Science X Newsletter Thursday, Jul 16

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 16, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Death by Design? Spatial models show that natural selection favors genetically-limited lifespan as a lineal benefit
- Genetic variants associated with major depressive disorder have been identified
- Neurons in rat brains responsible for monitoring speed identified
- New technique to synthesise nanostructured nanowires
- After 85-year search, massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics found
- Non-invasive brain stimulation technique could transform learning
- Birth order has no meaningful effect on personality or IQ, massive study reports
- Scientist develops model for robots with bacteria-controlled brains
- 'Blowing my mind': Peaks on Pluto, canyons on Charon
- The emerging science of human screams
- ISS astronauts dodge flying Russian space debris
- Genetically modified moths pass greenhouse testing, ready for the wild
- Researchers show that the mosquito smells, before it sees, a host
- Clarifying prefrontal neurons' roles in flexible behavior
- Biologists succeed in teaching wild birds to understand a new language

Astronomy & Space news

	'Blowing my mind': Peaks on Pluto, canyons on Charon Mankind's first close-up look at Pluto did not disappoint Wednesday: The pictures showed ice mountains on Pluto about as high as the Rockies and chasms on its big moon Charon that appear six times deeper than the Grand Canyon.
	Astronomers bring a new hope to find 'Tatooine' planets Sibling suns – made famous in the "Star Wars" scene where Luke Skywalker gazes toward a double sunset – and the planets around them may be more common than we've thought, and Cornell astronomers are presenting new ideas on how to find them.
	Study suggests the Red Planet was icy rather than watery billions of years ago The high seas of Mars may never have existed. According to a new study that looks at two opposite climate scenarios of early Mars, a cold and icy planet billions of years ago better explains the water drainage and erosion features seen today.
	ISS astronauts dodge flying Russian space debris Three astronauts living at the International Space Station were forced to scramble to safety after what NASA described as a "close pass" by flying Russian space debris on Thursday.
	From mountains to moons—multiple discoveries from New Horizons Pluto mission Icy mountains on Pluto and a new, crisp view of its largest moon, Charon, are among the several discoveries announced Wednesday by NASA's New Horizons team, just one day after the spacecraft's first ever Pluto flyby.
Boundary conditions between regions on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko In January the first maps of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko were published, identifying 19 geomorphologically distinct regions on its surface. Six months on and much more work has been done on refining the boundaries between these regions. This blog post showcases some of the OSIRIS images acquired from close orbit and presented in a new paper that have enabled an in-depth study of the different regions and their boundaries. This post was prepared with inputs from lead author M. Ramy El-Maarry from the University of Bern, who introduces this post with an inside story on how some of the regional names were chosen:
	A team member's view of all the work on Earth it took to get New Horizons to Pluto Science is hard and good science is harder – it takes persistence and tons of patience. When we began planning a mission to Pluto over 15 years ago, we knew it was going to be, as they say, a long haul. But we also knew it had a huge potential payoff. New Horizons would be the first closeup look at a world that we'd known about only distantly for 70 years. That kind of challenge is hard to pass by. And I didn't.
	ASKAP seeks out hydrogen content in distant galaxies Ten billion years ago galaxies were brimming over with cold hydrogen gas, and stars were forming from this medium at ten times the rate of current galaxies, so what happened?
Football shaped asteroid observed by students at NAIC/NRAO Images of the near-Earth asteroid 2015 HM10 were captured by students and researchers participating in the NAIC/NRAO 8th Single-Dish Radio Astronomy School as it passed by Earth on Wednesday, July 8. The asteroid, coincidentally observable during the biennial school, was 1.14 times the Earth-Moon distance at its closest (about 440,000 km or 270,000 miles), its closest approach to Earth until at least 2178.
Video: MSG-4 launch Full replay of the launch coverage of the MSG-4 satellite, which lifted off on an Ariane launcher from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 21:42 GMT (23:42 CEST) on 15 July 2015.
	Image: Views of Pluto through the years This animation combines various observations of Pluto over the course of several decades. The first frame is a digital zoom-in on Pluto as it appeared upon its discovery by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 (image courtesy Lowell Observatory Archives).
	Catch a fine lunar planetary grouping this weekend Phew! Our eyes and thoughts have been cast so far out into the outer reaches of the solar system following New Horizons and Pluto this week, that we're just now getting to the astronomical action going on in our own backyard.
	ARIEL mission to reveal 'Brave New Worlds' among exoplanets An ambitious European mission is being planned to answer fundamental questions about how planetary systems form and evolve. ARIEL will investigate the atmospheres of several hundred planets orbiting distant stars. It is one of three candidate missions selected last month by the European Space Agency (ESA) for its next medium class science mission, due for launch in 2026. The ARIEL mission concept has been developed by a consortium of more than 50 institutes from 12 countries, including UK, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Portugal. The mission will be presented today at the Pathways 2015 conference in Bern, Switzerland, by ARIEL's Principal Investigator, Prof Giovanna Tinetti of University College London.

Technology news

	Facebook reportedly thinking about a concierge-like service On Tuesday, sites were buzzing with a story from The Information. Its reporter Amir Efrati said on Tuesday that Facebook is prepping a type of assistance as a feature within Facebook Messenger. Efrati said the undertaking is known internally as "Moneypenny," according to those who were briefed on it.
