Science X Newsletter Monday, Aug 17

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 17, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Tiny gears increase light-to-work conversion efficiency by five orders of magnitude (w/ video)
- Paleobotanists identify what could be the mythical 'first flower'
- Best of Last Week – New fusion power design, a space elevator and low-fat diet found to be better than low-carb diet
- Simulation studies reveal the role disulfide bonds play in protein folding
- Engineers develop a wireless, implantable device to stimulate nerves in mice
- Study finds where our brain stores the time and place of memories
- Scientists discover atomic-resolution details of brain signaling
- Whistled Turkish challenges notions about language and the brain
- Discovery of a salamander in amber sheds light on evolution of Caribbean islands
- Intensive defenses: Biologists discover large mimicry complex in North America
- Scientists visualize critical part of basal ganglia pathways
- On warmer Earth, most of Arctic may remove, not add, methane
- Dancing droplets launch themselves from thin fibers
- Substantial glacier ice loss in Central Asia's largest mountain range
- Study reveals new insight into tumor progression

Astronomy & Space news

	Solar activity is declining—what to expect? (Phys.org)—Is Earth slowly heading for a new ice age? Looking at the decreasing number of sunspots, it may seem that we are entering a nearly spotless solar cycle which could result in lower temperatures for decades. "The solar cycle is starting to decline. Now we have less active regions visible on the sun's disk," Yaireska M. Collado-Vega, a space weather forecaster at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, told Phys.org.
	'Young Jupiter' exoplanet discovery: Q&A with astronomer Eric Nielsen (Phys.org)—The discovery of 51 Eridani b, a Jupiter-like exoplanet, made headlines last week as it is the lowest-mass planet ever directly imaged around another star. Significantly, the planet resembles Jupiter in its infancy and shows the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet. In an interview with Phys.org, astronomer Eric Nielsen of the SETI Institute, a member of the team that found 51 Eridani b, talks about the importance of the discovery and characterizes the newest addition to the list of known exoplanets.
	Celestial firework marks nearest galaxy collision A spectacular galaxy collision has been discovered lurking behind the Milky Way. The closest such system ever found, the discovery was announced today by a team of astronomers led by Prof. Quentin Parker at the University of Hong-Kong and Prof. Albert Zijlstra at the University of Manchester. The scientists publish their results in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	Image: Hubble sees a "mess of stars" Bursts of pink and red, dark lanes of mottled cosmic dust, and a bright scattering of stars—this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows part of a messy barred spiral galaxy known as NGC 428. It lies approximately 48 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster).
	Damaging electric currents in space affect Earth's equatorial region, not just the poles The Earth's magnetic field – known as the "magnetosphere" – protects our atmosphere from the "solar wind." That's the constant stream of charged particles flowing outward from the sun. When the magnetosphere shields Earth from these solar particles, they get funneled toward the polar regions of our atmosphere.
	Dark Energy Survey finds more celestial neighbors Scientists on the Dark Energy Survey, using one of the world's most powerful digital cameras, have discovered eight more faint celestial objects hovering near our Milky Way galaxy. Signs indicate that they, like the objects found by the same team earlier this year, are likely dwarf satellite galaxies, the smallest and closest known form of galaxies.
	Mystery of Saturn's 'F ring' cracked, says study An enigmatic ring of icy particles circling Saturn, herded into a narrow ribbon by two tiny moons, was probably born of a cosmic collision, according to a study published Monday in Nature Geoscience.
	LADEE spacecraft finds neon in lunar atmosphere The moon's thin atmosphere contains neon, a gas commonly used in electric signs on Earth because of its intense glow. While scientists have speculated on the presence of neon in the lunar atmosphere for decades, NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft has confirmed its existence for the first time.
	Foul weather forecast delays launch of Japanese cargo ship to space station The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has pushed the launch of its H-II Transport Vehicle (HTV)-5 to the International Space Station to 8:35 a.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 17. NASA Television will carry live coverage of the event beginning at 7:45 a.m.
	Capturing clues to solar mysteries hurtling through space at the speed of light Solar flare experts from around the world gathered at NJIT last week to share the latest research on the sudden, powerful blasts of electromagnetic radiation and charged particles that burst into space during the Sun's massive eruptions.

Technology news

	Programming and prejudice: Computer scientists discover how to find bias in algorithms Software may appear to operate without bias because it strictly uses computer code to reach conclusions. That's why many companies use algorithms to help weed out job applicants when hiring for a new position.
	Company in Canada gets U.S. patent for space elevator Exploring space while seated on Earth, gazing up on screens in museum theaters or at home via VR headsets. is exciting but the top imagination-grabber is the very idea of finding a way to access space. This is the present-day realm of creative thinking over space elevators, in the use of a giant tower to carry us to space.
