Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Nov 24

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 24, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Sociologist suggests corporate disinformation at root of climate change polarization
- Atom-sized craters make a catalyst much more active
- In 40 million years, Mars may have a ring (and one fewer moon)
- Tracking down the 'missing' carbon from the Martian atmosphere
- Researchers suggest airlines could halve emissions by 2050 by making cost-effective adjustments
- Phenomenon could lead to more compact, tunable X-ray devices made of graphene
- Biologists induce flatworms to grow heads and brains of other species
- New insights into protein structure could change the future of biomedicine
- Scientists prepare elusive organocatalysts for drug and fine chemical synthesis 
- Cooking with chloraminated water and salt could create toxic molecules
- Scientists describe detailed make-up of deadly toxin for the first time
- Bezos space firm claims reusable rocket breakthrough (Update)
- Gut microbes signal to the brain when they are full
- New sensor sends electronic signal when estrogen is detected
- Study suggests carbon content of temperate forests overestimated

Astronomy & Space news

	In 40 million years, Mars may have a ring (and one fewer moon) Nothing lasts forever - especially Phobos, one of the two small moons orbiting Mars. The moonlet is spiraling closer and closer to the Red Planet on its way toward an inevitable collision with its host. But a new study suggests that pieces of Phobos will get a second life as a ring around the rocky planet.
	Tracking down the 'missing' carbon from the Martian atmosphere Mars is blanketed by a thin, mostly carbon dioxide atmosphere—one that is far too thin to prevent large amounts of water on the surface of the planet from subliming or evaporating. But many researchers have suggested that the planet was once shrouded in an atmosphere many times thicker than Earth's. For decades that left the question, "Where did all the carbon go?"
	Faint dwarf galaxies in Fornax shed light on a cosmological mystery An astonishing number of faint low surface brightness dwarf galaxies recently discovered in the Fornax cluster of galaxies may help to solve the long-standing cosmological mystery of "The Missing Satellites". The discovery, made by an international team of astronomers led by Roberto Muñoz and Thomas Puzia of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, was carried out using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the 4-m Blanco telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). CTIO is operated by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO).
	NEOWISE identifies greenhouse gases in comets After its launch in 2009, NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft observed 163 comets during the WISE/NEOWISE prime mission. This sample from the space telescope represents the largest infrared survey of comets to date. Data from the survey are giving new insights into the dust, comet nucleus sizes, and production rates for difficult-to-observe gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Results of the NEOWISE census of comets were recently published in the Astrophysical Journal.
	Bezos space firm claims reusable rocket breakthrough (Update) The private space firm founded by Internet entrepreneur Jeff Bezos claimed a breakthrough for its space travel efforts Tuesday with the launch of a reusable rocket.
	Japan rocket launches its first commercial satellite (Update) A Japanese rocket lifted off Tuesday and successfully put the national space programme's first commercial satellite into orbit, officials said, as Tokyo tries to enter a business dominated by European and Russian companies.
	How could DSCOVR help in exoplanet hunting? Could a space weather satellite be helpful in exoplanet hunting? Well, it now turns out it could. According to a team of scientists led by Stephen Kane from the San Francisco State University, the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), launched in February this year to study space weather, could make an important contribution to the continuous search for alien worlds.
	ESA issues call for new Earth Explorer proposals ESA is announcing an opportunity for scientists involved in Earth observation to submit proposals for the next potential Earth Explorer satellite mission.
	A good year to view the Geminid meteor shower This year´s Geminid meteor display, the best of the annual meteor showers, will be visible from approximately the 7th to 17th December, peaking on the evening of the 14th. The meteors, or 'shooting stars', which are best seen any time from late evening onwards, emanate from an area of the sky known as the 'radiant', which lies in the winter constellation Gemini (the 'twins'). This rises after sunset and remains above the horizon all night. For those who have never seen a meteor, this year provides one of the best opportunities, as there will no interfering moonlight.
	NASA plans twin sounding rocket launches over Norway this winter This winter, two sounding rockets will launch through the aurora borealis over Norway to study how particles move in a region near the North Pole where Earth's magnetic field is directly connected to the solar wind. After the launch window opens on Nov. 27, 2015, the CAPER and RENU 2 rockets will have to wait for low winds and a daytime aurora before they can send their instrument payloads soaring through the Northern Lights.

Technology news

Google wearable prototype evokes rocket ship chitchat Those who trace Google understand that a better question than what will Google think of next is rather what won't Google think of next. Some thoughts turn into projects; others into realtime launches and, well, this one, courtesy of a Time article.
	Researcher suggests storing solar energy underground for a cloudy day Over the last few years, Mark Jacobson, a Stanford professor of civil and environmental engineering, and his colleague, Mark Delucchi of the University of California, Berkeley, have produced a series of plans, based on huge amounts of data churned through computer models, showing how each state in America could shift from fossil fuel to entirely renewable energy.
