientist involved in the mission. "It is in good shape and in stable communication with the ground stations in and near Bengaluru," K.P. Singh of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, India, told astrowatch.net.
	Robotic laser astronomy on the rise The world's first robotic laser adaptive optics system, developed by a team led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa astronomer Christoph Baranec, will soon find a new home at the venerable 2.1-meter (83-inch) telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. This system, renamed Robo-AO KP, will be the world's first dedicated adaptive optics astronomical observatory and will allow astronomers to take an unprecedented number of highly detailed images of a wide range of celestial objects.
	Interview with Paul Weissman of the Rosetta comet rendezvous mission Rosetta, named for the inscribed stone that allowed 19th-century historians to unlock the secrets of ancient Egypt, is unlocking the secrets of a far more ancient comet. Rosetta team member Paul Weissman discusses the mission.
	How are galaxies moving away faster than light? So, how can galaxies be traveling faster than the speed of light when nothing can travel faster than light?

Technology news

	Toyota promises better mileage and ride with Prius hybrid Toyota Motor Corp. released details for its fourth-generation Prius on Tuesday, promising that improvements in the battery, engine, wind resistance and weight mean better mileage for the world's top-selling hybrid car.
	New research method identifies stealth attacks on complicated computer systems Three Virginia Tech computer scientists are unveiling a novel approach to discovering stealth attacks on computers at the annual ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security.
	Should cars be fully driverless? No, says an engineer and historian If you follow technology news—or even if you don't—you have probably heard that numerous companies have been trying to develop driverless cars for a decade or more. These fully automated vehicles could potentially be safer than regular cars, and might add various efficiencies to our roads, like smoother-flowing traffic.
	With this new universal wireless charger, compatibility won't be an issue A wireless charger that's compatible with different consumer electronics from different brands is one step closer to becoming a reality thanks to research by electrical engineers at the University of California, San Diego.
	High efficiency rating shines on Panasonic solar panel How to get more electricity from a given area of solar panels—this is an important question that scientists explore as companies focus on the future of solar panels. Inhabitat said Panasonic has developed the most efficient solar panel as it offers 22.5% sunlight conversion.
	Engineers quantify amount of Android root exploits available in commercial software In recent years the practice of Android rooting, that is the process of allowing an Android phone or tablet to bypass restrictions set by carriers, operating systems or hardware manufacturers, has become increasingly popular.
	Twitter sidelines sports highlight accounts Twitter sidelined a pair of popular sports publication accounts after fielding complaints they ran afoul of copyright rules for sharing video snippets from US football games.
	Dog smartphone and dancing humanoids on show at HK Fair From a camera-enabled collar dubbed the "smartphone" for dogs to a calorie-counting "smart cup", health and lifestyle technology is at the forefront of what's on show at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair this week.
	Clinton server's software had hacking risk The private email server running in Hillary Rodham Clinton's home basement when she was secretary of state was connected to the Internet in ways that made it more vulnerable to hackers, according to data and documents reviewed by The Associated Press.
	A sign of the digital times A team of Massey University engineers and computer scientists are revolutionising digital sign technology with the aim of making "finding your way" an interactive and personalised experience.
	Opinion: Intelligence amplification will make us as smart as the machines In January this year Microsoft announced the HoloLens, a technology based on virtual and augmented reality (AR).
	ISPs are already struggling to retain our metadata Today we learnt that 84% of internet service providers (ISPs) in Australia have not met the deadline set by the federal government for them to start collecting metadata. And 61% are asking for some exemption or variation in the requirements specified in the legislation.
	Electric vehicles reduce costs and protect the environment Under which conditions are electric vehicles less expensive than diesel vehicles? What are the positive environmental effects? And what about their acceptance by users and reliability in practice? The RheinMobil project coordinated by KIT answers these questions in a study of a fleet test covering two and a half years of operation with 300,000 electrically driven kilometers. The results were presented at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.
	New app for real time crime scene reporting across borders A revolutionary app that allows scene of crime officers to record evidence centrally in real time, thus speeding up crime scene investigations, has been celebrated at a flagship innovation event.
	Scandal-hit VW to change diesel emissions technology Volkswagen's flagship brand plans to change its diesel technology in Europe and North America as well as develop new hybrid and electric vehicles in response to its emissions scandal.
Etihad, IBM sign $700 mln services deal Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said Tuesday it has signed a 10-year technology services agreement worth approximately $700 million with IBM aimed at improving efficiency.
	Twitter purging up to 336 workers as new CEO slashes costs Twitter is laying off up to 336 employees, signaling CEO Jack Dorsey's resolve to slash costs while the company struggles to make money.
	Woodside taps IBM's supercomputer to bolster operations Woodside Petroleum is hoping to maximise efficiency and cut down on unnecessary costs by utilising IBM's gameshow-winning Watson cognitive computer system as the oil and gas industry battles uncertainty from the prolonged oil price downturn.
