Science X Newsletter Monday, Jul 6

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 6, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Autonomous taxis would deliver significant environmental and economic benefits, new study shows
- Do micro-organisms explain features on comets?
- Surfing a wake of light: Researchers observe and control light wakes for the first time
- Midlife changes in Alzheimer's biomarkers may predict dementia
- Best of Last Week – A less crowded universe, antibiotics altering child development and reducing rumination
- Researchers find the organization of the human brain to be nearly ideal
- Researchers build first working memcomputer prototype
- Aluminum clusters shut down molecular fuel factory
- Researchers learn to measure aging process in young adults
- Global roadmap for better understanding space weather released
- Revealed: Positronium's behavior in particle billiards
- Risk of interbreeding due to climate change lower than expected
- Age-related cognitive decline tied to immune-system molecule
- New paradigm for treating 'inflammaging' and cancer
- Protein suggests a new strategy to thwart infection

Astronomy & Space news

	Do micro-organisms explain features on comets? Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, studied in detail by the European Space Agency Rosetta and Philae spacecraft since September 2014, is a body with distinct and unexpected features. Now two astronomers have a radical explanation for its properties – micro-organisms that shape cometary activity. Dr Max Wallis of the University of Cardiff set out their ideas today (Monday 6 July) at the National Astronomy Meeting at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales.
	Global roadmap for better understanding space weather released (Phys.org)—The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the International Living With a Star (ILWS) organization have released a global roadmap for 2015-2025 focusing on better understanding how the phenomena of space weather affect our daily activities on Earth. The strategic plan calls for a coordinated international approach to study the violent solar activity and showcases the research areas that need more attention in order to fully protect our planet from the effects of space weather. The roadmap was published on June 15 in the journal Advances in Space Research.
	Relief as Russian cargo ship docks at space station An unmanned Russian cargo ship successfully docked with the International Space Station on Sunday following a string of failed attempts to resupply the orbital laboratory.
	Dwarf planet Ceres offers big surprises for scientists The closer we get to Ceres, the more perplexing the dwarf planet grows. NASA's Dawn spacecraft has found several more bright spots as well as a pyramid-like peak jutting out of the frigid world's surface.
	New Horizons spacecraft experiences anomaly The New Horizons spacecraft experienced an anomaly the afternoon of July 4 that led to a loss of communication with Earth. Communication has since been reestablished and the spacecraft is healthy.
	Gaia produces stellar density map of the Milky Way This image, based on housekeeping data from ESA's Gaia satellite, is no ordinary depiction of the heavens. While the image portrays the outline of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, and of its neighbouring Magellanic Clouds, it was obtained in a rather unusual way.
	Universe's hidden supermassive black holes revealed Astronomers have found evidence for a large population of hidden supermassive black holes in the Universe.
	Astronomers see pebbles poised to make planets A team of astronomers led from St Andrews and Manchester universities today (6 July) announced the discovery of a ring of rocks circling a very young star. This is the first time these 'pebbles', thought to be a crucial link in building planets, have been detected. Dr Jane Greaves of the University of St Andrews presented the work at the National Astronomy Meeting at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales.
	A giant Pac-Man to gobble up space debris The Clean Space One Project has passed a milestone. The space cleanup satellite will deploy a conical net to capture the small SwissCube satellite before destroying it in the atmosphere. It's one of the solutions being tested for eliminating dangerous debris orbiting the Earth.
	Scientists readying for flurry of data as New Horizons nears Pluto With each passing day, mankind gets a better look at Pluto. And each day, Pluto is showing mankind it has a lot to learn.
	Engineers fine-tune new NASA space launch system Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Engineering are helping NASA determine if a key rocket component can withstand the rigors of the next generation of space flight.
	Small cosmic 'fish' points to big haul for SKA Pathfinder A wisp of cosmic radio waves, emitted before our solar system was born, shows that a new radio telescope will be able to detect galaxies other telescopes can't. The work, led by Dr James Allison of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia, was announced today (6 July) at the National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno, north Wales.
	Carrington-L5 mission to provide five-day space weather forecasts Coronal mass ejections (CME), billion-tonne solar plasma eruptions moving towards the Earth at up to 2500 kilometres per second, can cause extensive and expensive disruption by damaging power, satellite and communication networks. A UK consortium is proposing an operational mission, called Carrington-L5, to give a five-day warning of hazardous solar activity that could inflict severe damage to our infrastructure. The mission concept will be presented at the National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno by Dr Markos Trichas of Airbus Defence and Space (UK).
