Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Aug 11

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 11, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Study suggests long term collaborations result in more productive scientific careers
- New metamaterial device solves the cocktail party problem
- Research team creates a superfluid in a record-high magnetic field
- Study finds the origin of 'odd-even' effects
- The brain is not as cramped as we thought
- Omega-3 may block psychosis years later, study finds
- Startup energy brings Disney's BB-8 droid toy to life
- Lake Michigan perch quickly changed course of 'reverse evolution'
- Mass extinction survival is more than just a numbers game
- Droplets levitate on a cushion of blue light
- Scientists study nitrogen provision for Pluto's atmosphere
- SIV shrugs off antibodies in vaccinated monkeys
- Device may detect urinary tract infections faster
- CMR induced in pure lanthanum manganite
- Scientists provide new tools for predicting arrival, impact of solar storms

Astronomy & Space news

	How much contamination is OK on Mars 2020 rover? When the Mars 2020 rover arrives on the Red Planet, one of its primary mission goals will be to select and preserve samples that would eventually make it back to Earth for scientific study. Rather than seeking to eliminate contamination of these samples completely, essentially an impossible task, a panel of scientists and engineers met to assess the levels at which significant science could still occur.
	Scientists study nitrogen provision for Pluto's atmosphere The latest data from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft reveal diverse features on Pluto's surface and an atmosphere dominated by nitrogen gas. However, Pluto's small mass allows hundreds of tons of atmospheric nitrogen to escape into space each hour.
	Scientists provide new tools for predicting arrival, impact of solar storms When the sun hurls a billion tons of high-energy particles and magnetic fields into space at speeds of more than a million miles per hour and the "space weather" conditions are right, the resulting geomagnetic storm at Earth can wreak havoc on communication and navigation systems, electrical power grids, and pose radiation hazards to astronauts and airline passengers and crew.
	NASA opens new CubeSat opportunities for low-cost space exploration Space enthusiasts have an opportunity to contribute to NASA's exploration goals through the next round of the agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative. Applicants must submit their proposals electronically by 4:30 p.m. EST, Nov. 24.
	67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, then and now What a difference a year can make. Rosetta arrived at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 6 August 2014, achieving rendezvous at a distance of 100 km before moving even closer to the nucleus in the following weeks. The image shown on the left was taken with the navigation camera, NavCam, on rendezvous day, when Rosetta was about 121 km out.
	Comet's firework display ahead of perihelion In the approach to perihelion over the past few weeks, Rosetta has been witnessing growing activity from Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, with one dramatic outburst event proving so powerful that it even pushed away the incoming solar wind.
	Image: Darkness descending on Saturn Saturn's unusual appearance in this picture is a result of the planet being imaged via an infrared filter.
	Don't panic, but the universe is slowly dying We know that our universe has already lived through great number of exciting phases. But new research released overnight shows the universe has long passed its peak and is slowly but surely dying.
	How massive can black holes get? Without the light pressure from nuclear fusion to hold back the mass of the star, the outer layers compress inward in an instant. The star dies, exploding violently as a supernova.
	Meteor shower likely to be good, won't be eclipsed by moon People looking for a shooting star to wish upon may find Wednesday overnight to be a dream come true.
	First use of ISS astronaut pictures for light pollution studies Scientists are tapping into photographs taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to reliably measure the amount of light pollution worldwide. This study not only includes the well-known signatures of cities and streets, but also the effects of faint indirectly scattered light, which up to now had not been measured quantitatively. The new results confirm that this diffuse glow, which is seen from space, is scattered light from streetlights and buildings. This is the component responsible for the brightening of the night skies in and around cities, which drastically limits the visibility of faint stars and the Milky Way. The team also concludes that European countries and cities with a higher public debt also have higher energy consumption for street lighting per inhabitant, and that the total cost of the energy consumption for street lights is 6300 million euros/year in the European Union.
	National labs put power behind NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto After a journey of three billion miles lasting more than nine years, NASA's New Horizons mission finally flew by Pluto and its mysterious moons. The craft is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) that was assembled, tested and prepared for launch by researchers at DOE's Idaho National Laboratory.
