Science X Newsletter Thursday, Oct 26

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 26, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Testing chimps in Tanzania over decades suggests personality types are stable

Reflecting light off satellite backs up Wheeler's quantum theory thought experiment

Scientists get first close-ups of finger-like growths that trigger battery fires

Learning from mussels: A marine bivalve inspires researchers to make stronger polymers

New evidence for dark matter makes it even more exotic

Yellowstone spawned twin super-eruptions that altered global climate

AI is unleashed to sift through data piles for readable reports

Earthquake risk elevated with detection of spontaneous tectonic tremor in Anza Gap

Ocean acidification research makes a strong case for limiting climate change

Urban heat and cool island effects controlled by agriculture and irrigation

Photochemical nitrogen fixation—opening new vistas toward a sustainable energy future

Deep-depletion: A new concept for MOSFETs

Scientists detect comets outside our solar system

Researchers find link between media attention to drought and household water savings

Researchers solve mystery of oxygenation connections in the brain

Astronomy & Space news

	New evidence for dark matter makes it even more exotic Galaxy clusters are the largest known structures in the Universe, containing thousands of galaxies and hot gas. But more importantly, they contain the mysterious dark matter, which accounts for 27 percent of all matter and energy. Current models of dark matter predict that galaxy clusters have very dense cores, and those cores contain a very massive galaxy that never moves from the cluster's center.
	Scientists detect comets outside our solar system Scientists from MIT and other institutions, working closely with amateur astronomers, have spotted the dusty tails of six exocomets—comets outside our solar system—orbiting a faint star 800 light years from Earth.
	Citizen scientist spots comet tails streaking past distant star Citizen scientist Thomas Jacobs was the first to spot tell-tale signs that a comet was orbiting a distant star monitored by the Kepler Space Observatory. Professor Saul Rappaport (Massachusetts Institute of Technology; MIT) and his team then collaborated with Jacobs to report the discovery in new research published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	Astronomers discover sunscreen snow falling on hot exoplanet Astronomers at Penn State have used the Hubble Space Telescope to find a blistering-hot giant planet outside our solar system where the atmosphere "snows" titanium dioxide—the active ingredient in sunscreen. These Hubble observations are the first detections of this "snow-out" process, called a "cold trap," on an exoplanet. This discovery, and other observations made by the Penn State team, provide insight into the complexity of weather and atmospheric composition on exoplanets, and may someday be useful for gauging the habitability of Earth-size planets.
	Small asteroid or comet 'visits' from beyond the solar system A small, recently discovered asteroid - or perhaps a comet - appears to have originated from outside the solar system, coming from somewhere else in our galaxy. If so, it would be the first "interstellar object" to be observed and confirmed by astronomers.
	Dawn finds possible ancient ocean remnants at Ceres Minerals containing water are widespread on Ceres, suggesting the dwarf planet may have had a global ocean in the past. What became of that ocean? Could Ceres still have liquid today? Two new studies from NASA's Dawn mission shed light on these questions.
	Low-cost clocks for landing on the moon A European clock accurate to a trillionth of a second is set to be used on satellites and missions to the moon.
	Image: Cloudy with a chance of protons ESA's Gaia mission, in orbit since December 2013, is surveying more than a thousand million stars in our Galaxy, monitoring each target star about 70 times over a five-year period and precisely charting their positions, distances, movements and brightness.
	James Webb Space Telescope's laser-focused sight About 1 million miles away from the nearest eye surgeon, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will be able to perfect its own vision while in orbit.
	Proposed NASA mission employs 'lobster-eye' optics to locate source of cosmic ripples A novel optics system that mimics the structure of a lobster's eyes would enable a conceptual Explorer-class mission to precisely locate, characterize, and alert other observatories to the source of gravitational waves, which are caused by some of the most powerful events in the universe.

