Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Jun 23

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 23, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Cockroach-inspired robot uses body streamlining to negotiate obstacles
- Sniff tests used to create olfactory fingerprint
- Can heat be controlled as waves?
- Study shows link between teen impatience and neural development in the brain
- New manufacturing approach slices lithium-ion battery cost in half
- Ultralow-power circuit improves efficiency of energy harvesting to more than 80 percent
- NASA simulation suggests black holes may make ideal dark matter labs
- New technology looks into the eye and brings cells into focus
- Sweeping lasers snap together nanoscale geometric grids
- Spectrum of life: Nonphotosynthetic pigments could be biosignatures of life on other worlds
- No need for sophisticated hunting techniques: Equatorial bats live the easy life
- Disabled people pilot a robot remotely with their thoughts
- Single-catalyst water splitter produces clean-burning hydrogen 24/7
- Physicists fine-tune control of agile exotic materials
- Scientists persuade volcanoes to tell their stories

Astronomy & Space news

	Spectrum of life: Nonphotosynthetic pigments could be biosignatures of life on other worlds To find life in the universe, it helps to know what it might look like. If there are organisms on other planets that do not rely wholly on photosynthesis—as some on Earth do not—how might those worlds appear from light-years away?
	NASA simulation suggests black holes may make ideal dark matter labs A new NASA computer simulation shows that dark matter particles colliding in the extreme gravity of a black hole can produce strong, potentially observable gamma-ray light. Detecting this emission would provide astronomers with a new tool for understanding both black holes and the nature of dark matter, an elusive substance accounting for most of the mass of the universe that neither reflects, absorbs nor emits light.
	Image: Triple crescent moons in Saturn orbit A single crescent moon is a familiar sight in Earth's sky, but with Saturn's many moons, you can see three or even more.
	Magnetic complexity begins to untangle After a year in orbit, the three Swarm satellites have provided a first glimpse inside Earth and started to shed new light on the dynamics of the upper atmosphere – all the way from the ionosphere about 100 km above, through to the outer reaches of our protective magnetic shield.
	Ceres spots continue to mystify in latest Dawn images The closer we get to Ceres, the more intriguing the distant dwarf planet becomes. New images of Ceres from NASA's Dawn spacecraft provide more clues about its mysterious bright spots, and also reveal a pyramid-shaped peak towering over a relatively flat landscape.
	Jupiter's movements made way for Earth There's something about our solar system that appears to be unusual. For some reason, most of our bigger planets are far away from our host star, while closer in are smaller, rocky worlds, including Earth itself.
	Rosetta comet mission extended, dramatic climax seen (Update) Europe on Tuesday announced its comet-chasing mission Rosetta would be extended until September 2016 and may end with the dying mothership touching down on the comet to be reunited with its tiny lander.
	Researchers discover why 'blue hook' stars are unusually hot Astronomers have solved a mystery over small, unusually hot blue stars, 10 times hotter than our Sun, that are found in the middle of dense star clusters.
	Neutron star's echoes give astronomers a new measuring stick In late 2013, when the neutron star at the heart of one of our galaxy's oddest supernovae gave off a massive burst of X-rays, the resulting echoes—created when the X-rays bounced off clouds of dust in interstellar space—yielded a surprising new measuring stick for astronomers.
	Big solar storm smacks Earth, may allow more to see auroras A severe solar storm slammed Earth on Monday afternoon, increasing the chances of fluctuations in the power grid and GPS. It also pushes shimmering polar auroras to places where more people can possibly see them.
	Europe launches next phase of hi-tech Earth satellites The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the second phase of a 4.3-billion-euro ($4.91-billion) programme to deploy new-generation satellites to monitor environmental damage and aid disaster relief operations, officials said.
	Afternoon shadows shed new light on iconic 'VJ Day Kiss' photograph It is, perhaps, the most iconic kiss in American history—a U.S. sailor and a woman in white impulsively locking lips in New York City's Times Square to celebrate Japan's surrender and the end of World War II Aug. 14, 1945.
	Second Copernicus environmental satellite safely in orbit The ESA-developed Sentinel satellite – Sentinel-2A – was launched today, adding a high-resolution optical imaging capability to the European Union Copernicus environmental monitoring system.
	Rosetta tracks debris around comet Ever since its approach to and arrival at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, Rosetta has been investigating the nucleus and its environment with a variety of instruments and techniques. One key area is the study of dust grains and other objects in the vicinity of the comet.
	What the polarization of the cosmic microwave background is revealing Much of what we know about the origin and early history of the universe comes from a phenomenon discovered by accident 50 years ago: The cosmic microwave background (CMB). This very faint radiation, left over from a time – about 400,000 years after the Big Bang – when enough neutral atoms had formed to let light travel freely, is the closest thing science has to a panoramic snapshot of the contents of the cosmos as it was taking shape.
Video: Sentinel-2A liftoff Replay of the Sentinel-2A liftoff on a Vega launcher from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST) on 23 June 2015.
	Protesters vow to stop telescope construction from resuming About 20 people opposed to building what would be one of the world's largest telescopes on a Hawaii mountain are camped out near the construction site, vowing to stop work from resuming.
	Team to investigate possibility of using directed energy propulsion for interstellar travel A laser-powered wafer-thin spacecraft capable of reaching Alpha Centauri in 20 years may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but it's not. And while such a launch isn't imminent, the possibility of one in the future does exist, according to UC Santa Barbara physics professor Philip Lubin.

Technology news

	Cockroach-inspired robot uses body streamlining to negotiate obstacles Researchers at University of California, Berkeley have taken inspiration from the cockroach to create a robot that can use its body shape to manoeuvre through a densely cluttered environment.