	What is the Oort Cloud? For thousands of years, astronomers have watched comets travel close to Earth and light up the night sky. In time, these observations led to a number of paradoxes. For instance, where were these comets all coming from? And if their surface material vaporizes as they approach the sun (thus forming their famous halos), they must formed farther away, where they would have existed there for most of their lifespans.
	See Venus at her most ravishing Venus is HUGE right now but oh-so-skinny as it approaches inferior conjunction on August 15. Like crescents? You'll never see a thinner and more elegant one, but first you'll have to find it. Here's how.

Technology news

	SpaceVR aims toward a VR camera in space SpaceVR is a virtual reality platform set to share live 3D, 360 degree content from the International Space Station (ISS) so that anyone with virtual reality gear can feel like an astronaut. The company was founded in January this year by Ryan Holmes, CEO, and Isaac DeSouza, CTO.
	Robots collaborate to deliver meds, supplies, and even drinks If companies like Amazon and Google have their way, soon enough we will have robots air-dropping supplies from the sky. But is our software where it needs to be to move and deliver goods in the real world?
	Team uses smart light, shadows to track human posture A Dartmouth College team has created the first light-sensing system that reconstructs human postures continuously and unobtrusively, furthering efforts to create smart spaces in which people control their environment with simple gestures.
	Startup energy brings Disney's BB-8 droid toy to life If it weren't for someone willing to entertain a new idea, the new "Star Wars" droid, BB-8, wouldn't be rolling into living rooms this holiday season.
	'Machine teaching' holds the power to illuminate human learning Human learning is a complex, sometimes mysterious process. Most of us have had experiences where we have struggled to learn something new, but also times when we've picked something up nearly effortlessly.
	Exploring comfortable skin-worn sensors for touch input Researchers are making an attempt to steer us closer to comfortable touch mechanisms for operating mobile devices. A promising sign that they are on to something is evident in iSkin.
	Sundar Pichai: the little-known new chief of Google His name may not ring a bell, but Google's new CEO Sundar Pichai has worked on some of the company's best-known products—from the Chrome browser to the Android mobile software.
	Japan ends nuclear shutdown four years after Fukushima Japan on Tuesday ended a two-year nuclear shutdown in the energy-hungry country, sparked by public fears following the 2011 Fukushima crisis, the worst atomic disaster in a generation.
	Google 'Alphabet' website blocked in China on first day Tech geeks in China looking to understand Google's newly unveiled corporate structure are out of luck: the website of the new parent company, dubbed Alphabet, was blocked less than 24 hours after going live.
	New offshore wind turbine boosts energy yield by nearly ten percent Siemens has increased the generator capacity of its gearless offshore wind turbines from six to seven megawatts.
	Hackers accused of making $100M by peeking at press releases (Update 5) An international web of hackers and traders made $100 million on Wall Street by stealing a look at corporate press releases before they went out and then trading on that information ahead of the pack, federal authorities charged Tuesday.
	With virtual reality, a 360-degree view inside Syria The latest frontier in virtual reality could be closer to reality than fantasy.
	Google turns a page with Alphabet (Update) Google's reshaping under newly formed parent Alphabet gives the tech giant more ability to focus on its core business, while offering startup-like flexibility to long shot, trailblazing projects.
BMW to check trademark case over Google's Alphabet Germany's BMW said Tuesday it was checking the "trademark implications" of Google naming its new parent company Alphabet, which is the registered name of one of the auto maker's subsidiaries.
	Cheap prosthesis made from PET are light and heat sensitive One problem that prostheses present is that by lacking sensitivity, they can become damaged when exposed to objects emitting high temperatures and consequently burn the user. To avoid this, the Protesa group was given the task of designing sensors to warn prosthesis users of heat excess.
Human and organizational factors influence software quality A new doctoral dissertation by Frank Philip Seth at LUT (Lappeenranta University of Technology) proposes that human factors involved in the software development processes will determine the quality of the products developed. However, the results of the study also suggest that tools, infrastructure and other resources also have a positive impact on software quality, and the methods of development were found to bring little effect on software quality. According to the research the software quality is an information-intensive process whereby organizational structures, mode of operation, and information flow within the company variably affect software quality.
Rite Aid stores no longer shun Apple Pay Rite Aid stores will start accepting Apple's mobile payment system, Apple Pay, later this month after initially shunning the service in favor of a rival system.