	Exoskeleton keeps up with flow on the streets of New York ReWalk Robotics, is a medical device company which has created ReWalk, an exoskeleton. The company team is focused on exoskeletons that can allow wheelchair-bound people to stand up and walk—not just in the rehab rooms of hospitals and clinics but in the real world of community and home.
	Uber fined $7M for keeping info from California regulators Uber picked up a hefty tab Wednesday when a judge fined the taxi-alternative's California subsidiary $7.3 million for refusing to give state regulators information about its business practices, including when its drivers turn down ride requests and how accessible vehicles are to disabled riders.
	Google adding 'buy' buttons to mobile search ads Google is looking to make it easier for people to shop while using its website, launching a trial run of a feature allowing smartphone users to make online purchases from their search results.
	Membership jumps as Netflix pumps original shows Netflix on Wednesday said that membership jumped 3.3 million last quarter, crediting original shows such as "Orange is the New Black" that have been hits with viewers.
	Review: Apple Music has everything, perhaps too much Apple's new music service is a valiant effort to catch up in the emerging business of offering unlimited music on demand for a monthly price. It does so while acknowledging the legacy of iTunes, the world's most popular store for buying individual songs to own.
	Netflix delivers strong 2Q with 3.3 million more customers Netflix's second-quarter performance followed a familiar script of accelerating subscriber growth that has turned the Internet video service into a stock market sensation.
Free broadband for five NYC housing developments The city is poised to begin providing free Internet broadband access to more than 16,000 residents of its sprawling public housing system.
	Netflix supports Charter acquisition of Time Warner Cable Netflix, a vocal opponent of Comcast's failed bid for Time Warner Cable, supports Charter's quest to do the same in a deal that would create another cable giant.
	Shoppers disappointed in much-hyped 'Prime Day' sales Amazon aimed for Christmas in July with its much-hyped "Prime Day" sale. But some shoppers found a lump of coal instead.
	Solar plane pilots: Rapid climb, descent stressed batteries (Update) The pilots of a grounded solar-powered airplane say they put too much stress on the batteries of their aircraft as they were leaving Japan for a five-day record-breaking flight to Hawaii.
	TSMC Q2 profit growth slows on weaker sales Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said Thursday its second quarter profit growth slowed to 33 percent year-on-year as sales fell for the second consecutive period on weaker smartphone demand in China and other emerging markets.
	Opinion: Using Flash is like leaving your home doors open and sending invites to criminals `It is a year since I last wrote about Adobe Flash and why everyone should stop using it. Since then, the leaks from the hack of the mass surveillance company HackingTeam have revealed three serious bugs (called zero-day) bugs) in Flash that they were exploiting to take over victims' machines. It is likely that more Flash vulnerabilities will be revealed as security researchers work through the documents the hackers removed from the HackingTeam.
	Secure PIN transactions with photons Criminals are very inventive when it comes to hacking payment terminals, bank cards, IDs or credit cards. Unfortunately for these malefactors, however, researchers at the University of Twente from research Institute MESA+ have now devised a solution that provides better protection to banks, businesses and consumers. UT awards researcher Bas Goorden a PhD for his work on developing a method to equip bank cards with secure 'keys' that are impossible to duplicate. He achieved this by cleverly combining the scattering of light with the quantum properties of photons. This UT research project was conducted in cooperation with Eindhoven University of Technology. It is in line with UT's Vision2020 strategy, which includes Safety and Security as a key area of scientific endeavour.
	EU opens anti-trust probe into Qualcomm The EU launched an anti-competition probe Thursday into US computer chip giant Qualcomm, the latest of a series of investigations into top American companies.
Airbus CEO talks about emissions, innovation and more These are heady times for the commercial-aircraft business at Airbus and Boeing, as airlines place huge orders for new planes.
Italian surveillance firm's breach puts spies in hot seat (Update) A dramatic breach at an Italian surveillance company has laid bare the details of government cyberattacks worldwide, putting intelligence chiefs in the hot seat from Cyprus to South Korea. The massive leak has already led to one spymaster's resignation—and pulled back the curtain on espionage in the iPhone age.
US seeks extradition of British man charged with hacking A British man accused of hacking into U.S. government computer networks and stealing sensitive and confidential information was arrested in England on Wednesday, and U.S. prosecutors said they will attempt to have him brought to New Jersey.
	EBay, PayPal outline plans for after split When eBay and PayPal split up on Friday, they'll face different challenges than they did as a combined company.
	Glance: Amazon's 20 bets in 20 years Amazon turns 20 on Thursday. Here's a timeline of 20 investment bets Amazon made in the past 20 years:
	As Amazon turns 20, a look at its biggest bets Amazon has come a long way from selling books out of a Seattle garage.
United pays miles to hackers who spotted IT-system flaws Two hackers have scored a million frequent-flier miles each on United Airlines for finding security holes in the airline's computer systems.
	Virtual reality star Oculus buys hand-tracking startup Virtual reality star Oculus on Thursday announced a deal to buy an Israel-based startup specializing in technology that can track hand movements.
Google's 2Q signals new era of austerity with new CFO After years of big spending on risky projects that CEO Larry Page proudly hails as "moonshots," Google may be launching into a new orbit of financial discipline.
	Atomic bomb test marks 70th birthday amid renewed interest When a flash of light beamed from the arid New Mexico desert early on July 16, 1945, residents of the historic Hispanic village of Tularosa felt windows shake and heard dishes fall. Some in the largely Catholic town fell to their knees and prayed.