	Imagine: baby stroller with braking and cruising mind of its own Would you believe a video that shows a stroller self-driving itself safely through a busy park, with a baby inside? That brakes on its own, drives on its own—following Dad a few paces behind as he walks around town? The robo-stroller made its rounds of websites, drawing enough attention for writers to ask, what's up with that? Is the stroller for real?
	Gaming fans resurrect beloved 1980s ZX Spectrum in UK A gaming console that was the forerunner of today's PlayStation and Xbox has been brought back to life more than 30 years later after an online fundraising campaign by nostalgic fans.
	Report: Documents reveal details behind AT&T-NSA partnership Under a decades-old program with the government, telecom giant AT&T in 2003 led the way on a new collection capability that the National Security Agency said amounted to a "'live' presence on the global net" and would forward 400 billion Internet metadata records in one of its first months of operation, The New York Times reported.
	Mozilla testing browser feature to put users in truly private mode Do Not Track. Many users think that not only applies to preventing a person sharing your machine from trying to peek at the websites you visited but also to blocking views to outside trackers. Most major browsers present a "Do Not Track" option, but not all companies honor it.
	New technology may illuminate mystery moon caves It's widely believed that the moon features networks of caves created when violent lava flows tore under the surface from ancient volcanoes. Some craters may actually be "skylights" where cave ceilings have crumbled.
	Research sets new record for generation of fuels from sunlight Researchers at Monash University have designed a solar fuel generating device that has established a new record in energy efficiency for the production of solar fuels.
	Controlling the uncontrollable: Researchers harness unstable responses to build new soft actuators Instability in engineering is generally not a good thing. If you're building a skyscraper, minor instabilities could bring the whole structure crashing down in a fraction of a second. But what if a quick change in shape is exactly what you want?
	IRS: Computer breach bigger than first thought; 334K victims A computer breach at the IRS in which thieves stole tax information from thousands of taxpayers is much bigger than the agency originally disclosed.
	Google's Android update: code name Marshmallow Google gave a name Monday to its soon-to-be released operating system for its Android mobile devices: Marshmallow.
	Google can tell you if solar roof panels will pay off Google has got a good look at your roof, and can tell you if it is worth the investment to install solar energy panels.
Apple said to show interest in automotive testing facility Adding fuel to rumors that Apple is working on designs for a car, local officials say engineers for the giant tech company recently made inquiries about a former navy base that's been converted into a testing ground for self-driving cars and other cutting-edge vehicles.
George Soros sells off most of his Alibaba stocks American billionaire George Soros's fund has sold most of its stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, according to regulatory filings Friday.
FAA: software update may be responsible for malfunction A technical problem at an air traffic control center in Virginia that caused hundreds of flights to be delayed or canceled along a large swath of the East Coast was possibly caused by a software upgrade, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday.
	Who's to blame when artificial intelligence systems go wrong? There has been much discussion of late of the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), especially regarding robot weapons development and a related but more general discussion about AI as an existential threat to humanity.
Japan fires up nuclear power again, but can it ever be safe enough? After two years without any nuclear power in response to the 2011 Fukushima earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis, Japan has restarted its first reactor, Sendai 1.
LG to put OLED first as Chinese LCD makers narrow gap South Korea's LG Display said Monday that it will change its investment priority to advanced displays called OLEDs as Chinese manufacturers quickly catch up with their South Korean rivals in the LCD market.
Economic assessment shows e-waste recycling is an industry worth billions People love their cell phones, tablets, and flat screen TVs, but far too many of those devices finally end up forgotten in a desk drawer or landfill. An economic assessment study published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews lays the groundwork to assist in decision-making around e-waste recycling programs designed to ensure that the valuable materials contained within electronic products will find a second life.
Report on 'bruising' Amazon workplace sparks debate Is online giant Amazon a bruising and uncaring workplace or a hub for innovation that pushes its employees to reach their potential?
	US foundation helps French boy get 'superhero' hand Maxence was born without a right hand, but on Monday the six-year-old French boy got one through an effort highlighting the growing use of 3D printing technology to make prostheses.
	BuzzFeed moves to Japan in Yahoo partnership BuzzFeed announced plans Monday to launch a Japanese news website in a partnership with Yahoo Japan, the latest step in a global expansion push.
	Amazon's data-driven approach becoming more common Amazon isn't the only company that is using data on employees to improve productivity.
FCC says Dish can't use $3.3B in credits in airwaves auction The Federal Communications Commission says Dish Network Corp. can't apply $3.3 billion in small-business credits toward the purchase of airwaves it gained in a government auction.
