Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Oct 28

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Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 28, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Rosetta finds molecular oxygen on comet 67P (Update)
- Land-facing, southwest Greenland Ice Sheet movement decreasing
- Researchers examine how a face comes to represent a whole person in the brain
- Older beats younger when it comes to correcting mistakes
- Electric eels curl up to deliver even more powerful shocks
- Ornithomimus dinosaur with preserved tail feathers and skin tightens linkages between dinosaurs and birds
- Researchers find vulnerabilities in use of certificates for Web security
- All-female Russian crew starts Moon mission test
- Next-gen pacemakers may be powered by unlikely source: the heart
- Nordic seas cooled 500,000 years before global oceans
- Manipulating cell signaling for better muscle function in muscular dystrophy
- Learning in your sleep – the right way
- Can we unconsciously 'hear' distance?
- Scientists call for ambitious program to unlock the power of Earth's microbial communities
- Study solves mysteries of Voyager 1's journey into interstellar space

Astronomy & Space news

	Rosetta finds molecular oxygen on comet 67P (Update) Stunned scientists announced Wednesday the unexpected discovery of large quantities of oxygen on a comet which streaked past the Sun in August with a European spacecraft in tow.
	VISTA discovers new component of Milky Way Astronomers using the VISTA telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory have discovered a previously unknown component of the Milky Way. By mapping out the locations of a class of stars that vary in brightness called Cepheids, a disc of young stars buried behind thick dust clouds in the central bulge has been found.
	Astronaut completes spacewalk right before setting US record NASA's yearlong spaceman, Scott Kelly, chalked up his first spacewalk Wednesday just hours before he sets a record for the nation's longest trip off the planet.
	All-female Russian crew starts Moon mission test Six Russian women on Wednesday clambered into a mock spaceship to begin a unique experiment testing how an all-female crew would interact on a trip to the Moon and back.
	Halloween asteroid gives us a miss, confirms ESA An asteroid four times the size of a football pitch will miss Earth on All Hallows' Eve. The flyby highlights the need to watch for space rocks.
	New NASA study reveals origin of organic matter in Apollo lunar samples A team of NASA-funded scientists has solved an enduring mystery from the Apollo missions to the moon - the origin of organic matter found in lunar samples returned to Earth. Samples of the lunar soil brought back by the Apollo astronauts contain low levels of organic matter in the form of amino acids. Certain amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, essential molecules used by life to build structures like hair and skin and to regulate chemical reactions.
	Study solves mysteries of Voyager 1's journey into interstellar space In a study published today in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists from the University of New Hampshire and colleagues answer the question of why NASA's Voyager 1, when it became the first probe to enter interstellar space in mid-2012, observed a magnetic field that was inconsistent with that derived from other spacecraft observations.
	NASA spacecraft set to fly through icy spray of Saturn moon An unmanned NASA spacecraft is set Wednesday to make its deepest dive ever into the icy spray emanating from the underwater ocean on Saturn's moon, Enceladus.
	Traces of enormous solar storms in the ice of Greenland and Antarctica Solar storms and the particles they release result in spectacular phenomena such as auroras, but they can also pose a serious risk to our society. In extreme cases they have caused major power outages, and they could also lead to breakdowns of satellites and communication systems. According to a study published today in Nature Communications, solar storms could be much more powerful than previously assumed. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now confirmed that Earth was hit by two extreme solar storms more than 1000 years ago.
	Image: Debris fragment recovered after the launch loss of the 1996 Cluster mission Human spaceflight and operations image of the week for 27 October 2015: All Hallows' Eve celebrates the cycle of destruction and rebirth, which our Cluster mission knows well.
	Secrets of the Halloween asteroid headed for Earth Only a few weeks ago, on October 10, the survey telescope Pan-STARRS 1 discovered an asteroid – 2015 TB145 – that was classified as potentially hazardous. Because of its brightness, it is estimated to measure 320 metres across, and further observations have revealed that it will race past Earth and the moon on October 31 at 17:05 UTC. In fact, you'll be able to watch it here.
	The chemistry that could feed life within Saturn's moon Enceladus Saturn's 502km-diameter icy moon Enceladus has fascinated scientists since it was first seen up close by NASA's Voyager probes in the 1980s. The moon is venting plumes of ice particles into space including traces of methane, carbon and simple organic compounds – making it a good candidate for harbouring life.
	Why the International Space Station is riddled with 'germs' Forget Ridley Scott's Alien. There's a new, real-life horror story in space. As one national newspaper headline warned this week, the International Space Station is 'filled with germs'.
	James Webb Telescope science instruments begin final super cold test An engineering team lifted and lowered the heart of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope into the giant thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This move marks the start of the third and final cryogenic test at Goddard to prepare the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM), or the "heart" of the telescope, for space.
Researchers develop solution for deep-space communication The international UNISONO project, which is coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has developed a communication solution that can allow orbiting space station to maintain uninterrupted contact with robots working on the surface of a planet. The technology also has potential industrial applications, such as to reduce lags and jitters in mobile gaming.
	UKube-1 completes mission Launched in July 2014, UKube-1 is a technology demonstration mission with a broad set of objectives aimed at attracting and training future generations of engineers, encouraging collaboration across sectors and institutions, fast tracking space technology development and engaging with students.