	Apple adds Retina displays to its iMacs (Update) Apple is adding Retina displays to its iMacs, which will enhance the text and the image quality of photos and videos.
	New tool: How to get meaningful information out of big data Every second trillions of data bits are accumulated and stored. All these data bits make no sense if you don´t know how to sort them. Now University of Southern Denmark (SDU) researchers present a tool that helps researchers sort data and retrieve meaningful knowledge from the data jungle, presenting their work in the journal Nature Methods.
India's TCS beats expectations with $928 million profit India's biggest IT outsourcing firm Tata Consultancy Services on Tuesday reported expectation-beating quarterly profits, citing robust orders from its core US and European markets.
Finnish-Japanese technology to support the everyday life of the elderly VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the Japanese research institute AIST are studying how the adoption of ICT-based applications designed for the elderly will improve care service both at home and in assisted living facilities with the help of, for instance, a robot assistant.
	Heading for data-driven rail systems The Allach locomotive plant on the outskirts of Munich is a high-tech location for train-related data analysis. Since 2014 it has been home to the Siemens Mobility Data Services Center. There, experts have been working hand-in-hand with the facility's Rail Service Center to translate complex streams of mobility-related data into optimized operations for customers.
	Getting intelligence to the boots on the ground In today's modern digital battlefield, warfighters face a more daunting challenge than a straightforward night parachute jump. Over the past few decades, the Department of Defense has developed and fielded sensors at a breakneck pace. Almost every platform flying is integrated with an array of sensors that provide vital real time information. Even troops have become moving digital sensor arrays, giving their commanders ears and eyes on the ground.
Social-media messages in China censored, new research reveals In March 2015 a video documentary about air pollution in China, entitled 'Under the Dome', went viral. Yet, while it is well known that the video disappeared offline following government objection, what is lesser known is that hundreds of posts on Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter, were also censored for commenting on the film and its findings. In a new report from Index on Censorship magazine, published by SAGE, Professor Matthew Auer, from Bates College in the USA, and Associate Professor King-wa Fu, from the University of Hong Kong, reveal how they discovered and monitored the takedown of micro bloggers' comments.
	Africa's urban waste, a valuable source of electricity Estimated electricity production from the total waste generated in Africa could reach 122.2 TWh in 2025, or more than 20% of the electricity consumed in 2010 at continental level (661.5TWh), according to a JRC co-authored study which analysed the potential of urban solid waste for Africa's electricity needs.

Medicine & Health news

	Optogenetic pacing possible alternative to electrical pacemakers (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with Lehigh University in the U.S. has found via experimentation with fruit flies that optogenetic pacing might one day be a viable alternative to electrical pacemakers in humans. In their paper uploaded to the open access site Science Advances, the team describes how the procedure works and why they believe it is superior to traditional pacemakers.
	Training found to cause the brain to be better at multitasking (Medical Xpress)—A pair of researchers with the University of Queensland has found via a study that involved testing volunteers, that it is possible to teach the brain to be better at multitasking—at least in one instance. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Paul Dux and Kelly Garner describe the experiments they carried out and what they believe it might mean for the future of developing ways to improve multitasking skills in people.
	Breast cancer drug beats superbug Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have found that the breast cancer drug tamoxifen gives white blood cells a boost, better enabling them to respond to, ensnare and kill bacteria in laboratory experiments. Tamoxifen treatment in mice also enhances clearance of the antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogen MRSA and reduces mortality.
Mouse study suggests genomic screening before cancer treatment may prevent anemia Many types of leukemia are caused by loss of enzymes such as Pten, which normally keeps cell growth in check, or conversely, the over-activation of enzymes that normally enhance cell proliferation, such as Shp2. Some anti-leukemia treatments work by inhibiting Shp2 or other enzymes involved in the same cellular systems, but researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have now found that mice lacking both of these enzymes—Pten and Shp2—can't produce and sustain enough red blood cells. The study, published October 12 by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, helps explain why anemia is a common side effect of anti-cancer drugs that target enzymes involved in tumor growth.
	Malaria vaccine provides hope for a general cure for cancer The hunt for a vaccine against malaria in pregnant women has provided an unexpected side benefit for Danish researchers, namely what appears to be an effective weapon against cancer. The scientists behind the vaccine aim for tests on humans within four years. Danish scientists from the University of Copenhagen and the University of British Columbia (UBC) face a possible breakthrough in the fight against cancer, which may result in a genuine medical treatment for the dreaded disease.
	Brain activity is as unique – and identifying – as a fingerprint Each of us is unique, with our own strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. While this is a truism everyone grasps intuitively, it's been difficult to determine if and how this individuality is reflected in brain activity.
	Study shows deadly prostate cancer cells have stem cell qualities Scientists at the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have shown that the cells responsible for generating deadly prostate cancer share some genetic qualities with the tissue-specific stem cells that naturally reside in the healthy prostate.
Rare childhood leukemia reveals surprising genetic secrets A coalition of leukemia researchers led by scientists from UC San Francisco has discovered surprising genetic diversity in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), a rare but aggressive childhood blood cancer.
