Science X Newsletter Thursday, Sep 29

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for September 29, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Fermi finds record-breaking binary in galaxy next door

The frontier fields: Where primordial galaxies lurk

Enzyme research opens doors to developing new inhibitors for arthritis

US prepares to cede key role for internet

Painkillers linked to heart failure: study

Rosetta: beginning of the end for Europe's comet craft

Quality of sentence leaps turns corner thanks to newly announced Google machine translation system

'Pandora's Cluster' seen by Spitzer

Scientists reveal how signals from pathogenic bacteria reach danger sensors of cells

Researchers find way to ID many pathogens with few DNA probes

Drug manufacturers need to understand how their products affect entire biological networks

Researchers make breakthrough in dewetting surfaces

Researchers reveal how dangerous intestinal toxin enters cells

Scientists create novel imaging technique with potential for medical diagnostics

Meditation keeps emotional brain in check

Astronomy & Space news

	Fermi finds record-breaking binary in galaxy next door Using data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and other facilities, an international team of scientists has found the first gamma-ray binary in another galaxy and the most luminous one ever seen. The dual-star system, dubbed LMC P3, contains a massive star and a crushed stellar core that interact to produce a cyclic flood of gamma rays, the highest-energy form of light.
	The frontier fields: Where primordial galaxies lurk In the ongoing hunt for the universe's earliest galaxies, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has wrapped up its observations for the Frontier Fields project. This ambitious project has combined the power of all three of NASA's Great Observatories—Spitzer, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory—to delve as far back in time and space as current technology can allow.
	Rosetta: beginning of the end for Europe's comet craft Europe was poised Thursday to crashland its Rosetta spacecraft on a comet it has stalked for over two years, joining robot lander Philae on the cosmic wanderer's icy surface in a final suicide mission.
	'Pandora's Cluster' seen by Spitzer This image of galaxy cluster Abell 2744, also called Pandora's Cluster, was taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The gravity of this galaxy cluster is strong enough that it acts as a lens to magnify images of more distant background galaxies. This technique is called gravitational lensing.
	Rosetta measures production of water at comet over two years Over the past two years, Rosetta has kept a close eye on many properties of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, tracking how these changed along the comet's orbit. A very crucial aspect concerns how much water vapour a comet releases into space, and how the water production rate varies at different distances from the Sun. For the first time, Rosetta enabled scientists to monitor this quantity and its evolution in situ over two years.
	Discovery of an extragalactic hot molecular core Astronomers have discovered a 'hot molecular core', a cocoon of molecules surrounding a newborn massive star, for the first time outside our Galaxy. The discovery, which marks the first important step for observational studies of extragalactic hot molecular cores and challenges the hidden chemical diversity of our universe, appears in a paper in the Astrophysical Journal Volume 827.
	Spiral arms: Protoplanetary disk around a young star exhibits spiral structure Astronomers have found a distinct structure involving spiral arms in the reservoir of gas and dust disk surrounding the young star Elias 2-27. While spiral features have been observed on the surfaces of protoplanetary disks, these new observations, from the ALMA observatory in Chile, are the first to reveal that such spirals occur at the disk midplane, the region where planet formation takes place. This is of importance for planet formation: structures such as these could either indicate the presence of a newly formed planet, or else create the necessary conditions for a planet to form. As such, these results are a crucial step towards a better understanding how planetary systems like our Solar system came into being.
	Swiss space research reaches for the sky The Rosetta mission is coming to an end, but the next expeditions across our solar system are ready for lift-off, carrying with them a number of state-of-the-art devices made in Switzerland.
	Regional solar storm forecasts set to begin For the first time beginning next month, forecasts of the regional effects of solar storms will help protect the power grid and communications satellites, thanks to a new tool developed by researchers at the University of Michigan and Rice University.
	From Silicon Valley to Valles Marineris—is humanity ready for Elon Musk's Mars vision? Entrepreneur Elon Musk has laid out plans for his aerospace company SpaceX to transport human beings to and from Mars. His presentation, held at the International Astronautical Congress in Mexico, had been long anticipated, with many expecting a vision for the colonisation of Mars – something Musk has often spoken about in interviews. In the end, he presented something quite different.
	SwRI's Alice spectrograph completes ESA mission to comet 67P After a two-year orbital tour around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, ESA's Rosetta spacecraft—carrying Southwest Research Institute's Alice ultraviolet spectrograph—will end its mission this week on Sept. 30. Rosetta is the first spacecraft to orbit and escort a comet, and Alice, developed and operated for NASA, is the first instrument to obtain far-ultraviolet observations at a comet.
	Scientists bid farewell to Rosetta space probe before crash Scientists began saying their final farewells to the Rosetta space probe Thursday, hours before its planned crash-landing on a comet, but said that data collected during the mission would provide discoveries for many years to come.
	Launch success for AlSat Nano Shortly after launch (04:46 BST on Monday 26 September) and orbital injection, Algerian Space Agency operators established contact with the satellite from the Surrey Space Centre (University of Surrey) ground station in Guildford. A series of spacecraft health checks and in orbit commissioning procedures will now follow, with operations then transitioning to Algeria's newly developed AlSat Nano ground station in Oran.
	Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin discusses 'Destination Mars' Sending humans on a 'Journey to Mars' and developing strategies and hardware to accomplish the daunting task of getting 'Humans to Mars' is NASA's agency wide goal and the goal of many space enthusiasts – including Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin.

