Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Nov 3

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 3, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- 'Bubble piano' plays bubbles in sync with Beethoven symphony
- CubeSats in deep space
- High-latitude volcanic eruptions affect ocean circulation for decades
- Developer spots Indoor Survey for enabling indoor positioning
- Semantic Scholar engine for scientists gets (leaps) to the points
- Organic bromine compounds—another threat to the ozone layer
- New research demands rethink on Darwin's theory of 'fecundity selection'
- The role of plant science in food security
- Researcher develops a painter's palette of winter-hardy hibiscus colors
- The solution to faster computing? Sing to your data
- Scientists discover secret to highly efficient swimming in some animals, such as jellyfish
- Forming glass shapes: Lowering the 'softening temperature' via electric field
- Storage advance may boost solar thermal energy potential
- Updated version of ROSI technique results in birth of 14 babies
- Lipid helps keep algae and brain fluid moving

Astronomy & Space news

	CubeSats in deep space (Phys.org)—Tiny spacecraft have their ambitions of space exploration too. The small-sized satellites called CubeSats, made of box-shaped four-inch units, are successfully operating in the low Earth orbit, conducting a variety of scientific research. Now, space agencies like NASA and ESA a planning to send these nanosatellites way farther than ever before – to deep space destinations, like asteroids and Mars.
	Rotting oaks lead to hazardous voids in Indiana's mount baldy sand dune Mount Baldy, a sand dune in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, may appear to be no more than an innocent pile of sand grains speckled with vegetation, but the rolling slopes hide narrow, deep holes, which are evidence of entombed oak trees.
	Astronomers go to the ends of the Earth to see cosmic carbon The carbon cycle is central to life on Earth. It describes how carbon flows between living organisms, and the ocean, atmosphere and rock of our planet, and is driven by the energy from our sun.
	Artificial object in trans-lunar orbit to impact Earth on November 13 Get ready for a man-made fireball. A object discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey on Oct 3rd temporarily designated WT1190F is predicted to impact the Earth about 60 miles (100 km) of the southern coast of Sri Lanka around 6:20 Universal Time (12:20 a.m CST) on November 13.
	Distant world's weather is mixed bag of hot dust and molten rain Weather patterns in a mysterious world beyond our solar system have been revealed for the first time, a study suggests.
	Chances 'fair' for Philae contact: ground controllers Chances are "fair" for renewed contact with Europe's robot lab Philae, hurtling through space perched on a comet, a ground controller said Tuesday, four months after the tiny lander fell silent.
	Image: ExoMars rover egress test One small step for a robot: getting a robotic rover off its lander will be the next most nerve-wracking moment for Europe's 2018 ExoMars mission after landing.
	CubeSats to an asteroid The five CubeSat concepts to be studied to accompany ESA's proposed Asteroid Impact Mission into deep space have been selected.
	Galileo pair preparing for December launch The next Galileo launch campaign has begun with the arrival of the latest pair of navigation satellites at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

Technology news

	Developer spots Indoor Survey for enabling indoor positioning By now you have been quite schooled in what GPS is all about; a next wave will be talk about apps that focus on IPS, or indoor positioning systems. PCMag defined it as a system for navigation that can be used inside airports, museums, malls and hospitals.
	Semantic Scholar engine for scientists gets (leaps) to the points From the Seattle-based Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, comes a free science search engine. Oren Etzioni is CEO. The Institute is also called by its shorthand name, AI2. They launched the free service, called Semantic Scholar.
	New 3-D printing method creates complex micro objects Bioengineers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new method of 3-D printing that allows production of complex micro-scale objects smaller than the width of a human hair. The technique, using patterned ultraviolet light and a custom-shaped flow of polymer material, creates 3-D objects that can be first designed with software and could be used in a variety of biomedical and industrial applications.
	Storage advance may boost solar thermal energy potential Engineers at Oregon State University have identified a new approach for the storage of concentrated solar thermal energy, to reduce its cost and make it more practical for wider use.