	First results from LUCID mapping cosmic rays and solar wind A satellite experiment to study cosmic rays and the solar wind that was devised by school students is now successfully collecting data in space. LUCID, the Langton Ultimate Cosmic ray Intensity Detector, uses particle detectors from CERN to study the radiation environment in low Earth orbit. 16-year old Cal Hewitt, from the Langton Star Centre, will present the first results from LUCID at the National Astronomy Meeting 2015 in Llandudno on Monday 6th July.
	NASA mission brings Pluto into sharp focus – but it's still not a planet The new pictures that NASA's New Horizons probe has begun to beam back have revealed Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, in ever greater detail from what is the first ever spacecraft fly-by.
	Uranus' moon Titania Like all of the Solar Systems' gas giants, Uranus has an extensive system of moons. In fact, astronomers can now account for 27 moons in orbit around Uranus. Of these, none are greater in size, mass, or surface area than Titania. One of the first moon's to be discovered around Uranus, this heavily cratered and scarred moon was appropriately named after the fictional Queen of the Fairies.
	Image: Europa's blood-red scars Jupiter's moon Europa is a bizarre place. There is something undeniably biological about this image, sent back by NASA's Galileo spacecraft – the moon is scarred by deep red gashes, resembling the vibrant red veins flowing across a human eye.
SpaceX rocket explosion unlikely to slow launches for long SpaceX's rocket explosion last week may only briefly slow the company's ambitious launch schedule at Cape Canaveral, Fla., but it could also give a boost to its competitors, experts say.

Technology news

	Researchers build first working memcomputer prototype (Tech Xplore)—A combined team of researchers from the University of California and Politecnico di Torino in Italy has built, for the first time, a working memory-crunching computer (memcomputer) prototype. It is capable, the team reports in their paper published in the journal Science Advances, of solving the NP-complete version of the subset sum problem.
	Autonomous taxis would deliver significant environmental and economic benefits, new study shows Imagine a fleet of driverless taxis roaming your city, ready to pick you up and take you to your destination at a moment's notice. While this may seem fantastical, it may be only a matter of time before it becomes reality. And according to a new study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), such a system would both be cost-effective and greatly reduce per-mile emissions of greenhouse gases.
	MasterCard pay by face verification to start as pilot program MasterCard's Ajay Bhalla, President, Enterprise Safety and Security, has something to argue against sole reliance on passwords: "We want to identify people for who they are, not what they remember."
	Kyocera to bring solar farm transformation to idle golf course An emptied golf course is going sunny-side up. Kyocera kicked off July with its announcement that "Abandoned Golf Course in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan to be Repurposed with 23-Megawatt Solar Power Plant from Kyocera TCL Solar LLC."
Dartmouth contests showcase computer-generated creativity Can an algorithm pass for an author? Can a robot rock the house? A series of contests at Dartmouth College is about to find out.
	Farm use of drones to take off as feds loosen restrictions Mike Geske wants a drone.
	Volvo Cars design team offers concept in rearward baby seating A child-seat concept from Volvo Cars offers a design for child safety in cars of the future. Shown in the XC90 Excellence, it goes far beyond heated cup holders for baby bottles. Ben Coxworth in Gizmag summed up the nuance: "Back in April, Volvo showed off its Lounge Console at the Shanghai International Auto Show. The concept replaced the usually-unoccupied front passenger seat of a chauffeur-driven vehicle with a multi-purpose luxury footrest for use by the rear-seat passenger. Building on that idea, the Swedish automaker has now unveiled the Excellence Child Seat Concept, which replaces the front seat with a baby seat."
	Italian surveillance company hacked, documents stolen An Italian surveillance firm known for selling malicious software used by police bodies and spy agencies has succumbed to a cyberattack, the firm's spokesman said Monday, confirming an embarrassing breach which sent documents and invoices ricocheting across the Internet.
	LG Display moves advanced touch tech up to notebooks LG Display has news for people who are into working with notebook PCs. They have announced lighter and slimmer LCD panels. Unleashing "Advanced In-cell Touch" (AIT) technology, LG Display said on Monday that they will start mass production of the panels later this year.
Mexico City proposes regulations for Uber Mexico City is proposing regulations that would allow Uber and other smartphone-based ride-sharing apps to operate, while requiring drivers and cars to be registered, the city's Office of Legal and Legislative Studies said Friday.
	Solar Impulse 2 pilot becomes aviation legend At 62 years of age, Swiss Solar Impulse 2 pilot Andre Borschberg has made aviation history with a record breaking solo flight across the Pacific that he has called "an interior journey".
	When a selfie is not enough: India abuzz over 'velfie' craze Move over selfie, India is embracing the "velfie" with Bollywood stars, sporting heroes and even politicians taking and posting videos of themselves online using a range of new mobile apps.
	Owner of 'Tetris' rights takes Hawaii home, ranch off grid High above the bustling city of Honolulu, in a quiet, exclusive hillside neighborhood where some of the island's wealthiest residents live, there is an extravagant home that's not quite like the others.