Technology news

	Green self-driving cars take center stage at Tokyo auto show Visions of cars that drive themselves without emitting a bit of pollution while entertaining passengers with online movies and social media are what's taking center stage at the Tokyo Motor Show.
	QuantumFilm-based image sensors to put cameras in new light InVisage is a camera sensor company. They believe in making cameras smaller, faster and with higher resolution. They are out to make a difference.
	A basis for all cryptography "Indistinguishability obfuscation" is a powerful concept that would yield provably secure versions of every cryptographic system we've ever developed and all those we've been unable to develop. But nobody knows how to put it into practice.
	Researchers show how side-channel attacks can be used to steal encryption keys on Amazon's cloud servers Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have demonstrated that RSA encryption keys, which are used by thousands of companies and organizations to protect the data and processes they entrust to cloud-based services, can be obtained using a sophisticated side-channel attack—despite recent efforts by cloud service providers and cryptography software developers to eliminate such vulnerabilities.
	Bioengineers cut in half time needed to make high-tech flexible sensors Bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego, have developed a method that cuts down by half the time needed to make high-tech flexible sensors for medical applications. The advance brings the sensors, which can be used to monitor vital signs and brain activity, one step closer to mass-market manufacturing.
	How wireless 'X-ray vision' could power virtual reality, smart homes, and Hollywood A team of researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) has long believed that wireless signals like WiFi can be used to see things that are invisible to the naked eye.
	Researchers find vulnerabilities in use of certificates for Web security Consumers use the Internet for banking, emailing, shopping and much more nowadays. With so much personal and private information being transmitted over the Web, Internet users must be able to rely on and trust the sites they are accessing. For security purposes, websites use certificates to establish encrypted communications. When a site becomes compromised, its certificate should be revoked.
	Change the shape, change the sound: Researchers develop algorithm to 3-D print vibrational sounds In creating what looks to be a simple children's musical instrument—a xylophone with keys in the shape of zoo animals—computer scientists at Columbia Engineering, Harvard, and MIT have demonstrated that sound can be controlled by 3D-printing shapes. They designed an optimization algorithm and used computational methods and digital fabrication to control acoustic properties—both sound and vibration—by altering the shape of 2D and 3D objects. Their work—"Computational Design of Metallophone Contact Sounds"—will be presented at SIGGRAPH Asia on November 4 in Kobe, Japan.
	Twitter knocked again on slow user growth Twitter shares tumbled Tuesday after the struggling messaging platform reported only slim growth in its user base and a disappointing revenue outlook.
	Volkswagen apologizes for emissions scandal at auto show A top Volkswagen executive Herbert Diess apologized at the Tokyo auto show Wednesday for the automaker's emissions-cheating scandal, promising to win back customer trust, and said it will delay the launch of a diesel vehicle in Japan.
Nintendo reports quarterly profit as sales improve Nintendo Co. posted a 3.17 billion yen ($26.3 million) profit for the fiscal second quarter, buoyed by sales growth of portable video game machines and software titles.
	Online freedom hit as governments ramp up surveillance Global online freedom declined for a fifth consecutive year as governments around the world stepped up surveillance and censorship efforts, a study showed Wednesday.
	Facebook's Zuckerberg in India to get 'next billion online' Facebook chief executive and founder Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday he believes India will be crucial to getting "the next billion online" and helping to alleviate poverty.
	UK's first major trial of self-healing concrete gets underway in Wales The first major trial of self-healing concrete in the UK, led by a team of researchers from Cardiff University, is being undertaken at a site in the South Wales Valleys.
	Engineering researchers seek remedies for threat posed by drones to commercial airliners Virginia Tech researchers are urging changes in how commercial aircraft engines are designed in the wake of a possible new threat to passenger aircraft safety: the likelihood of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, being sucked into turbofan engines at high speeds.
	Facebook CEO defends effort to expand Internet access Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended his company's contentious efforts to expand Internet access in the developing world during his second visit to India this year.
Survey finds executive cybersecurity decisions are evolving from compliance to proactive cyber-risk management A new research study from SMU's Darwin Deason Institute for Cyber Security finds that executives are changing the way they manage and invest in cybersecurity, moving away from limited, reactive approaches and adopting systemic risk management frameworks that combine hardware, software and operations protocols to mitigate cyber risk.
	Deezer hits pause on plans for first music streaming IPO France's Deezer has postponed its planned IPO, citing market conditions, in what would have been the first music streaming service to go public.
	Fatal error—why we don't fully trust technology We've all been there. The presenter is about to begin, but then disaster strikes: the computer technology fails. Perhaps the computer has fallen asleep, the data projector is using the wrong input, or the mouse clicker has run out of juice.
	Driver's licenses for self-driving cars? Just like people, self-driving vehicles should be required to pass a licensing test, say University of Michigan researchers.
Assessing environmental and economic factors to determine greenhouse gas reductions for varying forms of bioenergy A study published in the journal Biomass & Bioenergy sets out to calculate the true costs and benefits associated with replacing fossil fuels with bioenergy in varying forms for numerous s applications. The life cycle assessment (LCA) approach takes into account entire bioenergy systems, including every step along the supply chain.