Medicine & Health news

	Researchers find mutations that contribute to rare blood cancer Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a group of mutations responsible for many cases of a rare immune cell cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Identifying the mutations could tip off clinicians to effective treatments for the currently incurable condition.
	Brain scans can predict the success of treatment for social anxiety disorder For patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD), current behavioral and pharmaceutical treatments work about half the time. After weeks of investment in therapy, about half of patients will likely still suffer with symptoms of anxiety, and have little choice but to try again with something else. This trial-and-error process—inevitable due to an absence of tools to guide treatment selection—is time-consuming and expensive, and some patients eventually just give up.
	Could flu someday be prevented without a vaccine? Researchers have discovered a way to trigger a preventive response to a flu infection without any help from the usual players - the virus itself or interferon, a powerful infection fighter.
	Researcher discovers 'brain signature' that predicts human emotions A Dartmouth researcher and his colleagues have discovered a way to predict human emotions based on brain activity.
	Omega-3 may block psychosis years later, study finds Omega-3, a fatty acid found in oily fish, may prevent the onset of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders long after being consumed, according to a study released Tuesday.
	Receptors in brain linked to schizophrenia, autism The loss of a critical receptor in a special class of inhibitory neurons in the brain may be responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and schizophrenia, according to new research by Salk scientists.
	SIV shrugs off antibodies in vaccinated monkeys New research on monkeys vaccinated against HIV's relative SIV calls into question an idea that has driven AIDS vaccine work for years. The assumption: a protective vaccine only needs to stimulate moderate levels of antibodies that neutralize the virus.
	New clues found to vision loss in macular degeneration? Scientists have identified a pathway that leads to the formation of atypical blood vessels that can cause blindness in people with age-related macular degeneration.
	What's the best method for cleaning hospital rooms? (HealthDay)—Concerns about hospital "superbugs" have spotlighted the need to prevent the spread of germs in health-care settings. But a new report reveals a disturbing lack of knowledge on something as basic as proper cleaning of a patient's room.
	Exercise boosts obese kids' heart health (HealthDay)—When obese kids get moving, their cardiovascular health quickly improves even if they don't lose weight, a new review finds.
	Increase in chest CT scans leads to more incidental findings (HealthDay)—The percentage of incidental pulmonary nodules identified increased from 2006 to 2012, according to a study published online July 27 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Two cases of SCC described after ingenol mebutate gel application (HealthDay)—Two cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) have been described, with rapid onset after application of ingenol mebutate gel for treatment of actinic keratosis (AK). The report was published online July 31 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
	Expert offers school bus safety tips (HealthDay)—School bus safety is one of the many things parents need to review with their children before the start of the new school year, an expert says.
	Kids with cancer get futuristic chance at saving fertility Barely 2 years old, Talia Pisano is getting tough treatment for kidney cancer that spread to her brain. She's also getting a chance at having babies of her own someday.
	Scientists say fetal tissue essential for medical research The furor on Capitol Hill over Planned Parenthood has stoked a debate about the use of tissue from aborted fetuses in medical research, but U.S. scientists have been using such cells for decades to develop vaccines and seek treatments for a host of ailments, from vision loss to cancer and AIDS.
	Fresh hope for leukaemia cure Monash researchers have uncovered the mechanism used by a common type of blood cancer to hide itself from the immune system.
Slowing down muscle loss in heart failure patients Patients in advanced states of myocardial insufficiency generally lose their muscle mass and muscle strength. Indeed, that fact has, until now, negatively impacted the clinical course of the disease and has resulted in poor prognoses for patients. Such pathological muscle loss impacts the skeletal muscles in particular. The responsible molecular signaling pathways have not yet been fully understood. One cause of this degenerative process lies in the system that regulates the blood pressure and salt/water supply in the body—the so-called renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). This is strongly activated in the context of the disease process and associated with cardiac cachexia, leading to an increase in the formation of the effector peptide angiotensin II. Angiotensin II directly affects the muscle and increases protein degradation there, resulting in a loss of muscular mass and strength.
	Monoclonal antibodies—the invisible allies that changed the face of medicine They are tiny magic bullets that are quietly shaping the lives of millions of patients around the world. Produced in the lab, invisible to the naked eye, relatively few people are aware of these molecules' existence or where they came from. Yet monoclonal antibodies are contained in six out of ten of the world's bestselling drugs, helping to treat everything from cancer to heart disease to asthma.
