Science X Newsletter Thursday, Nov 12

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 12, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- 'Harmful' effects paradoxically enhance solar cell efficiency
- Quantum dots made from fool's gold boost battery performance
- NIST team proves 'spooky action at a distance' is really real
- Ancient mass extinction led to dominance of tiny fish
- Cassini finds monstrous ice cloud in Titan's south polar region
- Fermi satellite detects first gamma-ray pulsar in another galaxy
- Analysis exposes faster disintegration of major Greenland glacier
- Oceans—and ocean activism—deserve broader role in climate change discussions
- Grabbing a parasite by the tail: Team solves 'jumping gene' mystery
- Team trains Watson AI to 'chat,' spark more creativity in humans
- Researchers pinpoint roadblocks to lab-grown stem cells' maturation
- Wild birds choose love over food
- CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing: Check three times, cut once
- Miniaturizable magnetic resonance: Microscopic gem key to new development in magnetic lab-on-a-chip technology
- Superconductor survives ultra-high magnetic field

Astronomy & Space news

	Cassini finds monstrous ice cloud in Titan's south polar region New observations made near the south pole of Titan by NASA's Cassini spacecraft add to the evidence that winter comes in like a lion on this moon of Saturn.
	Fermi satellite detects first gamma-ray pulsar in another galaxy Researchers using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have discovered the first gamma-ray pulsar in a galaxy other than our own. The object sets a new record for the most luminous gamma-ray pulsar known.
	Astronomers spot most distant object in solar system Astronomers have discovered a mysterious dwarf planet that is three times farther away than Pluto and believed to be the most distant object in our solar system.
	'Pale orange dot': Early Earth's haze may give clue to habitability elsewhere in space An atmospheric haze around a faraway planet—like the one which probably shrouded and cooled the young Earth—could show that the world is potentially habitable, or even be a sign of life itself.
	Upgrade helps NASA study mineral veins on Mars Scientists now have a better understanding about a site with the most chemically diverse mineral veins NASA's Curiosity rover has examined on Mars, thanks in part to a valuable new resource scientists used in analyzing data from the rover.
	Secondhand spacecraft has firsthand asteroid experience Since it began operations in December 2009, NASA's NEOWISE mission has observed 158,000 asteroids and discovered more than 35,000.
	More than meets the eye: Delta Orionis in Orion's belt One of the most recognizable constellations in the sky is Orion, the Hunter. Among Orion's best-known features is the "belt," consisting of three bright stars in a line, each of which can be seen without a telescope.
	Researchers shed new light on the origins of Earth's water Water covers more than two-thirds of Earth's surface, but its exact origins are still something of a mystery. Scientists have long been uncertain whether water was present at the formation of the planet, or if it arrived later, perhaps carried by comets and meteorites.
	Main-belt asteroid shows evidence of march collision The main-belt asteroid (493) Griseldis was probably hit by another object last March. The results were reported on November 12 at the annual meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society near Washington, DC.
	Team maps gas emissions from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft began orbiting comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014, providing the closest and most detailed look at a comet to date. Now, a team led by astronomers at the University of Maryland has used data from Rosetta's Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) cameras to generate maps of multiple gas emissions just above the comet's surface.
	Chile breaks ground on world's largest telescope Chile broke ground Wednesday on a massive telescope that is set to be the world's largest and will allow astronomers to look back to the earliest moments after the Big Bang.
	Space rains junk on Spain (Update) It's raining space junk in Spain.
	Colors of a comet OSIRIS, the scientific imaging system of ESA's Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, shows a surface with subtle, but significant color variations.
	Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey—one year into the survey The Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey (GPIES) is an ambitious three-year study dedicated to imaging young Jupiters and debris disks around nearby stars using the GPI instrument installed on the Gemini South telescope in Chile. On November 12, at the 47th annual meeting of the AAS's Division for Planetary Sciences in Washington DC, Franck Marchis, Chair of the Exoplanet Research Thrust of the SETI Institute and a scientist involved in the project since 2004, will report on the status of the survey, emphasizing some discoveries made in its first year.

Technology news

	New Facebook app fires news to smartphones Facebook on Wednesday released a Notify application designed to keep iPhone users up to speed on the latest news and entertainment happenings.
	Research team invents efficient shockwave-based process for desalination of water As the availability of clean, potable water becomes an increasingly urgent issue in many parts of the world, researchers are searching for new ways to treat salty, brackish or contaminated water to make it usable. Now a team at MIT has come up with an innovative approach that, unlike most traditional desalination systems, does not separate ions or water molecules with filters, which can become clogged, or boiling, which consumes great amounts of energy.
	On the way to multiband solar cells When visiting California's central valley in the summertime, it's hard to imagine that solar energy isn't single-handedly meeting the west coast's energy needs. But one problem with modern solar cells is that while the solar spectrum covers a wide range of energies they can only harness light of a single energy,. This means that very little of the available energy is actually captured.
	Team trains Watson AI to 'chat,' spark more creativity in humans Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are exploring and pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence (AI) by partnering with one of AI's most notable citizens—IBM's Watson—to advance how computers could help humans creatively solve problems in a wide variety of professions.
	A day in the life of a well-connected home courtesy of Intel Headline after headline, home-smart objects appear regularly as promises of the connected home of tomorrow. Trouble is, we don't easily get the connection; we don't easily absorb the whole picture about these individual objects working together.
