Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Oct 27

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 27, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Researchers develop a fast, noninvasive brain-computer interface
- Models show injecting aerosols into the atmosphere to prevent hurricanes possibly feasible
- Study suggests a ten-fold efficiency increase possible when converting carbon dioxide to fuel using solar energy
- Sonic tractor beam invented (w/ Video)
- Our head movements convey emotions
- Scientists experimentally optimize operation of first wall-less Hall thruster prototype
- Coating cancels acoustic scattering from odd-shaped objects
- PhD student stumbles upon a new way for producing oldest chemical compounds
- Researchers create better algorithm for simulating particles in Fermi Sea
- Researchers develop novel 3-D printing method for creating patient-specific medical devices
- Withdrawing dementia drug doubles risk of nursing home placement
- The brain forgets in order to conserve energy
- New study shows that lion populations in much of Africa are in rapid decline
- Upcoming UN Climate Summit can't overlook China's support of global coal power
- Physics of 'booming' and 'burping' sand dunes revealed

Astronomy & Space news

	How clean is the International Space Station? State-of-the-art molecular analysis of dust samples from the International Space Station (ISS) has been employed to reveal new information about some of the potential bacterial agents present in the astronauts' space environment. The research, published in the open access journal Microbiome, reported presence of the opportunistic bacterial pathogens that are mostly innocuous on Earth but can lead to infections that result in inflammations or skin irritations. The findings of this study help NASA establish a baseline for monitoring the cleanliness of the ISS, which will in turn help manage astronaut health in the future. However, since the study is based on genetic analysis, it could not conclude whether these bacteria are harmful to astronaut health.
	Image: Coronal mass ejection creates spooky Halloween sky Eerie sheets and ripples of green hang above a deserted rocky landscape in this spooky Space Science Image of the Week. Spikes of neon and emerald seem to form the ominous form of a ghostly celestial eagle, with a sharp beak, bright head and majestic outstretched wings.
	Research uncovers 'horizon glow' mystery of the moon Researchers from The University of Western Australia have uncovered answers to a mystery that has puzzled scientists for half a century.
	Artificial intelligence finds messy galaxies An ANU astrophysics student has turned to artificial intelligence to help her to see into the hearts of galaxies.
	Spacecraft diving deep into Saturn moon's erupting water jet (Update) The Cassini spacecraft is about to get an icy shower as it orbits Saturn.
	Probing the mysteries of Europa, Jupiter's cracked and crinkled moon Jupiter's moon Europa is believed to possess a large salty ocean beneath its icy exterior, and that ocean, scientists say, has the potential to harbor life. Indeed, a mission recently suggested by NASA would visit the icy moon's surface to search for compounds that might be indicative of life. But where is the best place to look? New research by Caltech graduate student Patrick Fischer; Mike Brown, the Richard and Barbara Rosenberg Professor and Professor of Planetary Astronomy; and Kevin Hand, an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at JPL, suggests that it might be within the scarred, jumbled areas that make up Europa's so-called "chaos terrain."
	Study explores wave-particle interaction in atmosphere A Dartmouth-led study sheds light on the impact of plasma waves on high-energy electrons streaking into Earth's magnetic field from space.
	Black hole has major flare The baffling and strange behaviors of black holes have become somewhat less mysterious recently, with new observations from NASA's Explorer missions Swift and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. The two space telescopes caught a supermassive black hole in the midst of a giant eruption of X-ray light, helping astronomers address an ongoing puzzle: How do supermassive black holes flare?
	Image: Enceladus lit by the sun Enceladus is a world divided. To the north, the terrain is covered in impact craters, much like other icy moons. But to the south, the record of impact cratering is much more sparse, and instead the land is covered in fractures, ropy or hummocky terrain and long, linear features.
	Building a microscope to search for signs of life on other worlds In March of this year, a team of bioengineers from Caltech, JPL, and the University of Washington spent a week in Greenland, using snowmobiles to haul their scientific equipment, waiting out windstorms, and spending hours working on the ice. Now the same researchers are planning a trip to California's Mojave Desert, where they will study Searles Lake, a dry, extremely salty basin that is naturally full of harsh chemicals like arsenic and boron. The researchers are testing a holographic microscope that they have designed and built for the purpose of observing microbes that thrive in such extreme environments. The ultimate goal? To send the microscope on a spacecraft to search for biosignatures—signs of life—on other worlds such as Mars or Saturn's icy moon Enceladus.
	NASA seeks student experiments for edge-of-space balloon flight NASA is accepting applications from graduate and undergraduate university students to fly their science and technology experiments to the edge of space on a scientific balloon mission.

Technology news

	Study suggests a ten-fold efficiency increase possible when converting carbon dioxide to fuel using solar energy A trio of researchers with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory working at the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis has found that it should be possible to achieve an approximate ten-fold increase in efficiency over natural photosynthesis, when converting carbon dioxide to fuel using solar energy. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Meenesh Singh, Ezra Clark and Alexis Bell describe the various scenarios they tested and why they believe it should be possible to achieve such boosts in efficiency.
	Boosting the efficiency of solar panels A UConn researcher has developed a light-harvesting antenna that could double the efficiency of existing solar cell panels and make them cheaper to build.
	'Spring-mass' technology heralds the future of walking robots A study by engineers at Oregon State University suggests that they have achieved the most realistic robotic implementation of human walking dynamics that has ever been done, which may ultimately allow human-like versatility and performance.
