Science X Newsletter Thursday, Oct 6

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 6, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Researchers use novel materials to build smallest transistor with 1-nanometer carbon nanotube gate

Mini 'Pepper' robots start new jobs in Taiwan

Technique mass-produces uniform, multilayered particles

Apple patent reveals idea for fingerprint technology

Researchers probe HPV's manipulation of immune system

Novel method creates important industrial chemicals simply, cheaply

Decoding of tarsier genome reveals ties to humans

Study shows proteins produced by gut bacteria may cause misfolding of brain proteins and cerebral inflammation

Alaskan squirrel study shows females do far more work than males

Study predicts next global dust storm on Mars

New insights into early terrestrial planet formation

Does brain size really matter?

Bioengineer's microscope features interactive microbes

New method to differentiate molecules could yield faster and cheaper medicines

Process turns wheat flour into CO2-capturing micropores

Astronomy & Space news

	Study predicts next global dust storm on Mars Global dust storms on Mars could soon become more predictable—which would be a boon for future astronauts there—if the next one follows a pattern suggested by those in the past.
	New insights into early terrestrial planet formation Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology have demonstrated that the relatively high levels of precious metals (gold, platinum, etc.) in the Earth's mantle likely originated from one large-scale planetary impact prior to the formation of the Earth's crust. This implies that the early Earth was a more benign place than previously thought, with fewer impacts from space. The findings are published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 4 October 2016.
	Identifying dim companions of intermediate-mass stars An international team of astronomers using the Subaru Telescope and led by a graduate student member of SOKENDAI (The Graduate University of Advanced Studies, Japan) has discovered companions circling "intermediate-mass" stars. These are stars that are heavier than the Sun and the companions were thought to be either planets or possibly small stars. The excellent performance of the Subaru Telescope enabled the detection of faint objects circling around three of six bright stars surveyed.
	TESS mission will provide exciting exoplanet targets for years to come NASA's search for planets outside of our solar system has mostly involved very distant, faint stars. NASA's upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), by contrast, will look at the brightest stars in our solar neighborhood.
	Planet in star system nearest our Sun 'may have oceans' A rocky planet discovered in the "habitable" zone of the star nearest our Sun may be covered with oceans, researchers at France's CNRS research institute said Thursday.
	Hubble detects giant 'cannonballs' shooting from star Great balls of fire! NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has detected superhot blobs of gas, each twice as massive as the planet Mars, being ejected near a dying star. The plasma balls are zooming so fast through space it would take only 30 minutes for them to travel from Earth to the moon. This stellar "cannon fire" has continued once every 8.5 years for at least the past 400 years, astronomers estimate.
	Trusted Ariane 5 lays foundations for Ariane 6 With 74 successful launches in a row, Ariane 5 now matches the reliability of Ariane 4 – while an experiment is helping the development of Ariane 6.
Video: NASA's SDO watches magnetic arches tower over sun's surface Massive arches of solar material brighten and stream over an active region on the sun's surface in this animation of imagery captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, on Sept. 29, 2016.
	Astrophysicist creates galaxies for Hollywood epic A University of Hertfordshire astrophysicist has created animated sequences of cosmic phenomena for renowned Hollywood filmmaker Terrence Malick's new film, Voyage of Time.
Russia reschedules Soyuz manned space launch for Oct. 19 Russia's space agency says the technical problem that delayed a planned manned launch to the International Space Station last month has been identified and the launch has been rescheduled for Oct. 19.
Astronomy is a big star of Ada Lovelace Day 100 years ago the first women became Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society. To mark this anniversary, the RAS is a platinum sponsor of Ada Lovelace Day (ALD) on 11 October, which celebrates the achievements of women in science.