Technology news

	Scientists get first close-ups of finger-like growths that trigger battery fires Scientists from Stanford University and the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have captured the first atomic-level images of finger-like growths called dendrites that can pierce the barrier between battery compartments and trigger short circuits or fires. Dendrites and the problems they cause have been a stumbling block on the road to developing new types of batteries that store more energy so electric cars, cell phones, laptops and other devices can go longer between charges.
	AI is unleashed to sift through data piles for readable reports Bitcoin. Self-driving cars. Sea levels. CO2 removal. Breast cancer. Wheat forecasts. Factory riots. The flood of data and research is daunting thanks to a knowledge world turned digital.
Facebook's election role is likely to increase Negative headlines. Congressional inquiries. Corporate apologies. The heightening scrutiny surrounding Facebook after it allowed Russian trolls and inflammatory political ads to spread on its network is the kind of thing companies would do anything to avoid.
Can't find a coupon code? This startup does all the work for you Ryan Hudson was trying to order pizza online for his two children when he was prompted to enter a coupon code at checkout.
	Developing a tool to increase mobility for the blind People with vision impairments face a perpetual problem: maneuvering through a world filled with obstacles and hazards. Meet Good Vibrations, a team of CU Boulder electrical engineering students who created Pulse, a product that will increase mobility for the blind.
	The challenge to fly non-stop from Australia to anywhere in the world Australian airline Qantas has the aircraft it needs to fly non-stop from Perth to London, but its goal is to offer even longer flights than that.
	Student uses drone imaging for hurricane relief effort in Texas She tried to hold back tears as she approached her husband and the insurance adjuster taking stock of the few belongings they had left after Hurricane Harvey made landfall. Her efforts to contain her emotions failed as the insurance adjuster turned to face her. Her tears were not for the lost belongings, but for her husband with terminal brain cancer. If only the floodwaters could've washed away the medical bills.
Ransomware like Bad Rabbit is big business October is Cybersecurity Awareness month, which is being observed in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere around the world. Ironically, it began with updates about a large-scale hack, and is ending with a large-scale ransomware outbreak.
	Clean energy can advance Indigenous reconciliation Canada's remote communities need reliable and affordable energy to operate their schools and businesses and heat their homes. But the current situation is woefully inadequate.
	Companion robot helping patients with Alzheimer's As Americans live longer, the number of people suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia continues to increase. A serious problem these patients face is a shortage of caregivers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that in the next five years, more than 1 million caregivers will be needed to care for our elderly.
	Irish America more distant from its cultural roots, study finds Irish America has become more distant from its cultural roots and there is a need to regenerate community and identity among the diaspora in the United States, according to a report by the UCD Clinton Institute.
	Self-driving in snow: Waymo to start tests in Michigan Waymo's autonomous vehicles are heading to Michigan for some cold-weather testing.
Twitter bars ads from Russia's RT, Sputnik Twitter announced Thursday it was banning advertisements from Russia-based media outlets RT and Sputnik, in response to US intelligence findings that the groups sought to spread misinformation during the 2016 presidential elections.
	Ford's net income jumps in 3Q on truck sales Pickup trucks helped Ford Motor Co. to a strong finish in the third quarter despite lower global sales.
Social media companies agree to third congressional hearing Facebook, Twitter and Google say they will send representatives to a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing next week on Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
	Security flaw could have let hackers turn on smart ovens A security flaw in LG's smart home devices gave hackers a way to control the household appliances of millions of customers, including the ability to turn on ovens, a computer security firm revealed on Thursday.
	Comcast's cable customers tumble as cord-cutting picks up Comcast's video upswing could be sputtering out.
	Shares soar as Twitter eyes profit by year-end (Update) Twitter said Thursday it hopes to post its first-ever profit by the end of the year, delivering a stronger-than-expected update which sent its shares flying higher.
	Messaging app Line skyrockets in Tokyo trade as profits jump Messaging app Line surged in Tokyo trade Thursday, posting its biggest gain since it was first traded on Japan's premier stock exchange in 2016 as the company reported better-than-expected earnings.
Dutch know-how may have gone into arms of mass destruction The Dutch government has admitted that technology from the Netherlands may have been used to develop weapons of mass destruction in Iran, Pakistan or Syria.
	Comcast beats 3Q profit forecasts Comcast is reporting third-quarter net income of $2.65 billion, easily topping Wall Street expectations.
Nokia shares dive as company warns of tough market Shares in Finnish telecoms giant Nokia have taken a tumble after it warned of tougher competition in China and a weaker global market.
Bayer books bumper Q3 as Monsanto merger waits in wings German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer said Thursday it booked a huge windfall gain in the third quarter, but the group is still waiting for approval of its mega-merger with US seeds and pesticides maker Monsanto.
SK Hynix posts record profits on rising demand South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix posted record profits in the third quarter, it said Thursday, fuelled by strong demand for its memory chips coupled with rising global prices.
Deeper understanding of ISIS propaganda can help in the fight against terrorism Though their time in active service may be done, many American veterans are finding new ways to serve their country from home. Douglas Wilbur, a retired major in the U.S. Army and a doctoral student in the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, is continuing the fight against ISIS by studying the Islamic militant organization's propaganda texts and communication strategies. His work could help the military in the fight against terrorism.

