Science X Newsletter Thursday, Jun 30

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for June 30, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Tiny DNA 'legs' walk with record fuel efficiency

Wireless, wearable toxic-gas detector

Pea plants demonstrate ability to 'gamble'—a first in plants

It's not easy being green—what colors tell us about galaxy evolution

Researchers find surface of Mercury arose from deep inside the planet

Deceptive sexual signals keep the peace in a bonobo society

Fruit flies adjust to sudden drops in temperature; just keep buzzing about the fruit bowl

Researchers discover powerful defense against free radicals that cause aging, disease

Research identifies master controller of blood vessel growth in the heart

Heat, light stimulate self-assembly: Researchers develop shape-changing 'smart' material

Wi-Fi Alliance continues tech advance with WiFi 802.11ac Wave 2

Rosetta, Philae to reunite on comet for Sept 30 mission end

Study shows link between canned food, exposure to hormone-disrupting chemical BPA

Erasing unpleasant memories with a genetic switch

Prehistoric tombs enhanced astronomical viewing

Astronomy & Space news

	It's not easy being green—what colors tell us about galaxy evolution An international team of scientists, led from Durham's Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC), used new computer modelling of the Universe to investigate the colours that galaxies have and what those colours might tell us about how galaxies evolve.
	Researchers find surface of Mercury arose from deep inside the planet NASA researchers have found that several volcanic deposits on Mercury's surface require mantle melting to have started close to the planet's core-mantle boundary, which lies only 400km below the planets surface and making it unique in the solar system. This is reported at the Goldschmidt conference in Yokohama, Japan.
	Rosetta, Philae to reunite on comet for Sept 30 mission end After nearly two years apart, Europe's Rosetta spacecraft will join stranded robot probe Philae on September 30 on the icy surface of a comet hurtling through space, their eternal resting place, mission control said Thursday.
	Using gravitational waves to catch runaway black holes Black holes are the most powerful gravitational force in the Universe. So what could cause them to be kicked out of their host galaxies? Cambridge researchers have developed a method for detecting elusive 'black hole kicks.'
	Hubble captures vivid auroras in Jupiter's atmosphere Astronomers are using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to study auroras—stunning light shows in a planet's atmosphere—on the poles of the largest planet in the Solar System, Jupiter. This observation programme is supported by measurements made by NASA's Juno spacecraft, currently on its way to Jupiter.
	Journey to Jupiter: NASA spacecraft nears planet rendezvous Jupiter takes center stage with the arrival next week of a NASA spacecraft built to peek through its thick, swirling clouds and map the planet from the inside out.
How planetary age reveals water content Water is necessary for life as we know it, but too much water is bad for habitability. Therefore, to study the habitability of extrasolar planets, determining the abundance of water is a key element. Yann Alibert, Science Officer of PlanetS, shows that the observation of exoplanets at different ages can be used to set statistical constraints on their water content – an important result for future space missions.
	How much water is inside Jupiter? Juno spacecraft is about to find out NASA's Juno spacecraft is just a few days shy of its arrival at the solar system's biggest planet. The highly anticipated mission is about to offer a glimpse into the real nature of Jupiter, hopefully providing new insights about the structure of this gas giant. Juno could be on the verge of redefining our current knowledge about what lies deep beneath Jupiter's thick and violent atmosphere.
	Sentinel-1 satellites combine radar vision The twin Sentinel-1 satellites have – for the first time – combined to show their capability for revealing even small deformations in Earth's surface.
	Stephen Hawking intends to map the known universe Back in 1997, a team of leading scientists and cosmologists came together to establish the COSMOS supercomputing center at Cambridge University. Under the auspices of famed physicist Stephen Hawking, this facility and its supercomputer are dedicated to the research of cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics – ultimately, for the purpose of unlocking the deeper mysteries of the universe.
Chaotic orbit of Comet Halley explained A team of Dutch and Scottish researchers led by Simon Portegies Zwart (Leiden University) has found an explanation for the chaotic behavior of the orbit of Halley's Comet. The findings are accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	Teenagers on work experience discover new planet A group of teenagers on work experience at Keele University in Staffordshire may have discovered a new planet.
	Blue Origin building orbital launch vehicle facility Blue Origin and its founder Jeff Bezos do a little one-upmanship on the old saying, "go big or go home." With the groundbreaking of their new orbital vehicle manufacturing complex, they are going big AND going home. The new facility will be located near Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will house Blue Origin's orbital launch vehicle, which Bezos has sometimes referred to as "Very Big Brother." The new facility has a planned grand opening of December 2017.

