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Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 26, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Size matters for science paper writers, study finds
- Rolling in the deep: Mantle flow stress best indicator of US intermountain seismicity
- Reprogramming the oocyte
- Antimatter catches a wave: Accelerating positrons with plasma is a step toward smaller, cheaper particle colliders
- A shape-shifting navigation device for both the sighted and visually impaired (w/ Video)
- 3D-printing microscopic fish: Team demonstrates novel method to build robots with complex shapes, functionalities
- New Caledonian crows show strong evidence of social learning
- Researchers control embryonic stem cells with light
- Lab experiments question popular measure of ancient ocean temperatures
- Cellular contamination pathway for plutonium, other heavy elements, identified
- Unusual use of blue pigment found in ancient mummy portraits
- Researchers reveal how a common mutation causes neurodegenerative disease
- Jammed up cellular highways may initiate dementia and ALS
- Self-control saps memory, study says
- 3-D model of solid tumors explains cancer evolution

Astronomy & Space news

	Cassini image: Dark side of Enceladus Enceladus looks as though it is half lit by sunlight in this view from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, but looks can be deceiving. The area on the right, where surface features can be made out, are actually illuminated by light reflected off of Saturn. A sliver of surface illuminated by direct sunlight is visible on the left.
	Dying star suffers 'irregular heartbeats' Some dying stars suffer from 'irregular heartbeats', research led by astronomers at the University of Warwick has discovered.
	Earth's extremes point the way to extraterrestrial life Bizarre creatures that go years without water. Others that can survive the vacuum of open space. Some of the most unusual organisms found on Earth provide insights for Washington State University planetary scientist Dirk Schulze-Makuch to predict what life could be like elsewhere in the universe.
	New Hubble image of the Twin Jet Nebula The shimmering colours visible in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image show off the remarkable complexity of the Twin Jet Nebula. The new image highlights the nebula's shells and its knots of expanding gas in striking detail. Two iridescent lobes of material stretch outwards from a central star system. Within these lobes two huge jets of gas are streaming from the star system at speeds in excess of one million kilometres per hour.
Russian extends travel time to International Space Station The Russian Federal Space Agency says the next manned trip to the International Space Station will be extended from the usual six hours to two days.
	One year and 272 billion measurements later, Gaia team celebrates first anniversary of observations A space mission to create the largest, most-accurate, three-dimensional map of the Milky Way is celebrating its first completed year of observations.
	CubeSat to create a map of water ice on the moon A spacecraft the size of a shoebox with Arizona origins will soon be orbiting our nearest neighbor to create a map of water-ice on the moon.
	James Webb Space Telescope backplane arrives at NASA Goddard for mirror assembly One of the most crucial pieces of the James Webb Space Telescope, the flight backplane, arrived on Aug. 25, on schedule for Webb's 2018 launch date at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for mirror assembly. The backplane is the "spine" of the telescope, responsible for holding its 18 hexagonal mirrors and instruments steady while the telescope is looking into deep space.
	Image: ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen ready for launch ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will spend ten days in space as part of his 'iriss' mission to the International Space Station.
	Lockheed Martin makes tiny satellite cooling system three times more powerful Lockheed Martin scientists are packing three times the power density into a key satellite cooling system whose previous design is already the lightest in its class. This project continues the company's effort to reduce component size, enabling compact, higher-power spacecraft payloads and smaller sensor platforms back on Earth.
	The gas giant Jupiter Ever since the invention of the telescope four hundred years ago, astronomers have been fascinated by the gas giant known as Jupiter. Between it's constant, swirling clouds, its many, many moons, and its red spot, there are many things about this planet that are both delightful and fascinating.

Technology news

	3D-printing microscopic fish: Team demonstrates novel method to build robots with complex shapes, functionalities Nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego used an innovative 3D printing technology they developed to manufacture multipurpose fish-shaped microrobots—called microfish—that swim around efficiently in liquids, are chemically powered by hydrogen peroxide and magnetically controlled. These proof-of-concept synthetic microfish will inspire a new generation of "smart" microrobots that have diverse capabilities such as detoxification, sensing and directed drug delivery, researchers said.
	A shape-shifting navigation device for both the sighted and visually impaired (w/ Video) Combine mechanical engineering, experimental theater, and an old dark church, and you're bound to get some interesting results—a new navigation device, for instance.