	Mechatronic arm exoskeleton to train new soldiers to reach shooting proficiency Robotic exoskeletons have been a science fiction theme and an engineering feat since the 1960s. Practical design techniques, which allow a fictional character to be stronger, more powerful or more functional intrigue engineers toward simplicity in futuristic innovation.
	Robots can't kill you – claiming they can is dangerous Robots' involvement in human deaths is nothing new. The recent death of a man who was grabbed by a robot and crushed against a metal plate at a Volkswagen factory in Baunatal, Germany, attracted extensive media attention. But it is strikingly similar to one of the first recorded case of a death involving an industrial robot 34 years ago.
	Researchers help reconstructing the Michelangelo bronzes Engineers and imagers from the University of Warwick's Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and anatomists from Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick are helping Art historians from the University of Cambridge have been working together to try to understand how the two mysterious Renaissance bronzes were made and why they look the way they do by making accurate replicas of the originals. The latest technology-neutron imaging, XRF analysis, 360 degree laser scanning, 3D printing, and real-time x-ray videography - has been involved in this Renaissance 'whodunnit'.
	Salt water quirk key to bubble desalination A team of Murdoch University researchers have designed an efficient, small-scale greenhouse combining desalination with food production.
	Europe's deepest glider to be developed 19 partners from across Europe have come together to develop Europe's first ultra-deep-sea robot glider. This glider will be capable of sampling the ocean autonomously at depths of 5000m, and maybe more in the future, for up to three months at a time. This project, which includes the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), has won €8M of funding from the European Union's Horizon2020 programme to develop and test this innovative new technology.
	Researchers design a new system to make overtaking safer on highways Researchers of the Universitat Politècnica de València have designed EYES, a new system for smartphones and tablets –now in the prototype phase– which aims to make overtaking manoeuvres safer on highways. EYES provides visual help to the driver when he overtakes and it is also useful in monitoring manoeuvres for autonomous vehicles.
Amazon pushes Prime service with day of deals Amazon is trying to lure more subscribers to its $99 Prime loyalty program by pushing a day of discounts it calls "Prime Day" during the sleepier summer shopping season.
Amazon as an adult: Two decades of online shopping It has officially been nearly two decades since shoppers of the world were introduced to the idea of buying books online.
	Facegloria: Facebook for Brazil's Evangelicals Fluffy clouds waft across a blue sky as you log in and while you chat with friends, Gospel music rings out: welcome to Facegloria, the social network for Brazilian Evangelicals.
	New NCCoE building blocks for email security and PIV credentials NIST's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has proposed two new building blocks, one to help organizations improve the security of email, the other to enable mobile devices to provide security services based on personal identity verification (PIV) credentials. PIV cards (as they are known in the federal government) and other so-called smart card identity credentials contain computer chips that can receive, store, and transmit information securely. They are currently used in conjunction with a card reader to ensure authorized access to computer systems, certify emails, or provide an additional layer of security for physical access to facilities.

Medicine & Health news

	Midlife changes in Alzheimer's biomarkers may predict dementia Studying brain scans and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy adults, scientists have shown that changes in key biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease during midlife may help identify those who will develop dementia years later, according to new research.
	Researchers learn to measure aging process in young adults Looking around at a 20th high school reunion, you might notice something puzzling about your classmates. Although they were all born within months of each other, these 38-year-olds appear to be aging at different rates.
	Schwann cells 'dine in' to clear myelin from injured nerves Researchers reveal how cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) degrade myelin after nerve injury, a process that fails to occur in the central nervous system (CNS). The study appears in The Journal of Cell Biology.
	Researchers reveal brainwave changes in patients receiving nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide, commonly known as "laughing gas," has been used in anesthesiology practice since the 1800s, but the way it works to create altered states is not well understood. In a study published this week in Clinical Neurophysiology, MIT researchers reveal some key brainwave changes among patients receiving the drug.
	New paradigm for treating 'inflammaging' and cancer Intermittent dosing with rapamycin selectively breaks the cascade of inflammatory events that follow cellular senescence, a phenomena in which cells cease to divide in response to DNA damaging agents, including many chemotherapies. The finding, published in Nature Cell Biology, shows that once disrupted, it takes time for the inflammatory loop to reestablish, providing proof-of-principal that intermittent dosing could provide a way to reap the benefits of rapamycin, an FDA-approved drug that extends lifespan and healthspan in mice, while lessening safety issues associated with its use.
	Age-related cognitive decline tied to immune-system molecule A blood-borne molecule that increases in abundance as we age blocks regeneration of brain cells and promotes cognitive decline, suggests a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco and Stanford School of Medicine.