	Parched Emirates relies on sea as groundwater runs out As skyscrapers and gleaming towers rose with lightning speed across the United Arab Emirates over the past two decades, the Gulf nation's thirst for water grew at an enormous rate—so much so that today, it threatens to dry up all of the country's groundwater in as little as 15 years, experts say.
	Feds revising wary stance on self-driving cars (Update) Federal transportation officials are rethinking their position on self-driving cars with an eye toward getting the emerging technology into the public's hands.
	Better batteries to beat global warming: A race against time One of the key technologies that could help wean the globe off fossil fuel is probably at your fingertips or in your pocket right now: the battery.
	From dung to BMWs at green energy plant in South Africa Forty minutes east of South Africa's capital Pretoria, amid the lowing of thousands of cows and the strong stink of dung, a small factory has taken on the challenge of turning manure into energy.
	German investigation of VW expands to include tax evasion German prosecutors said Tuesday they have widened their investigation of Volkswagen to include suspicion of tax evasion after revelations that some of its cars were emitting more carbon dioxide than officially reported.
	Kim Dotcom calls US a 'bully' as court hearing wraps up Internet mogul Kim Dotcom's marathon extradition hearing ended in New Zealand on Tuesday, edging his four-year battle to avoid being sent to the United States closer to a conclusion.
	Belgian police grateful after #BrusselsLockdown raids In the middle of a huge police anti-terrorism operation in Brussels, many were surprised to see the Belgian media fall silent and Twitter filling up with cat pictures.
China, US promise better protection for business secrets U.S. and Chinese trade envoys on Tuesday promised to work together to protect business secrets and Beijing appeared to give ground in a dispute over proposed technology security rules for its banks.
	Versatile single-chip sensor for ion detection in fluids Imec and Holst Centre (set-up by imec and TNO) have demonstrated a prototype of a single-chip electrochemical sensor for simultaneous detection of multiple ions in fluids. The demonstrator paves the way to small-sized and low-cost detection systems for agriculture, healthcare and lifestyle applications, food quality monitoring and water management.
	Rice wins $2.4 million to study many-antenna wireless Rice University researchers have won $2.4 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct the most extensive experimental research yet of wireless technology that uses 100 or more antennas per base station to send tightly focused beams of data to each user, even as they move.

Medicine & Health news

	Neuroscientists gain insight into cause of Alzheimer's symptoms Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists have uncovered a mechanism in the brain that could account for some of the neural degeneration and memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease.
	Following cancer with tiny magnets Life-saving surgery and treatments rely on doctors being able to accurately track the spread of cancers.
	No cable spaghetti in the brain Our brain is a mysterious machine. Billions of nerve cells are connected such that they store information as efficiently as books are stored in a well-organized library. To this date, many details remain unclear, for instance the set of rules that governs the connections between nerve cells and the organization of information therein.
	Serious research into what makes us laugh More complex jokes tend to be funnier but only up to a point, Oxford researchers have found. Jokes that are too complicated tend to lose the audience.
	New theory integrates dopamine's role in learning, motivation If you've ever felt lackadaisical to start a new project, focus on imagining the joy of completing it, say University of Michigan researchers.
	Brain connections predict how well you can pay attention During a 1959 television appearance, Jack Kerouac was asked how long it took him to write his novel On The Road. His response – three weeks – amazed the interviewer and ignited an enduring myth that the book was composed in a marathon of nonstop typing.
	Gut microbes signal to the brain when they are full Don't have room for dessert? The bacteria in your gut may be telling you something. Twenty minutes after a meal, gut microbes produce proteins that can suppress food intake in animals, reports a study published November 24 in Cell Metabolism. The researchers also show how these proteins injected into mice and rats act on the brain reducing appetite, suggesting that gut bacteria may help control when and how much we eat.
	Umbilical cells help eye's neurons connect Cells isolated from human umbilical cord tissue have been shown to produce molecules that help retinal neurons from the eyes of rats grow, connect and survive, according to Duke University researchers working with Janssen Research & Development, LLC.
	Neurological underpinnings of schizophrenia just as complex as the disorder itself Schizophrenia, a severe mental disorder affecting about one in 100 people, is notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat, in large part because it manifests differently in different people. A new study published today in Molecular Neuropsychiatry helps explain why. Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have created a map that shows how specific schizophrenia symptoms are linked to distinct brain circuits.
Researchers discover how immune cells resist radiation treatment Researchers at The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a key mechanism by which radiation treatment (radiotherapy) fails to completely destroy tumors. And, in the journal Nature Immunology, they offer a novel solution to promote successful radiotherapy for the millions of cancer patients who are treated with it.