	Sensel's pad can morph for artists, music makers, gamers An item on Kickstarter called the Sensel Morph looks as if it is perking people up—a glance over at the funding numbers tells you their goal is $60,000 with 44 days to go. No sweat. Pledges so far have topped $100,000 and items for earlybird pricing are gone. What's all the fuss about? They said that with their Morph device you invite new possibilities in music, art, gaming, and beyond.
	New study shows flight delays can be distributed more equitably among airlines Nobody likes flight delays, but they are a common occurrence: In 2011, about 20 percent of U.S. flights were at least 15 minutes behind schedule. Those delays irritate passengers and, in 2010, added an estimated $6.5 billion to U.S. airlines' operating costs.
	Google patent supports driving away from potholes A "Systems and Methods for Monitoring Road Quality" patent filed by Google was made known on August 18. The inventor listed is Dean Jackson. The filing was dated January 2012. The patent discusses systems and methods for monitoring sensors to report the quality of the roads via a communication device. Andrew Liszewski of Gizmodo translated: Google wants to use a car's GPS to detect potholes and then use the information to plot a more comfortable route to where you need to go.
	Facebook adding virtual assistant to Messenger app Facebook on Wednesday began testing a Messenger app virtual assistant that the leading social network said goes beyond artificial intelligence programs already on the market.
	Smartphone growth creating etiquette challenges It's OK to use your smartphone walking down the street or on public transportation. But not at a family dinner. And definitely not in church.
Ashley Madison hack strikes fear in outed users Two years ago, trapped in what he remembers as "a dead marriage," Michael logged on to adulterous dating site Ashley Madison for the first time. He was less than impressed.
	First of its kind fuel cell tri-generator promises to reduce energy loss, costs and emissions TRISOFC coordinator Dr Mark Worall speaks about the project's unique fuel cell tri-generator which has the potential to increase the utilisation of available energy, reduce costs, add value, and decrease primary energy use and emissions.
	Airshows are risky, but they also have a strong safety record Whether aircraft are used for travel or for aerobatic displays, it will never be possible to aviate entirely without risk. Airshows are manifestations of our liking for what Anthony Giddens calls deliberately cultivated risk – this excites and sustains those who participate and those who watch.
	Graphics processors accelerate pattern discovery Repeating patterns in complex biological networks can now be found hundreds of times faster using an algorithm that exploits the parallel computing capacity of modern graphics adapters. The A*STAR-led breakthrough opens the possibility of rapid genome scans for discrete molecular structures.
	Robotically steered flexible needles navigate in tissue Robotically steering flexible needles can reach their intended target in tissue with sub-millimetre level accuracy. This has been demonstrated by the doctoral research of Momen Abayazid, who is affiliated with the research institute MIRA of the University of Twente. An major advantage of steering flexible needles is that one can avoid obstacles or sensitive tissues and can re-orient the path of the needle in real time as you insert the needle.
Some Dish channels go dark due to spat with their owner Dish said Wednesday that some channels have gone dark for more than 5 million of its customers because of a fight with the channels' owner, Sinclair Broadcasting. Dish said that 129 local stations in 79 different markets are affected.
	Windows 10 spreads to more than 75 million devices (Update) Microsoft said Wednesday that Windows 10 has spread to more than 75 million devices since the new operating system was released less than a month ago.
	French woman wins disability grant for 'gadget allergy' A French court has awarded a disability grant to a woman claiming to suffer from a debilitating allergy to electromagnetic radiation from everyday gadgets such as cellphones.
Companies hope cybersecurity experts in the boardroom can counter hacks The board of directors at construction and engineering company Parsons Corp. needed to fill a seat two years ago.
Polyvore deal gets Yahoo closer to a 'buy button' Fashion website Polyvore doesn't fit the stereotype of a Silicon Valley startup getting bought by a tech giant.
Amazon delivers one-hour Prime Now service to Seattle Seattle is the newest market in which Amazon.com is rolling out its one-hour delivery service, Prime Now.
TaskUs takes unpleasant job of customer service off startups' hands People use Uber when they need help hailing a ride or Tinder for help finding a date. When those companies need some assistance of their own, they turn to TaskUs.
US prosecutors say video game maker's secrets swiped US prosecutors said Tuesday that a staff member of video game maker Machine Zone has been charged with stealing trade secrets after learning he was to lose his job.
International contest asks hackers to write 'evil' code While most hackathons and programming contests encourage participants to develop usable software, a contest hosted by Binghamton University's Scott Craver asks users to develop code that is "subtly evil."