Technology news

	US prepares to cede key role for internet The US government is set to cut the final thread of its oversight of the internet, yielding a largely symbolic but nevertheless significant role over the online address system.
	Quality of sentence leaps turns corner thanks to newly announced Google machine translation system (Tech Xplore)—Cutesy headlines are not always appreciated as some readers just want the facts without smirks and giggles. Nonetheless, the headline in this week's Engadget was both funny and quite descriptive: "Google's Chinese-to-English translations might now suck less."
	World's first 4-seater fuel-cell plane takes off in Germany Aircraft engineers in Germany have successfully tested the world's first four-seater plane that uses emission-free hybrid fuel cells to fly.
	Tech titans join to study artificial intelligence Major technology firms have joined forces in a partnership on artificial intelligence, aiming to cooperate on "best practices" on using the technology "to benefit people and society."
	Elon Musk an innovator wary of humanity's future If the future is an array of possibilities ranging from catastrophic to divine, Elon Musk is working to increase the probability of good things happening.
	Spotify launches Japan streaming with karaoke twist Online music giant Spotify said Thursday it is launching a streaming service in Japan with a karaoke twist, the world's second-biggest music market but one still dominated by compact discs.
	Electrics touted at Paris car show, but await their moment When will electric-powered cars become a practical choice for ordinary people? The question hangs in the air at the Paris auto show, where Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors are showing off electric cars they hope are the on-ramp to a profitable future.
	Samsung to resume S. Korea sales of new Note 7 phones Samsung said Thursday it would resume sales of new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in South Korea this week, hoping to turn the page on the troubled device after an ongoing global recall prompted by battery explosions.
	Dutch take Pokemon Go makers to court as gamers flood beaches Dutch authorities are taking the US makers of Pokemon Go to court, after the company failed to meet pleas to stop hordes of fans flocking to protected beaches.
	Renault-Nissan CEO at Paris auto show: Diesel isn't dead yet Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn isn't ready to give up on diesel—though he admits that tougher emissions rules emerging from the Volkswagen scandal are a boon to his company's bet on electric cars.
	First-ever 3-D printed excavator project advances large-scale additive manufacturing R&D Heavy construction machinery is the focus of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's latest advance in additive manufacturing research. With industry partners and university students, ORNL researchers are designing and producing the world's first 3D printed excavator, a prototype that will leverage large-scale AM technologies and explore the feasibility of printing with metal alloys.
	Uber tests in Pittsburgh don't mean driverless taxis are imminent, transportation policy expert says The media hype surrounding Uber conducting tests of driverless ride-share vehicles in Pittsburgh made it seem like the future arrived sooner than most people expected.
	With more drones in the sky, expect less privacy Drone footage is everywhere, whether used to film extreme sports, outdoor events, nature, music festivals, or just for its own sake.
Coolness, control and community draw people to Pinterest Cool features with easy-to-follow instructions that provide control and community may keep Pinterest users pinning, liking and inviting, according to researchers, who add that these behaviors may reveal new ways people are using the web and social media.
	Older adults no slower than young adults at taking control of semi-autonomous vehicles New research from North Carolina State University finds that older adults have comparable response times to young adults when tasked with taking control of a semi-autonomous vehicle.
	Tesla 'on autopilot' crashes on German Autobahn: police (Update) A Tesla electric car crashed into a tourist bus on a motorway in northern Germany, police said Thursday, adding that the driver had claimed he had activated the car's autopilot system.
	Explainer: US ceding control of core Internet systems On Saturday, the U.S. government plans to cede control of some of the internet's core systems—namely, the directories that help web browsers and apps know where to find the latest weather, maps and Facebook musings.
	BlackBerry lesson: adapt or die in the internet Age BlackBerry has joined Yahoo, Nokia and other technology industry stars felled by an internet age in which companies are forced to evolve quickly or perish.
	Electric cars purr at post-'dieselgate' Paris car show Automakers at the Paris Motor Show on Thursday unveiled several electric cars with a range of up to 400 km, a technological leap designed to turn the page on the "dieselgate" scandal that sullied the industry's image.
EU's Vestager to scrutinise data in merger decisions EU competition chief Margarethe Vestager on Thursday said that the relevance of user data to major corporate mergers will come under closer scrutiny as her teams get set to consider Microsoft's mega buyout of LinkedIn.
Q&A: The data your car collects and who can use it Your car knows more about you than you think.
Volvo plans to sell self-driving car in five years Volvo Car Corp. plans to sell a self-driving vehicle to consumers in five years.
	Yahoo hacked by 'professional' criminals: researchers The massive theft of Yahoo user data disclosed last week came from "professional" hackers seeking to profit from the breach, according to an analysis by security researchers.
	New echolocation app on Google Play A new app developed by Clarkson University faculty and students allows users to use echolocation to better understand their surroundings.
'Game of Thrones' books getting a digital enhancement The books that gave us "Game of Thrones" are getting an enhancement for the digital age.
	40 years of safer aviation through reporting The U.S. has an incredibly safe aviation system – it's unparalleled when compared to other modes of transportation. The basis for this historic safety record is that we identify and correct safety concerns before they become real problems. NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is one of the tools used to make the system as safe as it is.
	Product verification support leads to significant savings for precision engineering company Support from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has helped SME Anglia CNC Engineering (ACE) improve its manufacturing processes and is expected to save the company at least £50k a year.
	Building a sustainable, intelligent and power-efficient cloud EU researchers are combining high-performance computational power with hardware and servers in order to build a more efficient, heterogeneous cloud.
	Redstone push is on to reunite CBS and Viacom Media mogul Sumner Redstone is pushing for a reunion between CBS and Viacom, more than a decade after they went their separate ways.
	Singapore eases online gambling ban Singapore will allow limited online betting in tightly controlled conditions, the government said Thursday, as it eases a sweeping law banning remote gambling.
New research could help build better hearing AIDS Scientists at Binghamton University, State University of New York want to improve sensor technology critical to billions of devices made every year. With a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, they will start by making a high-performance sensor and applying it to hearing aids.
Three states sue to block US ceding control of Internet group Three conservative states are suing the Obama administration in an attempt to block the U.S. government from ceding oversight of some of the internet's core systems.
FCC delays decision on much-disputed rules on cable boxes Federal regulators have delayed a decision on requiring cable and satellite TV companies to make free apps to bypass the need for cable boxes.
	FCC beefs up emergency cellphone alerts The federal government is beefing up emergency cellphone alerts like the one used in New York to advertise a search for a bombing suspect earlier in September.