	Ultralow-power circuit improves efficiency of energy harvesting to more than 80 percent The latest buzz in the information technology industry regards "the Internet of things"—the idea that vehicles, appliances, civil-engineering structures, manufacturing equipment, and even livestock would have their own embedded sensors that report information directly to networked servers, aiding with maintenance and the coordination of tasks.
	New manufacturing approach slices lithium-ion battery cost in half An advanced manufacturing approach for lithium-ion batteries, developed by researchers at MIT and at a spinoff company called 24M, promises to significantly slash the cost of the most widely used type of rechargeable batteries while also improving their performance and making them easier to recycle.
	Intel brings Android users remote-control mouse, keyboard app Intel Remote Keyboard, a free remote keyboard and mouse app for Android, has come your way from Intel. Intel Remote Keyboard is now up on Google Play Store. It is for Intel NUC and Compute Stick devices. The idea is to enable you to remote-control your mouse and keyboard in Windows 8.1 with your smartphone or tablet.
	FDA allows marketing of vision aid via tongue for blind This month Wisconsin-based company Wicab announced that the US Food and Drug Administration cleared a nonsurgical vision aid for the profoundly blind. The safety and effectiveness of their product, BrainPort V100, were supported by clinical data.
	Scientists develop better way to visualize molecules Computer scientists at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus have solved a core problem in strucutral biology by developing a faster, cheaper and more reliable way to determine the three-dimensional shapes of biological molecules such as proteins and viruses.
	Future biosensors could be woven into clothes Commonly used health tests, such as pregnancy and blood sugar tests, involve putting a drop of fluid on a test strip, which is infused with a substance designed to detect a specific molecule.
	Disabled people pilot a robot remotely with their thoughts Using a telepresence system developed at EPFL, 19 people—including nine quadriplegics—were able to remotely control a robot located in one of the university laboratories. This multi-year research project aims to give a measure of independence to paralyzed people. This technology has shown that it works well and is easy to use.
	Facebook reveals new security tool Facebook announced Tuesday it has been using a new security tool to help detect and remove malicious software for users of the world's biggest social network.
	IBM Watson dices, kneads and prompts kitchen cooks IBM is on a recognition roll with Watson. From businesses to sports to medical science, IBM is calling up Watson's muscle in finding patterns and relationships hidden among data and unearthing discoveries via smart machines, in ways that many can appreciate if not adopt. Now the idea of Watson has been applied to the culinary arts.
	Apple's about-face reveals cracks in music industry Apple's abrupt about-face on paying royalties for songs during a three-month free-trial period for its new music service was a symbolic victory for superstar Taylor Swift and other artists, and a shrewd business move by Apple, at a time when the streaming phenomenon is causing major changes in the music industry.
	Solar Impulse set to take off early Wednesday A solar-powered plane that has been trapped in Japan for three weeks by the rainy season is set to take off for Hawaii early Wednesday, the team said.
SEAsia mobile gaming to generate $7.0 billion by 2019: report Southeast Asia's mobile gaming revenues are expected to grow six-fold to over $7.0 billion in the next five years thanks to smartphones and high-speed Internet access, an industry report said Tuesday.
	To save water, cool power plants with wax, say engineers The towering plumes of steam emanating from power plant calderas that have come to symbolize the massive and, at times, menacing nature of the energy industry might soon have their natural dissipation into thin air preempted by a figurative one. A team of researchers from Drexel University, in concert with experts from academia and industry, are creating a new technology that replaces the voluminous amounts of steam-producing water used to cool the plants with trillions of tiny wax beads—and could be the end of those fluffy, yet ominous, white clouds.
	How to read a digital footprint Researchers are using social media data to build a picture of the personalities of millions, changing core ideas of how psychological profiling works. They say it could revolutionise employment and commerce, but the work must be done transparently.
	There are better ways to combat piracy than blocking websites The Senate passed controversial anti-piracy legislation, the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015, last night. But it's not so clear whether the legislation will actually achieve its stated ends of reducing piracy, and it might be easily circumvented by the public.
	The brains behind the chip that works like a brain A company that started in Perth several years ago is poised to revolutionize the world-wide computer industry with a computer chip that aims to mimic the operations of the human brain.
	How EU data protection law could interfere with targeted ads The successor to the 20-year-old European data protection directive has inched closer to becoming law, having been approved by the Council of Ministers, which represents each of the 28 EU member states. This has led to howls of anguish from some parts of the computing industry, not just the usual suspects based in the US such as IBM and Amazon, but also European firms such as German software company SAP.
BlackBerry misses Street 1Q Street forecasts BlackBerry Ltd. reported worse-than-expected first-quarter financial results as phone sales continued their long slide, but software revenue increased as the company turns its focus away from hardware.
	Amazon launches virtual assistant speaker to public Amazon said Tuesday its Echo personal assistant speaker aimed at integrating with smart home devices was on sale to the public after seven months of tests on an invitation-only basis.
	Google Play enters free streaming with radio Google Play on Tuesday expanded to Internet radio, becoming the latest streaming player to provide free content despite controversy among artists.
	Instagram targets real-time events in Twitter challenge Instagram on Tuesday began letting users easily tune into hot topics of the moment as the Facebook-owned image sharing service stepped squarely into Twitter's domain.
As it closes AOL deal, Verizon teases new video service Verizon is launching a mobile video service this summer that would show sports, concerts and other types of content.
Solar plane departure from Japan for Hawaii postponed A solar-powered plane carrying no fuel has postponed its departure from central Japan for Hawaii due to worse than expected weather conditions.
