Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Jul 14

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 14, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Solar battery receives 20% of its energy from the sun
- Researchers provide evidence for a non-enzymatic pathway to produce paracaseolide A
- Curiosity finds rocks that might point to a continental crust on Mars
- Human hand more primitive than chimp's, study says
- Rsu1 gene linked to regulation of alcohol consumption
- Researchers identify zebra-like stripes of plasma in a patch of space
- NASA spacecraft whizzes by Pluto in historic flyby (Update)
- Advanced composites may borrow designs from deep-sea shrimp
- CERN's LHCb experiment reports observation of exotic pentaquark particles
- Nanospheres shield chemo drugs, safely release high doses in response to tumor secretions
- Gut microbes enable coffee pest to withstand extremely toxic concentrations of caffeine
- Key protein controls nutrient availability in mammals
- Could dissolvable microneedles replace injected vaccines?
- Environment, not distance, triggers genetic differences in 'sky island' birds
- Wildfire season spreading

Astronomy & Space news

	NASA spacecraft whizzes by Pluto in historic flyby (Update) An unmanned NASA spacecraft whizzed by Pluto on Tuesday, making its closest approach in the climax of a decade-long journey to explore the dwarf planet for the first time, the US space agency said.
	Curiosity finds rocks that might point to a continental crust on Mars (Phys.org)—A team of researchers from the U.S., France and the U.K. is reporting that data sent back by the Mars rover Curiosity suggests that the Red Planet may have once had a continental crust similar to that found back here on planet Earth. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the team describes their analysis of data describing 20 rocks that had been probed by the rover, and why their findings suggest a different history for the planet than has been thought.
	Researchers identify zebra-like stripes of plasma in a patch of space Since the early 1970s, orbiting satellites have picked up on noise-like plasma waves very close to the Earth's magnetic field equator. This "equatorial noise," as it was then named, seemed to be an unruly mess of electric and magnetic fields oscillating at different frequencies in the form of plasma waves.
	Astronomy summer school radar observations shine new light on near-earth asteroid A team of scientists participating in a radio astronomy summer school had the unexpected opportunity to observe a recently discovered near-Earth asteroid as it zipped past our planet on July 7. The observations were made using the combined power of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia and a radar transmitter at NASA's Deep Space Network in Goldstone, California.
	A dark matter bridge in our cosmic neighborhood By using the best available data to monitor galactic traffic in our neighborhood, Noam Libeskind from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) and his collaborators have built a detailed map of how nearby galaxies move. In it they have discovered a bridge of dark matter stretching from our Local Group all the way to the Virgo cluster—a huge mass of some 2,000 galaxies roughly 50 million light-years away, that is bound on either side by vast bubbles completely devoid of galaxies. This bridge and these voids help us understand a 40 year old problem regarding the curious distribution of dwarf galaxies.
	Pluto up close: Spacecraft apparently makes successful flyby In a day of both jubilation and tension, scientists anxiously waited Tuesday for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft to send word across 3 billion miles and confirm it got humanity's first up-close look at Pluto.
	Spotlight shining on Pluto on cold outskirts of solar system The spotlight is bright enough to thaw even Pluto.
	Astronomer discusses what New Horizons could tell us about Pluto and the Kuiper Belt On July 14, 2015 the space probe New Horizons will fly roughly 12,500 kilometres above the surface of Pluto, the closest we have ever been to the dwarf planet. The probe will snap photos and gather data that astronomers hope will yield valuable clues about the formation of the Solar System four and a half billion years ago.
	New Horizons is an old spacecraft – but it will transform our knowledge of Pluto After travelling for nearly 10 years, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is finally set to fly past Pluto in humankind's first close encounter with the dwarf planet.
	Ready for its close-up: First spacecraft to explore Pluto NASA's New Horizons spacecraft was expected to get up-close and personal with Pluto on Tuesday, on track to zoom within 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers) of the small icy world left unexplored until now.
	Pluto's moon Hydra In 1930, Pluto was observed for the first time. For many decades, astronomers thought that the "ninth planet of the Solar System" was a solitary object. But by 1978, astronomers discovered that it also had a moon roughly half its size. This moon would come to be known as Charon, and it would be the first of many discoveries made within the Pluto's system.