Medicine & Health news

	Painkillers linked to heart failure: study Widely used prescription and non-prescription painkillers are associated with an increased risk of hospital admission for heart failure, according to a study released Thursday.
	Researchers reveal how dangerous intestinal toxin enters cells Researchers have identified a key target in fighting the emerging, life-threatening gastrointestinal infection Clostridium difficile. The work, led by Min Dong, PhD, and Liang Tao, PhD, of Boston Children's Hospital, reveals how the bug's most potent toxin gets into cells, the first step in developing treatments against it. Findings are published today in Nature.
	Meditation keeps emotional brain in check Meditation can help tame your emotions even if you're not a mindful person, suggests a new study from Michigan State University.
	Children could point the way to new HIV treatments Children with HIV who can resist the disease progressing could point the way to new treatments for HIV infection that are more widely applicable to infected adults and children alike, an international team of researchers led by Oxford University has found.
	Recycling approved drugs for cancer treatment Researchers at the University of Bergen have discovered that a drug against kidney cancer possibly can fight several types of cancer.
	Research sheds light on mechanism that leads to drug-resistant superbugs Drug-resistant organisms, or so-called "superbugs," are a growing public health threat because "last-resort" therapeutics-employed only when other drugs fail to kill an infection-are failing. A University of Georgia-led research team is the first to examine multiple strains of one of the most dangerous superbugs known to science and a last-resort antibiotic used to treat it. The team's discovery deepens the understanding of how pathogens adapt to protect themselves from antibiotics and will enable researchers to develop therapeutics aimed at evading this mechanism.
	Scientists developing new test for breast cancer Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) are working with researchers in France to develop a new potential way to detect and monitor breast cancer that could involve a simple blood test.
	Emergency situations amplify individual tendencies to behave egoistically or prosocially In emergency situations do people think solely of themselves? In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development have shown that readiness to help depends heavily on personality. The results show that most people would help others in emergency situations, some of them even more so than in harmless everyday situations.
	Formaldehyde damages proteins, not just DNA The capacity of formaldehyde, a chemical frequently used in manufactured goods such as automotive parts and wood products, to damage DNA, interfere with cell replication and cause cancer inspired new federal regulations this summer. But a new study in the American Journal of Pathology finds that the substance may pose a broader threat to health than previously thought by injuring cells in another way.
	Study demonstrates how bolstering protective protein in blood vessels helps body protect itself against cerebral malaria Boosting a protective protein to stabilize blood vessels weakened by malaria showed improved survival beyond that of antimalarial drugs alone in pre-clinical research.
	New treatment strategy could cut Parkinson's disease off at the pass Researchers at Johns Hopkins report they have identified a protein that enables a toxic natural aggregate to spread from cell to cell in a mammal's brain—and a way to block that protein's action. Their study in mice and cultured cells suggests that an immunotherapy already in clinical trials as a cancer therapy should also be tested as a way to slow the progress of Parkinson's disease, the researchers say.
	Researchers discover rare flu-thwarting mutation A rare and improbable mutation in a protein encoded by an influenza virus renders the virus defenseless against the body's immune system. This University of Rochester Medical Center discovery could provide a new strategy for live influenza vaccines in the future.
	Omega-3 fatty acid stops known trigger of lupus A team of Michigan State University researchers has found that consuming an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, can stop a known trigger of lupus and potentially other autoimmune disorders.
	Scientists track unexpected mechanisms of memory Do you remember Simone Biles's epic gymnastics floor routine that earned her a fifth Olympic medal? Our brains hold on to memories like these via physical changes in synapses, the tiny connections between neurons.
Administering additional antibiotic prior to C-section reduces infection rates by 50 percent Physicians at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and colleagues have discovered that administering the antibiotic azithromycin alongside the standard recommended antibiotic regimen, cefazolin, reduces infection rates by 50 percent for women who have a non-elective cesarean delivery.
Sociol-ecological system approach leads to new information in study of mosquito-borne viruses In an article published online Sept. 13 in UGEC Viewpoints, Upstate Medical University researcher Anna Stewart Ibarra, PhD, MPA, describes how a collaborative approach by researchers of varying disciplines is being used as a framework for studying the mosquito-borne viruses, zika, dengue and chikungunya.
	Tumor paint brings light to toddler's brain tumor In December of last year, Laura Coffman began to notice that something wasn't quite right with her 2-year-old son, Hunter. He was leaning to one side and seemed to lose his balance easily. When he became lethargic and started vomiting a few days later on Dec. 28, she knew it was time to see the pediatrician.
	Did landmark laws from Congress enable high drug prices? Lawmakers are venting outrage over high prescription drug costs, but lawmakers and presidents of both parties may have set the stage for the startling prices that have consumers on edge.
	In annual ritual, Delhi struggles with dengue, chikungunya Poonam Devi moans in pain on the stretcher in the packed hospital emergency room, her ankles and wrists swollen, an IV hooked up to left arm to hydrate her.
	Utah man may have contracted Zika from dying father's tears A Utah man who mysteriously contracted Zika from his infected father may have got it by touching his dad's tears or sweat with his bare hands, according to new research unveiled Wednesday that found the unusual transmission method was likely caused by his dying father having 100,000 times the normal level of the virus.
Childhood hypertension associated with cognitive issues Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, has increased significantly in children, paralleling the current childhood obesity epidemic. Although we know that adult hypertension can affect the brain, little research has been done on the cognitive effects of childhood hypertension. In a new study scheduled for publication in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that hypertension is associated with cognitive issues in children and adolescents.
Preventing obesity with mindful eating Traditional advice for helping families ensure their children and teens maintain a healthy weight begins with a focus on balancing calories consumed from food and beverages with calories used through physical activity and growth. Dr. Lenna Liu, a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Odessa Brown Children's Clinic and Child Wellness Clinic, uses a slightly different approach to support families with the complex issue of weight management. She starts by encouraging families to adopt a mindful approach to eating.
	World's largest survey about rest and well-being Over two thirds (68 per cent) of the public would like more rest, according to the world's largest ever survey on the topic.
