Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Sep 8

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 8, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Ancient pestle shows Paleolithic people ground oats for food
- Understanding reef systems at the genetic level
- Inspired by art, lightweight solar cells track the sun
- Researchers create computer model that simulates anesthesia's impact on brain
- Parsing photons in the infrared, astronomers uncover signs of earliest galaxies
- Japanese paper art inspires new 3-D fabrication method
- New model predicts the force required to tie simple knots
- Frankenvirus emerges from Siberia's frozen wasteland
- Encapsulation layers keep carbon nanotube transistors stable in open air
- Should countries honor their climate debts?
- Implant captures cancer cells
- Biologists zero in on proteins lumican, TNF-alpha as two-step trigger for deadly scar-tissue production
- New detectors allow search for lightweight dark matter particles
- Scientists discover cause of and potential treatment for muscle weakness and loss due to aging
- Researchers develop a method for controlling gene activation

Astronomy & Space news

	Parsing photons in the infrared, astronomers uncover signs of earliest galaxies Astronomers from the University of California, Irvine and Baltimore's Space Telescope Science Institute have generated the most accurate statistical description yet of faint, early galaxies as they existed in the universe 500 million years after the Big Bang.
	One big step for man as astronaut controls robot from ISS European experts have pulled off a major advance that might one day help build new worlds in space after an astronaut in the International Space Station remotely guided a robot on Earth by feel.
	Planetarium produces first active stereo 3-D planetarium show about NASA's SOFIA mission A new active stereo 3-D show at The Planetarium at UT Arlington will transform learning for students and planetarium visitors interested in exploring the mysteries of our galaxy and beyond.
	Benefits for humanity: From NASA to Napa From the microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station to the microclimates of the Napa Valley, station research impacts many different industries on Earth. The latest video in the Benefits for Humanity series illustrates how solutions for growing crops in space translates to solutions for mold prevention in wine cellars and other confined spaces on Earth.
	Canada dominates European Rover Challenge 2015 Canadian teams have dominated the second edition of the biggest European competition for Mars rovers that took place on Sept. 5-6 at the Regional Science-Technology Centre in Podzamcze, Poland. The Space Design Team of the University of Saskatchewan scooped the first prize, while the McGill Robotics Team from the McGill University in Montreal finished third. The Next Team of the Białystok University of Technology, representing the host country, secured the second spot on the podium.
	Researcher discusses where to land Mars 2020 In August 2015, more than 150 scientists interested in the exploration of Mars attended a conference at a hotel in Arcadia, California, to evaluate 21 potential landing sites for NASA's next Mars rover, a mission called Mars 2020. The design of that mission will be based on that of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), including the sky-crane landing system that helped put the rover, Curiosity, safely on martian soil.
	Will the Big Bang go backwards? Imagine the Big Bang in your mind. You're picturing galaxies hurtling past in all directions, like so much star shrapnel from a celestial pinata.
Astronauts have read 'The Martian,' now can't wait for movie The book "The Martian" is earning high praise from space, and the astronaut-reviewer can't wait to see the soon-to-be-released movie.
Video: ESTEC on the move A composite day at ESTEC, the European space research and technology centre, as depicted in time-lapse format.

Technology news

	Inspired by art, lightweight solar cells track the sun Solar cells capture up to 40 percent more energy when they can track the sun across the sky, but conventional, motorized trackers are too heavy and bulky for pitched rooftops and vehicle surfaces.
	Japanese paper art inspires new 3-D fabrication method A cut or tear in a material is typically a sign of weakness. Now, a Northwestern University, University of Illinois and Tsinghua University research team has created complex 3-D micro- and nanostructures out of silicon and other materials found in advanced technologies using a new assembly method that uses cuts to advantage.
	Animators turn to motion capture tech for better results What happens when you combine two learning tracks, of biomechanics with computer science? One result is a learning opportunity for veterinary students. They can make use of motion capture technology to learn, for example, how a horse moves. The technique is useful in veterinary science as a teaching aid, which is how the work originated.
	How does the Lexus hoverboard actually work? A scientist explains Marty McFly wouldn't be surprised. Lexus recently announced it had fulfilled the dreams of Back to the Future Part II fans everywhere by building a working hoverboard. And just in time for the October 2015 date that Marty visits in the film to discover kids have ditched skateboards in favour of their flying counterparts.
	Carmakers rapidly adding semi-autonomous features Fully self-driving cars are a few years into the future. But some of the technology that will make them possible is already here.
	EU, US reach data protection deal allowing Europeans to sue over privacy breaches Brussels and Washington reached agreement Tuesday on a data protection deal that will allow Europeans to sue over improper use of their personal information in the United States, the EU said.
	Verizon to start 5G wireless testing ahead of schedule US telecom giant Verizon announced Tuesday it would start field testing of the superfast fifth generation of wireless technology or 5G, in 2016.
	Apple event to focus on new iPhones, Apple TV and Siri Hey, Siri, what does Apple have in store for us this week?
	Milk chillers reduce spoilage and boost yields in India's villages India is the world's leading milk producer, with many of its people relying on milk as a primary source of income. Indian dairies buy milk from local farmers at village collection centers, and then sell the milk or use it to make dairy products.