	3-D MRI shows early signs of stroke risk in diabetic patients People with diabetes may be harboring advanced vascular disease that could increase their risk of stroke, according to new research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The findings suggest that arterial imaging with 3-D MRI could be useful in helping to determine stroke risk among diabetics.
	Food odors activate impulse area of the brain in obese children The area of the brain associated with impulsivity and the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder is activated in obese children when introduced to food smells, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
	Study shows increase in infant deaths attributed to crib bumpers A new study shows that the number of infant deaths and injuries attributed to crib bumpers has spiked significantly in recent years, prompting the researchers to call for a nationwide ban on the bedding accessory.
Almost all donated organs unused in China, report says Almost all human organs donated for transplant in China go unused, state-run media said, after years of controversy about the use of body parts from executed prisoners.
	Research team describes novel tumor treatment In the first published results from a $386,000 National Cancer Institute grant awarded earlier this year, a paper by Scott Verbridge and Rafael Davalos in Scientific Reports has been published.
Doubling numbers on HIV drugs could 'break' epidemic: UN (Update) The UN on Tuesday urged countries to "break the AIDS epidemic" by doubling the number of people receiving HIV treatment within the next five years.
	Genetics affect concussion recovery A wide receiver is tackled after catching a pass in a game of football. He hits the ground hard and his brain is jolted from the momentum. The athlete experiences dizziness, nausea, and ringing in his ears and is diagnosed with a concussion. When can he return to the field?
New pain mechanisms revealed for neurotoxin in spinal cord injury A toxin released by the body in response to spinal cord injuries increases pain by causing a proliferation of channels containing pain sensors, new research shows, and this hypersensitivity also extends to peripheral nerves in the limbs far from the injury site.
	Detecting cancer cells before they form metastases Many tumors spread: Single cancer cells migrate with blood flow through the body before they settle in new tissue. In this way, metastases may be formed, even after the main tumor was treated successfully. It is difficult to detect cancer cells in the blood at an early stage: About one malignant cell is encountered per billion of healthy cells. Researchers of KIT and the Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech), Münster, have now developed a clinical method to reliably detect and isolate single cancer cells in blood samples in cooperation with the University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE).
	Stored fat fights against the body's attempts to lose weight The fatter we are, the more our body appears to produce a protein that inhibits our ability to burn fat, suggests new research published in the journal Nature Communications. The findings may have implications for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases.
	'Connector hubs' are the champions of brain coordination Swinging a bat at a 90-mph fastball requires keen visual, cognitive and motor skills. But how do diverse brain networks coordinate well enough to hit the ball?
	Midlife crisis—Evidence that wellbeing hits a low point in your early 40s People's life satisfaction follows a U-shape through the life cycle, gradually falling from early adulthood, reaching a minimum at around the ages of 40 to 42 and then rising up to the age of 70. That is the central finding of research by academics including Andrew Oswald, Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick.
	Developing drug resistance may be a matter of diversity for tuberculosis To a microbe, the human body is a vast environment, full of resources and opportunities, dangers and threats. In the world of bacteria, it's thrive or fail to survive. Evolve or go extinct.
	Male and female drinking patterns becoming more alike in the US In the United States, and throughout the world, men drink more alcohol than women.  But a recent analysis by scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, indicates that longstanding differences between men and women in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms might be narrowing in the United States.
	Clinical trial could lead to new bladder cancer drug A bladder cancer drug tested in a University of Hawai'i Cancer Center clinical trial is getting closer to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The new drug, an interleukin 15 superagonist complex (ALT-803), combined with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is expected to be more effective for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, the most common type of bladder cancer.
Largest ever study of alcohol harm in emergency departments reveals huge toll One in 12 presentations to hospital emergency departments (EDs) are alcohol-related, according to latest research conducted by Monash University and the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM).
	Loneliness linked to brain inflammation – but here's why drugs aren't the answer Loneliness is not just an excruciating feeling that can lead to other mental health problems, it can actually be a cause of premature death. While loneliness can affect anyone at any point in life, it is particularly common among the rapidly increasing population of old people. When you read stories about how many old people live alone and say the television is their main company, you realise that tackling loneliness is one of the greatest challenges facing our society.
	Trial combining exercise and a drug may help seniors muscle up A drug that might help older adults regrow muscle is under investigation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. UAB is recruiting healthy adults age 65 and older for a study combining strength training exercise with the anti-diabetes drug metformin.
The risk of developing leishmaniasis multiplies a hundredfold in transplant patients Researchers from Spain have analysed the prevalence of leishmaniasis among the population of organ transplant recipients. The findings of this study, published in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, confirm that the risk of developing visceral leishmaniasis, the most severe form of the disease which can pose life-threatening complications, is more than one hundred times greater in transplant patients living in areas of disease outbreak.