	Yik Yak social media service can reveal user data to police Internet users of the Yik Yak social media app popular among college students aren't nearly as anonymous as they believe: Missouri police within hours arrested a student accused of threatening violence, the latest in a string of such arrests at colleges in recent months involving threats of mass violence posted online using the service.
Airbnb promises to play fair with cities Airbnb dialed down its battle rhetoric Wednesday, promising to pay taxes and not cut into long-term housing amid criticism it unfairly competes with hotels and has exacerbated a San Francisco housing crisis.
	Apple mulling person-to-person payment service: report Apple is talking with US banks about the potential to create a service that would let people use iPhones for person-to-person payments, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
	Apple confident ahead of European Union tax judgement Apple chief executive Tim Cook said he was feeling "pretty good" ahead of the European Union's judgement on its Irish tax arrangements, as the company announced 1,000 new jobs in Ireland on Wednesday.
	New Yorkers track homelessness on social media, spur debate On an app, pins on a New York City map chart sightings of homelessness, accompanied by photos of people lying on sidewalks, slumped in doorways, sitting on curbs with shopping carts piled high with bags. Hashtags frame the scenes: "NeedsMedicalAid," ''Encampment," ''AggressiveBegging," ''Violent."
	China's Lenovo reports Q2 loss following cuts (Update) Chinese technology giant Lenovo said Thursday it saw a loss for the second quarter following a restructuring plan, despite stronger sales in its mobile business.
	Snapchat: Here to stay or gone tomorrow? Is Snapchat a lasting sensation or a shooting star?
How high-tech start-ups are shaking up protective clothing Combining the latest advances in sensor and wireless technology with comfortable protective clothing has opened up new partnership possibilities across a range of sectors. Numerous end users stand to benefit from the inclusion of smart technology in protective clothing.
	Can video games combat mental illness stigma? Games tackle psychological distress with narratives that ease anxiety and help players develop coping mechanisms.
	Toilets, pit latrines and adventures in human waste According to Francis de los Reyes III, the problem with World Toilet Day is that it focuses almost entirely on toilets.
	German energy giant RWE sees coal, gas business shrink Germany's second biggest energy company, RWE, saw profits from its core coal and gas business plummet again in the first nine months of the year, it said Thursday.
	Dutch navigator TomTom inks deal for maps for Uber Dutch vehicle navigations systems maker TomTom said Thursday it has inked a deal with Uber to supply the US ride-sharing service's drivers with maps in more than 300 cities globally.
	Team of appraisers across six states find home buyers will pay premium for solar homes Photovoltaics added value to homes in six markets, according to a new report titled "Appraising into the Sun: Six-State Solar Home Paired-Sales Analysis," led by a researcher from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and a home appraisal expert. Researchers engaged a team of seven appraisers from across the six states to determine the value that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems added to single-family homes using the industry-standard paired-sales valuation technique, which compares recent sales of comparable homes to estimate the premium buyers would pay for PV.
	YouTube enters music streaming with eye on casual fan YouTube on Thursday entered the increasingly crowded field of music streaming, hoping to reach a new audience through a user-friendly service that seizes on the video giant's vast variety.
	Gift Guide: Sturdy, sleek, small action cameras abound Action cameras are getting smaller, lighter, better and more connected. Whether you're looking to gift one to a thrill-seeking bungee jumper or a mountain-bike recreationist, there are several cameras capable of shooting high-quality footage.
	Sony tries to make its pricy Vue TV service more popular Sony is trying to get more people on its TV service by allowing customers to sign up without a PlayStation.
	Rings and pacifiers: Health gadgets get sophisticated After the smartphone and fitness bracelet, here comes the smart ring. And the smart pacifier, and smart rollator.
	GoPro shares go downhill, slide below IPO price US mini-camera maker GoPro, which gained notoriety and a devoted following of extreme sports enthusiasts, on Thursday ended the stock market trading day below its debut price.
	Paying your pals with digital options from Venmo to Facebook Cash is passe, say digital mavens. If you really want to pay your friends back for that pizza party, use an app to shoot money to their mobile-phone number—or their Facebook account.
IAC offers to buy Angie's List for $512 million IAC/InteractiveCorp., the owner of websites including About.com and HomeAdvisor.com, says it's offering to buy Angie's List for about $512 million to expand its home services providers.
'Call of Duty' video game blitzes on debut The latest "Call of Duty" video game boasted an opening weekend that blew away any other game, film, book or music debut this year, the company behind it said Wednesday.
	Reducing traffic congestion, carbon emissions and accidents while increasing travel speed Worldwide, traffic congestion is a major issue in all cities as more and more vehicles pour onto roads originally built for a fraction of the vehicles on them today. Transport authorities recognise the need for safer commuting and are constantly challenged to meet goals of reducing carbon footprint, while original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the automotive industry are continuously developing new vehicles for greener and safer commuting.
	Owner of LA Times, Chicago Tribune expects to cut jobs 7 pct The owner of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other newspapers says it expects a buyout offer to cut its staff by 7 percent.
Brazil fines Volkswagen $13 million over emissions scheme The Brazilian government says its environmental protection agency has fined Volkswagen $13 million over the German automaker's emissions cheating scheme.