Interruptions to rehab are common after stroke or brain injury—but many are preventable Patients in inpatient rehabilitation after a stroke, brain injury, or spinal cord injury have significant rates of interruptions of their rehab program—often including being transferred back to the hospital for treatment of complications, reports a study in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists.
	Access to interpretation provisions in the health care system helps integration, research finds Access to interpreter and translation services is an essential requirement to ensure integration – according to a new study carried out by a team from The University of Manchester's Multilingual Manchester project, in collaboration with the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups for Manchester.
	Mediterranean diet could lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in the UK Britons eating a Mediterranean diet could lower their risk of developing heart disease and stroke, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.
	Why dementia burden may be less than feared It is a truism that aging of populations will result in large and potentially unmanageable increases in the number of older adults with dementia.
	Obesity rate soars among professional baseball players Major League Baseball players have become overwhelmingly overweight and obese during the last quarter century, say health researchers.
	Online program helps families of pre–schoolers with ADHD A University of Queensland online program has been shown to alleviate children's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and parents' stress.
Confusion on end-of-life forms can cause elderly patients to receive more emergency care than they may have wanted In recent years, physicians' orders for life sustaining treatments (POLST) forms have been seen as an important way to honor the end-of-life wishes of frail elderly or terminally ill patients who cannot speak for themselves.
	Green space, benches, sidewalks needed to create age-friendly cities For seniors, the benefits of walking are huge.
	Will meditation help stressed-out lawyers? Research has demonstrated several positive physiological and psychological impacts of mindfulness training and meditation, including reduced stress, anxiety and depression, improved control over attention and enhanced working memory. However, do these same findings hold true for those people working in the highest stress fields?
	Record numbers accessing hepatitis C treatment, but who is missing out? A mistrust of the health system and ongoing stigma from health workers against injecting drug users are two significant barriers that could prevent people living with hepatitis C from accessing and continuing life-saving treatment, according to a new report by UNSW's Centre for Social Research in Health.
Women who enter menopausal transition early should expect symptoms to persist longer When it comes to their monthly periods, many women might be inclined to say, "Bring on the menopause," once they are through with childbearing, in hopes to be free of periods and worries about pregnancy.
	Study reveals minimalist shoes increase leg and foot muscles In a recent study conducted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Harvard Medical School, running in minimalist shoes can increase leg and foot muscle volume, indicating its potential application in rehabilitation programme.
	Tapping into the unique skills of students with autism In what's believed to be an Australian first, Curtin University is tapping into the unique skills of students with autism to help them find careers in the software testing industry.
	Researchers call for transparent ethic committees Poor regulation of research can cause direct harm to patients, suggests a new research study led by the University of Dundee.
	'Responsible drinking' campaign in Ireland likely to be harmful to public health A study analysing a controversial 'Stop out of Control Drinking' campaign in Ireland has found that its promotion of "responsible drinking" could actually undermine public health.
	Ovarian removal to prevent ovarian cancer should not be an option for most premenopausal women, research finds A Mayo Clinic research team has found evidence suggesting that the controversial practice of ovary removal in premenopausal women to prevent ovarian cancer should be discontinued in women who are not at high risk of cancer. The study showed that women under 46 who had both ovaries removed experienced a significantly elevated risk of multiple chronic health conditions that included depression, hyperlipidemia, cardiac arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, arthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and osteoporosis.
Men with high genetic chance of bowel cancer could have lower risk with healthy lifestyles Men with a high genetic risk of developing bowel cancer over the next 25 years could have a lower risk of developing the disease if they also have a healthy lifestyle, according to a Cancer Research UK-funded study published in the journal Genetics in Medicine today.
	Milk intake is objectively not linked to increased cardiovascular risk Researchers in Valencia participated in an international study that has debunked the association between dairy products and increased cardiovascular risk. Lecturer Óscar Coltell of the Universitat Jaume I de Castellón led the computational analysis of the masses of data obtained in relation to an innovative new biomarker.
	Oral nimbolide reduces prostate tumour size by up to 70%, decreases metastasis 50% A team of international researchers led by Associate Professor Gautam Sethi from the Department of Pharmacology at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that nimbolide, a bioactive terpenoid compound derived from Azadirachta indica or more commonly known as the neem plant, could reduce the size of prostate tumour by up to 70 per cent and suppress its spread or metastasis by half.
	Standing out in a crowd—attractiveness judged on who we are with Research published in the journal Psychological Science has shown that judgements of attractiveness vary depending on who is nearby, and how good-looking they are in comparison. A person will rank higher on a scale of attractiveness when compared alongside less attractive people, than they would when judged alone.
Identical girl triplets born in Poland are doing well A spokeswoman for a hospital in southwestern Poland says extremely rare identical girl triplets were born earlier this month through a cesarean section and are doing well.
	Fears of ageing may cause earlier death: UN Being afraid of growing old may shorten your life, the UN health agency said Thursday, as new data highlighted the widespread prevalence of ageist attitudes worldwide.
Setting the stage from diagnoses to dimensions The case-control method, where researchers compare patients with a particular disease to healthy control participants, has increased understanding of disease-related effects at a group level. However, psychiatric pathology complicates assumptions of the method – that the illness can be defined and that patients cleanly fit the definition. Although psychiatry has characterized different diagnoses, patients within a diagnosis vary widely and symptoms often overlap diagnostic labels.
Combination of complementary medicine and standard care helps reduce pre-op anxiety A new study conducted at the University of Haifa has some complementary things to say about complementary medicine. The combination of complementary medicine with standard care for preoperative anxiety reduces anxiety levels among patients. Prof. Lital Keinan Boker, one of the researchers, notes that "combined treatment using complementary medicine and standard care shows real potential to reduce preoperative anxiety levels and improve the outcome of the operation. Consideration should be given to offering this combination to patients who are interested in it."