	Closer view of the brain For Harvard neurobiologist Jeff Lichtman, the question hasn't been whether scientists will ever understand the brain, but how closely they'll have to look before they do.
	Researchers discover hidden brain pathways crucial to communication Being able to understand speech is essential to our evolution as humans. Hearing lets us perceive the same word even when spoken at different speeds or pitches, and also gives us extra sensitivity to unexpected sounds. Now, new studies from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania clarify how these two crucial features of audition are managed by the brain.
	New study has important implications for the design of a protective HIV vaccine A PhD student from the University of the Witwatersrand today, 12 October 2015, published a study in the prestigious journal, Nature Medicine, describing how the changing viral swarm in an HIV infected person can drive the generation of antibodies able to neutralize HIV strains from across the world. The study has important implications for the design of a protective HIV vaccine.
	Brain structure generates pockets of sleep within the brain Sleep is usually considered an all-or-nothing state: The brain is either entirely awake or entirely asleep. However, MIT neuroscientists have discovered a brain circuit that can trigger small regions of the brain to fall asleep or become less alert, while the rest of the brain remains awake.
Young women less likely to be prescribed or take post-heart attack meds Young women are less likely than young men to be prescribed or to fill their medication after a heart attack, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
	Vaccinating children may be cost-effective for tackling flu Extending flu vaccine administration to UK children may be a cost-effective way to reduce disease burden in the general population, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.
Cancer survivors often have poor diets, which can affect their long-term health While most cancer survivors in the United States are motivated to seek information about food choices and dietary changes to improve their health, a new study comparing their dietary patterns to federal guidelines indicates that they often fall short. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings point to the need for dietary interventions in this vulnerable population.
	Last S. Korea MERS patient rediagnosed with virus A South Korean man believed cured of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been rediagnosed with the deadly virus, health officials said Tuesday.
Research fellow conducts research to minimize negative effects of cancer treatments Texas A&M University predoctoral research fellow Gleb Kuzmin and scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are conducting research to understand negative effects proton therapy cancer treatments can have on normal human tissue. They are seeking to find not only the best way to accurately estimate unintended radiation dose to normal tissue in the short term, but also to provide efficient and targeted treatment while minimizing unintended negative effects.
	Socializing helps elderly modify interactions Despite the stereotype that older adults often ramble or talk off topic, seniors who enjoy socializing are able to adapt their conversations to a listener's age, says a University of Michigan researcher.
Research points to new treatment for prostate condition An unexpected discovery by scientists at the University of York could potentially pave the way for new treatments for benign enlargement of the prostate, a condition which affects more than 200 million men worldwide.
	Smoking habits found to change the blood serum concentration of aging-related molecules The average life span of smokers is more than 10 years shorter than that of non-smoker, and it is said that smoking is a factor which accelerates aging. However, the details of the mechanism which accelerates aging due to smoking was not yet clear.
When touch turns to pain Researchers in Tübingen and Trieste (Italy) have made a major contribution to understanding the sense of touch and pain. A team led by Dr Jing Hu (Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience – CIN, Tübingen) discovered that two substances contained within nerve cell membranes have a crucial impact on our perception of touch. They were able to show how the interaction of these two substances can be interrupted in such a way that touch stimuli are not transmitted and constant pain is alleviated.
	Theta oscillations coordinate navigation and movement Using light pulses, Berlin scientists have recently managed to control theta oscillations in mouse brain. They discovered that these brain waves coordinate movement - enabling signaling between distant brain regions – a common code for controlling mental states and behavior.
	Allergic asthma: Researchers identify a key molecule Allergies are becoming more commonplace, particularly in industrialised coun-tries. In addition to hay fever, allergic asthma is currently considered to be one of the most widespread allergies. UFZ researchers and their colleagues from the University of Leipzig have recently been successful in finding a protein that plays a critical role in the development of allergic airway inflammation. The discovery could pave the way for new therapies, as it also influences the pro-gression of the allergy.
Are your multivitamins and supplements providing needed micronutrients? Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement Contribution to Micronutrient Intakes in the United States, 2007–2010 has been selected as the 2015 Ragus Award Winner as Best Article from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the official publication of the American College of Nutrition.
'Dead' Indian man wakes up minutes before post-mortem A homeless Indian man who had been pronounced dead woke up on an autopsy table, shocking hospital staff who were about to begin a post-mortem, authorities said Tuesday.
	Research could help solve hypoglycaemia unawareness and discover how the brain deals with frequent hypos An Exeter researcher is looking into the effects of low blood glucose and how it can affect people with diabetes.
Understanding ancient human ear-orienting system could yield clues to emotions, hearing deficits in infants Vestigial organs, such as the wisdom teeth in humans, are those that have become functionless through the course of evolution. Now, a psychologist at the University of Missouri studying vestigial muscles behind the ears in humans has determined that ancient neural circuits responsible for moving the ears, still may be responsive to sounds that attract our attention. Neuroscientists studying auditory function could use these ancient muscles to study positive emotions and infant hearing deficits.