Technology news

	Wi-Fi Alliance continues tech advance with WiFi 802.11ac Wave 2 (Tech Xplore)—A new Wi-Fi standard carries a promising impact on products meeting the new standard. Tech watchers are saying that 802.11ac Wave 2 certification means one can expect better performance and capacity in Wi-Fi.
	The next wearable technology could be your skin Technology can be awkward. Our pockets are weighed down with ever-larger smartphones that are a pain to pull out when we're in a rush. And attempts to make our devices more easily accessible with smart watches have so far fallen flat. But what if a part of your body could become your computer, with a screen on your arm and maybe even a direct link to your brain?
Netherlands gets first nationwide 'Internet of Things' Dutch telecoms group KPN said Thursday that The Netherlands had become the first country in the world to implement a nationwide long range (LoRa) network for the so-called Internet of Things.
	New technology could improve use of small-scale hydropower in developing nations Engineers at Oregon State University have created a new computer modeling package that people anywhere in the world could use to assess the potential of a stream for small-scale, "run of river" hydropower, an option to produce electricity that's of special importance in the developing world.
	Amazon 'Prime Day' sales gimmick is back this July Amazon is renewing its "Prime Day" July sales gimmick as Wal-Mart also tries to go after online shoppers.
	Data centers continue to proliferate while their energy use plateaus As the number of data centers continues to increase in the United States, the good news is that they are becoming much more energy efficient. A new report from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has found that electricity consumption by data centers nationwide, after rising rapidly for more than a decade, started to plateau in 2010 and has remained steady since, at just under 2 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption.
	Is it time to uninstall antivirus software? For years everyone has been told that they should run antivirus software on their computer for the best possible protection against the ever growing tide of viruses, trojans and general malware on the Internet.
	Brilliant hard drive quality with magnetic field sensors made of diamond Quantum mechanics is not only of high interest in fundamental research. The current progress in quantum technologies promises numerous innovations of industrial relevance, which will be transferred into the economy within the next five to ten years. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF, the University of Stuttgart, and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research are developing highly sensitive diamond probes as a basis for novel quantum sensors. These are able to characterize smallest magnetic fields with a spatial resolution in the nanometer range. In the future, these probes will be used for the analysis and inspection of magnetic storage media in order to identify defective hard drive segments and thus considerably reduce rejection rates and production costs. A further field of application could be the characterization of biological substances, e. g. proteins. The research program "NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) at the Nanoscale" was launched in 2016 and will be running over the next three years.
	Oil system developed for greener, more fuel efficient mild hybrid vehicles The concept for a novel oil system has been developed by a researcher at The University of Nottingham as part of a bid to advance greener, more fuel-efficient, mild hybrid technology for vehicles of the future.
	Aussie innovation changing how we experience the Tour de France and Rio Olympics Sports fans are about to get a whole new way of experiencing the upcoming Tour de France and select endurance sports at the Rio 2016 Olympics thanks to a start-up out of CSIRO's Data61 group.
Study finds new tool to measure homeland security risks Researchers have validated a new risk assessment tool that can be used by the Department of Homeland Security to help evaluate decisions and priorities in natural disasters, terrorist events, and major accidents.
	Apple sued over obscure film by China's media regulator: court Apple is being sued by China's media regulator over rights to an obscure patriotic film, a Beijing court said Thursday, in the latest legal battle for the US tech giant in one of its crucial overseas markets.
	Samsung sells Galaxy S7 phones that aren't tied to carrier Samsung will sell unlocked versions of its flagship Galaxy S7 phones in the U.S. so consumers can switch carriers more easily.
Spanish tax inspectors search Google office in Madrid A Madrid court says it authorized tax inspectors to enter Google's offices in Madrid as part of a tax department investigation.
	Here come the virtual reality Olympics ... for Samsung users Athletes in Rio will compete to be the fastest sprinter and highest jumper at the Olympics this August. But there's another test underway as well: How well can virtual reality capture sporting events?
Government urges owners of old Hondas to get air bags fixed The U.S. government is urging owners of 313,000 older Hondas and Acuras to stop driving them and get them repaired after new tests found that their Takata air bag inflators are extremely dangerous.
Amazon adds 50 Dash Buttons, says orders roll in twice a minute Amazon is expanding its one-press Dash Button technology to toys and musical equipment.
Can app find next 'Harry Potter'? Serial entrepreneurs Prerna Gupta and husband Parag Chordia launched their mobile reading app Hooked in September as a way to publish fiction for the social media generation.
On-demand business models have put some startups on life support Last summer, flower delivery startup BloomThat was in an enviable position.
	Review: Triby gets Amazon's Alexa to help you in the kitchen You may have heard of the Amazon Echo, a stand-alone speaker with the Alexa voice service built in.
	Google serves a 'Nougat' to fans of its Android software Google is serving a new morsel for fans of its Android software: The next version has been dubbed "Nougat," extending Google's tradition of nicknaming each overhaul of Android after a sweet food.
	Self-driving car driver killed in Florida collision, a first The first U.S. self-driving car fatality took place in May when the driver of a Tesla S sports car using the vehicle's "autopilot" automated driving system died in a collision with a truck in Florida, federal officials said Thursday.
	Computer game designers create 3D anatomical training tool for anatomists Abertay University computer game designers have helped Aberdeen University anatomists build interactive 3D models of human organs and other body parts that are set to help to train doctors and medical scientists of the future.