Apple apologizes after black teens ejected from store Apple apologized on Thursday after a group of black teenagers was asked to leave one of its retail stores in Melbourne, where a staffer had expressed concern they would shoplift.

Medicine & Health news

	Study of breast cancer metastasis upends conventional wisdom, suggesting new treatment strategy Breast cancer cells do not undergo a commonly accepted transformation in order to spread to distant organs such as the lungs, Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have found in a new study. This discovery may settle a longstanding debate about how cancers spread, the investigators say, and may profoundly change the way many forms of the disease are treated.
	Researchers discover other enzyme critical to maintaining telomere length Since the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the enzyme telomerase in 1984, identifying other biological molecules that lengthen or shorten the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes has been slow going. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins report uncovering the role of an enzyme crucial to telomere length and say the new method they used to find it should speed discovery of other proteins and processes that determine telomere length. Their results appear in the Nov. 24 issue of Cell Reports.
	Scientists work with artists to learn more about the brain Researchers from the University of Houston have analyzed brain activity data collected from more than 400 people who viewed an exhibit at the Menil Collection, offering evidence that useable brain data can be collected outside of a controlled laboratory setting. They also reported the first real-world demonstration of what happens in the brain as people observe artwork.
	Eating sweets forms memories that may control eating habits, study finds Eating sweet foods causes the brain to form a memory of a meal, according to researchers at Georgia State University, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.
	Experimental drug targeting Alzheimer's disease shows anti-aging effects Salk Institute researchers have found that an experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease has a host of unexpected anti-aging effects in animals.
Doctors, patients making decisions together could reduce number of antibiotics prescribed A new Cochrane Review published today shows that when doctors and patients are encouraged to discuss the need for prescribing antibiotics for acute respiratory infections jointly, fewer are prescribed. This may be useful in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
	Preschoolers need more outdoor time at child care centers A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds child care centers play a pivotal role when it comes to the physical activity levels of preschoolers. Yet few children get to experience outdoor recess time as it is scheduled. Only 3 in 10 children had at least 60 minutes of a full child-care day outdoors for recess, as is recommended by guidelines.
	Computer assisted CBT provides little or no benefits for depression Researchers at the University of York have revealed computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) is likely to be ineffective in the treatment of depression.
	New risk tools spot patients at high risk of diabetes complications People with diabetes who are at high risk of blindness and amputation because of their condition could get better preventative treatment thanks to two new risk prediction tools created by University of Nottingham researchers and medical software company Clinrisk Ltd.
Workers are not being protected from occupational diseases and deaths, argues expert British workers are not being protected from occupational diseases and deaths, argues an expert in The BMJ this week.
Youth involvement in justice system linked to increased risk of early death In the U.S. the chances of being arrested are one in three by age 23. Youth offenders face a greater risk for early death than the rest of the population; according to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, that risk increases as a young person becomes more involved in the judicial system. The more serious and prolonged a youth's interaction with the justice system becomes, the more likely he or she is to die prematurely.
New study finds financial incentives to help pregnant women stop smoking are highly cost-effective The scientific journal Addiction has today published the first cost-effectiveness analysis of financial incentives to help pregnant women stop smoking. The report found that financial incentives are highly cost-effective, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £482 ($734) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY), which is well below recommended thresholds in high income countries.
Study finds too much foot traffic in and out of operating rooms A "secret shopper" style study by researchers at Johns Hopkins analyzing foot traffic in and out of operating rooms suggests that for the sake of patient safety, OR teams may want to stay put more often.
	Mechanical heart valve prosthesis superior to biological A mechanical valve prosthesis has a better survival record than a biological valve prosthesis, according to a large registry study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet. The finding, which is published in the European Heart Journal, can be highly significant, since the use of biological valve prostheses has increased in all age groups in recent years.
Maternal mortality cut by almost half in 25 years: UN Deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes have fallen by almost half across the world in the past quarter century, but only nine countries have achieved the targets set by the UN, a report by UN agencies and the World Bank said Thursday.
Experts recommend team approach to thwart elder abuse As many as one out of 10 people age 60 and older will experience some kind of abuse, most often in the form of financial exploitation, says a new Cornell study. Prevalence rates were previously thought to be 4 percent to 6 percent.
Schoolgirl cancer vaccination encourages mothers to attend cervical screening Manchester researchers have shown that the introduction of the HPV vaccination programme for girls has increased uptake for cervical cancer screening by their mothers.
	Artistic works influence our minds and nervous systems, scholar reveals No two disciplines could seem further apart than theater and science, but, as it turns out, they're intimate bedfellows.
People with autism run a higher risk of premature death A registry study conducted at Karolinska Institutet and published in The British Journal of Psychiatry shows that the risk of premature death is about 2.5 times higher for people with autism spectrum disorder than for the rest of the population.
	New device measures glucose in urine, ending annoying needle pricks Two young technologists from the Technological Institute of Chihuahua in the north of Mexico have developed a device that can measure glucose in the blood by analyzing urine. It activates via smart phone bluetooth, recording daily values directly from the toilet.
	Using light to treat Alzheimer's disease A Korean research team jointly led by Professor Chan Beum Park of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Dr. Kwon Yu from the Bionano Center at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) conducted research to suppress an abnormal assembly of beta-amyloids, a protein commonly found in the brain, by using photo-excited porphyrins.