	Federal agencies are wide open to hackers, cyberspies Passwords written down on desks. Outdated anti-virus software. "Perceived ineptitude" in information technology departments.
	OPM chief: Contractor's credential used to breach system The head of the government agency that suffered two massive cyberattacks said Tuesday that a hacker gained access to its records with a credential used by a federal contractor.
	Google protects Gmail users from sending regrettable notes Google is making it easier to steer clear of the trouble that can be caused by a misdirected or inappropriate email.
	Facebook now worth more than Wal-Mart on stock market Facebook is now bigger than Wal-Mart, at least when it comes to its value on the stock market.
	Home efficiency upgrades fall short, don't pay, study says Home efficiency measures such as installing new windows or replacing insulation deliver such a small fraction of their promised energy savings that they may not save any money over the long run, according to the surprising conclusion of a University of Chicago study.
	Gas sensing platform for intuitive Internet of Things applications Leuven (Belgium) and Eindhoven (the Netherlands) – Imec and Holst Centre have developed a small NO2 sensor featuring a low power consumption in the mW range. The sensors have a low detection limit for NO2 (
	Data transfer technology that increases speed of remote file access Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a software-based technology to increase data-transfer speeds for accessing files on remote enterprise file-sharing servers. When accessing remote file-sharing servers in the cloud, slow upload and download speeds for typical file-sharing systems due to network latency has been an issue. By using a newly developed software that relays communications between the client and server, the number of communications made has been significantly reduced, lowering the effects of network latency. This communication frequency occurs when obtaining information on multiple file names and file sizes on a remote network. In an internal experiment, file transfers were confirmed to be up to ten times faster when dealing with multiple small files. Transfers of large files can be up to twenty times faster when combined with the deduplication technology Fujitsu Laboratories announced last year. By simply installing this software on a client and server, increased speeds for file access for existing file-sharing systems can be achieved.
	Showtime price trimmed to $9 in deal for Hulu subscribers The price of Showtime is being trimmed to $9 a month for Hulu subscribers in a deal that will make it the first premium pay TV service offered through Hulu.
Netflix to execute 7-for-1 stock split next month Netflix will execute a seven-for-one stock split next month in a widely anticipated move designed to make the Internet video service's shares more affordable to a bigger pool of investors.

Medicine & Health news

	Sniff tests used to create olfactory fingerprint (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with affiliations to several institutions in Israel has developed a way to test the differences in the way people perceive odors. The differences are enough, the team reports in their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that it is possible to uniquely indentify individuals based solely on their sense of smell.
	Study shows link between teen impatience and neural development in the brain (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with members from the U.S. and Germany has found a connection between neural development in one part of the brain and teen impatience. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes experiments they conducted with volunteers and MRI machines and what they found by doing so.
	Medication may stop drug and alcohol addiction Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have successfully stopped cocaine and alcohol addiction in experiments using a drug already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat high blood pressure. If the treatment is proven effective in humans, it would be the first of its kind—one that could help prevent relapses by erasing the unconscious memories that underlie addiction.
	Blue light sets the beat in biological pacemaker Israeli researchers have successfully established a new approach for pacing the heart and synchronizing its mechanical activity without the use of a conventional electrical pacemaker. This novel biologic strategy employs light-sensitive genes that can be injected into the heart and then activated by flashes of blue light.
	Scientists map superbug genome paving way for new treatments and prevention An international team of scientists, led by the University of Melbourne, has decoded the genes of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), a bacterium found in hospitals throughout the developing and developed world.
	Synapses last as long as the memories they store, neuroscientist finds Our memories are as fleeting as the brain structures that store them, or so the theory goes. When the connections – called synapses – between neurons break, the memories they hold are thought to evaporate along with them.
	Study sheds light on how neurons control muscle movement Stanford University researchers studying how the brain controls movement in people with paralysis, related to their diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease, have found that groups of neurons work together, firing in complex rhythms to signal muscles about when and where to move.
	Researchers identify gene mutation that can cause key-hole shape defect in eye A scientific collaboration, involving the Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine (MCGM) at Saint Mary's Hospital, UK, and the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM) in Naples, Italy, has pinpointed the genetic cause of a rare form of blindness, which can present itself as a key-hole shaped defect in the eye in newborn babies.
	Survival of the gutless? Filter-feeders eject internal organs in response to stress The vast range of regenerative powers within the animal kingdom has fascinated scientists since the early 18th century. From hydras to planarians and geckos, the remarkable ability of certain species to regrow parts of their bodies and subsequently regain some or all of their original form and function has presented invaluable opportunities for research on human cell signalling, development, and adaptation.
	How do we remember colors? Categories influence color memory, says new research How do we remember colors? What makes green... green?
	Potential treatment target identified for rare form of diabetes, other disorders Cell death can trigger numerous diseases, including a rare and severe form of diabetes known as Wolfram syndrome. The cascade of cell death occurs when molecules spill from one part of a cell into another where they don't belong.
	Consciousness has less control than believed, according to new theory Consciousness—the internal dialogue that seems to govern one's thoughts and actions—is far less powerful than people believe, serving as a passive conduit rather than an active force that exerts control, according to a new theory proposed by an SF State researcher.
	Study identifies multiple genetic changes linked to increased pancreatic cancer risk In a genome-wide association study believed to be the largest of its kind, Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered four regions in the human genome where changes may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Squatting in 'skinny' jeans can damage nerve and muscle fibers in legs and feet Squatting in 'skinny' jeans for a protracted period of time can damage muscle and nerve fibres in the legs, making it difficult to walk, reveals a case study published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
Gut microbe may be key to metabolic health and leanness in overweight / obesity The gut microbe Akkermansia muciniphila may hold the key to better metabolic health and healthier body fat distribution in people who are overweight or obese, reveals a small study published online in the journal Gut.