	Farming the sea: Prize-winning model to restore ecosystems A fisherman working in industrialized fishing environments realized something that affected his fundamental outlook on what he was doing: he was witnessing very efficient fishing technologies and boats ripping up entire ecosystems with trawls; he was seeing efficient technologies being applied in ways that were chasing fish farther and farther out to sea.
Wal-Mart eyes drone home deliveries Wal-Mart is actively looking at the possibility of using drones to make deliveries to US customers, a spokesman said Monday, following the lead of Amazon and other retailers.
	New electricity meters are smart—but are they trusted? The smart grid: It's the power-system modernization effort that U.S. utilities are building to meet the country's growing demands for electricity. But it's not confined to power plants and substations—if you have a smart meter, a key piece of smart grid technology already is attached to your house.
	Cyberattacks can be time bombs that may tick a while before being triggered Cyberattacks such as that recently suffered by telecoms firm TalkTalk can result in hair-raisingly large losses: TalkTalk may have lost the details of 4m customers, while in just the last few months Carphone Warehouse lost 2m, Experian lost 15m T-Mobile customers' details, and dating website Ashley Madison lost 32m users' details. The impression is that all this data is a danger to us in the wrong hands, but where does it end up, how is it used, and by whom?
	Swimming in a deluge of user generated content The Internet is awash in user generated content (UGC)—from blogs, reviews, and Q&As, to wikis, tweets, and Facebook posts. And let's not forget photo- and video-sharing sites: every second, one hour of video is uploaded to YouTube, and an average of more than 80 million photos get added to Instagram every day. It seems we can't get enough of posting our own content and reading or viewing other people's. With technological advances making it ever easier to create UGC, the phenomenon is only getting bigger. Also getting bigger is the task of navigating all that UGC. With so much content to sift through, how can people find quality UCG? Conversely, how can UCG creators attract more eyeballs to their content?
	New online site hopes to be the Rotten Tomatoes for theater Like a lot of people, Tom Melcher was frustrated with the amount of work it took to find something to watch onstage in New York. Unlike a lot of people, he did something about it.
New ways to put energy in the bank Mike Hopkins sells an ice maker that stores energy. It's not sexy technology, he notes. But his Santa Barbara, Calif.-based business, Ice Energy, is growing fast.
Review: Pay-by-phone works, mostly This week I've been paying for things with my phone, and while I do appreciate the technology, I'm wondering if mobile wallets will take off or fizzle out.
Amazon takes cowboy tactics to 'wild, wild East' of India A woman slowly moves a damp mop across cracked tiles in a small Amazon outpost here. Her hands are as weathered as the floor she is cleaning.
	Review: Google's Chromecast is tops for inexpensive streaming When it debuted two years ago, Google's Chromecast shook up the market for digital streaming devices. The company is hoping now to build on that success, releasing a new and improved version of the Chromecast.
Smartphone app helps people with blindness navigate their surroundings Previously, when Chieko Asakawa navigated her way across the Carnegie Mellon University campus, she used her white cane to identify obstructions with her ears alert to recognizable sounds and intuition in full power to keep track of her location.
'Ridiculous and amazing' Slack messaging app keeps human users in mind Slack Technologies CEO Stewart Butterfield has a theory about why Albert Einstein achieved mainstream popularity while a fellow genius, Austrian mathematician Kurt Godel, didn't.
	How Comcast wants to meter the Internet Three years after Comcast began offering unlimited home-Internet usage, the cable giant is moving in the opposite direction. In more parts of the U.S., it's starting to charge heavy data users extra.
	How sensorimotor intelligence may develop It is fascinating to observe a robot exploring its physical possibilities and surroundings, and subsequently developing different self-taught behaviors without any instructions. In their paper published on October, 26, 2015 in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), Professor Ralf Der from the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, und Georg Martius, Postdoc and Fellow at the Institute for Science and Technology (IST Austria), demonstrate the emergence of sensorimotor intelligence in robots based on their proposed learning rule.
	CIA chief 'outraged' by personal email hack CIA chief John Brennan said Tuesday he was "outraged" that hackers broke into his personal email account, and faulted the media for its coverage of the incident.
	Alibaba expands despite slowing China growth Chinese online giant Alibaba on Tuesday posted robust quarterly results showing better-than-expected sales growth, allaying fears stemming from cooling in the world's second largest economy.
	Speeding up extreme big brain data analysis It's tough to unravel the mysteries of the brain when your computer is frozen.
	EU lawmakers end mobile roaming charges European lawmakers on Tuesday approved an end to loathed mobile phone roaming charges in the EU by 2017 and adopted rules to ensure open internet access.
	Senate passes bill to push sharing of info on hacker threats (Update) The Senate passed a bill Tuesday aimed at improving cybersecurity by encouraging companies and the government to share information about threats. It took roughly six years to win approval for such a program.
	Online gaming harassment forums canceled after threats Two forums on online harassment in the gaming industry have been canceled by the South by Southwest festival in the wake of "threats" against them, organizers said.
	European leaders look to boost financing for startups The leaders of France, Germany and the European Union's executive body have praised new partnerships between private, public and European funds to improve access to financing for startups in an effort to boost the digital economy across the continent.
	Adam Selman, MasterCard turning clothes into payment devices Call it payable fashion. You won't need a credit card to pay for your clothes; your clothes will BE your credit card.