	How to rule a gene galaxy: A lesson from developing neurons The human organism contains hundreds of distinct cell types that often differ from their neighbours in shape and function. To acquire and maintain its characteristic features, each cell type must express a unique subset of genes. Neurons, the functional units of our brain, develop through differentiation of neuronal precursors, a process that depends on coordinated activation of hundreds and possibly thousands of neuron-specific genes.
	Brain imaging shows how children inherit their parents' anxiety In rhesus monkey families - just as in their human cousins - anxious parents are more likely to have anxious offspring. And a new study in an extended family of monkeys provides important insights into how the risk of developing anxiety and depression is passed from parents to children.
	Stress-fighting proteins could be key to new treatments for asthma Investigators have discovered the precise molecular steps that enable immune cells implicated in certain forms of asthma and allergy to develop and survive in the body. The findings from Weill Cornell Medical College reveal a new pathway that scientists could use to develop more effective treatments and therapies for the chronic lung disorder.
	Heart attack treatment hypothesis 'busted' Researchers have long had reason to hope that blocking the flow of calcium into the mitochondria of heart and brain cells could be one way to prevent damage caused by heart attacks and strokes. But in a study of mice engineered to lack a key calcium channel in their heart cells, Johns Hopkins scientists appear to have cast a shadow of doubt on that theory. A report on their study is published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Epigenetic driver of glioblastoma provides new therapeutic target Cancer's ability to grow unchecked is often attributed to cancer stem cells, a small fraction of cancer cells that have the capacity to grow and multiply indefinitely. How cancer stem cells retain this property while the bulk of a tumor's cells do not remains largely unknown. Using human tumor samples and mouse models, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center discovered that cancer stem cell properties are determined by epigenetic changes—chemical modifications cells use to control which genes are turned on or off.
MERS cases keep coming from Samsung hospital Another doctor at a major hospital that has been the epicentre of MERS outbreak in Seoul has contracted the deadly virus, the government said Saturday.
Newport's Cliff Walk by Gilded Age mansions now smoke-free Now that smokers can no longer light up on Newport's iconic Cliff Walk, the only thing breathtaking is the view.
Philippines confirms second MERS case (Update) A foreigner who flew to the Philippines from the Middle East has become the second confirmed case of MERS in the country, the health department said Monday, as a deadly outbreak in South Korea spreads alarm across Asia.
	Detecting eye diseases using smartphone technology Researchers at the Medical and Surgical Center for Retina have developed software that detects eye diseases such as diabetic macular edema using a smartphone. The system is aimed at general physicians who could detect the condition and refer the patient to a specialist.
Gene discovery leads to new epilepsy treatment The discovery of the gene responsible for a form of epilepsy in girls has led to a new treatment for the disorder.
	Staff-prisoner relationships are key to managing suicide risk in prison, say researchers In the wake of recent increase in prisoner suicide, new research commissioned by the Harris Review on the views and experiences of prison staff suggests that identifying and managing vulnerable prisoners requires the building of staff-prisoner relationships, 'knowing the prisoners and understanding what makes them tick'. However, prison staff say that this has been adversely affected by the need to deliver budgetary savings.
Muscular dystrophy expert's disappointment at drug refusal A researcher who has helped develop a pioneering treatment has expressed her frustration after the drug has been turned down for early NHS funding.
	How does aging affect athletic performance? I remember the moment a few years ago while watching TV when I realized that if I were riding in the Tour de France, at age 42 I'd be the oldest person in the race. It hit me that my dream of racing in cycling's biggest event was over…it was not going to happen.
Study finds certain concussions may lead to cognitive changes A study of former National Football League players led by neurologists and neuropsychologists at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has found cognitive and structural brain changes in athletes with a history of concussion who experienced loss of consciousness.
	Three-pronged approach could reduce suicide risk "Suicidal thought doesn't need to be fatal to be serious" is the mantra of a University of Queensland expert who has spent five years developing a new mental health test.
Tablet technology to help children with autism Monash University researchers have developed the world's first tablet technology designed to assist children with developmental disabilities such as autism and Down Syndrome.
	Simplifying diagnosis of diabetes in remote indigenous settings Researchers have found a way of simplifying the diagnosis of diabetes in Indigenous Australians living in remote health care settings, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.
	Implications of dual-tasking on dementia research You turn the street corner and bump into an old friend. After the initial greetings and exclamations of "It's so good to see you!" and "Has it been that long?", your friend inquires as to where you are going. You wave your hands to indicate the direction of your desired location, and with a jaunty grin, your friend announces that they too are headed that way. And so, you both set off, exchanging news of significant others and perceived job performance, with the sound of your excited voices trailing behind you.