	UN to contact AT&T over claims it helped US spy agency The United Nations plans to contact AT&T following a report that the telecom giant helped US intelligence wiretap online communications at the world body's headquarters, a spokeswoman said Monday.
'Infinity' creators have faith in 'Force Awakens' edition It probably would have been easier to break into the Death Star.
QVC to buy women's fashion website Zulily Liberty Interactive, the owner of cable TV shopping group QVC, said Monday it would take over US women's fashion website Zulily for about $2.4 billion.

Medicine & Health news

	Engineers develop a wireless, implantable device to stimulate nerves in mice A miniature device that combines optogenetics - using light to control the activity of the brain - with a newly developed technique for wirelessly powering implanted devices is the first fully internal method of delivering optogenetics.
	Study finds where our brain stores the time and place of memories For the first time, scientists have seen evidence of where the brain records the time and place of real-life memories.
	Researchers find intestinal symbionts induce distinct T-regulator cells (Medical Xpress)—The body's subpopulation of T-regulatory (Treg) cells modulates the immune system, helps the body to recognize and tolerate self-antigens, and is believed to be responsible for the abrogation of autoimmune disease. Recently, immunology researchers have reported in the journal Science that symbionts of the gut microbiota induce a distinct population of T-regulatory cells that express the transcription factor Foxp3.
	How traumatic memories hide in the brain, and how to retrieve them Some stressful experiences - such as chronic childhood abuse - are so overwhelming and traumatic, the memories hide like a shadow in the brain.
	Study reveals new insight into tumor progression Scientists know that activation of growth factor receptors like epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) promote tumor progression in many types of cancer.
	Scientists visualize critical part of basal ganglia pathways Certain diseases, like Parkinson's and Huntingdon's disease, are associated with damage to the pathways between the brain's basal ganglia regions. The basal ganglia sits at the base of the brain and is responsible for, among other things, coordinating movement. It is made up of four interconnected, deep brain structures that imaging techniques have previously been unable to visualize.
	Study uncovers new pathways for diabetes research A new Florida State University study is changing how researchers look at diabetes research and the drugs used to treat the disease.
	Return on investment slipping in biomedical research, study says As more money has been spent on biomedical research in the United States over the past 50 years, there has been diminished return on investment in terms of life expectancy gains and new drug approvals, two Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say.
	The microbiome of a woman's reproductive tract may predict preterm birth The microbiomes in the reproductive tracts of pregnant women who later had a baby born too soon are significantly different from those of women who delivered full term.
	Study identifies cause of disruption in brain linked to psychiatric disorder New research has identified the mechanisms that trigger disruption in the brain's communication channels linked to symptoms in psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. The University of Bristol study, published today [17 Aug] in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, could have important implications for treating symptoms of brain disorders.
	Drinking coffee daily may improve survival in colon cancer patients Regular consumption of caffeinated coffee may help prevent the return of colon cancer after treatment and improve the chances of a cure, according to a new, large study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that reported this striking association for the first time.
	Scientists uncover nuclear process in the brain that may affect disease Every brain cell has a nucleus, or a central command station. Scientists have shown that the passage of molecules through the nucleus of a star-shaped brain cell, called an astrocyte, may play a critical role in health and disease. The study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
	'Jumping genes' unusually active in many gastrointestinal cancers, studies find Results of a trio of studies done on human cancer tissue biopsies have added to growing evidence that a so-called jumping gene called LINE-1 is active during the development of many gastrointestinal cancers. The Johns Hopkins scientists who conducted the studies caution there is no proof that the numerous new "insertions" of these rogue genetic elements in the human genome actually cause cancers, but they say their experiments do suggest that these elements, formally known as transposons, might one day serve as a marker for early cancer diagnosis.
	More evidence supports that kids' headaches increase at back-to-school time Findings from Nationwide Children's Hospital physicians demonstrate that headaches increase in fall in children, a trend that may be due to back-to-school changes in stress, routines and sleep. Although it may be difficult for parents to decipher a real headache from a child just wanting to hold onto summer a little longer and avoid going back to school, there is a variety of other common triggers including poor hydration and prolonged screen time that could contribute to a child's discomfort.
	Camper deaths, presence of plague darken summer at Yosemite The deaths of two young campers killed when a tree branch fell on their tent and a campground closure because of plague has cast a pall over California's Yosemite National Park at the height of the summer tourist season.
	Breastfeeding could reduce commons infections among Indigenous infants Promoting breastfeeding could lead to a substantial reduction in common infections and even deaths that are more common in Indigenous infants than non-Indigenous infants, a new study suggests.