	Study discovers breast cancer metastasis gene Monash researchers have discovered an entirely new gene, responsible for triggering breast cancer, increasing tumour growth and regulating metastasis (the spreading of tumours throughout the body), which is the main killer in most cases of the disease.
	Phase II trials underway for new single dose malaria treatment Early research on a new malaria drug shows potential for a single dose treatment of the disease. The new drug, which prevents the malaria parasite from reproducing and spreading, is now undergoing Phase II clinical trials in humans.
	Are vitamin D tests testing the health budget? Researchers from Monash University have conducted a study into the frequency and testing patterns for vitamin D deficiency which raises questions about best practice and the financial impact on health spending in Australia.
	High fat diet triggers dangerous activity in common gene A surprise discovery in fat mice will lead to novel treatments for obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in humans according to new research.
	Testing testosterone: Trial finds no link to hardening of the arteries Testosterone sales have grown rapidly over the last decade, but few studies have examined the long-term effects of taking testosterone on cardiovascular health and other important outcomes. This week, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) report the results of the Testosterone's Effects on Atherosclerosis Progression in Aging Men (TEAAM) trial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The three-year study finds that testosterone administration had no effect on the progression of hardening of the arteries in older men with low to low normal testosterone levels and did not significantly improve sexual function or health-related quality of life.
Georgia dialysis facility referral rate for kidney transplants is low and variable Although kidney transplantation is known to be the optimal treatment for most patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), only about one in four patients with ESRD in Georgia was referred by a dialysis facility to a transplant center for evaluation within one year of starting dialysis, according to a new study. In addition, there was substantial variation in the percentage of referrals among dialysis facilities.
	Outcomes of prolonged episodes of respiratory disorder among extremely preterm infants Among extremely preterm infants, prolonged episodes of hypoxemia (abnormally low levels of oxygen in the blood, which leads to shortness of breath) during the first 2 to 3 months after birth were associated with an increased risk of disability or death at 18 months, according to a study in the August 11 issue of JAMA.
In vitro fertilization using frozen eggs associated with lower live birth rates Compared to using fresh oocytes (eggs) for in vitro fertilization, use of cryopreserved (frozen) donor oocytes in 2013 was associated with lower live birth rates, according to a study in the August 11 issue of JAMA.
Study examines high-risk therapeutic medical devices receiving FDA premarket approval Of high-risk therapeutic devices approved via the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Premarket Approval (PMA) pathway between 2010 and 2011, there has been wide variation in both the number and quality of premarket and postmarket studies, with approximately 13 percent of initiated postmarket studies completed between 3 and 5 years after FDA approval, according to a study in the August 11 issue of JAMA.
Energy expenditure increases after gastric bypass surgery Gastric bypass surgery often leads to a sustained weight loss. Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy have found part of the explanation: the operation enhances energy expenditure such that eating actually helps the person lose weight.
	Differences in attention abilities of babies born through caesareans versus normal deliveries Being delivered through a caesarean section influences at least one form of babies' ability to concentrate. It slows their spatial attention, which plays a role in how well they are able to prioritize and focus on a particular area or object that is of interest. These are the findings of Scott Adler and Audrey Wong-Kee-You of York University in Canada, published in Springer's journal Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics.
Insulin pump reduces mortality from cardiovascular disease by almost 50% People with type 1 diabetes who use insulin pump therapy face almost 50% less risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who take insulin by multiple daily injections. The British Medical Journal has published a study conducted at Sahlgrenska Academy.
	How people with autism spectrum disorders understand idioms and other figures of speech How do children and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) understand idioms and other figures of speech? A 4.15 million euro EU project based out of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology is examining the links between language and perception in autistic individuals as just one of 15 cross-disciplinary projects designed to bring a better understanding to how our perception and language interact and change over time and in individuals.
	'Scoring system' may spot those in greatest need of colonoscopy (HealthDay)— Colonoscopy can save lives, but experts agree that testing rates remain too low. Now, researchers say a special scoring system might point to those people at highest risk for colon cancer, who may need the test the most.