	New drug candidate ameliorates Alzheimer's and other brain diseases Professor Armin Giese from the Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research at the LMU Munich and researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen and at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn have analyzed a novel substance that could serve as a prototype for the development of drugs to treat Alzheimer's and other brain diseases. Known as "anle138b", this substance ameliorated disease symptoms in mice and improved their cognition. The scientists report on these findings in the journal "Acta Neuropathologica".
Type 2 diabetes screening needs 'reviewing' The process for screening for Type 2 diabetes or those at high risk of the condition needs "careful re-evaluation", according to the first study on the effectiveness of testing methods.
	Obesity surgery normalizes brain opioids Researchers at Aalto University and University of Turku have revealed how obesity surgery recovers opioid neurotransmission in the brain.
	A molecular clearance mechanism enables synapses to continously release transmitter Auditory neuroscientists discover bottleneck of information flow in the ear and pave the way for gene therapy of deafness. Publication in EMBO Journal.
	Poor dental health associated with cardiovascular disorders Gum disease is associated with cardiovascular disorders and gives patients with known cardiovascular disorders a worse prognosis. This is the verdict of the largest study so far done in this field which is the subject of a thesis to be presented at Uppsala University tomorrow 9 October.
Healthy diet may reduce cognitive decline as people age Eating healthier may reduce cognitive decline and diminish the negative impact of an unhealthy diet on memory and thinking abilities in older adults, suggests a new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The findings are being published online by the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.
Causal link between telomere shortening and Alzheimer's disease In a newly published study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet show that the shortening of the telomeres – the caps at each end of the chromosomes in our cells – can be linked statistically to the active mechanism responsible for Alzheimer's disease. However, the effect is small and telomere length cannot yet be used to assess disease risk at an individual level. The results are presented in the journal JAMA Neurology.
'I am right for your child!'—The key to winning over your future in-laws The key to dealing with future in-laws who disapprove of your relationship may involve showing them what a good influence you are on their child, rather than manipulating them with gifts. In the Springer journal Human Nature, Menelaos Apostolou shares the results of interviews with Greek- Cypriot children and parents and also finds that mothers may be more easily won over than fathers.
	Mama or dada? Research looks at what words are easiest for kids to learn A baby's first words are often Mama or Dada, but new research by a Florida State University psychology professor delves into how children build on these early words to create a colorful vocabulary.
Study shows social media content may hold keys to important health information Language used in everyday social media posts may have a strong connection to an individual's health, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In the first study of its kind, the new results suggest that not only are many adult Facebook and Twitter users willing to share their social media data and medical data for research purposes, but that by building a language databank, it may be possible to link social media content to health outcomes. Results of the study are published online today in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety.
New computer program predicts cochlear implant success in hearing-impaired children A new computer program that analyzes functional brain MRIs of hearing impaired children can predict whether they will develop effective language skills within two years of cochlear implant surgery, according to a study in the journal Brain and Behavior.
Bacterium that causes Q fever linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma The bacterium that causes Q fever, an infectious disease that humans contract from animals, is associated with an increased risk of lymphoma, according to a study published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
Listeria can grow on unrefrigerated caramel apples Caramel apples punctured with dipping sticks and left unrefrigerated over the course of a couple of weeks may harbor a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes, according to a study published this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Nonmedical prescription opioid use disorders, deaths increase in the US From 2003 to 2013, the percentage of nonmedical use of prescription opioids decreased among adults in the U.S., while the prevalence of prescription opioid use disorders, frequency of use, and related deaths increased, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA.
In females, childhood head injury could lead to alcohol abuse later in life Girls who suffer a concussive bump on the head in childhood could be at increased risk for abusing alcohol as adults, a new study suggests.
Imaging study demonstrates how the 'social brain' is functionally impaired in autism A team of UCLA scientists has found that brain areas linked to social behaviors are both underdeveloped and insufficiently networked in youths with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to study participants without ASD.
Drug-resistant E. coli continues to climb in community health settings Drug-resistant E. coli infections are on the rise in community hospitals, where more than half of U.S. patients receive their health care, according to a new study from Duke Medicine.
	Tulane researchers working on new tuberculosis vaccine Researchers at the Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC) are leading efforts to find a new vaccine for tuberculosis, one of the world's deadliest diseases. Tuberculosis, a contagious infection of the lungs, affected more than nine million people in 2013, killing more than one million.
Substance abuse treatment remains low for opioid use disorders During the decade from 2004 to 2013, use of treatment remained low for individuals with opioid use disorders, according to a study in the Oct. 13 issue of JAMA.
Benefit of early physical therapy for low-back pain appears modest Early physical therapy for recent-onset low back pain resulted in statistically significant improvement in disability compared to usual care, but the improvement was modest and did not achieve a difference considered clinically important at the individual patient level, according to a study in the Oct. 13 issue of JAMA.
