Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Nov 18

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 18, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Electrochemical cell converts waste heat into electricity
- Comet probe 'sniffed' organic molecules, early data show
- Does 'brain training' work?
- Study shows contraceptive pills can alter a woman's view of sexual attractiveness of her mate
- When science and art produce nanosculpture marvels
- Gravity may have saved the universe after the Big Bang, say researchers
- Bats may hold henipavirus threat for West Africa
- Researchers create first image-recognition software that greatly improves web searches
- Team prevents memory problems caused by sleep deprivation
- Jurassic climate of large swath of western US was more complex than previously known
- New model clarifies photoexcited thin-film lattice dynamics
- Research suggests intermittent fasting provides health benefits
- Physicists suggest new way to detect dark matter
- Study offers first global picture of the evolutionary origins of proteins
- New computer model sets new precedent in drug discovery

Astronomy & Space news

	Comet probe 'sniffed' organic molecules, early data show Mankind's first-ever probe of a comet found traces of organic molecules and a surface much harder than imagined, scientists said Tuesday of initial sample data from robot lab Philae.
	China researchers plan Mars mission 'around 2020' Chinese scientists are planning to launch a Mars rover "around 2020", state media reported on Tuesday, as the country pours billions into its space programme and works to catch up with the US and Europe.
	Hot super-Earths help track water-rich atmospheres As the discovery of planets beyond the Solar System becomes more common, scientists have begun the in-depth study of the atmospheres of these bodies.
	Researchers use new method to calculate interstellar cloud core age (Phys.org) —A team of space researchers with members from Germany, Finland and the U.K. has calculated the age of an interstellar cloud core using a new chemical analysis method. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes their new technique and explains how measuring chemical changes as cloud contraction occurs can lead to revealing the core's age.
	OSIRIS spots Philae drifting across the comet These incredible images show the breathtaking journey of Rosetta's Philae lander as it approached and then rebounded from its first touchdown on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 12 November 2014.
	Team creates Milky Way structure simulations If you took a photograph of the Milky Way galaxy today from a distance, the photo would show a spiral galaxy with a bright, central bar (sometimes called a bulge) of dense star populations. The Sun—very difficult to see in your photo—would be located outside this bar near one of the spiral arms composed of stars and interstellar dust. Beyond the visible galaxy would be a dark matter halo—invisible to your camera but important nonetheless because it keeps everything together by dragging down the rotational velocity of the bar and spiral arms.
	NASA image: Saturn's upper cloud layers (Phys.org) —What the viewer might perceive to be Saturn's surface is really just the tops of its uppermost cloud layers. Everything we see is the result of fluid dynamics. Astronomers study Saturn's cloud dynamics in part to test and improve our understanding of fluid flows. Hopefully, what we learn will be useful for understanding our own atmosphere and that of other planetary bodies.
	What Philae did in its 60 hours on Comet 67P The drama of Philae's slow fall, bounce and unfortunate slide into hibernation was one of the most thrilling science stories of a generation. But what in its short 60 hours of life on Comet 67P did it achieve?
	Image: Moving Bepicolombo into ESA's space simulator On 30 October, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter, one of the two spacecraft of ESA's BepiColombo mission, was installed in the Large Space Simulator at the ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
	NASA's RapidScat ocean wind watcher starts Earth science operations Barely two months after being launched to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA's first science payload aimed at conducting Earth science from the stations exterior has started its ocean wind monitoring operations two months ahead of schedule.

Technology news

	Electrochemical cell converts waste heat into electricity Picture a device that can produce electricity using nothing but the ambient heat around it. Thanks to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science today, this scenario is a step closer – a team from MIT has created an electrochemical cell which uses different temperatures to convert heat to electricity.
	US military looks for the elusive mothership It's a Hollywood sci-fi fantasy that has long eluded the Pentagon: a flying "mothership" that launches smaller aircraft.
	WiFi hubs to replace New York pay phones Thousands of high-tech terminals offering free WiFi and other services will soon replace New York's remaining fleet of seldom-used pay phones, the city mayor said Monday.
	Toyota to start sales of fuel cell car next month There will only be a few hundred, and they won't be cheap, but Toyota is about to take its first small step into the unproven market for emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicles.
	Water bottle for bike collects moisture from the air Kristof Retezár, an Austrian designer, has come up with Fontus, which was designed as a self-filling water bottle for your bicycle. This device collects the moisture from the air, condenses it and stores it as safe drinking water. Powered by solar cells, the device harvests up to 0.5 liters in an hour's worth of cycling when under the right climate conditions.
	A carry-on that charges your smartphone (and more) Smart technology is in our homes, cars and phones. And soon, it will power our luggage, thanks in part to University at Buffalo engineering student Martin Diz.
	Nokia plots comeback with Android tablet (Update) Nokia is back in the fray. Just months after selling its ailing handsets business to Microsoft, the Finnish company is planning to go back into the consumer market with a new tablet.
Researchers create first image-recognition software that greatly improves web searches Dartmouth researchers and their colleagues have created an artificial intelligence software that uses photos to locate documents on the Internet with far greater accuracy than ever before.
	WhatsApp messages get end-to-end encryption An online privacy tool endorsed by Edward Snowden is being used to protect WhatsApp messages from snooping by encrypting them as they travel the Internet.
	Image descriptions from computers show gains "Man in black shirt is playing guitar." "Man in blue wetsuit is surfing on wave." "Black and white dog jumps over bar." The picture captions were not written by humans but through software capable of accurately describing what is going on in images. At Stanford University, they have been working on Multimodal Recurrent Neural Architecture which generates sentence descriptions from images.
	Snapchat lets friends send cash in a snap Smartphone app Snapchat on Monday began letting users in the United States send money to friends by simply typing dollar amounts into new "Snapcash" messages.
	Samsung to slash number of smartphone models Samsung Electronics has announced plans to slash the number of smartphone models it issues next year by up to one-third as it tries to cut prices in the face of intense Chinese competition.
	Robots put to work on e-waste UNSW researchers have programmed industrial robots to tackle the vast array of e-waste thrown out by Australians every year.