Technology news

	Mini 'Pepper' robots start new jobs in Taiwan A shiny new cohort joined the workforce in Taiwan Thursday—a troop of mini robots all going by the name "Pepper", enlisted to entertain customers and give them the hard sell.
	Apple patent reveals idea for fingerprint technology (Tech Xplore)—"Capacitive fingerprint sensor including an electrostatic lens" is the title of the patent filed in September 2014.The inventor listed is Jean-Marie Bussat. This is being talked about in this week's tech press as "Apple's electrostatic lens patent," which was first filed in September 2014. The patent description said, "This application generally relates to capacitive fingerprint sensing systems, and more particularly to the use of an electrostatic lens to increase the resolution of a capacitive sensing system."
	Bioengineer's microscope features interactive microbes A new 3-D printed, easily assembled smartphone microscope developed at Stanford University turns microbiology into game time. The device allows kids to play games or make more serious observations with miniature light-seeking microbes called Euglena.
	Researchers build first tetherless hopping robot One-legged hopping robots have long been used to study balance issues, but their dependence on off-board power has kept them tethered, literally, to the lab. Now, Disney Research has figured out how to build a hopper that runs on battery power.
	Twitter plunges 19% on report Google won't bid Twitter shares plummeted 19 percent Thursday following a report that Google has decided not to bid for the social media company.
	Samsung buys AI firm founded by Siri creators Samsung said Thursday it was buying a prominent US artificial intelligence (AI) start-up founded by the creators of Siri—the voice-based digital assistant used on the iPhones of arch-rival Apple.
Samsung joins digital assistant race with acquisition of Viv Samsung Electronics is joining the race to create the smartest digital assistant by acquiring Viv, a Silicon Valley startup launched by the same entrepreneurs who sold Siri to Apple.
	Samsung to 'review' split plan, shares hit record high Samsung Electronics responded warily Thursday to a proposal by US hedge fund Elliott Management to split the South Korean tech giant into two companies but markets cheered the plan, sending its shares to a record high.
	Reported Yahoo email scanning revives surveillance concerns Yahoo's reported willingness to search user email to assist U.S. government investigators has revived concerns about court-approved surveillance programs that companies aren't allowed to disclose to the people using their services.
	US flight evacuated after another Samsung phone fire A Southwest Airlines flight leaving Louisville, Kentucky was evacuated after a passenger's Samsung phone began emitting smoke.
Spanish agency to probe Facebook/WhatsApp data swap deal Spain's data protection agency says it will investigate whether the recently announced exchange of personal data between WhatsApp and Facebook meets Spanish data protection legislation.
	Exoskeleton gets disabled people back on their feet Thanks to an exoskeleton developed at EPFL, people with paraplegia can stand up, walk and even climb steps. The prototype will be put to use this coming Saturday at the 2016 Cybathlon, the sports competition for disabled athletes who use assistive technologies.
Environmental scientist discusses transformation of U.S. energy Headlines focus on international agreements, sea levels, melting ice, and superstorms, but climate change is most of all an energy problem. Burning fossil fuels to power our cars and heat our homes produces carbon dioxide that transforms the atmosphere into a greenhouse, trapping heat that otherwise would radiate into space.
Study offers insight into detecting multiple hackers Security efforts to combat hackers usually focus on one method of attack, but computer scientists at UT Dallas have developed a strategy more effective at tackling various types of attacks.
	Hydrogen-powered passenger ferry in San Francisco Bay is possible, study says Nearly two years ago, Sandia National Laboratories researchers Joe Pratt and Lennie Klebanoff set out to answer one not-so-simple question: Is it feasible to build and operate a high-speed passenger ferry solely powered by hydrogen fuel cells? The answer is yes.
Researchers create non-invasive sleep research system for mice A company founded by two University of Kentucky professors, Signal Solutions LLC, has successfully created a complete system for collecting and analyzing sleep/wake data in laboratory rodents.
	Play video games, advance science Computer gaming is now a regular part of life for many people. Beyond just being entertaining, though, it can be a very useful tool in education and in science.
	50-year-old Electrovan was first fuel cell technology transfer from JFK's moonshot challenge The year 1966 brought the TV debuts of "Batman" and "Star Trek," which both enjoy a cultlike following 50 years later. With less fanfare in the same season, General Motors tested the Electrovan, the world's first hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle.
	Efficient organic solar cells with very low driving force Researchers at Linköping University, together with Chinese and American colleagues, have developed organic solar cells with a significantly lower driving force and faster charge separation than previous cells. The results have been published in Nature Energy.
	Record for perovskite/CIGS tandem solar module Thin-film technologies can dramatically reduce the cost of next-generation solar modules. Whereas their production cost is low, it is in particular the combination of complementary absorber materials in a tandem solar module that increases the power conversion efficiency. At the PSCO international conference in Genova, researchers from KIT, ZSW, and the Belgian research institute imec present a perovskite/CIGS tandem thin-film solar module that achieves 17.8 percent in efficiency, surpassing for the first time the efficiency of separate perovskite and CIGS solar modules.
	Snapchat eyes 2017 share offering: report Snapchat's parent Snap is readying a 2017 share offering, which would bring to Wall Street one of the most prominent of the venture-backed tech "unicorns," the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
	Aerospace engineer creates free 3-D aircraft design software As interest in small autonomous aerial vehicles and their applications continues to expand, a Utah State University aerospace engineer is offering the public a free software tool that could revolutionize the drone industry.
	FCC proposal: internet providers must ask to share your data A new privacy proposal unveiled Thursday will require broadband providers like Verizon and Comcast to get your permission before sharing with advertisers what you've been doing on your phone or computer.
	Facebook's Oculus to start selling hand controllers Hand-held controllers that Facebook says will make its Oculus virtual-reality games more appealing go on sale Dec. 6, months after the headset went on sale.
Lam Research, KLA-Tencor end merger, cite antitrust views Lam Research Corp. and KLA-Tencor are scrapping their merger agreement due to antitrust regulators' opposition to the deal that would have combined the two makers of equipment for manufacturing semiconductors.
	New supercomputer could dramatically cut the time taken to bring products and services to market Businesses could dramatically cut the time taken to bring products and services to market with a new supercomputer.
	Theranos closing labs, laying off 340 following sanctions Embattled blood testing company Theranos says it will shut down its clinical labs and wellness centers and lay off more than 40 percent of its full-time employees.
	Wal-Mart plans to slow new store openings, invest in online Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to slow its new store openings and pour more money into its online efforts, technology and store remodels, the company said Thursday.
	How XSEDE's ECSS program is helping researchers understand tornados with scientific visualization and data mining A dark, greenish sky...a loud roar, similar to a freight train...low-lying clouds - if you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, take shelter immediately. A tornado might be in your path!
	Novel tensor mining tool to enable automated modeling described in big data Tensors and tensor decompositions, a powerful set of new data mining tools that can be used to model and extract knowledge from multidimensional data, can be automated for more widespread use in Big Data applications. The effectiveness of these innovative tools in a variety of data modeling scenarios is demonstrated in an article published in Big Data.
Police tracking social media during protests stirs concerns Increasingly common tools that allow police to conduct real-time social media surveillance during protests are drawing criticism from civil liberties advocates, who oppose the way some departments have quietly unrolled the technology without community input and little public explanation.
Judges question if life term too harsh for Silk Road founder A federal appeals panel in New York City is questioning whether the life prison term given to the founder of the drug-selling website Silk Road is too harsh.