	Outbreaks of Dengue may be expected to increase in Tanzania Tanzania has experienced at least four separate dengue virus (DENV) outbreaks in the past six years and more may be expected as climate change continues to alter the ecologic landscape, according to a study published in PLOS ONE by Clement Mweya of the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania and colleagues.
Do children with Tourette syndrome have an advantage at language? Children with Tourette syndrome may process aspects of language faster than other children, a new study shows.
Pre-screening for young athletes at risk of sudden cardiac death: What works and what doesn't, and at what cost Although rare, sudden cardiac death in young athletes raises serious concerns, especially because most victims report no warning symptoms. Pre-participation screening aims to identify children, adolescents, and young adults at risk, but there is not yet consensus regarding the best way to accomplish this. A new report in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology sheds light on this controversial topic by describing a new screening protocol that offers advantages over American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations and shows that the electrocardiogram (ECG) is the best single screening method.
	Network and gene tools help quickly identify new, rare genetic disease The first patient was a mystery. Arriving at Duke six years ago at the age of three, the youngster had mild developmental delays and physical characteristics that included a large body and large head circumference. A genetic analysis showed mutation of a specific gene, known as ASXL2, which had never been singled out as causing disease.
Fitness apps more effective when they are personalized When fitness apps include personal touches such as individualized goals and contact with a 'real live trainer', users tend to exercise more consistently, a UBC study concludes.
Identifying children and saving lives one thumbprint at a time Every day 353,000 children are born around the world, a majority of them in developing countries where there is a lack of proper record keeping, resulting in a lack of proper health care. By the age of five, more than 5 million children per year lose their lives to vaccine-preventable diseases.
New research shows HPV vaccine reduces cervical pre-cancers in young women Every 20 minutes, someone in the United States receives a cancer diagnosis related to human papillomavirus. HPV causes cancer of the cervix, anus and throat. The HPV vaccine can prevent infections causing most of these kinds of cancer if people receive it before being exposed to the virus. But fewer than half the girls and boys in the United States get the vaccine. Now, new research published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Oncology, may spur parents, policy makers and medical professionals to think more about the importance of HPV vaccinations. The research shows the HPV vaccine is efficacious in reducing cervical pre-cancers among young women throughout a population.
	California to ban some pesticides near schools California is moving to ban farmers from spraying pesticides into the air near schools and day care centers under a newly proposed rule that will be among the nation's toughest, regulators told The Associated Press on Thursday.
	What you need to know this flu season As flu season approaches, medical experts have some new recommendations – along with some old standards – on how to reduce your chances of getting sick.
	Flagging flu-shot rate worries CDC (HealthDay)—The flu-vaccination rate sagged in the United States last season, causing concern among public health officials that more Americans might wave off a flu shot this year.
	Concern about dialysis safety spurs CDC action (HealthDay)—Steps to reduce bloodstream infections in dialysis patients will be mapped out Thursday at a meeting of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a coalition of kidney and dialysis groups.
	Scientists ID key fetal cells vulnerable to Zika (HealthDay)—The devastating mosquito-borne Zika virus can infect cells that play a role in skull development, a new study finds.
	Nonsurgical therapy increasing for advanced oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (HealthDay)—Use of nonsurgical therapy is increasing for advanced-stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), although survival is better with surgical therapy, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in Head & Neck.
	Capping copays will raise premiums, up drug prices (HealthDay)—The proposed capping of copays will raise premiums and is likely to increase drug prices, according to a report from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA).
	Radiation effect on epigenetic modifiers may up metabolic risk (HealthDay)—Total body irradiation alters intracellular signaling and epigenetic pathways regulating cell proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle and adipose progenitor cells, according to an experimental study published online Sept. 20 in Diabetes.
	Constitutional symptoms often trigger antibiotic Rx in elderly (HealthDay)—Constitutional symptoms, including mentation, often lead to diagnostic testing and potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in older patients suspected of having a urinary tract infection (UTI) or pneumonia, according to a study published online Sept. 22 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Systolic blood pressure variability linked to mortality, morbidity (HealthDay)—Systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) is associated with mortality, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD), according to a study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Dose-dependent link between cannabis use, psychosis relapse (HealthDay)—Cannabis use may raise the risk of psychosis relapse, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Psychiatry.
	Hormonal contraception may raise depression risk (HealthDay)—Women who use hormonal methods for birth control may have a higher risk of developing depression—and teenagers may be most vulnerable, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Researchers shed light on repair mechanism for severe corneal injuries In cases of severe ocular trauma involving the cornea, wound healing occurs following intervention, but at the cost of opaque scar tissue formation and damaged vision. Recent research has shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)—which can differentiate into a variety of cells, including bone, cartilage, muscle and fat cells—are capable of returning clarity to scarred corneas; however, the mechanisms by which this happens remained a mystery—until now.
Researchers engineer 'micro-pharmacies' in CAR T cells to treat B cell lymphomas There has been much recent excitement about immunotherapy and the use of genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Historically, CAR T cell immunotherapy has aimed to boost the immune system by giving immune cells the information they need to better recognize tumor cells as foreign and attack them. New work led by Hans-Guido Wendel, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), and collaborator Karin Tarte of the University of Rennes, France, illustrates an untapped potential of CAR T cells to act as targeted delivery vehicles that can function as "micro-pharmacies" for precise therapeutic delivery.
Parents cite lack of need as reason for not getting kids flu shots Despite the fact that influenza leads to more hospitalizations and deaths among children than any other vaccine-preventable disease, parents frequently decline vaccinating their children against influenza because they don't perceive the need, according to a new case-control study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