Oracle to build high school on its Silicon Valley campus Oracle founder Larry Ellison already owns an island in Hawaii. Now, his company is building a high school next to its Silicon Valley headquarters to help fulfill Ellison's desire to teach students more about technology and problem-solving.
	NASA investigates techniques for cooling 3-D integrated circuits stacked like a skyscraper Future integrated circuitry is expected to look a lot like skyscrapers: units will be stacked atop one another and interconnects will link each level to its adjacent neighbors, much like how elevators connect one floor to the next. The problem is how do integrated-circuit designers remove heat from these tightly packed 3-D chips? The smaller the space between the chips, the harder it is to remove the heat.
	Apple beats earnings estimates, issues healthy forecast Defying skeptics on Wall Street, Apple says it plans to keep setting records for selling new iPhones around the world.
	Comcast's "Minions," high-speed Internet, drive 3Q revenue Comcast's third-quarter profit tumbled 22 percent on higher tax costs, but revenue rose sharply thanks to some hit films like "Minions" and its high-speed Internet services.
	Unmanned aircraft demonstrate success in crisis management Unmanned balloons and satellites can be effectively used to achieve integrated crisis management across large areas, EU researchers have confirmed.
	Students help bioscience get a grip on technology A diverse group of biology and engineering students at University California, San Diego use cutting-edge technologies to ride and drive the wave of innovation in science.
	Technology accurately measures human behavior and estimates attributes in real time Hitachi, Ltd. today announced that it has developed a technology which can accurately measure human behavior and estimate attributes (characteristics) in real time. By analyzing 3D data obtained from a stereo camera, human behavior can be measured accurately, in real time, even in a crowded space, which used to be difficult with 2D image data from conventional surveillance cameras. Additionally, by analyzing 3D data of the shapes of people and the objects around them, accessory objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs for example, can be identified. By using this data, the each person's attribute of their owners—for example, a guest with his/her child or an elderly person who needs assistance—can also be estimated. The new technology can be applied to a variety of fields such as marketing to provide services depending on the behavior and attributes of people in commercial facilities, offices, event halls, and other space! s.
	Technology to securely turn biometric data into a cryptographic key Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. today announced the development of a technology that turns biometric data, such as palm veins, into a cryptographic key. This newly developed technology enhances the security of the encryption method and protects confidential data, such as IDs and passwords. Conventional technologies that use biometric data to encrypt information require that the biometric data be used as-is when retrieving confidential data.
	Fiat Chrysler safety chief to retire after troublesome year Fiat Chrysler's safety chief is retiring from the company after a tumultuous year of conflict with U.S. government regulators.
	Facebook sued over posts inciting attacks on Jews An Israeli NGO said Tuesday it was suing Facebook for failing to remove pages that encourage the killing of Jews, after a wave of attacks by Palestinians left nine Israelis dead.
	Canadian ownership of tablets soars Canadians are increasingly using tablet computers, with nearly half the population owning a device in 2014, up 10 points from the previous year, the government telecommunications agency said Tuesday.

Medicine & Health news

	Researchers develop a fast, noninvasive brain-computer interface (Medical Xpress)—Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), a longtime staple of science fiction, have slowly been realized over the last 20 years. Researchers have developed neuroprosthetics that, with development, hold promise to compensate for sensory-motor and communication disabilities. Additionally, BCIs suggest new paradigms for computing beyond the physical interface technologies used today.
	Oxytocin has social, emotional and behavioral benefits in young kids with autism A five week treatment with the synthetic hormone oxytocin significantly improved social, emotional and behavioral issues among young children with autism, according to University of Sydney research published today in Molecular Psychiatry.
	New role for insulin: Studies tie the hormone to brain's 'pleasure' center Insulin, the hormone essential to all mammals for controlling blood sugar levels and a feeling of being full after eating, plays a much stronger role than previously known in regulating release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers, new studies by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center show.
	Genetic testing could identify men at a 10-fold increased risk of testicular cancer A new study of more than 25,000 men has uncovered four new genetic variants associated with increased risk of testicular cancer.
	Researchers discover more than 3,000 genes in a little-studied part of the human genome Scientists at the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have discovered more than 3,000 previously unknown genes in a poorly understood part of the genome. These genes, found in rare cells in bone marrow and in the thymus, give scientists a new understanding of how the human immune system develops.
	Bodily maps of touch and social relationships are tightly linked A study conducted by Aalto University and the University of Oxford shows that the bodily maps of touch are consistent across a wide range of European cultures.
	Testosterone levels found to rise in women in dominant role regardless of behavior (Medical Xpress)—A trio of researchers with the University of Michigan has found that testosterone levels in women rise when engaging in a dominant behavior regardless of whether they act in more masculine or feminine ways while doing it. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes the study they carried out with male and female volunteers and what their results might mean for the role women play in modern society.
	Intrinsic neural connections help the blind detect their environment A busy kitchen is a place where all of the senses are on high alert—your brain is processing the sound of sizzling oil, the aroma of spices, the visual aesthetic of food arranged on a plate, the feel and taste of taking a bite. While these signals may seem distinct and independent, they actually interact and integrate together within the brain's network of sensory neurons.
	The brain forgets in order to conserve energy Our brains not only contain learning mechanisms but also forgetting mechanisms that erase "unnecessary" learning. A research group at Lund University in Sweden has now been able to describe one of these mechanisms at the cellular level.