	Vote pits Samsung family against foreign, Korean investors A vote on combining companies in the Samsung empire is pitting its wealthy founding family against small shareholders and foreign investors in a rare challenge to the power of South Korea's ubiquitous business conglomerates.
	Image: X-ray tomography machine The engineers of ESA's Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory – tasked with studying candidate parts for space missions – have an armoury of specialist equipment to turn to, including one very heavy piece of kit.
	New air recovery system could save poultry farmers millions annually One of the largest variable expenses in poultry production is heating the barns in which chickens and turkeys are housed. Now, a team of researchers and engineers from the University of Missouri have developed a waste-heat recovery system that could lead to significant savings in propane costs for farmers and producers heating their poultry barns. Scientists believe the energy efficient ventilation system also could be critical to maintaining air quality for birds and keeping the birds healthier while reducing the need for antibiotics.
Government initiative needed to boost electric vehicle use Canadians want electric vehicles but governments need to help support the market, according to a team of Simon Fraser University researchers. The team has found more than one third of Canadian buyers want an electric vehicle—particularly a plug-in hybrid like the Chevrolet Volt. However, less than one per cent of vehicle sales in Canada are electric because of low consumer awareness and limited vehicle choice. The researchers hope that policymakers and politicians will take note of their two recent studies, as discussions on climate change ramp up locally and globally.
EBay sells Enterprise unit, tops profit expectations EBay sold its Enterprise business for $925 million and topped Wall Street expectations for its second-quarter earnings as the online retailer prepares to spin off PayPal.
	'Streaming sucks,' Neil Young says Folk rock icon Neil Young has vowed to pull his music off streaming sites, complaining that even old cassettes had better sound than the online platforms.
In Tech: Comcast games, Microsoft music, HBO online Comcast is adding another hook to try to keep customers in front of the TV: video games in its set-top boxes.

Medicine & Health news

	Non-invasive brain stimulation technique could transform learning Researchers have discovered a new technique to enhance brain excitability that could improve physical performance in healthy individuals such as athletes and musicians.
	Genetic variants associated with major depressive disorder have been identified (Medical Xpress)—A very large team of researchers made up mostly of members in China and calling itself the CONVERGE consortium, has identified two genetic variants that appear to be associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team explains how they conducted their research, the results they found, and what their findings might mean for treating people with the disorder. Patrick Sullivan, with the University of North Carolina offers a News & Views piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue.
	Neurons in rat brains responsible for monitoring speed identified (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers working at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has isolated the neurons in the rat brain that are responsible for monitoring speed as rats run, walk or stop moving around. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes how they found the neurons and what it might mean for other mammalian brains.
	Birth order has no meaningful effect on personality or IQ, massive study reports For those who believe that birth order influences traits like personality and intelligence, a study of 377,000 high school students offers some good news: Yes, the study found, first-borns do have higher IQs and consistently different personality traits than those born later in the family chronology. However, researchers say, the differences between first-borns and "later-borns" are so small that they have no practical relevance to people's lives.
	Scientists find mechanism for altered pattern of brain growth in autism spectrum disorder As early as 1943, when autism was first described by psychiatrist Leo Kanner, reports were made that some, but not all, children with autism spectrum disorder have relatively enlarged heads. But even today, more than half a century later, the exact cause of this early abnormal growth of the head and brain has remained unclear.
	Can protein 14-3-3 sigma prevent or kill breast cancer tumors? Every parent knows the maxim "feed a cold, starve a fever." In cancer, however, exactly how to feed or starve a tumor has not been easy to determine.
	Observing brain network dynamics to diagnose Alzheimer's disease Various types of information can be ascertained by the way blood flows through the brain. When a region of the brain has been activated, blood flow increases and oxygenation rises. By observing variations in blood flow with the help of non-invasive imaging, it is possible to determine which regions are at work at a given point in time and how they work together.
Researchers develop scar-like culture systems to understand and treat fibrosis A scar might be a reminder of an accident or surgery, but the fibrous tissue that makes up a scar also forms after a heart attack and arises in solid tumors as well as in chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis and muscular dystrophy. Implanted medical devices and materials are similarly surrounded by fibrous capsules that impede their function.
	New findings hint toward reversing hearing loss Unlike birds and amphibians, mammals can't recover lost hearing. In people, the cells of the inner ear responsible for detecting sound and transmitting those signals to the brain form during early stages of development and can't be replaced if lost due to illness, injury or aging.
	Study explains how output of single neurons can predict behavior on perceptual tests By analyzing the signals of individual neurons in animals undergoing behavioral tests, neuroscientists at Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Geneva and the University of Rochester have deciphered the code the brain uses to make the most of its inherently "noisy" neuronal circuits.
	Making 'miniature brains' from skin cells to better understand autism A larger head size—or macrocephaly—is seen in many children with severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A new stem cell study of these children by Yale School of Medicine researchers could help predict ASD and may lead to new drug targets for autism treatment.
	Device delivers drugs to brain via remote control A team of researchers has developed a wireless device the width of a human hair that can be implanted in the brain and activated by remote control to deliver drugs.