	New module lowers the cost of offshore wind power A new AC power connection module for near-shore wind turbines is expected to cut the cost of accessing the grid for such installations by as much as 40 percent. This solution from Siemens thus also reduces the cost of energy from offshore wind farms. In contrast to conventional AC transformer platforms, the new module can be mounted directly on the foundation of an existing wind turbine thanks to its small and lightweight dimensions, thereby minimizing materials, time expenditures and risk. A biodegradable insulating fluid also makes this decentralized solution extremely environmentally friendly. Siemens recently presented it at the EWEA offshore conference in Copenhagen.
	Supercomputers enlisted to shed light on photosynthesis Researchers at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country are using high-performance computing to simulate the processes that take place during the first moments of photosynthesis
Angry Birds maker Rovio plans layoffs in restructuring (Update) Popular mobile games maker Rovio Entertainment said Wednesday it plans to lay off up to 260 people, or about a third of its workforce, because the company took on "too many things" during the past few years.
Recovering low-temperature waste heat and converting it into electricity Heat loss is one of the main challenges in power production—whether from conventional or renewable sources. The trouble is that the wasted energy often stems from limitations of the power conversion process. In a typical gas or coal-fired power plant, about 40% to 50% of the input energy from the fuel is wasted as heat. In a typical combustion engine, the loss is even larger: almost 65% is lost in exhaust gases and in the engine cooling circuit. In industrial processes, a lot of heat is also wasted under the form of hot fumes or liquids.
	Review: 'Metal Gear Solid V' a technical, tactical marvel In an early mission in "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" (Konami, for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, $59.99), the player is tasked with assassinating a corrupt colonel who's up to no good. While such a chore is standard fare for a video game, "Phantom Pain" provides dozens of ways to off the military leader.
Tackling goes high-tech at Dartmouth with new dummies On the Ivy League campus of Dartmouth College, even the football tackling dummies are smart.
New survey examines racial and ethnic differences in technology use by millennials A new study conducted by the Media Insight Project, a collaboration between the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that while the similarities to the rest of their generation are numerous, there are some distinct differences in the way that Hispanic and African American Millennials use technology to access news and information. The source of their information is one area of difference: these young adults are more likely to use YouTube and Instagram for news than Millennials in general, though all groups rely heavily on Facebook. The study is a deeper examination of a large nationwide survey of 1,045 adults age 18-34 conducted from January 5 through February 2, 2015. Additional analysis was conducted to determine whether there are major differences between racial and ethnic groups within the Millennial generation.

Medicine & Health news

	Research identifies protein that regulates body clock New research into circadian rhythms by researchers at the University of Toronto Mississauga shows that the GRK2 protein plays a major role in regulating the body's internal clock and points the way to remedies for jet lag and shift work exhaustion.
	Researchers reveal how a common mutation causes neurodegenerative disease Researchers have determined how the most common gene mutation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) disrupts normal cell function, providing insight likely to advance efforts to develop targeted therapies for these brain diseases. Scientists from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) led the research, which appears today in the science journal Nature.
	3-D model of solid tumors explains cancer evolution They're among the most powerful tools for shedding new light on cancer growth and evolution, but mathematical models of the disease for years have faced an either/or stand off.
	Jammed up cellular highways may initiate dementia and ALS Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered some of the first steps in how a very common gene mutation causes the brain damage associated with both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
	New 'mutation-tracking' blood test could predict breast cancer relapse months in advance Scientists have developed a blood test for breast cancer able to identify which patients will suffer a relapse after treatment, months before tumours are visible on hospital scans.
	Fertilization discovery: Do sperm wield tiny harpoons? Could the sperm harpoon the egg to facilitate fertilization? That's the intriguing possibility raised by the University of Virginia School of Medicine's discovery that a protein within the head of the sperm forms spiky filaments, suggesting that these tiny filaments may lash together the sperm and its target.
	Self-control saps memory, study says You're driving on a busy road and you intend to switch lanes when you suddenly realize that there's a car in your blind spot. You have to put a stop to your lane change—and quickly.
	Cannabis use may influence cortical maturation in adolescent males Male teens who experiment with cannabis before age 16, and have a high genetic risk for schizophrenia, show a different brain development trajectory than low risk peers who use cannabis.
	New cardiovascular disease death rates show stark inequalities between European countries Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the most common cause of death in Europe, resulting in over four million deaths a year (45% of all deaths) according to the latest available figures published today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal.