	Phone companion service increases sense of security An increased sense of security and a reduction of feelings of loneliness were among the positive impacts of a Co Donegal telephone befriending service for older people, according to new research conducted by psychologists at Trinity College Dublin.
	Why don't we feel more guilty about eating animals? "Ham is made from pig bum, isn't it Mummy?" This was the question I was confronted with during a recent trip to the local zoo with my young daughter. She had taken a break from feeding Alice, the zoo's resident pig, to inhale her own lunch (a ham sandwich) when suddenly she made the connection: "I like Alice. She's my friend!"
Substance abuse among nurses—warning signs and barriers Research published in Substance Abuse journal has found that 48 percent of the respondents in a study on drug abuse within the nursing profession reported drug or alcohol use at work. The study was conducted to learn more about substance abuse issues in conjunction with mental illness in nurses, specifically about on-the-job use and prevention. The article, Substance Use and Mental Illness Among Nurses: Workplace Warning Signs and Barriers to Seeking Assistance, looks into the statistics of drug use by nurses, and potential solutions to the barriers for outreach.
	New method for diagnosing lupus in patients presenting with kidney damage Scientists at the INCLIVA institute for biomedical research in Valencia have correlated an increased presence of exosomal microRNAs in the urine of patients with lupus nephritis, the inflammation of the kidneys caused by lupus disease.
Receptors on bone cells connected to inflammatory bone loss and bone formation Inflammation-causing bacteria in contact with receptors on bone cells cause inflammation in patients, resulting in loosening of the teeth, loosening dental and orthopaedic implants or arthritis. The discovery indicates that the so-called Toll-like receptors also play an important role in the formation of new bone. This is according to a dissertation at Umeå University in Sweden.
	It's music to my eyes When people are listening to music, their emotional reactions to the music are reflected in changes in their pupil size. Researchers from the University of Vienna and the University of Innsbruck, Austria, are the first to show that both the emotional content of the music and the listeners' personal involvement with music influence pupil dilation. This study, published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, demonstrates that pupil size measurement can be effectively used to probe listeners' reactions to music.
	Psychiatric assessments for predicting violence are ineffective In a study published in PLOS One the team have proposed an entirely new approach to risk assessment for future violence. Previous approaches have relied on looking at risk factors that happen to be linked to, but may not cause, violence, for example, being young, male, of lower social class, with previous violent convictions.
	Two-year-olds with poor language skills fall behind at play While 70% of 2-year-olds with normal language development function well when playing with other children, only 11% of 2-year-olds with poor language skills manage to play with others. Children with poor language skills also have problems keeping up when playing. This causes other children to stop including them, meaning children with poor language skills are excluded from the all-important playtime. This was the finding of a new study that was presented during the Stavanger Project's annual research gathering on Wednesday 4 November in Stavanger.
Reproductive history and risk of cognitive impairment in elderly women Researchers led by Professor Jun-Fen Lin at Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention have found that reproductive history, an important modifier of estrogen exposure across women's lifetime, is associated with risk of cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women. These findings are published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
New study supports localised services for cardiac rehab New research at the University of York has found that smaller, more localised cardiac rehabilitation (CR) centres are equally as effective as their larger counterparts.
	Kicking an addiction? Replace it with joy, expert advises in new book People in the midst of alcohol or drug addiction tend to imagine life without those substances as one of deprivation, which can make kicking the habit seem like a joyless and dreary prospect. But recovery from addiction has at least as much to do with rewarding oneself as it does with depriving oneself, according to a new book by a UCLA expert in addiction treatment.
	Big pharma inconsistent with disclosure of information on clinical trials, new study finds Despite legal and ethical requirements, information on clinical trials for drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) varied widely among some of the world's largest drug companies, according to a new study led by a researcher at NYU Langone Medical Center's Division of Medical Ethics in the Department of Population Health.
Researchers call for hospitals to establish bereavement programs Backed by a growing body of research, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are calling for all hospitals to establish bereavement programs for families of deceased patients.
	Obesity still rising among US adults, women overtake men (Update) Obesity is still rising among American adults, despite more than a decade of public-awareness campaigns and other efforts to get people to watch their weight, and women have now overtaken men in the obese category, new government research shows.
	Uneven growth of identical twins may begin in first few days after conception Unequal growth between genetically identical monozygotic (MZ) twins in the womb may be triggered in the earliest stages of human embryo development, according to a new study led by King's College London.
	Researchers identify liver pathway linked to negative impacts of high-fat, high-cholesterol diet It's no secret that a high-fat, high-cholesterol "junk food" diet has been linked to major health problems, including high blood cholesterol and the buildup of plaques in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis.
Target gene identified for therapies to combat muscular dystrophy Researchers at the University of São Paulo's Bioscience Institute (IB-USP) in Brazil have shown that a gene called Jagged1, or JAG1 for short, could be a target for the development of new approaches to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration.
	Study sheds light on side effects of COX-2 drugs It's been about a decade since the promise of COX-2 inhibitors—drugs that relieve arthritis pain and inflammation without the gastrointestinal side effects of other painkillers—was tempered by the realization that they could cause heart problems in some patients.
	Blood sample new way of detecting cancer A new RNA test of blood platelets can be used to detect, classify and pinpoint the location of cancer by analysing a sample equivalent to one drop of blood. Using this new method for blood-based RNA tests of blood platelets, researchers have been able to identify cancer with 96 per cent accuracy. This according to a study at Umeå University in Sweden recently published in the journal Cancer Cell.