Medicine & Health news

	Researchers solve mystery of oxygenation connections in the brain Scientists have known that areas of the brain with similar functions—even those in different brain hemispheres—connect to share signals when the body rests, but they haven't known how this "resting-state connectivity" occurs. Now, scientists in the Neurophysics Laboratory at the University of California San Diego may have the answer. Using an advanced form of optical microscopy designed by David Kleinfeld and Philbert Tsai in the UC San Diego Department of Physics, postdoctoral fellow Celine Mateo and colleagues studied tiny changes in the diameter of brain blood vessels across the entire cortex of a mouse.
	Manipulating mitochondrial networks could promote healthy aging Manipulating mitochondrial networks inside cells—either by dietary restriction or by genetic manipulation that mimics it—may increase lifespan and promote health, according to new research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Stemlike cells at tumor perimeter promote new blood vessels to feed tumor growth Cancerous tumors need nutrients to grow, so they secrete factors promoting new blood-vessel formation to feed themselves. Researchers have long known that cells in low-oxygen environments at the center of the tumor send out these factors, but a new study by University of Illinois researchers found that stemlike cells at the edge of melanoma tumors secrete them, too – particularly when the cells are under strain from a tumor's complex topology.
	Novel technology provides powerful new means for studying neural circuits Finding out which neurons are connected with which others, and how they act together, is a huge challenge in neuroscience, and it's crucial for understanding how brain circuits give rise to perception, motion, memory, and behavior. A new Brown University-developed technology called "trans-Tango" allows scientists to exploit the connections between pairs of neurons to make such discoveries in neuroscience. In a new study in Neuron, they used trans-Tango to illuminate connected neurons in fruit flies, revealing previously unmapped gustatory circuits that link the taste-sensing organs to brain regions known to govern feeding behavior and memory.
Should we scrap the target of a maximum 4-hour wait in emergency departments? As waiting times increase, should we scrap the target of a maximum four hour wait in emergency departments? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ today.
Retain UK healthcare as a primarily publicly funded service, argues leading doctor A growing proportion of public monies are not going into front-line healthcare, but into profit margins, warns Neena Modi, Professor of Neonatal Medicine and President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Cerebral palsy survey in Uganda fills knowledge gap Cerebral palsy is more common and has higher mortality in Uganda than in high income countries. The underlying brain injury often occurs after the first month after birth, probably caused by malaria, a new population based study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Makerere University in Uganda reports. The study, which is published in The Lancet Global Health, is the largest of its kind on cerebral palsy in Africa.
A higher risk of breast cancer does not motivate many women to have screening checks SAN DIEGO: Some women, because of genetic predisposition, personal, or family history, have a higher than average lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. For those women, earlier magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended for cancer screening.
The importance of addressing poor nutrition in patients with liver failure Poor nutrition is common in patients with liver failure, or cirrhosis, and it can lead to muscle wasting, weakness, fatigue, and worse outcomes before and after patients undergo liver transplantation. A new review published in Liver Transplantation addresses aspects of nutrition in transplant candidates with cirrhosis and emphasizes the need to screen all patients to identify those with poor nutritional status, especially those suffering from muscle wasting.
Partnerships between rural hospitals and academic surgery departments can reduce costs Obtaining surgical care can be a troublesome task for patients in rural areas. Not only is quality care often hours away by car, but rural hospitals commonly face financial difficulties in recruiting and keeping surgeons on staff. However, a research team from Texas Tech University Health Sciences, Odessa, Tex., has developed a novel methodology to reduce rural area surgical costs, improve quality of care, and increase revenue for academic surgical programs. Their study findings were presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2017.
Improving readability of discharge instructions leads to fewer patient follow-up calls The National Institutes of Health and the American Medical Association recommend that health information should be written at a sixth grade level in order to be effectively understood by an average adult. However, disparities in health literacy can often be a barrier to patients being involved in their own care.
Imported candy at top of contaminated food list in California Following a state law mandating testing, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued more alerts for lead in candy than for the other top three sources of food-borne contamination combined, according to the first analysis of outcomes of the 2006 law by researchers at UC San Francisco and CDPH.
The perils of nostalgia: Older motorcyclists most likely to die in crashes When Ron Havens takes a road trip on his Honda Gold Wing motorcycle, he sees a lot of riders like himself - guys over 60 who rode when they were young and are back at it now that they're retired.
Cloth caps more effective than disposable caps at preventing contamination in the OR One of the first studies testing the effectiveness of different operating room (OR) head coverings in preventing airborne contamination has found that surgeon's caps that expose small amounts of the ears and hair are not inferior to the bouffant-style, disposable scrub hats that cover those features. Results of the study were presented today during a Scientific Forum session at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2017, and will be published online on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website tomorrow, in advance of print publication.
	Transplanted hematopoietic stem cells reverse damage caused by neuro-muscular disorder Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that a single infusion of wildtype hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) into a mouse model of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) measurably halted cellular damage caused by the degenerative disease.