	Who gets a transplant organ? People tend to spread scarce resources across groups Imagine 12 patients who need new kidneys, and six kidneys available. How would you allocate them? New research by Rutgers social psychologists suggests your answer would depend on how the patients and their situations are presented to you.
Tissue bank pays dividends for brain cancer research Checking what's in the bank – the Brisbane Breast Bank, that is – has paid dividends for UQ cancer researchers.
Don't fall for the season's sports injuries High schools, colleges and even youth sports athletes have already begun practicing and playing in the fall's most popular sports, such as football, volleyball, cheerleading and cross country. With these sports, and any physical activity, medical professionals advise athletes to wear proper equipment, train properly and adhere to appropriate stretching and warmup routines to maximize endurance and minimize sports injuries on the field.
	The issues around the use of human foetal tissue Based on the furore currently engulfing the US, you might imagine that the use of foetal tissue is illegal. But in fact the collection and use of cells obtained from a human foetus following miscarriage or abortion has a long history in medical science.
	The problems with evolutionary psychology As evolutionary scientists, we devote much of our working lives to exploring the behaviour of humans and other animals through an evolutionary lens. So it may come as a surprise that our show at this year's Edinburgh Fringe is named Alas, Poor Darwin …?, borrowing from one of the most searing critiques of evolutionary psychology ever written. We've added a question mark, but still – it's no simple tale of how our minds evolved.
	Art and science unite in unique study of neurofeedback In 2013, art and science merged like never before at Toronto's Nuit Blanche art festival when guests were given the opportunity to participate in an scientific experiment investigating neurofeedback. Following the initial success of the "My Virtual Dream" project, plans are being made to scale-up the experiment as scientists take the project on a world tour. In 2015, the My Virtual Dream world tour will kick-off in Amsterdam and travel to San Fransisco. This blog post examines the original experiment conducted in 2013 more closely, and highlights some potential concerns around this innovative new approach.
Dream of feeling less tired? The trick comes with age The elderly are doing something right. New research into the effects of age on sleep suggests our older community sleep less, but report better quality sleep, and feel more awake during the day.
	Marital distress linked to poor food choices for some, researcher finds The arguments were nothing new for the 43 couples who participated in a recent study of how marital stress affects appetite and eating patterns. Hostile exchanges were all too frequent for them, especially when certain topics came up.
	Researcher looks through the noise to discover potential risks from jet fuel Jet noise can impair hearing but, when combined with exposure to fuel, other serious effects may be occurring in the brains of military personnel.
Opinion: Devices in schools and at home means too much screen time for kids Since the 2008 "Digital Education Revolution", when the government funded laptops for secondary school students, there has been a growing impetus to increase young people's screen time both in school and for homework at home.
Commercial brain stimulation device impairs memory People show impaired memory after receiving low intensity electrical stimulation administered to the frontal part of the brain by a commercial, freely available, device. Psychologists Laura Steenbergen and Lorenza Colzato, with their colleagues at the Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition and fellow researchers from the Max Planck Institute on Human Development, published their findings in Experimental Brain Research.
	Partnership aims to replace animal experiments with advanced liver-on-chip devices Safety evaluation is a critical part of drug and cosmetic development. In recent years there is a growing understanding that animal experiments fail to predict the human response, necessitating the development of alternative models to predict drug toxicity.
	Shift work causes breast cancer in mice, according to a new study – so what does this mean for humans? A new study on mice claims that shift work increases the risk of breast cancer.
Patients don't understand the purpose of clinical drug trials Clinical trials are an important part of cancer research. Future patients depend on the severely ill to test drugs to improve treatment. But in her dissertation from Uppsala University, Tove Godskesen shows that some of these patients have a limited understanding of the purpose of the studies they enroll in.
	What's lurking in your lungs? Surprising findings emerge from microbiome research With every breath you take, microbes have a chance of making it into your lungs. But what happens when they get there? And why do dangerous lung infections like pneumonia happen in some people, but not others?
	Can I get some sleep? Hospital tests sound panels to reduce noise One of the most common complaints about hospitals is the noise. Patients complain that they can't sleep soundly in the environment of multiple monitors, paging systems, wheelchairs and gurneys, and carts that squeak.
	What clinicians need to know about bilingual development in children Bilingual children pose unique challenges for clinicians, and, until recently, there was little research on young bilinguals to guide clinical practice. In the past decade, however, research on bilingual development has burgeoned, and the scientific literature now supports several conclusions that should help clinicians as they assess bilingual children and advise their parents.
	How others see our identity depends on moral traits, not memory We may view our memory as being essential to who we are, but new findings suggest that others consider our moral traits to be the core component of our identity. Data collected from family members of patients suffering from neurodegenerative disease showed that it was changes in moral behavior, not memory loss, that caused loved ones to say that the patient wasn't "the same person" anymore.