	Testing turbines to save energy They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. But a little knowledge can also be comforting. For anyone who has sat on a jet airplane at takeoff, tense and sweaty-palmed, wondering how in the world this gigantic assemblage will manage to climb into the sky and stay up, here is a little knowledge: That plane is propelled by a gas turbine engine, which is ideal for jet aircraft because of its excellent power-to-weight ratio—it's a relatively small turbine engine that produces a lot of power for its light weight.
Research reveals software improving in ability to analyze, score writing A Penn State College of Education faculty member's research showed that software for evaluating human writing is improving and expanding in use. Roy Clariana, a professor of education in the college's Learning and Performance Systems (LPS) department, said that software such as this could have important technological implications.
	Poor implementation may outweigh short-term benefits of Mexico's telecommunications reform A new policy paper from the Mexico Center at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy examines the impact that the constitutional reform of the country's "anemic" telecommunications could have on market competition, human rights and public welfare.
	Security and the Internet of Things An ever-increasing number of our consumer electronics is internet-connected. We're living at the dawn of the age of the Internet of Things. Appliances ranging from light switches and door locks, to cars and medical devices boast connectivity in addition to basic functionality.
	Google buys up Dutch wind energy for data center Google says it will buy the entire output of an 18-turbine, 62-megawatt Dutch wind energy project in the Netherlands to supply power to a major data center it is building.
	US: Gov't aircraft regulations apply to drones (Update) The U.S. government has the power to hold drone operators accountable when they operate the remote-control aircraft recklessly, a federal safety board ruled Tuesday in a setback to small drone operators chafing under Federal Aviation Administration restrictions.
	Ford recalls Fusions; software causes key problem Ford is recalling about 65,000 Fusion midsize cars in North America because the ignition keys can be removed if the transmission is not in park due to a software problem.
	Facebook's newest app unbundles Groups feature Facebook is launching a new free mobile app for its popular Groups feature that lets users create and interact with communities on the site, whether they're based on hobbies, geography or culture.
	Spotify boosts staff numbers as streaming competition heats up Spotify, the world's largest online music streaming service, plans to boost its staff numbers by a third, its co-founder and chief executive said Tuesday amid increasing competition from other technology companies.
	Twitter indexes every public tweet ever sent Twitter on Tuesday began letting users search through every tweet publicly fired off at the globally-popular one-to-many messaging service since it launched in 2006.
	ICANN chief urges wide Internet control The head of the private agency that acts as gatekeeper for the Internet called Tuesday for international discussions to ensure control of the web remains decentralised.
	Uber hits brakes on talk of finding dirt on reporters Uber chief Travis Kalanick on Tuesday took to Twitter to condemn an executive's suggestion to dig up dirt on reporters who write critically of the car-sharing service.
	New York's Times Square gets football-field sized screen New York's Times Square will be illuminated by the world's highest resolution video display screen of its size—nearly as big as a football field—when the neon billboard is turned on Tuesday evening.
Safety agency to push for national air bag recall U.S. safety regulators are demanding that automakers and Takata Corp. expand nationwide a recall of vehicles with certain driver's side air bags equipped with inflators that can erupt and send metal fragments into the passenger compartment.
	Facebook launches tech news page Facebook on Tuesday launched FB Techwire, billed as a showplace for technology talk shared by influential sources.
Democrats seek answers in State Dept. cyber-attack A U.S. House oversight committee demanded answers Monday about a suspected cyber-attack that has shut down the State Department's unclassified email system.
	Amnesty feels 'chill' from China Internet meeting Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday described a major Chinese-organised Internet conference as chilling, calling it an attempt to have a greater say in the rules that govern the web.
	Sony takes hard look at streaming after Taylor Swift snub A Sony executive said Tuesday the firm was taking a hard look at music streaming services after pop star Taylor Swift yanked her songs from industry giant Spotify.
	Recycling Styrofoam into rigid plastic Mexican entrepreneurs designed the first machine in the nation capable of recycling Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) and transforming it into a raw material used in the manufacture of transparent hard plastic.
	Lessons on censorship from Syria's internet filter machines Norwegian writer Mette Newth once wrote that: "censorship has followed the free expressions of men and women like a shadow throughout history." As we develop new means to gather and create information, new means to control, erase and censor that information evolve alongside it. Today that means access to information through the internet, which motivates us to study internet censorship.
US offers rewards for Romanian pair in online scam US officials on Tuesday added suspected online fraudster Nicolae Popescu to its most-wanted list of cyber criminals and put a price on his head.
Fate of Obama's major post-Snowden change in doubt The fate of President Barack Obama's proposal to end bulk collection of American phone records by the National Security Agency is in doubt as key Republicans begin lining up against the Senate bill designed to make it happen.

Medicine & Health news

	Study shows contraceptive pills can alter a woman's view of sexual attractiveness of her mate (Medical Xpress)—Researchers working at Florida State University have found evidence that suggests that women's use of birth control pills can have an impact on how attractive she views her spouse, sexual satisfaction with a mate and how happy she is in her relationship. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the researchers describe two studies they conducted with female volunteers and what they found in doing so.
	Does 'brain training' work? Computer based 'brain training' can boost memory and thinking skills in older adults, but many programs promoted by the $1 billion brain training industry are ineffective, reveals new research by the University of Sydney.
	Mechanisms behind 'Mexican waves' in the brain are revealed by scientists Scientists have revealed the mechanisms that enable certain brain cells to persuade others to create 'Mexican waves' linked with cognitive function.
	Research team finds mice and humans express genes differently (Medical Xpress)—A large team of bio-researchers with members from the U.S. and Spain has concluded that while mice and humans have almost the same gene pool, the way those genes are expressed differ. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers describe how they analyzed 15 different genes that were expressed in both humans and mice and found that gene expression clustered around species more so than tissue type.
	New clue in celiac disease puzzle: Cause of oat toxicity explained Melbourne researchers have identified why some people with coeliac disease show an immune response after eating oats.
	Research suggests intermittent fasting provides health benefits (Medical Xpress)—Intermittently restricting food intake could help prevent obesity and associated diseases prevalent in modern society, according to an analysis by Mark P. Mattson of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore and colleagues. The researchers, who also included the BBC's Michael Mosley, a proponent of the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet, reviewed previous studies on intermittent fasting and concluded that this eating pattern could be healthier than eating three meals per day or eating at will. The review appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Bats may hold henipavirus threat for West Africa A family of lethal viruses that has leapt from bats to humans in Australia and Asia may also pose a threat in West Africa, where bats are butchered for meat, scientists reported Tuesday.