Medicine & Health news

Researchers discover powerful defense against free radicals that cause aging, disease Free radicals cause cell damage and death, aging and disease, and scientists have sought new ways to repel them for years.
	Research identifies master controller of blood vessel growth in the heart A research advance from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) and Stanford University could lead to new drugs that minimize the damage caused by heart attacks. The discovery, published today in Nature Communications, reveals a key control point in controlling the formation of new blood vessels in the heart, and offers a novel approach to treat heart disease patients.
	Study shows link between canned food, exposure to hormone-disrupting chemical BPA New Stanford research resolves the debate on the link between canned food and exposure to the hormone-disrupting chemical known as Bisphenol A, or BPA.
	Erasing unpleasant memories with a genetic switch Researchers from KU Leuven (Belgium) and the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Germany) have managed to erase unpleasant memories in mice using a 'genetic switch'. Their findings were published in Biological Psychiatry.
	Thinking 'I can do better' really can improve performance, study finds Telling yourself I can do better, can really make you do better at a given task, a study published in Frontiers in Psychology has found.
	Achilles heel discovered in Ebola virus may lead to future treatment (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers working at Oxford University in the U.K. has found what appears to be an Achilles heel in the Ebola virus—a pocket able to hold destabilizing compounds. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes the pocket they discovered and two drugs that when used to occupy the pocket, caused the virus to become unstable and thus unable to reproduce.
	Gene mutation 'hotspots' linked to better breast cancer outcomes Kataegis is a recently discovered phenomenon in which multiple mutations cluster in a few hotspots in a genome. The anomaly was previously found in some cancers, but it has been unclear what role kataegis plays in tumor development and patient outcomes. Using a database of human tumor genomic data, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have discovered that kataegis is actually a positive marker in breast cancer—patients with these mutation hotspots have less invasive tumors and better prognoses.
	Zebrafish reveal the ups and downs of vision Researchers from the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King's College London have shed light on how we perceive and recognise specific visual stimuli.
	MRI technique induces strong, enduring visual association Researchers have made two new scientific points with a set of experiments in which they induced people to perceive colors that weren't really there—one concerning how the brain works and the other concerning how to work the brain.
	New therapy treats autoimmune disease without harming normal immunity In a study with potentially major implications for the future treatment of autoimmunity and related conditions, scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found a way to remove the subset of antibody-making cells that cause an autoimmune disease, without harming the rest of the immune system. The autoimmune disease the team studied is called pemphigus vulgaris (PV), a condition in which a patient's own immune cells attack a protein called desmoglein-3 (Dsg3) that normally adheres skin cells.
	Harnessing an innate repair mechanism enhances the success of retinal transplantation Regenerative therapies, based on cell replacement, hold promise for a wide range of age-related diseases, but efforts to bring the therapies to patients have not been very successful - in large part because the newly-derived replacement cells can't integrate efficiently into tissues affected by the ravages of aging. Publishing in Science, researchers at the Buck Institute harnessed a naturally-occurring and evolutionarily ancient anti-inflammatory mechanism that repaired the eye and significantly enhanced the success of retinal regenerative therapies in mice. The results could be particularly significant for chronic inflammatory diseases of the eye, including macular degeneration.
	Weight-loss technologies train the brain to resist temptation Can a computer game train your brain to resist sweets?
	A new experimental system sheds light on how memory loss may occur Two interconnected brain areas - the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex - help us to know where we are and to remember it later. By studying these brain areas, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute have uncovered new information about how dysfunction of this circuit may contribute to memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. Their results appear in Cell Reports.
Experts make breakthrough in brain cancer research Scientists at Newcastle University, UK, have made a pioneering breakthrough in the understanding of how a fatal brain tumour grows—which could lead to improved treatments for patients.
	All signs point to health: Arrows on grocery floors increased the proportion of produce spending Fruit and vegetable availability is often assumed to be a purchase barrier, yet fruit and vegetable availability does not necessarily result in frequent purchases. Rather, in-store marketing of less-healthy foods may be a major influencing factor in consumer spending habits regarding fruits and vegetables. A new study, in which in-store marketing focused attention on fruits and vegetables, resulted in an increased proportion of produce purchases keeping overall food spending the same.
Smartphone apps not so smart at helping users avoid or achieve pregnancy You might not want to depend on your smartphone app alone to help you avoid or achieve pregnancy, say the authors of a new study. A review of nearly 100 fertility awareness apps finds that most don't employ evidence-based methodology.