	Vast energy value in human waste: UN University Biogas from human waste, safely obtained under controlled circumstances using innovative technologies, is a potential fuel source great enough in theory to generate electricity for up to 138 million households - the number of households in Indonesia, Brazil, and Ethiopia combined.
	Google founder hopes Alphabet spells innovation Google founder Larry Page is hoping his newly created company called Alphabet becomes synonymous with innovation.
Tensions rise over 'Airbnb vote' in San Francisco San Franciscans vote Tuesday on a measure to limit short-term housing rentals in what is seen as a referendum on surging startup Airbnb.
	Using big data to power an energy revolution Can big data improve how electricity is produced, delivered and consumed in the Northeastern United States?
	Researchers aim for smarter people, not smarter thermostats For decades, conservation-minded homeowners have invested in programmable thermostats, which typically come with thick manuals showing how to use a dizzying array of buttons and settings aimed at saving money on heating and cooling each month.
	Sinai plane crash—the five most common reasons for airliner disasters News of any terrible air accident, such as the recent crash of a Russian plane in Egypt that killed 224 people, instantly raises questions about aircraft safety and the threat of terrorism. But until the facts are known, it is unwise to speculate on what might actually have caused a specific crash. What we do know is that there are several causes that are more likely to occur than any other.
	Building a better way to supply energy It wasn't a natural disaster or high demand that caused an electrical blackout in the northeastern United States in summer 2003. A high-voltage power line in Ohio brushed against overgrown trees, causing it to shut down, and touching off a domino effect of disabled lines.
	In our Wi-Fi world, the internet still depends on undersea cables Recently a New York Times article on Russian submarine activity near undersea communications cables dredged up Cold War politics and generated widespread recognition of the submerged systems we all depend upon.
	Humans can empathize with robots Empathy is a basic human ability. We often feel empathy toward and console others in distress. Is it possible for us to emphasize with humanoid robots? Since robots are becoming increasingly popular and common in our daily lives, it is necessary to understand our interaction with robots in social situations.
Facebook wants to tap robot brains to do your bidding Facebook is studying the ancient Chinese game of Go for insights as it works on building an artificial brain—one that it hopes to turn into a virtual personal assistant that can also sort through a mountain of photos, videos and comments posted by its next billion or so users.
	Japan's lofty 'hydrogen society' vision hampered by cost Japan has lofty ambitions to become a "hydrogen society" where homes and fuel-cell cars are powered by the emissions-free energy source, but observers say price and convenience are keeping the plan from taking off.
Google will let artificial intelligence reply to your email Google is putting a different twist on the concept of "automated reply" with a new tool that aims to write artificially intelligent responses to your email.
National survey of Americans' health app use shows technology's promise and weakness Like the treadmills and stationary bikes that become rec room coatracks, fitness and other health-related smartphone apps are acquired in large numbers by Americans, but over time, many are left unused by those who download them.
Twitter trades stars for hearts, favorites for likes Twitter on Tuesday retired its star button that users click to "favorite" a post and replaced it with a heart which is meant to symbolize a "like."
	Amazon opens first physical bookstore US online giant Amazon, which has led the bookselling industry's shift to the Internet, opens its first physical bookstore on Tuesday.
	Digital titans fail on privacy, data protection, survey says The world's biggest Internet and telecom companies are falling short in protecting privacy and online freedom of expression, a study released Tuesday showed.
	Distilling success: Google turns old Polish vodka factory into tech startup centre Google will open a "campus" for business startups in a renovated vodka distillery in the Polish capital Warsaw later this month, making it one of a handful of these tech hubs the global IT giant has created worldwide.
The new wave in wireless communication While cat videos, memes and the various other clips and images shared via the Internet provide endless hours of viewing pleasure, they are creating a stress on conventional wireless networks. They produce a huge demand for wireless capacity that cannot be satisfied simply with increases to the existing spectrum.
	Germany's VW: New C02 problems with 800,000 vehicles Germany's Volkswagen, already reeling from the fallout of cheating on U.S. emissions tests for nitrogen oxide, said Tuesday that an internal investigation has revealed "unexplained inconsistencies" in the carbon dioxide emissions from 800,000 of its vehicles—a development it said could cost the company another 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion).