	The ethical dilemmas of the driverless car We make decisions every day based on risk – perhaps running across a road to catch a bus if the road is quiet, but not if it's busy. Sometimes these decisions must be made in an instant, in the face of dire circumstances: a child runs out in front of your car, but there are other dangers to either side, say a cat and a cliff. How do you decide? Do you risk your own safety to protect that of others?
	Monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell achieves record efficiency Teams from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, have been the first to successfully combine a silicon heterojunction solar cell with a perovskite solar cell monolithically into a tandem device. The hybrid tandem cell showed an efficiency of 18 percent. That is the highest currently reported value for this type of device architecture. There are even prospects for the efficiency to reach as much as 30 percent.
	New technology can mine data from Instagram to monitor teenage drinking patterns Instagram could offer a novel way of monitoring the drinking habits of teenagers.
	Global smartphone sales pick up on fierce competition Global smartphone sales gained in the third quarter as major vendors ramped up special deals and financing to attract buyers, a survey showed Wednesday.
	IBM leverages cloud power in deal for Weather Company IBM is bringing its "cloud" computing power to a deal with The Weather Company.
	Smartphone the center of US tech universe: survey The smartphone is the tech story for Americans these days: most adults have one, and growth has overshadowed that of all other electronic gadgets.
Google may bring ultra-fast Internet to Oklahoma, Florida Google is adding Oklahoma City and two cites in Florida to the list of communities in line for its ultra-fast Internet service.
	Air Force picks Northrop Grumman to build next big bomber The Air Force said Tuesday it chose Northrop Grumman Corp., maker of the B-2 stealth bomber, to build its next-generation bomber, a highly classified, $80 billion project designed to replace the aging bomber fleet with an information-age aircraft that eventually may be capable of flying without a pilot aboard.
	Communication device for workplace safety and productivity monitoring Three Mexican students devised a system of communication between a chip implemented in helmets or vests of workers from various high-risk industries and a web platform. It provides information such as heart rate and temperature, and records a precise schedule of entry and departure of the user.
	Nanotech tools open market for more miniature electronics In order to develop ultra-miniaturised electronic components, ultra-miniaturised capacitors are required. The two-year EU-funded PICS project has developed tools that could soon lead to the mass production of high-density 3D integrated silicon capacitors, creating new opportunities for SMEs to tap demand for miniaturised high performance electronics across a range of sectors.
NREL releases report card on environmental efforts The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) continued to improve its environmental protection efforts at its South Table Mountain and National Wind Technology Center sites during 2014 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adding bird-safety features to campus structures, and assessing environmental impacts of potential laboratory development.

Medicine & Health news

	Asthma drug found to rejuvenate older rat brains (Medical Xpress)—A European team of researchers working in Austria has found that a drug commonly prescribed to treat asthma can lead to rejuvenation in an older rat brain. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes their study that involved giving the drug to rats and then testing them on their cognitive and memory abilities.
	Eye's recycling process key to seeing color, bright light As many of us learned in high school science class, the retina's rods and cones allow us to see. Rods are for night vision, and cones operate in bright light and allow us to distinguish colors. But although scientists have an idea of what makes rods perform and flourish, they've been somewhat in the dark about what keeps cones working and thriving.
	Brain imaging can predict the success of large public health campaigns It's a frustrating fact that most people would live longer if only they could make small changes: stop smoking, eat better, exercise more, practice safe sex. Health messaging is one important way to change behavior on a large scale, but while a successful campaign can improve millions of lives, a failed one can be an enormous waste of resources.
	Learning in your sleep – the right way You can swot up on vocabulary in your sleep – but only if you don't confuse your brain in the process. Researchers funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation have invited people to their sleep lab for a Dutch language course.
	Manipulating cell signaling for better muscle function in muscular dystrophy Every heart beat and step in our daily lives is dependent on the integrity of muscles and the proteins that keep them strong and free of injury as they contract and relax.
	Next-gen pacemakers may be powered by unlikely source: the heart The implantable pacemaker, a medical marvel that has extended millions of lives since its invention nearly 60 years ago, is getting a 21st century makeover.
	Bipolar patients' brain cells predict response to lithium The brain cells of patients with bipolar disorder, characterized by severe swings between depression and elation, are more sensitive to stimuli than other people's brain cells, researchers have discovered.
	Autophagy works in cell nucleus to guard against start of cancer Autophagy, literally self-eating or the degradation of unwanted cellular bits and pieces by the cell itself, has been shown for the first time to also work in the cell nucleus. In addition, in this setting it plays a role in guarding against the start of cancer, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
	Can we unconsciously 'hear' distance? Because sound travels much more slowly than light, we can often see distant events before we hear them. That is why we can count the seconds between a lightning flash and its thunder to estimate their distance.
	Older beats younger when it comes to correcting mistakes Findings from a new study challenge the notion that older adults always lag behind their younger counterparts when it comes to learning new things. The study, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, shows that older adults were actually better than young adults at correcting their mistakes on a general information quiz.
	Researchers examine how a face comes to represent a whole person in the brain The sight of a face offers the brain something special. More than a set of features, it conveys the emotions, intent, and identity of the whole individual. The same is not true for the body; cues such as posture convey some social information, but the image of a body does not substitute for a face.