	Is colitis in infants caused by their own intestinal flora? The existing explanatory model for the development of a special form of colitis in infants is currently being called into question: Whereas it was previously assumed that the cause is an allergic reaction to cow's milk proteins, there is increasing evidence that an imbalanced intestinal flora is responsible for the blood-streaked stools. In an Austrian Science Fund FWF project, Martin Hoffmann from the Medical University of Graz is now systematically examining this new evidence for the first time.
	Rats that get regular exercise are more productive in day-to-day tasks Regular exercise may help keep you on top of your to-do list at work, latest University of Otago research suggests.
	Safer, with more benefits: Parents' vaccine views shifting Over the same time period that multiple outbreaks of measles and whooping cough made headlines around the country, parents' views on vaccines became more favorable, according to a new nationally-representative poll.
Arthritis drug could be used to treat blood cancer sufferers Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered that a common drug given to arthritis sufferers could also help to treat patients with blood cancers.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia with psychiatric, medical conditions Cognitive behavioral therapy is a widely used nonpharmacologic treatment for insomnia disorders and an analysis of the medical literature suggests it also can work for patients whose insomnia is coupled with psychiatric and medical conditions, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Increased risk of complications, death during delivery for women with epilepsy A small fraction of pregnancies occur in women with epilepsy but a new study suggests those women may be at higher risk for complications and death during delivery, according to an article published online by JAMA Neurology.
Detecting more small cancers in screening mammography suggests overdiagnosis Screening mammography was associated with increased diagnosis of small cancers in a study across U.S. counties but not with significant changes in breast cancer deaths or a decreased incidence of larger breast cancers, which researchers suggest may be the result of overdiagnosis, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Survey finds many physicians, clinicians work sick despite risk to patients Many physicians and advanced practice clinicians, including registered nurse practitioners, midwives and physician assistants, reported to work while being sick despite recognizing this could put patients at risk, according to the results of a small survey published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
Older patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries less likely to get surgery Older patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries are less likely to receive surgery compared with younger patients and they experience a significant lag between injury and surgery, according to new research by an orthopedic surgeon at St. Michael's Hospital.
Public expectations about screening still don't match what screening programs can deliver Misconceptions about how screening works, its limitations and possible harms are still being perpetuated by media stories and high profile cases, such as Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy and emotive tabloid case studies of women under 25 dying from cervical cancer. Campaigners and celebrities still call for more screening: for more diseases, in more people and for longer. In the last few months alone, Taylor Swift encouraged fans' parents to get earlier breast screening following her mother's cancer diagnosis, campaigners have called for all women over 70 to be screened for breast cancer and researchers have been developing screening tests for Alzheimer's, as well as discussing screening babies from birth. There's also a widespread misconception that screening programmes are only offered to certain age groups due to financial considerations.
Extra DNA acts as a 'spare tire' for our genomes Carrying around a spare tire is a good thing—you never know when you'll get a flat. Turns out we're all carrying around "spare tires" in our genomes, too. Today, in ACS Central Science, researchers report that an extra set of guanines (or "G"s) in our DNA may function just like a "spare" to help prevent many cancers from developing.
	Fundamental beliefs about atherosclerosis overturned Doctors' efforts to battle the dangerous atherosclerotic plaques that build up in our arteries and cause heart attacks and strokes are built on several false beliefs about the fundamental composition and formation of the plaques, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine shows. These new discoveries will force researchers to reassess their approaches to developing treatments and discard some of their basic assumptions about atherosclerosis, commonly known as hardening of the arteries.
	Questions raised for telemedical monitoring of diabetic foot ulcers (HealthDay)—Telemedicine monitoring is not associated with any significant difference in amputation or healing, but may be linked to increased mortality for patients with diabetic foot ulcers, according to a study published online June 26 in Diabetes Care.
	'Rambo' protein may not be so violent after all A protein dubbed 'Bcl-Rambo' can protect against heart failure, suggests new research from King's College London and funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
tRNAs are segmented into fragments in a manner that depends on race, gender and population Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are ancient molecules and indispensable components of all living cells - they are found in all three kingdoms of life i.e., in archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes. In a cell, they are part of the machinery that translates messenger RNA (mRNA) sequences into amino acid sequences.
Significant reduction in serious crimes after juvenile offenders given emotional awareness training Scientists believe that a simple two-hour emotional awareness course aimed at making young offenders less aggressive could hold the key to significantly reducing the seriousness of their future crimes.
Study finds people over 65 with traumatic brain injuries hospitalized four times as often as younger people A disproportionate number of people hospitalized in Canada with traumatic brain injuries are 65 years or older, a new study from St. Michael's Hospital has found.