	Top doctors' prescription for feverish planet: Cut out coal Some top international doctors and public health experts have issued an urgent prescription for a feverish planet Earth: Get off coal as soon as possible.
Current blood cancer drug prices not justified, study finds The costs associated with cancer drug prices have risen dramatically over the past 15 years, which is of concern to many top oncologists. In a new analysis, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center concluded the majority of existing treatments for hematologic, or blood, cancers are currently priced too high to be considered cost-effective in the United States. Their findings are published in the current issue of the journal Cancer.
Global taskforce calls for research into how everyday chemicals in our environment cause cancer A global taskforce of 174 scientists from leading research centres across 28 countries studied the link between mixtures of commonly encountered chemicals and the development of cancer. The study selected 85 chemicals not considered carcinogenic to humans and found 50 supported key cancer-related mechanisms at exposures found in the environment today.
NATO working with South Dakota telemedicine hub NATO leaders are working with a telemedicine hub in southeast South Dakota to develop a multinational system that could deliver medical services remotely during natural or man-made disasters.
	Drug may be antidote to bleeding tied to blood thinner pradaxa (HealthDay)—The new blood thinner Pradaxa (dabigatran) is being widely used, but it comes with one serious drawback: rare but dangerous cases of sudden, uncontrolled bleeding in patients.
	Poor health as teen, poor job prospects later, study suggests (HealthDay)—Mental or physical health problems during the teen years may make it harder to get a good job or to complete higher education later on, a new research review suggests.
	Doctors should urge against pot use during pregnancy: guidelines (HealthDay)—Doctors should discourage women from using marijuana during pregnancy, due to the potential effects that pot's active ingredients can have on a child's brain development, new guidelines state.
Anti-clotting drug approved for angioplasty (HealthDay)—Kengreal (cangrelor) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent blood clots from forming during angioplasty.
	Subclinical hypothyroidism ups DM risk only with statin use (HealthDay)—Hypothyroidism is associated with increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM); however, subclinical hypothyroidism appears to increase this risk only with statin use, according to research published online June 12 in Diabetes Care.
	About 8 percent of SLE patients have pulmonary HTN (HealthDay)—About 8 percent of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have pulmonary hypertension (PH), and serum uric acid (UA) has reasonable accuracy for predicting PH, according to a study published in the June issue of the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
	Medical identity theft incidents increasing (HealthDay)—Medical identity theft is on the rise, costly to consumers, and challenging to resolve, according to the fifth annual report published by the Ponemon Institute.
	B. cenocepacia overrepresented in urologic chronic pelvic pain (HealthDay)—Burkholderia cenocepacia is overrepresented in initial stream urine of men with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome, according to a study published in the July issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Clinical decision rule can classify risk of chronic back pain (HealthDay)—A clinical decision rule (CDR) with eight items can classify patients with acute low back pain (LBP) by their risk for chronic pain, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
	Minimal yield seen for routine noninvasive testing for CAD (HealthDay)—For patients presenting with acute chest pain and low clinical risk evaluated in a chest pain evaluation center (CPEC), the yield of routine noninvasive testing is low for coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study published in the July 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
	Yoga, meditation aid menopausal symptoms after breast cancer (HealthDay)—For breast cancer survivors, a yoga and meditation intervention is associated with improvement in menopausal symptoms, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Cancer.
	Academic detailing could boost treatment of tobacco use (HealthDay)—An educational outreach program, academic detailing (AD), can improve the frequency of physicians' performance of simple and complex components of tobacco use treatment, according to a study published in the June issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
	Islet transplantation safe, efficient in five-year follow-up (HealthDay)—Islet transplantation seems safe and efficient for restoring glycemic control in type 1 diabetes, according to research published online June 11 in Diabetes Care.
	Consumers of commercial genetic tests understand more than many believe Those who have doubted the ability of customers to understand results of personal genomic testing may have been selling them short, researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health have found.
	Research shows possible way to prevent degenerative eye condition An Oxford University study has found that reducing the tendency of vitamin A to form toxic clumps could slow down a condition that leads to blindness in children and young adults.
Researcher finds color of urine to be valid gauge for hydration in children Athletes and the military have used color charts to track hydration levels for years, and a new study in the European Journal of Nutrition by a U of A researcher found the same method of self-assessment is effective for children.
	Parents' yelling takes heavy toll on teens Parents' yelling is a turnoff for teens, but don't mistake their emotional shutdown as a sign of ennui. It may be a sign of aggression.
	Melatonin offers hope for ADHD bedtime shut–eye Sleep is vital to wellbeing, but children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have trouble drifting off.
Belief in 'free will' may give conservatives an edge for self-control, study says As the 2016 election cycle heats up, so does another topic for debate: Which political party has the greater sense of self-control?
Self-management techniques helping people manage suicidal thoughts Self-management techniques need to be more widely acknowledged by mental health professionals as an option to help people who felt suicidal and better support provided to help them develop their own self-management strategies, according to new University of Otago research.
How Australian Indigenous people regard drunk driving Cultural "lore" outweighs criminal law when Indigenous drivers in regional and remote communities get behind the wheel drunk, a new study by QUT has found.
'Smarter' ordering of breast biomarker tests could save millions in health care dollars A review of medical records for almost 200 patients with breast cancer suggests that more selective use of biomarker testing for such patients has the potential to save millions of dollars in health care spending without compromising care, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.