	Visual stress could be a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome, research suggests People suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) could experience higher levels of visual stress than those without the condition, according to new research from the University of Leicester.
	Lactate for brain energy Nerve cells cover their high energy demand with glucose and lactate. Scientists of the University of Zurich now provide new support for this. They show for the first time in the intact mouse brain evidence for an exchange of lactate between different brain cells. With this study they were able to confirm a 20-year old hypothesis.
	3-D amplifies emotions evoked by facial expressions The research findings highlight the sensitivity of the visual system to depth, and have implications for emotion research, entertainment industry and 3D displays.
Causal link between aneuploidy and cancer One of the key unresolved question in cancer is whether aneuploidy, as defined by the presence of gain or loss of chromosomes, is the cause or the consequence of cancer development. Since the observations by Boveri and Von Hansemann in the 19th century showing that cancer cells present aneuploidy, it remains a matter of intense debate whether aneuploidy is the cause or the consequence of tumorigenesis.
	Is double-dipping a food safety problem or just a nasty habit? What do you do when you are left with half a chip in your hand after dipping? Admit it, you've wondered whether it's OK to double dip the chip.
	PMS as an early marker for future high blood pressure risk In the first prospective study to consider premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as a possible sentinel for future risk of hypertension, epidemiologist Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson and colleagues in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Harvard School of Public Health report that women with moderate-to-severe PMS had a 40 percent higher risk of developing high blood pressure over the following 20 years compared to women experiencing few menstrual symptoms.
Millions of women severely undernourished in low- and middle-income countries More than 18 million women in low- and middle-income countries around the world are severely undernourished, according to the first global estimate published in a new study from St. Michael's Hospital and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. These women tend to be the poorest and least educated members of society and comprise a "left behind" population of adults with severe undernutrition whose needs have not been met by economic gains and progress and who have been understudied by health researchers.
Modeling the global HIV treatment funding gap for 2020 targets With currently projected funding, countries around the world are unlikely to achieve the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 90-90-90 treatment target (which includes 90% of people diagnosed as living with HIV being treated with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) by 2020), according to a modeling study publishing this week in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Arin Dutta and colleagues at Palladium, Washington, District of Columbia, U.S., suggests that while the funding gap may be smaller than previously projected, meeting the 90-90-90 target will require currently unsecured funding for the broad adoption of a test-and-offer approach and other measures to rapidly increase ART coverage.
Men see lower gains in life expectancy than women in era of HIV treatment in South Africa Improvements in availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV in South Africa over the past decade coincide with an increased gap in female versus male life expectancy, according to a study published in PLOS Medicine this week. The study was conducted by Jacob Bor and colleagues at Boston University in collaboration with Till Bärnighausen and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust's Africa Centre for Population Health in South Africa and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The team found that while HIV mortality declined and life expectancy improved for all adults following scale up of ART in 2004, the improvements were greater for females than males.
European folic acid policy is failing to prevent many neural tube defects, warn experts The prevalence of neural tube defects in Europe has not declined substantially in the past 20 years, despite long-standing recommendations for women to take folic acid supplements if planning a pregnancy, finds a study in The BMJ today.
Gene variants involved in stress responses affect 'post-concussive' symptoms Variations in a gene that affect the body's responses to stress influence the risk of developing so-called post-concussive symptoms (PCS) after car crashes, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
	Chronic fatigue therapies provide some with long-term relief (HealthDay)—For some people with chronic fatigue syndrome, two types of treatment can provide long-term benefits, new research suggests.
	Play it safe cooking the Thanksgiving feast (HealthDay)—While cooking your Thanksgiving feast this Thursday, remember that the risk of fire and burns is high during the holiday, an expert says.
	CYP2C19 polymorphism impacts response to PPI Tx in GERD (HealthDay)—CYP2C19 polymorphism impacts response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), with lower efficacy rates for rapid metabolizer (RM) genotypes, according to a study published online Nov. 18 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Two states to allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control (HealthDay)—California and Oregon will soon implement groundbreaking laws that enable women to get contraceptives from pharmacists without a doctor's prescription.
Study: Food restriction helps mice with kidney disease Researchers at Mayo Clinic have found that a mild to moderate reduction in calories effectively prevents and reverses polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in mice. The results appear online in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and could have implications for humans with the disease.
Study identifies genetic risk for hyperinflammatory disorder from viral infection A group of people with fatal H1N1 flu died after their viral infections triggered a deadly hyperinflammatory disorder in susceptible individuals with gene mutations linked to the overactive immune response, according to a study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
	Text message program effective at cutting binge drinking A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine-led trial to test a text message-based program aimed at reducing binge drinking is the first to show that such an intervention can successfully produce sustained reductions in alcohol consumption in young adults.