	Team prevents memory problems caused by sleep deprivation Sleep is a critical period for memory consolidation, and most people don't get enough. Research has shown that even brief periods of sleep deprivation can lead to deficits in memory formation.
New school meal requirements: More harm than good? New federal regulations requiring school meals to contain more whole grains, less saturated fat and more fruits and vegetables, while perhaps improving some aspects of the food being served at schools across the United States, may also be perpetuating eating habits linked to obesity, diabetes and other diet-related diseases, an analysis by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers has found.
	Acculturative stress found to be root cause of high depression rates in Latino youth Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis say acculturative stress may explain, in part, why Indiana's Latino youth face an alarming disparity in depression and suicide rates when compared to their white counterparts.
A formal protocol for ultra-early treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage Neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists at Kyungpook National University in the Republic of Korea have developed a formal protocol for delivering emergency treatment to patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from ruptured aneurysms within the first few hours after bleeding occurs. The emergency treatment plan, offered day and night, is shown to reduce the incidence of repeated hemorrhage during the hospital stay and improve clinical outcomes in patients with aneurysmal SAH. This treatment plan is described and discussed in the article "Formal protocol for emergency treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms to reduce in-hospital rebleeding and improve clinical outcomes," by Jaechan Park, MD, PhD, and colleagues, published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
	Calorie-tracking apps may not help you lose weight (HealthDay)—Millions of Americans use smartphone apps that help them track how many calories they consume each day, but a new study finds that people who used a popular one after their doctor recommended it did not lose any weight.
	Bedbugs could be potential new source of tropical disease in US (HealthDay)—Until recently, insect-transmitted Chagas disease was found mainly in Latin America and South America, but it has made its way to the United States over the past few years.
	Some painkillers tied to bleeding risk in those with abnormal heartbeat (HealthDay)—People with the abnormal heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation who take common painkillers might significantly increase their risk for bleeding and blood clots, according to a new study.
	Head trauma in abused babies, toddlers can have lifelong impact (HealthDay)—Half of children who experience a severe abusive head trauma before the age of 5 will die before they turn 21, according to a new study.
	Could wine, chocolate help shield your heart from smog? (HealthDay)—A diet rich in chocolate, wine, fruits and vegetables may help protect people from heart disease caused by air pollution, new research suggests.
	Many teens suffer 'cyber' dating abuse, study suggests (HealthDay)—Many teens are abused online by the people they're dating, a new study suggests.
	Preterm-birth complications leading global killer of young children (HealthDay)—More than 3,000 children under the age of 5 die worldwide each day from preterm birth complications, making it the leading cause of death among young children, a new study reports.
	Exercise, physical therapy may help ease pain of arthritis (HealthDay)—Regular exercise and physical therapy may benefit people with hip and knee arthritis, new research suggests.
	Running won't raise risk of knee arthritis, study says (HealthDay)—Regular running doesn't seem to increase your chances of developing knee osteoarthritis, and it may even help prevent the disease, researchers report.
	CPR phone guidance boosts cardiac arrest survival, study says (HealthDay)— Talking bystanders through CPR methods for a cardiac emergency during a 911 call can significantly boost survival rates, a new study suggests.
	Are women more likely to survive cardiac arrest? (HealthDay)—Cardiac arrest is most often fatal, but research is conflicting on whether women have better survival odds than men.
	ACR: Most hospitalizations for gout are preventable (HealthDay)—Most hospitalizations for a primary diagnosis of gout are preventable, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, held from Nov. 14 to 19 in Boston.
	ACR: Contraception choice may affect RA-related autoantibodies (HealthDay)—For women at increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), choice of contraceptive may affect serum autoantibodies to citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA) positivity, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, held from Nov. 14 to 19 in Boston.
Laboratory breakthrough offers promise for spinal cord injury patients to breathe on their own again Case Western Reserve researchers have developed a procedure that restores function to muscles involved in the control of breathing – even when they have been paralyzed for more than a year. The breakthrough offers hope that one day patients with severe spinal cord injuries will be able to breathe again without the assistance of a ventilator.
	New tools in fight against virus that attacks the brain Researchers have developed new insight into a rare but deadly brain infection, called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). This disease – which is caused by the JC virus – is most frequently found in people with suppressed immune systems and, until now, scientists have had no effective way to study it or test new treatments.
Children with lower social skills at greater risk of obesity Children with low social competence, or the skills and behaviors necessary to engage in appropriate and positive social interactions, are at an increased likelihood of obesity.
	High-fructose diet in adolescence may exacerbate depressive-like behavior The consumption of a diet high in fructose throughout adolescence can worsen depressive- and anxiety-like behavior and alter how the brain responds to stress, according to new animal research scheduled for presentation at Neuroscience 2014, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
	When fighting lung cancer, every cancer is personal Larry Dry's lung cancer was discovered by accident. The husky, physically active 69-year-old had no cough, no breathing problems, only a little tingling in one hand. When his doctor ordered an X-ray before surgery for a pinched nerve, he wasn't thinking lung cancer. Dry hadn't smoked in 40 years and a chest X-ray taken less than a year earlier had been perfectly clear. But the new X-ray contained ghostly images of large nodules. Non-small cell lung cancer. Stage IV, the most advanced kind. Eight months of gut-wrenching chemotherapy shrank the tumors, but they quickly rebounded. A second, less toxic drug didn't work.
Suffering from constipation? Self-acupressure can help About 19 percent of North Americans suffer from constipation, with the digestive condition being more common among women, non-whites, people older than 60, those who are not physically active and the poor.
	'Big data' approach helps pinpoint possible new stent drug to prevent heart attacks (Medical Xpress)—Stanford University School of Medicine researchers hunting for a better drug coating for coronary stents, the small mesh tubes used to prop open plaque-filled arteries, have pinpointed a cancer drug as a possible candidate.
	New hope for halting cell death caused by disease Scientists have discovered mechanisms that control a new form of premature cell death in living tissue - called ferroptosis - and a mechanism to reverse it.
Childhood central nervous system cancer affects identity in adulthood Patients who have been treated for cancer of the central nervous system (brain tumours) in childhood or adolescence can show affected self-perception and self-identity in adulthood. This is concluded in a recent study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden which is being published in the scientific journal Neuro-Oncology.