Scientists deploy data analysis to identify subtypes of common disease A new publication from scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers a glimpse of precision medicine in action, with a massive data analysis project that identified clinically and genetically distinct subtypes of patients with type 2 diabetes. This work not only points to the possibility for more tailored diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes in the future, but also reveals a novel approach that can be applied to virtually any disease.
	Inherited gene variation linked to an increased risk of the most common childhood cancer Researchers studying two generations of a family affected by pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have identified an inherited variation in the ETV6 gene that is associated with an increased risk of developing the disease. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators led the study, which appears in the October 28 issue of the journal Lancet Oncology.
FDA approves drug that uses herpes virus to fight cancer Federal health officials on Tuesday approved a first-of-a-kind drug that uses the herpes virus to infiltrate and destroy deadly skin cancer tumors.
Treatments offer hope for chronic fatigue syndrome Researchers have found that two treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have long term benefits for people affected by the condition.
More precise due dates for pregnant mothers To the frustration of busy pregnant women everywhere, estimates of when she'll actually give birth can be off by as much as two to three weeks, early or late. This leaves women with a window of more than a month in which carefully laid plans can be thrown into disarray, with only 5 percent of women delivering exactly on their due date. A new meta-analysis suggests that one routine screening test could help mothers narrow that window to seven days from the time of the test, in research published October 28th in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG).
	Twitter offers valuable insights into the experience of MRI patients Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can be a stressful experience for many people, but clinicians have few ways to track the thoughts and feelings of their patients regarding this procedure. While the social networking site Twitter is known for breaking news and celebrity tweets, it may also prove to be a valuable feedback tool for medical professionals looking to improve the patient experience, according to a new study published in the December issue of the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences.
	Singing calms baby longer than talking In a new study from the University of Montreal, infants remained calm twice as long when listening to a song, which they didn't even know, as they did when listening to speech. "Many studies have looked at how singing and speech affect infants' attention, but we wanted to know how they affect a baby's emotional self-control," explained Professor Isabelle Peretz, of the university's Center for Research on Brain, Music and Language. "Emotional self-control is obviously not developed in infants, and we believe singing helps babies and children develop this capacity." The study, recently published in Infancy, involved thirty healthy infants aged between six and nine months.
Rates of mental health problems likely to increase in months after UK troops return from Afghanistan Mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety are likely to increase in UK military personnel during the months after returning from Afghanistan, according to a study by researchers from King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London.
	Drug prices top Americans' list of health care concerns Americans from across the political spectrum are worried about the cost of prescription drugs for serious diseases, following weeks of news coverage about companies hiking prices for critical medicines.
	Prosthetic eye maker brings relief to wounded Gazans Imad Abu Wadi barely slept after losing his right eye during the summer 2014 war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Northern climes make a difference with growth hormone treatment The rate of growth in children varies with the season while higher latitude and greater summer daylight exposure makes a significant difference in results for children treated with growth hormone, according to new research from The University of Manchester.
	A smart inhaler for people with asthma Rescue inhalers are commonly used by asthmatics, as necessary, during asthma attacks. But people with asthma sometimes use maintenance inhalers, on a prescribed schedule, to prevent attacks.
More than 80 percent of UK GPs plan to quit or cut back on hours in next five years A study conducted at University of Warwick suggests that most GPs are considering quitting general practice or having a career break in the next five years.
Researchers endorse new food and nutrition guidelines The new Ministry of Health Food and Nutrition Guidelines released today have been endorsed by researchers at The Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre (EDOR) at the University of Otago.
Researchers target cancer medicine breakthrough QUT researchers are working with an internationally renowned tumour cell expert in a bid to revolutionise the future of personalised cancer medicine.
Computers learning to find Australian cancers and broken bones that people miss A deal signed today means a 'deep learning system' will soon help Australian radiologists to find cancers and breaks that are often missed, and to ignore lumps that don't matter. Then it will bring modern medical diagnostics to developing countries where radiologists are in short supply.
	Alerting the immune system's watchmen to improve vaccines As the days get colder and shorter, we carve jack-o-lanterns and drink pumpkin spice lattes. But one fall tradition can actually keep you healthy: getting your flu shot. Like all vaccines, the flu shot trains the immune system to fend off infection, but some need help to produce the full effect. Today, in ACS Central Science, researchers report a new way to help improve vaccines using molecules that more effectively direct the immune system.
New surgical method not better than old A new and simpler surgical method for the treatment of intestinal perforation is a poorer alternative for patients compared to the old method, researchers at the University of Oslo and Akershus University Hospital find. The study raises important questions about the testing of new surgical methods.
	New treatment option for nonfunctional neuroendocrine tumours of the lung and gastrointestinal tract The results of the international, multicenter, Phase 3 RADIANT-4 study clearly demonstrate the efficacy of the agent everolimus in treating nonfunctional neuroendocrine tumours of lung or gastrointestinal origin. Progression-free survival of patients was successfully extended by seven months and the risk of progression of the disease fell by 52%. Everolimus was well tolerated and side-effects were consistent with the known profile. The Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital was represented in the study by Markus Raderer of the University Department of Internal Medicine I.