	How earning the right to an opinion on the Internet makes it that much more valuable Of all of the things that people do online, the act of offering an opinion is not only one of the most popular activities, but it also underpins almost everything else that happens. Sharing opinions is also the foundation for creating communities, whether that is around blogs, news, social networks or e-commerce sites.
	Slipping and sliding to major tennis success Engineers at the University of Sheffield are working with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on a device that can measure the effects of friction on tennis courts.
	Engineers make final preparations in bid to set world speed record Final preparations are now being made ahead of an attempt by Plymouth University to enter the record books later this month.
Uber raises $1.2 bn for Chinese branch: source Uber—the app-based car service—has raised $1.2 billion to keep expanding Uber China, a source close to the efforts said.
Freebies won't bribe most bloggers into positive reviews Bloggers may accept compensation and free products for reviews, but freebies do not necessarily lead to positive endorsements, according to a group of researchers.
	Survey shows big gaps in knowledge about auto safety tech Adaptive cruise control has been an option on some cars for almost a decade. But in a recent national survey, 65 percent of U.S. drivers didn't know what it was.
	Toyota to roll out new Prius hybrid as gas prices tumble The rollout of Toyota's new Prius comes at an inauspicious time for gas-sipping vehicles.
	Microsoft buys cloud computing security startup Microsoft said Tuesday it bought an Israel-based cybersecurity startup specializing in defending programs and content in the cloud, as it expands offerings for the enterprise.
	Google expands home delivery in US Google on Tuesday expanded its shopping home delivery service into the midwestern portion of the United States, covering an additional 25 million people.
	CARS: A brand-by-brand look at new 2016 models The 2016 model year has plenty of workhorses, including new versions of the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Titan pickups, Chevrolet Malibu and Kia Optima sedans and the Honda Civic small car.
New 'smart database' will enable manufacturers to achieve efficiency gains by unravelling 100s of ISO standards A huge expansion in the quantity and complexity of international standards is an increasingly serious issue in fields such as advanced engineering. Now, a research project headed by a University of Huddersfield professor is developing software that will lead to massively increased efficiency by ensuring that designers and manufacturers can easily comply with the voluminous guidelines laid down by the International Standards Organisation (ISO).
	Omniflow to expand its range of products combining solar and wind energy If wind and solar energy can help decrease businesses' and households' carbon footprint while reducing energy costs, they also have significant shortcomings. First, solar energy can only be collected during the day, while wind turbines are much more efficient at night. Then, standard wind turbines' unidirectional axis perform poorly in turbulent, changing urban wind conditions… In other words, these energy sources need backup from standard electricity grids or powerful battery technology to sustain a 24/7 electricity demand.
Disney teams up with Amazon and Microsoft Disney has signed agreements with Amazon and Microsoft that will allow them to use its cloud-based digital movie service.
	Media General buying Meredith in $2.4B deal Media General is buying Meredith Corp. in an approximately $2.4 billion cash-and-stock deal.

Medicine & Health news

	Study creates cell immunity to parasite that infects 50 million There are two common approaches to protecting humans from infectious disease: Targeting pathogens and parasites with medicines like antibiotics, or dealing with the conditions that allow transmission. A paper published today in the journal Nature Scientific Reports demonstrates the effectiveness of a third strategy: Adjusting the landscape of the human body to remove the mechanism that allows pathogens to cause disease. The discovery is the result of serendipity and collaboration between high-level scientists in different fields.
	Separate brain systems process the consequences of our decisions To avoid repeating the same mistakes and learn to make good choices, our brain needs to correctly evaluate the consequences of our decisions.
	The Achilles' heel of HIV Researchers at the University of Bonn have discovered how cells in the body can detect the genetic material of so-called retroviruses. The pathogen of the immunodeficiency disease AIDS, the HI-1 virus, also belongs to this group. At the same time, the HI virus appears to circumvent this important defense mechanism. The researchers are now presenting their results in the renowned journal Nature Immunology.
	Study suggests doctors should use more caution when using radiotherapy to treat skin cancer (MedicalXpress)—A team of researchers in the U.S. has found that in some instances, using radiotherapy to treat skin cancers may be causing more harm than good. In their paper published in the journal Nature Immunology, the group describes a previously unknown mechanism that contributes to imunosuppression when radiotherapy is used. Guido Kroemer and Laurence Zitvogel of Université Paris offer a News and Views article on the work done by the group in the same journal issue.
	Researchers find new clue to halting leukemia relapse A protein domain once considered of little importance may be key to helping patients who are fighting acute myeloid leukemia (AML) avoid a relapse.
	Changing behavior through synaptic engineering Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School are the first to show that it's possible to reverse the behavior of an animal by flipping a switch in neuronal communication. The research, published in PLOS Biology, provides a new approach for studying the neural circuits that govern behavior and has important implications for how scientists think about neural connectomes.
	Adolescents more economically rational than young adults, researchers find Teenagers are irrational and make bad decisions. Or do they? A new Duke study finds that adolescents ages 10 to 16 can be more analytical in their economic choices than many slightly older young adults.