Pre-travel advice does not reduce the risk of falling ill while traveling Travelling abroad involves risk of illnesses and carriage of antibiotic resistant bacteria, especially among students. Illnesses such as travellers' diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections are most common. Even if travellers follow the travel medicine clinics' advice on how to reduce risks during travel, the risk of falling ill is not reduced. This according to a dissertation at Umeå University in Sweden.
An ounce of cancer prevention is worth a moment of your attention What if you could visit the doctor for a blood test that predicted your personal cancer risk - then got a simple prescription that reduced that risk? The scenario isn't so far off - and bringing it closer is the goal of cancer prevention.
Fat cells originating from bone marrow found in humans Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that fat cells produced by stem cells from the bone marrow may be linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and some cancers.
	People who rely on their intuition are, at times, less likely to cheat In psychological studies, intuition, or "gut instinct," is defined as the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. Now, a University of Missouri graduate student has determined that individuals who are prone to trust their instinctive hunches and gut feelings, may at times be less likely to commit immoral acts compared to those who tend to discount their intuition. Findings also indicate that people who tend to rely on their gut feelings are less likely to cheat after reflecting on past experiences during which they behaved immorally.
	Investigational drug may prevent life-threatening muscle loss in advanced cancers New data describes how an experimental drug can stop life-threatening muscle wasting (cachexia) associated with advanced cancers and restore muscle health. The experimental agent, known as AR-42 while in testing, was developed and tested in preclinical studies at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James).
	Immune-disorder treatment in mice holds potential for multiple sclerosis patients A University of Florida Health researcher has found a simple, rapid way to treat an immune-related disorder in mice, an approach that could eventually help multiple sclerosis patients after further research.
FDA aims to publish Essure safety review in February Federal health officials aim to release their findings on a much-debated contraceptive implant by the end of February.
	More cervical cancers caught early among young women since Obamacare (HealthDay)—More cervical cancers have been caught early among young U.S. women since a key provision of the Affordable Care Act went into effect, a new study finds.
Anthrax vaccine approval expanded (HealthDay)—U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the BioThrax anthrax vaccine has been expanded to include adults aged 18 to 65 with known or suspected exposure, the agency said in a media release.
	Confusion surrounding osteoarthritis in primary care (HealthDay)—There is confusion between patients and doctors about osteoarthritis (OA) and its context within multimorbidity, according to a study published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
	Instrument assesses competency in detecting melanoma (HealthDay)—The Skin Cancer Objective Structured Clinical Examination is a well-developed instrument that can assess medical student competency in detecting melanoma, according to research published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
	Microneedle, sublative fractional radiofrequency aids acne scars (HealthDay)—Combined microneedle fractional radiofrequency and sublative fractional radiofrequency is safe and efficacious for acne scars in Asian skin, according to a study published online Nov. 18 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
	Exposure to maternal diabetes impacts youth glycemic control (HealthDay)—Young people exposed to maternal diabetes during pregnancy have poorer glycemic control and β-cell function, particularly non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics, according to a study published online Nov. 17 in Diabetes Care.
	Music can help doctors develop relationships with patients (HealthDay)—For one physician, writing songs has improved her self-awareness and strengthened her relationships with patients, according to an article published by the American Medical Association.
	Slower aging may protect cells in the brain from Parkinson's disease Humans have long sought to reduce the effects of aging. Now, there may be another reason to continue searching for ways to slow the clock—preventing Parkinson's disease.
Highest safety rating awarded to cardiac catheterization laboratory The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory of Mount Sinai Heart at The Mount Sinai Hospital has once again received the highest "two-star" safety rating from the New York State Department of Health for its percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) overall and in non-emergency cases. This marks the 17th consecutive year the Mount Sinai Catheterization Laboratory or its physicians have been awarded a prestigious two-star designation for safety rates significantly exceeding the statewide average.
	Clinical trial of chikungunya vaccine opens An experimental vaccine to protect against the mosquito-borne illness chikungunya is being tested in a Phase 2 trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. Results from an initial trial of the vaccine, which was developed by scientists at the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), were reported in 2014. In that study, all 25 vaccine recipients developed robust immune responses and no safety concerns were noted. The new trial is designed to enroll 400 healthy adult volunteers aged 18 to 60 years old at six sites in the Caribbean. It will continue to gather data on the candidate vaccine's safety and ability to elicit immune responses, including antibodies.
Doctors relive Paris attacks The medics treating the scores of victims in the Paris terror attacks came back without their belts—so great was the need in the field for tourniquets, medical personnel said Tuesday.
	Study links physical activity to better memory among older adults Could staying physically active improve quality of life by delaying cognitive decline and prolonging an independent lifestyle? A new study has found that older adults who take more steps either by walking or jogging perform better on memory tasks than those who are more sedentary.