Greater neighborhood access to fast-food outlets linked to lower bone mass in infants New research from the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton in the UK indicates that neighbourhood exposure to fast food outlets is potentially linked to poorer bone development in early childhood.
	Possible new treatment for neurodegenerative diseases found Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that a well-established anti-epileptic drug could also be used as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.
	Have you got the X Factor? Psychologists find that you may be musical and not even know it The old adage says practice makes perfect, but a new study from the University of Cambridge has shown that personality also plays a key role in musical ability, even for those who do not play an instrument.
	3-D printed fetal head helps manage care for baby with life-threatening airway mass Megan Thompson was about 30 weeks pregnant when an ultrasound showed a walnut-sized lump on her tiny, unborn child's face that could prevent him from breathing after birth.
	Doxycycline may cut bleeding with ventricular assist device (HealthDay)—Doxycycline can potentially cut left ventricular assist device (LVAD)-associated bleeding, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in JACC: Heart Failure.
	Minimally invasive hysterectomy may be underused (HealthDay)—In 2012, minimally invasive hysterectomy was underused for gynecologic cancers, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Training module helps optometrists ID glaucoma (HealthDay)—Incorporating functional results into assessments may improve the accuracy of optometrists' diagnosis of glaucoma following a training intervention, according to a study published online Oct. 2 in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.
	Sorafenib, sunitinib may pose cardiovascular risk (HealthDay)—Older kidney cancer patients treated with sorafenib or sunitinib may face an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in Cancer.
	COPD tied to increased risk of ischemic, hemorrhagic stroke (HealthDay)—Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with increased risk of all stroke, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke, although the risks are attenuated after adjustment for smoking, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Calcium supplements tied to kidney stone risk in study (HealthDay)—People with a history of kidney stones may have a higher risk of recurrence if they use calcium supplements, a new study finds.
	Bioresorbable vascular scaffold deemed noninferior (HealthDay)—For patients with noncomplex obstructive coronary artery disease, treatment with an everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold is noninferior to treatment with an everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics meeting, held from Oct. 11 to 15 in San Francisco.
	ACP provides guidelines for retail health clinics (HealthDay)—Retail clinics have a place in health care and should encourage the longitudinal care relationship with primary care physicians, according to a position paper published online Oct. 12 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
More data sought on birth control device Essure Drastic as it may sound, sterilization is the second-most-popular birth control method among U.S. women, and more than 10 million have opted for it.
	Stage 0 breast cancer: When should you wait and see? In cancer, as in other areas of medicine, early detection can save lives. But the screening tests used to find early tumors also detect disease that would never cause problems - disease you'll die with but not from. Managing those cases means giving potentially harmful treatment to patients who won't benefit.
Anticancer effects of drugs overestimated by as much as 45 percent in animal models Badly designed studies may lead to the efficacy of drugs being overestimated and money being wasted on trials that prove fruitless, according to new a study from McGill University in Canada.
Preclinical study shows potential to increase the effectiveness of leukemia treatments Preclinical experiments led by a team of researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center have shown that blocking the production of a protein known as chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) may help increase the effectiveness of first-line treatments for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a particularly lethal blood cancer that is increasing in incidence among older adults.
Use of e-cigarettes and alternative tobacco products may lead to increased tobacco use The increasing use of alternative tobacco products, such as water pipes and e-cigarettes, by children under the age of 18 is a burgeoning public health crisis, researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center write in a commentary in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
	Obstructive sleep apnea associated with incident heart failure, death in women Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the development of subsequent cardiovascular (CV) complications differ by sex, but it is not clear from prior research whether the effects of sleep apnea on heart disease is similar for men and women.
Four in ten older adults burdened by demands of health-care system Nearly four in ten older adults say that managing their health care needs is difficult for them or their families, that medical appointments or tests get delayed or don't get done, or that all of the requirements of their health care are too much to handle, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.
	Boosting the brain's waste disposal system Universitätsmedizin Berlin have been investigating the extent to which macrophages, a type of phagocytic immune cell, might be used to eliminate the abnormal protein deposits typically found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Results from this study were published in the current volume of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Animal study suggests treatment that may improve heart function in heart failure Thyroid hormones administered to female rats with high blood pressure led to encouraging cardiac improvements, according to a study in the American Journal of Physiology led by NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine researcher Martin Gerdes.
In a negative emotional climate, romantic partners may miss attempts to warm things up A new University of Illinois study reports that when conflict occurs in romantic relationships, the negative emotional climate that results hinders a person's ability to recognize their partner's attempts to reach out to them.
	Patients using nurse practitioners are less likely to have avoidable hospital admissions New research from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston indicates that diabetic patients who got their primary care from nurse practitioners did not have an increase in potentially preventable hospital admissions.
Enterovirus D68 not associated with higher death rate in children The enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) respiratory infection that affected young children in 2014 appeared to be more virulent than other respiratory infections, but it does not seem to have been related to an increased risk of death or need for critical care, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
	For one researcher, a love for science is in the blood Kids skin their knees playing outside. People prick their fingers with needles trying to sew a button back onto a shirt. Others cut themselves while chopping vegetables.