	Scientists discover cause of and potential treatment for muscle weakness and loss due to aging As we grow older, we lose strength and muscle mass. However, the cause of age-related muscle weakness and atrophy has remained a mystery.
	Biologists zero in on proteins lumican, TNF-alpha as two-step trigger for deadly scar-tissue production Scientists at Texas A&M University have made additional progress in understanding the process behind scar-tissue formation and wound healing—specifically, a breakthrough in fibroblast-to-fibrocyte signaling involving two key proteins that work together to promote fibrocyte differentiation to lethal excess—that could lead to new advances in treating and preventing fibrotic disease.
	Implant captures cancer cells Scientists in the United States said Tuesday they had created a tiny implant which, in mice for now, captures cancer cells spreading through the body.
	Researchers pioneering research on 'body maps' in babies' brains For more than half a century, scientists have studied how the surface of the body is mapped in parts of the brain associated with touch.
	A new factor in depression? Brain protein discovery could lead to better treatments Low. Down. Less than normal. That's what the word depression means, and what people with depression often feel like. But sometimes, depression can mean too much of something - as new research shows.
	Tutoring relieves math anxiety, changes fear circuits in children, study finds Anxiety about doing math problems can be relieved with a one-on-one math tutoring program, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The tutoring fixed abnormal responses in the brain's fear circuits.
	Biomarker helps predict survival time in gastric cancer patients Gastric cancer poses a significant health problem in developing countries and is typically associated with late-stage diagnosis and high mortality. A new study in The American Journal of Pathology points to a pivotal role played by the biomarker microRNA (miR)-506 in gastric cancer. Patients whose primary gastric cancer lesions express high levels of miR-506 have significantly longer survival times compared to patients with low miR-506 expression. In addition, miR-506 suppresses tumor growth, blood vessel formation, and metastasis.
	Brain damage during stroke may point to source of addiction A pair of studies suggests that a region of the brain - called the insular cortex - may hold the key to treating addiction. Scientists have come to this conclusion after finding that smokers who suffered a stroke in the insular cortex were far more likely to quit smoking and experience fewer and less severe withdrawal symptoms than those with strokes in other parts of the brain.
	Thinking people are born fat or born thin is bad for your health Though the belief that DNA determines weight is highly debated, it appears to be shaping people's lives. A new study finds that those who believe that weight is outside of their control have less healthy BMIs, make poorer food choices, and report lower levels of personal wellbeing than those who don't. This study was published today in Health Education and Behavior, a Society for Public Health Education journal.
A rare condition of excruciating eye pain Razor blades. Jabbing needles. Barbed wire. Screaming, howling, red-hot-poker-in-the-eye pain. The impulse to gouge your own eyes out or overdose on sleeping pills – anything to make the pain go away.
Mosquito netting reduces suffering of groin hernia at a fraction of the cost of surgical mesh Mosquito mesh cannot just prevent malaria, but can also be used to reduce the suffering caused by groin hernia. A surgical operation using mosquito mesh to repair the hernia can give millions of people a chance at a better life. This according to a study performed in collaboration with Umeå University,  Sweden.
	Rare melanoma carries unprecedented burden of mutations A rare, deadly form of skin cancer known as desmoplasmic melanoma (DM) may possess the highest burden of gene mutations of any cancer, suggesting that immunotherapy may be a promising approach for treatment, according to an international team led by UC San Francisco scientists. One of these mutations, never before observed in any cancer, may shield nascent DM tumors from destruction by the immune system and allow further mutations to develop.
STIs are not just a concern for the young A new study, involving the University of Adelaide, has found men over 60 are less likely than younger men to get tested for HIV.
	Prioritising the gene faults behind bowel cancer As tumours develop, faults can pop up in what seems like a bewildering number of genes. And each time one cell becomes two, these mistakes can change and become more diverse.
Injection drug use limits benefits of surgery for treatment of heart lining infection Injection drug users who undergo surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) have a significantly higher risk of reoperation or death between 3 and 6 months after surgery compared to patients who develop endocarditis who are not IV drug abusers, according to an article in the September 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
False alarm from the body may be responsible for acute pancreatitis Researchers at Lund University in Sweden may have discovered one of the keys to understanding how the body develops acute pancreatitis. The results offer hope for the development of drugs that specifically target the disease.
Statistical model may identify patients most likely to benefit from surgery for mesothelioma A new statistical model may help predict which patients are most likely to receive life-extending benefits from surgical treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), according to an article in the September 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
	A possible cure for allergies Researchers discovered a mechanism that stops the body reacting with an excessive immune reaction. This could be the basis for a new treatment.
	Got a great relationship? You may want to thank your prehistoric grandmother I went to a cross-cultural wedding last weekend. The guests travelled across continents to be there, spoke mutually incomprehensible languages and came from different traditions. However, they all shared a common understanding of the relationship between the bride and the groom. Pair bonds are, after all, universal in human societies, despite being rare in other mammals. And we don't exactly know why.
	Study shows popular molecular tests Clostridium difficile is a common cause of infection and diarrhea in hospitalized patients, but a new study by UC Davis pathologists suggests that many patients are mistakenly diagnosed and do not need antibiotic treatment. As a result, patients are likely being over-diagnosed and over-treated, adding to concerns about antibiotic resistance, damage to the "good" bacteria that live in people's intestines, and increased health-care costs.