	Surprise—subtle distractors may divert action more than overt ones What should have been a straightforward psychology experiment at Brown University instead threw researchers a curve: When subjects performed the simple action of reaching toward a target on a computer screen, the trajectory of their hand would bend significantly more toward a visual object expected to be a minor distraction on the screen than toward a more significant visual distraction.
	Bilinguals of two spoken languages have more gray matter than monolinguals A new study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex suggests people who speak two languages have more gray matter in the executive control region of the brain.
	Cell division speeds up as part of antibody selection, study shows It's a basic principle of immunology: When a germ invades, the body adapts to that particular target and destroys it. But much remains unknown about how the immune system refines its defensive proteins, called antibodies, to most effectively zero in on that invader. Experiments at The Rockefeller University offer new insight into the details of this selection process.
	Clarifying prefrontal neurons' roles in flexible behavior Results of a new study reported this week by David Moorman of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Gary Aston-Jones of Rutgers University suggest that adjusting behavior based on previous events involves an unexpected mix of neurons working together in the brain's prefrontal cortex.
	Brain training may help avoid civilian casualties Although firing a gun seems like one action, it is made up of many smaller decisions and movements that require coordination between multiple brain areas.
	Research finds ovarian hormones play genes like a fiddle A complex relationship between genes, hormones and social factors can lead to eating disorders in women. Kelly Klump, Michigan State University eating disorder expert, has made monumental strides in deciphering how these factors interact. In her latest discovery, she has found that during the menstrual cycle, ovarian hormones act like a master conductor - they turn genetic risk on and off in the body.
	'Housing First' can reduce alcohol problems for homeless people with mental illness A "Housing First" approach, where homeless people with mental illness are provided with a place to live without preconditions such as sobriety or seeing a psychiatrist, coupled with intensive case management, helps to reduce alcohol-related problems, a new study has found.
Researchers stimulate human amygdala to gain key insight into SUDEP Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is becoming increasingly recognized as a very real and devastating problem in which impaired breathing is thought to play a critical role. Researchers believe breathing may be impaired during and after seizures, without the patient's knowledge.
	Large-scale trial will assess effectiveness of teaching mindfulness in UK schools The three-part study includes the first large randomised control trial of mindfulness training compared with 'teaching as usual' in 76 schools, which will involve nearly six thousand students aged 11 to 14. Other parts of the study are a programme of experimental research to establish whether and how mindfulness improves the mental resilience of teenagers, and an evaluation of the most effective way to train teachers to deliver mindfulness classes to students.
	Study shows high-risk areas for Lyme disease growing The geographic areas where Lyme disease is a bigger danger have grown dramatically, according to a new government study published Wednesday
Ebola survivor likely source of new Liberian outbreak: WHO A resurgence of Ebola in Liberia is likely to have originated in a survivor still carrying the virus, scientists said Wednesday as the country announced a second death in the new outbreak.
Sunburn tattoos both trendy, dangerous They may look neat, but the dangers of sunburn tattoos far outweigh the coolness factor.
	Iron deficiency in children resolved by biofortified pearl millet Anemia affects more than 1.6 billion people worldwide, and iron deficiency is the leading cause of the condition. Pearl millet bred with 2 to 4 times more iron than conventional varieties could offer a novel solution, according to a Cornell-led study testing the new grain's efficacy.
	Immune cells in lung cancer offer new drug targets Lung cancers attract circulating immune cells to the tumor mass, where the cancer reprograms them to support its growth and progression, researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College have found.
Public appetite for healthier vending machines Health conscious Australians are hungry for more nutritious options in fast food vending machines according to new research by the University of Sydney and University of Wollongong.
	Researchers use egg yolks to create supplement that could improve lives of people with celiac disease University of Alberta researchers may have found a way to help people with celiac disease enjoy the wide variety of foods they normally have to shun.
Researchers find gene that causes progeroid and lipodystrophy syndrome Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) have identified a genetic mutation associated with the appearance of premature aging and severe loss of body fat in children.
	New study shows that mirrors are central to most people's experiences of body dysmorphic disorder Academics at City University London have found that mirrors are central to most people's experiences of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), with participants often describing feeling trapped by mirrors and the negative feelings associated with them.
	Star Trek-style skin-healing technology could be the end of chronic wounds The ability to quickly heal wounds is among the most appealing of all technologies imagined by science fiction. Perhaps most famously, doctors in Star Trek are able to patch up cuts and burns by instantly regenerating their patients' skin using a kind of medical ray gun. The injured crew of the Enterprise can return to action almost immediately instead of spending months recovering.
	"Don't talk about golf"—how caddies help elite golfers stay in the zone The support offered by caddies can help elite golfers stay 'in the zone' even under the pressure of major championships, new research has revealed.
	Scientists discover potential treatment for Parkinson's disease Scientists from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) and McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the United States have found that existing anti-malaria drugs could be a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease.
Eating habits most important in weight gain in children Some children gain weight faster than others. Eating habits seem to have far more to say than physical activity, research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology suggests.
	The odds of recurrence of breast cancer in individual patients Scientists of UT research institute MIRA have developed a system that maps out the odds of recurrence of breast cancer in individual patients. On the basis of information about the patient, the original tumour and the treatment used, they can accurately predict the odds of recurrence of breast cancer per year. The research has been published in the scientific journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. On this website, doctors can, together with the patient, easily calculate the odds of recurrence of the disease.