Antiviral favipiravir successfully treats Lassa virus in guinea pigs Favipiravir, an investigational antiviral drug currently being tested in West Africa as a treatment for Ebola virus disease, effectively treated Lassa virus infection in guinea pigs, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists and colleagues. Lassa fever is endemic to West Africa and affects about 300,000 people annually, killing roughly 5,000. In some parts of Sierra Leone and Liberia, it is believed nearly 15 percent of people admitted to hospitals have Lassa fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No vaccine or licensed treatment exists for Lassa fever, although ribavirin, licensed for hepatitis C treatment, has been used with limited success.
Study finds flu vaccine helps reduce hospitalizations due to influenza pneumonia More than half of hospitalizations due to influenza pneumonia could be prevented by influenza vaccination, according to a study led by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Lower systolic blood pressure reduces risk of hypertension complication Lowering systolic blood pressure below the currently recommended target can reduce the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the most common complication of high blood pressure, according to new research.
Armed malaria protein found to kill cancer cells A new type of cancer therapy based on seemingly unrelated elements of malaria and cancer is showing promise for development. Kairos Therapeutics, a Vancouver-based biotech company spun-out of The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), has partnered with VAR2 Pharmaceuticals to advance the technology into clinical trials.
Researchers develop tool to identify atherosclerotic plaques at greatest risk for rupture Researchers have developed and validated a new tool to help identify unstable or high risk atherosclerotic plaques—inflamed fatty deposits in the artery wall and a main contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD). This breakthrough may lead to better identifying which plaques are considered at the highest risk for rupturing and causing a heart attack or stroke.
Schizophrenia symptoms linked to features of brain's anatomy? Using advanced brain imaging, researchers have matched certain behavioral symptoms of schizophrenia to features of the brain's anatomy. The findings, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, could be a step toward improving diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia.
	TAK-733 shows challenge of using a promising drug in the human body A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published online ahead of print in the journal Oncotarget reports "robust antitumor activity" of the drug TAK-733 in cells and mouse models of colorectal cancer. In all, 42 of 54 tested cell lines were sensitive to the drug, as were 15 of 20 tumors grown on mice from patient samples. Nine of these patient-derived tumors showed regression, meaning that tumor tumors shrank in response to the drug.
	Dominant evolutionary theme emerges to better predict clinical outcomes for cancer Despite the decades long battle since the 'war on cancer' was first declared, major breakthroughs toward improving clinical outcomes have remained elusive. Now, with advanced sequencing, scientists have increasingly entered the fray from an evolutionary perspective toward cancer in the hopes of gaining new insights.
Fast track referral for suspected cancer is saving lives Use of the urgent referral pathway (often called the two week wait system) by general practices for patients with suspected cancer is saving lives, according to a study in The BMJ this week.
Doctors find insulin dose not a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality A NIH-sponsored double-blinded, randomized clinical trial entitled Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD study) came to a halt seven years ago after patients receiving more intensive diabetes therapy were found to have a higher mortality rate, compared to the standard therapy. In 2008, the results were released, puzzling researchers. Subsequent investigations have not been able to clearly identify the exact reason for the increased mortality, although some previous epidemiologic and mechanistic studies did suggest that insulin may be associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Tougher guidelines on animal research can help quest for cures, study suggests A study of animal-based research published over the last 70 years suggests that leading scientists could have done more to ensure impartial outcomes; experts hope that guidelines introduced in 2010 will help to improve chances of discovering effective new medicines for stroke, dementia and other conditions.
	Unexpected moments in culture make people better thinkers, study finds Halloween-decorated plates at a Labor Day party. A bride in a green gown with her groom in a purple tuxedo and no wedding party. An obituary that declares of the deceased: "Regina had no hobbies, made no contribution to society, and rarely shared a kind word or deed in her life."
	Relaxation response-based program may reduce participants' future use of health services Many studies have showed that eliciting the relaxation response - a physiologic state of deep rest induced by practices such as meditation, yoga and prayer - not only relieves feelings of stress and anxiety but also affects physiologic factors such as blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen consumption. Now a study from the Institute for Technology Assessment and the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) for Mind Body Medicine - both at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) - finds that individuals participating in a relaxation-response-focused training program used fewer health care services in the year after their participation than in the preceding year. The report is being published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
Disparities in breast cancer persist across all subtypes and stages It has been consistently observed that minority women, especially African Americans, Hispanic whites and American Indians, are more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages of breast cancer, less likely to receive recommended treatment regimens, and more likely to die of the disease. Previous studies have addressed the disparities by stage of disease and survival rates, but did not characterize them by subtypes, Lu Chen, MPH, a researcher in the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle said.
Pregnancy centers sue to block abortion information law Crisis pregnancy centers that discourage women from getting abortions are suing to block a new law that would make California the first state to require them to provide information about abortions.