Early diagnosis, effective therapy vital for treatment of deadly invasive aspergillosis New therapies are improving care, but early diagnosis remains critical in the effective treatment of invasive, a potentially deadly fungal infection, according to new guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
	Microcephaly screening alone won't detect all cases of Zika virus in newborns, study suggests Zika virus infection cannot be accurately diagnosed in newborns solely on the basis of microcephaly screening, according to the largest study of its kind to date published in The Lancet. The findings suggest that signs and symptoms of brain abnormalities, regardless of head circumference, should also be included in screening criteria to detect all affected newborns.
Zika virus identified in brain and placenta tissue, strengthening link to birth defects New research, published today in The Lancet, reveals that Zika virus has been detected in the brain tissue of a deceased 2-month-old baby in Brazil who was diagnosed with microcephaly, in the brain tissue of two newborns who died shortly after birth, and in the placenta tissue of two foetuses that were spontaneously aborted.
	Malaria vaccine loses effectiveness over several years: study An experimental vaccine against malaria known as Mosquirix—or RTS,S—weakens over time and is only about four percent effective over a seven-year span, researchers said Wednesday.
Tango therapy lifts spirits of Argentine mental patients The shadows of barred windows make the Buenos Aires psychiatric hospital seem especially soulless, but then the syncopated beats of tango music fill the air.
	Are you watching TV more than 14 hours per week? Childhood is an important time for good TV viewing habits, as the amount watched could be crucial to reducing negative health effects during adulthood, according to a new study.
	Hospital-at-home is a safe alternative to hospital admission for elderly patients When considering admitting patients over the age of 65 for acute hospital care, alternatives such as hospital at home, admission to a local community hospital or extended stays and treatment in A&E are a viable option say NIHR-funded researchers from the University of Bristol and the University for the West of England (UWE Bristol).
New study sheds light on how some survive Ebola A first-of-its-kind Ebola study yields clues to how some people are able to survive the deadly virus and suggests possible avenues for treatments that could save more lives.
	Analyzing how gun violence affects high-risk populations Yale University sociology professor Andrew Papachristos leads a team of researchers that collects information on an all-too-common occurrence in cities like Chicago, Boston, Newark, Cincinnati and Oakland, California: gun violence.
	Study shows the effects of problematic media on social withdrawal for young millennials It's difficult to convince yourself to go out to that party when you won't know anybody there and your couch is so comfortable and your Xbox is sitting right there, begging to be played.
	Get creative and cut kids' calories at summer cookouts On July 4, a staple of the summer grilling season, many will revel again in the chance to enjoy food that comes off a hot grill and covers the picnic table. However, excessive amounts of sugar and salt are unhealthy constants in some traditional cookout foods, including fatty meats and sugary sodas and punches.
	Psychology of sport and decision making A fraction of a second is all it takes. A forehand hit down the line in a Wimbledon final or a football deftly chipped over the diving goalkeeper in the last moments of a fraught penalty shoot-out in the finals of the European Championships.
	Tailored health campaigns to spot cancer Tailored health campaigns could help ethnic groups spot cancer symptoms earlier
	Study concludes Medicaid expansion could decrease ER visits Emergency room visits could decrease under the Affordable Care Act despite the findings of a 2013 study linking Medicaid expansion to an increase in trips to the ER in Oregon, according to a new paper by Yale University health economist Amanda Kowalski.
	Study reveals reasons for delays in early autism diagnoses A new study has found many Australian children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may not be diagnosed until long after initial signs appear, prompting calls for improvements to the diagnostic process.
	Breast cancer drug Irosustat shows continuing clinical impact New clinical data were revealed at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago last week, the world's largest cancer congress, for Irosustat, a drug pioneered at the University of Bath that could prolong the lives of women with breast cancer.
E-cigarette use among college students—helpful aid or risky enabler? Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use continues to rise, and current data regarding use of e-cigarettes among college students are needed. The study, "Electronic Cigarette Use Among College Students: Links to Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Smoking, and Heavy Drinking" found in the Journal of American College Health connects e-cigarette use in colleges to high rates of alcohol consumption and other factors such as: gender, race/ethnicity and traditional cigarettes. The rise of e-cigarettes may be a positive consequence of cigarette smokers who use this product to quit smoking or to avoid the toxicity of traditional cigarettes. However, e-cigarette use does not always reflect an attempt to reduce cigarette smoking and may instead indicate a general propensity to use psychoactive substances, especially among emerging adults.
	Bioinformatics software is developed to predict the effect of cancer-associated mutations Researchers have developed free software that analyses mutations in proteins; these mutations are potential inducers of diseases such as cancer. The geneticists Asier Fullaondo and José Antonio Rodríguez, and the telecommunications engineer Gorka Prieto have created WREGEX 2.0, a versatile and fast bioinformatics application that is capable of analysing and combining the information from 40,000 proteins within the space of one minute. WREGEX 2.0 is available for the scientific community here and the journal Scientific Reports has published an article about it.