	New study explores how anxiety can aggravate asthma Anxiety sensitivity, in simple terms, is a fear of fear. But when people with anxiety sensitivity also have asthma, their suffering can be far more debilitating and dangerous, because they have difficulty managing their asthma. A new study explores this issue and recommends treatment to help decrease asthma symptoms. The study by Alison McLeish, a University of Cincinnati associate professor of psychology, Christina Luberto, a recent doctoral graduate from UC and clinical fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Emily O'Bryan, a graduate student in the UC Department of Psychology, will be presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) 49th Annual Convention. The convention takes place Nov. 12-15 in Chicago.
Lenalidomide plus rituximab produces durable responses in mantle cell lymphoma patients New research from Moffitt Cancer Center and its collaborators find that the drug combination rituximab plus lenalidomide was effective and produced long-term responses in patients with mantle cell lymphoma. The results from the multicenter phase 2 study were published in the Nov. 5 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
	Less effective antimalarial therapies can help fight malaria better Oxford University scientists have found that the more effective way to beat malaria is to use less effective drugs some of the time.
'No evidence' that bone-growth agent for spinal fusion increases cancer risk A new study may alleviate concerns regarding increased cancer risk for patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP). The study appears in November 15 issue of Spine.
	New diabetes risk mechanism identified Researchers at Mayo Clinic have discovered an unexpected effect from a gene known to increase diabetes risk. They assumed that the specific allele in the gene TCF7L2 which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, impairs insulin production in response to increased insulin resistance. Some slight evidence of that was found, but more significantly the researchers discovered that this variant impaired a person's ability to balance blood sugar (glucose) by suppressing glucagon - the hormone that raises the level of glucose in the bloodstream.
Molecular mechanism at root of familial amyloidosis and other diseases A team of local researchers has proposed a molecular mechanism that may be responsible for the development of life-threatening diseases called amyloidoses. The best known of such diseases is Alzheimer's disease (AD), but there are many others that are receiving increased scrutiny, in part because of mounting evidence linking them to atherosclerosis and aging.
Personalized anti-nausea therapy better for cancer patients A new research study led by Dr. Mark Clemons, oncologist and associate cancer research scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, has shown that a personalized approach to treating one of the most expected side-effects of chemotherapy is far more effective than the existing "one size fits all" set of guidelines. The randomized trial is published in the November 12 issue of JAMA Oncology.
	Thyroid cancer biomarker assays may show inaccurate readings Protein biomarkers are used to test for cancer before and after surgeries to remove tumors. To test thyroid malignancy, many biomarkers are tested separately to confirm cancer. However, new research from Michigan Technological University shows that the detection tests that measure two major biomarkers to diagnose thyroid cancer may be inaccurate. The study recently came out in the journal Thyroid, published by the American Thyroid Association.
	Exploring vulnerabilities of the Cryptosporidium parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is a gastrointestinal parasite that can cause moderate to severe diarrhea in children and adults, and deadly opportunistic infection in AIDS patients. Because C. parvum is resistant to chlorine disinfectant treatment, it frequently causes water-borne outbreaks around the world. A study published on Nov. 12th in PLOS Pathogens provides a detailed analysis of a C. parvum protein that is central to glycolysis—the only pathway by which the parasite can generate energy—and identifies it as a potential drug target.
	HIV spreads faster as violent conflict looms A new study of the relationship between violent conflict and HIV incidence in sub-Saharan Africa finds that HIV incidence may be at its worst in the period before hostilities break out. The Brown University analysis reports that the rate of new infections rises significantly in the five years leading up to bloodshed.
Barriers to health care increase disease, death risk for rural elderly A new study of adults ages 85 or older has found that rural residents have significantly higher levels of chronic disease, take more medications, and die several years earlier than their urban counterparts.
Taste bud biomarker forecasts better post-surgery results for some sinusitis patients A simple taste test can identify patients who will have highly successful sinus surgery, researchers from Penn Medicine and the Monell Chemical Senses Center report in this week's International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology. For the first time, the team identified a genetic biomarker—a bitter taste receptor—that forecasted better post-surgery results for patients who underwent surgery for chronic sinusitis, which affects nearly 35 million Americans.
	Lead exposure impacts children's sleep A new research study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) shows that lead exposure in early childhood are associated with increased risk for sleep problems and excessive daytime sleepiness in later childhood. This is the first longitudinal, population-based study that investigated early lead exposure to sleep problems. The findings are set for publication in the December issue of Sleep, but can now be found online here.
Protein's work in eye lens suggests a way to tame cancer How does a protein called connexin put the clamps on cancer? Researchers in the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio today reported an explanation.
Measles vaccines save 17 mn lives since 2000, but progress stalled: WHO Measles vaccines have saved more than 17 million lives in the past 15 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday, warning though that immunisation coverage had marked time since 2010.
Pregnant US women sue over mislabeled birth control pills More than 100 women who became pregnant after taking birth control pills that were mislabeled have filed suit in the United States, seeking millions of dollars in damages and interest, their lawyer said Thursday.