The fat city that declared war on obesity When Velveth Monterroso arrived in the USA from her hometown in Guatemala, she weighed exactly 10 stone. But after a decade of living in Oklahoma, she was more than five stone heavier and fighting diabetes at the age of 34. This friendly woman, a mother of two children, is a living embodiment of the obesity culture cursing the world's wealthiest country. "In Guatemala it is rare to see people who are very overweight, but it could not be more different here," she said. "I saw this when I came here."
Bowel condition could hold key to developing health super foods Research has begun to understand how certain foods affect functional gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as part of a multi-million dollar Government initiative to develop premium foods and drink that improve health and wellbeing.
	Can Vitamin D improve your eyesight? Young Brisbane adults aged between 18 and 25 are invited to participate in a QUT study into the role vitamin D plays in how accurate your eyes are at focussing near and far.
	Do hearts fail because they're hooked on blood sugar? Could your heart get hooked on blood sugar? Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine think so, and they will determine if blocking that addiction could prevent enlargement of the heart that can lead to deadly heart failure.
	Conversation-provoking HIV/AIDS campaigns may be counter-productive Mass media campaigns aimed to make adolescents in South Africa talk about issues related to HIV/AIDS may be counter-productive.
Changing gender norms make initiation safer At least 30 initiates are known to have died by the time the traditional male initiation season ended in South Africa this winter (2015). Most were from Xhosa communities in the Eastern Cape province.
	How autism apps help kids on the spectrum Technology is helping children with autism master decidedly non-technical skills.
	'Window to the brain' research to ramp up A team of scientists from the University of California, Riverside and three Mexican universities have received about $5 million in funding to support research to continue development of a novel transparent skull implant that literally provides a "window to the brain."
AAOS Board of Directors approves information statement to combat growing opioid epidemic To help address the growing opioid epidemic in the U.S., the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors is calling for a comprehensive effort to increase and improve physician, caregiver and patient education; the tracking of opioid prescription use; research funding for alternative pain management; and support for more effective opioid abuse treatment programs.
	Video conferencing could increase shared decision-making in hospice care While there is vast research on shared decision-making between patients and providers, little research exists on how providers and family caregivers reach mutual decisions—a dynamic that is prominent in hospice care, a type of medical care given to patients near the end of their lives. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that shared decision-making, although beneficial, could be enhanced in hospice care. The researchers recommend that health care workers employ measures such as video conferencing to help increase the likelihood of shared decision-making between patients and family caregivers.
	Can a 'sense' DNA drug reverse antisense drug to treat blood clots and prevent bleeding? Researchers from Isis Pharmaceuticals (Carlsbad, CA) and Prysis Biotechnologies (Pudong, Shanghai, China) have demonstrated proof-of-concept for using a sense oligonucleotide to undo the effects of an antisense drug, an antithrombotic agent in this novel study. The sense oligonucleotide antidote reversed the actions of the antisense antithrombotic drug in the mouse model and prevented the bleeding that commonly occurs with anti-coagulation therapy, as described in an article in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics. The article is available free on the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics website until November 13, 2015.
Study underscores need to assess behavioral sequelae of TBI Kessler researchers assessed moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) for frontal behavioral syndromes and cognitive function. Their finding suggest that adding the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale to neuropsychological assessment may yield useful information about the behavioral sequelae of TBI. The article, Assessing frontal behavioral syndromes and cognitive functions in traumatic brain injury, DOI:10.1080/23279095.2013 was published in Applied Psychology: Adult. The authors are Jeannie Lengenfelder, PhD, Aparna Arjunan, Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, Angela Smith, MA, and John DeLuca, PhD, of Kessler Foundation.
Retail clinics best used as backup to a patient's primary care physician The American College of Physicians (ACP) today said that retail health clinics - now commonly present in drugstores and/or big box retailers - are best used as a backup alternative to a patient's primary care physician for the diagnosis and treatment of episodic minor illnesses. "Health care delivery models are changing and our patients are embracing and exploring alternatives to the traditional office practice," said Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, president of ACP.
Intra-uterine surgery for at-risk fetuses Some anomalies in fetuses must be treated before delivery to prevent infant death or the risk of serious complications. Fortunately, fetuses can be operated in the womb, thanks to advanced technologies in ultrasound, fiber-optics, and laser surgery. The Fetal Therapy Center at CHU Sainte-Justine, the University of Montreal's affiliated children's hospital, specializes in treating "twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome" (TTTS), a serious disorder that occurs in identical twins who share a placenta but are carried in separate amniotic sacs. The anomaly causes an imbalance in the blood flow between the two infants, which left untreated, results in the death of the twins in 90% of cases.
Mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystropy identifies potential new approaches to therapy Genetic ablation of P2RX7 can improve muscle function and partially correct cognitive impairment and bone loss in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a study published this week in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Dariusz Gorecki of the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK and colleagues, additionally suggests that P2RX7 antagonists can reduce certain DMD phenotypes in these mice.