	Improving treatment for systemic amyloidosis A potential new approach to treat systemic amyloidosis, invented at UCL and being developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), marks the start of a successful and innovative academic-industry collaboration.
	Researchers discover surprising link between chronic stress and preterm birth Like most health professionals, David Olson has known for some time of the dangers posed by excessive stress. His latest research, though, is giving surprising new insight into how chronic stress in childhood can have an impact years after it occurred in women giving birth.
	No bones about it: Cannabis may be used to treat fractures Cannabis—marijuana, hashish—was used as a go-to medical remedy by societies around the world for centuries. But the therapeutic use of marijuana was banned in most countries in the 1930s and '40s due to a growing awareness of the dangers of addiction. The significant medical benefits of marijuana in alleviating symptoms of such diseases as Parkinson's, cancer, and multiple sclerosis have only recently been reinvestigated.
	Magnetic pulses to the brain deliver long-lasting relief for tinnitus patients In the largest U.S. clinical trial of its kind funded by the Veterans Affairs (VA) Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, researchers at the VA Portland Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University found that transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly improved tinnitus symptoms for more than half of study participants. Their findings were published today in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery.
Increased radiation offers no survival benefit for patients with low-risk prostate cancer Increased radiation dose is associated with higher survival rates in men with medium- and high-risk prostate cancer, but not men with low-risk prostate cancer, according to a new study from Penn Medicine published this week in JAMA Oncology. Already-high survival rates for men with low-risk prostate cancer were unaffected by higher radiation dosages compared to lower radiation dosages.
Exercising 300 minutes per week better for reducing total fat in postmenopausal women Postmenopausal women who exercised 300 minutes per week were better at reducing total fat and other adiposity measures, especially obese women, during a one-year clinical trial, a noteworthy finding because body fat has been associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, according to an article published online by JAMA Oncology.
	New finding on the formation of fat tissue in man While all red and white blood cells derive from stem cells in the bone marrow, the scientific community has been divided over whether bone marrow cells are also able to produce other cell types. In the present study, the researches wanted to ascertain whether cells from the bone marrow could develop into fat cells; the problem is, however, that no experimental method is available for determining the origins of these cells in humans.
	Scientists solve breast and ovarian cancer genetic mystery Francis Crick Institute scientists, funded by Cancer Research UK, have solved a decades-old mystery and helped to unravel the genetic cause of some breast and ovarian cancers, according to new research published in the journal Cell.
	Orchestrating hair cell regeneration: A supporting player's close-up The older we get, the less likely we are to hear well, as our inner ear sensory hair cells succumb to age or injury. Intriguingly, humans are one-upped by fish here. Similar hair cells in a fish sensory system that dots their bodies and forms the lateral line, by which they discern water movement, are readily regenerated if damage or death occurs.
	Taxing the dose of calories in sugary drinks could help reduce obesity A tax on sugary drinks that depends on the number of calories or amount of sugar per liter could help fight obesity, suggests new research published in Social Science & Medicine. While a few countries are already trialing a tax on sugary drinks, taxing the dose would encourage drinks companies to offer low-calorie alternatives.
Common mental health drug could be used to treat arthritis The research carried out at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in collaboration with scientists at the University of Otago in New Zealand, tested the effects of lithium chloride on cartilage and found that it slowed the degradation associated with osteoarthritis.
	Resveratrol, quercetin could provide new options for cancer therapy Resveratrol and quercetin, two polyphenols that have been widely studied for their health properties, may soon become the basis of an important new advance in cancer treatment, primarily by improving the efficacy and potential use of an existing chemotherapeutic cancer drug.
Breakthrough finding brings cure for flesh-eating skin disease one step closer Breakthrough finding brings cure for flesh-eating skin disease one step closer
	Repeat infection with malaria parasites might make mosquitoes more dangerous In malaria-endemic regions, humans are often infected repeatedly with the Plasmodium parasite, and the consequences of such multiple infections are under intense study. In contrast, little is known about possible co-infection and its consequences in the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit the disease. A study published on July 16th in PLOS Pathogens reports that not only can individual mosquitoes accumulate infections from multiple blood feeds, but also that an existing malaria infection makes mosquitoes more susceptible to a second infection, and that infections reach higher densities when another strain is already present.
	Revolutionizing the revolutionary technology of optogenetics The revolution that optogenetics technology has brought to biology—neuroscience in particular—could be transformed all over again if a new project getting underway at Brown University and Central Michigan University (CMU) is successful.
Sitting time not associated with poorer diets in US adults Previously identified associations between TV viewing and a less healthful diet may stem from exposure to advertisements of high calorie foods and 'distracted eating' rather than the activity of sitting itself, although sitting time remains an independent risk factor requiring public health focus. These findings are according to a new study by American Cancer Society investigators conducted in collaboration with the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition and the University of Texas School of Public Health. For their study, published in Preventive Medicine, researchers examined sedentary time based on data using an objective measure (accelerometers), and found that sedentary time was not linked to poorer diets among US adults.
	Is this restaurant making me fat? Is your favorite restaurant making you fat? New research findings identify an effective tool for measuring how well a restaurant is at helping diners make healthy choices. The Restaurant Scorecard for Healthier Dining, developed by Cornell Food and Brand Lab researchers— Brian Wansink, Gnel Gabrielyan, and Steven A. Wendel— can be used by diners and restaurant managers alike to identify changes that can be made to promote healthy eating behaviors without undermining revenue.