Underweight women are at greater risk of early menopause Underweight women and women who were underweight as teenagers or in their mid-30s are at greater risk of experiencing an early menopause compared to lean or normal weight women, according to a study of nearly 80,000 women.
	Study finds women underweight in teens, mid-30s are at greater risk of early menopause A new study from epidemiologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst published today reports, based on a study of nearly 80,000 women, that underweight women and those who were underweight as teenagers or in their mid-30s are at greater risk of early menopause compared to lean or normal weight women. Early menopause is defined as naturally occurring menopause before age 45.
China's out of control 'silent killer' affects one-third of adults More than one-third of adults in China have high blood pressure —often dubbed the "silent killer" for its lack of symptoms—but only about one in 20 have the condition under control. These findings are published Oct. 25 in the Lancet's special issue on China by researchers at Yale and the Chinese National Center for Cardiovascular Disease.
	Living close to green spaces is associated with better attention in children Natural surroundings, including green spaces, may be beneficial for brain development in children, but evidence is still limited. A previous ISGlobal study indicated that green spaces within and surrounding schools could enhance cognitive development in children between seven and 10 years of age. In the current study, the authors expanded on this finding by evaluating the impact of greenness surrounding all the residential addresses of children since birth and characterizing cognitive development at earlier stages in life.
	Researchers report why Alzheimer's drugs work in the lab but not in patients A tremendous amount of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) (a peptide of ~40 amino acids) accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. γ-Secretase inhibitors were designed to inhibit the enzymatic activity that produces Aβ. By reducing Aβ production, γ-secretase inhibitors were able to treat Alzheimer's disease (Aβ hypothesis). In fact, nearly 50 clinical trials have been conducted using potential γ-secretase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease or several types of cancer. However, all of these trials failed, except for two studies which are currently ongoing.
Blood test can effectively rule out breast cancer, regardless of breast density A new study published in PLOS ONE demonstrates that Videssa Breast, a multi-protein biomarker blood test for breast cancer, is unaffected by breast density and can reliably rule out breast cancer in women with both dense and non-dense breast tissue. Nearly half of all women in the U.S. have dense breast tissue.
	Researchers identify a test to target cancer drug Doctors are developing a more personalised approach to the treatment of bowel cancer, thanks to research which has found a way of screening tumours for their susceptibility to drug therapy.
Cataract surgery in older women associated with decreased risk of death In older women with cataracts in the Women's Health Initiative, cataract surgery was associated with a lower risk for overall and cause-specific death, although whether this association is explained by the intervention of cataract surgery is unclear, according to a study published by JAMA Ophthalmology.
	Project Baseline seeks participants for study of biomedical basis of health The large-scale study of what causes health and disease is enrolling participants at Stanford. All are welcome to apply. In particular, the project is seeking ethnic minorities and individuals with an increased risk of disease.
	Chronic stress and habitat loss are flooring koalas Koalas are under a lot of stress. Heatwaves, land clearing and even noise pollution are all taking a toll.
	Lifestyle and herbal medicine effective in treatment of PCOS Scientists at NICM, Western Sydney University have found significant improvements in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms in overweight women by combining lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise with a novel herbal formulation.
	Study improves parental engagement in child's learning The once locked gates of early childhood centres in Chile – where parents rarely entered the premises – are now opening their doors and inviting them to be a part of their child's learning experience, thanks to a new learning concept implemented by researchers at Western Sydney University.
	Tool helps assess risk for second breast cancer Statisticians at The University of Texas at Dallas have developed an online tool to help breast cancer patients assess their risk of getting a second breast cancer, providing additional guidance for patients and their doctors in the timely management of the disease.
	Researchers show growth hormone signalling increases cancer risk University of Queensland researchers have unravelled the cellular process which may help to explain why tall people are at increased risk of several types of cancer.
Genomics-guided brain tumor treatment Several patients with recurring glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer, survived for more than a year in a clinical trial believed to be the first to use comprehensive DNA and RNA sequencing of a patient's tumor to inform treatment for these patients in real-time. The study was led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), UC San Francisco (UCSF) and the Ivy Foundation Early Phase Clinical Trials Consortium.
	Cancer patients diagnosed early are more likely to avoid chemotherapy Cancer patients are around five times more likely to have surgery to remove their tumour, and less likely to have chemotherapy, if they are diagnosed at the earliest stage compared to the latest stage, according to new figures.
	Depression and alcoholism linked to one gene in African Americans A gene variant involved in brain development is strongly associated with the risk of developing both major depression and alcoholism in African Americans, according to a new genome-wide association study (GWAS) by Yale and University of Pennsylvania researchers, published Oct. 25 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
	Exercise discovery could save lives of sickest patients A new discovery about how exercise helps protect us from disease could one day dramatically reduce the death rate among the sickest and most gravely injured.
Researcher finds healthy eating reduces risk of premature death A recent study has shown for the first time that a small, simple improvement in diet over the long-term – such as replacing one sugary beverage with a serving of nuts each day—may significantly reduce the risk of premature death.