	E-cigarettes serve as gateway to smoking for teens and young adults Young people across the United States who smoke electronic cigarettes are considerably more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes within a year than their peers who do not smoke e-cigarettes, according to an analysis led by the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health (CRMTH) and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), was the first to assess this relation in a national U.S. sample of youth, and to include people older than 18 among its participants.
	More than half of Asian-Americans with diabetes are undiagnosed More than half of Asian Americans and nearly half of Hispanic Americans with diabetes are undiagnosed, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their results were published Sept. 8 in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	Smoke-free zones, higher taxes deter youth smoking, study shows Banning smoking in the workplace and increasing taxes on cigarettes have discouraged teens and young adults from taking up smoking, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Merced.
Violence, self-harm and suicide attempts: Health of child trafficking survivors revealed Poor mental health, self-harm and suicide attempts are common among children and adolescents who have been trafficked for forced labour or sexual exploitation, according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics.
	Premature infant survival and health outcomes improve over 20 years, study shows A study of extremely preterm infants born at U.S academic medical centers over the last 20 years found changes in maternal and infant care practices, resulting in modest increases in survival and reductions in several neonatal complications.
Lack of adherence to usability testing standards for electronic health record products The lack of adherence to usability testing standards among several widely used electronic health record (EHR) products that were certified as having met these requirements may be a major factor contributing to the poor usability of EHRs, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA.
	Iron supplementation during pregnancy and risk of malaria in malaria-endemic region Among women in a malaria-endemic region in Kenya, daily iron supplementation during pregnancy did not result in an increased risk of malaria, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA. Iron supplementation did result in increased birth weight, gestational duration, neonatal length, and a decreased risk of low birth weight and prematurity.
Trust game increases rate synchrony, study shows A study by researchers from Aarhus University recently published in the Journal of Physiology and Behavior shows that when people build trust, their hearts get in sync and beat as one. When a public goods game is used to introduce trust conditions during a cooperative task, participants' heart rate arousal and synchrony is increased.
	Blood and teeth samples accurately predict a criminal's age Forensic biomedical scientists from KU Leuven, Belgium, have developed a test to predict individuals' age on the basis of blood or teeth samples. This test may be particularly useful for the police, as it can help track down criminals or identify human remains.
Three earn prestigious awards for studies of cancer, DNA damage Three researchers won prestigious medical awards Tuesday for a new approach to treating cancer and insights into how creatures deal with DNA damage.
Reference payment initiative for colonoscopy associated with lower prices, savings The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) saved $7 million on spending for colonoscopy two years after it implemented a reference payment initiative that offered full insurance coverage at low-priced facilities but required substantial cost sharing if patients picked a high-priced alternative, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Researcher explains the increase in dengue epidemics in Singapore Population growth and increased temperature are the most important explanations to the significant increase of dengue incidence in Singapore since the 1970s. This is shown in a study undertaken by Joacim Rocklöv and his colleagues at the unit of Epidemiology and Global Health at Umeå University in Sweden, published in the journal PLOS ONE.
	New guidelines address long-term needs of colorectal cancer survivors New American Cancer Society Cancer Survivorship Care guidelines released today provide primary care clinicians with recommendations for providing comprehensive care to the estimated 1.2 million survivors of colorectal cancer in the United States.
	Continued smoking after MS diagnosis associated with accelerated disease progression Continued smoking after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) appears to be associated with accelerated disease progression compared with those patients who quit smoking, according to an article published online by JAMA Neurology.
	Negative symptoms of schizophrenia linked to poor clinical outcomes A novel research tool developed by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has identified a link between the negative symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia and adverse clinical outcomes.
	Researchers answer important scientific debate connected to heart disease Researchers from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), together with the teams of Dr. Martin Farrell at Oxford University, and Dr. Sekar Kathiresan at the Broad Institute, have found the answer to an ongoing debate in the cardiovascular scientific world. Dr. Ruth McPherson and Dr. Majid Nikpay, researchers at the UOHI's Ruddy Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics Centre, report that the genetic basis of heart disease is largely derived from the cumulative effect of multiple common genetic variants, rather than from a few rare variants with large effects.
Fine particulate matter associated with slight increased mortality in Houston Fine particulate matter released from a variety of sources in Houston was associated with slight increased mortality risk from 2000 to 2011, according to research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The research results were published recently in Science of the Total Environment.
Increased detection of low-risk tumors driving up thyroid cancer rates, study finds Low-risk cancers that do not have any symptoms and presumably will not cause problems in the future are responsible for the rapid increase in the number of new cases of thyroid cancer diagnosed over the past decade, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the journal Thyroid. According to the study authors, nearly one-third of these recent cases were diagnosed when clinicians used high-tech imaging even when no symptoms of thyroid disease were present.
	Children overcoming adversity: Aim high but have a plan Making a plan can be the difference in overcoming a difficult childhood, while just thinking about those difficulties can drag down the child.