	Microsoft gets stingy with free online storage Microsoft is getting stingy with online storage. The company just cut the free space it offers through its OneDrive service by two-thirds, making it the second major company to retreat from a consumer cloud-storage boom that tempted users with price cuts and ever-larger free offers.
El Faro one of many disasters that challenged investigators The discovery of the missing freighter El Faro in more than 15,000-feet of water presents a challenge for U.S. Navy crews seeking to retrieve the ship's voyage data recorder, or "black box," and other evidence that could help piece together what happened. A remotely operated vehicle is being used to search the wreckage for the black box and any remains. Here are some other sea disasters that presented a difficult job for investigators trying to recover evidence in a harsh environment.
Univ. of Washington faculty study legal, social complexities of augmented reality Augmented reality is the enhancement of human perception through overlaying technologies that can expand, annotate and even record the user's moment-to-moment experience.
Electrical engineer's work may signal better wireless connections To find methods that can improve wireless communication, UT Dallas electrical engineering professor Dr. Aria Nosratinia is investigating the technology that keeps us connected.
	Green fermentation process from waste feedstock to high value chemicals Researchers in Hong Kong have developed a novel anaerobic undefined mixed culture fermentation process to produce high value chemicals from glycerol and volatile fatty acids in waste water.
	Activision gets mobile with $5.9B bid for King Entertainment Activision Blizzard will pay $5.9 billion to buy Candy Crush maker King Digital Entertainment, combining a console gaming power with an established player in the fast-growing mobile gaming field.
	Millenials-aimed Vice adds TV channel to global video lineup Vice Media is adding a U.S. cable channel to its digital video empire as it tries to gain viewers in old as well as new media.

Medicine & Health news

	Study results suggest genetics play a role in later life cerebral cortex thickness A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Norway and the U.S. has found that genetics appears to play a role in how thick the cerebral cortex is for people as they grow older. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study of over a thousand MRI brain scans of people between the ages of 4 to 88 and what they learned as a result.
	Updated version of ROSI technique results in birth of 14 babies A team of researchers in Japan has developed an updated form of round spermatid injection (ROSI) and has used it to help 12 men considered to be infertile, produce 14 children. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes how they improved the technique and why they believe it should be a viable option as a last resort for some men considered to be infertile.
	Vitiligo can mask symptoms of acanthosis nigricans (HealthDay)—Vitiligo can mask symptoms of acanthosis nigricans (AN), according to a case report published in the November issue of the International Journal of Dermatology.
	Smoking more common in films produced outside of Hollywood Films made in countries outside of the US are more likely to show characters smoking on screen than those produced in Hollywood, reports a paper published today in the open access journal BMC Public Health. The authors recommend that countries prohibit tobacco use in films that receive government subsidies.
	Working on your tot's memory now can help his high school success Preschoolers who score lower on a working memory task are likely to score higher on a dropout risk scale at the age of 13, researchers at Université Sainte-Anne and the University of Montreal revealed today. "Dropout risk is calculated from student engagement in school, their grade point average, and whether or not they previously repeated a year in school. Previous research has confirmed that this scale can successfully identify which 12 year olds will fail to complete high school by the age of 21," explained Caroline Fitzpatrick, who led the study as first author. "These findings underscore the importance of early intervention," added Linda Pagani, co-senior author. "Parents are able to help their children develop strong working memory skills in the home and this can have a positive impact."
Different types of ovarian cancer have different causes THE more children a woman has or whether a woman has had her fallopian tubes cut lowers the risk of different types of ovarian cancer to different levels, according to new research presented at the 2015 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference today (Tuesday).
Scientists discover how to better map brain tumors Scientists have discovered a protein that helps map the edge of brain tumours more clearly so they show up on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, according to new research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool today.
'Super-agers' study may reveal secrets to staying young Mary Helen Abbott, 77, paints her lips bright pink, still smokes the occasional cigarette, keeps up on all the gossip at the retirement home and wears a short skirt to fitness class.