	Seniors draw on extra brainpower for shopping (Medical Xpress)—Holiday shopping can be mentally exhausting for anyone. But a new Duke University study finds that older adults seem to need extra brainpower to make shopping decisions—especially ones that rely on memory.
Team devises ingenious method to attack cancer at its genetic source MicroRNAs may be tiny—as few as 20 genetic letters, compared to 3 billion in the DNA of a human—but they play a major role in biology, helping to determine which genes are expressed or silenced. In the last 10 years, researchers at Yale and elsewhere have shown they play a major role in formation and spread of tumors.
	Belly dancing improves body image and satisfaction Belly dancers are more satisfied with their bodies and have better body image than young women who don't belly dance, new Flinders University research shows.
	Turmeric could improve the memory of people at risk of cognitive impairment Adding just one gram of turmeric to breakfast could help improve the memory of people who are in the very early stages of diabetes and at risk of cognitive impairment.
Pathway to improved stroke outcomes In a world-first study researchers at Monash University have shown the risk of stroke after transient ischemic attack (TIA) has significantly declined during the last decade.
	How to stay slim this holiday season Holiday parties starting to fill up your weeknights? Weekends with turkeys, cookies and festive cocktails on the agenda?
Going home on time can benefit workers' health Public health researchers at the University of Adelaide say office workers can benefit themselves and their families by going home on time as much as possible, to reduce work-related illness.
	Poorest in society have eight fewer teeth The poorest people in society have eight fewer teeth by their seventies than the richest, one of the biggest studies of its type ever undertaken has revealed.
	Pioneering anti-clotting medication halves stent blockage in heart attack patients Treating heart attack patients with ticagrelor reduces the risk of stents blocking with blood clots according to a ground breaking new study conducted by researchers from the University of Sheffield.
Cheap malaria drug could treat colorectal cancer effectively too, say experts Medical experts say a common malaria drug could have a significant impact on colorectal cancer providing a cheap adjunct to current expensive chemotherapy.
Heart muscle inflammation and swelling peak twice after heart attack Results of a new study challenge the current consensus in cardiology that peak myocardial edema, or heart muscle swelling, only occurs just after a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. In the study, presented as a Late-Breaking Clinical Trial at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2014 and published simultaneously in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), scientists discovered a second wave of swelling and inflammation occurs within a week of a heart attack.
Moms' pre-pregnancy weight impacts risk of dying decades later Adults whose mothers were overweight or obese before pregnancy have a dramatically elevated risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, according to a new study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Early detectable vascular disease linked to erectile dysfunction Men who have asymptomatic subclinical vascular disease are more likely to develop erectile dysfunction than men who don't have early stage vascular disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Cardiac stem cell therapy may heal heart damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have found that injections of cardiac stem cells might help reverse heart damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, potentially resulting in a longer life expectancy for patients with the chronic muscle-wasting disease.
Cocaine users experience abnormal blood flow, risk heart disease Cocaine users complaining of chest pain may have abnormal blood flow in the heart's smallest blood vessels that may not be detected in regular testing, putting these patients at risk for heart complications or death, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Trans fat consumption is linked to diminished memory in working-aged adults High trans fat consumption is linked to worse memory among working-age men, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Family planning programs involving men, empower women In a society where women often lead very restricted lives and men are the primary household decision makers, new research suggests women are empowered when men are included in family planning programs. A study, from the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University Medical Center, suggests that addressing the dynamics between husbands and wives can result in women making more financial decisions and having more control over their social interactions, while at the same time meeting their family planning needs.
	Pregnant women with congenital heart disease may have low complication risks during delivery Pregnant women with congenital heart disease had very low risks of arrhythmias (irregular heart beat) or other heart-related complications during labor and delivery, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
New measurement of HDL cholesterol function provides information about cardiovascular risk Groundbreaking research from UT Southwestern Medical Center shows that cholesterol efflux capacity (cholesterol efflux), which measures HDL cholesterol function, appears to be a superior indicator of cardiovascular risk and a better target for therapeutic treatments than standard measurements of HDL. Current measurement methods reflect only the circulating levels of HDL and not the functional properties of this lipoprotein.
	Avoiding skin graft rejection: It's possible A research team bringing together José Cohen and Philippe Grimbert (Inserm Unit 955/Université Paris Est Créteil [UPEC] and the Centre for Clinical Investigation – Biotherapies 504 [CIC-BT 504]), and their collaborators at Institut Curie and AP-HP (George Pompidou European Hospital) has succeeded in finding a combination of drugs that reduces the risk of rejection following a skin graft. When tested in mice, this treatment seems effective, since no sign of rejection is observed nearly 30 days after transplantation.
Global experts to discuss how to prepare for infectious diseases like Ebola, tuberculosis How can Canada and the world better prepare for global health challenges such as the Ebola virus?
Study identifies superior drug regimen for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission For HIV-infected women in good immune health, taking a three-drug regimen during pregnancy prevents mother-to-child HIV transmission more effectively than taking one drug during pregnancy, another during labor and two more after giving birth, an international clinical trial has found.
WHO braces for bird flu spread in European poultry The World Health Organization cautioned Tuesday that a new kind of bird flu hitting European poultry farms would spread among birds, after Britain confirmed its outbreak was of the same strain as in the Netherlands and Germany.
	Soy spells fewer hot flashes for certain women Does soy in the diet help with hot flashes? It does, but only for women whose bodies can produce the soy metabolite equol, reports a study of American women just published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society. About 20% to 50% of North American and European women have this ability.
'Being poor is not the same everywhere' Young people growing up in impoverished neighborhoods who perceive their poor communities in a positive light report better health and well-being than those with worse perceptions of where they live, new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.
	Brain receptor cell could be new target for Alzheimer's Blocking a key receptor in brain cells that is used by oxygen free radicals could play a major role in neutralizing the biological consequences of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Temple University.
Herbs and spices enhance heart health as well as flavor Spices and herbs are rich in antioxidants, which may help improve triglyceride concentrations and other blood lipids, according to Penn State nutritionists.
Cell study sheds light on diseases caused by immune system fault Scientists have discovered how a gene mutation can lead to diseases that occur when the immune system attacks the body by mistake.