Modeling the promise and peril of gene drive: New paper helps assess the risks and rewards What if we could eradicate malaria by engineering a mosquito population that doesn't transmit the disease? What if we could control invasive species that outcompete natural populations? What if we could get rid of insecticide-resistant pests not by developing new chemical treatments, but instead by changing the population itself and driving it toward extinction?
Researchers develop 'killer cells' to destroy cancer in lymph nodes Cornell biomedical engineers have developed specialized white blood cells - dubbed "super natural killer cells" - that seek out cancer cells in lymph nodes with only one purpose: destroy them. This breakthrough halts the onset of metastasis, according to a new Cornell study published this month in the journal Biomaterials.
Seniors with dementia make more emergency department visits Older adults with dementia are more frequent visitors to emergency departments, returning at higher rates and incurring greater costs than older adults without dementia, according to a new study from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Center for Aging Research. The study is one of the first to explore long-term patterns of healthcare use and mortality rates of elders with cognitive impairment who visit the emergency department.
	US adult smoking rate falls to new low (HealthDay)—Fewer Americans smoke than a decade ago, and those who still light up do so less often, federal health officials reported Thursday.
	California vaccine refusers cluster in rich, white areas (HealthDay)—California's anti-vaccine sentiment tends to concentrate in wealthier, largely white areas of the state—a pattern that has left certain communities with childhood vaccination rates as low as 50 percent, a new study finds.
	Sharp increase in US babies born with syphilis: CDC (HealthDay)—As syphilis cases increase among U.S. women, doctors are seeing more babies born with the serious infection, health officials report.
	Nearly half of Americans with high blood pressure not controlling it: CDC (HealthDay)—Nearly half of Americans with high blood pressure are not properly controlling their condition, increasing their risk of heart attack, stroke and heart disease, a new government report shows.
	Military deployment tied to greater odds of child abuse, neglect (HealthDay)—Young children of U.S. Army soldiers may have a higher risk of abuse or neglect during and just after a parent is deployed abroad, a new study finds.
	Head, neck cancer patients may be at higher risk for suicide: study (HealthDay)—Head and neck cancer patients may be at raised risk for suicide, new research suggests.
	Reduction in dizziness, not falls, after routine cataract surgery (HealthDay)—Cataract surgery is associated with a reduction in the number of patients with dizziness, but not with a decrease in falls, according to a study published online Nov. 9 in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.
	Noon best time to get vitamin D from sun for minimal cancer risk (HealthDay)—Variations in ultraviolet (UV) A and B radiation with increasing latitude and during the day impact skin cancer risk, according to a study published online Nov. 6 in the International Journal of Dermatology.
	Exercise stress ECG underutilized as initial test for suspected CAD (HealthDay)—Exercise stress electrocardiography (ExECG) can yield substantial data from risk stratification in suspected or known coronary artery disease, according to a state-of-the-art paper published in the Nov. 1 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
	Substantial increase in costs for uncontrolled asthma (HealthDay)—A considerable proportion of patients with mild to moderate asthma are symptomatically uncontrolled, and uncontrolled asthma is associated with significantly increased costs, according to a study published online Nov. 3 in Allergy.
Team identifies drug that could limit the spread of deadly brain tumors In a significant breakthrough, the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has identified a drug, propentofylline or PPF, that could help treat patients with deadly brain cancer.
In new study, scientists trace activity of cancer-fighting tomato component Years of research in University of Illinois scientist John Erdman's laboratory have demonstrated that lycopene, the bioactive red pigment found in tomatoes, reduces growth of prostate tumors in a variety of animal models. Until now, though, he did not have a way to trace lycopene's metabolism in the human body.
Ebola nurse released from isolation in Britain A British nurse who suffered a relapse after contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone has been released from isolation after being treated for meningitis caused by the virus, her hospital said.
Autophagy research collaboration seeks answers to cell mystery Researchers and students from Monash University and the University of Warwick have come together for the first time to share ideas, knowledge and expertise as part of a Monash Warwick Alliance seed funded autophagy workshop.
	Could a smartphone app help stop the next polio outbreak in Pakistan? Between 1988 and 2013, the number of cases of polio worldwide plummeted from 350,000 to 406. The number of countries in which the disease was endemic also went down, from 125 to three. The world seemed on the verge of eradicating the disease once and for all.
Groundbreaking global alliance forms to find effective response to deadliest brain tumor This year approximately 12,000 individuals in the US and tens of thousands more around the globe, including 35,000 in China alone, will receive a diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) from their doctors. GBM is the most common adult brain tumor and it is highly aggressive. In fact, fifty percent of GBM patients will survive for a year or less. Five-year survival for GBM is less than two percent - and, unfortunately, these dismal statistics have not changed for decades.
Baby with two heads born in Bangladesh Doctors at a Bangladesh hospital were treating a baby girl born with two heads on Thursday, medical officials and the newborn's father said.
New report highlights gains in child survival, progress needed to address leading killers The 2015 Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report: Sustainable Progress in the Post-2015 Era, released today on World Pneumonia Day by the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, documents the progress of the 15 countries experiencing the greatest burden of pneumonia and diarrhea.
Hospital releases nurse who suffered Ebola complication London's Royal Free Hospital says it has discharged Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey, who was hospitalized last month after suffering from a rare relapse of Ebola.
	Residents mixed on proposed smoking ban in public housing (Update) The federal government's proposal Thursday to ban smoking inside and out of public housing nationwide got a decidedly mixed reaction from the people most affected.