Researchers uncover potential flaws in test for Lyme Disease A new microscopy technique (LM-method) developed to detect Lyme disease is unable to distinguish infected patients from healthy controls, yielding false-positive results that could lead doctors to over-diagnose a patient, according to new research published in the journal Infectious Diseases.
	Breast cancer gene holds key to personalised medicine and new drug development Nottingham scientists have identified a new breast cancer gene which, when over-expressed or mutated, indicates which patients will benefit from chemotherapy.
	Likelihood of widespread Zika outbreak in United States low University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Infectious Diseases professor emeritus David Freedman, M.D., is not concerned about a widespread Zika virus outbreak in the United States. Zika virus is transmitted by a dense population of people and mosquitoes combined with poor garbage and sewage services, as well as standing water.
Chemoradiotherapy after surgery for gastric cancer shows similar outcomes to post-operative chemotherapy Post-operative treatment intensification with chemoradiotherapy does not achieve better outcomes when compared to post-operative chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer who have already undergone pre-operative chemotherapy, according to phase III data presented at the ESMO 18th World Congress of Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona, Spain.
	Concussions and kids—mind the signs Head trauma is a major public health concern in the United States, with indirect and direct health-care costs approaching nearly US$1 billion annually. Worse, head trauma also can cause short- and long-term health problems and, in children, problems with academics, headaches and behavioral health issues.
Media not the scapegoat when it comes to teen sex Parents and society in general shouldn't shift the blame for young people's sexual behavior on what teens supposedly see and read in the media about intimate encounters. Proclaiming a link between such so-called sexy media and the sexual behavior of young people is in fact premature. The media neither contributes to the early initiation of sex among young people, nor to their sexual conduct more generally. So says Christopher Ferguson of Stetson University in the US, who led a thorough systematic analysis of 22 relevant studies on the topic along with colleagues Patrick Markey at Villanova University and Rune Nielsen at IT University Copenhagen. The results of this meta-analysis are published in Springer's journal Psychiatric Quarterly.
New research may help to develop effective pain killers The nerve cells that transmit pain signals in the body are called nociceptors. When activated they release pro-inflammatory neuropeptides. In order to recognise harmful external influences, nociceptors are equipped with a wide range of receptors. The capsaicin receptor channel, for example, reacts strongly to the spicy substance in chili peppers. Another receptor is sometimes called the mustard oil receptor as it is activated by a substance found in mustard, horseradish and onions. This receptor, whose scientific name is TRPA1, plays a key role in painful inflammation of the bowel and the pancreas, as well as in asthma.
Study pinpoints behavior type linked to binge drinking in young adults While there are a number of studies on alcohol misuse, most of the research has been focused on the adult population. Alcohol is the most widely used drug among young adults between the ages of 18 to 25. Binge drinking—almost a rite of passage—peaks during the college years. So this begs the question, "Are there specific characteristics associated with high-level binge drinking habits in college students?"
Antidiabetic effects discovered in the appetite hormone CART The study shows that the appetite hormone CART not only controls the sensation of satiety, but it also helps increase insulin secretion and decrease glucagon production.
Women at risk of ovarian cancer need more guidance from doctors on their choices Researchers at Cardiff University have found that online information about ovarian cancer can cause as much worry as comfort for women at high risk of developing the disease, in a new study published in ecancer.
	Studies investigate best practices to ease major HIV disease burden in Sub-Saharan Africa An emerging field, known as implementation science, may help reduce the nearly 150,000 instances of mother-to-child HIV transmissions that occur annually around the world, mostly in developing countries. A team of scientists and program managers, led by the National Institutes of Health, has been studying a variety of implementation science approaches to prevent mother-to-child transmission and has published the results in a 16-article open-access supplement to the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. In implementation science, scientists study how to integrate research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine care and services.
	FDA warns against eating raw dough amid E. coli fears In a warning that's sure to disappoint many who enjoy sneaking a taste of cookie dough, federal regulators said this week that people should not eat raw dough or batter of any kind due to an ongoing outbreak of illnesses related to a strain of E. coli bacteria found in some recalled flour.
Study finds potential treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Researchers report in the journal Cell Reports a targeted molecular therapy that dramatically reduces the initial development of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in laboratory mouse models of the disease.
	Surprising number of businesses selling unapproved stem cell 'treatments' in the US At least 351 companies across the United States are marketing unapproved stem cell procedures at 570 individual clinics. Such businesses advertise "stem cell" interventions for orthopedic injuries, neurological disorders, cardiac diseases, immunological conditions, pulmonary disorders, injured spinal cords, and cosmetic indications. In Cell Stem Cell on June 30, bioethicist Leigh Turner and stem cell researcher Paul Knoepfler present an analysis of U.S. businesses engaged in "direct-to-consumer" marketing of these procedures.