	Some flu viruses potentially more dangerous than others Certain subtypes of avian influenza viruses have the potential to cause more severe disease in humans than other avian influenza subtypes and should be monitored carefully to prevent spread of disease, according to a study published this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
	Research provides new insight into gluten intolerance Celiac disease patients suffer from gluten intolerance and must adjust to a life without gluten from food sources like wheat, rye and barley. There is no treatment of the disease except lifelong gluten-free diet, but now a Danish/Norwegian research team publishes new research, that may lead to the development of a drug against the disease.
	Training can lead to synesthetic experiences, study shows A new study has shown for the first time how people can be trained to "see" letters of the alphabet as colours in a way that simulates how those with synaesthesia experience their world.
Combined strategies help patients with adverse heparin reaction before heart surgery New evidence suggests that therapeutic plasma exchange and appropriate blood testing could help patients who are in urgent need of heart surgery, but have a history of an adverse reaction to the blood thinner heparin, according to a study, published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
	The role DNA methylation plays in aging cells Although every person's DNA remains the same throughout their lives, scientists know that it functions differently at different ages.
	Ebola surveillance may become quicker and cheaper A new method for examining the Ebola virus genome could make surveillance quicker and cheaper for West African nations, and help detect new forms of the virus. The detailed procedure is being shared with the research community along with the study paper, which is freely available in the open access journal Genome Biology.
British bird flu outbreak confirmed as H5N8 strain The strain of bird flu discovered at a duck farm in northern England is H5N8, the same as confirmed in outbreaks in Germany and the Netherlands, the environment ministry said Tuesday.
New study finds testosterone replacement therapy does not increase cardiovascular risks An important new study of men who have undergone testosterone replacement therapy has found that taking supplemental testosterone does not increase their risk of experiencing a major adverse cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke.
New treatment for Marfan syndrome shows promise An investigational treatment for Marfan syndrome is as effective as the standard therapy at slowing enlargement of the aorta, the large artery of the heart that delivers blood to the body, new research shows. The findings indicate a second treatment option for Marfan patients, who are at high risk of sudden death from tears in the aorta.
	Mother's soothing presence makes pain go away—and changes gene activity in infant brain A mother's "TLC" not only can help soothe pain in infants, but it may also impact early brain development by altering gene activity in a part of the brain involved in emotions, according to new study from NYU Langone Medical Center.
A global surge in ADHD diagnosis has more to do with marketing than medicine You can't catch attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet the diagnosis and treatment of this behavioral condition is spreading like a contagion—surging as much as tenfold in some countries.
Childhood adversity hinders genetic protection against problem drinking in white men While the influence of heritable factors on the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) has been documented in family pedigree and twin studies for decades, identification of specific genetic variants that influence AUDs continues to be challenging. The ADH1B gene has consistently been implicated in problem drinking, but rarely incorporated into gene/environment investigations of alcohol phenotypes. A study examining the joint effects of variation in ADH1B and childhood adversity on heaviness of alcohol consumption and AUD symptoms has found that, under conditions of childhood adversity, the genetic variant on the ADH1B allele that typically protects against problem drinking does not exert its protective effects in European-American men.
Chronic alcohol intake can damage white matter pathways across the entire brain Chronic misuse of alcohol results in measurable damage to the brain. Chronic drinking may be particularly damaging to the integrity of frontal white matter tracts, which can interfere with cognitive and inhibitory control that, in turn, is important to achieve and maintain abstinence. A new study has used high-resolution structural magnetic resonance (MR) scans to determine the brain's regional vulnerability to chronic alcohol abuse, finding that abstinent alcoholics have reductions in white matter pathways across the entire brain.
Youths with a family history of substance use disorders have less efficient forebrain Researchers and clinicians know that youths with a family history of alcohol and other drug use disorders (FH+) have a greater risk of developing substance-use disorders (SUDs) than their peers with no such family histories. This increased risk may be related to impaired maturation of forebrain circuitry. A new study examines forebrain activity in youths with a family history of SUDs, finding they had greater activity in several forebrain regions during a specially designed task than their peers with no such family histories, indicating their forebrain regions function less efficiently.
	Shift in gut bacteria observed in fiber supplement study may offer good news for weight loss Most Americans don't get the daily recommended amount of fiber in their diet, though research has shown that dietary fiber can cause a shift in the gut toward beneficial bacteria, reducing the risk of colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases. A new study from the University of Illinois shows that two specific functional fibers may also have the potential to assist in weight loss when made part of a long-term, daily diet.
	Musicians show advantages in long-term memory A peek inside the brains of professional musicians has given University of Texas at Arlington psychology researchers what may be the first links between music expertise and advantages in long-term memory.
	Nearly three in ten Americans with diabetes don't know it, study says (HealthDay)—Almost 8 million Americans have diabetes but don't know it, a new study shows.
	Car crash survival rates increase with being younger, male and driving a big vehicle Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of unintentional life lost around the world, with about 30,000 deaths occurring annually in the U.S. due to motor-vehicle crashes.
	Cleveland Clinic does its second face transplant Cleveland Clinic surgeons have replaced nearly the entire face of a middle-aged man severely disfigured in a car accident, the hospital announced Tuesday.
Scientists identify a rise in life-threatening heart infection Scientists at the University of Sheffield have identified a significant rise in the number of people diagnosed with a serious heart infection alongside a large fall in the prescribing of antibiotic prophylaxis to dental patients.
	Taking antibiotics during pregnancy increases risk for child becoming obese A study just released by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that children who were exposed to antibiotics in the second or third trimester of pregnancy had a higher risk of childhood obesity at age 7. The research also showed that for mothers who delivered their babies by a Caesarean section, whether elective or non-elective, there was a higher risk for obesity in their offspring. Study findings are published online in the International Journal of Obesity.
	Pain from rejection and physical pain may not be so similar after all Over the last decade, neuroscientists have largely come to believe that physical pain and social pain are processed by the brain in the same way. But a new study led by the University of Colorado shows that the two kinds of pain actually use distinct neural circuits, a finding that could lead to more targeted treatments and a better understanding of how the two kinds of pain interact.
	New data suggest little benefit of adding heart valve repair to bypass surgery in patients with coronary heart disease The addition of mitral valve (MV) repair (a valve of the heart) to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), a type of open-heart surgery, did not result in significant benefit to the patient and was associated with increased risk of neurological events. Therefore, the routine addition of MV repair to CABG in patients with moderate IMR did not demonstrate a clinically meaningful advantage.