	Withdrawing dementia drug doubles risk of nursing home placement Withdrawing a commonly-prescribed Alzheimer's disease drug from people in the advanced stages of the disease doubles their risk of being placed in a nursing home within a year, according to UCL research published today in The Lancet Neurology.
	Intestinal worms 'talk' to gut bacteria to boost immune system EPFL researchers have discovered how intestinal worm infections cross-talk with gut bacteria to help the immune system.
	Study reveals brain mechanism for creating durable memories Rehearsing information immediately after being given it may be all you need to make it a permanent memory, a University of Sussex study suggests.
	Our head movements convey emotions When people talk or sing, they often nod, tilt or bow their heads to reinforce verbal messages. But how effective are these head gestures at conveying emotions?
High-grade DCIS detection rates increase in older women The mammography detection rate of an early-stage but potentially invasive type of breast cancer rises with age, according to a large new study from Germany published online in the journal Radiology.
	New Yale ResearchKit app aims to prevent pregnancy loss One of the greatest joys for parents is the birth of their child—and one of the greatest tragedies is the loss of that child. Now, Yale physician scientist Harvey J. Kliman, M.D., has developed an iPhone app that helps women contribute to research that aims to decrease the chance of pregnancy loss due to an undersized placenta, the fetal organ that provides nourishment to the fetus.
	Lower doses of common product ingredient might increase breast cancer risk Estrogen-mimicking chemicals called parabens, which are commonly found in an array of personal care products, may be more dangerous at lower doses than previously thought, according to a new study. The findings, published online October 27 in Environmental Health Perspectives, could have implications for the development of breast cancer and other diseases that are influenced by estrogens. The study also raises questions about current safety testing methods that may not predict the true potency of parabens and their effects on human health.
	Obese children's health rapidly improves with sugar reduction unrelated to calories Reducing consumption of added sugar, even without reducing calories or losing weight, has the power to reverse a cluster of chronic metabolic diseases, including high cholesterol and blood pressure, in children in as little as 10 days, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco and Touro University California.
	Natural immunity may lead fight against liver disease University of Adelaide researchers have uncovered the role played by a family of genes, which can suppress hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection within the liver.
	Maple syrup extract helps mitigate liver inflammation caused by high-fat diet Maple syrup, a concentrated sap from the maple tree Acer saccarum, is used as a sweet alternative to refined sugar across the world. Scientists are becoming interested in maple syrup as a source of beneficial compounds such as antioxidants.
	The promise of personalizing medical practice guidelines in real time It's hardly a secret among medical practitioners: For most patients, clear treatment guidelines simply don't exist.
	Targeted policy actions could help discourage obesity, expert says In the last three decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased rapidly in the United States, resulting in negative consequences for individuals as well as for society as a whole.
	Sexuality orients stress reactivity Gay and bisexual men and heterosexual women have lower stress reactivity compared to heterosexual men. This is the surprising conclusion of a doctoral study undertaken by Robert-Paul Juster of the Institut universitaire en santé mental de Montréal's Centre for Studies on Human Stress, under the supervision of Sonia Lupien, a professor at the University of Montreal's Department of Psychiatry.
	New hope for the 20 percent of kids who don't respond to standard cancer treatment A new drug combination being trialled in a groundbreaking CHU Sainte-Justine/University of Montreal study is giving hope for survival, healing and improved quality of life to the 20% of children who do not respond to standard cancer treatments. Known as DEC-GEN, it's the world's first study involving children with solid tumors or recurrent or refractory leukemia. It was designed at the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre by principal investigators Dr. Noël Raynal and Dr. Henrique Bittencourt, both professors at the University of Montreal, and aims to evaluate the effectiveness in children of a combination of two drugs which are already used individually in the treatment of cancers. This drug combination therapy developed at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS).
	Prescription pain relievers place teens at greater risk for future drug misuse High school students who legitimately use an opioid prescription are one-third more likely to abuse the drug by age 23 than those with no history of the prescription, according to a new University of Michigan study.
	Research finds Australian supermarket catalogues promote unhealthy eating Unhealthy foods are the most promoted items in Australian supermarket catalogues, according to an analysis by Deakin University obesity prevention researchers.
	Scientists pinpoint pathway of resistance to viral infections in the gut The gut is an important barrier for the body, protecting it from pathogens that might otherwise cause illness. While scientists have investigated the intestinal immune response to bacterial invaders, the response to viruses is not well understood. In a study published in Science, Yale researchers describe how the gut recognizes and controls viruses.
	Study explores effectiveness of obesity intervention in pregnancy South Auckland women in early pregnancy are needed to help with a study that looks into healthy pregnancy nutrition and healthy weight gain.
	Meat in moderation still okay, says dietician If you're scared by the World Health Organisation's declaration that processed meat - and probably red meat - are carcinogens like tobacco, just remember that old adage of everything in moderation.
	Surgery an option for more pancreatic cancer patients, Mayo expert says Pancreatic cancer has long proved the least survivable of the most common forms of cancer, in part because it tends to spread before symptoms appear. Surgery has offered the longest remissions, but for many people with advanced cancer, an operation wasn't an option. Now, thanks to improvements in chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, even this most recalcitrant of cancers is starting to budge, says Mark Truty, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastrointestinal surgeon.