	Resin may provide medicine against epilepsy Sticky resin from conifers contains substances that could relieve or cure epilepsy. Researchers at Linköping University have synthesized and tested 71 substances known as resin acids, of which twelve are prime candidates for new medicines.
	A new molecule is found to prevent preterm birth Premature births are intimately linked with inflammation of the uterine tissue, a biological response which induces contractions and preterm labor. In their search for a mean to prevent this phenomenon and complications related to deliveries occurring before 37 weeks of gestation, researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and University of Montreal discovered an agent that shows efficacy in inhibiting inflammation and preventing or delaying uterine contractions and premature delivery in murine models - without adversely affecting the fetus or the mother. This discovery is a giant step towards preventing prematurity, which is the world's leading cause of infant death and the origin of potentially severe, long-lasting physical, intellectual or psychological impairment for the 10% of infants born preterm world-wide.
	New drug-like compounds may improve odds of men battling prostate cancer Researchers at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, have discovered three new drug-like compounds that could ultimately offer better odds of survival to prostate cancer patients.
Big data tool to reveal immune system role in diseases Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Princeton University have designed a new online tool that predicts the role of key proteins and genes in diseases of the human immune system. Called "ImmuNet," details of the publically available resource were published online today in the journal Immunity.
	Rudeness damages medical staff performance Researchers have proven that rudeness—like poison in the water cooler—is toxic in the workplace, affecting both job and business performance. But what if your office is a hospital Intensive Care Unit where lives hang in the balance?
Bats and balls, not base runners, cause worst injuries to major league catchers Contrary to popular belief, the worst injuries baseball catchers face on the field come from errant bats and foul balls, not home-plate collisions with base runners, according to findings of a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
	Hypertension in professional football players likely results from trauma on the field The regular physical trauma that appears to put professional football players at risk for degenerative brain disease may also increase their risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, researchers say.
	Electronic records with decision support help optimize emergency care for stroke patients The timely administration of a clot-dissolving treatment for emergency department patients with acute ischemic stroke nearly doubled following the introduction of new technology that enabled electronic order entry and offered care-decision support for physicians, according to a study published today in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
	Could psychedelic drugs be good medicine for some? (HealthDay)—In a carefully controlled setting, psychedelic drugs such as LSD or "magic mushrooms" may benefit patients with hard-to-treat anxiety, addiction or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests.
New rule to help identify fractures in young children with head trauma A new decision rule will help emergency department physicians determine when to use radiography in young children with minor head injuries. The Canadian-developed rule is published in CMAJ.
Stem cell-derived 'mini-brains' reveal potential drug treatment for rare disorder Using "mini-brains" built with induced pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with a rare, but devastating, neurological disorder, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say they have identified a drug candidate that appears to "rescue" dysfunctional cells by suppressing a critical genetic alteration.
	Researchers say nutrition science must change to meet world food needs An international team of researchers, including scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech, said nutrition science will have to change drastically to feed an exploding world population.
Study shows characterization of lung micro-organisms could help lung cancer patients A study of the microbes that inhabit human lungs and how they may relate to the development of lung cancer, led by Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Western Regional Medical Center (Western) in Goodyear, Arizona, was presented today during the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Denver.
Study defines criteria for MET-driven lung cancer suitable for crizotinib treatment Many cancers include increased copies of the gene MET. But in which cases is MET driving the cancer and in which do these increased copies happen to "ride along" with other molecular abnormalities that are the true cause of the disease? The answer influences whether a tumor will respond to drugs that inhibit MET, like crizotinib. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study being presented today at the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Denver, Colorado sheds light on the best method to determine the threshold at which MET amplification becomes clinically relevant.
	Support for fast-tracking new drugs into clinical trials for childhood acute leukemia Children's Cancer Institute welcomes its inclusion, by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), in a systematic program of drug evaluation in childhood cancer.
	Researchers identify mechanism that impairs blood flow with aging With the world's elderly population expected to double by 2050, understanding how aging affects the body is an important focus for researchers globally. Cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 cause of death worldwide, often is associated with aging arteries that restrict blood flow. Now, University of Missouri researchers have identified an age-related cause of arterial dysfunction, a finding that could lead to future treatments for some forms of vascular disease.
Simplified HIV Test and Treat program associated with better coverage and lower mortality A "Test and Treat" protocol for HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment, implemented in two Guangxi, China counties in 2012, was associated with increased engagement in HIV/AIDS care and a 62% reduction in mortality among participants, according to a study published this week in PLOS Medicine. This before-and-after analysis, conducted by Zunyou Wu from the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing, and colleagues, suggests that broader implementation of the program may inexpensively improve outcomes for HIV-positive individuals in China.
	HIV self-testing found safe, acceptable, and accurate HIV self-testing (HIVST) delivered by trained volunteers may prove to be widely used, safe, accurate, and acceptable in urban settings of sub-Saharan Africa, according to a study published this week in PLOS Medicine. This community-based prospective study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and led by Augustine Choko of the Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi and Liz Corbett of London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, also showed that HIVST may lead to acceptable linkage into HIV care services and have a very low incidence of major social harms such as partner violence.