	Gluten free diets aren't easy, but if you slip up a dietary supplement could help When people with coeliac disease eat foods containing gluten, they have an abnormal immune reaction. This results in inflammation and damage to their small bowel lining. But the trouble doesn't always go away for those coeliac sufferers who stay away from gluten. Studies show even after years on a gluten-free diet, many Australians with coeliac disease fail to heal their bowel, or continue suffering persistent symptoms.
	Machine learning used to surpass MELD in assessing liver disease Before joining IBM Research in Cambridge in September 2016, I completed a three-year postdoctoral training program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), working closely with Harvard faculty. Now, a collaboration between MGH and IBM Research has yielded a satisfying result – our manuscript, "The MELD-Plus: A Generalizable Prediction Risk Score in Cirrhosis," was published in PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed online science journal.
	Why do perfectly good cancer treatments suddenly stop working? Kris Wood, PhD, had been going full tilt for more than six months, ever since he'd been hired to the faculty in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke. He was working 12 stressful hours a day, adjusting to a new place, getting his lab up and running, training his research assistants, living on coffee. It was no surprise, he thought, that he felt exhausted and short of breath all the time.
	Statins are not always prescribed to the patients who will benefit most A study by the University of Birmingham has found that statins are not always prescribed to patients who will benefit the most from them.
	Research team turns smartphone into a powerful microscope in the fight against infectious diseases With smartphones millions of times more powerful than the NASA Apollo computers that sent us to the moon in the 1960s, scientists have been eager to adapt them back here on Earth to better the planet.
	How to train your drugs: nanotherapeutics Chemotherapy benefits a great many patients but the side effects can be brutal.
Why are cancer patients with pre-existing disabilities reporting poorer care? Researchers at Cardiff University are exploring the reasons why cancer patients with physical impairments experience greater problems in accessing healthcare compared to the general population.
Reducing the availability of alcohol would help combat excessive drinking Reducing the availability of alcohol by increasing unit pricing is one of the measures that is being recommended in a new British Psychological Society report 'Changing behaviour: Responsible alcohol consumption'.
	How "sleeper cells" in cancerous tumours can be destroyed In many metastasised types of cancer, disseminated tumours grow back despite successful chemotherapy. As a research team under the direction of the University of Bern, Switzerland, has now discovered, this is because of isolated cancer cells that survive the chemotherapy due to a phase of dormancy. If these "sleeper cells" possess specific defects, however, they can be destroyed. This could increase the efficacy of chemotherapy for certain patients.
	Silk could be used to repair damaged spinal cords Modified silk from Asian wild silkworms could be used in a strategy to repair damaged spinal cords, according to scientists from the universities of Aberdeen and Oxford.
	Mental wellbeing of generation X directly linked to childhood  Childhood disadvantage is strongly associated with poorer adult mental wellbeing for generation X, according to a UCL study.
	Study finds flu ravages muscles of zebrafish with muscular dystrophy This time of year, doctors often recommend flu shots for people who are young, old, pregnant or immunocompromised.
	Stopping children getting unnecessary antibiotics for colds and sore throats A collaboration between UK, Canadian and Chinese scientists has helped to reduce the over-prescription of unneeded antibiotics to children in rural China, according to research published today in Lancet Global Health.
	Smell sensitivity varies with circadian rhythm, study suggests It has always been apparent that some individuals have a better sense of smell than others, but a new study of 37 teens provides the first direct evidence that within each person, smell sensitivity varies over the course of each day. The pattern, according to the data, tracks with the body's internal day-night cycle, or circadian rhythm.
For older adults, keeping your heart healthy may protect against disability A healthy heart is important to the well-being of older adults. The American Heart Association (AHA) defines "ideal cardiovascular health" based on four health behaviors (current smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and healthy diet and three health factors (total cholesterol, blood pressure), and fasting blood glucose level).
	Doctors need cultural training A study conducted at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care (IGS), University of Bergen (UiB), concluded that Norwegian family doctors show little cultural competency when dealing with patients from an immigrant background.
Outpatient antibiotics raise risk for acquiring C. difficile infection in the community Outpatient antibiotic use is a primary risk factor for acquiring Clostridium difficile infection in the community, reinforcing the need for appropriate prescribing in this setting, a new study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases confirms. The findings also suggest that a recent visit to the emergency department, independent of antibiotic use, may also be a risk factor for the infection, which can cause life-threatening diarrhea.
	Individual with complete spinal cord injury regains voluntary motor function A research participant at the University of Louisville with a complete spinal cord injury, who had lost motor function below the level of the injury, has regained the ability to move his legs voluntarily and stand six years after his injury.
	Researcher prescribes specific exercise dosage for those with spinal cord injury For decades, the main message to keep the general population healthy was for everyone to get active.
	Mending hearts in three dimensions: Team uses hiPSCs to repair myocardial infarctions in rats The creation of cardiac tissue-like constructs could offer an effective and convenient "woundplast" for repairing myocardial infarction.
Calorie-rich foods are more distracting than less energy-dense or non-food objects, study shows Sugary, fatty foods are a distraction - more so than low-calorie foods and everyday objects - even if you are busy with a task that isn't remotely related to food, or are not even thinking about eating. This is according to Corbin Cunningham and Howard Egeth of Johns Hopkins University in the US, in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin & Review which is published by Springer.