Subsolid lung nodules pose greater cancer risk to women than men Women with a certain type of lung nodule visible on lung cancer screening CT exams face a higher risk of lung cancer than men with similar nodules, according to a new study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Federal court rules Wisconsin abortion law unconstitutional A Wisconsin law that requires abortion providers to get admitting privileges at nearby hospitals is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court panel ruled Monday.
	Emails reveal Coke's role in anti-obesity group A nonprofit founded to combat obesity says the $1.5 million it received from Coke has no influence on its work.
Indonesian district to ban condoms in convenience stores A staunchly Islamic district in Indonesia plans to ban the sale of condoms in convenience stores in a bid to halt premarital sex, an official said Tuesday, but activists criticised the move as misguided.
The moral wounds of war A soldier in the Australian Army is posted to Somalia, a country ranked among the world's most troubled states and where the capital, Mogadishu, is known as the "city of death". Life is cheap and warlords rule over clan-based militia who cause widespread lawlessness.
Liberia records first Ebola death since July A teenage boy has died of Ebola in Liberia, a health official said Tuesday, the first fatality since July in one of the three West African countries hit hardest by the worst ever outbreak of the disease.
Domestic violence victims should seek help early as Christmas approaches Seek help early if you are at risk of domestic violence, is the advice from QUT criminologist Professor Kerry Carrington as Christmas approaches.
The case for testing drugs on pregnant women When the heart stops beating, minutes matter. With every minute that passes before a rhythm is restored, a patient's odds of survival plummet. Which is why Anne Lyerly was surprised when, one night 20 years ago, she got a phone call from a doctor who had paused in the middle of treating a patient in cardiac arrest. Lyerly was a newly minted obstetrician; the caller was an internal medicine resident who was desperately trying to resuscitate a dying patient. A pregnant dying patient. He had called because his supervisor wanted to know whether a critical cardiac drug would be safe for the woman's fetus.
Study: Paying for transgender health care cost-effective A new analysis led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that while most U.S. health insurance plans deny benefits to transgender men and women for medical care necessary to transition to the opposite sex, paying for sex reassignment surgery and hormones is actually cost-effective.
Doctors give chilling account of treating casualties of Paris terrorist attacks In a Viewpoint published in The Lancet today, a group of doctors from the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP) describe in chilling detail how they coped with the large influx of wounded on the night of Friday November 13, 2015, following the co-ordinated attacks.
Sniff and track or run and scan? It's dinnertime, and the smell of delicious food makes your tummy rumble. However, it's dark because of a powercut and you can't see very clearly. Should you try to 'follow your nose' to locate food? Or should you simply guess and peek into the kitchen, or the dining room or the veranda - the likeliest places for dinner to be served? A recent study shows that the latter method - dubbed 'run-and-scan' - may actually be more efficient in finding your target than just following your nose.
Better detection of concussion in young football players Researcher Christian Duval, PhD, and his team have developed a new, simple and non-invasive approach to create a biomechanical and cognitive profile of football players and more quickly and accurately detect concussions in these individuals. Christian Duval and his post-doctoral student Hung Nguyen, PhD, work at the Research Centre of the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, which is affiliated with the University of Montreal. They presented their preliminary research findings at the International Congress on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support, which was held in Lisbon from November 15 to 17.
	Reducing the risk of CRC by tackling alcohol misuse: A call for action across Europe Information presented last month at UEG Week Barcelona 2015 highlighted an increasing public health concern across Europe regarding alcohol and GI diseases1. In particular, healthcare professionals across Europe are being urged to help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) by taking positive action against alcohol misuse and dependence. High levels of alcohol dependence and low levels of treatment have recently been identified in a European primary care study,2 fuelling the argument that family doctors must play a key role in preventing alcohol-related harm and reducing the incidence of CRC.
Teenager dies as Ebola returns to Liberia: official A teenager has died in Liberia in the first such death since the country was officially declared free of the virus in September, an official said Tuesday.
	Focal epileptic seizures linked to abnormalities in three main brain regions A new study that used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and computation pattern analysis to identify differences in regional brain activity between subjects with focal epilepsy and healthy individuals highlighted three common areas of abnormality. Seizures in people with focal epilepsy can originate in various sites in the brain, but these new findings link those sites to three main brain regions, as reported in Brain Connectivity.
Cataract surgery lessens patients' dizziness Older people with visual impairment can report feeling dizzy and falling. A new study found that after routine cataract surgery, the improved vision led to patients experiencing significantly less dizziness, although they did not experience fewer falls.