	Health insurance signups near 10 million in midyear report About 9.9 million people have signed up and paid for health insurance under President Barack Obama's health care law, the administration said Tuesday, a slight dip from a previous count but on track toward the administration's year-end goal of 9.1 million.
	Simple test predicts obstructive sleep apnea in patients hospitalized for heart failure Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University showed that a simple questionnaire, evaluation and pulse-oximetry monitoring can lead to early detection of sleep apnea in patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure (CHF). The results published today in the Journal of American College of Cardiology: Heart Failure.
	Most Americans view access to health care as a moral issue (HealthDay)—An overwhelming majority of Americans believes that access to health care is a moral issue, and that the United States should be able to afford universal health care if other developed nations can do the same.
	Sleep apnea may hurt kids' grades (HealthDay)—When children have sleep troubles due to breathing problems—such as sleep apnea—they may struggle in school, new research suggests.
	Dual-modality DRS-FS discerns tumor from surrounding tissue (HealthDay)—Dual-modality diffuse reflectance spectroscopy-fluorescence spectroscopy (DRS-FS) can differentiate tumor tissue from surrounding tissue in patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection, according to a study published in the September issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
	High false negative rate with PFTs in scleroderma lung disease (HealthDay)—Use of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) is associated with high false negative rates for detection of scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD), according to a study published online Aug. 28 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
	Remission in pemphigus vulgaris with strategic steroid tapering (HealthDay)—For patients with pemphigus vulgaris, a severity-tailored starting dose of glucocorticoids with an initial tapering duration based on the starting dose and a subsequent 50 percent yearly tapering regimen can result in complete remission within three to six years, according to a study published online Sept. 1 in the Journal of Dermatology.
	Chronic rhinosinusitis linked to increased risk of other diseases (HealthDay)—Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is associated with increased risk of other diseases, with different patterns based on CRS phenotype, according to research published online Aug. 31 in Allergy.
	TXNIP may mediate insulin sensitivity in caloric restriction (HealthDay)—Caloric restriction (CR) improves peripheral insulin sensitivity, possibly by lowering insulin-stimulated thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) levels and enhancing non-oxidative glucose disposal, according to a study published online Aug. 31 in Diabetes.
	Less direct patient care for fellowship-trained pediatricians (HealthDay)—Generalist-trained pediatricians have more schedule flexibility and work fewer hours than fellowship-trained pediatricians, although both groups report overall satisfaction with their careers, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in Pediatrics.
	Herpes zoster vaccine not cost-effective in adults aged 50 years (HealthDay)—For adults aged 50 years, herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine does not appear to be cost-effective, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
USPSTF: evidence lacking for iron deficiency anemia screening (HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has found that current evidence is insufficient for weighing the benefits and harms of iron deficiency screening and routine iron supplementation in pregnancy. These findings form the basis of a final recommendation statement published online Sept. 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	USPSTF recommends depression screening for teens (HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents, but evidence is inadequate to assess screening tools for younger children. These findings form the basis of a draft recommendation statement published online Sept. 7 by the USPSTF.
	Sleep affects HOMA-IR in overweight, obese teens (HealthDay)—Overweight and obese adolescents have persistently higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), with significant contributors including total sleep time and sleep efficiency, according to research published in a supplement to the September issue of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
ACA linked with improvement in chronic disease management People with health insurance are more likely to have their high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure correctly diagnosed—and to have these chronic conditions under control—than similar uninsured people, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
	Diabetes drug boosts bone fat and fracture risk; exercise can partially offset the effect Inside our bones there is fat. Diabetes increases the amount of this marrow fat. And now a study from the UNC School of Medicine shows how some diabetes drugs substantially increase bone fat and thus the risk of bone fractures.
	Psychopaths may not yawn along with you (HealthDay)—People with psychopathic traits are less likely to catch "contagious yawning" than those with higher levels of empathy, a new study suggests.
Study finds key GSK-Theravance lung drug didn't extend lives A closely watched study of GlaxoSmithKline plc's Breo Ellipta respiratory treatment failed to prove that it extends patients' lives, denying the drugmaker a much-needed marketing edge in its most lucrative—but declining—medicine category.
	Study sets ambitious new goals for nutrition science How can nutrition science help to achieve healthy nutrition for everyone? An urgent question in a world where 795 million people are chronically undernourished (FAO) while 1.9 billion people are overweight or obese (WHO).
	Heterosexuals react better when gays and lesbians 'come out' early Same-sex attracted people are justified in mentioning their partner's gender early in a conversation, as it could prevent people from becoming fixated on sexuality and deeming it a defining characteristic.
	Mobile technology detects, prevents disease outbreaks in Sri Lanka A project co-funded by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) helped to create the Sri Lankan Wildlife Health Centre to monitor animal health. The findings also moved the national government to expand the role of their veterinarians into areas such as antibiotic resistance and farm practices.
Childhood obesity prevention program rolls out state-wide for term four With Christmas and the season of indulgence just around the corner Queensland families are urged to sign up to a free state government-funded healthy lifestyle program being run state-wide from the beginning of term four.