How poker machines create addicts and rob them blind Australians lose A$20 billion on gambling every year, $11 billion of which goes on poker machines in pubs and clubs. Why, then, are pokies so attractive? And why do we spend so much on them?
	The journey from drug discovery to elimination Unless you regularly work with neglected tropical diseases, onchocerciasis is probably a word you don't hear very often, much less know how to pronounce. Due to recent world events, however, it may trigger a flicker of recognition. In the past two months, discoveries and milestones along the journey to the elimination of the usually neglected onchocerciasis have been deservedly highlighted in the media.
	How Amsterdam's wonderful bicycle culture contributes to public health I've been riding a bike since I was a kid – first a tricycle, then one with training wheels, a couple of BMXs during my teens, and over the past 15 years, mountain bikes. I love riding my bike through quiet wooden trials away from the buzz of the city. It's the best form of relaxation and meditation I have found. When Canadian weather permits, cycling to work is also a fantastic way to start and end the work day with a bit of physical activity.
Acid reflux medications may increase kidney disease risk Certain medications commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may have damaging effects on the kidneys, according to two studies that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. The drugs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are among the top 10 class of prescribed medications in the United States.
	Study compares combination treatments for black adults with asthma Among black adults with asthma treated with an inhaled corticosteroid, adding a long-acting beta-agonist did not improve the time to an asthma exacerbation compared with adding the anticholinergic tiotropium, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.
Study examines lack of specialists in insurance plans of Affordable Care Act In a study of federal marketplace insurance plans, nearly 15 percent completely lacked in-network physicians for at least 1 specialty, a practice found among multiple states and issuers, raising concerns regarding patient access to specialty care, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.
Decreases seen in leading causes of death An analysis of deaths in the United States between 1969 and 2013 finds an overall decreasing trend in the age-standardized death rate for all causes combined and for heart disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injuries, and diabetes, although the rate of decrease appears to have slowed for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.
	Scientists discover a 'switchboard' of molecules that protect against Parkinson's disease A `switchboard' of molecules that play a vital role in protecting the brain against Parkinson's disease has been uncovered by a research team led by the University of Dundee.
	Extending use of existing Alzheimer's drug could delay move into nursing home Newly-released follow-up analysis from a 2012 clinical trial led by a UK-based research team suggests that continuing treatment of the commonly-prescribed dementia drug donepezil into the later stages of Alzheimer's could reduce a person's likelihood of moving into a nursing home.
Researchers study connection between cholesterol level and cognitive decline in old age Changes in lifestyle could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. That was the conclusion of a study conducted by researchers of Heidelberg University's Network Aging Research (NAR), who examined the data from two independent epidemiological studies. Carriers of the ApoE4 genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's may be able to reduce their increased risk of cognitive decline by reducing their cholesterol level, especially if they also suffer from cardiovascular disease. In Germany, approximately 20 percent of the population carries the ApoE4 risk factor. The results of the research were published in "Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders".
Diabetes patients do better after surgery when their blood sugar is managed by pharmacists A pharmacy-led glycemic control program is linked to improved outcomes for surgical patients with diabetes and those who develop stress-induced hyperglycemia or high blood sugars as a result of surgery, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in the American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits.
	Halloween can be a fright for kids with food allergies (HealthDay)—Parents of youngsters with food allergies may feel Halloween is more trick than treat, but the holiday's risks can be reduced with some simple precautions, an expert says.
	Autism may be overdiagnosed in the United States (HealthDay)—As many as 9 percent of American children diagnosed with autism may not have the disorder, according to a federal government study published online Oct. 20 in Autism.
	CDC: Too few male adolescents receiving HPV vaccine (HealthDay)—Most male adolescents in the United States aren't receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine alongside their other scheduled inoculations, largely because doctors fail to recommend it or adequately explain its benefits to parents, according to a report published online Oct. 26 in Pediatrics.
	Study reveals cheese is as addictive as drugs For years you've been telling your friends, family, co-workers and anyone who will listen that you're addicted to cheese. It's a part of every meal or snack, and you think about it constantly. According to a new study from the University of Michigan, cheese crack is a real thing. And so is your addiction.
Multi-tasking flu vaccine could provide better protection against outbreaks Australian researchers have found a way to boost the effectiveness and cross-protective capabilities of an influenza A vaccine by adding a simple component. Published this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, the research in mice could lead to better seasonal flu vaccines for humans, and also vaccines that could provide community protection in the early stages of an outbreak of a novel flu virus strain.
Diabetes identified as a risk factor for surgical site infections Diabetic patients are at considerably increased risk for developing surgical site infections (SSIs) while undergoing most types of surgeries, compared to non-diabetic patients, according to a new study published online today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).
	Manipulating the antennae on cells promises new treatments for osteoarthritis Bioengineers from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have shown for the first time that lithium chloride, a common drug used to treat mental health disorders, could offer an effective treatment against osteoarthritis by disrupting the length of the cells' antennae called primary cilia.
Researchers explore natural molecule's potential to aid immune response Environment can make all the difference in behavior - even at the cellular level. Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have discovered even a small shift in environmental factors can change how a cell in the immune system matures.
Researcher confirms praziquantel safe after first trimester A study by Rhode Island Hospital researchers confirmed that a drug used to treat a disease afflicting millions of people in developing countries is safe to give pregnant women following their first trimester. The finding could prove critical to the care of pregnant women and lactating women with schistosomiasis, a disease caused by a parasitic worm, who were denied the drug out of concern for their health and the health of their fetuses.