Medicine & Health news

	Researchers probe HPV's manipulation of immune system Researchers from New Zealand's University of Otago have gained fresh insights into how one of the main viruses that cause cervical cancer evades its hosts' immune systems.
Study shows proteins produced by gut bacteria may cause misfolding of brain proteins and cerebral inflammation Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are all characterized by clumped, misfolded proteins and inflammation in the brain. In more than 90 percent of cases, physicians and scientists do not know what causes these processes to occur.
	Does brain size really matter? Brain size may matter. In the world's largest MRI study on brain size to date, USC researchers and their international colleagues identified seven genetic hotspots that regulate brain growth, memory and reasoning as well as influence the onset of Parkinson's disease.
	Groundbreaking immune approach targets humans instead of bacteria Staphylococcal and streptococcal infections affect millions of individuals each year. They are a leading cause of sepsis and account for many cases of pneumonia and post-surgical infections. Despite the urgency of this situation, the antibiotic development pipeline is dwindling and multi-drug resistance is rampant, rendering the classical one-bug, one-drug approach obsolete.
	Replacing myelin protects nerve cells, restores function in mouse model of multiple sclerosis Using a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a research team led by UC San Francisco scientists has demonstrated for the first time that regenerating myelin – the fatty insulating sheath surrounding neural fibers that is destroyed in the disorder – can both protect neurons from damage and restore lost function.
	Face identification accuracy impaired by poor sleep It is often necessary to identify unfamiliar people by comparing face images: for example a CCTV image to a mugshot, or a passport photograph to a traveller.
	Discovery of stem cell signals could help regenerate bones missing in congenital skull disorders Calcium, the main constituent of bone, turns out to play a major role in regulating the cells that orchestrate bone growth, a finding that could affect treatment for conditions caused by too much collagen deposition, such as fibrosis and excessive scarring, as well as diseases of too little bone growth, such as Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS).
	Cancer cells have Alzheimer's disease, too A study published today by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine describes that certain proteins playing a role in cancer progression and metastasis are stored as amyloid bodies in dormant cancer cells. Once the amyloid bodies disaggregate, the cancer cells become active again. The findings were published in the journal Developmental Cell today.
	Newly discovered gut organism protects mice from bacterial infections While bacteria are often stars of the gut microbiome, emerging research depicts a more complex picture, where microorganisms from different kingdoms of life are actively working together or fighting against one another. In a study published October 6 in Cell, scientists reveal one example: a newly discovered protist that protects its host mice from intestinal bacterial infections.
	Human neurons continue to migrate after birth, research finds Researchers at UC San Francisco have discovered a previously unknown mass migration of inhibitory neurons into the brain's frontal cortex during the first few months after birth, revealing a stage of brain development that had previously gone unrecognized. The authors hypothesize that this late-stage migration may play a role in establishing fundamentally human cognitive abilities and that its disruption could underlie a number of neurodevelopmental diseases.
	Brain cell 'executioner' identified: Common culprit may cause damage in stroke, brain injury, neurodegenerative disease Despite their different triggers, the same molecular chain of events appears to be responsible for brain cell death from strokes, injuries and even such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have pinpointed the protein at the end of that chain of events, one that delivers the fatal strike by carving up a cell's DNA. The find, they say, potentially opens up a new avenue for the development of drugs to prevent, stop or weaken the process.
Modest training may improve unlicensed health care, globally In the developing world, a large portion of health care providers have no formal medical training. Now a new study of rural India, co-authored by an MIT professor, shows that modest levels of medical training can improve the quality of health care furnished by those informal providers.
Scientists identify how repair protein finds DNA damage Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) have demonstrated how Rad4, a protein involved in DNA repair, scans the DNA in a unique pattern of movement called "constrained motion" to efficiently find structural faults in DNA. The findings, reported today in the journal Molecular Cell, could lead to therapies that boost existing drug treatments and counter drug-resistance.
Most hospital palliative care programs are understaffed Most hospitals offer palliative care services that help people with serious illnesses manage their pain and other symptoms and make decisions about their treatment, while providing emotional support and assistance in navigating the health system. But hospital programs vary widely, and the majority fail to provide adequate staff to meet national guidelines, a recent study found.
Analyzing picture books for nutrition education Feeding children can be a challenging process for many parents. A previous study found 46% of preschoolers were picky eaters and 40% of picky eaters remained picky for two or more years. Nutrition education and recommended feeding practices may help parents deal with feeding problems and shorten their duration. Books may be used as resources to help teach children to overcome poor eating habits. Thus, a content analysis was conducted to assess messages about dietary behaviors and feeding strategies in a set of picture books.
Suicides under crisis services lead to concerns over pressures on mental health care Over 200 suicide deaths per year now occur in patients under mental health crisis teams, three times as many as in in-patients, according to a report by The University of Manchester's National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH).
	Advice for parents on body image amid 2016 campaign insults Even if your daughters don't pay much attention to politics, they'd be hard-pressed to have missed Donald Trump's attack of a former Miss Universe's weight or comments about a 400-pound hacker. It resonated with a 15-year-old who said this week the words damage girls' body image and asked Hillary Clinton how to help.