	Naming features on Pluto 'Here be Dragons…' read the inscriptions of old maps used by early seafaring explorers. Such maps were crude, and often wildly inaccurate.
	Researchers develop NASA protocols for time-delay challenges Astronauts on board the Pioneer, a spacecraft heading home from Mars, are categorizing asteroid samples when their life-support system suddenly malfunctions. The only person who can help is the NASA engineer with the information they need to get the system up and running. But in deep space, communication is delayed—each message takes five minutes to transmit, followed by another five minutes to get a response. Their communications grow panicked, responses get confused, and the minutes between each message seem to drag on.
	New Horizons finally gets up close with Pluto – for 15 minutes As I began typing this column, NASA's New Horizon mission was on its final approach to its primary target, Pluto. By the time I finished composing my deathless prose, the main mission was over. And I'm not a slow writer.
	Pluto flyby significant for city where icy world discovered The observatory where Pluto was discovered is taking full advantage of a flyby of the icy dwarf planet Tuesday with astronomy-themed face painting, an extra Pluto presentation and a live NASA stream that will tell the world whether the mission was successful.
Video: MSG-4 Preparing for launch After the launch of MSG-3 in 2012, the fourth and final satellite of the Meteosat Second Generation missions is ready for launch. Like its precursors, the MSG-4 satellite will be launched on top of an Ariane 5 rocket from the Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Technology news

	Making sense of funny bone from cartoon caption contest results The New Yorker's practice of publishing a weekly cartoon with no caption and then inviting readers to submit captions for it caught the attention of a team of 11 from Columbia University, University of Michigan, Yahoo! Labs and The New Yorker. As it stands, over 5,000 readers submit what they hope will be considered as the funniest captions and the editors choose three top entries and then ask readers to select the funniest of all. That created a huge database of captions.
	'Smart capsule' is potential new drug-delivery vehicle A new "smart capsule" under development could deliver medications directly to the large intestines to target certain medical conditions.
	YouTube seeing 'accelerating' growth despite strong competition Google-owned YouTube is seeing "accelerating" growth despite competition from Facebook and others in video, YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki said Monday.
Pinterest CEO sees site's future in its 'catalog of ideas' Pinterest is not a social network but a "catalog of ideas" to help people discover and try new things in their lives, founder and chief executive Ben Silbermann says.
	Retail startup Jet.com set for takeoff next week Jet.com, a well-funded US startup which aims to shake up online retailing with new ways to cut prices, is set for launch next week, its chief executive said.
	Imec and Panasonic demonstrate breakthrough RRAM cell Imec and Panasonic Corp. announced today that they have fabricated a 40nm TaOx-based RRAM (resistive RAM) technology with precise filament positioning and high thermal stability. This breakthrough result paves the way to realizing 28nm embedded applications. The results were presented at this year's VLSI technology symposium (Kyoto, June 15-19 2015).
	Perovskite photovoltaic module reaches toward a record 11 percent conversion efficiency Nano-electronics research center imec announced today at ITF US (San Francisco, July 13, 2015), a record 11.3 percent aperture and 11.9% active area efficiency for its thin-film perovskite photovoltaic (PV) module. The efficiency was measured over an aperture area of 16cm2. This achievement is the best conversion efficiency for perovskite modules in literature.
	Collaboration to study dual-fuel vehicles It's not as challenging as mixing oil and water, but scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are partnering with industry to study a tricky fuel mixing problem that could lead to more efficient engines.
	South Korean spy agency explored technology to hack chat app (Update) South Korea's beleaguered spy agency has acknowledged exploring the purchase of technologies to intercept communications on the popular Kakao Talk smartphone chatting service, but maintains it only intended to strengthen its monitoring of rival North Korean agents, not South Koreans, lawmakers said Tuesday.
Nokia plans possible comeback to cellphone business Nokia says it is seeking a "world-class" partner to get back into the cellphone business.
Scientists build a mathematical model that gives fashion advice Researchers have developed a mathematical model that is able to assess whether a person is fashionably dressed and to give advice on how to make the outfit more fashionable.