Potential new therapy for triple-negative breast cancer shows promise in lab studies Recent laboratory findings provide novel insight into potential new therapeutic approaches for triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly difficult to treat and aggressive form of the disease.
	When it comes to children's ability to think, weight and activity level both matter, study finds Weight and physical activity levels are both factors in a child's ability to acquire and use knowledge, a new study finds.
	Mental maps: Route-learning changes brain tissue Fifteen years ago, a study showed that the brains of London cab drivers had an enlargement in the hippocampus, a brain area associated with navigation. But questions remained: Did the experience of navigating London's complex system of streets change their brains, or did only the people with larger hippocampi succeed in becoming cab drivers?
Restoring testosterone rather than replacing it helps safeguard a man's fertility Restoring testosterone production in men may be as effective as replacing it, without compromising their fertility. Two phase III clinical trials show that a drug that restores the body's natural production of testosterone has no negative effect on a man's sperm count while a topical testosterone gel causes a significant drop. The findings, which are published in BJU International, could change the way men are treated for low testosterone.
	New finding offers clues for blocking cancer gene A new study suggests a potential new way to block one of the most common cancer-causing genes, without causing severe side effects.
Genetic tests of amniotic fluid could guide timing of delicate births Analyzing gene expression of an expectant mother's amniotic fluid could give doctors an important tool for deciding when it is safe to deliver premature babies.
New studies show nobel prize-winning drug that knocks out parasitic worms could have second act fighting malaria A workhorse of a drug that a few weeks ago earned its developers a Nobel prize for its success in treating multiple tropical diseases is showing early promise as a novel and desperately needed tool for interrupting malaria transmission, according to new findings presented today at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting.
	Researchers identify an enzyme as a major culprit of autoimmune diseases Activating an enzyme that sounds an alarm for the body's innate immune system causes two lethal autoimmune diseases in mice, while inhibiting the same enzyme rescues them, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.
Two studies investigate health impacts of continuous piped water supply This week's issue of PLOS Medicine features two separate studies, each of which investigates the importance of uninterrupted piped water supplies to health outcomes. In a matched cohort study in Hubli-Dharwad, India, Ayse Ercumen of the University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues compared health outcomes for households that had been upgraded to receive continuous piped water to households with intermittent water supply. Aurélie Jeandron of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and colleagues conducted a time-series regression of water supply to Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo and admissions to the local Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC).
Reduced activity of a brain protein linked to post-traumatic stress disorder People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have reduced activity of the protein serum and glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) in their prefrontal cortices, and experimentally reducing the protein's activity in rats leads to PTSD-like behavior, according to a new study in PLOS Biology. The study by Pawel Licznerski, Ronald Duman and colleagues of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University publishing in the Open Access journal PLOS Biology on Oct. 27th, suggests that augmenting activity of SGK1 may be therapeutic in PTSD.
	Reforms to agricultural policy may increase sugar consumption and harm public health Sugar has an important role in the development of obesity and diabetes. In July, the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition reduced its recommendations for sugars to no more than 5% of daily calories. And earlier this year, Public Health England proposed measures to reduce sugar consumption.
	Study finds complete symptom resolution reduces risk of depression recurrence People who have had an episode of major depression are at high risk for having another episode. Now, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found that the risk of recurrence is significantly lower for people with complete, rather than partial depressive symptom resolution.
	3-D pancreatic cancer organoid may help predict clinical responses, personalize treatments The development of a new method to grow three-dimensional organoid cultures of pancreatic tumors directly from patients' surgical tissue offers a promising opportunity for testing targeted therapies and drug responses and personalizing treatments in a rapid, cost-effective manner. The findings are currently reported in the Advance Online issue of the journal Nature Medicine.
	New finding helps explain why many alcohol drinkers also are smokers Alcohol and nicotine use have long been known to go hand in hand. Previous research shows that more than 85 percent of U.S. adults who are alcohol-dependent also are nicotine-dependent. Now, researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that nicotine cancels out the sleep-inducing effects of alcohol. It's a finding that sheds light on the reason alcohol and nicotine usage are so closely linked.
Drug for digestive problem can extend survival for many advanced cancer patients Patients with advanced cancers who took a drug designed to relieve constipation caused by pain killers lived longer and had fewer reports of tumor progression than cancer patients who did not receive the drug, according to results presented Oct. 27 at the 2015 meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in San Diego. This is the first study in humans to associate opioid blockade with improved survival.
	Drug-device combination opens potential new path to treat stroke Scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University developing novel nanotherapeutics for clearing obstructed blood vessels have teamed up with researchers at University of Massachusetts' New England Center for Stroke Research (NECSTR) to develop a new, highly effective drug-device combination for treating life-threatening blood clots in patients with stroke.
	First-of-its-kind study shows kids with hearing loss benefit from early intervention Hearing well impacts every area of a child's life—language and speech development, social skills, and future academic and life success.
	Prolonged TV viewing linked to eight leading causes of death in US On average, 80% of American adults watch 3.5 hours of television per day and multiple observational studies have demonstrated a link between TV viewing and poorer health. In this new study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, investigators reported an association between increasing hours of television viewing per day and increasing risk of death from most of the major causes of death in the United States.