	Calculated LDL-C varies at lower values of measured LDL-C (HealthDay)—At lower values of measured low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the variation and bias of calculated LDL-C increases, according to a study published in the Aug. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
	Medicare will cover expensive new leukemia medication (HealthDay)—Medicare will pay for a new, expensive cancer medication that costs about $178,000 for a standard course of treatment, the Obama administration says.
	CDC: Younger adults with diabetes lag in seeking eye care (HealthDay)—Younger adults with diabetes are less likely to seek regular eye care, regardless of how long it has been since they were first diagnosed, according to a report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
	In-person staff meetings are valuable for health care teams (HealthDay)—In-person staff meetings, which are not too short or too long and are held frequently, are valuable for health care team operation, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
	Chickenpox vaccination does increase shingles cases, but mainly in young adults Vaccinating one-year-olds against chickenpox could temporarily nearly double the incidence of shingles in the wider population, but in younger adults than previously thought.
	Researchers shed light on why people trust Trust matters whether it's love, money or another part of our everyday lives that requires risk, and a new study by a Dartmouth brain researcher and his collaborators sheds light on what motivates people to make that leap of faith.
Crying in negotiations can help gain concessions Tom Hanks established the "no crying in baseball" rule in "A League of Their Own." But how about negotiations?
Can America cope with a resurgence of tropical disease? One rainy Friday morning in March 2015, Dr Laila Woc-Colburn saw two patients with neurocysticercosis (a parasitic infection of the brain) and one with Chagas disease, which is transmitted by insects nicknamed 'kissing bugs'. Having attended medical school in her native Guatemala, she was used to treating these kinds of diseases. But she was not in Guatemala any more – this was Houston, Texas.
	NIH analysis shows Americans are in pain A new analysis of data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) has found that most American adults have experienced some level of pain, from brief to more lasting pain, and from relatively minor to more severe pain. The analysis helps to unravel the complexities of a Nation in pain. It found that an estimated 25.3 million adults (11.2 percent) had pain every day for the preceding 3 months. Nearly 40 million adults (17.6 percent) experience severe levels of pain. Those with severe pain are also likely to have worse health status. The analysis was funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and was published in The Journal of Pain.
New breath test shows possible biomarker for early-stage liver disease diagnosis A natural compound called limonene, which is found in oranges and lemons, could be indicative in early-stage diagnosis of liver disease, according to research published in the journal EBioMedicine by researchers in the Molecular Physics Group at the University of Birmingham.
	Common class of 'channel blocking' drugs may find a role in cancer therapy Drugs called ion channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat cardiac, neurological, and psychiatric disorders, might prove useful in cancer therapy, according to research findings in fruit flies and mice by UC San Francisco scientists that led to unconventional treatment of a case of metastatic brain cancer.
	One technique therapists use that really helps depressed patients Some depressed patients may be hoping for answers from their therapists, but a new study suggests questions may be the key.
	Sport TV exposing children to thousands of alcohol-adverts per year New research from Monash University shows that children are being exposed to thousands of alcohol adverts when watching sport TV, questioning the effectiveness of advertising regulations designed to protect children.
	Cheaper, faster, more accurate test to identify gene defects in heart patients Stanford researchers design cheaper, faster, more accurate test to identify gene defects in heart patients
	Single interrupted pregnancy may impact later deliveries, new research finds It has been well established that women who have had several abortions or miscarriages are likely to face a slightly higher risk of complications in subsequent pregnancies. They may experience vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy, preterm birth, low fetal birth weight, and placenta-related complications. Women with a medical history of several interrupted pregnancies are usually advised to take extra precautions to ensure healthy full-term pregnancies later in life.
Experts suggest upgrades to current heart disease prevention guideline Acknowledging key strengths and "lessons learned," preventive cardiologists from Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic have developed a short list of suggested upgrades to the controversial heart disease prevention guidelines issued jointly in 2013 by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
	App helps patients with depression, psychiatrists manage mood, activity levels Approximately 16 million American adults are affected by depression. However, many patients see a psychiatrist only once every two to three months. Recognizing that patients often forget how their moods vary between visits, a team from the University of Missouri, Missouri University of Science and Technology and the Tiger Institute for Health Innovation has developed a smartphone application that lets users log their moods and symptoms and share that data with their psychiatrists.
	Back-to-school vaccines not just for students Back to school is an annual reminder to make sure children are fully vaccinated. But vaccination is a life-long health concern and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) urges adults to use the seasonal cue to ensure their own immunizations are up to date.