	Relationship education program addresses the unique challenges affecting female same-sex couples Although the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage was a victory for the gay community, same-sex couples continue to face challenges such as discrimination, stigma and lack of role models for their long-term relationships and marriages. Furthermore, same-sex female couples suffer breakups more often and more quickly than heterosexual couples. To help address these disparities, psychology researchers are testing a relationship education program to address the unique needs of female same-sex couples. Sarah Whitton, a University of Cincinnati associate professor of psychology, will lead a presentation as part of a Nov. 13 symposium at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) 49th Annual Convention in Chicago.
Feeding at-risk infants gluten increases risk of developing celiac disease Intake of gluten up until two years of age increases risk of celiac disease at least two-fold in children with genetic risk factors for this disease, according a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.
	Colombia to legalize commercial sale of medical marijuana Colombia's government plans to legalize the cultivation and sale of marijuana for medicinal and scientific purposes, officials said Thursday in a surprise shift by the longtime U.S. ally in the war on drugs.
Despite substantial progress, the world fell short of the maternal mortality target in the Millennium Development Goals New research published today in The Lancet shows that, despite reducing maternal mortality by an impressive 44% between 1990 and 2015, the world fell well short of the target of a 75% reduction that appeared in the Millennium Development Goals. The study is led by Drs Leontine Alkema of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA and Doris Chou, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, with colleagues from the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group and academia.
Despite health law's bow to prevention, US public health funding is dropping Although the language of the Affordable Care Act places considerable emphasis on disease prevention - for example, mandating insurance coverage of clinical preventive services such as mammograms - funding for public health programs to prevent disease have actually been declining in recent years, researchers say.
Medicaid coverage improves access to health care and chronic disease control Low-income Americans with Medicaid insurance have more awareness and better treatment of chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, than their uninsured counterparts, a group of Harvard researchers said today. People with Medicaid are also five times more likely to see a doctor than those with no health insurance.
	About half of pulmonologists tend to offer LDCT screening (HealthDay)—About half of pulmonologists have a propensity for guideline-concordant low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer, according to a study published in the November issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
	Rite Aid adds prescription analysis to genetic test lineup Rite Aid is giving patients a chance to peek over their doctor's shoulder with genetic tests that help determine the effectiveness of some prescriptions.
Dietary potassium may help prevent kidney and heart problems in diabetics Diets rich in potassium may help protect the heart and kidney health of patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).
Kidney failure and its treatment may impact cancer risk For patients with kidney failure, poor kidney function and immunosuppressant medications may increase their risk of developing different types of cancer. The findings, which are published in a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), suggest the need for persistent cancer screening and prevention in these patients.

Biology news

	Sharks' hunting ability destroyed under climate change The hunting ability and growth of sharks will be dramatically impacted by increased CO2 levels and warmer oceans expected by the end of the century, a University of Adelaide study has found.
Scientists publish unique genomic discoveries with single molecule, real-time sequencing A new paper released in Nature today reported the virtually complete draft genome of Oropetium thomaeum, a grass species that can regrow after exposed to extreme drought when water becomes available.
	Bacteria and bacteriophages collude in the formation of clinically frustrating biofilms Scientists know a lot about bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria. Medical practitioners likewise understand the clinical dangers of biofilms: slimy, antibiotic-defying aggregates of bacteria and organic substances that can stick to the walls and inner linings of infected organs and to chronic wounds, making infections excruciatingly hard to eradicate.
	Scientists sniff out female mouse scents that make males frisky​​ Scientists have identified two chemical scents in the urine of female mice that arouse sexual behavior in males, a discovery that shines a spotlight on how mouse pheromones control behavior.
	Relationship found between predation and the shape of prey fish body and spines (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers with the University of California's Department of Evolution and Ecology has found a predictable relationship between the size of predator fish mouths and the shape and spine characteristics of prey fish. In their paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Samantha Price, Sarah Friedman, and Peter Wainright describe how they tested an idea they had about prey fish evolution being tied to the size of the predator fish mouth and what they found as a result.
	Eggs without yolk can hatch too Most animals reproduce by laying eggs. As the embryo develops, its feeds on the egg yolk. No egg yolk, no offspring, then? Not always. Biologists from KU Leuven, Belgium, have discovered an exception to the rule: the eggs of nematodes (roundworms) can also hatch without egg yolk. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.
	Extinction can spread from predator to predator, study finds The extinction of one carnivore species can trigger the demise of fellow predators, conservation biologists at the University of Exeter have confirmed.
	Wild birds choose love over food Wild birds will sacrifice access to food in order to stay close to their partner over the winter, according to a study by Oxford University researchers.
New stem cell gene correction process puts time on researchers' side Researchers from the Morgridge Institute for Research and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) in Australia have devised a way to dramatically cut the time involved in reprogramming and genetically correcting stem cells, an important step to making future therapies possible.
	Ancient bees gathered pollen in two ways Were ancient bees specialists, devoting their pollen-collecting attentions to very specific plant partners? Or were they generalists, buzzing around to collect pollen from a variety of flowers in their midst? Researchers who've studied an ancient lineage of bees now say in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on November 12 that the answer to both questions is yes. Bees living some 50 million years ago simultaneously relied on both strategies in foraging for pollen.