	Iron regulators join war on pathogens Proteins responsible for controlling levels of iron in the body also play an important role in combatting infection, according to a study published today in Cell Host & Microbe.
	Many mobile health apps neglect needs of blind users More Americans are using mobile devices and other technologies to track some aspect of their health at home, from diet and exercise to sleep patterns to bloodwork.
	Lipid enzyme heightens insulin sensitivity, potential therapy to treat Type 2 diabetes Reducing high concentrations of a fatty molecule that is commonly found in people with diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease rapidly improves insulin sensitivity, UT Southwestern Medical Center diabetes researchers have found.
	Virtual research studies feasible A new pilot study in Parkinson's disease suggests a new era of clinical research which removes the barrier of distance for both scientists and volunteers. The research, which appears in the journal Digital Health, could also enable researchers to leverage the rapid growth in personal genetic testing to better diagnose, and potentially treat, a wide range of diseases.
Innovative P.E. curriculum triples the rate at which students pass a state physical fitness test A physical education program that brings commercial-grade fitness equipment to under-resourced schools, along with a curriculum based on boosting confidence and making participation more enjoyable, dramatically increases students' performance on California's standardized physical fitness test, a UCLA study has found.
	Midlife high blood pressure may negatively impact the brain years later Having high blood pressure in your 50's may impact your ability to keep track or plan ahead in your 80's.
Lower risk treatment for blood clots 'empowers' patients, improves care Potentially fatal blood clots account for thousands of emergency room visits each year and often those patients are admitted to the hospital, treated with an injectable anticoagulant and monitored for a few days. In companion studies published July 15 in Academic Emergency Medicine, an alternative approach was found to be more effective, less costly and allowed patients to go home the same day.
Study IDs traits of those who screen positive for dementia but refuse diagnostic testing Two thirds of individuals 65 and older who screened positive for cognitive impairment refused subsequent evaluation according to the first study of its kind to examine older adults' willingness to undergo diagnostic assessment. The Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Regenstrief Institute and Eskenazi Health study of approximately 500 older adults found that individuals living alone were the least likely to agree to diagnostic assessment following a positive screening test for dementia.
	Why bad genes don't always lead to bad diseases That two people with the same disease-causing mutation do not get sick to the same extent has been puzzling scientists for decades. Now Professor Andy Fraser and his team have uncovered a key part of what makes every patient different.
Child paralysis outbreak: UVA identifies potential cause A mysterious outbreak of child paralysis cases previously linked to enterovirus D68 may instead have another cause, doctors at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital are cautioning after determining that a stricken child appeared to be suffering from a different virus.
Burden of dengue, chikungunya in India far worse than understood New Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research finds new evidence that an extremely high number of people in southern India are exposed to two mosquito-borne viruses—dengue and chikungunya.
How can you plan for events that are unlikely, hard to predict and highly disruptive The Ebola epidemic and resulting international public health emergency is referred to as a "Black Swan" event in medical circles because of its unpredictable and impactful nature. However, a paper in the June 30 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, a leading journal in the field of infectious diseases, suggests that the response of the Chicago Ebola Response Network (CERN) in 2014-2015 has laid a foundation and a roadmap for how a regional public health network can anticipate, manage and prevent the next Black Swan public health event.
	Aspirin use common among Americans with heart trouble (HealthDay)—About seven in 10 Americans who've had heart disease or a stroke regularly take aspirin, U.S. health officials report.
	Consumer reports takes liquid detergent pods off 'recommended' list (HealthDay)— Consumer Reports said Thursday that it has removed liquid laundry pods from its "recommended" list because of the dangers they pose to small children.
	New dumb-but-deadly trend: Sunburn 'art' (HealthDay)—Sunburns are painful and potentially cancer-causing, but that hasn't stopped them from becoming an increasingly popular means of artistic expression.
	Many young women taking up 'very light' smoking, study finds (HealthDay)—While overall smoking rates are falling in the United States, a new study points to one exception: Young women who often opt for "very light" smoking.
	Failed communication associated with readmission (HealthDay)—Failed communication attempts are associated with readmission among Medicare beneficiaries with congestive heart failure, although the correlation is no longer significant after adjustment for other variables, according to a study published online June 26 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy best at 90 pulses/min (HealthDay)—For ureteral stones, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy delivered at a shock wave delivery rate of 90 pulses per minute is associated with excellent outcomes, according to a study published in the August issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Early healthy eating intervention in pregnancy helps obese women (HealthDay)—A healthy eating (HE) intervention is associated with lower gestational weight gain (GWG) and fasting glucose than a physical activity (PA) intervention, according to a study published online June 25 in Diabetes Care.
	Choosing Wisely: how to implement in clinical practice (HealthDay)—Strategies should be adopted to help with implementation of the Choosing Wisely program, which was designed to address the problem of medical overuse, according to an article published in the July/August issue of Family Practice Management.
	Genetic markers linking risk for type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's identified Certain patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may have specific genetic risk factors that put them at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published recently in Molecular Aspects of Medicine.
	Personalized care for aortic aneurysms, based on gene testing, has arrived Researchers at the Aortic Institute at Yale have tested the genomes of more than 100 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms, a potentially lethal condition, and provided genetically personalized care. Their work will also lead to the development of a "dictionary" of genes specific to the disease, according to researchers.