	Rapid blood test can rule out serious infections in children Using a simple decision rule and a finger prick to test blood, general practitioners can now detect serious infections in children very quickly. This ensures that seriously ill children don't have to wait for a diagnosis until they're hospitalized - a delay that may have fatal consequences. The procedure also prevents unnecessary hospital referrals for less serious cases. That is the conclusion of a study conducted by a clinical team at KU Leuven (University of Leuven, Belgium) in collaboration with Ghent University and University of Oxford.
	Contribution increases by tenfold the mouse mutation resources of one type available to researchers worldwide The world's supply of one type of mouse mutation available for research increased nearly tenfold with a recent transfer from the UT Southwestern Medical Center laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Bruce Beutler to a repository supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - a significant contribution that will help further medical and scientific discoveries.
	Peer victimization in schools: Two studies explore types and repercussions Researchers estimate that as many as 75% of children and adolescents report experiencing some sort of peer victimization, with 10 to 15% experiencing more severe and prolonged victimization. Two new studies explore victimization by peers to shed light on who is victimized and the repercussions of such actions. The studies are particularly pertinent with increased attention on bullying; this includes mandates to report instances of bullying as well as efforts to develop prevention programs and interventions that are effective and developmentally appropriate. Both studies suggest that earlier interventions are more likely to be successful in helping address peer victimization and its outcomes.
	Night shift work and breast cancer risk Despite an assessment in 2007 indicating that night shift work was probably carcinogenic, data from three new studies and from a review of currently available evidence, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, indicate that night shift work has little or no effect on breast cancer incidence.
	Unique genetic basis found in autism genes that may lead to earlier diagnosis Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers are a step closer to understanding the genetic basis of autism, which they hope will lead to earlier diagnosis of what is rapidly becoming the most prevalent developmental disorder worldwide.
Timing of surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiation in stage IIIA NSCLC impacts overall survival The timing of surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiation in patients with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) affects the overall survival of patients receiving trimodality therapy.
	NASH ID'd by mass spectrometry-based profiling, clinical variables (HealthDay)—Mass spectrometry (MS)-based profiling combined with clinical variables can identify nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), according to a study published in the October issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	DEA puts quota on production of opioid painkillers (HealthDay)—The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says it has mandated significant cuts in the production of powerful prescription opioid painkillers.
	Measles outbreak among amish highlights need for vaccinations (HealthDay)—The measles outbreak that struck an Amish community in 2014 illustrates the ongoing threat the infection presents—and the importance of routine vaccination, U.S. government researchers say.
	New device enables rapid identification of brain cancer type and tumor margin Gliomas are tumors occurring in the brain or spinal cord. They are difficult to treat as they lack clear edges, which complicates full surgical removal. This leads to high levels of recurrence and mortality. However, previous findings have identified a particular mutation very common in gliomas but rare in other cancers and in normal tissue.
	New guidance improves support for parents with learning disabilities Updated advice on how to work with parents who have learning difficulties has been issued by the Working Together with Parents Network (WPTN), led by the University of Bristol.
	Easing excruciating facial nerve pain For more than a year, Surujdai Kalladeen suffered excruciating pain in her face that would render her unable to work or do anything for long stretches of time. After seeking help from several doctors, including a neurologist who prescribed anti-seizure medication, she was exhausted from the side effects.
Battling 'super-bugs' to save a medical miracle Since its formation, the Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center has been battling a foe that threatens many of the modern miracles of medicine: the rise of bacterial strains resistant to multiple forms of antibiotics, including so-called "drugs of last resort."
Opinion: Trump is wrong, I treat combat veterans with PTSD, and they are not weak Mr. Trump, there's someone I'd like you to meet.
	Incidence of thyroid cancer on the rise The incidence of thyroid cancer has tripled in the past three decades, yet the reason for this is not clear. Dr. David Goldenberg, chief of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, notes the diagnostic tools are better, but he can't get behind recent talk of overdiagnosis as the sole cause for the increase.
	Two-thirds of young people victims or perpetrators of cyberbullying, study suggests Two-thirds of young people have been a victim or perpetrator of cyberbullying in the last year, new research suggests.
	Undoing the harm of childhood trauma and adversity Adversity experienced during a person's childhood has far-reaching consequences.
	Our perception of growing old needs to evolve "Weak", "sick", "immobile", "decrepit", "lonely", "depressed". If the prospect of growing old brings thoughts like these to mind, you are not alone. It seems that many people – of all age groups – have a preconceived idea of what being old will be like. And it's generally not good.
	Full genomic sequencing of Zika could help unlock virus's secrets Scientists have been able to shed more light on how the Zika virus works, by sequencing the full-length genome of the virus from a patient in Brazil and studying how a molecule derived from the genome fights the host antiviral response.
	Causative gene for sensorineural hearing loss identified A causative gene for a highly common type of hearing loss (sensorineural hearing loss, or SNHL) has been identified by a group of Japanese researchers, who successfully replicated the condition using a transgenic mouse. This discovery could potentially be used to develop new treatments for hearing loss. The findings were published on October 5 in the online version of EMBO Molecular Medicine.