Consumers' response to food safety risks are altered due to prior commitment and preference With the globalization of our food supply, food safety issues are a major concern for both public health and for the food industry. Media and industry warn consumers of major recalls and problems with food items, but do consumers listen? In a new article published in the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, researcher Jessica Cao, together with David Just, Calum Turvey, and Brian Wansink of Cornell University, demonstrated that consumers are reluctant to respond to food safety risks if the recommendations interfere with their existing habits. The study tested whether individuals respond to food risks in their favorite products the same way they do with less preferred products.
	A heavy metal balancing act: Studying copper to help cells battle bacterial invaders Copper is an essential micronutrient that all organisms need to maintain healthy metabolism. But unless it is bound to proteins, copper is also toxic to cells. With a $1.3 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will conduct a systematic study of copper in the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), a leading cause of hospital-associated infections that is increasingly resistant to antibiotics, with the hope of discovering new drug targets that might allow cells in the body to use copper to fight back against this bacterial invader.
	Health co-op failure in NY leaves doctors owed millions The sudden collapse of the largest nonprofit insurance cooperative created by President Barack Obama's health care law is causing headaches in New York, especially for medical providers owed millions of dollars for treating the failed plan's patients.
Native Americans have decreased access to kidney transplants Native Americans have decreased access to kidney transplants and are more likely to die on the waiting list than whites according to new research presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 held November 3-8 in San Diego, CA. Researchers also found that while short-term outcomes after receiving a kidney transplant were similar, Native Americans had worse long-term survival outcomes compared to whites.
Agency: 19 people ill in E. coli outbreak tied to Costco Nineteen people in seven states, including Washington and California, have contracted E. coli in an outbreak linked to chicken salad bought at Costco, federal health officials said Tuesday.

Biology news

	New research reveals extinction is key to terrestrial vertebrate diversity Periods of high extinction on Earth, rather than evolutionary adaptations, may have been a key driver in the diversification of amniotes (today's dominant land vertebrates, including reptiles, birds, and mammals), according to new research published today in Scientific Reports.
	New insight into leaf shape diversity Many of us probably remember the punnett squares by which we were introduced to the idea of genetic inheritance in school: a dominant allele in each of my brown-eyed parents hides a recessive allele that explains my blue eyes. Most genetic inheritance, of course, is much more complex. Differences in how we look are usually produced not by a single gene, but rather by interactions between several genes, across a gene regulatory network. Conversely, a single gene can affect not just one but many aspects of an organism's development – and these are often unrelated. This second phenomenon, which scientists call "pleiotropy" from the Greek word for "many ways", is central to one of the more interesting puzzles of evolutionary biology. A paper published in Genes and Development sheds some light on this puzzle.
	The (fish) eyes have it Understanding how fish "see" is helping a team of international scientists increase their knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef's biodiversity.
	New insights into protein structure could change the future of biomedicine Researchers at the University of Waterloo have discovered a new way to create designer proteins that have the potential to transform biotechnology and personalized medicines.
	Biologists induce flatworms to grow heads and brains of other species Biologists at Tufts University have succeeded in inducing one species of flatworm to grow heads and brains characteristic of another species of flatworm without altering genomic sequence. The work reveals physiological circuits as a new kind of epigenetics - information existing outside of genomic sequence - that determines large-scale anatomy.
	Harnessing a peptide holds promise for increasing crop yields without more fertilizer Molecular biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who study nitrogen-fixing bacteria in plants have discovered a "double agent" peptide in an alfalfa that may hold promise for improving crop yields without increasing fertilizer use.
	Winter season reverses outcome of fruit fly reproduction Male fruit flies could find their chances of fathering offspring radically reduced if they are last in the queue to mate with promiscuous females before winter arrives, according to new University of Liverpool research.
Smartphones to battle crop disease EPFL and Penn State University are releasing an unprecedented 50,000 open-access photos of plant diseases. The images will be used to build an app that will turn smartphones into plant doctors, helping growers around the world.
	World's biggest clone factory raises fears in China The world's largest animal cloning factory is under construction in China, with plans to churn out dogs, horses and up to a million beef cattle a year, reports said, prompting online and scientific concerns Tuesday.
	Over half of world's primates on brink of extinction: experts More than half the world's primates, including apes, lemurs and monkeys, are facing extinction, international experts warned Tuesday, as they called for urgent action to protect mankind's closest living relatives.
	New mechanisms of self-organization in living cells Chromosomes are structures inside cell nuclei that carry a large part of the genetic information and are responsible for its storage, transfer and implementation. Chromosomes are formed from a very long DNA molecule—a double chain of a plurality of genes. Given that the diameter of the cell nucleus is usually around hundredth of a millimeter or even less, while the total length of DNA composing the human genome is about two meters, it is clear that DNA must be packaged very tightly.