	Study finds ballet training may improve balance and coordination in daily activities A ballet dancer's grace is not just because the dancer constantly practices moving with poise. New research published in the Journal of Neurophysiology reports that professional ballet dancers' years of physical training have enabled their nervous systems to coordinate their muscles when they move more precisely than individuals who have no dance training.
	Detecting arthritis with light Joint inflammation (arthritis) is a common problem in medical practice and can be due to a variety of causes. Many types of inflammatory disorders affecting the joints belong to the diverse group of rheumatic diseases. The most common ones are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis which frequently affect the joints of the hands. These joint diseases are chronic in nature and cannot be cured yet. However, an early diagnosis and thus early medical treatment tremendously improves long-term outcome. That is why experts working on the EC-funded project IACOBUS led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT are developing a finger scanner which in the future will allow arthritis of the hands to be diagnosed at a very early stage. The team will be presenting a prototype of the new technology at the MEDICA trade fair in Düsseldorf from November 16 - 19 (Hall 10, Booth G05).
	Fighting head lice effectively with plasma Once head lice have attached themselves to hair follicles, they can deftly evade detection and are therefore hard to kill. Infestations of these bloodsucking parasites are commonly dealt with using chemicals and a specialized nit comb. Fraunhofer researchers are developing a technological comb that can reliably eliminate head lice using plasma with no biocide agents or chemicals. They will present a working prototype at the MEDICA exhibition (Hall 10, Booth G05) in Düsseldorf.
Healthy menu items for kids are a hit, research finds Imagine a kids' menu with no French fries or soda that offers healthy entrees with side dishes like salads and strawberries.
	Researchers create transplantation model for 3-D printed constructs Using sugar, silicone and a 3-D printer, a team of bioengineers at Rice University and surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania have created an implant with an intricate network of blood vessels that points toward a future of growing replacement tissues and organs for transplantation.
	Taking tough decisions hurts fundraisers' morality, study suggests Fundraisers' sense of themselves as moral individuals is damaged by having to make the difficult ethical decisions they encounter every day in their jobs, new research has revealed.
	Brain training improves memory and performance of everyday tasks in older people Playing online games that challenge reasoning and memory skills – brain training - could have significant benefits for older people in their day to day lives, according to a new study published today (3 Nov) in JAMDA.
	New clinical guidelines and public awareness campaign slash diagnosis time for children's brain tumours The UK's performance on diagnosing brain tumours in children and young people has been transformed by new clinical guidelines and a national awareness campaign—taking it from one of the worst ranking countries in the world to one of the best.
	Living alone can dent healthy diets People who live alone are more likely to have unhealthy diets lacking key foods, QUT research has found.
	The hepatitis A virus is of animal origin The hepatitis A virus can trigger acute liver inflammation which generally has a mild course in small children but which can become dangerous in adults. The virus, which is found worldwide, has previously been considered to be a purely human pathogen which at most is found in isolated cases in non-human primates. An international team of researchers under the direction of the University of Bonn has now discovered in a large-scale study with nearly 16,000 specimens from small mammals from various continents that the hepatitis A virus – like HIV or Ebola as well – is of likely animal origin. The results currently appear in the renowned journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America" (PNAS).
	Singapore research findings on breast cancer hold potential for new treatments Scientists at the Bioinformatics Institute (BII) and Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), research institutes under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), have made discoveries that could lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating breast cancer. The scientists from both institutes used large-scale genomic data of breast cancers, demonstrating the use of computational techniques to increase understanding of diseases and improve patient treatments.
	Cancer-like forms of parasites may lead to new approaches to curing diseases A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that some forms of the single celled parasites, Trypanosoma brucei and Toxoplasma gondii behave like cancer cells.
	Study finds EEG biomarker to predict seizure onset in tuberous sclerosis patients A multicenter study led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham has found a biomarker identified via electroencephalography, or EEG, that is 100 percent predictive for seizures in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex. TSC is a genetic disorder that causes nonmalignant tumors to form in many different organs, primarily in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs. The study is published online in Pediatric Neurology.