	Team generates therapeutic nitric oxide from air with an electric spark Treatment with inhaled nitric oxide (NO) has proven to be life saving in newborns, children and adults with several dangerous conditions, but the availability of the treatment has been limited by the size, weight and complexity of equipment needed to administer the gas and the therapy's high price. Now a research team led by the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) physician who pioneered the use of inhaled nitric oxide has developed a lightweight, portable system that produces NO from the air by means of an electrical spark. The investigators describe their invention in the July 1 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
'Stunning' number of large drug doses by doctor, expert says (Update) Patients of a Detroit-area doctor received "stunning" doses of a powerful, expensive drug that exposed them to life-threatening infections, an expert testified Monday as a judge heard details about a cancer specialist who fleeced insurance companies and harmed hundreds of people.
	Health insurance expansion likely to increase HTN treatment (HealthDay)—Efforts to expand health insurance coverage are expected to lead to increased treatment rates among nonelderly patients with hypertension, which will have significant health benefits, according to a study published online July 2 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
	Oxybutynin deemed effective treatment for hyperhidrosis (HealthDay)—Low-dose oxybutynin is an effective treatment for hyperhidrosis, according to a study published online June 26 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
	Split-dose better than day-before colonoscopy prep (HealthDay)—Split-dose regimens increase the quality of colon cleansing compared to day-before colonoscopy preparation, according to a review and meta-analysis published in the July issue of Gastroenterology.
	Disorganized documentation ups peri-op communication failures (HealthDay)—Communication failures in the perioperative setting often result from inaccurate or inaccessible documentation, as well as document overload, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
	Adapted diabetes prevention program deemed effective (HealthDay)—An adapted Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle intervention significantly improves cardiovascular disease-related risk factors among participants, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Adolescent lifestyle not strongly tied to later muscular pain (HealthDay)—Adverse health behaviors in adolescence are only moderately associated with later musculoskeletal pain in adulthood, according to a study published in the June issue of Pain Medicine.
	Anti-vaccine trend has parents shunning newborns' vitamin shot (HealthDay)—With the recent U.S. measles outbreak, the issue of vaccine refusal has received growing scrutiny. Now doctors are calling attention to a similar problem: Some parents are shunning the vitamin K shot routinely given to newborns to prevent internal bleeding.
	Extra heartbeats could be modifiable risk factor for congestive heart failure Common extra heartbeats known as premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) may be a modifiable risk factor for congestive heart failure (CHF) and death, according to researchers at UC San Francisco.
	Lifestyle factors associated with less heart failure after 65 Adults who walked briskly, were moderately active in their leisure time, drank moderately, didn't smoke and avoided obesity had half the risk of heart failure as adults who did not optimize these modifiable risk factors, according to a study that followed nearly 4,500 adults for two decades. The study was published today in JACC: Heart Failure.
Hypertension, high cholesterol, other heart disease risk factors increasing In Asia The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes have been decreasing in the United States and Europe, however they appear to be on the rise in Asia, particularly Japan, according to a guest editor page published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Protein implicated in osteosarcoma's spread acts as air traffic controller The investigation of a simple protein has uncovered its uniquely complicated role in the spread of the childhood cancer, osteosarcoma. It turns out the protein, called ezrin, acts like an air traffic controller, coordinating multiple functions within a cancer cell and allowing it to endure stress conditions encountered during metastasis.
	New blood pressure guidelines may lead to under treatment of older adults Approximately one-third of U.S. adults have hypertension (or high blood pressure). Treatment of this condition is essential to the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the #1 killer of both men and women in the country. In 2014, the Joint National Committee (JNC) released the eighth update to the blood pressure guidelines (JNC8P). These guidelines included a controversial decision to change the blood pressure goal for adults 60 years of age or older. The JNC8P guidelines set a less stringent goal blood pressure of < 150/90 mmHg for individuals 60 years of age or older compared to the previous
	Typically disregarded brain lesions may warn of heightened stroke risk Scientists with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and colleagues found that very small brain lesions noted on brain imaging that would typically be disregarded by clinicians are associated with a heightened risk of stroke and death. The findings are in today's (July 7, 2015) Annals of Internal Medicine.
	New smartphone app warns drinkers if they go over recommended daily/weekly units A new smartphone app warns drinkers if they go over the recommended maximum daily/weekly units of alcohol, to help them better manage their intake, reveals a commentary published in the online journal BMJ Innovations.
Heightened hospital weekend death risk common in several developed countries The heightened risk of death after admission to hospital at the weekend—the so-called 'weekend effect'—is a feature of several developed countries' healthcare systems, and not just a problem for hospitals in England, reveals research published online in BMJ Quality & Safety.
	Is phosphate the next sodium? Is phosphate the next sodium—a once seemingly benign food additive now linked to heart disease and death? It's nearly as ubiquitous as sodium in processed foods but so under the radar, it's not even listed on food labels.