Low chance of recovering normal body weight highlights need for obesity prevention The chance of an obese person attaining normal body weight is 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women, increasing to 1 in 1,290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with severe obesity, according to a study of UK health records led by King's College London. The findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health, suggest that current weight management programmes focused on dieting and exercise are not effective in tackling obesity at population level.
	Study: Health-care providers hold biases based on sexual orientation In the first study that looks at a variety of healthcare providers and their implicit attitudes towards lesbian women and gay men, researchers found there is widespread implicit bias toward lesbian women and gay men.
	Study finds that a protein that helps suppress cancer fades as we age Researchers at UCLA have found that a protein that serves as a suppressor of cancer diminishes in skin and mouth epithelial cells as the human body ages.
Outcomes comparable for in-person and in-home telerehabilitation following total knee replacement surgery Patients who received rehabilitation instructions via video teleconference, or "telerehabilitation," following total knee replacement (TKR) surgery had comparable outcomes to patients who received in-person physical therapy, according to a study appearing in the July 15 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS).
Clinical pathway uncovers obstructive sleep apnea in hospitalized patients Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) remains under-recognized in hospitalized patients, despite being associated with cardiovascular complications and sudden death. A multi-disciplinary group of researchers and physicians at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospitals have created a clinical pathway, or screening process, to identify the disorder in higher-risk, hospitalized patients and recently published the results in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
Research finds diversifying your diet may make your gut healthier A loss of dietary diversity during the past 50 years could be a contributing factor to the rise in obesity, Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal problems and other diseases, according to a lecture by Mark Heiman, vice president and chief scientific officer at MicroBiome Therapeutics, at IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in Chicago.
Greece bans export of dozens of medicines to avert shortage Greece's drug agency EOF on Wednesday announced a temporary ban on the export of dozens of pharmaceuticals to the EU and other countries to avert a possible shortage caused by capital controls.
	Pot-pioneering Colorado rejects marijuana as PTSD treatment Colorado is known for pushing boundaries on marijuana, but health officials' decision to reject pot as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder shows the issue is far from settled.
Potential target pathway may pave the way for new therapeutic approaches for fragile X syndrome and autism Scientists at VIB and KU Leuven have discovered that the protein APP plays a significant role in the development of fragile X syndrome (FXS) at young stages. They identified an unexpected biological pathway as a promising target to ameliorate deficits associated with FXS and autism. The results have recently been published in Neuron, one of the most influential journals in the field of neuroscience.
Opinion: The ACA is here to stay, but that doesn't mean the fight for health care reform is over One of the biggest cases the Supreme Court decided this term upheld a key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The King v Burwell ruling averted the possibility that Obamacare would be torpedoed by restrictions on insurance subsidies in states that had not established their own health insurance exchange.
Beginning of a better understanding of ageing The EU-funded ATHLOS Project aims to achieve a better understanding of ageing by identifying patterns of healthy ageing trajectories, the determinants of those patterns, the critical points in time when changes in trajectories are produced, and to propose timely clinical and public health interventions to optimise healthy ageing.
First made-in-Singapore cancer drug enters clinical testing A made-in-Singapore cancer drug has advanced into clinical trials, charting a milestone in Singapore's biomedical sciences initiative that will go towards improving the lives of cancer patients in Singapore, and worldwide. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) today announced the start of a Phase I clinical trial of novel cancer drug candidate, ETC-159. This is the first publicly-funded drug candidate discovered and developed in Singapore to advance into first-in-human trials, and will target a range of cancers. Overall, cancer is the leading cause of death in Singapore, accounting for 30 percent of deaths in 2013. Cancer has also resulted in 8.2 million deaths world-wide .
Club membership in teens linked to lower mortality in older age Did you belong to community, sports, or other clubs in your teens? If so, you might be more likely to survive into your late seventies, suggests a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
Healthcare workers are not removing protective garments correctly Fewer than one in six (4/30) healthcare workers (HCW) followed all CDC recommendations for the removal of personal protective equipment (PPE) after patient care, according to a brief report published in the July issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
WHO says the international community must do more to take action against rabies A new report from the World Health Organisation urges the global community to accelerate action against rabies and other neglected zoonotic diseases.
Ghana bans sale, movement of live poultry to stop bird flu spread Ghana has banned the sale and transport of live poultry after the H5N1 virus killed thousands of birds, while there has been no record of human infection, the ministry of agriculture has said.
Novel leg prosthesis approved (HealthDay)—A prosthesis for people with above-the-knee amputations who cannot use a conventional device has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Health researchers far behind industry using automation, leaves critical research unfunded The National Institutes of Health, the largest funder of science research, has experienced funding cuts even as the number of scientists has grown significantly. University laboratories are closing, faculty positions are being cut, and less life- saving research is being conducted. Perhaps even more damaging, researchers are spending considerably more time writing grants, and much less time actually doing research. A paper by Peter Muennig, MD, MPH, associate professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, notes that more efficient means of conducting research will be needed if scientific progress is to continue. Findings will be published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

Biology news

	Scientist develops model for robots with bacteria-controlled brains Forget the Vulcan mind-meld of the Star Trek generation—as far as mind control techniques go, bacteria is the next frontier.
	Age doesn't dull damselfly sex Aging damselflies never lose their libidos and are just as likely as younger competitors to mate.