Traffic deaths up sharply in first six months of this year Traffic deaths were up 14 percent nationally in the first six months of this year and injuries were up by a third, according to data gathered by the National Safety Council.
In first year, two Florida laws reduce amount of opioids prescribed, study suggests Two Florida laws, enacted to combat prescription drug abuse and misuse in that state, led to a small but significant decrease in the amount of opioids prescribed the first year the laws were in place, a new study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers suggests.
	Children of military parents, caregivers at greater risk for adverse outcomes Children with parents or caregivers currently serving in the military had a higher prevalence of substance use, violence, harassment and weapon-carrying than their nonmilitary peers in a study of California school children, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
Effect of presymptomatic BMI, dietary intake, alcohol on ALS Presymptomatic patients with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) consumed more daily calories but had lower body-mass index (BMI) than those individuals without ALS in a study in the Netherlands that also looked at risk for the disease and associations with food and alcohol intake, according to an article published online by JAMA Neurology.
Imaging study looks at brain effects of early adversity, mental health disorders Adversity during the first six years of life was associated with higher levels of childhood internalizing symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, in a group of boys, as well as altered brain structure in late adolescence between the ages of 18 and 21, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
	Genomic testing triggers a diabetes diagnosis revolution Over a 10 year period, the time that babies receive genetic testing after being diagnosed with diabetes has fallen from over four years to under two months. Pinpointing the exact genetic causes of sometimes rare forms of diabetes is revolutionising healthcare for these patients.
	Maggots in medicine: Ancient therapy making comeback as wound-healing option These aren't your grandfather's maggots. Maggot, or larval, therapy has been around since ancient times as a way to heal wounds. Now, the method has gone high-tech—in some ways—and it's being tested in a rigorous clinical trial at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla. Recruitment is now underway.
Meningitis cases in Sweden after Japan scout jamboree Swedish health officials said Monday three possible cases of meningitis have been detected among Swedes who attended a recent scout jamboree in Japan, and urged all 1,900 Swedish participants to consult a doctor.
	Imperfect test fuels alternative treatments for Lyme disease Lyme disease conjures memories of checking for ticks at camp and fretting over bug bites after hikes in the woods. But far from a summertime nuisance, Lyme is a potentially debilitating disease - and the subject of a vigorous debate in modern medicine.
FDA: scope manufacturer waited years to report problems Federal regulators have uncovered new violations by the manufacturer of medical scopes recently linked to outbreaks of deadly "superbug" bacteria at U.S. hospitals.
	Genetic test could improve blood cancer treatment Testing for genetic risk factors could improve treatment for myeloma - a cancer of the blood and bone marrow - by helping doctors identify patients at risk of developing more aggressive disease.
	Aspirin reverses obesity cancer risk Research has shown that a regular dose of aspirin reduces the long-term risk of cancer in those who are overweight in an international study of people with a family history of the disease.
	The nonagenarian athlete: Researchers study Olga Kotelko's brain In the summer of 2012, Olga Kotelko, a 93-year-old Canadian track-and-field athlete with more than 30 world records in her age group, visited the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois and submitted to an in-depth analysis of her brain.
Peripherally inserted central catheters can cause blood clots in lower limbs Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs), a type of IV typically inserted in a vein in the arm, are frequently used by healthcare professionals to obtain long-term central venous access in hospitalized patients. While there are numerous benefits associated with PICCs, a potential complication is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots, in upper limbs. A new study of more than 70,000 patients in 48 Michigan hospitals indicates that PICC use is associated not only with upper-extremity DVT, but also with lower-extremity DVT. The results are published in The American Journal of Medicine.
Women's health, education, marital status pre-pregnancy affect birth weight of girls A woman's weight at birth, education level and marital status pre-pregnancy can have repercussions for two generations, putting her children and grandchildren at higher risk of low birth weight, according to a new study by Jennifer B. Kane, assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine. The findings are the first to tie social and biological factors together using population data in determining causes for low birth weight.
IRS rules to protect patients from health care financial burdens are inadequate, need legal reform Recently issued new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules for tax-exempt, typically nonprofit, hospitals designed to help protect patients from health care financial burdens are inadequate and need further legal reform, Georgia State University Law Professor Erin C. Fuse Brown says.
	Vitamin D supplements could help reduce falls in homebound elderly Every year falls affect approximately one in three older adults living at home, with approximately one in 10 falls resulting in serious injury. Even if an injury does not occur, the fear of falling can lead to reduced activity and a loss of independence.