New genetic risk marker for late-life depression One of the most powerful predictors in neuropsychiatry is the epsilon 4 (ε4) allele of the apolipoprotein gene (APOE).
Muscle loss linked with falls and fractures in elderly Older people with an age-related loss of muscle mass and strength may be at greater risk of falling and bone fractures, according to new research led by the University of Southampton.
	How older people can use the internet to avoid loneliness Placing someone in solitary confinement is usually seen as our most extreme forms of legally sanctioned punishment. And with good reason. Research suggests that loneliness can be as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, because strong relationships reduce stress and encourage us to take better care of ourselves. As primate expert Frans de Waal put it: "Our bodies and minds are not designed for lonely lives. We become hopelessly depressed in the absence of human company and our health deteriorates."
	Eleven body fluids we couldn't live without How is a human being like a fish?
	Study of half a million people reveals sex and job predict how many autistic traits you have Measuring autistic traits in just under half a million people reveals that your sex, and whether you work in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) job, predict how many autistic traits you have, according to new research published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Large-scale study on Lumos Labs' online cognitive assessment published in Frontiers in Psychology Lumos Labs, the makers of Lumosity, today announced the publication regarding its NeuroCognitive Performance Test (NCPT), a brief, repeatable, web-based cognitive assessment platform. Neuropsychological assessments are designed to measure cognitive functions in both healthy and clinical populations and are used for research studies, clinical diagnoses, patient outcomes, and intervention monitoring. The study, titled "Reliability and validity of the NeuroCognitive Performance Test, a web-based neuropsychological assessment," was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Frontiers in Psychology on November 3, 2015, and discusses the reliability and validity of the NCPT battery as a measure of cognitive performance.
Early hospitalization key to survival for Ebola victims A retrospective study of Ebola epidemics in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) suggested that each day of delay in hospital admittance was associated with an 11% increased risk of death for Ebola patients during epidemics.
Teens spend an average of 9 hours a day with media Teenagers spend nearly nine hours a day absorbing media and despite all the new options, music and television remain the favorites.
	New study reveals how specialized cells help each other survive during times of stress Nov. 3, 2015 - A team led by scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the University of Pittsburgh has shown for the first time how one set of specialized cells survives under stress by manipulating the behavior of key immune system cells.
Scientists say Alzheimer's is probably a collection of diseases that should be classified and treated separately Deciphering the mechanism that underlies the development of Alzheimer's disease in certain families but not in others, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Faculty of Medicine have proposed that the malady is actually a collection of diseases that probably should be treated with a variety of different approaches.
	Uptake mechanisms of cytostatics discovered Scientists at the MaxDelbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) and the Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) in Berlin, in cooperation with a Dutch group, have now succeeded in showing that the volume-regulated anion channel VRAC is 50 % responsible for active substance uptake. If one of the VRAC subunits LRRC8A or LRRC8D is down-regulated, cells take up considerably less of the anti-cancer drug. In addition to this finding, programmed cell death or apoptosis is also significantly disturbed when LRRC8A is missing. The researchers have thus identified a potential cause for therapy resistance. The new findings have just appeared in the specialist magazine the EMBO Journal and hold high clinical relevance.
	Video: The science of the perfect grilled cheese sandwich There's nothing like a gooey, melty, delicious grilled cheese sandwich. But with hundreds of varieties of cheese, how can you make the perfect one? Chemistry to the rescue! This week's Reactions looks at the chemistry of cheese and offers tips on making the absolutely perfect grilled snack.
	Blood stem cell self-renewal dependent on surroundings Stem cells have two important capabilities: they can develop into a wide range of cell types and simultaneously renew themselves, creating fresh stem cells. Using a model of the blood forming (hematopoietic) system, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now been able to precisely determine, which signaling pathways play an essential role in the self-renewal of blood stem cells. A particularly decisive role in this process is the interactive communication with surrounding tissue cells in the bone marrow.
	Righting a wrong? Right side of brain can compensate for post-stroke loss of speech After a debate that has lasted more than 130 years, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have found that loss of speech from a stroke in the left hemisphere of the brain can be recovered on the back, right side of the brain. This contradicts recent notions that the right hemisphere interferes with recovery.