	A quick and easy new method to detect Wolbachia bacteria in intact Aedes mosquitoes Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit dengue, chikungunya, and zika viruses. A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases reports a new technique that could make one approach to mosquito control—using Wolbachia bacteria that reduce the mosquitos' ability to transmit viral pathogens—a whole lot easier and cheaper to implement and evaluate.
	Towards a cure for herpesviruses: Targeting infection with CRISPR/Cas9 Most adults carry multiple herpesviruses. Following the initial acute infection, these viruses establish life-long infections in their hosts and cause cold sores, keratitis, genital herpes, shingles, infectious mononucleosis, and other diseases. Some herpesviruses can cause cancer in man. During the latent phase of infection, the viruses remain dormant for long periods of time, but retain the capacity to cause occasional reactivations, that may lead to disease. A study published on June 30th in PLOS Pathogens suggests that attacking herpesvirus DNA with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology can suppress virus replication and, in some cases, lead to elimination of the virus.
Risk of blindness from spine surgery down significantly The risk of blindness caused by spinal fusion, one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S., has dropped almost three-fold since the late 1990s, according to the largest study of the topic to date.
	How will genomics enter day-to-day medicine? A quiet transformation has been brewing in medicine, as large-scale DNA results become increasingly available to patients and healthcare providers. Amid a cascade of data, physicians, counselors and families are sorting out how to better understand and use this information in making health care decisions.
	Falls in months before surgery are common in adults of all ages In a large study of 15,000 adults undergoing elective surgery, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that falling up to six months before an operation is common and often causes serious injuries—not only in elderly patients but across all age groups. Surprisingly, the frequency of falls among middle-aged patients was slightly higher than those who were age 65 or older.
Incidence of cancer in patients with large colorectal polyps lower than previously thought For the majority of patients with large or difficult to remove colorectal polyps (growths in the colon), the incidence of cancer is actually lower than previously thought, and using more advanced endoscopic techniques that spare the colon may be a better, safer alternative to a traditional operation in certain cases, according to study results published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in advance of print publication.
	Women with BRCA1 gene mutation at higher risk of deadly uterine cancer Women who carry the BRCA1 gene mutation that dramatically increases their risk of breast and ovarian cancers are also at higher risk for a lethal form of uterine cancer, according to a study led by a Duke Cancer Institute researcher.
	Researchers have found alcohol abuse is linked to discrimination In the late 1980s, researchers across the United States began reporting a link between discrimination against African Americans and poor cardiovascular health within the African American population. Eventually, the scope of these studies broadened, uncovering a connection between discrimination and other health disparities among minority groups.
New insight into the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD Scientists from the University of Sheffield have discovered a novel function of the C9orf72 protein which is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) - giving a new insight into the most common genetic cause of the degenerative diseases.
	Seniors with undiagnosed hearing loss can become isolated Senior citizens with undiagnosed or untreated hearing problems are more likely to suffer from social isolation and cognitive impairment, a UBC study has found.
	Uncle sam wants you ... slimmer (HealthDay)—Military personnel are expected to meet strict weight and body fat standards. But one in five U.S. military service members is obese, new research shows.
	Zika virus congenital syndrome: A new teratogenic disease (HealthDay)—Zika virus congenital syndrome is a new teratogenic disease, with many definite or probable cases presenting with normal head circumference values, according to research published online June 29 in The Lancet.
	Pharmaceutical payments linked to anti-VEGF injection use (HealthDay)—There is a positive association between reported pharmaceutical payments and use of aflibercept and ranibizumab injections among ophthalmologists who prescribe anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) medications, according to a study published online June 23 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
This Fourth of July, leave fireworks to professionals Thousands of accidents each year underscore the danger of fireworks. In 2014, 11 people died and an estimated 10,500 were treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries in the U.S. Statistics show the typical victim of a firework injury is a 25- to 44-year-old male.
Your doctor will see you in this telemedicine kiosk On the day abdominal pain and nausea struck Jessica Christianson at the office, she discovered how far telemedicine has come.
The world can't even find pocket change to fight Zika More than five months after President Barack Obama requested $1.9 billion to fight the Zika epidemic, members of Congress are going home to July 4 barbecues without approving a spending bill. While Washington's dysfunction is predictable given the current electoral climate, less noticed has been the global inertia facing efforts to combat the mosquito-borne disease.