	Smoking cessation drug not boosting number of smokers who quit The introduction of a new prescription smoking-cessation aid, varenicline, in 2006 has had no significant impact on the rate at which Americans age 18 and older successfully quit smoking, according to a study led by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
Opiate addiction spreading, becoming more complex The growing availability of heroin, combined with programs aimed at curbing prescription painkiller abuse, may be changing the face of opiate addiction in the U.S., according to sociologists.
	Study shows poor sleep contributes to MS-related fatigue Kessler Foundation's Lauren Strober, PhD, explores the association of secondary fatigue and sleep disturbances in multiple sclerosis (MS). "Fatigue in multiple sclerosis: a look at the role of poor sleep" was published in Frontiers in Neurology (doi: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00021) Dr. Strober, an MS researcher at Kessler Foundation, confirmed that sleep disturbances significantly contribute to MS-related fatigue, a common and often disabling symptom among individuals with MS.
	Fat mice bred to have more muscle give insight Even without losing fat, more muscle appears to go a long way in fighting off the bad cardiovascular effects of obesity.
Protective eyewear reduces field hockey eye injuries without increased concussion risk A study conducted by researchers at Hasbro Children's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Fairfax (VA) County Public Schools and the University of Colorado School of Medicine has found that nationally mandated protective eyewear results in a greater than three-fold reduced risk of eye and orbital injuries in high school (HS) girls' field hockey players without increasing rates of concussion.
	Study reveals effects of chemoradiation in brains of glioblastoma patients A study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center researchers - the first to examine the effects of combined radiation and chemotherapy on the healthy brain tissue of glioblastoma patients - reveals not only specific structural changes within patients' brains but also that the effect of cancer therapy on the normal brain appears to be progressive and continues even after radiation therapy has ceased. The report has been issued online and will appear in the August 25 issue of Neurology.
	Retinal changes may serve as measures of brain pathology in schizophrenia Schizophrenia is associated with structural and functional alterations of the visual system, including specific structural changes in the eye. Tracking such changes may provide new measures of risk for, and progression of the disease, according to a literature review published online in the journal Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, authored by researchers at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and Rutgers University.
Study finds music therapy lowers anxiety during surgical breast biopsies A first-of-its-kind study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finds that music therapy lessened anxiety for women undergoing surgical breast biopsies for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The two-year study out of University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center involved 207 patients.
	Neglecting teen health may lead to bigger problems as adults (HealthDay)—Nearly one in five teens has specific health care needs that are not receiving attention, and this may set them up for poorer physical and mental health in adulthood, a new study contends.
	FDA could approve first female libido pill soon (HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration could soon approve a controversial drug aimed at boosting libido in women.
	Searing heat, high humidity a threat to your health (HealthDay)—Hot, humid weather will blanket much of the eastern United States the first half of this week, putting millions of people at risk for heat-related health problems.
	How parents can ease transition to first grade (HealthDay)—Parents can smooth a child's transition from kindergarten to the new demands of first grade, an expert says.
	Sparse data available on value of bedside physical exams in ICU (HealthDay)—Data relating to the value of bedside physical examinations in the intensive care unit (ICU) are sparse, according to a review published online Aug. 4 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
	Serious childhood infection tied to metabolic disease later in life (HealthDay)—Infection-related hospitalization (IRH) during childhood is independently associated with adverse adult metabolic variables, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in Pediatrics.
	Antigen level signals response to chemo for pancreatic cancer (HealthDay)—A drop in carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels of more than 10 percent after two rounds of chemotherapy is associated with longer survival in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), according to a study published online Aug. 6 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Smoking ups risk of some renal cell cancer histological subtypes (HealthDay)—Smoking is a risk factor for clear cell and papillary renal cell carcinoma, but not for the chromophobe subtype, according to a study published in the September issue of The Journal of Urology.
	EMR care pathway aids treatment of cellulitis (HealthDay)—An electronic medical record (EMR)-based care pathway improves treatment of cellulitis, according to a study published online July 28 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Post-hysterectomy cystoscopy may lead to false-positive result (HealthDay)—For patients with a pre-existing unknown nonfunctional kidney, cystoscopy to confirm ureteral patency after hysterectomy may lead to an incorrect assumption of a ureteral injury, according to a case report published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Scientists and NASA astronauts developing near real-time osteoporosis and bone cancer test A new test for offers the possibility of near real time monitoring of bone diseases, such as osteoporosis and multiple myeloma. The functionality of the test, which measures changes in calcium isotope ratios, has been validated on blood samples from NASA space shuttle astronauts.