Why we need to fund newer blood-thinning agents to prevent strokes Care gaps are emerging due to disharmony between healthcare reimbursement policies and evidence-based clinical guideline recommendations, cautions a group of Canadian physicians. Writing in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, they use the example of stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) to make a case for engaging with policy-makers to address the growing barriers to patients' access to optimal care.
Study finds nationwide decline in one type of serious heart attack The most emergent form of heart attacks is decreasing nationwide, but this declining incidence could affect emergency departments' quality and timeliness of care.
	Number of pregnant women on narcotic painkillers, heroin doubles, study finds (HealthDay)—The proportion of women dependent on drugs such as narcotic painkillers or heroin during pregnancy has more than doubled in the past decade and a half, a new study finds, though it still remains below a half-percent of all pregnancies.
	Wireless ECG speeds up heart attack treatments, study shows (HealthDay)—A new wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) can cut the time it takes for heart attack patients to receive treatment, new research suggests.
	Even with a little weight gain, quitting smoking is still healthier choice (HealthDay)—Fear of unhealthy weight gain can be a factor holding smokers back from quitting the habit. But a new study finds that even if you do add a few pounds once you quit, your post-cigarette health is still much better than if you'd kept on smoking.
	Alcohol taxes may give boost to public health, economy (HealthDay)—Some may believe that raising taxes on alcohol products will cost jobs in the service sector, but a new study suggests that's made up for by job creation elsewhere.
	USPSTF: Evidence low for speech delay screen in young children (HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that there is currently insufficient evidence to weigh the benefits and harms of screening and treating children aged 5 and under for speech and language delays or disorders. These findings form the basis of a draft recommendation statement published online Nov. 17.
	Treatments show promise in metastatic melanoma (HealthDay)—In metastatic melanoma, nivolumab improves overall and progression-free survival versus dacarbazine, and dabrafenib plus trametinib improves survival versus vemurafenib monotherapy, according to two studies published online Nov. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Want to raise colon cancer screening rates? Run a lottery (HealthDay)—A lottery could be an effective means of getting people engaged in potentially lifesaving colon cancer screening, a new study suggests.
Healthy diet linked to decreased blood-pressure measurements A heart-healthy diet is related to decreased blood pressure measurements, researchers said in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Home exercise can ease hopelessness in coronary heart disease patients Home exercise can ease feelings of hopelessness in people with coronary heart disease, according to a small study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
First demonstration of anti-cancer activity for an IDH1 mutation inhibitor A phase I trial of the first drug designed to inhibit the cancer-causing activity of a mutated enzyme known as isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1, which is involved in cell metabolism, has shown clinical activity in patients with advanced acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with the IDH1 mutation.
	Do wearable baby monitors offer parents real peace of mind? Wearable devices for infants offer to give parents peace of mind, but are they being lulled into a false sense of security, asks an article in the BMJ this week?
Songbirds help scientists develop cooling technique to safely map the human brain A new diagnostic technique—resulting from monitoring thousands of courtship calls from songbirds—can be used to safely map the human brain during complex neurosurgery, according to research from Neuroscientists at NYU Langone Medical Center and elsewhere.
Study ties dental drugs, heart infection risk A study suggests that curbing the routine use of preventive antibiotics before dental work may have contributed to a rise in heart valve infections in England.
US radiology departments prepare for Ebola Radiologists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Emory University School of Medicine have issued a special report on radiology preparedness for handling cases of Ebola virus. The report, outlining their protocols and recommendations, is published in the online edition of the journal Radiology.
	Premature infants benefit from early sodium supplementation, according to new research Early sodium supplementation for very premature infants can enhance weight gain according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
	Peruvian frog juice drinkers laud health benefits Frogs from Peru's Lake Titicaca are the main ingredient in a juice blend that some Andean cultures believe has the power to cure asthma, bronchitis, sluggishness and a low sex drive.
Russian doctors protest as reforms threaten jobs Russian doctors have taken to the streets in a rare protest as thousands are set to lose their jobs and dozens of hospitals are due to shut in Moscow in controversial moves to modernise the creaking health system.
The army of housewives saving Nepal's newborns On a wet and windy morning, Nepalese housewife Bhumisara Upadhyay is out visiting pregnant women, on a mission to slash newborn deaths in the Himalayan nation with a simple tube of gel.
Study targets age-related mental decline Forgotten where you've put the car keys? Can't remember the name of your next-door neighbour? If you're healthy and aged 55 or older then a University of Queensland medical trial might be just the thing for you.
	Bad habits, risk of diabetes in young students Research performed by the University of Veracruz (UV), in the east coast of Mexico, called Lifestyles Nutrition Students and Risk of Type II Diabetes, showed that the lifestyle choices of young people between 17 and 24 years of age could pose a risk for developing diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Such risk factors include lack of physical activity, mild psychological stress, and skipping breakfast.
World Bank proposes global epidemic fund in wake of Ebola World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim warned Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in west Africa could trigger famine, and called for the creation of an international emergency fund for epidemics.
	Technology against a flu outbreak Contrary to what one might think, influenza epidemics are a natural occurrence, as they are produced by the constant mutation of the viruses leading to the appearance of new subtypes formed from recombination of whole areas of genes. Therefore, Mexican scientists designed a platform that assesses the knowledge that people have about the disease, which provides the necessary tools to prevent contagion.
	Linguistic and cultural factors influence GPs exams Research at King's College London, with the Universities of Nottingham and Cardiff, has identified features of both candidate performance and of structured clinical skills examination design in general that contribute to our understanding  of the reasons why International Medical Graduates (IMGs) have a lower success rate than their UK counterparts in the licensing examination for GPs in the UK. This research and associated development work, carried out in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, was designed to have a positive impact on the ongoing concern about this gap in pass rates.
Love in the time of Ebola: teen pregnancy and violence In Ebola-hit Sierra Leone people abide by a chaste new set of social norms which can be broken down to an easily remembered mantra: no touching, and definitely no kissing.
	EU: many more health workers needed for Ebola (Update) Thousands more physicians, especially epidemiologists, and other health professionals are needed to halt and eradicate Ebola, European Union officials said Tuesday after returning from countries in West Africa hit by the deadly epidemic.