	Adults with schizophrenia more likely to die; high cardiovascular death rates Adults with schizophrenia were more than 3.5 times as likely to die as adults in the general U.S. population, particularly from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and that implicates tobacco as a modifiable risk factor, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
	Being married linked to better outcomes following surgery Among more than 1,500 adults who underwent cardiac surgery, those who were divorced, separated, or widowed were more likely to have died or develop a new functional disability after the surgery compared with the married participants, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.
	Traumatic brain injury linked to criminal activity Experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may increase the likelihood of an individual criminally offending by 60 per cent, according to latest research.
	Structural heart program continues to build upon minimally invasive techniques There is a debate about when the first successful open-heart surgery was performed in the United States. Some believe it was 122 years ago in Chicago when surgeon Daniel Hale Williams performed the momentous medical advancement. The other one that lays claim to being the first was performed in Montgomery in 1902 by Luther Leonidas Hill, when he sutured a stab wound in a young boy's heart.
	New research traces hepatitis C infections in Scotland back to WWII The roots of hepatitis C infection in Scotland date back to the Second World War, according to new research from the University of Glasgow.
Prevention of mental disorders through physical activity Adults in the Community of Madrid who perform at high or mild levels of total physical activity present higher levels of mental health than those performing at low levels of physical activity. This is the result of a study conducted by researchers from Faculty of Sciences for Physical Activity (INEF) and Sport at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) in collaboration with the European University (UEM). They also found that the level of exercise performed in leisure time is inversely related to vulnerability to mental disorders.
	Research reveals link between having to make lots of decisions at work and increased BMI Your job could be having an effect on your waistline, suggests new research published in Social Science & Medicine - and it could be bad or good news depending on the sort of control you have over your work.
New incretin-based medicines will allow weight and diabetes control with a single weekly dose The new generation of incretin-based medicines will allow a coordinated action against the combination diabetes/obesity, also known as diabesity, in some cases with only a single weekly dose, and with the likelihood of additional beneficial effects on other health complications related to this condition, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
	Study shows association between breastfeeding and reduced risk of aggressive breast cancer A large international study shows that breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of developing an aggressive form of breast cancer called hormone-receptor negative. This new combined evidence shows the risk was reduced by up to 20% in women who breastfed. Published in Annals of Oncology, this breastfeeding meta-analysis is a collaboration between Breastcancer.org; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Washington University, St. Louis; and the American Cancer Society.
Three deadly bacteria families responsible for nearly 60 percent of meningococcal cases Scientists at Oxford University have identified the key groups of bacteria responsible for the majority of meningococcal disease cases in England and Wales over the past 20 years.
	'Virtual Week' brain game has potential to help older adults remain independent longer An international team of scientists has demonstrated that just one month of training on a "Virtual Week" computer brain game helps older adults significantly strengthen prospective memory - a type of memory that is crucial for planning, everyday functioning and independent living.
	Opioid overdoses linked to higher prescription rates in British Columbia Strong painkillers known as prescription opioids appear to be overprescribed in some regions of British Columbia (B.C.), resulting in higher rates of overdose and death, according to a new study from UBC.
	First 'molecular labels' that predict the organs where metastases will form, discovered Understanding why a tumour metastasises in specific organs and do not in others is one of the top goals of oncology, and also one of the oldest. 126 years ago, the British physician, Stephen Paget, formulated his 'seed and soil theory', which advocates that metastasis requires the dispersal of tumour cells, 'seeds', as well as a welcoming environment, 'fertile soil', in the recipient organ. However, since then "the progress made in deciphering the mechanisms that guide metastasis to specific organs has been insufficient," write the authors in the report published in Nature.
	Memory complaints in older women may signal thinking problems decades later New research suggests that older women who complain of memory problems may be at higher risk for experiencing diagnosed memory and thinking impairment decades later. The study is published in the October 28, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
	On the rise: Painkiller abusers who also use heroin New research shows that drug abusers are not completely abandoning prescription opioids for heroin. Instead, many use the two concurrently based on their availability, according to a survey of 15,000 patients at drug-treatment centers in 49 states.
	Do hospitals tell patients about charity care options? Study finds room for improvement If you don't have health insurance, or your insurance coverage still leaves you with big bills, hospitals are supposed to let you know if you qualify for free or reduced-price care, and to charge you fairly even if you don't.
	Landmark clinical trial shows gene-targeted drug can treat prostate cancer A pioneering drug developed to treat women with inherited cancers can also benefit men with advanced prostate cancer, a major new clinical trial concludes.
Signs point to imminent public health workforce exit New studies of the public health workforce reveal signs of unprecedented change ahead. Notably, 38 percent of state public health workers plan to leave the public health workforce by 2020, either to retire or to pursue positions in other sectors.
	Some commercial coffees contain high levels of mycotoxins An analysis of one hundred coffees sold in Spain has confirmed the presence of mycotoxins -toxic metabolites produced by fungi. In addition, five of the samples that were tested were found to contain ochratoxin A, the only legislated mycotoxin, in amounts that exceeded maximum permitted levels. While the authors point out that these results are not alarming, they do recommend assessing the risk that exposure to mycotoxins from coffee poses to the general public. They also suggest reviewing production processes in order to reduce the levels of these natural contaminants in coffee.