Study shows upswing in prescription opioid use disorder and heroin use among young adults Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found there was an increase in the probability of having a prescription opioid use disorder in the past year among 18- to 34-year-old nonmedical prescription opioid users in 2014 compared to 2002. This is the first study to investigate time trends and increases over the last decade in prescription opioid use disorder, defined as meeting the criteria for DSM (clinical) abuse and dependence and needing treatment. Study participants included adolescents (12 to 17 years), emerging adults (18 to 25 years), and young adults (26 to 34 years) who used prescription opioids for nonmedical purposes. Results are published online in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
Study shows risk factor prevention should be addressed at all ages Prevention of cardiovascular disease in mid- to later life in black and white Americans is an increasingly important health concern, according to a study from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke project recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Cardiac risk a factor when considering hormonal therapy for prostate cancer In a recent study, a Yale Cancer Center team determined that men who received hormonal therapy for prostate cancer had a net harm if they had a prior history of a heart attack. The findings were presented September 28 at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in Boston.
	How a teddy bear is helping in the battle against cancer He may not be able to fly, or be as fast as the speed of light, but for children who have been diagnosed with cancer at Seattle Children's, the cuddly teddy bear who wears a mask and purple cape is still a super hero to them – he gives them strength. His name is T-Bear and he's bringing hope to children with cancer.
Therapists busy fighting Venezuela's emotional crisis In Venezuela, if the hunger, armed robbers and medicine shortages don't kill you, then the demons of depression and anxiety just might.
Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk to lay off 1,000 employees Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk says it plans to lay off some 1,000 employees globally to reduce operating costs because of "a challenging competitive environment, especially in its large U.S. market."
	New app allows users to post photos of drug and alcohol practices in their community A game of beer pong placed besides the game Candy Land in a local drug store. A machine-gun shaped bottle of liquor. A security officer standing guard next to a prescription drug drop-off box in Walgreens. These are a few examples of the dozens of photos taken by local community members using a new mobile app called "Be The One." Prevention specialists hope the app will help paint a picture of the conditions that protect citizens– or put then at risk – for substance abuse.
Long-term study shows less frequent and severe pancreatitis following gene therapy for LPLD Up to 6 years after receiving a single treatment with the gene therapy product lipoprotein lipase (LPL), patients with the debilitating genetic disease LPL deficiency (LPLD) had about 50% fewer episodes of pancreatitis than before receiving the treatment. None of the study participants suffered severe pancreatitis following gene therapy and only one required admission to the intensive care unit for treatment of LPLD, which can be fatal, according to a study published in Human Gene Therapy.
Peer review encourages physician compliance with evidence-based cancer treatment plans Evidence-based treatment pathways implemented by UPMC 15 years ago to guide cancer care have become integral to ensuring that each patient receives the most up-to-date course of treatment specific to his or her cancer. That's the conclusion of a recent University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) analysis showing the high physician compliance rate with the pathways—a standardization concept borrowed from the manufacturing sector.
Trafficked people encounter significant health care barriers Trafficked people in England are often denied healthcare and face significant barriers to access NHS services, reveals new independent research funded by Department of Health Policy Research Programme and carried out by a team led by King's College London, the University of Stirling, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and The University of Central Lancashire.
	Bambi-belt to be tested in 8 hospitals around the Netherlands The Bambi-belt is an invention of Sidarto Bambang Oetomo, a paediatrician at Maxima Medisch Centrum and professor at the department of Industrial Design. Together with his son Fabio, the Bambi-belt is developed to overcome two flaws of monitoring pre-term infants in hospitals.
Herbal supplement maker agrees to quality control measures New York's attorney general says the state has reached an agreement with an herbal supplement maker to implement new quality control measures to confirm the authenticity of its products.
	Researchers study mild electrical stimulation for schizophrenia patients A safe, noninvasive weak electrical current delivery called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be investigated for its potential in treating schizophrenia patients in a study led by Raymond Cho, M.D., M.Sc., at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
UN rolls out aid package for cholera-hit Haiti The United Nations will mobilize $181 million to shore up the emergency response to the cholera epidemic in Haiti and at least an equal amount for the victims and their families, a senior UN official says.
Ki67 may help avoid sentinel lymph node biopsy in some patients Breast cancer patients over 50 years old could be spared invasive procedures by use of stratification based on tumour size and molecular characteristics, including Ki67. The cell proliferation index Ki67 is significantly associated with lymph node metastases in patients aged over 50 years and with smaller tumours, which may help reduce the need for sentinel lymph node biopsies in some women, researchers report at the ESMO 2016 Congress in Copenhagen.
New computational tool could help match kidney donors to recipients A new scoring system that compares the genetic matching of kidney donors and recipients could help improve predictions of transplant success, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology.
New field test allows rapid diagnosis of Chikungunya virus infection CHIKV infection causes symptoms that are similar to Dengue and Zika as well as other viral diseases, including influenza. Accurate diagnosis of CHIKV is important for effective outbreak responses, including patient management and mosquito control. A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases reports a rapid accurate test for CHIKV that is performed in a small portable laboratory and can be used anywhere.
Medicare sets new patient safety goals for hospitals Medicare is setting new goals for keeping hospitalized patients safe and reducing readmissions after patients are discharged.
Concussions in female high school athletes—frequent but under-reported Nearly half of female athletes participating in high school sports have had a diagnosed or suspected concussion—but most don't report these sports-related injuries to coaches or trainers, reports a study in the Journal of Trauma Nursing, official publication of the Society of Trauma Nurses, published by Wolters Kluwer.
Immediate breast reconstruction reduces psychological impact of mastectomy Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) can avoid some of the psychological effects of undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer, compared to waiting for delayed breast reconstruction (DBR), reports a study in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Experts demonstrate 'advances and refinements' in neuromodulators for facial rejuvenation Plastic surgeons have a range of effective products and minimally invasive techniques for patients seeking to reverse the signs of facial aging. A review and update on facial rejuvenation using botulinum toxin "neuromodulators" is presented in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Biology news