	Few gay teenage boys get tested for HIV Young men who have sex with men have the highest risk for HIV infection, but only one in five has ever been tested for HIV, a much lower rate than testing for non-adolescents, reports a new national Northwestern Medicine study conducted in partnership with the Center for Innovative Public Health Research.
	Experimental post-exposure antiviral treatment may protect humans from Ebola virus For the first time, UK physicians have demonstrated that antiviral-based therapies have the potential to protect humans from the deadly Ebola virus. The report, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, describes a case-series of eight British health-care workers who were evacuated to the Royal Free Hospital in London, UK after possible accidental exposure to Ebola virus in Sierra Leone between January and March 2015.
Tanorexia: when getting a tan becomes an addiction On a warm August evening in Madrid a steady stream of tanned customers parade out of a tanning salon—even in sunny Spain, the need to catch some rays can turn into an addiction.
Smoke-free policies benefit apartment dwellers, owners Adopting a smoke-free policy can improve the living environment for apartment dwellers while reducing maintenance costs, according to a survey of multiunit housing owners and operators.
Children's dietitian discusses the art of mixing healthy and happy when packing school lunches Packing a child's lunchbox to include foods that are both healthy and appetizing can prove tricky for parents, particularly those with children who are picky eaters. However, a child's formative years are essential to grooming healthy eating habits and ensuring a youngster's intake of vital nutrients and vitamins. As the back-to-school season approaches, Ashley Cappel, a registered dietitian with the Healthy Lifestyles Center and TEENS program at Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, offers tips on encouraging healthy eating in kids.
	Researchers test Ebola vaccine for wild apes Amid promising reports of effective Ebola vaccines for humans, a vaccine that could potentially protect endangered wild apes from deadly infectious diseases, including the Ebola virus, is being tested at the New Iberia Research Center.
Gender influences survival after pediatric brain tumor removal It's an unexpected discovery: All else being equal, girls whose rare and deadly brain tumors are fully removed live almost six years longer than boys with the same condition.
	Chlamydia screening for pregnant young women prevents newborn complications, while saving health dollars Chlamydia screening for all pregnant women aged between16 and 25 is cost-effective and can prevent harm to babies, a University of Melbourne study has found.
	Healthy Choices program for middle schoolers helps reduce obesity, encourage healthy habits An interdisciplinary school program designed to promote healthy behaviors reduced the percentage of 7th graders who were overweight or obese and helped more than 20,000 middle school students cut back on TV viewing, increase their physical activity and make healthier food choices.
	HPV infection of placentas linked to pregnancy complications In a landmark study, University of Otago researchers have found that human papilloma virus (HPV) can infect the placenta and is linked to several pregnancy complications, including the potentially fatal disorder pre-eclampsia.
	Can't count sheep? You could have aphantasia If counting sheep is an abstract concept, or you are unable to visualise the faces of loved ones, you could have aphantasia – a newly defined condition to describe people who are born without a "mind's eye".
	Depression study finds evidence of serotonin signal transduction disturbances Depression and anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders. Over the last few years, molecular brain imaging using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has helped us to identify important mechanisms involved in the development and treatment of these disorders, particularly those associated with the serotonin neurotransmitter system. The drugs that are used for these conditions (SSRIs) were developed 30 years ago. To celebrate this anniversary, a team from MedUni Vienna, led by Siegfried Kasper, Director of the University Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, has summarised the latest status of global research in this field in the leading journal, The Lancet Psychiatry.
	Mother's hormone levels predict child's ability to do maths Children born to mothers with low levels of thyroid hormones during pregnancy are 60 % more likely to do badly in arithmetic tests when they reach school age as children born to mothers with normal levels of the hormone; according to a study published today in the European Journal of Endocrinology.
	Tweaking the heart's response to injury could lead to better treatment One of the master regulators of the heart's response to injury has been identified, thanks to a Singaporean research collaboration. This regulator could ultimately be used to assess the degree of damage in heart attack patients and pave the way for new treatments.
	Experts offer simple solutions to defeat back-to-school stress Back-to-school time can be a source of stress: routines are altered, new responsibilities arrive, and often students must adjust to new roommates.
Patients with higher blood levels of growth factor have lower risk of cardiovascular problems Individuals previously diagnosed with heart disease may be less likely to experience heart failure, heart attacks, or stroke, or to die from these events, if they have higher blood levels of two very closely related proteins, according to a new study led by a UC San Francisco research team.