Is the energy system really ready for sustainable energy? New research into sustainable energy systems focuses on integrating renewable and nuclear power plants into the electrical grid – a topic high on the agenda for scholars, industry and policy makers.
	Europe advances with safer air travel A safer airspace over Europe by 2018 is materialising as ESA's Iris precursor project today began development with the unlocking of a further €7.6 million of funding.
	Second company probed for air bag inflator malfunctions The problem of exploding air bags could be widening beyond Japanese manufacturer Takata Corp.
	Fake story on buyout sends Twitter stock briefly higher Twitter's stock briefly spiked on Tuesday after a fake story said the short messaging service received a $31 billion buyout offer.
Nearly all operating profit in smartphone business goes to Apple During the first three months of the year, Samsung sold a lot more smartphones than No. 2 Apple - 30 percent more - but reaped just $1 in phone-related operating profit for every $6 Apple did.
Airlines get new tools to avoid turbulence Airlines are using new software that transmits weather data from planes in the air to analysts on the ground, allowing pilots to avoid turbulence that can injure passengers and damage planes.
	Authors urge US antitrust probe of Amazon Authors and booksellers are urging US antitrust officials to investigate whether online retail titan Amazon is abusing its considerable power to the detriment of readers, following a similar move in Europe.
	Twitter can be better news tool, co-founder says Twitter has the potential to vastly improve as a tool for real-time news and information, according to co-founder and current board member Evan Williams.
	Lockheed Martin's JAGM goes two for two in latest flight tests Lockheed Martin demonstrated its multi-mode Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), engaging two laser-designated stationary targets during recent Government-led flight tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
	Social computing experts help create bespoke social media analytics service Social computing researchers have teamed up with a top London creative marketing and communications agency to create a new social media analytics programme.
	Match Group picks up dating website PlentyOfFish The US company that operates Tinder and OkCupid said Tuesday that it is buying Canada-based dating website PlentyOfFish for $575 million in cash.

Medicine & Health news

	Rsu1 gene linked to regulation of alcohol consumption (Medical Xpress)—A large team of international researchers has found a link between the Rsu1 gene and the degree of impact of alcohol consumption on both fruit flies and humans. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team descries studies they carried out on both fruit flies and humans and why they believe their findings may help prevent alcohol abuse.
	New method to make deeper inferences about infection dynamics (Medical Xpress)—When influenza vaccinations are unavailable, public health policy favors nonpharmaceutical household interventions. So households also present perfect settings for researchers to study infection dynamics and test the efficacy of various interventions. But the analysis of the accumulated data is complicated by such factors as the use of varying assays, with the result that researchers are often getting only partial results.
	Peeking into the genome of a deadly cancer pinpoints possible new treatment Small cell lung cancer is one of the most deadly kinds of cancers. Typically this aggressive disease is diagnosed fairly late in its course, and the survival rates are so dismal that doctors are reluctant to even subject the patient to surgery to remove the tumor for study. As a result, little is known about the molecular causes of this type of cancer, and no new treatments have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 1995.
	Intellectual pursuits may buffer the brain against addiction Challenging the idea that addiction is hardwired in the brain, a new UC Berkeley study of mice suggests that even a short time spent in a stimulating learning environment can rewire the brain's reward system and buffer it against drug dependence.
	Researchers create model of early human heart development from stem cells Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with scientists at the Gladstone Institutes, have developed a template for growing beating cardiac tissue from stem cells, creating a system that could serve as a model for early heart development and a drug-screening tool to make pregnancies safer.
	Cystic fibrosis treatment tested on lab-grown bile ducts An experimental cystic fibrosis drug has been shown prevent the disease's damage to the liver, thanks to a world-first where scientists grew mini bile ducts in the lab.
	Researchers discover way to assess future literacy challenges A quick biological test may be able to identify children who have literacy challenges or learning disabilities long before they learn to read, according to new research from Northwestern University.
	Stem cells might heal damaged lungs Collectively, such diseases of the airways as emphysema, bronchitis, asthma and cystic fibrosis are the second leading cause of death worldwide. More than 35 million Americans alone suffer from chronic respiratory disease. Weizmann Institute scientists have now proposed a new direction that could, in the future, lead to the development of a method for alleviating some of their suffering. The study's findings, which appeared today in Nature Medicine, show how it might be possible to use embryonic stem cells to repair damaged lung tissue.