	Research advances potential for test and vaccine for genital and oral herpes Findings from a pair of new studies could speed up the development of a universally accurate diagnostic test for human herpes simplex viruses (HSV), according to researchers at Johns Hopkins and Harvard universities and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The work may also lead to the development of a vaccine that protects against the virus.
	Early surgery for mitral regurgitation, before clinical triggers emerge, has best outcomes About 2% of the U.S. population has mitral valve regurgitation, which left untreated, can remain mild or lead to arrhythmia or heart failure. Timing of surgery is a matter of controversy, with guidelines suggesting "watchful waiting" or medical treatment until heart failure or poor function becomes apparent. Now a report in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the official publication of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), finds that allowing patients to reach these "surgical triggers" doubles the risk of postoperative mortality and heart failure compared to those who undergo early surgery.
	Using online health forums to serve underserved communities University of California, Riverside researchers believe results from their recently published paper on how people use social media and online health forums can help reach underserved communities and prevent the spread of misinformation.
Knee replacement is effective treatment for degeneration caused by Blount disease A first-of-its kind study has found that total knee replacements can effectively treat degeneration caused by a bone deformity called Blount disease.
	Study details 'rotten egg' gas' role in autoimmune disease The immune system not only responds to infections and other potentially problematic abnormalities in the body, it also contains a built-in brake in the form of regulatory T cells, or Tregs. Tregs ensure that inflammatory responses don't get out of hand and do damage. In autoimmune diseases, sometimes these Treg cells don't act as they should.
Radiation costs vary among Medicare patients with cancer Cost of radiation therapy among Medicare patients varied most widely because of factors unrelated to a patient or that person's cancer, report University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers in the Journal of Oncology Practice.
	Study shifts understanding of how bone fractures heal It's time to rewrite the textbook description of bone fracture healing.
	Hepatitis C infection may fuel heart risk People infected with the hepatitis C virus are at risk for liver damage, but the results of a new Johns Hopkins study now show the infection may also spell heart trouble.
	New combination treatment effective against melanoma skin In findings never before seen in melanoma, a novel combination therapy was found to be highly effective at treating patients with skin metastases, new research from UC Davis has shown.
	New biomarkers show exercise helps reduce daytime sleep disorder Aerobic exercise can help alleviate excessive daytime sleepiness among depressed individuals, researchers with UT Southwestern Medical Center's Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care have found.
	AAFP spells out conditions for retail clinics (HealthDay)—Retail clinics have a place in the health care marketplace, but they must meet conditions relating to continuity of care, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
Chasing fair skin, Ivorians ignore whitening cream ban At just 26, Fatou's skin is marbled from layer on layer of whitening cream. Some even call her a "salamander" woman after the little reptile with light spots and translucent skin.
	Australia's soaring $3bn hangover bill The cost to Australia's economy of alcohol and other drug related (AOD) absenteeism has soared from $1.2bn in 2001 to more than $3bn, according to analysis being published today by Flinders University's National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA).
	Data released on soldiers' mental health risk, resilience Data from the most extensive study ever conducted on the mental health risk and resilience of U.S. military personnel is now available for use by the broader scientific community.
	Re-defining the role of emergency nurse practitioners Dr Jane O'Connell, Australia's first endorsed nurse practitioner specialising in emergency care, is leading the way in re-defining the role specialty nurse practitioners play in the health system.
	Bid to cut childbirth mortality with game for African midwives Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed a new board game which will help African midwives to detect prolonged and obstructed labour to prevent women dying in childbirth.
Opinion: The impact of Obamacare, one year on I used to bike to work every day in grad school. I lived around 2km away from the hospital I was based at (~ 1.24 miles), so biking was just the most efficient way to get to work every morning. One sunny July morning though, it all came crashing down. I was biking in, following the same route I'd taken literally hundreds of time before. And a pedestrian (with headphones in, oblivious to the world) walked out in front of me. I swerved to avoid them, hit the curb and then flew off my bike.