Health insurance websites show improved efforts to support patient decision making Websites for national and state health insurance marketplaces show evidence of improved efforts to assist patients in choosing health insurance plans, such as providing decision support tools, experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found. However, in a letter published in the August 18 issue the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Penn team recommends taking more steps to better support consumers in making informed health plan decisions.
GlaxoSmithKline to reopen plant where Legionnaires' found Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline plans to resume operations at a North Carolina plant that closed after discovery of bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease, a potentially fatal form of pneumonia.
Sierra Leone ends Ebola quarantine for 500 villagers Sierra Leone has ended an Ebola lockdown in the northern village of Massessbe that had kept more than 500 residents in quarantine, as President Ernest Bai Koroma said only two people were still being treated for the virus nationwide.
Niger steps up fight against cancers stalking women Niger has stepped up the fight against breast and cervical cancer, using screening and public awareness campaigns to reverse a scourge affecting more and more women in the prime of life.
MicroRNA markers characteristic of 'Asian Indian phenotype' in patients with type 2 diabetes Researchers have shown the biomarker role of certain circulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) characteristic of "Asian Indian phenotype' in patients with type 2 diabetes – a metabolic disease referred to as 'madhumeha' in Ayurveda. This study has been published in PLoS One.
	NO2 air pollution increases allergenicity in ragweed pollen Pollen of the common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) has higher concentrations of allergen when the plant is exposed to NO2 exhaust gases, according to findings of scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München. In addition, the study published in the journal Plant, Cell & Environment indicates the presence of a possible new allergen in the plant.
Health care must be key issue in Canada's federal election Health care is a major responsibility of Canada's federal government and must be a key issue in the fall election, argues Dr. Matthew Stanbrook in an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Sierra Leone records no new Ebola cases in a week: WHO Sierra Leone has not recorded a new case of Ebola in the last week, a first since the outbreak reached the country in March last year, the World Health Organization said Monday.
GlaxoSmithKline reopens plant where Legionnaires' found Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline says a North Carolina plant is reopening after the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was discovered last week.
White House launches initiative to combat heroin use The White House is launching a new $5 million initiative to combat heroin use and trafficking of the drug, particularly in states along the East Coast.

Biology news

	Paleobotanists identify what could be the mythical 'first flower' Indiana University paleobotanist David Dilcher and colleagues in Europe have identified a 125 million- to 130 million-year-old freshwater plant as one of earliest flowering plants on Earth.
	Intensive defenses: Biologists discover large mimicry complex in North America In the animal kingdom, survival essentially boils down to eat or be eaten. How organisms accomplish the former and avoid the latter reveals an immense array of defense mechanisms. Perhaps you can outrun your prey. Maybe you have a nasty weapon to fend off predators. Or you may sport an undetectable disguise.
	Fallow deer are all about the bass when sizing up rivals During the deer's breeding season, or rut, the researchers from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and ETH Zürich, played male fallow deer (bucks) in Petworth Park in West Sussex, a variety of different calls that had been digitally manipulated to change the pitch and length and analysed their responses. The bucks treated lower pitched and longer calls as more threatening, by looking towards source of the call sooner and for longer, than others.
	How to preserve fleeting digital information with DNA for future generations Hand-written letters and printed photos seem quaint in today's digital age. But there's one thing that traditional media have over hard drives: longevity. To address this modern shortcoming, scientists are turning to DNA to save unprecedented amounts of digital data for posterity. One team has demonstrated that DNA they encapsulated can preserve information for at least 2,000 years, and they're now working on a filing system to make it easier to navigate.
	Frogs exposed to road salt appear to benefit then suffer Millions of tons of road salt are applied to streets and highways across the United States each winter to melt ice and snow and make travel safer, but the effects of salt on wildlife are poorly understood.
	As seas rise, saltwater plants offer hope farms will survive On a sun-scorched wasteland near India's southern tip, an unlikely garden filled with spiky shrubs and spindly greens is growing, seemingly against all odds.
Clever feedback system regulates immune responses A newly discovered feedback mechanism in the body is responsible for keeping immune responses from getting out of hand. It works at the level of certain genes, linking the inactivation of those genes to the progress made in transcribing them: This clever mechanism was discovered as part of an Austrian Science Fund FWF project and was recently published in Molecular Cell Biology. The discovery offers a completely new approach for future therapies aimed at controlling the immune system.
	Tracking a rarely seen, endangered 'ninja' shark in the philippines Rutgers marine scientist Thomas Grothues is well known for his expertise in tracking fish. He was recruited last year by a colleague from England  to track a rarely seen shark species in the Philippines.
	Researchers celebrate rare tree kangaroo birth University of Queensland researchers and Dreamworld staff are celebrating the birth of one of Australia's rarest species of tree kangaroo.