	Kids expecting aggression from others become aggressive themselves Hypervigilance to hostility in others triggers aggressive behavior in children, says a new Duke University-led study. The four-year longitudinal study involving 1,299 children and their parents finds the pattern holds true in 12 different cultural groups from nine countries across the globe.
	Substance abuse reduces brain volume in women but not men Stimulant drug abuse has long-term effects on brain volume in women, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. Brain structures involved in reward, learning and executive control showed vast changes even after a prolonged period of abstinence from drug use.
Consumers should seek a variety of fiber sources to get the maximum health benefits Consumers who get fiber from many sources—both naturally occurring and added in manufacturing—may benefit more than people who limit their intake to a single type, according to a July 12th symposium at IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in Chicago.
	Anonymous patient's leukaemia genetically mapped to give hope to others Manchester scientists have genetically mapped the cancer of a leukaemia patient whose disease was resistant to treatment in order to identify a method of personalising therapy for individuals.
	Genetic expression 'predicts lung cancer survival' A study led by Oxford University researchers and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy has shed light on a key puzzle thrown up in some lung cancer screening programmes.
	Drugs used to treat diabetes could be used to reduce pancreatic and prostate tumor growth UCLA scientists have identified a new mechanism that delivers a key substance that fuels the growth of pancreatic and prostate cancer cells, a finding that offers new hope in the fight against two of the deadliest forms of the disease.
	Zinc at the heart of new study Zinc plays an important role in regulating heartbeat, according to new research led by the University of St Andrews.
	Bacterial endocarditis increases stroke risk for extended period Patients who develop an infection of the heart valves called bacterial endocarditis have an elevated risk of stroke beginning four months before, and up to five months after diagnosis. This is a period significantly longer than previously reported, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital report in a study published July 10 in the journal Neurology.
	Battling 'the largest mass poisoning in history' International health experts have called it the largest mass poisoning in history, and it is still underway. Some 100 million people in southeast Asia have been drinking from shallow wells originally drilled to provide germ-free water; but many turned out to be contaminated with naturally occurring arsenic.
Faster weight gain can be safe for hospitalized anorexia patients A new study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers of patients hospitalized with anorexia nervosa shows that a faster weight gain during inpatient treatment—well beyond what national standards recommend—is safe and effective.
	A tax on sugar is the bitter pill that is needed In a week when the British Medical Association has called for a sugar tax of 20 per cent to be introduced to help combat the nation's obesity epidemic, Dr Gail Rees, Associate Professor in Human Nutrition at Plymouth University School of Biomedical and Healthcare Sciences, argues that this is a sensible suggestion because obesity – directly and indirectly – is a concern for us all.
	Researchers discovered new applications of the drug fingolimod to improve cognitive deficits in Huntington's disease Fingolimod, a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis, restores hippocampal synaptic plasticity and improves memory function. This is the main conclusion of a study developed by researchers at the University of Barcelona (UB) and the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) in a mouse model of Huntington disease (HD). The study has been published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics and highlighted by the journal Nature Reviews Neurology.
Photoacoustic approach to breast cancer detection Scientists at the research Institute MIRA at the University of Twente have been working for some time on a new technique to detect breast cancer. The technique, based on the physical principle of photoacoustics, has been christened PAMmography. It uses short bursts of light that generate ultrasonic waves in places with high density of blood vessels, such as in the vicinity of malignant tumours. The scientists present an important scientific step that they have taken with a publication in the journal Scientific Reports. They show that breast tumours have specific manifestations and forms in images made using their technique.
A look at D-ribose supplementation in vivo Routledge is proud to offer a research study with the potential to broaden our understanding of the popular dietary supplement d-Ribose. It is an important supplement for humans and the equine because of its crucial role in cellular bioenergetics. D-Ribose Supplementation in the Equine: Lack of Effect on Glycated Plasma Proteins Suggesting Safety in Humans is now available for free access from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, official publication of the American College of Nutrition.
Ban says world on way to 'generation free of AIDS' UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday the world was headed for a "generation free of AIDS", after UNAIDS reported a 35-percent drop in new HIV infections from 15 years ago.