New study compares mothers, fathers who kill their children "How could this have been prevented?" That was the first thought for University of Guelph sociology professor Myrna Dawson upon learning last month about a Winnipeg woman charged with killing her two-month-old daughter.
	Tuberculosis deaths 'unacceptably high,' despite advances Tuberculosis kills 4,400 people daily, a number that remains "unacceptably high," said a World Health Organization report Wednesday that ranked TB alongside HIV as a leading cause of death globally.
	Study finds jet lag-like sleep disruptions spur Alzheimer's memory, learning loss Chemical changes in brain cells caused by disturbances in the body's day-night cycle may be a key underlying cause of the learning and memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a University of California, Irvine study.
E-cigarettes connected to problematic drinking, study finds Using e-cigarettes is related to problematic drinking, according to new research published in Addictive Behaviors. In a study involving around 1400 people, researchers also found that more women than men use e-cigarettes socially, opposite to patterns seen in regular cigarette smoking.
Guidelines on sharing individual genomic research findings with family A blue-ribbon project group funded by the National Institutes of Health has published the first consensus guidelines on how researchers should share genomic findings in research on adults and children with other family members. The recommendations, published in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, offer direction on sharing information before and after the death of an individual research participant.
	Can we make people think broccoli tastes like chocolate? A new science called neurogastronomy explores brain and behavior in the context of food, and the International Society of Neurogastronomy's inaugural symposium will bring together for the first time the "four pillars" of neurogastronomy to share their knowledge and begin a dialogue that they hope will ultimately lead to real changes in brain behavior as it relates to food.
Race starts could give some athletes an unfair advantage Champion sprinter Linford Christie once said that he started races 'on the B of the bang', but research from Oxford and Utrecht universities says the pause before the bang could also make the difference between success and failure. Their results are published on 28 October in the open access journal Frontiers in Psychology.
Frequently monitoring progress toward goals increases chance of success If you are trying to achieve a goal, the more often that you monitor your progress, the greater the likelihood that you will succeed, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Your chances of success are even more likely if you report your progress publicly or physically record it.
	Retroviral RNA may play a part in liver cancer An international group led by RIKEN in Japan and INSERM in France have found that retroviral long-terminal-repeat (LTR) promoters—a type of repetitive element that are widely distributed in the human genome—are highly activated in hepatocellular carcinomas, the most common type of liver cancer. Intriguingly, these areas—which are particularly activated in HCCs associated with viral hepatitis, are not normally activated in the liver but are in reproductive tissues such as testis and placenta. The study, published in Genome Research, suggests that the activation of LTR promoters might contribute to the development of cancer in the liver.
	Factors in breast milk may play a role in transmission of obesity A new study suggests the road to obesity may be paved with non-nutritious carbohydrates in breast milk, shifting popular notions about how and why children grow to become overweight adults.
New study sheds light on racial differences in trust of physicians A new Emory University study could help provide a clearer understanding of why black and Latino patients are less likely to trust their physicians than white patients.
	Study: Mammograms haven't cut rate of advanced breast cancer A new report raises fresh questions about the value of mammograms. The rate of cancers that have already spread far beyond the breast when they are discovered has stayed stable for decades, suggesting that screening and early detection are not preventing the most dangerous forms of the disease.
Sanofi recalls all pen injectors used for allergic reactions Sanofi is recalling hundreds of thousands of epinephrine injectors used to treat severe allergic reactions because they may not deliver the correct amount of the life-saving drug.
	FDA approves cancer-killing cold sore virus as therapy for late-stage melanoma The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Oct. 27 that it has approved, for the first time, an oncolytic (cancer-killing) viral therapy in the United States. The drug was approved for use against late-stage melanoma, a deadly skin cancer that can be difficult to treat.
NY to require training for doctors who OK pot for patients New York state will require physicians to complete an educational course before they can authorize medical marijuana for patients—an unusual mandate not applied to other new drugs or seen in other states with medical marijuana programs.
	Despite advances, type 2 diabetics still face elevated death risk: study (HealthDay)—Medical science has made tremendous progress in prolonging the lives of people with type 2 diabetes. But, the prognosis still remains poor for patients who don't keep their blood sugar levels under control, according to results from a large-scale Swedish study.
	E-cigarette use highest among young adults, US report finds (HealthDay)—In a first-of-its-kind look at electronic cigarettes, a new U.S. government study reports that nearly 13 percent of American adults have tried e-cigarettes at least once and almost 4 percent use them.
	Surgeon's calming words may ease stress of surgery (HealthDay)—Few moments in life are more daunting than those just before a surgery. But a new study finds that some reassuring words from a doctor just before an operation begins may be more effective than drugs in easing patient anxiety.
	Lifestyle factors not linked to chronic prostatitis/pelvic pain (HealthDay)—Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, cigarette smoking, and hypertension are not associated with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, according to a study published in the November issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Fatal case of hidradenitis suppurativa described (HealthDay)—Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can be associated with infectious and/or neoplastic fatal complications, according to a case report published online Oct. 16 in the International Journal of Dermatology.
Research finds new link between zonulin and two common inflammatory bowel conditions The intriguing story of the recently-discovered protein, zonulin, advances a chapter today as Italian scientists announce the results of their latest research linking zonulin with two common inflammatory bowel conditions. The researchers have discovered that people with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have higher than normal blood levels of zonulin, suggesting an important role for the protein in the development of these conditions.