Doctor hesitates, then returns to Ebola front line Returning last month to Sierra Leone to treat Ebola victims after a break, volunteer doctor Juli Switala was shocked to see the obituaries and photographs of colleagues who had died of the disease in her absence, pinned to a board in the treatment center.
Noninvasive test that identifies patients at risk of kidney transplant rejection Researchers at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and doctors at University Hospital of Bellvitge, together with a team of researchers from the University of California, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, California Pacific Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, University Emory and Stanford University (USA) and the Children's Hospital of Mexico Federico Gomez, have developed a genetic test that identifies patients at high risk of kidney transplant rejection. From a peripheral blood sample and test development easier, you can tell noninvasively and before submission of the renal graft dysfunction if the patient's immune system will reject the kidney transplant.
Sweden confines poultry indoors over bird flu fears Sweden ordered farmers Tuesday to keep hens and other poultry indoors to reduce the chances of the spread of a new strain of bird flu hitting European poultry farms.
AP-NORC releases new analysis of Hispanics' experiences with long-term care The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has released an issue brief containing results of a survey about Hispanics' experiences with long-term care in the United States. The issue brief provides new data on how Hispanics age 40 and older are, or are not, planning for long-term care, details how their experiences compare to those of non-Hispanics, and highlights ways in which demographic differences among Hispanics affect their experiences. The study also addresses how Hispanics' familial relationships are impacted by providing care, and the level of support for policy proposals that may help Americans prepare for the costs of ongoing living assistance. This information is vital as policymakers are currently grappling with how to plan for and finance high-quality long-term care in the United States.
Turn in Ebola outbreak on horizon, but faster tests needed: WHO The World Health Organization voiced hope Tuesday the number of Ebola cases would start falling sharply early next year, stressing the need to develop rapid diagnostic tests for the end-phase.
World must speed up AIDS fight to end scourge: UN The world can end AIDS as a global health threat by 2030, but must bolster its efforts now or risk the virus spiralling back out of control, a UN report said Tuesday.
Center announces development of experimental treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes In a major step to treat patients living with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), a group of diseases that affect the bone marrow and blood, Moffitt Cancer Center today announced the development of an innovative investigational biologic agent that could improve patient response and outcomes for MDS and other diseases.
Juarez boy has massive tumor removed in New Mexico An 11-year-old Mexican boy who had been suffering from a massive tumor and came to New Mexico for treatment has had the growth removed.
Patients counseled on genetic heart disease risk feel they have more control over fate Adults counseled on their genetic risk of coronary heart disease believe they have more control over their fate, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Education and feedback may help improve heart health among high-risk groups Using a smart phone app for education and feedback about heart-healthy behavior may decrease the risk for heart and blood vessel disease among young black women, researchers said in a pilot feasibility study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Social media strategy may increase public awareness about donor heart needs Using social media to deliver both emotional and concise medical content as well as the need for heart transplants and organs resulted in a higher engagement with members, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014."
Galeterone shows activity in a variant form of castration-resistant prostate cancer Results from a trial of the anti-cancer drug galeterone show that it is successful in lowering prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men with a form of prostate cancer that is resistant to treatment with hormone therapy (castration-resistant prostate cancer or CRPC).
Kidney cancer patients respond well to a combination of two existing anti-cancer drugs Researchers have found that patients with an advanced form of kidney cancer, for which there is no standard treatment and a very poor prognosis, respond well to a combination of two existing anti-cancer drugs.

Biology news

	Viruses impaired if their targets have diverse genes When a viral infection spread through five genetically identical mice in a row, the virus replicated faster and became more virulent or severe. But when the infection spread one-by-one through five genetically diverse mice, the virus had trouble adapting and became less virulent.
	Biologists explore link between memory, circadian rhythms (Phys.org) —Anyone who has struggled with a foggy brain while adjusting to daylight saving time knows first-hand how an out-of-sync circadian clock can impair brain function.
	Rice yield increase of 30 percent enabled by use of a photosynthesis 'switch,' researchers learn Scientists at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture have found that they can harness photosynthesis – the process that plants use to convert light energy to chemical energy – to increase rice yields by up to 30 percent.
	Age matters: Young larvae boost pollen foraging in honey bees Toddlers and tweens have very different needs, which influence how parents provide for them. The same is true in honey bees, but instead of communicating their needs via language, honey bee larvae emit chemical signals called pheromones that influence the behavior of their caregivers.
	House fly sex may reveal one key to controlling them The quest of University of Houston professor Richard Meisel to understand how and why males and females differ may one day lead to a more effective means of pest control - namely, the pesky house fly.
	Cells' natural response to chronic protein misfolding may do more harm than good "Protein misfolding" diseases such as cystic fibrosis and Alzheimer's may be seriously exacerbated by the body's own response against that misfolding, according to a new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).
	A sweet bacterium keeps track of time Researchers are studying the Caulobacter crescentus bacterium because of its developmental process and cellular cycle, which serve as models for a number of pathogenic bacteria. They all have in common the use of polysaccharides to create a particularly effective protective envelope, or capsule. Professor Viollier's laboratory at the University of Geneva's (UNIGE) Faculty of Medicine has just unraveled the secrets of capsule formation during the cellular cycle and perhaps even identified potential Achilles' heel of bacteria. These results were published in the last edition of the eLife journal.
	Armyworms develop resistance to Bt corn In fall 2013, Dominic Reisig got a phone call from a farmer in rural Hyde County, N.C. The farmer was growing corn, and it was literally falling apart in the field. What was going on?
	Archives suggest massive decline in pink snapper catch Queensland scientists delving into newspaper archives have discovered that catch rates for Queensland's pink snapper fishery have declined almost 90 per cent since the 19th Century.
	Cuttlefish males prefer mysterious mate, on-heat females available A new study has investigated the mating preferences of the giant Australian cuttlefish, finding that females were most receptive if they had not recently mated, while male cuttlefish demonstrated a preference for unfamiliar females.
Unexpected cross-species contamination in genome sequencing projects As genome sequencing has gotten faster and cheaper, the pace of whole-genome sequencing has accelerated, dramatically increasing the number of genomes deposited in public archives. Although these genomes are a valuable resource, problems can arise when researchers misapply computational methods to assemble them, or accidentally introduce unnoticed contaminations during sequencing.