	New study shows saturated high-fat feeding can cause impairments in critical motivation brain pathway High-fat feeding can cause impairments in the functioning of the mesolimbic dopamine system, says Stephanie Fulton of the University of Montreal and the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM.) This system is a critical brain pathway controlling motivation. Fulton's findings, published today in Neuropsychopharmacology, may have great health implications.
	Treating more adults with statins would be cost-effective way to boost heart health A new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers has found that it would be cost-effective to treat 48-67% of all adults aged 40-75 in the U.S. with cholesterol-lowering statins. By expanding the current recommended treatment guidelines and boosting the percentage of adults taking statins, an additional 161,560 cardiovascular-related events could be averted, according to the researchers.
New guidelines for statin eligibility improve prediction of cardiovascular risk The new guidelines for determining whether patients should begin taking statins to prevent cardiovascular disease issued in 2013 by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) are more accurate and more efficient than an earlier set of guidelines in assigning treatment to adults at increased risk for cardiovascular events - including heart attacks and strokes - and identifying those whose low risk rules out the need to take statins.
Investigational drug prevents life-threatening side effects of kidney disease treatment A yearlong study of more than 300 patients found that the investigational drug patiromer can reduce elevated blood-potassium levels—a common side effect of drugs essential in the treatment of chronic diabetic kidney disease.
Few states require HPV vaccine An examination of state vaccination requirements for adolescents finds that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is currently required in only two states, many fewer than another vaccine associated with sexual transmission (hepatitis B) and another primarily recommended for adolescents (meningococcal conjugate), according to a study in the July 14 issue of JAMA.
New molecular mechanism of neuropathic pain in mice A research group from Hiroshima University demonstrated that the downregulation of spinal astrocyte connexin43 (Cx43) expression causes sustained neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury. Controlling the Cx43 expression using pharmacological approaches or gene therapy might serve as novel therapeutic strategies ameliorate neurological disorders in general and neuropathic pain in particular.
	Sex and satisfaction in long-term relationships Can committed partners find sexual satisfaction and harmony despite differing levels of sexual desire?
Researchers say memory-loss case 'like nothing we have ever seen before' A University of Leicester clinical psychologist has described treating an individual with a 'Groundhog Day/Memento'- style memory loss as 'like nothing we have ever seen before'.
	How the lung repairs wounds Our lungs are permanently exposed to harmful environmental factors that can damage or even destroy their cells. In a specific regenerative process these injured cells must be replaced as soon as possible. In collaboration with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Biochemistry, scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have now, for the first time, gained detailed insights into the dynamic remodeling of the tissue during lung repair. The results have just been published in EMBO Molecular Systems Biology.
Landmark 69-year study to provide window into dementia A landmark study that has been following a group of people since their birth in the same week in March 1946 is now turning its focus to the risk factors and early signs of dementia.
	Cell calls, texts can distract even if unanswered (HealthDay)—Simply hearing your mobile phone ring or feeling it vibrate is enough to significantly distract you, a new study suggests.
	FDA approves iressa for EGFR metastatic lung cancer (HealthDay)—Iressa (gefitinib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a specific genetic mutation (epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]). A just-approved companion diagnostic test can identify patients who could benefit from this new use.
	Why kids' recovery times vary widely after brain injury Why do some youngsters bounce back quickly from a traumatic brain injury, while others suffer devastating side effects for years?
	Scientific curiosity and preparedness for emerging pathogen outbreaks An essay published on July 14th in PLOS Pathogens' new "Research Matters" series reflects on a career path that started with the study of a somewhat obscure mouse virus mice and ended up at the frontline of the SARS and MERS coronavirus epidemics.
	Like sitting, standing in the workplace may have long-term health consequences Recent research has warned of the health detriments associated with sitting for long stretches of time at the office, but what about the nearly half of all employees worldwide who are required to stand for more than 75% of their workdays? Prolonged standing is associated with short-term adverse health issues, including reports of fatigue, leg cramps, and backaches, which can affect job performance and cause significant discomfort. A new study published in Human Factors suggests that, over time, this type of sustained muscle fatigue can result in serious health consequences.