	Evolutionary trees reveal patterns of microbial diversification While teaching a class on coarse-graining methods in physics, James O'Dwyer realized that the technique could be used to understand how microbes evolve over time. The results, published in PNAS, reveal microbial family trees with distinct evolutionary patterns that may one day help us understand how harmful microbes evolve.
	A lion tale: Humans cause most mountain lion deaths in Southern California The biggest threat to Southern California mountain lions is us, confirms a comprehensive 13-year study of the population's mortality and survival from the University of California, Davis.
	Tracing the evolution of a drug-resistant pathogen To fight a pathogen that's highly resistant to antibiotics, first understand how it gets that way.
	Scientists hijack light-loving bacteria to produce fatty acid Scientists have directed a common bacterium to produce more of a valuable fatty acid, lauric acid, than it typically does. The achievement is noteworthy not simply because of the increased production of fatty acid, which can be a useful component of biofuels. The work opens the door for scientists to manipulate such organisms to produce compounds useful as fuels or medicines.
	New discovery sheds light on research tool Microwave ovens, penicillin and Velcro are examples of scientific discoveries made by accident. Now, Cornell researchers announce another accidental discovery: When a green fluorescent protein (GFP) is exposed to specific wavelengths of laser light, it turns red.
	Yeast key to understanding cell division A team of scientists has discovered that a protein in common baker's yeast helps control cell division – findings that may have implications for understanding diseases such as cancer. A protein called Yih1, for Yeast Homologue of the mammalian protein IMPACT, was studied by researchers from Massey University, Brazil's Universidade Federal de São Paulo and Upstate Medical University in New York, who found it plays a role in cell division.
	Genetically modified moths pass greenhouse testing, ready for the wild (Phys.org)—A team of researchers at British company Oxitec has developed a genetic approach to controlling diamondback moth caterpillars and report that trials in greenhouse conditions has gone so well that they are ready to conduct tests in the wild. In their paper published in the journal BMC Biology, the team describes their technique, how it works, how safe they believe it is and their hopes that their efforts will lead to reduced crop destruction by the caterpillars
	Researchers show that the mosquito smells, before it sees, a host The itchy marks left by the punctured bite of a mosquito are more than pesky, unwelcomed mementos of a day at the lake.
	The emerging science of human screams Our noisy world is no match for a screaming infant. An airplane could be flying by as a house party rages on downstairs while a literal cat fight takes place outside, and still a wailing baby will win your attention. One possible explanation, published July 16 in the journal Current Biology, is that human screams possess a unique acoustic property found to activate not just the auditory brain but also the brain's fear circuitry.
	Biologists succeed in teaching wild birds to understand a new language Biologists have succeeded in teaching wild birds to understand a new language.
	Unearthing cornerstones in root microbiomes Like the tip of an iceberg, a plant sprouting from the soil barely hints at what lies beneath. At the nexus where roots and soil intersect are thriving microbial communities that play important roles in plant health and growth. Understanding how plant yields can be optimized, in part by optimizing their microbial partners, is of fundamental interest to farmers and crop breeders working on developing sustainable crops for the production of food and advanced fuels from plant biomass amidst the pressure exerted by an ever-increasing global population.
	Polar bears experience limited energy savings in summer, new study finds Polar bears are unlikely to physiologically compensate for extended food deprivation associated with the ongoing loss of sea ice, according to one-of-its-kind research conducted by University of Wyoming scientists and others, and published today in the journal Science.
	Oskar's structure revealed The structure of two parts of the Oskar protein, known to be essential for the development of reproductive cells, has been solved by scientists from EMBL Heidelberg.
	Unprecedented worldwide biodiversity study Humans depend on high levels of ecosystem biodiversity, but due to climate change and changes in land use, biodiversity loss is now greater than at any time in human history. Five University of Alberta researchers, including students, participated in a leading global initiative to determine whether there are widespread and consistent patterns in plant biodiversity.
	New jellyfish named after curious Australian schoolboy An Australian schoolboy who discovered a new species of jellyfish in a Queensland canal has had the tentacled creature named in his honour, scientists said.
Better DNA hair analysis for catching criminals A simple, lower-cost new method for DNA profiling of human hairs developed by the University of Adelaide should improve opportunities to link criminals to serious crimes.
	Certain shark mums favour travel while others stay at home Reef sharks at Ningaloo are largely home bodies but female blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus), might be swimming long distances to give birth in food-rich waters, research suggests.
	Brakes and hairs from a maiden: The Pteridaceae fern family diversity in Togo A research team from the University of Lomé in Togo provide the first local scientific information on Togolese fern flora. They explored the largest family of the lower vascular plants in the country, Pteridaceae, and identified 17 species, including one recorded for the first time in the small African country. The scientists also present an identification key for the species. Their study can be found in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal.
	Burrowers playing leapfrog? A new extraordinary diamond frog from Madagascar Meet the long-legged diamond frog, Rhombophryne longicrus, the newest species to increase the count of Madagascan amphibians once again. Like the rest of the diamond frogs, it is small and brown, but it is also very different.
	Giant pandas turn 2 at Zoo Atlanta; only living twins in US The only surviving giant panda twins ever born in the U.S. are celebrating their second birthday.
	Hong Kong ivory trade 'major threat' to elephant survival: report Hong Kong's booming ivory market is helping push elephants towards extinction, conservationists said Thursday, reporting more ivory items on sale there than in any other city.

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