	When is maternal immunisation ethically justified? Vaccination during pregnancy can protect women, foetuses and newborn children against infectious diseases – especially in developing countries. Maternal immunisation however also raises ethical questions. Philosopher Marcel Verweij of Wageningen University & Research made a first systematic analysis of the ethics of maternal immunisation which is now published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. Verweij concludes that vaccination during pregnancy is ethically appropriate if it can protect mother or child against a concrete risk of a dangerous infection.
	Student's knee sleeve design could prevent painful sports injuries A knee support sleeve that could stop painful, career-ending injuries has been designed by a student at Nottingham Trent University to prevent injuries before they even occur.
Study shows celecoxib as safe as other prescribed NSAIDs A large-scale international study of thousands of arthritis patents has found the risks arising from prescribed use of some of the most common pain killers are relatively low, offering reassurance to doctors and patients.
Women with early memory problems have better verbal memory than men A team of researchers from the US has reported that women with early memory problems called mild cognitive impairment (MCI) show better verbal memory then men despite similar changes having occurred in the brain. The findings suggest that women may have more resilience to damage – so called 'higher cognitive reserve'. The study is published on 5 October 2016 in the journal Neurology.
	Study shows potential disease treatment in newborns via drug delivery to amniotic fluid A breakthrough study by research teams at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and Oregon Health & Science University offers promise for therapeutic management of congenital diseases in utero using designer nucleotide sequences that can simply be injected into the fluid surrounding the developing fetus to potentially treat disabling-to-lethal genetic defects.
	How breast cancer screening could be better and less painful The breast cancer screening tests offered to women may in many cases be unnecessarily painful. New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that strong compression of the breast during mammography screening does not automatically lead to a better basis for diagnosis.
More than 10% of the US population has high concentrations of 10 or more persistent organic pollutants (POPs) A study led by researchers at the IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute) and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) has analysed the number of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) detected at high concentrations in the population of the U.S. and found relationships with socioeconomic factors, including gender, race, body mass index, education and poverty. More than 10% of the U.S. population has 10 or more POPs, each and all of them at a 'top 10' concentration; that is, at a concentration above the 90th. percentile.
Kind and sensitive caregiving in children's residential facilities is important for emotional and mental health Nurturing caregiving from a few consistent individuals helps to minimize the potential emotional and mental-health development issues that can arise from spending the early years of a child's life in an institution. Within such facilities, infants and toddlers reared in daily contact with responsive and warm professionals display better physical, cognitive, and social development. After they are placed into families, they have less aggressive and defiant tendencies and show fewer externalizing behaviors.
	The science, drugs and tech pushing our brains to new limits A recent explosion of neuroscience techniques is driving substantial advances in our understanding of the brain. Combined with developments in engineering, machine learning and computing this flowering has helped us enhance our cognitive abilities and potential. In fact, new research into the extraordinary machine in our skulls is helping us keep pace with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
	What Twitter behavior accompanies mental health crises? A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association indicates that there were two specific types of heightened Twitter discussions in 2014 related to mental health: expected increases in response to planned behavioral health events and unexpected increases in response to unanticipated events.
	Breakthrough for bone regeneration via double-cell-layered tissue engineering technique Various technologies have been developed to introduce laboratory-grown bone-forming cells into bone defects to promote their repair. However, these have many limitations as the conditions of the cells and their surroundings do not accurately mimic those typically found in the body. This means they cannot optimally promote bone formation. A research team at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) has now made a major advance in overcoming these difficulties by developing a technique for producing double-layered cell constructs that can be transplanted onto bone defects. The technique increases the speed of bone repair and the flexibility and durability of the constructs make them ideal for many surgical applications.
Reactome announces annotation and release of 10,000th human protein The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), the New York University School of Medicine and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) today announced a major milestone in the Reactome project: the annotation and release of its 10,000th human protein, making it the most comprehensive open access pathway knowledgebase available to the scientific community.
	Enjoying your workout is the best motivation It's an all too familiar story: Despite resolutions to lose weight, get in shape, or simply stay fit, it's all too easy to fall off the exercise band wagon. Studies estimate that up to 50% of gym members drop out within the first six months of a new exercise program. But why is it so hard to stay motivated?
	Why you smell better with your nose than with your mouth The marked difference in how much better you recognize odors you breathe in than those that are released when you chew something can be explained by the workings of the epithelium cells that line the nasal cavity. This was established when researchers had ten study participants stick probes into their noses, and then made electro-physical recordings of how the epithelium cells reacted to different odors presented to them. The study was led by Thomas Hummel of the Technische Universität Dresden in Germany, and is published in Springer's journal Chemosensory Perception.