	Adolescents uncertain about risks of marijuana, e-cigarettes, study finds Teenagers are very familiar with the risks of smoking cigarettes, but are much less sure whether marijuana or e-cigarettes are harmful, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
	How to argue about doping in sport There has been a huge amount of academic, policy, and public debate over the years about doping in sport (i.e. the use of banned performance enhancing substances or drugs and other prohibited practices), and significant resources devoted to addressing it.
	Will head transplants create an entirely new person? The world's first full head transplant could take place as soon as 2017 if the controversial plans by Italian neuroscientist Dr Sergio Canavero come to pass. Wheelchair-bound Valery Spiridonov, who has the muscle-wasting Werdnig Hoffman disease, has volunteered to have his head transplanted onto a healthy body in a day-long operation.
'Fitness' foods may cause consumers to eat more and exercise less Weight-conscious consumers are often drawn to foods such as Clif Bars and Wheaties, whose packaging suggests that they promote fitness. But according to a new study in the Journal of Marketing Research, such "fitness branding" encourages consumers to eat more of those foods and to exercise less, potentially undermining their efforts to lose or control their weight.
	Children in particular more forgiving of friends Parents have little influence over how forgiving a child is towards other children. It also appears that if children think they are special, they are less forgiving. These are the conclusions of research conducted by Reine van der Wal in the context of the NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) Youth and Family programme. She will be awarded a PhDby Radboud University on Friday 26 June.
Researchers develop new breath test to diagnose oesophageal and gastric cancer Researchers have devised a breath test that can help doctors diagnose the early signs of oesophageal and gastric cancer in minutes.
	Cells too stiff to scavenge leads to lupus, an autoimmune disease More than 50 billion cells die in the human body every day, a spectacle of programmed cell death called apoptosis. These cells undergo internal degradation and then fracture into apoptotic bodies that are scavenged by immune cells, all without triggering the body's immune system defense.
	How 'open-label' placebos turn fake pills into real treatment This may not sound like a good idea:
Hospitals in states that refuse Medicaid expansion shoulder billions in uncompensated care costs Twenty-one states have opted not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), arguing that the expansion would be too expensive. But according to new research, the cost to hospitals from uncompensated care in those states roughly equals the cost of Medicaid expansion.
	Getting children to embrace healthy food If the packaging has an appealing design, primary school children also reach for healthy foods. This was revealed in a study in cooperation with the Research Institute for Child Nutrition in Dortmund under the direction of scientists from the University of Bonn. The results are being published in advance online in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The final version will be published shortly.
Researchers to explore why some Americans are hit harder by heart disease and stroke As part of the American Heart Association's Strategically Focused Research Network focusing on Disparities in Heart Disease and Stroke, researchers from four institutions are exploring the differences that exist and improvements that need to be made when it comes to treating culturally diverse patients.
Social care micro-enterprises more effective than larger providers, says report 'Smaller is better' when it comes to providing social care, according to a new study from the University of Birmingham.
Ethical food 'tastes better,' research finds Dr Boyka Bratanova of Dundee Business School analysed the effect that ethical food production has on a consumer's taste experience.
	Student creates H2O-Pal to track water intake Sophia Anger can't believe the number of reusable water bottles she's gone through in her lifetime—at least 70, she estimates. Anger's not wasteful or absent-minded, she simply has to drink double the daily recommended amount of water to stay healthy.
	Brain scans of passengers who experienced nightmare flight offer new clues about trauma memory A group of passengers who thought they were going to die when their plane ran out of fuel over the Atlantic Ocean in August, 2001 have had their brains scanned while recalling the terrifying moments to help science better understand trauma memories and how they are processed in the brain.
	Viagra does something very important—but it is unlikely to cause melanoma, researchers conclude A rigorous analysis of more than 20,000 medical records concludes that erectile dysfunction drugs, such as Viagra, are not a cause of melanoma, an often deadly form of skin cancer, despite the higher risk for the disease among users of these drugs. A detailed report on the research findings is to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association online June 23.
	Dietary guidelines for Americans shouldn't place limits on total fat intake In a Viewpoint published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and Boston Children's Hospital call on the federal government to drop restrictions on total fat consumption in the forthcoming 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
	Medical marijuana 'edibles' mostly mislabeled, study shows In a proof-of-concept study, a team led by a Johns Hopkins researcher reports that the vast majority of edible cannabis products sold in a small sample of medical marijuana dispensaries carried labels that overstated or understated the amount of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Fewer than one in ten older heart patients get life-saving defibrillators Heart attack patients age 65 and older who have reduced heart function might still benefit from implanted defibrillators, according to a Duke Medicine study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. But fewer than 1 in 10 eligible patients actually get a defibrillator within a year of their heart attacks, the study found.
Benefit of early screening for vascular disorder among extremely preterm infants Among extremely preterm infants, early screening for the vascular disorder patent ductus arteriosus before day 3 of life was associated with a lower risk of in-hospital death and pulmonary hemorrhage, but not with differences in other severe complications, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA.
Mixed findings regarding quality of evidence supporting benefit of medical marijuana In an analysis of the findings of nearly 80 randomized trials that included about 6,500 participants, there was moderate-quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids (chemical compounds that are the active principles in cannabis or marijuana) for the treatment of chronic pain and lower-quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, sleep disorders, and Tourette syndrome, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA.