	Researchers pinpoint roadblocks to lab-grown stem cells' maturation Johns Hopkins researchers report that a new study of mouse cells has revealed reasons why attempts to grow stem cells to maturity in the laboratory often fail, and provided a possible way to overcome such "developmental arrest."
	Grabbing a parasite by the tail: Team solves 'jumping gene' mystery Deep within your DNA, a tiny parasite lurks, waiting to pounce from its perch and land in the middle of an unsuspecting healthy gene. If it succeeds, it can make you sick.
	CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing: Check three times, cut once Two new studies from the University of California, Berkeley, should give scientists who use CRISPR-Cas9 for genome engineering greater confidence that they won't inadvertently edit the wrong DNA.
Shrubs on warming North Slope attract moose, hares Snowshoe hares and moose, which are both relative newcomers to Alaska's North Slope, may have become established in the area with the help of warming temperatures and thicker vegetation.
	EU downplays cancer risk from weedkiller in win for Monsanto (Update) A highly sensitive EU report on Thursday claimed one of the world's most popular weedkillers is "unlikely" to cause cancer, countering the UN and handing a victory to agri-business giant Monsanto.
	Important milestone in wheat research announced A more complete and accurate wheat genome assembly is being made available to researchers, by The Genome Analysis Centre on Nov. 12, 2015. This landmark resource builds on international efforts in this area and will help wheat breeders accelerate their crop improvement programs and researchers to discover genes for key traits such as yield, nutrient use and bread making quality. As wheat is one of the world's most vital crops, the new genomics resources will help secure future food supplies.
Molecular immunity from microbes A new molecular biology tool derived from a bacterial defense system has been used for the first time by KAUST researchers to demonstrate a novel way to protect plants against viral pathogens.
	Scientists find short-term rainfall, not temperature, controls lizard microhabitat More and more as climate change increases temperatures globally and alters regional rainfall, scientists are finding that the activity and foraging behaviors of animals must also change in order to adapt to the ever-changing environmental conditions.
	Long-snouted Amazonian catfishes including three new species to form a new genus Being close relatives within the same genus, eight catfishes showed enough external differences, such as characteristic elongated mouths, hinting to their separate origin. Following a thorough morphological as well as molecular analysis, a team of researchers suggested that five previously known species along with three new ones, which they have found during their survey, need a new genus to accommodate for their specificity. The study, conducted by a Brazilian research team from Universidade Estadual Paulista and led by Dr. Fabio F. Roxo, is available in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
	Mexico hopes to see 3-4 times more monarch butterflies The number of monarch butterflies reaching their wintering grounds in central Mexico this year may be three to four times higher than the previous season, authorities said Thursday.
	Breeding flexibility helps migratory songbirds adjust to climate warming Phenological mismatches, or a mistiming between creatures and the prey and plants they eat, is one of the biggest known impacts of climate change on ecological systems. But a Dartmouth-led study finds that one common migratory songbird has a natural flexibility in its breeding time that has helped stave off mismatches, at least for now.
Bacterial defense systems have numerous clinical and research applications A new review highlights the diverse ways in which genetic-based defense systems found in bacteria can be harnessed to manipulate the microbes for various clinical and research applications. The systems, called CRISPR-Cas systems, naturally protect bacteria by recognizing and cutting genetic elements from potential invaders.
	Veterinarian educates Indonesian children about nearby rhinos A College of Veterinary Medicine professor wants to take the problem of rhinoceros poaching by the horns.
	Weevils no match for apple export industry Good news for Pink Lady apple fans, as researchers have found a solution to eradicating weevils that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars for Western Australian apple exports.
	The chromatin environment shapes replication origin organization and defines origin classes The source of any life involves the duplication (or replication) of DNA, a mechanism that is essential to cell division. A team of biologists has recently performed the most exhaustive analysis to date of thousands of sites (called origins) where this replication of the genome is initiated in multicellular organisms.
	Thailand returns rescued orangutans to Indonesia A group of smuggled orangutans arrived in Indonesia from Thailand on Thursday, following years of diplomatic wrangling over who will care for them after the majority were discovered abandoned on a roadside.
	Pakistan asks Supreme Court to overturn ban on hunting rare bird Pakistan on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to review its ban against hunting a rare desert bird whose meat is prized among Arab sheikhs as an aphrodisiac, saying controlled hunting could be a tool for preservation.
The rise of do-it-yourself biology: A look at the Baltimore underground science space The Wilson Center's Synthetic Biology Project has released a short documentary on the growth of the do-it-yourself biology (DIYbio) movement as seen through a community DIYbio lab in Baltimore, Maryland.
	A 'blood rain' infiltrates villages of Spain The rainwater that fell in some of the villages of Zamora (Spain) last autumn brought along a strange traveller: a green microalgae that turns a reddish colour when in a state of stress. Once this microalgae was deposited into fountains and tanks it wasn't long before the water turned red. Researchers from the University of Salamanca have shone light on this 'blood rain' phenomenon, yet they have not yet been able to identify the mysterious origin of these little algae which are also present in the pharmaceutical, food and even automotive industries.
	Navy gets OK for exercises, says little effect on orcas The U.S. Navy has received authorization from federal biologists to expand sonar testing and other warfare training off the coast of Washington, Oregon and Northern California.

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