Older age at onset of type 1 diabetes associated with lower brain connectivity later People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in later childhood have weaker brain connectivity in midlife compared to those who were diagnosed at earlier ages according to a University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences study.
	Anti-stress hormone may provide indication of breast cancer risk A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that women with low levels of an anti-stress hormone have an increased risk of getting breast cancer. The study is the first of its kind on humans and confirms previous similar observations from animal experiments.
	Impact of Type 2 diabetes on lymphatic vessels identified Approximately 28 million Americans live with Type 2 diabetes, a condition characterized by high blood sugar levels. Until now, the disease's effect on the body's lymphatic vessels has been unknown. A study by University of Missouri researchers has identified for the first time how the condition affects lymphatic vessels—a finding that could lay the groundwork for new therapies to improve the lives of people with Type 2 diabetes.
MRI studies point to brain connectivity changes in autism spectrum disorders Studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are beginning to reveal differences in brain connectivity—the ways that different parts of the brain are connected to each other and work together—in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), reports a review in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry.
	High-pressure oxygen can effectively treat fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is almost impossible to diagnose. The chronic pain syndrome strikes an estimated 1 in 70 Americans, most of them women. The disorder is often triggered by head trauma, a neurological infection, or severe emotional stress, and is characterized by symptoms such as musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, memory loss and mood swings. Fibromyalgia is often mistaken for other culprits and most patients suffer months, even years, of unrelenting pain before being properly diagnosed. And once diagnosed, patients enjoy little respite because few therapies have been found to be effective in assuaging its symptoms.
Obesity-related behaviors increase when school's out Regardless of family income, children on summer break consume more sugar, watch more television, and eat fewer vegetables than the rest of the year, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Findings are published online in the Journal of School Health.
Am I fat? Many of today's adolescents don't think so Admitting that you have a weight problem may be the first step in taking action, but a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that an increasing number of overweight adolescents do not consider themselves as such.
Benzodiazepines not recommended for patients with PTSD or recent trauma Benzodiazepine drugs are widely used in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but available evidence suggests that they are not effective—and may even be harmful, concludes a systematic review and meta-analysis in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice.
	Dads' parenting of children with autism improves moms' mental health Fathers who read to their infants with autism and take active roles in caregiving activities not only promote healthy development in their children, they boost moms' mental health too, new research suggests.
	ASCO updates guidelines for colony-stimulating factor use (HealthDay)—The 2006 American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines on use of hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) have been updated, according to a special article published online July 13 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Dietary intervention primes triple-negative breast cancer for targeted therapy A diet that starves triple-negative breast cancer cells of an essential nutrient primes the cancer cells to be more easily killed by a targeted antibody treatment, UW Carbone Cancer Center scientists report in a recent publication.
Women should be allowed to get treatment for cystitis without a prescription Women should be able to treat cystitis themselves with antibiotics without a prescription, says a general practitioner in The BMJ this week.
	Exercise may reverse age-related bone loss in middle-aged men Men gradually lose bone mass as they age, which puts them at risk for developing osteoporosis, a condition that makes bones weak and prone to breakage. Nearly 2 million men in the U.S. have the condition, and 16 million more have low bone mass, studies have shown. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that certain types of weight-lifting and jumping exercises, when completed for at least six months, improve bone density in active, healthy, middle-aged men with low bone mass. These exercises may help prevent osteoporosis by facilitating bone growth, according to the study published in Bone.
Innovative project brings peace to those near death Asking for and honouring last wishes helps to create meaning, memories and closure at death, and personalizes the dying process for patients and their families, says a new study led by a McMaster University professor.
Stem cell transplant alleviates symptoms in lupus animal models Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that produces autoantibodies and subsequent immune reactions that can lead to a variety of symptoms, including inflammation of the kidneys, or nephritis. When researchers transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human bone marrow into mice modeled with SLE, they found that inflammation was reduced and nephritis "attenuated." They suggested that their study revealed a "novel mechanism" by which the MSCs can regulate the progression of autoimmune diseases such as SLE.