	Mental illness genetically linked to drug use and misuse There are many reports of drug use leading to mental health problems, and we all know of someone having a few too many drinks to cope with a bad day. Many people who are diagnosed with a mental health disorder indulge in drugs, and vice versa. As severity of both increase, problems arise and they become more difficult to treat. But why substance involvement and psychiatric disorders often co-occur is not well understood.
	Pancreatic cancer paves the path for metastases in the liver at an exceptionally early stage Pancreatic cancer is an exceptionally aggressive type of cancer. Frequently, metastases already start to grow in other organs, particularly often in the liver, before the original tumor was even detected. Scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now discovered a molecular mechanism, which is responsible for the prominent susceptibility of the liver to metastases at such an early stage.
	Why tumors evade immunotherapy Immunotherapy is a new and highly promising form of treatment for cancer. In many patients, however, tumors recur after immunotherapy. In the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the members of a research team from the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin explain why some tumors recur and how this can be prevented. The findings will aid the selection of suitable targets for immunotherapy.
Study finds new approach to block binge eating A new therapeutic target for the treatment of compulsive binge eating has been identified by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
	Depression can fuel heart disease in midlife women: study (HealthDay)—Women in midlife with a history of depression appear at markedly greater risk of suffering from heart disease, new research suggests.
	Fitful sleep may take toll on older women's hearts (HealthDay)—The sleep woes that many women suffer during menopause may be more than a nuisance: New research suggests a link between lost sleep and an increase in risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
	Type 2 diabetes and obesity—what do we really know? Social and economic factors have led to a dramatic rise in type 2 diabetes and obesity around the world. In a review in Science, Mark McCarthy, professor at the University of Oxford, UK, and Paul Franks, professor at Lund University, Sweden, examine the knowledge of the actual causes and the interplay between genetics and lifestyle factors.
Tamoxifen, AI therapies linked to reduced risk for contralateral breast cancer in community health In patients with invasive breast cancer treated in a general community health care setting, tamoxifen therapy was associated with reduced risTamoxifen, AI therapies linked to reduced risk for contralateral breast cancer in community health k for contralateral breast cancer in the opposite breast and that risk progressively decreased as the duration of tamoxifen therapy increased, according to a new study published online by JAMA Oncology.
UV light disinfection significantly reduces Clostridium difficile incidence Ultraviolet C light disinfection to clean unoccupied patient rooms significantly reduced C. difficile infections (CDI) in high-risk patients who later occupied those rooms, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The no-touch device, used after patients with CDI were discharged from the hospital, also resulted in substantial healthcare savings, estimated between $350,000 and $1.5 million annually.
	New insight into course and transmission of Zika infection Though first documented 70 years ago, the Zika virus was poorly understood when it burst onto the scene in the Americas in 2015. In one of the first and largest studies of its kind, a research team lead by virologists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has characterized the progression of two strains of the viral infection. The study, published online this week in Nature Medicine, revealed Zika's rapid infection of the brain and nervous tissues, and provided evidence of risk for person-to-person transmission.
Multisensory education enhances patient understanding of orthopaedic conditions Patient education involving the use of multiple senses (sight, hearing and touch) during a physician-patient conversation about treatment, also known as "informed consent," improves understanding of anticipated care and possible outcomes, according to a new study appearing in today's issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).
	Therapists more likely to call back 'Allison' than 'Lakisha' promoting services If you leave a message with a therapist seeking mental health services you have a better chance of getting a callback that promotes care if you have a white-sounding name than a black one, according to one of the first racial audit field studies set in the context of the mental health profession.
Simple blood test could vastly improve detection rates of severe liver disease A new non-invasive method of predicting the risk of developing a severe form of liver disease could ensure patients receive early and potentially life-saving medical intervention before irreversible damage is done.
	Delinquent youths with PTSD need individualized treatment, studies suggest Juvenile offenders who have a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder are at 67 percent greater risk of entering substance abuse treatment within seven years, a new study found.
Penn Vet-CHOP partnership probes link between cattle and Crohn's disease Researchers still have a lot to learn about Crohn's disease, a chronic form of inflammatory bowel disorder that affects as many as 700,000 Americans. It's unknown, for example, precisely how heredity, environment, diet, and stress all interact to influence the risk of developing Crohn's. But new insights into a possible cause of the disease are emerging from a surprising source: cattle researchers at Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine.
30-day hospital readmission is a poor measure of quality The 30-day window for hospital readmissions—used by the federal government to penalize hospitals believed to provide lower-quality care because patients return to the hospital following discharge—should be reduced to a week or less to more accurately measure factors within a hospital's control, new research from UC Davis has found.
Are prosthetic interventions for transtibial amputees cost effective? Patients with serious lower leg trauma have two main care options: limb preservation or transtibial amputation (TTA) with the subsequent use of a prosthesis, or artificial limb. This study, "Economic Evaluations of Interventions for Transtibial Amputations," takes on the task of defining the largely unknown economic aspects of TTA, including the cost-effectiveness of prosthesis use within three topical areas: care models, prosthetic treatment, and prosthetic sockets.