	Scientists reveal how signals from pathogenic bacteria reach danger sensors of cells Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered the way signals from infectious bacteria gain entry into the cytoplasm of host cells to activate disease-fighting inflammasomes. Inflammasomes are protein machines in the cell that serve as "danger sensors" for infection and which set in motion rapid immune defenses against pathogens. The findings appear online today in the journal Cell.
	Researchers find way to ID many pathogens with few DNA probes Rice University scientists have invented a technology that could potentially identify hundreds of bacterial pathogens simply, quickly and at low cost using a single set of random DNA probes. Rice's "universal microbial diagnostic," or UMD, uses pieces of randomly assembled DNA and mathematical techniques that were originally pioneered for signal processors inside digital phones and cameras.
	Drug manufacturers need to understand how their products affect entire biological networks Decoys in DNA may serve a larger purpose than drug designers suspect, according to Rice University scientists.
	Vital interplay between microorganisms and extracellular minerals Some minerals abundant in soils and in aquatic and subsurface sediments electronically support microbial growth by supplying electrons or storing them as "environmental batteries," according to this new review article. Microbial cells derive chemical energy from metals associated with minerals outside the cell wall, but in many cases the microbial cell envelope is physically impermeable to minerals, or is not electrically conductive. Because of these barriers some microorganisms have evolved strategies to exchange electrons with extracellular minerals. The article outlines advances in understanding the mechanisms that allow needed electron exchange. Some mechanisms involve redox and structural proteins that form extensive electron transfer pathways. Others rely on microbial nanowires, which are conductive bacterial appendages anchored in the cell envelope, or they rely on ridged "cable bacteria."
	Researchers get mixed results in training dogs to sniff out lung cancer in humans (Phys.org)—A team of researchers at Krems University Hospital in Vienna Austria has found mixed results while conducting studies to determine the viability of using dogs to detect lung cancer in human beings. In their paper published in the Journal of Breath Research, the team describes their study and results and suggest ways of improving the performance of dogs used for such a purpose.
	Gecko study offers evidence that small morphological changes can lead to large changes in function How do key innovations in the animal kingdom arise? To explore this question, gecko expert Timothy Higham, an associate professor of biology at the University of California, Riverside, led a team of evolutionary biologists to study Gonatodes, a genus of dwarf geckos. In the process, the researchers found a gecko, Gonatodes humeralis, that they posit offers a "snapshot" into the evolution of adhesion in geckos.
	Wild grass species found unable to adapt rapidly enough to survive global warming (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers with the University of Arizona has found evidence that suggests many wild grass species will be at risk of disappearing from certain areas as the planet heats up. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, Alice Cang, Ashley Wilson and John Wiens describe the study they carried out on the speed with which wild grass species can adapt to change, what they found and what it might mean for the future of many important crops.
	Human and avian running on uneven ground Humans and birds adapt their movement when running on uneven ground.
Researchers describe mechanism central to maintaining healthy protein levels, avoiding disease states A new scientific study conducted by a team of leading geneticists has characterized how cells know when to stop translating DNA into proteins, a critical step in maintaining healthy protein levels and cell function. In the study published in Cell, researchers studied short pieces of genetic material called messenger RNA, or mRNA, that serve as a go-between a person's DNA and the proteins it encodes. Researchers were searching for insight into a cellular mechanism that has been a mystery – how do cells sense it is time to stop making mRNA and coordinate cellular machinery to shut down the process?
	Sugar gives bees a happy buzz, study finds An unexpected sugary snack can give bees a little buzz and appears to lift their mood, even making them optimistic, according to research Thursday that suggests pollinators have feelings, too.
	Researchers create technique for opening insects' exoskeletons to study living cells Scientists believe that hearing in fruit flies and in humans is remarkably similar at the cellular level, which is why they'd like to explore the fruit fly's ear to learn more about how humans hear.