The fear of trying new foods may have negative dietary implications A study conducted at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country has concluded that neophobic children have a lower quality index in terms of the Mediterranean diet
Smartphones and 'technostress' If you feel stressed out by your smartphone, it might be down to your personality as well as your phone, a new study suggests.
	Bright screens at night imperil sleep of young teens A new study has an important implication for tweens and young teens as they head back to school: Taking a gadget to bed could really hurt their sleep.
	A bottle of water before each meal could help in weight reduction, researchers say Researchers from the University of Birmingham have shown that drinking 500ml of water at half an hour before eating main meals may help obese adults to lose weight. They believe that the simple intervention could be hugely beneficial, and be easily promoted by healthcare professionals and through public health campaigns.
Cannabis and the brain, two studies, one editorial examine associations Two studies and an editorial published online by JAMA Psychiatry examine associations between cannabis use and the brain.
	Who will develop psychosis? Automated speech analysis may have the answer An automated speech analysis program correctly differentiated between at-risk young people who developed psychosis over a two-and-a-half year period and those who did not. In a proof-of-principle study, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center found that the computerized analysis provided a more accurate classification than clinical ratings. The study, "Automated Analysis of Free Speech Predicts Psychosis Onset in High-Risk Youths," was published today in NPJ-Schizophrenia.
	Survivors of childhood cancer have high-risk of recurrent stroke Most people assume strokes only happen to octogenarians, but recent evidence suggests that survivors of childhood cancer have a high risk of suffering a stroke at a surprisingly young age.
	Paralysis: Primates recover better than rodents, offer more accurate human model Monkeys and humans exhibit greater motor recovery than rats after similar spinal cord injury, according to a study conducted in Grégoire Courtine's lab at EPFL. The study results have been published in Science Translational Medicine.
Awareness of memory loss may decline 2-3 years before dementia onset People who will develop dementia may begin to lose awareness of their memory problems two to three years before the actual onset of the disease, according to a new study published in the August 26, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found that several dementia-related brain changes, or pathologies, are associated with the decline in memory awareness.
Neurobiology—tuning of timing in auditory axons Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich team has shown that the axons of auditory neurons in the brainstem which respond to low and high-frequency sounds differ in their morphology, and that these variations correlate with differences in the speed of signal conduction.
The great escape: Why awareness of mortality can be bad for health People with low self-esteem use a variety of escape mechanisms to avoid thinking about their own mortality, new research reveals.
Obesity-related causes of stillbirth detailed Obese women are nearly twice as likely as their lean counterparts to have stillborn babies for several specific, potentially preventable medical reasons, a new University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysis reveals.
Education positively impacts safe opioid prescribing among clinicians Educating clinicians on how to safely prescribe opioids can help decrease opioid misuse among chronic pain sufferers.
High use of alternative medicine in senior oncology patients Alternative medicines are widely thought to be at least harmless and very often helpful for a wide range of discomforts and illnesses. However, although they're marketed as "natural," they often contain active ingredients that can react chemically and biologically with other therapies. Researchers performed a comprehensive review of all of the medications taken by senior oncology patients and found that as 26 percent were using complementary or alternative medicines (CAM), in a report published August 12th, in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology.
Use of observation stays over hospital admissions drives up costs for one in four medicare patients In the midst of a growing trend for Medicare patients to receive observation care in the hospital to determine if they should be formally admitted, a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows that for more than a quarter of beneficiaries with multiple observation stays, the cumulative out-of-pocket costs of these visits exceeds the deductible they would have owed for an inpatient hospital admission. According to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, there were 1.8 million observation patients nationally in 2012, an increase of 88 percent over the previous six years. The results of the study are available online this week in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
	One in four hepatitis C patients denied initial approval for drug treatment Nearly one in four patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) are denied initial approval for a drug therapy that treats the most common strain of the infection, according to a Yale School of Medicine study.
	Researchers publish sobering statistics on physical inactivity in the US What do a prominent physiologist and two-time survivor of pancreatic cancer and a world-renowned researcher whose landmark discoveries on aspirin, drug therapies of proven benefit and therapeutic lifestyle changes that have saved more than 1.1 million lives have in common? They are both passionate about the importance of regular physical activity in reducing risks of dying from heart attacks and strokes, as well as developing diabetes, hypertension and colon cancer. And more importantly, enhancing mental health and fostering healthy muscles, bones and joints in all Americans from childhood to the elderly.