Nurse publishes first nursing textbook on American Indian health American Indians have the highest suicide rate for teens, the highest prevalence of diabetes and one of the lowest life expectancies in the United States.
	Researchers urge civic leaders to expand urban walking and biking Reducing four wheels to two wheels or no wheels – Palmerston North's civic and business leaders need to come up with innovative ways to encourage people to bike or walk to work, say Massey planners who have released a report on active transport.
Radiotherapeutic bandage shows potential as treatment for skin cancer A radiotherapeutic bandage is being evaluated by researchers for efficacy against squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in an animal model. These results could confirm the viability of a new and improved strategy for the radiotherapeutic treatment of skin cancer in the clinic. This work is being presented Oct. 28 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.
	Computational technologies for accurate and safe ear surgery The three-year EU-funded HEAR-EU project, which was completed at the end of August 2015, has pioneered ground-breaking imaging technology and surgical planning software to improve the likelihood of successful cochlear implant surgery.
	Breakthrough heart health diagnostics company formed A new company that could revolutionise the accurate diagnosis of heart conditions was launched in Christchurch, New Zealand today.
Increasing soldiers' physical performance: Researchers share updates Researchers from around the world are working to improve soldiers' health and physical performance and health—with the goal of increasing military readiness and effectiveness, according to the November special issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
	Study shows chronic fatigue associated with abnormal brain connectivity at rest Patients with chronic fatigue have decreased signaling and communication between specific brain regions when the brain is at rest, and less effective connectivity between these regions strongly correlates with greater fatigue, according to the results of a new study published in Brain Connectivity.
Infection tied to California restaurant sickens 188 people Public health officials in California say at least 188 people in six counties have contracted a bacterial infection after eating at a San Francisco Bay Area restaurant.
New guidelines aim to enhance accuracy of medical tests Seeking to improve the reliability of medical testing, an international team of top experts is releasing new guidelines for doctors and scientists on how to best report their assessments of new and existing diagnostic tests.
Babies benefit from a little food in their tummies, hepatologist says When a child is born prematurely, providing nutrition intravenously can be lifesaver. Unfortunately it can also cause liver damage down the road.
Place could impact health disparities more than race African American and white men who live in racially integrated communities and who have comparable incomes have far fewer differences when it comes to behaviors that contribute to poor health—such as physical inactivity, smoking and drinking—compared to African American and white men overall in the U.S., according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Biology news

	High stress during pregnancy decreases offspring survival, mongoose study shows Researchers studying banded mongooses in Uganda have discovered that pups born to females that experienced elevated stress hormones during the later stages of pregnancy are much less likely to survive their first month.
	Chicken study reveals evolution can happen much faster than thought A new study of chickens overturns the popular assumption that evolution is only visible over long time scales. By studying individual chickens that were part of a long-term pedigree, the scientists led by Professor Greger Larson at Oxford University's Research Laboratory for Archaeology, found two mutations that had occurred in the mitochondrial genomes of the birds in only 50 years. For a long time scientists have believed that the rate of change in the mitochondrial genome was never faster than about 2% per million years. The identification of these mutations shows that the rate of evolution in this pedigree is in fact 15 times faster. In addition, by determining the genetic sequences along the pedigree, the team also discovered a single instance of mitochondrial DNA being passed down from a father. This is a surprising discovery, showing that so-called 'paternal leakage' is not as rare as previously believed.
	Distressed damsels cry for help In a world first study researchers from Uppsala University, Sweden and James Cook University in Australia and have found that prey fish captured by predators release chemical cues that acts as a 'distress call", dramatically boosting their chances for survival. The findings are published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
	Researchers find that some guppies can count The humble guppy may not look like the smartest fish in the school, but research conducted by Associate Professor Culum Brown, from the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University, and colleagues from the University of Padova, has shown that they are far smarter than we thought. Their research, published in Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience, examined the ability of guppies to count.
	Old tuatara slides show genital swelling in last common ancestor of vertebrates (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers with the University of Florida has found evidence of genital swelling in a tuatara embryo from over a hundred years ago and it offers evidence that penile evolutionary development in vertebrates only occurred once. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, Thomas Sanger, Marissa Gredler and Martin Cohn describe how they created 3D images of the endangered reptile from old slides found in a museum and what they learned as a result.
	Birds require multiple sperm to penetrate eggs to ensure normal embryo development Birds require multiple sperm to penetrate eggs to ensure normal embryo development
	Electric eels curl up to deliver even more powerful shocks The electric eel may be one of the most remarkable predators in the entire animal kingdom. That is the conclusion of Kenneth Catania, Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University, who has spent the last three years studying the way this reclusive South American fish uses electric fields to navigate through the muddy waters of the Amazon and Orinoco basins where it lives, locate hidden prey and stun them into submission.
Scientists call for ambitious program to unlock the power of Earth's microbial communities A consortium of 48 scientists from 50 institutions in the United States has called for an ambitious research effort to understand and harness microbiomes - the communities of microorganisms that inhabit ecosystems as varied as the human gut and the ocean, to improve human health, agriculture, bioenergy, and the environment.