	Conjoined twins successfully separated Twin girls born joined at the pelvic and hip region are recovering after separation surgery Thursday, Sept. 3, at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The girls are named Acen and Apio, but on Thursday they were carefully labeled "blue" and "red" to help surgeons know which monitoring equipment belonged to each sister as they carefully separated their spines, muscle and tissue.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is safe, effective for very elderly patients Select patients age 90 years and older with aortic stenosis (AS) can benefit from a relatively new, minimally invasive surgery for aortic valve replacement, according to an article in the September 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
IASLC issues new statement on tobacco control and smoking cessation The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) today issued a new statement on Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation at the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Denver. The statement calls for higher taxes on tobacco products, comprehensive advertising and promotion bans of all tobacco products and product regulation including pack warnings.
Secukinumab in plaque psoriasis: Manufacturer dossier provided no hint of an added benefit Secukinumab (trade name: Cosentyx) has been approved since January 2015 for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. 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, however: In patients who are candidates for systemic treatment, an indirect comparison provided no suitable data because the minimum study duration had not been reached. In adults in whom other systemic treatments have been unsuccessful or unsuitable, the results from a direct comparison showed no statistically significant differences in comparison with the comparator group.
Clinical trial for first oral drug candidate specifically developed for sleeping sickness The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has announced today at the 9th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health (ECTMIH) in Basel, Switzerland, the successful completion of Phase I human clinical trials for SCYX-7158 (AN5568), the first oral drug candidate specifically developed from the earliest drug discovery stage to combat human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, a deadly parasitic disease transmitted by the tsetse fly.
Three new Ebola cases in SLeone quarantine village Three more patients have tested positive for Ebola in a village in northern Sierra Leone already under quarantine after the death of a 67-year-old woman, authorities said on Tuesday.
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative unveils new plan for neglected patients After having built the world's largest drug development pipeline for the most neglected diseases, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has unveiled plans for a more flexible, dynamic portfolio approach, integrating various operating models to better respond to the needs of patients, notably in low- and middle-income countries. The plan also paves the way for new diseases to be taken up in DNDi's portfolio.
Horizon takes hostile Depomed bid directly to shareholders Horizon Pharma is pushing ahead with its hostile, $2.4-billion bid to buy Depomed by starting an offer to exchange a portion of its stock for shares of the rival drugmaker.
Mylan takes takeover bid to Perrigo shareholders Pharmaceutical company Mylan said Tuesday that it would take its offer to buy Perrigo directly to Perrigo shareholders following refusals by the company's management to engage in merger talks.
Personalized medicine's success needs accurate classification of tumors If cancer patients are to receive optimal treatment, clinicians must have an accurate histologic classification of the tumor and know its genetic characteristics, said William D. Travis, M.D., attending thoracic pathologist, Department of Pathology, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Dr. Travis made his remarks today at the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) hosted by the International Association of the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).
Study's findings could help expand the donor pool for liver transplantation Organ donation after circulatory death (DCD), in which transplant organs are taken from donors after ay period of no blood circulation or oxygenation, is often considered inferior to donation after brain death, in which circulation and oxygenation are maintained until organs are removed for transplantation. Currently, the use of livers from DCD donors remains controversial, particularly with donors with advanced age.
Arthritis may be a major driver of poverty Developing arthritis increases the risk of falling into poverty, especially for women, new research shows.
Advanced treatment and prognosis data available for TNM classification The publication of the Eighth Edition of the Tumor, Node and Metastasis (TNM) Classification of Lung Cancer will provide physicians around the world access to new data to more precisely stage and treat cases of lung cancer. That data, collected by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Staging and Prognostic Factors Committee and presented at the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Denver on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 at the Colorado Convention Center, will be published in 2016.
Infant learning: Is more really better? Many parents and caregivers believe that multi-sensory stimulation during infancy promotes developmental growth and learning, but researchers who conducted eye movement experiments on preverbal infants show that this is not always true.
Many childhood brain tumor survivors experience seizures New research reveals that seizures are frequent in childhood brain tumor survivors.
Experts examine ways to address anemia and blood loss in surgery patients Anemia is common, and in surgical patients can increase various risks associated with operations. While blood transfusion can be a lifesaver for patients in these situations, it may not be always be appropriate and can even increase risks.
	Exposure to wildfire smoke linked to increased ER visits for asthma Researchers who analyzed data from the 2006-2007 wildfires in Australia found that exposure to wildfire smoke was linked to increased visits to hospital emergency departments for asthma.
Study identifies psychological traits associated with homophobia A new study that investigated the potential of certain psychological traits for predisposing heterosexuals to have negative attitudes towards homosexual people found that psychoticism—which is present in severe psychopathological conditions but may also contribute to less severe states of hostility and anger—and immature defense mechanisms may be important risk factors for homophobia, while depression and neurotic defense mechanisms appear to lower the risk of being homophobic.
New book shows how US can achieve better health of its citizens and cut healthcare costs The U.S. is one of the wealthiest nations in the world but its citizens are far from the healthiest. In fact, the U.S. lags behind several other developed nations in life expectancy and other population health measures. These disparities persist despite the fact that the U.S. spends more money per capita than any other nation on healthcare delivery.