Opinion: Coca Cola obfuscating impact of dietary and caloric impact on obesity Earlier this week friend and fellow science-blogger Matt Herod sent me a link to a New York Times article outlining a Coca Cola-funded group called the Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN). It's a good article, so head over to read it in full. But the gist of it is summed up by the following quote:
Vortioxetine in depression: No hint of added benefit Vortioxetine (trade name: Brintellix) has been approved since December 2013 for the treatment of depression in adults, but did not become actually available before May 2015. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy. Such an added benefit cannot be derived from the dossier because it contained no data evaluable for the assessment.
Insulin degludec plus liraglutide: No hint of added benefit in type 2 diabetes The fixed-ratio combination of the two drugs insulin degludec and liraglutide (trade name: Xultophy) has been approved since September 2014 for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is given as an injection in addition to other blood-glucose lowering drugs when these alone or in combination with basal insulin are insufficient to lower blood glucose levels. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this fixed-ratio combination offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy.
	The ethics and risks of expecting teen siblings to be transplant donors A sibling may often be the best match for a patient who needs a stem cell transplant, but especially for adolescent donors, who are at a vulnerable age, factors such as the responsibility to donate versus a perception of free choice and the potential for anxiety and guilt in the face of complications or poor outcomes demand careful consideration. The benefits, burdens, and risks of adolescent sibling stem cell donation are discussed in an article in Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (JAYAO).
Drugmaker Glaxo shuts down plant over Legionnaires' bacteria Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline shut down a plant Tuesday that produces inhaled medications after discovering the bacteria that causes Legionnaire's disease, a potentially fatal form of pneumonia.
AGS and ADGAP co-management plan for hip fractures sees geriatrics mending more than bones With support from the John A. Hartford Foundation of New York, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP) will develop a national dissemination plan for an innovative program to improve care for older adults hospitalized with hip fractures. The interdisciplinary geriatrics-orthopedics co-management intervention positions geriatrics professionals as co-leaders in the pre- and post-operative management of older adults with fragility fractures. With geriatrics principles at its core, the program holds promise for improving person-centered care outcomes and decreasing healthcare spending.

Biology news

	The brain is not as cramped as we thought Using an innovative method, Swiss scientists show that the brain is not as compact as we have thought all along.
	New simple proteins play active role in cellular function Yale scientists have developed simple new proteins almost devoid of chemical diversity that still play a surprisingly active and specific role in cellular function, causing cells to act like cancer cells, they report Aug. 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Lake Michigan perch quickly changed course of 'reverse evolution' Over-fished yellow perch in Lake Michigan have recovered much quicker - by hundreds of years - in reaching reproductive maturity at a later age and larger size than scientists previously thought was possible, according to a Purdue University study.
	Bringing Danube's 'living fossils' back from brink of extinction Europe's last wild sturgeons got a rare boost this summer when the conservationist group WWF Bulgaria released more than 50,000 babies of these prehistoric fish into the lower Danube, marking the end of a three-year project co-funded by the European Union.
	Aphids are striking soybeans earlier than expected Aphids, the tiny insects that can overwhelm soybeans and reduce yields, are appearing earlier than in previous years, according to an Iowa State University entomologist.
	Commercial fishing industry reeling from mental health crisis Chronic job insecurity has led to a mental health crisis and high rates of suicide among Australian commercial fishers, according to a new Deakin University study published this month in Marine Policy journal.
Polyglutamine repeats play key role in functional development of cells Scientists at VIB and KU Leuven have revealed that variable polyglutamine repeats in the DNA tune the function of the protein in which they reside. To date, these repeats were known only to cause severe neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's. These findings now show that polyglutamine repeats may be more than just harmful elements. The study was published in the leading molecular biology journal Molecular Cell and opens the door to further studies exploring new therapies for human polyglutamine repeat diseases. Moreover, this study lays the foundation for future research into the role of repeats in the emergence and evolution of novel functions and life forms.
	Heatwave shrivelling French wine production: experts A long period of hot weather threatens to hit the wine harvest in France's famous Burgundy and Beaujolais regions, experts told AFP on Tuesday.
	New details of the transmission of stimuli in living organisms unveiled Researchers unveil new details about how cells in a living being process stimuli. The study, partly funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF, focuses on so-called G-proteins, which help transmit external stimuli that reach a cell into its interior. Using a technique developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, the study authors discovered which parts of the G-proteins are vital for their functioning. In particular, they demonstrated that only a few amino acids, protein building blocks, have a major influence on their function. Other amino acids, however, can be altered without compromising their function. The new findings significantly improve our understanding of processes such as sensory perception and hormone activity, and aid the development of new drugs. Researchers from PSI, ETH Zurich, the pharmaceutical company Roche and the British MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology report their results in the journals Natur! e and Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.