	Preserving the power of antibiotics Of the 10 million prescriptions for antibiotics that emergency department physicians in the U.S. write each year, many are prescribed for known viral infections such as acute bronchitis and upper respiratory infections, which do not respond to antibiotics.
	PSA for prostate screening unaffected by changes in screening guidelines Controversy over prostate cancer screening guidelines that discourage use of PSA tests did not significantly reduce use of the test, a five-year review of more than 275,000 visits at UT Southwestern Medical Center showed.
Hospital rankings may rely on faulty data, study finds The October 2016 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, features the article "Consumer Rankings and Health Care: Toward Validation and Transparency" by Bala Hota, MD, MPH, and co-authors, Rush University Medical Center (RUMC), Chicago. After RUMC received a lower than expected ranking for patient safety in the 2015-16 U.S. News & World Report's (USNWR) "Best Hospitals" rankings, the authors compared the data that USNWR used for their hospital to their own internal data.
	Psychologist creates tool for measuring memory Psychologist Jamie Edgin studies human memory at the University of Arizona, where her research often involves working with very young children and children with intellectual disabilities.
	Adults with disabilities on Medicaid wait list most likely to have unmet service needs Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities on Illinois' Medicaid wait list who are minorities, in poor health or unable to speak are more likely to have unmet service needs, a new study found.
	Global health: longer lives, more lifestyle disease Life expectancy worldwide has jumped by a decade since 1980, rising in 2015 to 69 years for men and nearly 75 for women, according to a comprehensive overview of global health released Thursday.
	Federal government: Mylan has been overcharging for EpiPens Even the federal government is apparently paying too much for EpiPens, along with angry patients and insurers.
Government to pick plans for displaced health law customers The Obama administration is worried that insurers bailing out of the health law's markets may prompt their customers to drop out, too. So it plans to match affected consumers with remaining insurance companies.
Polish parliament rejects abortion ban after mass protests Poland's parliament on Thursday rejected an abortion ban after women staged massive nationwide protests in the devoutly Catholic nation, where the law is already among the most restrictive in Europe.
'Ramp-up' alert tones can help reduce stress on firefighters An article published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH) that examines long-term health effects suffered by emergency responders indicates that "ramp-up" alert tones can help reduce stress on firefighters.
	New online game invites public to help fight Alzheimer's A new online science game allows the general public to directly contribute to Alzheimer's disease research and help scientists search for a cure.
UK nurse who got Ebola in West Africa hospitalized again A British nurse who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone has been hospitalized for a fourth time.
Improving participation in cancer screening should be a priority Early diagnosis of cancer is linked to better survival rates. Unfortunately, participation rates for cancer screening worldwide are low even when screening programmes are free. The ESMO 2016 Congress is showcasing five studies on this important area of cancer management which look at alternative ways to overcome barriers and improve screening rates
Global Burden of Disease study 2015 assesses the state of the world's health Today, The Lancet publishes the most up-to-date analysis on the state of the world's health to equip governments and donors with evidence to identify national health challenges and priorities for intervention. This massive effort brings together 1870 independent experts in 127 countries and territories as part of the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) 2015 study collaboration, published in one special issue.
Selexipag in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Added benefit not proven Selexipag (trade name: Uptravi) is approved for long-term treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in adults with moderate to severe symptoms. The drug can be used either as combination therapy with other blood-pressure lowering drugs or as monotherapy in patients who are not candidates for these therapies. Selexipag has been on the market in Germany since May 2016. In an early benefit assessment, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined whether this drug has advantages or disadvantages in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapy.
Talimogene laherparepvec in melanoma: Added benefit not proven Talimogene laherparepvec (trade name: Imlygic) has been approved since December 2015 for adults with advanced melanoma. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether the drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy in these patients. However, since the manufacturer dossier contained no suitable data, no added benefit of talimogene laherparepvec could be derived from it.
Nivolumab plus ipilimumab in melanoma: Added benefit in certain patients Nivolumab (trade name: Opdivo) in combination with ipilimumab (trade name: Yervoy) has been approved since May 2016 for adults with advanced melanoma. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this drug offers an added benefit.
Crizotinib in bronchial carcinoma: New data not informative Crizotinib (trade name: Xalkori) has been available since 2012 for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (bronchial carcinoma) with high activity of the enzyme anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) who have already received another treatment. The drug had already undergone a dossier assessment, but the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) had limited its decision, which is why the drug manufacturer now submitted a new dossier.
	Safety data support human testing of hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for mucopolysaccharid I Extensive biosafety studies of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy, intended to replace a protein that patients with the inherited disease mucopolysaccaridosis I (MPS I) cannot produce, support clinical testing of the stem cell-based gene addition approach in MPS I patients. Evidence derived from these studies not only indicates that the HSC gene therapy is safe and well tolerated in mice, but also that it can produce sufficient amounts of the missing protein to affect MPS I without harming a patient's hematopoietic stem cells, according to an article in Human Gene Therapy.