	Low-level arsenic exposure before birth associated with early puberty and obesity Female mice exposed in utero, or in the womb, to low levels of arsenic through drinking water displayed signs of early puberty and became obese as adults, according to scientists from the National Institutes of Health. The finding is significant because the exposure level of 10 parts per billion used in the study is the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard, or maximum allowable amount, for arsenic in drinking water. The study, which appeared online August 21 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, serves as a good starting point for examining whether low-dose arsenic exposure could have similar health outcomes in humans.
	Firstborn women more likely to be overweight / obese as adults than second-born sisters Firstborn women are more likely to be overweight/obese as adults than their second-born sisters,finds the largest study of its kind in women, and published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
	Proportion of patients with diabetes undergoing CABG spikes five-fold over four decades In the 40 years between 1970-2010, the proportion of patients with diabetes undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) escalated from 7% to 37%. The results of a large study from Cleveland Clinic just published in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the official publication of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), documents the five-fold increase in the proportion of patients with diabetes undergoing this procedure between 1970 and 2010. These patients have more postoperative complications and decreased long-term survival than those without diabetes, and represent a growing challenge to reining in healthcare costs.
	False-positive mammogram result traumatic for most women, study finds (HealthDay)—In a finding that won't surprise many who've been through this ordeal, researchers say emotional turmoil is common for women whose mammogram falsely suggests they have breast cancer.
	Women in academic medicine 'manage femininity' to succeed (HealthDay)—Women tend to manage their femininity so as to be considered adherent to the unspoken code of the non-gendered worker, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, held from Aug. 22 to 25 in Chicago.
Cell transplantation procedure may one day replace liver transplants Liver transplantation is currently the only established treatment for patients with end stage liver failure. However, this treatment is limited by the shortage of donors and the conditional integrity and suitability of the available organs. Transplanting donor hepatocytes (liver cells) into the liver as an alternative to liver transplantation also has drawbacks as the rate of survival of primary hepatocytes is limited and often severe complications can result from the transplantation procedure.
Pneumonic plague kills eight in Madagascar Eight people have died in two days of pneumonic plague on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar which is hit by deadly outbreaks almost every year, a health ministry official said Wednesday.
	Lung microbiome similar with/without HIV (HealthDay)—Lung microbiomes are similar in patients with and without HIV, although oral microbiomes do differ significantly, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Anorexia resurgence can occur after smoking cessation (HealthDay)—Smoking cessation may be associated with resurgence of anorexic symptoms in patients with a history of anorexia nervosa, according to a clinical case report published in the September issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
	Lower RASDS complications for higher hospital, surgeon volume (HealthDay)—Perioperative complication rates are lower with increased hospital and surgeon volume for revision adult spinal deformity surgery (RASDS), according to research published in the Sept. 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
	Misdiagnosis of T2DM reported in patient with hb wayne (HealthDay)—Type 2 diabetes can be misdiagnosed in patients with hemoglobin (Hb) Wayne, according to a case report published online Aug. 20 in Diabetes Care.
	Alterations in topological architecture of brain in PTSD (HealthDay)—Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit alterations in the topological architecture of the brain, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.
	CDC: Rates of childhood obesity higher in US than Canada (HealthDay)—About 17.5 percent of U.S. children aged 3 to 19 are obese, compared with 13 percent of Canadian children the same age, according to an August data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
	Immunotherapy agent benefits patients with drug-resistant multiple myeloma In its first clinical trial, a breakthrough antibody therapy produced at least partial remissions in a third of patients with multiple myeloma who had exhausted multiple prior treatments, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other organizations report today online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Common 'heart attack' blood test may predict future hypertension Analysis of blood samples from more than 5,000 people suggests that a more sensitive version of a blood test long used to verify heart muscle damage from heart attacks could also identify people on their way to developing hypertension well before the so-called silent killer shows up on a blood pressure machine.
Why other people make us happy Telling other people about good things that have happened to you, and feeling socially connected, can make you happier, according to new research from Victoria University of Wellington.
Call for more medical ultrasound research in Australia The QUT medical physicist who developed a fast, non-invasive way of using ultrasound to assess osteoporotic fracture risk says that ultrasound is the 'unsung hero' of the medical diagnosis and treatment world.
Clinical trials of dogs with cancer could lead to better treatments for humans Dogs get cancer, too. And they have even fewer treatment options than their human owners do. But an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, offers a glimmer of hope. It explores how clinical trials on man's best friend could be a win-win for both dogs and people.