Link found between autoimmune diseases, medications, and a dangerous heartbeat condition Mohamed Boutjdir, PhD, professor of medicine, cell biology, and physiology and pharmacology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, has led a study with international collaborators identifying the mechanism by which patients with various autoimmune and connective tissue disorders may be at risk for life-threatening cardiac events if they take certain anti-histamine or anti-depressant medications. Dr. Boutjdir is also director of the Cardiac Research Program at VA New York Harbor Healthcare System.
Research team finds bacterial biofilms may play a role in lupus Lupus, multiple sclerosis, and type-1 diabetes are among more than a score of diseases in which the immune system attacks the body it was designed to defend. But just why the immune system begins its misdirected assault has remained a mystery.
Adolescents who view medical marijuana ads more likely to use the drug, study finds Adolescents who saw advertising for medical marijuana were more likely to either report using marijuana or say they planned to use the substance in the future, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
	Best friends may help poor kids succeed (HealthDay)—Children who grow up in poor neighborhoods face more obstacles in life, but new research suggests that having a best friend can help these kids succeed.
	Less chemo for obese ovarian cancer patients linked to worse survival rates (HealthDay)—Ovarian cancer patients who are overweight or obese are often given lower doses of chemotherapy per pound of body weight, but this may reduce the odds of survival, a new study suggests.
Second-line cetuximab active beyond progression in quadruple wild-type patients with mCRC Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that are mutation-free in the KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA genes showed significant benefit from continuing anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy beyond progression following first-line chemotherapy and an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody, according to study results presented today at the ESMO 17th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona, Spain.
Immigrant children given adult dose of hepatitis A vaccine About 250 immigrant children were given an adult dose of a hepatitis A vaccine at a Texas detention facility where they were being held with their mothers, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
	Animated tips on how you should and shouldn't approach the visually impaired As almost any of the UK's two million visually impaired (VI) will tell you people with full sight often make incorrect assumptions about their capabilities.
	Doctors to help shape the future of revalidation A major independent evaluation carried out by a national panel of researchers led by Plymouth University, has been launched to help shape the future of revalidation.
Fingolimod in RRMS: Indication of added benefit in certain patients Pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) reassessed fingolimod (trade name: Gilenya), a drug for the treatment of adults with highly active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) had limited its decision on the first assessment from 2012 to three years because it considered the certainty of the data as insufficient. This obliged the drug manufacturer to submit a second dossier.
	Pazopanib improves progression-free survival without impairing HRQOL Results of EORTC trial 62072 appearing in Cancer show that in patients with soft tissue sarcoma, whose disease had progressed during or after prior chemotherapy, pazopanib improved progression-free survival but did not change health-related quality of life. This observed improvement in progression-free survival without impairment of health-related quality of life was considered a meaningful result.
New study again shows: More strokes with intracranial stents The risk of experiencing another stroke is higher if patients, after dilation of their blood vessels in the brain, receive not only clot-inhibiting drugs, but also have stents inserted. The recently published results of the VISSIT study confirm this conclusion of a rapid report by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) of October 2014. Thus, the available studies still provide no evidence of a benefit of treatment with intracranial stents (also called "percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting", PTAS). This is the conclusion of a working paper by IQWiG published on 18 June 2015.
Emotion knowledge fosters attentiveness Young children, who possess a good understanding of their own emotions and of those of their fellow human beings early on, suffer fewer attention problems than their peers with a lower emotional understanding. Evidence of this phenomenon was found through a study of Leuphana University of Lueneburg and George Mason University, USA, under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Maria von Salisch, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Leuphana University of Lueneburg. The study was recently published in the journal Kindheit & Entwicklung (Childhood & Development).
Vaccine for West Nile Virus enters human clinical trials A clinical trial of a new investigational vaccine designed to protect against West Nile Virus infection will be sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The experimental vaccine was discovered and developed by scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland. The scientists were funded with a $7.2 million grant from NIAID, awarded in 2009. The new vaccine is being tested in a Phase 1 clinical trial at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, one of NIAID's Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs).
Restraint and confinement still an everyday practice in mental health settings Providers of mental-health services still rely on intervention techniques such as physical restraint and confinement to control some psychiatric hospital patients, a practice which can cause harm to both patients and care facilities, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo.

Biology news

	'Bee soup' could help understand declines and test remedies It may sound counter-intuitive, but crushing up bees into a 'DNA soup' could help conservationists understand and even reverse their decline - according to University of East Anglia scientists.