Biology news

	Understanding reef systems at the genetic level (Phys.org)—Coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems, biodiversity hotspots now under anthropogenic threat from climate change, ocean acidification and pollution. Efforts are underway to protect and expand shrinking reef systems, but such endeavors are inhibited by the lack of information about such fundamental features as the functional symbiosis between the cnidarian coral animal and the photosynthetic alga that live in its gastrodermal cells.
	Frankenvirus emerges from Siberia's frozen wasteland Scientists said they will reanimate a 30,000-year-old giant virus unearthed in the frozen wastelands of Siberia, and warned climate change may awaken dangerous microscopic pathogens.
	Researchers develop a method for controlling gene activation Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have developed a new method which enables the activation of genes in a cell without changing the genome. Applications of the method include directing the differentiation of stem cells.
	What types of nucleic acids existed before RNA and DNA? Structure generation software allows scientists to begin exploring the types of nucleic acids that could have existed before, alongside, or indeed instead of, ribonucleic acid (RNA) and DNA.
	Crocs suffer in competition with humans Many of the world's 27 species of crocodylians will soon be either totally or locally extinct due to human population expansion and intensive land-use, according to a University of Queensland researcher.
Ants on the march in non-native conifer forests A species of ant is thriving in habitats created by thousands of acres of coniferous forest planted in a UK National Park in the last 60 years, according to new research by scientists from the Department of Biology at the University of York and Forest Research, the Forestry Commission's research agency.
	EU lawmakers want full animal cloning ban EU lawmakers backed calls Tuesday to tighten up a proposed ban on cloning animals for food so as to ensure they never find a place on European farms.
	Flickr and a citizen science website help in recording a sawfly species range expansion Social network Flickr and citizen science website BugGuide have helped scientists to expand the known range of a rarely collected parasitic woodwasp, native to the eastern United States. Partially thanks to the two online photograph platforms, now the species' distribution now stretches hundreds of miles west of previous records. Previously known from only 50 specimens mainly from the Northeast, now the species was discovered in the Ozark Mountains by researchers from the University of Arkansas. Their study is published it in the open access journal Biodiversity Data Journal.
	Lazing away the summer: Some dormice start their hibernation early Edible dormice (Glis glis) spend about eight months on average in hibernation. Wildlife biologists from the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology of the Vetmeduni Vienna have shown for the first time that these animals can hibernate for up to 11.4 months. "This may be a world record," says Claudia Bieber, co-author of the study. "Dormice in our climate zone don't just spend the winter months underground, they sometimes begin hibernating in summer."
	Jervis Bay funnel-web surprises scientists Scientists studying funnel-web spiders at Booderee National Park near Jervis Bay on the New South Wales south coast have found a large example of an unexpected funnel-web species.
	Parasite vs. invader: New endoparasitoid wasp can save the Dominican Republic economy While biocontrol agents come in different shapes, often taking a lot of time for scientists to research, test and produce, natural ones always seem to be the better option. Now that Drs. Taveras and Hansson have discovered a new parasitoid wasp species in the Dominican Republic, they might have not only met the worst natural enemy for a widely spread invasive pest corrupting a large part of the essential pigeon pea crops. They are likely to have found a whole new field for investigation into the potential weapons against the eradicator of up to 76% of the essential crop. Their study is available in the open access Journal of Hymenoptera Research.
	Uncovering evolutionary secrets How did the elephant get its trunk? Or the turtle its shell? How, in general, did the seemingly infinite diversity of complex animal forms on our planet arise? The scientific pursuit of how such "evolutionary novelties" come about is one of the big mysteries that biologists are trying to tease apart.
	Ozone can reduce a flower's scent that's critical for attracting pollinators New research shows that high levels of ozone, which are predicted to increase in the atmosphere in the future, can dampen the scents of flowers that attract bees and other pollinators.
	Researchers develop optical interferometer to monitor the large-scale manufacture of stem cells Reliable and large-scale production of high-quality stem cells will be vital if they are to achieve what many believe is their full potential in a wide range of medical therapies. A University of Huddersfield scientist is conducting research that aims to ensure this.
	Parasitic disease: Contact rates, competition matter in transmission Contact and competition among different animals within a community matters when it comes to the possibility of parasitic disease outbreak, according to new research from the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis and the University of Georgia, Athens.
	New version of vegetationmap4africa launched Tree enthusiasts on the move can now identify species as they go, and at the same time gain a deeper understanding of their natural environment, thanks to a new version of vegetationmap4africa. The new version of the map (ver. 2.0), which has been developed by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the University of Copenhagen and partners, was launched today at the XIV World Forestry Congress in Durban. The map is expected to help those involved in landscape restoration to make better decisions on suitable tree and shrub species to use.
	S.Africa animal rights group tries to stop big game hunt South African animal rights group the NSPCA on Monday said it has obtained a warrant in its attempt to stop a week-long large game hunt that could see hundreds of animals die.
	EU parliament strengthens seal hunt ban European lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to strengthen an EU ban on seal products, narrowing exceptions made for Canada's indigenous Inuits.
	Baby is born to endangered killer whale pod off Washington Scientists say a baby has been born to an endangered group of killer whales off Washington state, marking the fifth birth among the region's three pods since December.

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