	Biological control product against apple scab is just a matter of time Apple scab caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis is economically the most destructive disease in apple production worldwide. Apple scab control requires multiple applications of fungicides during spring and summer. A potential biological control agent – H39, based on a particular strain of the fungus Cladosporium – has been tested in several European field trials during the last two years. H39 appeared to very successfully reduce apple scab in leaves and fruits. The same control levels could be reached as with common fungicide spray application schedules. A biological control company is currently evaluating the possible commercial use of the H39 antagonist. An important step which might lead to reduction of the dependency on chemical fungicides in the near future.
	Entrepreneurs create effective method against bee harming pest A group of entrepreneurs in Veracruz have designed a "smart" system to contain larvae growth of the mite Varroa destructor among the bee population, which reduces the production of honey by as much as 50 percent when it invades the hives.
	Riding a food fad to an opportunity Until a couple years ago, Shaun Paul's knowledge of chia was limited to the kitschy terracotta Chia Pet figurines. But recently, chia seeds, promoted as a nutritional powerhouse, have earned a growing consumer following and a prominent place on the shelves of health food stores. Demand is so high, in fact, that Paul, a research fellow with Tufts' Global Development and Environment Institute, wondered if organic farmers in developing countries could use the chia craze as a way to bolster their livelihoods.
New digs for the spadefoot toad A plump Eastern spadefoot toad sits placidly in a patch of meadow on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Nearby, researchers Rachel Jania and Bryan Windmiller are house hunting for it, trying to figure out if the meadow might make a good home for the rare toad, whose habitats have been devoured by development. They wait to see whether the full-grown male, weighing less than one ounce, will burrow underground, where spadefoots spend much of their lives, emerging only to mate.
	Genetics denote feral cat source Feral cats arrived on Dirk Hartog Island in two separate waves, but are now reproductively isolated, according to genetic analysis.
Establishment of induced pluripotent stem cells from Werner syndrome fibroblasts Associate Professor Akira Shimamoto and Professor Hidetoshi Tahara at the Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Science in Hiroshima University, Professor Koutaro Yokote at the Graduate School of Medicine in Chiba University, Visiting Professor Makoto Goto at the Medical Center East in Tokyo Women's Medical University, and collaborators including the staff at the Cancer Chemotherapy Center in the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tottori University, and Keio University established induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from the fibroblasts of Werner Syndrome patients.
	Going against the flow: Targeting bacterial motility to combat disease The ability to move enables bacteria to reach a specific niche or leave hostile environments. The bacterium Mycoplasma gallisepticum is a poultry pathogen and capable of gliding over solid surfaces. Scientists at the Vetmeduni Vienna have identified the proteins responsible for this gliding mechanism. Interrupting the gliding mechanism could be a way to combat disease and development vaccines against the pathogen. The results were published in the journal Veterinary Research.
	Virulent bacteria affecting oysters found to be a case of mistaken identity The bacteria that helped cause the near-ruin of two large oyster hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest have been mistakenly identified for years, researchers say in a recent report.
	Salamanders are a more abundant food source in forest ecosystems than previously thought In the 1970s, ecologists published results from one of the first whole-forest ecosystem studies ever conducted in Hubbard Brook, New Hampshire. In the paper, scientists reported that salamanders represent one of the largest sources of biomass, or food, of all vertebrates in the forest landscape. Now, using new sampling and statistical techniques not available during the past study, researchers at the University of Missouri have estimated that the population of salamanders in forested regions of the Missouri Ozarks are 2-4 times higher than originally thought, and in other regions of the eastern U.S. may be on average 10 times higher. Scientists believe that acknowledging salamanders as one of the main food sources in forest ecosystems could help drive conservation efforts and forest management.
	Fossils cast doubt on climate-change projections on habitats Leave it to long-dead short-tailed shrew and flying squirrels to outfox climate-modelers trying to predict future habitats.
	WWF releases 11,000 sturgeons to restock Danube WWF has released 11,000 threatened sturgeons in the Danube river to restock Europe's last wild sturgeon populations, the conservationist group said on Tuesday.
Japan cuts Antarctic whale quota after UN court ruling Japan said Tuesday it has cut its Antarctic whale-catch quota by two-thirds in a move it hopes will convince international opponents it is conducting real science, not hiding a commercial hunt behind a veneer of research.
	Uganda suspends officials after ton of ivory stolen from vault Uganda's wildlife authority has suspended five top officials after a ton of seized ivory worth over a million dollars vanished from government strongrooms, its chief said Tuesday.
	SMS alerts cut deaths caused by elephants in rural India Geetha Thomas owes her life to a text message. The 38-year-old tea plantation worker was able to scramble onto the roof of her home in southern India as a herd of elephants rampaged through her village thanks to an alert on her mobile phone.
	Foragers find bounty of edibles in urban food deserts With the gusto of wine enthusiasts in a tasting room, UC Berkeley professors Philip Stark and Tom Carlson eye, sniff and sample their selections, pronouncing them "robust," "lovely," "voluptuous"—and even "just beyond words." The undergraduate students with them flock close, curious.
	Picking vegetables to grow starts with knowing where to plant No matter how you look at it, the online Texas Vegetable Variety Selector will help growers choose the best types to grow in a particular locale, according to Dr. Joe Masabni, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist in College Station.
	Early warning system for nature and natural capital protection Protected area managers need unbiased, current and geographically local information to effectively manage their protected areas.  Conservation International (CI) and the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network, in partnership with HP, have produced a first-of-its-kind monitoring system to give protected area managers and conservation decision makers data-driven insight into the status of wildlife in protected areas, enabling them to proactively respond to environmental threats as they emerge.
	Scientists employ satellite tags to solve whale-sized mystery For the first time, scientists working in the waters of Patagonia are using satellite tags to remotely track southern right whales from their breeding/calving grounds in the sheltered bays of Península Valdés, Argentina, to unknown feeding grounds somewhere in the western South Atlantic. This could eventually provide clues to the cause of one of the largest great whale die-off ever recorded.
Protected area expansion target: Is a huge promise lost due to land conversion? By expanding the protected area network to 17 percent of land one could triple the present protection levels of terrestrial vertebrates. Globally coordinated protected area network expansion could deliver a result 50 percent more efficient compared to countries looking only at biodiversity within their own area. Land conversion is however fast degrading options for conservation.

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