Damage to key brain region important in predicting cognitive function after pediatric TBI Disruptions in a key brain region can explain the varied outcomes after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children and adolescents, according to research published July 15 in The Journal of Neuroscience. Post-injury outcomes vary widely, and injury severity can only explain some of this variance. Combining data from brain imaging and recording, researchers at the University of Southern California and UCLA found that disruptions in the structure and function of a brain region called the corpus callosum could explain the variance in cognitive outcomes.
Liquid biopsy identifies mutations in colorectal cancer undetected in tissue biopsy An international, randomized, phase III study has analyzed the DNA of 503 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer by liquid biopsy (BEAMing platform) to detect KRAS, PIK3CA and BRAF gene mutations in tumors. These patients, who had previously received different treatment lines, were administered either the multi-kinase inhibitor regorafenib or placebo. Regorafenib is an inhibitor of several proteins involved in oncogenesis and tumor angiogenesis.
Poll: Many Californians unaware of caregiver program Christine McCormack quit her job as a restaurant manager two years ago to care for her 88-year-old mother-in-law. While it doesn't make up for all of her lost income, she's getting some financial help through an innovative program that allows many of California's low-income senior citizens and disabled residents to remain in their home.
	New classification system for brain tumours Despite modern chemoradiation therapy it is still very difficult to give reliable prognoses for malignant gliomas. Surgical removal of the glioma is still the preferred method of treatment. Doctors at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen's Department of Neurosurgery have now developed a new procedure for analysing radiological imaging scans which makes it possible to predict the course of a disease relatively precisely. Their findings have now been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
	Pregnant Alberta women not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids: study Nearly three-quarters of pregnant and lactating women in Alberta are not meeting the recommended intake of specific omega-3 fatty acids vital to their babies'development and to their own health, according to new research from the University of Alberta.
	Failing professions should be brought to account by people they serve Doctors, teachers and lawyers who cause harm to the public or bring their professions into disrepute should be brought to account by the communities they serve, according to a report co-authored by University of Liverpool and leading independent think tank ResPublica.
End of school bullying? Victoria University developmental psychology expert Vanessa Green believes the solution to school bullying is at our fingertips.
More women, children now on lifesaving HIV treatment worldwide The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) applauds today's announcement from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) that the goal of providing 15 million people with lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) by 2015 has been met nine months ahead of schedule. The report, titled "How AIDS Changed Everything" provides a detailed breakdown of the progress made toward achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6: Halting and reversing the spread of HIV.
	World-first epilepsy self-monitor app launched A new self-monitoring app launched to support adults with epilepsy will help to 'fill the information gap' left by NHS funding cuts for GP epilepsy monitoring, according to specialist epilepsy charity SUDEP Action.
Closing the quality chasm in mental health and substance use care A plan to ensure that evidence-based psychosocial interventions are routinely used in clinical practice and made a part of clinical training for mental health professionals was released today by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).
Antidepressant trials exclude most 'real world' patients with depression More than 80 percent of people with depression in the general population aren't eligible for clinical trials of antidepressant drugs, according to a study in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice.
	Acupuncture can improve outcomes in dermatological conditions Medical evidence supports the potential for acupuncture to be significantly more effective in the treatment of dermatologic conditions such as dermatitis, pruritus, and urticaria than alternative treatment options, "placebo acupuncture," or no treatment, according to a review of the medical literature published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
	Spray application of respiratory cells holds promise for tissue engineering A new study showing the ability to apply a thin coating of viable respiratory epithelial cells to tissue engineered constructs using a commercially available spray device is especially promising for therapeutic approaches in development to repair or replace challenging structures such as trachea or bronchi. The effects of factors such as air pressure and nozzle diameter on cell survival and the ability of the respiratory cells to differentiate and proliferate are described in an article in BioResearch Open Access.
Teen birth, mental health lead child hospitalizations in Texas From 2004 to 2010 in Texas, mental illness was the most common reason for the hospitalization of children ages 10-14 while pregnancy/birth was the most common reason for the hospitalization of adolescents ages 15-17, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School.

Biology news

	Human hand more primitive than chimp's, study says Strong fists for defending ourselves and opposable thumbs for work as fine as threading a needle—hand specialisation is widely believed to have given humans a major evolutionary advantage.
	Tiny transmitters glued to the backs of bees for the first time James Cook University researchers in Australia are creating a buzz in bee research, gluing tiny transmitters to the backs of the insects for the first time.