Biology news

	Decoding of tarsier genome reveals ties to humans Small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, with enormous eyes and an appetite for meat, tarsiers are an anomaly of nature. They are also our distant cousins, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who recently sequenced and analyzed the tarsier genome.
	Alaskan squirrel study shows females do far more work than males (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with members from Northern Arizona University, the University of California and the University of Alaska has found that female Arctic squirrels in Alaska are much busier than males. They have written a paper on their study of the squirrels and have posted it on the open access site Royal Society Open Science.
	Student discovers extinct plague locust specimens While organizing drawers of unidentified grasshopper specimens at the Cornell University Insect Collection (CUIC), something caught the eye of Brandon Woo '19.
	Genome sequencing of individual Korean offers opportunity to identify parts of sequence unique to Korean population (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with the Genomic Medicine Institute at Seoul National University in South Korea and Korean genetic sequencing firm Macrogen has conducted the most complete genome sequencing of a person from Korea to date. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes how they sequenced the genome and the medical benefits they believe will come from their work.
	Hydraulics is a key driver of microbial life in streams and rivers In streams and rivers, bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms form tight-knit communities that feed the ecosystem, drive its biodiversity, and purify its water. These communities exist in several forms, swimming freely, clumping together, or as biofilms that attach to rocks and other surfaces. For the first time, a team of researchers has shown that the amount of turbulence the microorganisms are exposed to determines the form of their community. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, have important implications for river health, biodiversity, and water quality.
	A lead to overcome resistance to antibiotics Pseudomonas aeruginosa can become a formidable pathogen causing fatal infections, especially in intubated patients, people suffering from cystic fibrosis or severe burns. The presence of certain metals in the natural or human environment of the bacterium makes it more dangerous and, in particular, resistant to antibiotics of last resort.
	This flower smells like a bee under attack A new discovery takes plants' deception of their pollinators to a whole new level. Researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on October 6 found that the ornamental plant popularly known as Giant Ceropegia fools certain freeloading flies into pollinating it by mimicking the scent of honeybees under attack. The flies find that smell attractive because they typically dine on the drippings of honeybees that are in the clutches of a spider or other predatory insect.
	Beer yeasts show surprising diversity, genome study finds The yeasts responsible for fermenting your favorite frothy ale have a surprisingly complicated past, according to researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on October 6.
	Apes understand that some things are all in your head We all know that the way someone sees the world, and the way it really is, aren't always the same. This ability to recognize that someone's beliefs may differ from reality has long been seen as unique to humans.
	Researchers discover how selenium is incorporated into proteins Humans need eight essential trace elements for good health, and one of them is selenium - a powerful antioxidant that is important for thyroid and brain function as well as metabolism.
	Research finds that birds behave like human musicians The tuneful behavior of some songbirds parallels that of human musicians. That's the conclusion presented in a recent paper published by an international team of researchers, among them David Rothenberg, distinguished professor of philosophy and music in NJIT's Department of Humanities. Other members of the team are from the City University of New York (CUNY), the Freie Universität Berlin and Macquarie University in Australia.
	Yeast gene rapidly evolves to attack viruses, researchers find Humans have used Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast in baking, brewing and winemaking for millennia. New research from the University of Idaho and the University of Colorado Boulder reveals another way that yeast species can help our species: by demonstrating how viruses interact with their hosts, and how hosts may evolve to fight back.
	Research group confirms white shark nursery off Long Island A privately funded great white shark research group has confirmed the waters off Long Island's Montauk Point are a "nursery," a first in the study of great whites in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, the organization and other leading scientists say.
Researchers find citrus species that produce repellent against huanglongbing Huanglongbing is considered the most destructive citrus disease in the world, present in 17 percent of orange trees in São Paulo State, Brazil. A new strategy for combating the vector of the bacterium that causes huanglongbing, also known as greening, has emerged from the discovery that three citrus plants produce an essential oil that repels the insect.
	Research to keep elephants in captivity on their feet New research from The University of Queensland could help elephants in captivity enjoy longer, more comfortable lives by detecting foot disease earlier.
	Is there a natural limit to how long humans can live? Humans may live longer and longer, but eventually we all grow old and die. This leads to a simple question: is there an intrinsic maximum limit to human lifespan or not? There are two equally simple answers. Either there is a limit or there isn't. Without data you may as well guess and your chance of being right is, all things considered, 50:50.
	Ribosomal quality control The formation of macromolecular machines within cells is often a complicated endavour. Biochemists from the University of Würzburg and Göttingen have now unravelled new details of these processes. They show that cells invest a great deal of effort into preventing production errors.
	Big data processing enables worldwide bacterial analysis Sequencing data from biological samples such as the skin, intestinal tissues, or soil and water are usually archived in public databases. This allows researchers from all over the globe to access them. However, this has led to the creation of extremely large quantities of data. To be able to explore all these data, new evaluation methods are necessary. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a bioinformatics tool which allows to search all bacterial sequences in databases in just a few mouse clicks and find similarities or check whether a particular sequence exists.
	Systems biology study discovers proteins that become more stable with increasing age Some proteins behave in an unusual way: the older they become, the longer their life expectancy. A research team at the Max Delbrück Center in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) has now published this paradoxical finding in the journal Cell. Their work has traced the life cycle of thousands of molecules from the translation of mRNA transcripts to the disposal of the proteins they encode. The results are relevant for diseases where there are surplus copies of certain genes.
	New method provides a tool to develop nematode-resistant soybean varieties Soybean cyst nematode is the number one soybean pest worldwide, accounting for estimated annual losses of nearly $1.3 billion in the United States. Some soybean varieties have resistance to the tiny parasitic worms through conventional breeding of naturally occurring resistance genes, but the current level of resistance is becoming less reliable.
	Beer eases final moments for euthanized invertebrates, study finds Debates about humane treatment of animals are commonplace when the species in question is a charismatic mammal such as a panda or a familiar, furry house pet. But what about invertebrates?
	US farmers make foray into quinoa as demand for grain grows To the south of Nash Huber's farm fields are the Olympic Mountains, peaking at nearly 8,000 feet. Due north is the end of a channel of Pacific Ocean waters that separate the United States from Canada.
	Online sales of threatened cacti point to the Internet as an open door for illegal trade International trade of wildlife on the Internet is highly unregulated and has become a threat for species survival. Threatened cacti are available on websites and shipped across countries without any legal documents to certify their trade is not a menace to population viability in the wild. Is this ignorance or unwillingness to comply with regulations? Study published in the open access journal Nature Conservation reports on the activity and discusses assessment methods and solutions.
	Mayflies of Turkey: Two new records for the country species and an annotated catalogue Mayflies (the insect order Ephemeroptera) are a fascinating group, which represents the oldest winged insects, estimated to have been existing on the Earth since the lower Carboniferous, or, approximately for 350 million years. They are characterized by exclusively aquatic larvae, a unique fully winged subimaginal stage (the stage right before the young mayfly transforms into a sexually mature adult) and, typically, rather short life as an adult.
US wants to strengthen agreement to ban Arctic Ocean fishing The United States is trying to broker an agreement between a host of nations to prohibit unregulated fishing in the international waters of the Arctic Ocean.

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