US boy with double-hand transplant leaves hospital An 8-year-old boy who became the youngest patient to receive a double-hand transplant has left the Philadelphia hospital where the procedure was done and was returning to his Maryland home.

Biology news

	Reprogramming the oocyte (Phys.org)—Among other things, the egg is optimized to process the sperm genome. The cytoplasmic factors that make this possible also give the egg the ability to reprogram the nuclei from other kinds of cells if these nuclei are swapped into the egg. Although this 'somatic cell nuclear transfer' is a handy way to generate pluripotent cells (cells very similar to embryonic stem cells, or even clones like Dolly), there is significant logistical and ethical overhead to the procedure. The alternative is to take the 'transcription factor' or iPSC reprogramming approach which attempts to induce a pluripotent state from only partial knowledge of the full method used by the egg
	Home sweet microbe: Dust in your house can predict geographic region, gender of occupants The humble dust collecting in the average American household harbors a teeming menagerie of bacteria and fungi, and as researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and North Carolina State University have discovered, it may be able to predict not only the geographic region of a given home, but the gender ratio of the occupants and the presence of a pet as well.
	'Evolutionary fitness' key in determining why some females more physically attractive than others Scientists from the University of Aberdeen have been working as part of an international collaboration co-ordinated by the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing to try and discover why there is a link between body fatness and perceived physical attractiveness.
	Late-hatched canaries learn their songs as well as early-hatched birds Most songbirds learn their songs from their father or other male conspecifics. The variables that control the song learning process in a natural social environment are still largely unknown. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen now compared learned songs from male canaries that hatched at the beginning and at the end of the breeding season. During the song learning phase early hatched juveniles had a large number of adult tutors available whereas late hatched birds only heard a few or even no adult songs at all. The results showed that already in autumn both groups of birds were similar in their song organisation and song performance, which suggests that late-hatched males must have undergone accelerated song development.
	Broad scale phylogeny of orchids reveals secrets of their diversity (Phys.org)—An international team of researchers has conducted a broad scale phylogeny of orchids for the first time and in so doing have uncovered many of the reasons for their broad diversity. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team outlines how they carried out their study and what they learned from it.
	Study shows nesting under white lights causes increased hormone levels in songbirds (Phys.org)—A small team of researchers with members from The Netherlands Institute of Ecology, the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and Wageningen University has found that wild great tits living under street lights that emit white light have higher than normal amounts of the stress hormone corticosterone in their blood. In their paper published in Royal Society – Biology Letters, the group describes the field studies they carried out, what they learned and offer suggestions for ways to protect wildlife from the damaging impact of light pollution.
	Researchers control embryonic stem cells with light UC San Francisco researchers have for the first time developed a method to precisely control embryonic stem cell differentiation with beams of light, enabling them to be transformed into neurons in response to a precise external cue.
	Methanotrophs: Could bacteria help protect our environment? New insight into methanotrophs, bacteria that can oxidise methane, may help us develop an array of biotechnological applications that exploit methane and protect our environment from this potent greenhouse gas.
	Botanists conduct first large-scale genetic study of marijuana, hemp A study by Canadian researchers is providing a clearer picture of the evolutionary history and genetic organization of cannabis, a step that could have agricultural, medical and legal implications for this valuable crop.
	New Caledonian crows show strong evidence of social learning Among our greatest achievements as humans, some might say, is our cumulative technological culture—the tool-using acumen that is passed from one generation to the next. As the implements we use on a daily basis are modified and refined over time, they seem to evolve right along with us.
	Theoretical analysis could expand applications of accelerated searching in biology, other fields For more than a decade, gene sequencers have been improving more rapidly than the computers required to make sense of their outputs. Searching for DNA sequences in existing genomic databases can already take hours, and the problem is likely to get worse.
Parasites can affect innate behaviors of their hosts Researchers have conducted a study to determine at which stage of a cricket's life cycle the introduction of a parasite affects calling behaviors.
	Mosquito terminators and vampire spiders Two University of Canterbury (UC) researchers' insights about two species of spider that feed preferentially on mosquitoes have been published in the Journal of Arachnology in America.
	Clapping and sidestepping key to spider mating dance Spiders terrify many people but one man's passion for a flamboyant creepy crawly with captivating courtship rituals is converting arachnophobes to arachnophiles, one amusing video at a time.