	Wind turbines killing more than just local birds, study finds Wind turbines are known to kill large birds, such as golden eagles, that live nearby. Now there is evidence that birds from up to hundreds of miles away make up a significant portion of the raptors that are killed at these wind energy fields.
	Cocaine accumulation in fish eyes A study by Eawag and Zurich University researchers using a new imaging method has revealed that, surprisingly, cocaine accumulates in the eyes of zebrafish. The findings indicate that chemicals – especially psychoactive drugs – need to be assessed quite differently with waterborne exposure than, for example, when pharmaceutical substances are tested in mice. In particular, the uptake mechanisms and effects of cocaine in fish cannot simply be transferred to mammals or humans.
	When, where and how is ice formed in northern streams? Ice formation is important in northern streams with long winters as it affects plants and animals in various ways. But knowledge on variations in ice formation processes has been inadequate. Former doctoral student, Lovisa Lind, at Umeå University, has created a model for ice formation that can be of use to nature conservationists, technicians and researchers in the northern hemisphere.
	Genes underlying dogs' social ability revealed The social ability of dogs is affected by genes that also seems to influence human behaviour, according to a new study from Linköping University in Sweden. The scientists have found a relationship between five different genes and the ability of dogs to interact with humans. Four of them are also related to social disorders in humans, for example, autism.
	Research into fly development provides insights into blood vessel formation Researchers working with flies at IRB Barcelona describe that the concentration of some small intracellular organelles determines the branching capacity of tracheal cells.
	Cellphones spill into Yellowstone's wilds despite park plan Adventure seekers encounter untamed wilderness when they enter the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park. Howling wolves. Deadly grizzly bears. Steam-spewing geysers as seen nowhere else on earth.
	Tough times for S.Africa's all-female anti-poaching unit South Africa's all-female "Black Mambas" anti-poaching team had never lost a rhino since they were formed in 2013, but the killing of two animals earlier this month shattered their proud record.
	Pesticide predicament for California's strawberry growers The powerful fumigant methyl bromide will be retired from California's strawberry fields at the end of this year after more than 20 years of fierce debate over its effects and alternatives.
	Cells migrate collectively by intermittent bursts of activity Cell migration is a central process in the development and maintenance of multicellular organisms. Researchers of Aalto University and their research partners have now discovered that this motion occurs by intermittent bursts of activity. It can be described by universal scaling laws similar to the ones observed in other driven systems outside of biology.
	New report finds no slowdown in tiger trafficking A new report from TRAFFIC and WWF finds no evidence of a decline in tiger trafficking across Asia, with parts equating to a minimum of 1755 tigers seized between 2000 and 2015 – an average of more than two animals per week.
	Thailand suspends seahorse trade amid conservation concerns Seahorses, traded by the millions annually as an ingredient in traditional medicine in parts of Asia, are getting a reprieve from Thailand, the world's biggest exporter of the animal.
Scientists identify the signals plants use to survive in salty soils Plants survive in high-salt soils through a signaling pathway using salt-responsive calmodulin proteins, which trigger cells to change their internal ion balance. A group led by Liqun Zhao of Hebei Normal University in Shijiazhuang, China, report the findings in a study published September 29, 2016 in PLOS Genetics.
	Developing rapid DNA analysis technology Jim Schneider, professor of chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, recently received a 3-year, $295,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop new strategies to rapidly separate and analyze long (kilobase) DNA strands, using surfactants rather than polymeric gels. These faster analysis techniques can impact a wide range of genomic DNA analyses, such as genome mapping, where rapid processing of kilobase-length DNA is required. While conventional pulsed-field electrophoresis methods take days to separate kilobase-length DNA, Schneider's new methods will take less than five minutes and use inexpensive, reusable materials.
Team studies calcium requirements for weanling pigs Two recent studies from the University of Illinois have helped determine how much calcium growing pigs require, and illuminate the mechanisms by which they absorb it.

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