	Can acupuncture improve quality of life for people with traumatic brain injury-related headaches? A study comparing the effectiveness of usual care alone to usual care plus either auricular or traditional Chinese acupuncture in treating patients with headaches due to a previous traumatic brain injury (TBI) showed a significant improvement in headache-related quality of life (QoL) with the addition of acupuncture. Auricular acupuncture had a greater overall impact on headache-related QoL than did traditional Chinese acupuncture, according to the study published in Medical Acupuncture.
Germany: number of births hits highest level since 2000 Germany recorded its highest number of births since 2000 last year, an encouraging sign in a country with an aging population.
	Caring for transgender patients When transgender individuals seek medical care, confusion on the part of medical professionals may be the first reaction a trans patient receives.
	How Malaysian teenagers justify smoking Many young smokers in Malaysia start smoking when they are attending secondary school and rationalise that the benefits of smoking are greater than its risks, according to recent studies in the Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities (JSSH).
Ending Tuberculosis in Afghanistan Afghanistan is one of 22 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB) according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The estimated number of new cases each year is a staggering 53,000 and as many as 12,000 afflicted by this curable infection lose their lives each year. For a large number of those infected, a timely diagnosis and effective treatment is out of reach due to high levels of poverty, lack of access to effective healthcare, and ongoing conflict in large parts of the country. It is not a surprise that a significant number of victims are women and children due to their vulnerable status in a society ravaged by decades of war, drought and migration. Some of these challenges such as poverty and lack of access to healthcare facilities are not unique to Afghanistan, but it is the only country, out of 22 that account for 80% of TB cases in the world, that has been utterly decimated by over four decades of war and migration.
	Designer uses his head to tackle rugby's concussion problem A student whose brother underwent MRI scans after developing concussion twice while playing rugby has designed a wearable device which warns referees if a player needs to be medically examined.
Surgify technology to make cranial surgery safer and faster An estimated 770 000 skull opening procedures are performed worldwide every year. In approximately 30 percent of these surgeries, some degree of damage is caused to the tissues under the skull.
	Researchers go straight to the source to understand the lives of children Researchers have taken the unusual step of gathering information first-hand from seven-year-old children to get a better understanding of what makes young children feel good about their lives.
Cervical cancer screening among lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men A new study found that certain factors affect cervical cancer screening among lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men. Some of these factors overlap with the general female population, whereas others are specific to the lesbian, bisexual, or queer identity.
Certain occupations linked to increased bladder cancer risk A new analysis of UK workers reveals that certain occupations may increase the risk of bladder cancer.
Study shows benefit of art therapy in reducing psychological problems in Syrian refugee children Group art therapy shows promise in reducing a wide range of psychological symptoms commonly experienced by refugee children, according to a pilot study of Syrian refugee children living in Turkey, published in the journal, Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies.
An anti-apoE4 specific monoclonal antibody counteracts the pathological effects of apoE4 in vivo The pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), viz defective Aβ and tau proteins, have been the center of AD-directed therapeutic studies. Although this approach still remains valid, it has not yet produced clinically meaningful results.
Air pollution linked to increased rates of kidney disease While air pollution is known to cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, a new study indicates that it also likely causes damage to the kidneys. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), call for attention on the role of air pollution in the development of kidney disease in urban areas.
Regorafenib shows significant survival gains in refractory liver cancer Oral multikinase inhibitor regorafenib achieves significantly improved survival rates compared to placebo in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to data from the phase III RESORCE trial, presented at the ESMO 18th World Congress of Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona, Spain.
Review article compared over-the-counter nasal dilators The narrowest area of the nose is the internal nasal valve and obstruction can cause airflow trouble. A review article published online by JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery compares over-the-counter mechanical nasal dilators for their efficacy in dilating the internal nasal valve to improve nasal airflow.
Canada to unveil recreational marijuana rules in November Canada's health minister said Thursday that the government has formed a special task force to propose ways to regulate sales of recreational marijuana ahead of legalization in 2017.
Essential oils and pregnancy Essential oils can be used for many things, and they're starting to be used more by pregnant women around the world. Essential oils are natural oils that are obtained by distillation and have a characteristic fragrance derived from a plant or other source.
Can doctors learn to perform abortions without doing one? Abortion is one of the more common procedures performed in the U.S., more common even than appendectomy. But as clinics in Texas close, finding a place in the state where medical residents training to be OB-GYNs can learn to do abortions is getting harder.