Biology news

	Scientists find the external environment, oxidation greatest threats to DNA A study led by Indiana University biologist Patricia Foster and colleagues has found that forces in the external environment and oxidation are the greatest threats to an organism's ability to repair damage to its own DNA.
Sixth sense: How do we sense electric fields? A variety of animals are able to sense and react to electric fields, and living human cells will move along an electric field, for example in wound healing. Now a team lead by Min Zhao at the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures has found the first actual "sensor mechanism" that allows a living cell detect an electric field. The work is published Oct. 9 in the journal Nature Communications.
	Plant hormone 'switch' unravels chromatin to form flowers, biologists find Because plants cannot pick up and move, they have evolved a plethora of strategies to cope with environmental stresses, whether they bring a harsh spell of drought or a browsing deer.
	Groundbreaking research to improve diagnosis of colic in horses Experts in one of the most dangerous health problems in horses have just published new research which could transform the way the condition is diagnosed and treated by vets and horse-owners.
	New field of application for versatile helper In Alzheimer's disease proteins clump together to long fibrils causing the death of nerve cells. Small heat shock proteins can counteract this effect. Scientists, therefore, hope to deploy them as agents in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Using the example of a small heat shock protein, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Helmholtz Zentrum München have now uncovered how the protein interacts with other proteins.
Study finds glyphosate and acetamiprid to have relatively low toxicity for honey bees Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and Mississippi State University tested 42 commonly used pesticides in a realistic field setting in order to determine their toxicity levels. The results were published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.
Rabbits needed as fodder for predators to protect endemic mammals Land managers need to consider a more comprehensive approach to control feral cats (Felis catus), dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) and rabbit populations in order to save WA's small mammal populations, according to a local wildlife conservation expert.
Re-thinking plant and insect diversity New research by biologists at the University of York shows that plant and insect diversity is more loosely linked than scientists previously believed.
New research sees zebrafish earn their stripes in the fight against muscular dystrophy New research published today in the journal eLife has demonstrated a new method for observing the behaviour of the protein Dystrophin in a living animal cell, in real-time. This breakthrough may provide a key to understanding how to treat the genetic disease, Muscular Dystrophy.
	Sight set on tracking threatened species Ever wanted to track a rock wallaby in the rugged Australian bush or watch an orangutan swing past you in the wild jungles of Borneo but without the dangers of being there?
	Billions of juvenile fish under the Arctic sea ice Using a new net, marine biologists from the Alfred Wegener Institute have, for the first time, been able to catch polar cod directly beneath the Arctic sea ice with a trawl, allowing them to determine their large-scale distribution and origin. This information is of fundamental importance, as polar cod are a major source of food for seals, whales and seabirds in the Arctic. The study, which was recently published in the journal Polar Biology, shows that only juvenile fish are found under the ice, a habitat the researchers fear could disappear as a result of climate change.
	New gorgeous coffee tree species from Honduras is critically endangered Amid the challenging terrain of north-western Honduras, where Dr. Kelly's team faced rugged and steep forest areas cut across here and there by a few trails, a gorgeous tree with cherry-like fruits was discovered. Being about 10 metres (33 ft) high and covered with cream-colored flowers, it was quickly sorted into the Coffee family (Rubiaceae), but it was its further description that took much longer. Eventually, it was named Sommera cusocoana, with its specific name stemming from its so far only known locality, the Cusuco National Park. The study is available in the open-access journal PhytoKeys.
	EU lawmakers reject GM crop compromise EU lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a hard-won compromise which allows member states to decide for themselves whether or not to import Genetically Modified Organisms for use in food and animal feed.
Researchers learn how to keep pathogens, pests from traveling with grain University of Florida researchers say new research can help grain handlers and grain inspectors find key locations for pathogens and pests along rail routes in the United States and Australia.
Mysterious oak leaf itch mite leaves its tiny bite mark across lower Plains The mysterious bug bites first appeared a few weeks ago.
	In dryland African regions, limiting wildlife water access can reduce water quality Water-dependent wildlife populations in sensitive African dryland regions need continued access to limited surface water resources—even as human development increases in these areas—because restricting access and concentrating wildlife populations along riparian regions can impact water quality and, potentially, human health, according to Virginia Tech research published this week in the journal PLOS ONE.
	Wild aurochs-like cattle reintroduced in Czech Republic (Update) Such an animal has not been seen on Czech territory for hundreds of years.
Milling innovations help food sector tap barley's health properties Barley, which is especially high in the healthy fibre component beta-glucan, has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Increasing consumer awareness of these benefits has driven demand for more barley-based products however manufacturers have found it difficult to preserve beta-glucan in the grain during traditional milling procedures.
	Manuscript at the click of a button Data collection and analysis are at the core of modern research, and often take months or even years during which researchers remain uncredited for their contribution. A new plugin to a workflow previously developed by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Pensoft, and tested with datasets shared through GBIF and DataONE, now makes it possible to convert metadata into a manuscript for scholarly publications, with a click of a button.

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