GMO food animals should be judged by product, not process, scientists say In a world with a burgeoning demand for meat, milk and eggs, regulatory policies around the use of biotechnologies in agriculture need to be based on the safety and attributes of those foods rather than on the methods used to produce them, says a UC Davis animal scientist.
	Researchers bring an engineering approach to systems biology efforts If you've never played chess, the rules are simple to learn. There are two players, each with six types of pieces, and each piece moves in a specific way. Learn the ways each piece can move and you can immediately sit down to play. There is no element of random chance; what happens in a game depends entirely on how the players make their pieces interact. The basic rules are among the simplest and easiest to learn of any strategy game in history.
	Neonicotinoid pesticides linked to butterfly declines in the UK The use of neonicotinoid pesticides may be contributing to the decline of butterflies in the UK, according to a new study involving the University of Sussex.
	Understanding the fruit fly's nose How odours influence actions is one of the fundamental questions in neuroscience. Richard Benton, associate professor at the Center for Integrative Genomics at the University of Lausanne, follows the molecular trail of chemical messages from the nose to the brain of insects. For his work, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) on behalf of the International Latsis Foundation awards Benton with the National Latsis Prize 2015.
The corn snake genome sequenced for the first time Among the 5 000 existing species of mammals, more than 100 have their genome sequenced, whereas the genomes of only 9 species of reptiles (among 10 000 species) are available to the scientific community. This is the reason why a team at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Swit- zerland, has produced a large database including, among others, the newly-sequenced genome of the corn snake, a species increasingly used to understand the evolution of reptiles. Within the same laboratory, the researchers have discovered the exact mutation that causes albinism in that species, a result published today in Scientific Reports.
	Burgeoning salty numbers pose safety risks Rebounding saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) populations in the north Kimberley which are increasingly venturing into human-populated areas are raising the chances of tourists and locals having spine-tingling encounters with these fear-inducing creatures.
	Coming out of their evolutionary shells One of the wonders of evolutionary innovation in animals is the turtle shell, which differs from any other reptilian defense adaptation, giving up teeth or venom in exchange for an impenetrable shield.
	Leatherback sea turtles choose nest sites carefully, study finds The enormous, solitary leatherback sea turtle spends most of its long life at sea. After hatching and dispersing across the world's oceans, only the female leatherbacks return to their natal beaches to lay clutches of eggs in the sand. A new study offers fresh insights into their nesting choices and will help efforts to prevent the extinction of this globally endangered giant of the sea, researchers said.
	Algae could be a new green power source As world leaders prepare to gather in France for the 2015 United Nations Conference on Climate Change next week, global warming—and how to stop it—is a hot topic.
Can a bonobo keep the beat? Humans have a remarkable ability to synchronize to complex, temporally structured acoustic signals, an ability which is believed to underlie social coordination and may be a precursor to speech. This ability takes years to develop. Although infants move to periodic rhythmic stimuli, children do not synchronize movements to frequency or tempo until the age of 8 or 9. Synchrony in young children is facilitated by social interaction, and promotes prosocial behavior in both children and adults. Rhythmic behavior has recently been observed in other animals, including parrots, budgerigars, sea lions, rhesus monkeys, and chimpanzees, although in the majority of these cases animals were explicitly trained to synchronize.
	Urban hives can help safeguard the future of food, says a scientist and beekeeper If you eat food, then you like bees. It's estimated that one-third of the typical American diet depends on pollination by bees, and absent such pollination, nearly 100 fruit and vegetable crops would be wiped out. We wouldn't be entirely without food, but we wouldn't have almonds, apples, blueberries or grass-fed beef or dairy.
	Report exposes Southeast Asia's illegal orchid trade A thriving and illegal trade in Southeast Asia's threatened and rare orchids is going largely unnoticed in Thailand and across its borders, according to a new report.
Therapeutic riding is so much more than horse play Eddie Brennan is all charged up. The hyper 4-year-old, who is autistic, has already charged through a puddle, and writhes as his nanny struggles to remove his shoes and socks.
Use of antivirals in retrovirus-infected cats A number of antiviral drugs are licensed and widely used for the treatment of specific viral infections in humans. Potential new agents are also being investigated that it is hoped will overcome limitations of the current options, which include a narrow antiviral spectrum, ineffectiveness against latent virus infections, development of drug-resistance and toxic side effects.
	Plant defense as a biotech tool Against voracious beetles or caterpillars plants protect themselves with cyanide. Certain enzymes release the toxic substance when the plant is chewed. These HNL-called enzymes are also important for industry. acib found a new biocatalyst in a fern which outshines all other HNL-type enzymes on the market.
	Climate-friendly rice recognized as a top science development of 2015 The creation of a new kind of rice which gives off nearly zero greenhouse gas emissions during its growth has earned kudos for a team of scientists from three continents, including the lead investigator at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

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