Biology news

	Pea plants demonstrate ability to 'gamble'—a first in plants An international team of scientists from Oxford University, UK, and Tel-Hai College, Israel, has shown that pea plants can demonstrate sensitivity to risk - namely, that they can make adaptive choices that take into account environmental variance, an ability previously unknown outside the animal kingdom.
	Deceptive sexual signals keep the peace in a bonobo society Female bonobos could have become the dominant sex in their societies by deceiving males as to when they are likely to conceive, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. The females' unreliable sexual swellings, which can remain swollen up to 31 days, make it difficult for a male to monopolize and guard female mates to ensure he sires their offspring. This may reduce aggressive mate competition and male sexual coercion toward females, and result in bonobo societies being relatively peaceful.
	Fruit flies adjust to sudden drops in temperature; just keep buzzing about the fruit bowl Fruit flies may seem simple, but these common visitors to the fruit bowl can drastically alter their gene expression and metabolism to respond to temperature changes in their environment, an international team of researchers have shown.
	Honeybees threatened by virulent virus Researchers have found that honeybees in Europe are at significantly higher risk from an emerging viral variant, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
	Researchers identify calorie-burning pathway in fat cells Investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in collaboration with scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have identified a natural molecular pathway that enables cells to burn off calories as heat rather than store them as fat. This raises the possibility of a new approach to treating and preventing obesity, diabetes, and other obesity-linked metabolic disorders including cancer.
	Similarities found in bee and mammal social organization New research shows similarities in the social organisation of bees and mammals, and provides insight into the genetics of social behavior for other animals. These findings, published in PLOS Computational Biology, use sociogenomics - a field that explores the relationship between social behaviour and the genome - to show strong similarities in socially genetic circuits common in honey bees and mammals.
	Scientists discover maleness gene in malaria mosquitoes Scientists, led by Dr Jaroslaw Krzywinski, Head of the Vector Molecular Biology group at The Pirbright Institute have isolated a gene, which determines maleness in the species of mosquito that is responsible for transmitting malaria. The research, published in the journal Science, describes identification and characterisation of a gene, named Yob by the authors, which is the master regulator of the sex determination process in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, and determines the male sex.
	The Earth's biodiversity could be much greater than we thought After centuries of study, you'd think we'd have at least a rough idea of how many different species of life exist on Earth. This is becoming even more pressing as biodiversity disappears at an increasing pace due to human impacts. Some species are going extinct even before we discover them.
How a germ catches a virus Bacteriophages – short phages – represent a group of small viruses that infect bacteria and are able to alter or destroy them. That is why their name can be translated as bacteria-eater. In order to infect a bacterium, a phage has to first recognize structures on the bacterial cell wall and adhere to it. Under the leadership of Professor Thilo Stehle, Cengiz Koç and other coworkers of the Collaborative Research Center 766 (The Bacterial Cell Envelope) at the University of Tübingen have investigated this mechanism of recognition. They focused their studies on the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the phage Phi11, which infects staphylococci. The scientists identified a phage protein that mediates the recognition of the receptor on the bacterium. Details on the three-dimensional structure of this protein and its mode of recognition of the bacterial receptor were elucidated with the help of X-ray structure analysis.
	What do sperm whales say? When a team of researchers began listening in on seven sperm whales in the waters off the Azores, they discovered that the whales' characteristic tapping sounds serve as a form of individual communication. But what are they actually saying?
	Resistance to antibiotics and to immune system are interconnected in bacteria Antibiotics and the immune system are the two forces that cope with bacterial infections. Now, two studies from Isabel Gordo's laboratory, at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC, Portugal), show for the first time that resistance to antibiotics and to the immune system is interconnected in bacteria. The researchers further discovered that bacteria adaptation to the immune system influences the spectrum of antibiotic resistance and, as a side effect, bacteria become more resistant to some antibiotics, but also more sensitive to other classes of antibiotics. These results were now published in the scientific journals Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and Evolutionary Applications.
Researchers develop effective strategy for disrupting bacterial biofilms Biofilms are communities of bacteria that adhere to a surface and are nearly impossible to eradicate when they are pathogenic, or disease-causing. Fortunately, a discovery from the laboratories of Lauren Bakaletz, PhD, and Steven Goodman, PhD, in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, provides strong evidence that an innovative therapeutic approach may be effective in the resolution of bacterial biofilm diseases.
	In times of great famine, microalgae digest themselves In a recent study, scientists of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) have determined the molecular mechanisms which microalgae apply in order to switch from rapid cell division to growth-arrest during times of acute nutrient deficiency. In laboratory experiments, the scientists have been able to observe that calcifying microalgae in a state of nutrient deficiency initially tweak their metabolism to be more economic and efficient before, out of necessity, they even partially digest themselves. The molecular switches for these basic functions of cells are strikingly similar in all living things. Apparently, it is these switches, which, when malfunctioning in humans, cause cells to lose control of their division activity and potentially become cancer cells. The new findings are being published online this week in the journal Frontiers of Marine Science.
	Nobel winners slam Greenpeace on GMO crops About a third of living Nobel laureates—108 at last count—have signed an open letter Thursday which attacks Greenpeace for campaigning against genetically modified crops, especially one called Golden Rice.
	Scientist's math formula offers improved yield for flour milling Research by a University of Huddersfield scientist could aid the development of new strains of wheat that yield higher quantities of extra-nutritious flour.
	Researchers discover first sleeper goby cavefish in Western Hemisphere Researchers have described a new genus and species of cavefish from Mexico - the Oaxaca Cave Sleeper. It has not been collected or seen in more than 20 years and lives in a cave system threatened by damming. Less than 0.5 percent of all fish species are cave-adapted and most of them are endangered because their cave habitats are limited and vulnerable to environmental threats.
	Tracking animal migrations has become easier... now what? Salmon navigate across vast swaths of open ocean and a maze of branching river networks to locate their natal waters. For years, scientists have described this as heroic feats of individuals.
	Vienna carriage horses to get time off during heatwaves The City of Vienna on Thursday approved legislation making it illegal for its world-famous carriage horses to work in temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius and above.

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