Driving with the wrong music genre can be deadly, according to new book Brodsky maintains that choice of music can have a major influence on driving, and, in some circumstances, lead to serious and even fatal outcomes. In fact, the National Higway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that driver inattention, including music distraction, is a contributing factor in 25 to 30 percent of the 1.2 million crashes per year in the US.
	Parkinson's disease may begin in the gut The chronic neurodegenerative Parkinson's disease affects an increasing number of people. However, scientists still do not know why some people develop Parkinson's disease. Now researchers from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital have taken an important step towards a better understanding of the disease.
	Team develops big data analysis platform to unveil gene interactions in cancer The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has achieved a breakthrough in the cancer genomics by developing a novel big data analysis platform for analyzing the interactions among genes. The analysis platform unveils the unregulated patterns of gene network in cancer and discovers potential diagnostic and therapeutic target genes, Nucleophosmin (NPM1) and its associated genes, in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML).
	Holding on to the blues: Depressed individuals may fail to decrease sadness Given that depression is characterized by intense and frequent negative feelings, like sadness, it might seem logical to develop interventions that target those negative feelings. But new research suggests that even when depressed people have the opportunity to decrease their sadness, they don't necessarily try to do so. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
	A reinforced cylinder leads to fewer repeat surgeries for children born with heart defect Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a congenital defect in which the left side of the heart does not develop properly, impairing normal circulation. A series of surgeries can help restore heart function. A new study in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the official publication of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, found use of a ring-reinforced cylinder instead of the usual non-reinforced conduit improved survival, reduced need for re-interventions, and induced physiological changes that may make patients better candidates for recovery after future surgeries.
Patient-initiated workplace violence affects counselors, treatment and outcomes, research finds More than four out of five counselors who treat patients for substance abuse have experienced some form of patient-initiated workplace violence according to the first national study to examine the issue, led by Georgia State University Professor Brian E. Bride.
	What is the role of the gut microbiome in developing Parkinson's disease? In recent years, an important Parkinson's disease (PD) research focus has been on gut-related pathology, pathophysiology, and symptoms. Gastrointestinal dysfunction, in particular constipation, affects up to 80% of PD patients and idiopathic constipation is one of the strongest risk-factors for PD. Lifestyle factors such as smoking and coffee consumption, as well as blood urate levels, have been associated with a decreased PD risk. These factors may also be influenced by the bacteria living in the human gut mediating the effects of various chemicals and nutrients on disease processes. In a contribution in the current issue of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, researchers review some of the latest studies linking gut microbiota to PD.
Survey: Many doctors misunderstand key facets of opioid abuse Many primary care physicians - the top prescribers of prescription pain pills in the United States - don't understand basic facts about how people may abuse the drugs or how addictive different formulations of the medications can be, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.
	When inflammation occurs, kidneys work to protect themselves, researchers find In an apparent effort to help themselves, inflamed kidney cells produce one of the same inflammation-suppressing enzymes fetuses use to survive, researchers report.
	Study demonstrates how Huntington's disease proteins spread from cell to cell By identifying in spinal fluid how the characteristic mutant proteins of Huntington's disease spread from cell to cell, UC Irvine scientists and colleagues have created a new method to quickly and accurately track the presence and proliferation of these neuron-damaging compounds—a discovery that may accelerate the development of new drugs to treat this incurable disease.
France carries out first 'ceramic sternum' transplant French doctors have successfully carried out the world's first transplant of a ceramic sternum, the product's makers said on Tuesday.
	Multidrug-resistant TB appears less transmissible in households than drug-susceptible TB Some strains of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) may have a lower fitness (be less capable of spreading) than drug-susceptible tuberculosis bacteria, according to a study published this week in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Louis Grandjean of Imperial College London, and colleagues, compared new tuberculosis cases among household contacts of tuberculosis patients in South Lima and Callao, Peru to determine the relative fitness of MDRTB versus drug-susceptible tuberculosis.
	Inability to address emotion is holding back the field of psychology, sociologist argues Thomas Scheff would like psychologists to talk about emotion—not simply to share feelings, but to advance science. According to the emeritus professor of sociology at UC Santa Barbara, intuition could be the catalyst that enables psychology to progress in areas in which it has stagnated.
	Variability identified in bridging practices among pharmacists (HealthDay)—Optimal management of subtherapeutic international normalized ratios (INRs) is unclear, with differences in bridging practices among pharmacists seen for levels of experience, residency training, and prescribing privileges. These findings were published online June 18 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
	Embryo cryopreservation feasible for women with breast cancer (HealthDay)—For women with breast cancer, embryo cryopreservation after aromatase inhibitor treatment and ovarian stimulation preserves fertility, according to a study published online June 22 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	VA/DoD release guidelines for dyslipidemia management (HealthDay)—A joint clinical practice guideline for the management of dyslipidemia for cardiovascular disease risk reduction in adults has been summarized and published online June 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Anxiety independently predicts pain in patients with MS (HealthDay)—Pain is prevalent in more than half of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and is independently predicted by anxiety, according to a study published online June 18 in Pain Medicine.
	Visit-to-visit SBP variability not linked to major cardiac events (HealthDay)—Inadequate blood pressure (BP) control, but not visit-to-visit variability of systolic BP, is associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) among patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study published in the July 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Cancer drugs get a new consumer guide In a bid to inject clarity into the fast-moving, high-stakes world of cancer drugs, a task force of cancer doctors announced Monday that it has devised a decision-making aid to help physicians and their patients weigh the pluses and minuses of newly available options for treating malignancy, including their costs.
No change detected in quality of care with overnight hospital supervision With the implementation of an on-site attending-level physician supervising the overnight medical residents, the Penn State Hershey Medical Center has not seen any significant impact on important clinical outcomes, according to medical researchers.