	Cancer-associated mutations are common in patients with unexplained low blood counts Patients with unexplained low blood counts and abnormally mutated cells who do not fit the diagnostic criteria for recognized blood cancers should be described as having clonal cytopenias of undetermined significance (CCUS), suggest University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers in a recent paper published in the journal Blood. The researchers found the condition surprisingly common in older patients with low blood counts.
Simple test predicts response to chemotherapy in lung cancer patients November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, highlighting the number one cause of cancer-related death in North America. While prognosis for the most common form, adenocarcinoma, has remained poor, new research has shown a link between the absence of a specific protein and improved patient outcomes.
Standing and exercise linked to lower odds of obesity Standing for at least one-quarter of the day has been linked to lower odds of obesity in a new study led by the American Cancer Society in collaboration with The Cooper Institute, the University of Texas, and the University of Georgia. The study appears in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Study suggests potential connection between low blood sugar and cardiovascular problems Past studies have shown an association between strict control of blood sugar and increased mortality. These studies have also suggested that a consequence of this strict control is low blood sugar (called hypoglycemia), which may have adverse effects on the heart.
J&J, ViiV: 2 injections every month or 2 could control HIV Preliminary testing of two long-acting injectable drugs indicates it might be possible to keep HIV at bay indefinitely with injections every month or two.
Scientists find potential target for dry AMD Scientists have good news for patients who suffer from currently untreatable dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). In a new study, researchers identified a potential target for future therapies to slow the progression of the blinding condition. Published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS), the findings indicate that treatments currently used for other conditions could also work for dry AMD.
Increase seen in prescription drug use in US Between 1999-2012, overall prescription drug use increased among U.S. adults, with this increase seen for the majority of but not all drug classes, according to a study in the November 3 issue of JAMA.
	New studies question the treatment of female infertility with stem cells It has been claimed that a treatment for female infertility will be available by stem cell therapy. But a new study by Swedish researchers from the University of Gothenburg and Karolinska Institutet published in Nature Medicine questions whether new egg cells can be produced using stem cells.
Baffling lab mystery leads to potential new anemia treatment A bizarre result of a routine lab experiment has led researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine to an unexpected new way to trigger the production of red blood cells. This could represent a significant step forward in the battle against anemia, benefitting people with diabetes, people with kidney disease or cancer, and older people for whom anemia can become a chronic problem.
	Only 1 in 5 US pancreatic cancer patients get this key blood test at diagnosis Only 1 in 5 U.S. pancreatic cancer patients receive a widely available, inexpensive blood test at diagnosis that can help predict whether they are likely to have a better or worse outcome than average and guide treatment accordingly, a Mayo Clinic study shows. People who test positive for elevated levels of a particular tumor marker tend to do worse than others, but if they are candidates for surgery and have chemotherapy before their operations, this personalized treatment sequence eliminates the elevated biomarker's negative effect, researchers found.
Anti-HIV drug for adults is safe, effective in children exposed to nevirapine in the womb HIV-infected children exposed in the womb to nevirapine, a drug used to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, can safely and effectively transition to efavirenz, a similar drug recommended for older children and adults, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Rural-to-urban migration associated with negative environmental effects in Chinese cities Over the past three decades, China has seen a significant migration of its population from rural areas to cities. During the same time period, poor air quality and other environmental problems in urban China have gained increased attention. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found a strong correlation between the influx of labor migrants from rural to urban areas and negative environmental effects on those destination cities. Hua Qin, an assistant professor of rural sociology and sustainable development at MU, says this study could apply to other developing countries and could help shape public policy regarding population movement and distribution.
Pertussis infection in children associated with small increased risk of epilepsy Although the absolute risk was low, researchers found an increased risk of childhood-onset epilepsy among children in Denmark who had a hospital-diagnosed pertussis infection, compared with the general population, according to a study in the November 3 issue of JAMA.