New growth charts developed for US children with Down syndrome Pediatric researchers have developed the first set of growth charts for U.S. children with Down syndrome since 1988. These new charts provide an important tool for pediatricians to evaluate growth milestones for children and adolescents with this condition. With these new charts, pediatricians will be able to compare each patient's growth patterns with peers of the same age and sex who have Down syndrome.
	Increased risk of large bowel cancer for each one cm rise in waist circumference Experts speaking at the 23rd United European Gastroenterology Week (UEG Week 2015) in Barcelona, Spain today revealed compelling evidence of the link between excess body weight and risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). John Mathers, Professor of Human Nutrition from the Institute of Cellular Medicine at Newcastle University in the UK presented data showing an overall increase of 18% in relative risk of CRC per 5 unit increase in BMI.
Australia says linking sausages to tobacco risk 'a farce' One of the world's top meat exporters Australia Tuesday ridiculed a landmark UN report linking sausages and ham to cancer, saying it was "a farce" to suggest they could be as lethal as cigarettes.
Brazilians have a beef with UN meat warning At Rio de Janeiro's famed Churrascaria Palace restaurant, the sizzling of steaks, the swish of carving knives and sighs of satisfied diners drowned out a UN warning Monday that meat can cause cancer.
	Unveiling the life-cycles of malarial parasites to aid the routine validation of drugs and live vaccines Details of the life-cycles of P. falciparum and P.ovale, two of the parasites that cause malaria, are revealed by Hiroshi Suemizu at the Central Institute for Experimental Animals, Kawasaki and researchers affiliated with Kawasaki Innovation Gateway at Skyfront, Japan. The findings are published in Nature Communications. The researchers expect the use of humanized mice for malarial studies to aid the routine validation of drugs and live vaccines for the disease.
Novel norovirus strain identified Norovirus, which is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis, mutates rapidly. Now the researchers of Division of Virology, Kawasaki City Institute for Public Health, Kanagawa, Japan identified a novel genotype of the norovirus.
Novartis income drops 42 pct in Q3 after sale a year earlier Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis says net income fell 42 percent in the third quarter, largely due to the sale of its hepatitis drug unit a year earlier and provisions for legal settlements and fees.
Marae link important to Maori in advanced age Māori in advanced age living in areas of higher socio-economic deprivation were significantly more likely to attend a marae, according to new research from the University of Auckland.
Improving risk profiling is key to preventing many GI cancers Cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract continue to exert their toll across Europe, with many diagnosed too late for effective treatment. Bowel cancer screening programmes are now underway in most European countries, but screening for other GI cancers is patchy and not necessarily well-targeted. Today, experts at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) call for better risk profiling for all GI cancers in order to develop more targeted approaches to their screening and prevention.
Pfizer beats 3Q expectations, raises 2015 earnings forecast Pfizer Inc., finally turning the corner after years of generic competition that slashed revenue from the drugmaker's former blockbusters, easily beat Wall Street expectations for the third quarter and raised its 2015 earnings forecast on Tuesday, the second time in barely two months.
	Merck cost cuts offset lower sales and strong dollar in 3Q Merck's third-quarter profit more than doubled as heavy cost-cutting more than offset lower sales and the negative effects of a strong dollar.
Intestine-specific delivery of insulin demonstrates promise with new oral formulation An intestinal patch device containing insulin that can be swallowed in the form of a capsule, in development by researchers at University of California Santa Barbara, has demonstrated efficacy of blood glucose management in diabetic rats. This work is being presented Oct. 27 at the 2015 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world's largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in Orlando, Fla. Oct. 25-29.
How we became the heaviest drinkers in a century I first met alcohol in the late 1980s. It was the morning after one of my parents' parties. My sister and I, aged nine or ten, were up alone. We trawled the lounge for abandoned cans. I remember being methodical: pick one up, give it a shake to see if there's anything inside and, if there is, drink! I can still taste the stale, warm metallic tang of Heineken (lager; 5% alcohol by volume) on my tongue. Just mind the ones with cigarette butts in.
	Video: What happens when you're about to die? As Halloween approaches, you may be watching more horror flicks. And afterwards, you might be imagining ghouls and axe murderers around every corner. The fear you feel as you watch a victim die, the screams you make when the killer jumps out on screen—these responses are surprisingly similar to those of the poor victim in the movie.
Driving with glaucoma? Some patients increase scanning to adapt for impaired vision Some people with glaucoma-related binocular (both eyes) vision loss can pass a standard driving test by adopting increased visual scanning behavior, reports a study in the October issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

Biology news

	Discovery of molecular machine that drives spread of flu virus Scientists have used Diamond to uncover the structure of a key component involved in the spread of influenza C virus. Integral to viral replication, polymerases are enzymes that copy the viral genome and produce messenger RNA which is then used to make building blocks for new virus particles. Influenza C is a variety of flu, a viral infection that altogether affects approximately 3 to 5 million people every year, leading to between 250,000 to 500,000 deaths around the world. Understanding the atomic structure of this polymerase could be a major step forward, supporting the development of drugs that prevent it from functioning, effectively 'disarming' the flu virus and making it unable to spread.
	Social yeast cells prefer to work with close relatives to make our beer, bread and wine Baker's yeast cells living together in communities help feed each other, but leave incomers from the same species to die from starvation, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.