More early stage lung cancer patients survive the disease With the advancement of surgical and radiation therapy strategies for stage 1 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), more patients are being treated, resulting in higher survival rates, according to a study published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Details uncovered in development of immune cell implicated in cancer, autoimmune diseases While the immune system is critical for fighting off invading micro-organisms, sometimes it can turn against the body and attack healthy tissues or be involved in cancer cell growth. A study by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers provides new details about the development of a particular immune cell that can play a role in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as well as cancer.
	New microdevice prepares axon fascicles in the lab like those seen in the brain Axons are the structures through which neurons transmit information to other cells. In the body, they aggregate to form fascicles. Several technologies allow scientists to generate and study single axons in the lab, but none are effective at creating nerve fascicles. A collaboration between researchers in Japan and the United States has led to a new microdevice that successfully forms fascicles in the lab. The report, which can be read in Stem Cell Reports, is expected to provide important insights on brain development and disease.
	Joan lunden's breast cancer journey: 'You feel so vulnerable' (HealthDay)—Joan Lunden—co-host of "Good Morning America" for nearly two decades and a long-time health advocate—is now also a breast cancer survivor.
	Bat left, throw right: baseball stardom? (HealthDay)—Every little kid who loves baseball dreams of making it to "the show"—the major leagues.
	Do you really need to eat breakfast? (HealthDay)—When you were growing up, Mom might have told you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But when you're an adult trying to lose weight, you may not need to eat breakfast if you're just not hungry first thing in the morning.
	MRN helps quantify peripheral nerve involvement in MS (HealthDay)—Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have peripheral nerve involvement that can be visualized and quantified by high-resolution magnetic resonance neurography (MRN), according to a study published online Oct. 10 in the Annals of Neurology.
	Researchers study mediating role of leptin in bulimia (HealthDay)—Leptin appears to mediate the correlation between weight suppression (WS) and duration of illness in bulimia nervosa-syndrome (BN-S), according to a study published online Oct. 16 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
	Secondary prevention meds often not started post-AMI in seniors (HealthDay)—Thirty-seven percent of older nursing home (NH) residents do not initiate secondary prevention medications after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), according to a study published online Oct. 17 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Vitamin D supplements improve markers of bone turnover in CKD (HealthDay)—For patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), cholecalciferol supplementation can correct vitamin D deficiency and improve markers of bone turnover, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
	Module developed to improve adult vaccination rates (HealthDay)—A module has been developed to help health care professionals improve vaccination rates among adults, according to an article published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
	New clinical practice guideline for management of T2DM (HealthDay)—Management of type 2 diabetes should include shared decision making, and patients should be offered individualized diabetes self-management education and glycemic management plans, according to a summary of a clinical practice guideline published online Oct. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Most patients satisfied with relationship with physician (HealthDay)—Results of the Physicians Foundation 2017 Patient Survey show that most patients are satisfied with their overall relationship with their physician, according to an article published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Mutation in fallopian tube lesions may help catch ovarian cancer years earlier Screening for tumor cells in the fallopian tubes of women at high-risk for ovarian cancer may help detect the cancer years before it develops further, suggests a new study co-led by researchers at Penn Medicine and published online this week in Nature Communications.
	Trump poised to declare opioid crisis a national emergency President Donald Trump is poised to meet with top advisers and officially declare the opioid crisis in the United States a "national emergency," he said on Wednesday.
Plague alert over Madagascar's dance with the dead In Madagascar, ceremonies in which families exhume the remains of dead relatives, rewrap them in fresh cloth and dance with the corpses are a sacred ritual.
	Pregnancy poses no greater risk to breast cancer survivors A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicates that pregnancy does not incur a greater risk of relapse for survivors of breast cancer. The safety of pregnancy for women with history of breast cancer has remained a controversial topic for many years, especially in cases of estrogen-receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. In these cases, hormones can promote the growth and spread of breast cancer so, as hormone levels change during pregnancy, it was thought that breast cancer would be more likely to recur in survivors of ER positive breast cancer during pregnancy.
Cleveland Clinic leads development of new guidelines for radiation in breast cancer Cleveland Clinic researcher Chirag Shah, M.D., led the development of updated guidelines for the appropriate and safe utilization of accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI). The guidelines are published online in the journal, Brachytherapy.
Good long-term improvement after 'reverse' shoulder replacement in patients under 60 For younger patients with severe damage to the rotator cuff muscles, a "reverse" shoulder replacement provides lasting improvement in shoulder function, according to a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
For college men, low awareness of HPV risk—Education may help increase vaccination rate Male collegiate athletes have high rates of risk factors for infection with the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV), but have low HPV vaccination rates and low awareness of their personal health risks, according to a study in the November issue of The Nurse Practitioner, published by Wolters Kluwer.