Study examines bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics used to treat gonorrhea Although gonorrhea susceptibility to the antibiotic cefixime has been improving in recent years, suggesting a halt of a drift towards antibiotic resistance, data for 2014 indicates a worsening of susceptibility, according to a study in the November 3 issue of JAMA.
Endovascular intervention compared to standard treatment for stroke In a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, an endovascular intervention (such as use of a very small catheter to remove a blood clot) compared to standard medical care (administration of a clot dissolving agent) was associated with improved functional outcomes and higher rates of functional independence at 90 days, but no significant difference in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) or all-cause mortality, according to a study in the November 3 issue of JAMA.
Anti-vaccination websites use 'science' and stories to support claims, study finds A content analysis of nearly 500 anti-vaccination websites found that over two-thirds used what they represented as scientific evidence to support the idea that vaccines are dangerous and nearly one-third contained anecdotes that reinforced the perception.
Links found between hunger and health It may come as a surprise that, even after the Great Recession ended in 2009, almost 50 million people in the United States are food insecure—that is, they lack access to adequate food because of limited money or other resources. University of Illinois economist Craig Gundersen and University of Kentucky's James Ziliak examined recent research on food insecurity and its association with poor health and offer suggestions, including that doctors screen for hunger.
Endurance expert: Drugs could help 'lazy' people exercise Endurance expert suggests drugs could help 'lazy people' exerciseIn what has been described as 'doping for lazy people' a University of Kent endurance expert has advocated the use of psychoactive drugs to encourage sedentary people to exercise.
American College of Cardiology releases hospital performance data Heart disease patients and their caregivers can now search for in-depth data about their local hospitals and make informed decisions about their care through the American College of Cardiology's public reporting program. The first data release includes information about hospitals' performance in prescribing appropriate medication at hospital discharge.
Being moody may help us adapt to change It's long been known that mood biases our judgments and perceptions, but this effect has usually been regarded as irrational or disadvantageous. A new theory published November 3 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences argues that mood draws on experiences and can, in fact, help us quickly adapt to changes in our environment. For example, experiencing unexpected gains on the stock market should improve a trader's mood. That positive mood may then cause the trader to take more risks, essentially helping her adapt more quickly to a market that is generally on the rise.
	Benefits, harms of HTN drugs should be considered for elderly (HealthDay)—For elderly patients with hypertension, the benefits and risks associated with use of antihypertensive medications should be carefully considered, according to a review published online Oct. 26 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
	Stem/Progenitor cells can predict wound healing (HealthDay)—Stem/progenitor cell (SPC) assays can predict wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), according to a study published online Oct. 20 in Diabetes.
	H. pylori triple therapy linked to erythema multiforme (HealthDay)—Triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori can cause erythema multiforme, according to a case study published online Oct. 28 in The Journal of Dermatology.
	Age at menopause, hormone therapy linked to BCC risk (HealthDay)—Late age at natural menopause and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) use are associated with increased risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), according to a study published online Nov. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Negligible impact of anesthetists on post-cardiac surgery mortality (HealthDay)—Anesthetists make a negligible contribution to post-cardiac surgery mortality, according to a study published online Oct. 28 in Anaesthesia.
	Chronic PPI exposure tied to hyperparathyroidism in elderly (HealthDay)—Chronic proton pump inhibitor (PPI) exposure is associated with mild hyperparathyroidism in elderly adults, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
A-plus potatoes may lead to more nutritious cassava crops The humble potato has potential to become an important source of beta-carotene and may lead to more nutritious cassava crops in developing countries, thanks to newly patented research from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI).
	How depressive thoughts persevere, interfere with memory in people with depression Intrusive, enduring, depressive thoughts are an ever-present part of daily life for people with depression. A first of its kind study from the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas published earlier this year in the Journal of Affective Disorders shows that depressive thoughts are maintained for longer periods of time for people with depressed mood, and this extended duration may reduce the amount of information that these individuals can hold in their memory. The findings have far-reaching implications for understanding how depression damages memory, as well as how depression develops and persists over the course of an individual's lifetime.