Prevention methods for dog bites too simplistic, researchers find Scientists at the University of Liverpool have shown that educating pet owners about canine body language may not be the answer to preventing dog bites as originally thought.
	Controlling feral animals and plants will save unique species and $billions Controlling feral pigs is the most cost-effective strategy to help save 148 endangered plant and animal species in the Lake Eyre Basin, and is just one of the significant findings of a three-year study led by QUT applied ecologist Associate Professor Jennifer Firn.
	Bringing the Tasmanian devil back to mainland Australia would restore ecosystem health Reintroducing Tasmanian devils to the mainland could improve biodiversity by limiting the spread of red foxes and feral cats in habitats where dingoes have been culled, a new study suggests.
Researchers develop fast test for invasive carp A Case Western Reserve University graduate student turned a research paper into a field test that quickly determines whether an Asian carp invading Lake Erie is sterile or can reproduce.
	Engineered bacterium produces 1,3-diaminopropane, an important industrial chemical A Korean research team led by Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) reported, for the first time, the production of 1,3-diaminopropane via fermentation of an engineered bacterium.
	Researchers find more strategic culling needed to reduce lionfish invasion We've all seen the stories - lionfish derbies and other efforts are ongoing in the United States and Caribbean, all with the goal of helping to decrease the number of highly invasive and ecologically devastating lionfish in our oceans. A new analysis published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series now suggests that unfortunately, the existing typically localized and intermittent derby efforts are barely making a dent in reducing overall lionfish numbers and containing their spread. This is because the culling effort is too small and locations for culling are chosen without taking into consideration direction of currents which can carry lionfish larvae to downstream regions far away.
Furthering data analysis of next-generation sequencing to facilitate research Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have developed a user-friendly, integrated platform for analyzing the transcriptomic and epigenomic "big data."
	Saving the unloved, one crowd at a time A newly released study from WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) offers hope of conservation to the world's low-profile and more unloved members of the animal kingdom. The study, which appears in the international conservation journal, Oryx, demonstrates that a "Wisdom of Crowds" method can successfully be used to determine the conservation status of species when more expensive standard field methods are not feasible.
	The evolution of beer From Austrian monks to American craft brewers, beer geeks are everywhere. But making a good beer not only depends on the best ingredients, but also the best yeast.
	Deceptive woodpecker uses mimicry to avoid competition Birds of a feather may flock together, but that doesn't mean they share a genetic background. Though birds were first classified into groups primarily based on appearance, research forthcoming in The Auk: Ornithological Advances by Brett Benz of the American Museum of Natural History, Mark Robbins of the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute, and Kevin Zimmer of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History demonstrates that this method isn't necessarily accurate: in a group of very similar-looking South American woodpecker species, genetic analysis has now shown one to be only a distant cousin of the others, in an intriguing case of visual mimicry. By copying the appearance of larger, socially dominant woodpecker species, it reduces the aggression and competitive interference that it receives from them and has more access to food resources as a result.
	Video: XROMM puts biomechanics on the fast track The protective shells that have helped keep turtles around for millions of years have also kept scientists guessing about just what's going on inside.
	Guam research aids native trees Guam-based research has made its way to the July issue of the national scientific journal HortScience. The work was conducted in the University of Guam's Western Pacific Tropical Research Center (WPTRC), and focused on experimentally quantifying the light requirements that underpin seed germination and early seedling growth of three native tree species.
Dog food processing methods answering questions According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention in 2014, approximately 53% and 58% of dogs and cats, respectively, in the United States were overweight and obese. These numbers have steadily increased since 2010. However, most pet owners (? 90%) do not realize and cannot identify that their pets are overweight/obese.
	How to reduce piglet mortality with sows in loose-housed systems Swine housing has been a hot topic in recent years, not only in the United States, but in many countries, such as Denmark. Due to genetic advancements in recent years, the average litter size in Denmark is 16.6 total born piglets. With increased number of piglets, determining the optimal housing system for both the piglet and sow is critical.

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