	Cellular sentinel prevents cell division when the right machinery is not in place For cell division to be successful, pairs of chromosomes have to line up just right before being swept into their new cells, like the opening of a theater curtain. They accomplish this feat in part thanks to structures called centrioles that provide an anchor for the curtain's ropes. Researchers at Johns Hopkins recently learned that most cells will not divide without centrioles, and they found out why: A protein called p53, already known to prevent cell division for other reasons, also monitors centriole numbers to prevent potentially disastrous cell divisions.
	Study finds nearly a third of the bass population that spawn as females become males Rutgers marine researchers and New Jersey fishermen are piecing together the details of the strange, gender-bending sex lives of black sea bass – a study that could improve understanding of the bass population and help the beleaguered recreational fishing industry.
Editing stem cell genes will "revolutionize" biomedical research Applying a dramatically improved method for "editing" genes to human stem cells, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of neuroscience Su-Chun Zhang has shown a new way to silence genes in stem cells and their progeny at any stage of development.
	Risk of interbreeding due to climate change lower than expected One of the questions raised by climate change has been whether it could cause more species of animals to interbreed. Two species of flying squirrel have already produced mixed offspring because of climate change, and there have been reports of a hybrid polar bear and grizzly bear cub (known as a grolar bear, or a pizzly).
	Study shows grey squirrels are quick learners They may be viewed by some as an invasive species or a commonplace pest of public parks, but a new study from the University of Exeter has shown that grey squirrels are actually quick learners capable of adapting tactics to improve efficiency and reap the best rewards.
	Scientists pinpoint gene for better rice Scientists said Monday they had pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality and yield of rice, a staple starch for billions of people.
	Blacklegged tick populations have expanded via migration, biologists show Lyme disease cases are on the rise, with diagnoses occurring in areas that were historically Lyme-free. Scientists attribute the spread to the fact that populations of blacklegged ticks, which carry the bacteria that causes the disease, now flourish in areas once thought to be devoid of ticks.
Shark's unique trek could help save the species Her name is Jiffy Lube2, a relatively small shortfin mako shark that, like others of her kind, swims long distances every day in search of prey and comfortable water temperatures.
	Roaring success: lions return to Rwanda, with rhinos next? Groggy on their paws after waking from tranquillizers, lions have returned to Rwanda for the first time since the endangered animal was wiped out following the country's 1994 genocide.
	New method could help estimate time of death for a ten-day-old corpse In any murder investigation, one of the most crucial questions is when the victim died. Accurately pinning down the time of death helps forensic teams to track down the whereabouts of their suspects – and whether they had an alibi.
	Can gene editing provide a solution to global hunger? According to the World Food Program, some 795 million people – one in nine people on earth – don't have enough food to lead a healthy active life. That will only get worse with the next global food crisis, predicted to occur within four years by experts at the recent Third International Conference on Global Warming and Food Security.
	A triangular protein pump Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich researchers have elucidated the structure of a molecular machine with an atypical triangular shape that is involved in peroxisome biogenesis, and characterized its conformation in different functional states.
	Fishing catch research pinpoints best assessment method Edith Cowan University researchers are working on tools to improve future fishing management and conservation by developing effective geostatistical methods with which to model the spatial distributions of recreational fishing catch rates.
	Florida pet owners warned about deadly giant toads Florida's rainy season is in full force and pet owners are being cautioned to keep an eye out for toxic toads that can potentially kill dogs and cats.
	Age and fertility in social insects A new research unit coordinated at the University of Freiburg tackles the question of why the otherwise usual trade-off between fecundity and lifespan in multicellular organisms is not present in social insects like bees, ants, or termites. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has agreed to provide 2.2 million euros for the project in three years. The director of the unit is the Freiburg evolutionary biologist Prof. Dr. Judith Korb.
Waiting to harvest after a rain enhances food safety To protect consumers from foodborne illness, produce farmers should wait 24 hours after a rain or irrigating their fields to harvest crops, according to new research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
	Big city life: New leafhopper species found on a threatened grass in New Jersey Andrew Hicks from the Museum of Natural History at the University of Colorado and his team discovered a previously unknown leafhopper species in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, located just east of the megalopolis that extends from New York City to Washington, DC. This was the first time an insect has been reported from the state-listed threatened pinebarren smokegrass, Muhlenbergia torreyana. The study can be found in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
	Study provides new insights into the genetics of drug-resistant fungal infections A study by a multidisciplinary research team, co-directed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), offers new insights into how virulent fungi adapt through genetic modifications to fight back against the effects of medication designed to block their spread, and how that battle leaves them temporarily weakened. These insights may provide clues to new ways to treat notoriously difficult-to-cure fungal infections like thrush and vaginitis.
	Mozambique destroys over two tonnes of ivory, rhino horns Authorities in Mozambique on Monday burned more than 2.6 tonnes of ivory and rhino horns confiscated during various anti-poaching busts, demonstrating a tough stance on wildlife trafficking.

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