	Study describes underlying cause of diabetes in dogs In a new effort, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Baylor College of Medicine have used advanced imaging technology to fill in details about the underlying cause of canine diabetes, which until now has been little understood. For the first time, they've precisely quantified the dramatic loss of insulin-producing beta cells in dogs with the disease and compared it to the loss observed in people with type 1 diabetes.
	Harvesting invasive cattails to restore marsh biodiversity The diesel-powered harvester roars as ecologist Shane Lishawa crashes through dense, 7-foot-tall cattails toward an experimental plot established in the marsh in 2011.
	Report finds freshwater life is on the way out The majority of New Zealand's freshwater species are disappearing. That's the message of the Society for Conservation Biology's new report, which two of New Zealand's leading freshwater ecologists Massey University's Dr Mike Joy and Professor Russell Death have contributed to.
	Play linked to sluggish growth in infant monkeys – but should humans worry? For more than a century, researchers have tried to pin down exactly why so many animal species play in their infancy. Now a new study in wild macaque monkeys has found that infants who play more actually boost key motor skills. However, these skills are acquired at a cost. The researchers also discovered that active infants grow more slowly.
	Research aids disaster-recovery framework Australian scientists have identified cost-effective ways to help marine populations 'bounce back' after major disturbances, using a case study of spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosis) at Ningaloo Reef.
Decisive steps in the initiation of programmed cell death revealed When cells age or suffer damage, they are able to actively bring about their own pre-programmed death – a "suicide" process known as apoptosis. A desensitization of this process determines the change from a normal cell into a cancer cell. On the other hand, an over-functioning of apoptosis is associated to the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is extremely important. The protein Bax is known as a key regulator of apoptosis. Researchers headed by Professor Ana García-Sáez of the University of Tübingen and Professor Joachim Spatz of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart have investigated the role of Bax proteins, finding more detailed information as to how they work. The findings are published in the latest Nature Communications.
	Plant growth requires teamwork between two hormones Two growth-promoting groups of substances, or phytohormones, the gibberellins and the brassinosteroids, are used independently of each other for the breeding and production of crop plants. A team of scientists at Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now discovered that the two act in concert - without brassinosteroids, a plant is unable to produce gibberellins.
	New AUV plankton sampling system deployed A group of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) researchers and engineers have developed and tested an innovative new system for sampling small planktonic larvae in coastal ocean waters and understanding their distribution.
Yosemite campground shutting after two squirrels die of plague Officials at Yosemite National Park said Friday they will temporarily close a popular campsite after two squirrels died of plague in the area.
	Elephant skin graft gives mutilated rhino second chance A rhinoceros in South Africa that was mutilated by poachers for its horn is getting a chance to recover after receiving a skin graft from an elephant, a veterinarian told AFP Saturday.
Hitting mosquitos when they are weakest Mosquitos. During the summer months they can be annoying, but in the villages around the southern tip of Lake Gruyere, they can become a real pest – if, that is, they are left unchecked. That is why for the past 20 years local authorities have been culling the mosquito population in interventions timed to hit the mosquito larvae with a natural insecticide when they are most vulnerable. To assist decision-makers in planning these interventions, Max Mentha and Morgan Bruhin, both master's students in environmental engineering, worked on the development of an online platform that tracks the larval development around the hotspot.
	Biologist investigates how gene-swapping bacteria evade antibiotics A scientific peek into bacteria boudoirs is revealing how "sex" among disease-causing microbes can lead different species or strains to become resistant to antibiotic medications.
	TGAC leads development to diminish threat to Vietnam's most important crop As the second-largest global exporter, Rice is the most important agricultural commodity of Vietnam. A dramatic increase in rice production has taken place since the 1980s, due to the expansion of arable land and a shift in the crop's varieties from producing a single annual yield to two-three yields per year.
US seed plan aims to protect land after natural disasters Federal authorities announced a plan Monday to produce massive quantities of seeds from native plants that can be quickly planted to help land recover from natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.
	New research could lead to better identification of human vulnerabilities Historically, males have been considered the vulnerable sex, sometimes called "male vulnerability." Charles Darwin noted that boys are more likely to die in infancy than girls and have a higher risk of premature death throughout their lifetimes. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri suggests that research in "male vulnerability" should be expanded to include "female vulnerability." Using evolutionary theory and basic biological principles, he proposes a method for identifying when specific traits, such as height or language abilities, are more easily compromised in one sex or the other or at some ages but not others. Identification of age-, sex-, and trait-specific sensitivities will enable a more comprehensive assessment of how disease, poor nutrition, social abuse and environmental toxins undermine human wellbeing.

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