	Gut microbes enable coffee pest to withstand extremely toxic concentrations of caffeine The coffee berry borer is the most devastating coffee pest in the world. The tiny beetle is found in most regions where coffee is cultivated, and a big outbreak can slash crop yield by 80 percent.
	Study shows differences in brain activity of humans and macaques engaged in the same task (Phys.org)—A group of researchers with affiliations to several institutions in the U.S. has identified some of the ways the human brain differs in the way it focuses on a task as compared to macaques. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers detail experiments they carried out with both humans and macaques using fMRI scans.
Key protein controls nutrient availability in mammals Case Western Reserve researchers already demonstrated that a single protein plays a pivotal role in the use of nutrients by major organs that allow for the burning of fat during exercise or regulating the heart's contractile and electrical activity. Now they have found a new benefit of Kruppel-like Factor 15 (KLF15)—keeping the body in metabolic balance.
	Environment, not distance, triggers genetic differences in 'sky island' birds Genomic sequencing of White-breasted nuthatches populating isolated mountains in Southern Arizona shows pressure to adapt to unique habitats prompts genetic branching among clades of the birds, rather than distances separating the "sky islands" where they live.
	Continued destruction of Earth's plant life places humans in jeopardy Unless humans slow the destruction of Earth's declining supply of plant life, civilization like it is now may become completely unsustainable, according to a paper published recently by University of Georgia researchers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Multiple, co-existing groups of gut bacteria keep Clostridium difficile infections at bay Multiple species of bacteria working together in healthy guts are responsible for keeping out nasty bacterial invader, Clostridium difficile, a hospital-acquired culprit responsible for 15,000 deaths each year. The study, published this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, could lead to tests to predict which hospital patients are at highest risk of infection and better management of infections.
	Peel research bolsters oranges' thick skin Several experiments have revealed that pre-harvest factors play an important role in reducing the incidence of creasing (albedo breakdown) in sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis), which has a detrimental impact on local commercial fruit farmers.
	Long-lived mussels disappear from half their range The freshwater mussel Westralunio carteri has vanished from nearly half its former range, prompting the bivalves entry onto WA's threatened species listing.
Scientists expect evolutionary changes from loud, bright world Humans take for granted the noise and lights associated with cities and other developments across the landscape.  For other creatures, these noisy and bright conditions lead to changes in behavior and activity such as the timing or pitch of a bird song in the morning.  Scientists have long recorded these changes and now seek to understand whether these altered environments are driving evolution itself.
	Effectiveness of probiotics in dairy products evaluated Probiotics, those living bacteria and yeasts that offer a variety of health benefits, especially for the digestive system, are now available to consumers in yogurt and a variety of other food products as well as in nonfood supplements. But little is known about how the products containing those probiotics might influence their effectiveness.
	Cell size regulation mechanism discovered Every cell in the human body has to be a particular size in order to function correctly. The research group led by Markus Hengstschläger of the Institute for Medical Genetics at the Medical University of Vienna has now discovered a new mechanism that regulates cell size.
Melon genome study reveals recent impacts of breeding The first comprehensive genome analyses of 7 melon varieties was completed by a research team led by Josep Casacuberta, Jordi Garcia-Mas and Sebastian Ramos-Onsins, providing breeders new knowledge important for understanding phenotypic variability and helping increasing plant quality yields by selective breeding. The findings were published in the advanced online edition of Molecular Biology and Evolution.
Study shows potential of blue LEDs as novel chemical-free food preservation technology A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) have strong antibacterial effect on major foodborne pathogens, and are most effective when in cold temperatures (between 4°C and 15°C) and mildly acidic conditions of around pH 4.5.
	Saving the slow loris In the forest canopies of Vietnam lives a cryptic creature called the slow loris. It's steady, solitary and downright adorable, with tiny, fuzzy round ears and the impossibly large eyes common to nocturnal animals.
	Researchers develop aquaculture virtual reality tour With the help of new 3-D technology, you can go underwater and swim with farmed salmon. Or fly down a ski jump. Or study how brain cells work. This technology originally came out of the gaming world, but is rapidly being developed into an important research tool.

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