	Teen use of e-cigarettes, hookahs way up: survey (HealthDay)—Although fewer American children are smoking cigarettes, the use of controversial e-cigarettes has more than doubled in just three years, a federal survey reports.
	Order in which food is eaten may affect type 2 diabetics' blood sugar (HealthDay)—The order in which obese people with type 2 diabetes eat their food can affect their blood sugar levels, a small study suggests.
	Quiet that ringing in the brain: New drug promises relief from epilepsy and tinnitus with fewer side effects A new drug may treat epilepsy and prevent tinnitus by selectively affecting potassium channels in the brain, UConn neurophysiologist Anastasios Tzingounis and colleagues report in the 10 June Journal of Neuroscience.
Stem cell injections improve diabetic neuropathy in animal models Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a condition in which perpetually high blood sugar causes nerve damage, resulting in a myriad of symptoms such as numbness, reduced ability to detect painful stimuli, muscle weakness, pain, and muscle spasms. DN affects up to 60 percent of patients with diabetes, is often the cause of foot ulcers, and can ultimately result in amputations. There is no curative therapy for DN, but a recent study carried out by a team of researchers in the U.S. and Korea has found that laboratory animals modeled with DN can experience both angiogenesis (blood vessel growth) and nerve re-myelination following injections of mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs).
	UVA fertilization discovery may lead to male contraceptive Groundbreaking new reproductive research from the School of Medicine has identified key molecular events that could be playing a critical role as sperm and egg fuse to create new life. The findings might one day lead to the creation of a male contraceptive.
	Bionic eye clinical trial results show long-term safety, efficacy vision-restoring implant The three-year clinical trial results of the retinal implant popularly known as the "bionic eye," have proven the long-term efficacy, safety and reliability of the device that restores vision in those blinded by a rare, degenerative eye disease. The findings show that the Argus II significantly improves visual function and quality of life for people blinded by retinitis pigmentosa. They are being published online today in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
	CT allows nonsurgical management of some lung nodules People who have nonsolid lung nodules can be safely monitored with annual low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. Researchers said the findings could help spare patients from unnecessary surgery and additional imaging.
Samsung heir apologises over S. Korea MERS outbreak The heir to South Korean business giant Samsung on Tuesday publicly bowed his head in apology for one of its flagship hospitals becoming an epicentre of the MERS virus, as health officials reported three new cases.
Cholera outbreak kills at least 18 in South Sudan At least 18 people have died of cholera in war-torn South Sudan, the health ministry said Tuesday, as it declared an outbreak of the highly contagious infection.
	New NICE GP guidelines have huge ambition and potential Dr Richard Roope, a practising GP and clinical lead for cancer at Cancer Research UK and the Royal College of General Practice, shares his thoughts on the new National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) urgent referral guidelines for suspected cancer.
More than 3,000 dengue cases in Yemen since March: WHO More than 3,000 dengue cases have been reported in conflict-ravaged Yemen since March, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday, adding that the actual figure could be far higher.
Affecting the well-being of elderly urban residents In 15 years, a quarter of the world's population living in cities will be over-60, as more and more people choose to grow old there.
	Do big food companies control nutrition research? Corporations cozying up to researchers create massive conflicts of interest. It's an old story when the villain is a pharmaceutical company. But food companies need to make money too, and what better way than funding and publicizing research on their products?
	Researchers and school pupils track ticks to reveal Lyme disease hotspots Academics and undergraduates from the University of Exeter are set to work with school pupils from Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester on a new study to explore the distribution of Lyme disease in the region.
Lack of control on e-coaches There is no guarantee that smart, personal coaching apps can live up to claims to make our lives more healthy and more productive. Users may receive incorrect, commercially slanted, or ineffective advice. It is also unclear to users how producers of e-coaches deal with the intimate information that is collected. The Rathenau Instituut – a Dutch organization for assessment of science, technology and society– recommends to implement standards which will assure data privacy, and, moreover, quality, reliability and effectiveness of provided services.
	A fuse of cardiovascular diseases A promising biomarker for the severity of age-related white matter changes (ARWMCs) and endothelial function was evaluated at Hiroshima University, Japan. The relationship between this biomarker, the telomeric 3'-overhang (G-tail) length, and cardiovascular risk in humans is unclear so far. The researchers at Hiroshima University investigated the association between the telomere G-tail length of leukocytes and vascular risk, ARWMCs, and endothelial function. They suggested that the telomere G-tail might be a useful marker of endothelial dysfunction, as well as stroke and dementia.
Aflibercept in macular oedema after BRVO: No hint of added benefit Since February 2015, aflibercept (trade name Eylea) has been available also for patients with impaired vision due to macular oedema that follows blockage of branch veins of the central retinal vein (branch retinal vein occlusion, BRVO). The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy. Such an added benefit cannot be derived from the dossier because it contained no data relevant for the assessment.
Diabetes medication reduces dementia risk Treating people with type 2 diabetes, also known as 'age-related diabetes' with antidiabetics reduces their risk for Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. The risk is most significantly reduced by the drug pioglitazone. Researchers of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases draw this conclusion from an analysis of health insurance data. Their findings are published in the journal Annals of Neurology.
Unauthorized immigrants prolong the life of Medicare Trust Fund Unauthorized immigrants pay billions more into Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund each year than they withdraw in health benefits, according to research from Harvard Medical School, the Institute for Community Health and the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College. The study appeared last Thursday as an "online first" article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
ESC recommends uninterrupted vitamin K antagonists during ablation and device implantation The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has recommended uninterrupted anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists during ablation and device implantation in a position paper presented today at EHRA EUROPACE - CARDIOSTIM 2015 and published in EP Europace.