	Bury weed problems with an occasional plough Tossing topsoil around in Australia's often arid farming environment is not best practice, but modelling suggests an occasional turning of the soil can delay the rise of herbicide-resistant weeds.
	Three new fungi behind emerging wheat disease Researchers have unraveled the mystery cause of the emerging wheat disease White Grain Disorder.
	Researchers look at sweet corn damage caused by stink bugs Cooperative Extension agents and researchers at the University of Delaware are taking a closer look at how brown marmorated stink bugs are causing damage to developing ears of sweet corn, the results of which could lead to better pest management strategies for growers throughout the state.
Balancing biobanks with the law When biobanks were created, the idea was that scientists could have quick access to samples they could use without having to get new specimens every time they needed to do research.
	Opinion: Why banning the mammoth ivory trade would be a huge mistake There is widely held belief that the only way we can protect globally endangered species that are being poached for the international wildlife trade is to completely ban the trade. This is a dangerous misconception and will speed up extinction rather than prevent it.
	The delicate balance of outrunning a predator Imagine you are crossing a stream over a fallen log. How fast would you walk across? Probably fairly slowly, balancing carefully as you go. Now imagine you are being chased by a bear. How fast should you cross the stream?
	Full-length Chd1 protein is needed for embryonic stem cell differentiation The importance of a chromatin remodeler gene, Chd1, in regulating the ability of embryonic stem cells to develop into other cell types has been revealed in a new study by A*STAR researchers.
	Fungi tweaked to boost industrial enzymes Filamentous fungi produce powerful enzymes that break down tough plant material that can be used for biofuels and other industrial processes. But the enzymes often work too slowly for industrial use and the fungi are difficult to handle in the lab. Now A*STAR scientists have altered a strain of the fungus, Aspergillus niger, to coax it into better shape.
	New embryo image processing technology could assist in IVF implantation A collaboration between biologists and engineers at Monash University has led to the development of a new non-invasive image processing technique to visualise embryo formation. Researchers were able to see, for the first time, the movement of all of the cells in living mammalian embryos as they develop under the microscope. This breakthrough has important implications for IVF (in vitro fertilisation) treatments and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). In the future, this approach could help with embryo selection before the embryo is implanted back into the uterus to improve IVF success rates.
	Smart cockatoos infer by exclusion If there is a certain pool of choices and we can exclude A and B, we can easily deduce that C must be the appropriate choice. The ability of animals to be able to solve this has been the focus of many studies in recent comparative cognitive research. A team of researchers of the University of Vienna have found a method to test if Goffin cockatoos have the ability to infere by exclusion. They publish their findings this week in the scientific journal PLoS One.
	Sir Elton John is the inspiration behind the name of a new coral reef crustacean species While exploring the remote coral reefs of Raja Ampat in Indonesia, Dr. James Thomas from the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Florida, and his colleagues from Naturalis Natural History museum in the Netherlands, stumbled across a small but extraordinary crustacean living inside another reef invertebrate in a commensal association (without causing any harm, nor benefit to its host).
	All creatures great and small: London Zoo weighs 17,000 animals London Zoo on Wednesday carried out its annual weigh-in as it sought to keep track of more than 17,000 animals in its care.
	Cells cling and spiral 'like vines' in first 3-D tissue scaffold for plants Miniscule artificial scaffolding units made from nano-fibre polymers and built to house plant cells have enabled scientists to see for the first time how individual plant cells behave and interact with each other in a three-dimensional environment.
	DNA sequencing used to identify thousands of fish eggs Using DNA sequencing, researchers have accurately painted a clear picture of fish spawning activities in a marine protected area (MPA) and have created a baseline for continuing studies on the effects of climate variability on fish populations.
	Smaller of two newborn pandas at US zoo dies The smaller of the two giant panda cubs born at the US's Smithsonian National Zoo over the weekend died Wednesday, zoo officials said.
	Thailand destroys ivory stockpile amid junta crackdown Thailand destroyed more than two tonnes of ivory Wednesday—a victory for animal rights groups fighting against the trade in a country renowned for being a hub for illegal tusks.
	Cow GPS aids sustainable grazing research Scientists from Massey University have confirmed what farmers have known for years –cows do not like to walk uphill.
	Badly abused Mexican animals sent to US sanctuary A dozen animals that suffered devastating abuse in captivity in Mexico, including eight lions and a coyote, were moved Wednesday to a sanctuary in the United States.

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