	New study shows that lion populations in much of Africa are in rapid decline Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), the study estimates that lion numbers in West and Central Africa are declining sharply and are projected to decline a further 50% in the next two decades without a major conservation effort. Lion numbers are also declining, albeit less dramatically, in East Africa, long considered the main stronghold of the species. The study also shows that almost all lion populations that historically numbered at least 500 individuals are in decline.
	100-year-old mystery solved: Adult eel observed for the first time in the Sargasso Sea After more than a century of speculation, researchers have finally proved that American eels really do migrate to the Sargasso Sea to reproduce. A team supervised by Professor Julian Dodson of Université Laval and Martin Castonguay of Fisheries and Oceans Canada reports having established the migratory route of this species by tracking 28 eels fitted with satellite transmitters. One of these fish reached the northern boundary of the Sargasso Sea, the presumed reproduction site for the species, after a 2,400 km journey. Details are published in the latest edition of Nature Communications.
	Study highlights climate threat to king penguins Warmer sea temperatures are forcing Indian Ocean king penguins to travel further for food, cutting into their breeding season researchers said Tuesday, warning of a "serious threat" from climate change.
	Sick, hungry orangutans fall victim to Indonesia fires crisis Endangered orangutans are falling victim to a devastating haze crisis that has left them sick, malnourished and severely traumatised as fires rage through Indonesia's forests, reducing their habitat to a charred wasteland.
	Mapping the 3-D structure of DNA For graduate student Abe Weintraub, the magic and intrigue of DNA is all in the packaging.
	Mycologist says our close relatives break the bounds of biology The mushroom nicknamed "death cap" made headlines this summer when it poisoned Syrian refugees fleeing through Eastern Europe.
Marine reserves will need stepping stones to help fishes disperse between them A massive field effort on the Belizean Barrier Reef has revealed for the first time that the offspring of at least one coral reef fish, a neon goby, do not disperse far from their parents. The results indicate that if marine protected areas aim to conserve such fishes, and biodiversity more broadly, then they must be spaced closely enough to allow larvae to disperse successfully between them.
	Bird study shows parent care not always best Being taught by one's parents may not always be a good thing—at least if you're a whooping crane.
	Fossils reveal ancient secrets of salamander ancestors' limb regrowth The natural world can be a dangerous place. With constant competition for food, shelter and a mate, it's more than likely that things will end up getting violent. In the unfortunate event of a serious injury, such as the loss of a limb, what do you do? Well, in the case of the amphibian salamander, you simply grow a new one.
Identifying the European corn borer may become easier with new technique Farmers who need to control the destructive European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) may soon be able to distinguish it from look-alike species by simply scanning an image of its wing into a computer and pecking a few keys. A technique developed by Polish scientists marks the first time that measurements of key structural features in the wing have been used to identify the borer, potentially a major advance in controlling the pest.
	The modern, molecular hunt for the world's biodiversity The news is full of announcements about newly discovered forms of life. This fall, we learned of a 30,000-year-old giant virus found in frozen Siberia. Until now, known viruses have contained so little genetic information that people have questioned whether they can even be thought of as living. But giant viruses like this one contain as much information as many bacteria, which are certainly alive, and are so big they can be seen with an ordinary microscope.
Seals not competing with Irish fishing stocks, according to new research Seals are not threatening commercial fishing stocks in Irish waters, with the possible exception of wild Atlantic salmon, according to new research led by Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
	Making heads and tails of embryo development Proteins usually responsible for the destruction of virally infected or cancerous cells in our immune system have been found to control the release from cells of a critical growth factor governing head and tail development in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster).  This may help explain how these perforin-like proteins function in human brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Rewilding the future New research shows that the loss of large animals has had strong effects on ecosystem functions, and that reintroducing large animal faunas may restore biodiverse ecosystems.
	Plant regulatory network simulations reveal a mystery in cytokinin patterning Researchers at the University of Helsinki have discovered that cytokinin patterning, an important process in plant development, cannot happen via diffusion alone. While investigating a regulatory network in plant roots, they identified unexpected physical constraints on how cytokinin patterns form.
	All species, great and small, must be preserved Researchers warn all species are important, and conservation efforts should be based on the need for biological diversity and not on how useful individual species are to people.
	Assessing the resource potential of Sal seeds in India A common evergreen seed is capable of providing almost 150,000 person-days of employment during a single collection season in the Kumaun Himalayas region of northern India, according to a recent study in the Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities.
	The great northern cod comeback Once an icon of overfishing, mismanagement, and stock decline, the northern Atlantic cod is showing signs of recovery according to new research published today in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
	Research project identifies microalgae with health-giving omega-3-type fatty acids The Neofood project, currently being run by Neiker-Tecnalia, the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, is seeking to identify species of marine microalgae that are present on the Basque coast that contain bioactive compounds of interest, such as omega-3-type oils.
	Feed innovations offer more efficient, ecological meat production Innovative feed additives can help drive efficient pig and broiler chicken production and might even help reduce emissions, say EU researchers.
	Breeding in the crowns of coconut palms The Guam coconut rhinoceros beetle research team has documented some disturbing and unusual behavior of Oryctes rhinoceros (coconut rhinoceros beetle CRB), which has been published in the September issue of the Florida Entomologist journal.
Researchers work on model to help restoration managers with decision-making It sounds rather simple: In order to restore the original high level of biodiversity in our rivers, they should be returned to their original state. Yet, researchers from the University of Montana and the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) determined it really is not that easy, as efforts often are limited by historical, cultural or economic factors.

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