	Hot processor speeds up UK genome analysis TGAC's high performance computing (HPC) infrastructure will benefit from the addition of Edico Genome's DRAGEN, the world's first processor designed to analyse specific sequencing data tasks. DRAGEN will be used to accelerate TGAC's next-generation sequencing workflows.
	Digging deep to drought-proof Australian barley In a world first, researchers from The University of Queensland have identified a key gene in barley that enables the plant to access water stored deep in the soil during droughts.
	What faster decline of apex predators means for ecosystems There is nothing as awe-inspiring as watching the brutal power of a lion capturing its prey. At close range, their throaty roars thump through your body, raising a cold sweat triggered by the fear of what these animals are capable of doing now, and what they once did to our ancestors. They are the most majestic animals left on our planet, and yet we are currently faced with the very real possibility that they will be functionally extinct within our lifetime.
	Researchers studying ways to combat deadly swine virus Kansas State University is flexing its research muscle in swine nutrition and grain science in hopes of taking out a deadly virus that is said to have a 100 percent mortality rate in piglets less than 7 days old.
Oldest DNA sequences may reveal secrets of ancient animal ancestors 700 million year-old DNA sequences from ancient animals have been unearthed by researchers at the Universities of Leicester and Warwick, shedding new light on our earliest animal ancestors and how they influenced modern species – including the sponge.
	Pacific's Palau creates huge ocean sanctuary the size of Spain The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau created a vast marine sanctuary the size of Spain on Wednesday, banning fishing across the bulk of its waters to preserve the ocean for future generations.
	Hawaii's rarest birds may lose range to rising air temperatures, disease Rare birds living in Hawaii's higher elevation forests may lose more than 50% of their habitat under climate shifts projected by the end of the century, according to a study published October 28, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Lucas Fortini from the U.S. Geological Survey and colleagues.
	EU lawmakers throw out GMO compromise law (Update) EU lawmakers on Wednesday rejected by a huge majority a hard-won compromise which would have allowed EU member states to decide for themselves whether or not to import Genetically Modified Organisms for use in food and animal feed.
	Researchers compare 'natural' mosquito repellents to DEET Every summer while preparing for long weekends at our family cabin in the north woods of Minnesota, we'd face the same dilemmas. What food should we bring? Is SPF 50 sunscreen enough protection? And, most importantly, which mosquito repellent should we buy? If we picked the wrong kind, we'd be opening ourselves up to evenings of constant swatting by the campfire and nights of uncontrollable itching. Protection from the unofficial state bird, the mosquito, was not something to take lightly.
	Alaskan trout choose early retirement over risky ocean-going career Even fish look forward to retirement.
	Swifts' migratory behavior may have conservation implications Resembling swallows but more closely related to hummingbirds, swifts have unique migratory behavior, roosting for days at a time in chimneys or hollow trees along their migratory route in groups of hundreds or thousands of individuals. Little is known about whether groups that travel and roost together during migration are all from the same wintering site or are made up of individuals from across their winter range. A 2012 mortality event in British Columbia that killed more than 1,300 migrating swifts provided researcher Matthew Reudink of Thompson Rivers University and his colleagues with the opportunity to determine where the birds had spent the winter. Their results, forthcoming in The Condor: Ornithological Applications, suggest that the birds in the roost all came from the same two or three wintering sites. Bird breeding populations strongly connected to specific wintering areas may be more vulnerable to population declines,! so this has important implications for swift conservation.
	Big effort to better understand bats takes wing in 31 states An effort spanning 31 states and 10 Canadian provinces has been working to better understand the ecological role that bats play, and the threats they face from climate change, habitat loss and wind energy development.
	The PLOS Comp Biol Macromolecular Structure and Dynamics collection Living systems are in a state of perpetual motion. Down at the microscopic level, the atoms that make up biological macromolecules are, in the words of Richard Feynman, jiggling and wiggling. These atomic motions are beautifully choreographed and harnessed into productive events in the cell. Fluctuations of macromolecules between three-dimensional structures underlie all processes that maintain and replicate a living cell. Investigation of macromolecular structure and dynamics is fundamental to understanding how macromolecules carry out their functions in the cell.
Improving toxicity prediction with cutting-edge data modelling Today's state-of-the-art methods for the replacement of in vivo testing for toxicity in humans are on the cutting edge of science. However, they have not yet allowed us to completely eliminate the need for animal testing. The truth is that to improve toxicity prediction, we actually need to harness the power of data modelling and begin thinking beyond the state of the art as it currently stands. This is what the NOTOX project team has been focused on for almost five years.
Seaweed extract benefits petunia, tomato transplants Seaweed extracts are used widely in agriculture and horticulture production systems. Benefits of the extracts can include early seed germination and establishment, improved crop performance and yield, increased resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, and enhanced postharvest shelf life. A study in the August 2015 issue of HortTechnology determined the effects of rockweed extract, applied as a drench or foliar spray, on plant growth and drought tolerance of tomato and petunia transplants.
	EU lawmakers seek funding ban for fighting bulls EU lawmakers demanded Wednesday that farmers who raise bulls for fighting, as in Spain or southern France, should not get European funding for a blood sport critics say is cruel and archaic.

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