	Blood flow in the developing heart guides maturation of heart valves Congenital heart valve defects appear in 2 percent of all live births, making them the most common type of birth defect. While some of these defects have been linked to specific genetic mutations, the majority have no clearly definable genetic cause, suggesting that epigenetic factors - changes in gene expression versus an alteration in the genetic code—play an important role. Now researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found that the force, or shear, of blood flow against the cells lining the early heart valve sends signals for heart "cushion" cells to become fully formed valves. Their findings are published in Developmental Cell.
Study finds 'Precision Medicine' may not always be so precise Precision Medicine in oncology, where genetic testing is used to determine the best drugs to treat cancer patients, is not always so precise when applied to some of the world's more diverse populations, according to a study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, and the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).
	Health care access improves with state-level medicaid expansion New Rochelle, NY, October 26, 2017-A new study has shown that low-income U.S. residents living in Medicaid expansion states are significantly more likely to have health insurance and to receive a routine check-up compared to low-income residents of non-expansion states. While state Medicaid expansion has positively impacted access to health care for low-income Americans, in states that decided not to expand Medicaid coverage, very low-income residents have been disproportionately negatively affected, according to the study published in Population Health Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
	Assaults decrease by three percent the Monday after Daylight Saving On Sunday, Nov. 5, Daylight Saving Time officially ends. That means as we "fall back," we add an hour of sleep and return to Standard Time. When DST officially begins, which happened this year on Mar. 12, we lose that same hour.
	Mistakes in how proteins of the ear are built contribute to early hearing loss From the moment a baby is born, they are put through a battery of screenings to test for all sorts of characteristics, which includes the sense of hearing. One in 500 newborns fail their newborn hearing screens and are diagnosed with hearing loss, making this the most prevalent sensory deficit in humans. About half of these cases of early hearing loss in developed countries have an identifiable genetic cause, with mutations in over 100 different genes identified so far.
Three new lung cancer genetic biomarkers are identified in Dartmouth study Both environmental and genetic risk factors contribute to development of lung cancer. Tobacco smoking is the most well-known environmental risk factor associated with lung cancer. A Dartmouth research team led by Yafang Li, PhD, has conducted a study to display that gene-smoking interactions play important roles in the etiology of lung cancer.
	Researchers use a pump-induced disease to define underlying molecular mechanism Researchers at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) investigated a pump-induced disease and defined the molecular mechanism that triggers it. The study, "On the effect of hyperaldosteronism-inducing mutations in Na/K pumps," was published in the October issue of the Journal of General Physiology.
Drug company founder indicted in US-wide opioid conspiracy U.S. prosecutors brought a fraud and racketeering case Thursday against the founder of an opioid medication maker that has faced increasing scrutiny from authorities across the country over allegations of pushing prescriptions of powerful painkillers amid a drug epidemic that is claiming thousands of lives each year.
	Computational simulations suggest multiple sclerosis is a single disease New research supports the idea that multiple sclerosis (MS), which has widely varying symptoms and progression in different patients, is nonetheless a single disease with common underlying mechanisms. The findings are published in PLOS Computational Biology.
Nonoperative treatment of appendicitis is increasing, may raise death risk About twice as many U.S. adults with appendicitis are being treated without an operation compared with 20 years ago, and nonoperative management of an infected appendix is tied to a higher death rate in the hospital, according to new study findings. The study results, presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2017, are concerning given that an operation usually cures the appendicitis, the researchers report.
	Hush little virus, don't say a word: Scientists investigate sleeping viruses Worldwide, four in five adults are infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV), say researchers. But most of those infected don't show symptoms like cold sores because the virus infection is "latent" or "silent"—sleeping—within the nervous system, where it remains for the entire life of its host.
	Research advance may prevent a form of hereditary hearing loss A research advance co-led by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine's Kumar Alagramam, PhD, may stop the progression of hearing loss and lead to significant preservation of hearing in people with Usher syndrome type III, a form of hereditary hearing loss linked to defects in the sensory "hair" cells in the inner ear. USH3 is caused by a mutation in the clarin-1 gene.
Belly fat measurement predicts adverse outcomes in emergency surgery patients A patient's waist measurement can reliably predict their risk of complications and death after emergency general surgery procedures, according to new findings presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2017. While obesity is associated with poor outcomes after general surgery, the Body Mass Index (BMI), used to screen for this condition, may not be the best way to assess risk investigators say.
	Is Alzheimer's disease a disorder of energy metabolism? A team of investigators from McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, led by Kai C. Sonntag, MD, PhD, and Bruce M. Cohen, MD, PhD, has found a connection between disrupted energy production and the development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). The findings appear in the current issue of Scientific Reports.
Court: Ohio can require people with HIV to tell sex partners The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the constitutionality of a law requiring HIV-infected individuals to tell sexual partners of their status before having sex or risk criminal charges.
Annual measles death below 100,000 for first time: UN The number of annual measles deaths worldwide fell below 100,000 for the first time in 2016, but a push for universal vaccine coverage has "stalled", the UN said Thursday.
	Officials say Trump's opioid emergency won't mean new money President Donald Trump on Thursday plans to declare the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency—a step that won't bring new dollars to fight a scourge that kills nearly 100 Americans a day but will expand access to medical services in rural areas, among other changes, White House officials said Thursday.