	Generic heart disease medications offer promise for Ebola treatment Generic medications used frequently in the management of heart disease patients also have the potential to bolster the immune systems of patients with Ebola virus and some other life-threatening illnesses, researchers report this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Shining a stochastic spotlight on Ebola The 2014 outbreak of Ebola virus disease, the worst since the disease first appeared in 1976, has claimed more than 11,000 lives in the West African nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and a handful more in nearby Nigeria and Mali.

Biology news

	New tech could find tiny RNA cancer beacons in blood Cancerous tumors cast off tiny telltale genetic molecules known as microRNAs and University of Michigan researchers have come up with an efficient way to detect them in blood.
	How anthrax spores grow in cultured human tissues Cultured human lung cells infected with a benign version of anthrax spores have yielded insights into how anthrax grows and spreads in exposed people. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, will help provide credible data for human health related to anthrax exposure and help officials better understand risks related to a potential anthrax attack.
	Subsurface discovery sprouts a new branch on the tree of life Bacteria are enigmatic by nature, minuscule but staggeringly—sometimes alarmingly—ubiquitous. As critical drivers of everything from global biogeochemical cycles to million dollar industries, they are the little cogs that keep our planet going. They even control our brains!
	No need for sophisticated hunting techniques: Equatorial bats live the easy life Most of the world's bats use extremely sophisticated hunting techniques, but not bats around the equator. They use pretty much the same less sophisticated hunting techniques as their ancestors did millions of years ago. They probably do not need more than that, because life at the equator is easy.
	Birds of a feather: Pigeon head crest findings extend to domesticated doves Evolutionary biologist Michael Shapiro and his team from the University of Utah made international headlines in 2013 when they found that a prominent change in pigeon plumage, head crests, could be traced to a mutation in a single gene.
	Darwin's finches have reached their limits on the Galapagos The evolution of birds on the Galápagos Islands, the cradle of Darwin's theory of evolution, is a two-speed process. Most bird species are still diversifying, while the famous Darwin's finches have already reached an equilibrium, in which new species can only appear when an existing one becomes extinct. This finding expands the classical theory on island evolution put forward in the 1960s. The study is published online on June 23 in Ecology Letters.
	Lion among 23,000 species threatened with extinction: conservationists The mighty lion, reclusive cave crabs and the world's rarest sea lion are among nearly 23,000 species at risk of dying out, a top conservation body warned on Tuesday.
	How will cold-loving Antarctic fish respond to warming ocean waters? Antarctic fish are a vital component to the food web that sustains life in the cold Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica. They feed on smaller organisms, and serve as meals for the bigger ones. But little is known about how the rapid rate at which these waters are warming will affect the development of fish embryos and their growth after hatching, according to Northeastern professor William Detrich.
	Old-school literature search helps ecologist identify puzzling parasite A months-long literature search that involved tracking down century-old scientific papers and translating others from Czech and French helped University of Michigan ecologist Meghan Duffy answer a question she'd wondered about for years.
	Young pine trees face new peril from mountain pine beetle New research from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences shows that pine beetle attacks not only lead to the death of adult trees, but can also leave the next generation of pine vulnerable to future insect attack.
	Gannets to be tracked in real-time using 3G technology The University is part of an innovative project that will track in real-time – using the 3G mobile network – the vast distances gannets fly.
	Discovery in the US of the New Guinea flatworm—one of the worst known invasive species The land planarian Platydemus manokwari, or New Guinea flatworm, is a highly invasive species, already reported in many territories in the Pacific area, and as well as in France. This is the only land planarian in the '100 worst invasive alien species' list and it has now been found in additional localities including islands in the Pacific area, Puerto Rico, the first record in the Caribbean, and the first report in mainland U.S., in Florida.
The pertussis pathogen—new findings The worldwide spreading of the whooping cough, also known as pertussis, has substantially increased since 2010. Researchers from the Biozentrum, University of Basel, have investigated structure and function of an important membrane protein of the bacterium causing pertussis. They discovered that the protein structure differs from a previously postulated model. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, provide a basis for new treatment approaches for the infection.
	Tiny Dracula ants hunting underground in Madagascar and the Seychelles Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences (Rick Overson and Brian Fisher) have described six new species of strange subterranean ants from the genus Prionopelta in Madagascar and Seychelles.
Researchers identify new class of antifungal agents Researchers have identified a new class of antifungals to treat the more than 300 million people worldwide who develop serious fungal infections. The research is described in the current issue of mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
	In a while crocodile: safaris yet to be snapped up by Australia Australia's top official on indigenous issues on Tuesday said crocodile safaris should be used to help fund impoverished Aboriginal communities, but the prospect of big game hunters was downplayed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Avoiding poisonous plants in summer, fall Summer and fall are popular times for outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening and playing outside. Unfortunately, poisonous plants can get in the way of enjoying your time outdoors.
	Probe after GM jellyfish-lamb sold as meat in France French authorities are looking into how a lamb genetically modified with jellyfish protein was sold as meat to an unknown customer, a judicial source told AFP on Tuesday.
	Video: Why do we love music? Whether it's rock, hip-hop, classical or deep house, everyone has a favorite kind of music. But why do we love to throw on the headphones and get lost in the beat? It turns out that chemistry plays a big role in your favorite tunes.
Dangerous jellyfish, including man-of-war, off New Jersey Jellyfish have long been a stinging fact of life at the Jersey shore, but lately some dangerous species have been making their way to the area.

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