Biology news

	Testing chimps in Tanzania over decades suggests personality types are stable A team of researchers affiliated with institutions in the U.S., the U.K. and Tanzania has found evidence that suggests personality traits in chimpanzees are relatively stable over long periods of time. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Data, the group describes the history of the testing, the types of tests given and what they revealed.
	Researchers create new 'letters' to enhance DNA functions Just like how letters are strung together to form words, our DNA is also strung together by letters to encode proteins. The genetic alphabet contains only 4 natural letters - A, C, G and T, which hold the blueprint for the production of proteins that make our bodies work. Now, researchers from the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have created a DNA technology with two new genetic letters that could better detect infectious diseases, such as dengue and Zika.
	Bacteria have a sense of touch Although bacteria have no sensory organs in the classical sense, they are still masters in perceiving their environment. A research group at the University of Basel's Biozentrum has now discovered that bacteria not only respond to chemical signals, but also possess a sense of touch. In their recent publication in Science, the researchers demonstrate how bacteria recognize surfaces and respond to this mechanical stimulus within seconds. This mechanism is also used by pathogens to colonize and attack their host cells.
	A new weapon against malaria: Scientists have discovered a new target to block the parasite responsible Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted between humans through the bite of the female anopheles mosquito. Endemic in large tropical zones, Plasmodium falciparum kills more than 500'000 people per year, about 80% of which are children under the age of five. Although therapeutic strategies have been implemented for a long time, they have so far remained moderately effective. By identifying two proteases essential for the parasite's survival and dissemination as well as a molecule capable of inhibiting them, researchers at the Universities of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, and Bern (UNIBE) bring a new hope in the fight against malaria. Their discovery could lead to the development of drugs blocking not only the parasite development in human beings, but also the human to mosquito transmission and vice-versa. These seminal results can be read in Science.
	Diversity and immigration increase productivity in microbial communities Natural selection quickly turns a melting pot of microorganisms into a highly efficient community, new research shows.
	Climate change may slowly starve bamboo lemurs Madagascar's Cat-sized greater bamboo lemurs are considered one of the most endangered primate species on Earth. They almost exclusively eat a single species of bamboo, including the woody trunk, known as culm. But they prefer the more nutritious and tender bamboo shoots and use their specialized teeth to gnaw on culm only when necessary, during the dry season.
	Biologists discover bacteria's 'sense of touch' A study led by researchers at Indiana University, published Oct. 26 in the journal Science, reports a new method to determine how bacteria sense contact with surfaces, an action that triggers the formation of biofilms—multicellular structures that cause major health issues in people and threaten critical infrastructure, such as water and sewer systems.
	Closest look yet at killer T-cell activity could yield new approach to tackling antibiotic resistance In a study that could provide a roadmap for combatting the rising threat of drug-resistant pathogens, researchers have discovered the specific mechanism the body's T cells use to kill bacteria.
	Fly hunter has described 30 new species Chironomids are also called non-biting midges or lake flies. Xiaolong Lin is a PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) University Museum in Trondheim. He devotes almost all his time to investigating these flies.
	Saving Indonesia's birds-of-paradise one village at a time Deep in Indonesia's easternmost province, a group of birdwatchers wait in earnest hoping to glimpse the renowned birds-of-paradise. Once plentiful in Papua's jungles, rampant poaching and deforestation have devastated populations.
Combining cassava flour in the bread dough might assure access to food in the future In coming decades, the rise in global temperatures due to climate change may hinder the production of wheat in many temperate regions where the crop is grown today. The raw material for bread, one of the world's most consumed foods, may become scarce and more expensive as a result.
	Study shows commercial harvest of snapping turtles is leading to population decline Crawling through neck-high mud on riverbanks is a dirty job, but someone has to do it for the sake of Virginia's snapping turtles.
	How much does life weigh? ETH researchers have developed a scale for measuring cells. It allows the weight of individual living cells, and any changes in this weight, to be determined quickly and accurately for the first time. The invention has also aroused significant interest both in and outside the field of biology.
	Sustainable seafood top of menu for new research group A new research group will focus on how seafood can be safely and sustainably produced for the world's growing population.
	Study makes inroads toward farming gooseneck barnacles A study led by a University of Oregon marine biologist has moved the seafood industry one step closer to farming gooseneck barnacles, a pricey delicacy in Spain and a common sight on the West Coast.
	Development of a highly-accurate computational model of human metabolism A Korean research team from KAIST developed a computational framework that enables the reconstruction of a comprehensive computational model of human metabolism, which allows for an accurate prediction of personal metabolic features (or phenotypes).
	Global road-building explosion could be disastrous for people and nature, say scientists The global explosion of new roads is rife with economic, social, and environmental dangers, according to a study in Science led by Professor William Laurance from James Cook University.
	The sea turtle that refused to be beaten by the storm When Eleanor the sea turtle was caught in a tropical storm off the coast of Florida, she coped surprisingly well. In fact, she hardly needed to use any extra energy during the four days the storm raged - and neither was she injured.
	Scientific evaluation of rhino diets improves zoo A recently published study in the journal Pachyderm highlights the ongoing effort of accredited zoos to address challenges and improve the sustainability of endangered species populations in their care. The study, co-authored by scientists from San Diego Zoo Global and Mars Hill University, evaluated fertility issues in captive-born southern white rhinos and determined that diets including soy and alfalfa were likely contributors to breeding challenges.
Discovery of a potential therapeutic target to combat trypanosomes Yaser Hashem's team at the Laboratoire Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN at CNRS's has discovered a new potential therapeutic target - located in the ribosome - to combat trypanosomes parasites. Using cryo-electron microscopy, researchers at the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (CNRS/Université de Strasbourg) have analyzed the structure of these parasites in details and revealed one of their potential weak points, which has remained undetected until now. This discovery opens the path to the development of new safer therapies that are less toxic and more specific against trypanosomes, the parasites causing the Chagas disease and the African sleeping sickness. This study is published on October 26, 2017 in Structure.
	Knowledge of larval fish just a drop in the ocean A year-long survey of the taxonomic diversity of Red Sea fish larvae has revealed how the community changes throughout the year and has also established a baseline for future studies.
	Cowpea protected from a devastating pest, free for smallholder African farmers Across Africa, armies of hungry caterpillars destroy the flowers and pods of cowpeas; casualties can reach 80 percent of this staple food crop if no measures are taken. But the real victims are smallholder African farmers who feed their families on farms smaller than five acres. Next year, they will have the option to grow cowpeas that are resistant to one of these pests.
	Misplaced monarchs: Clusters of butterflies stuck up north Monarch butterflies, those delicate symbols of spring and summer, should mostly be in Texas by now, winging their way to Mexico for the winter.
	Far from harpoons, whales star in Iceland ecotourism boom Iceland's whales have traditionally ended up as steaks on a plate. But times are changing, and as tourists stream to the North Atlantic island, whales are now the stars of a flourishing ecotourism scene.

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