Guidelines first to focus on children with pulmonary hypertension For the first time, guidelines have been developed for children with pulmonary hypertension, a sometimes fatal heart and lung disease that affects nearly two of every 1,000 babies born each year. The joint American Heart Association/American Thoracic Society guidelines are published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
	CDC: More food poisoning outbreaks cross state lines The government is reporting an increase in food poisoning outbreaks that span multiple states, like the one that this week prompted Chipotle to close 43 of its restaurants in the Pacific Northwest.
'Concussion' doctor aiding marijuana-based research company The doctor portrayed in the upcoming football movie "Concussion" is on the board of a company looking for a marijuana-based treatment for head injuries.
Teen tobacco dependence should be treated with 'same urgency as other drugs,' study says Substance abuse treatments that target main issues such as serious drug and alcohol addiction are not frequently being used to also wean adolescents from tobacco, a University of Georgia study finds.
Brain's hippocampus is essential structure for all aspects of recognition memory The hippocampus, a brain structure known to play a role in memory and spatial navigation, is essential to one's ability to recognize previously encountered events, objects, or people - a phenomenon known as recognition memory - according to new research from the departments of Neurosurgery and Psychology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their work is published in PNAS.
Ways to help elderly parents maintain psychological prowess As your parents age, their risk of loss of independence and physical health problems increases while their potential quality of life decreases, all as a result of decreased psychological prowess. Some changes in psychological prowess can be noticed as early as age 60. The University of Alabama's Dr. Justin White offers tips on how you can encourage your aging parent and help them remain cognitively sharp.
India is training 'quacks' to do real medicine. This is why Aditya Bandopadhyay has treated the sick for more than twenty years. He works in the village of Salbadra, in the state of West Bengal, India. He has no degree in medicine.
	How to reduce soldiers' lower limb injuries Massey University and the New Zealand Defence Force are carrying out research to determine what causes the high number of lower limb injuries in army soldiers.
	Outcomes from paediatric intensive care remain good despite poor staffing ratios Mortality rates in children's intensive care units across the country remain very low, despite only 15% of them meeting recommended nurse staffing levels.
Glaxo plans up to 20 new drug applications in near term GlaxoSmithKline could seek regulatory approval for up to 20 new medicines before 2020 and some could hit the market by then, enabling it to boost revenue rather than just compensate for declining sales of its older drugs.
Persistent clusters sustain Netherlands HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men The resurgent HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Netherlands is driven by several large, persistent, self-sustaining, and, in many cases, growing sub-epidemics shifting towards new generations of MSM, according to new research published this week in PLOS Medicine by Daniela Bezemer from HIV Monitoring Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Anne Cori from Imperial College London, UK, and colleagues.
	Medicare to cover advance care planning for older americans (HealthDay)—On Friday, Medicare announced that it will begin reimbursing doctors who work with patients to plan end-of-life care.
	Development of a surgically implantable, artificial kidney Development of a surgically implantable, artificial kidney—a promising alternative to kidney transplantation or dialysis for people with end-stage kidney disease—has received a $6 million boost, thanks to a new grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), one of the National Institutes of Health, to researchers led by UC San Francisco bioengineer Shuvo Roy, PhD, and Vanderbilt University nephrologist William Fissell, MD.
	Obama administration defends troubled health care co-ops The Obama administration defended the health care law's struggling insurance co-ops Tuesday, suggesting to Congress that cutbacks demanded by lawmakers themselves put added pressure on an altruistic alternative to mega-insurers.
	Things to know about the E. coli outbreak tied to Chipotle Chipotle closed 43 of its Pacific Northwest locations in response to an E. coli outbreak that health officials have connected to the Mexican food chain.

Biology news

	Researchers try to understand consequences of declining populations of large-bodied mammals Researchers at the University of New Mexico, in a collaboration with other scientists, have demonstrated that the extinction of mammoths, mastodons, camels and other large-bodied mammals in the Americas some 13,000 years ago changed the way that ecosystems were structured.
	New force sensing method reveals how cells sense tissue stiffness Just as we can feel whether we are lying on a soft blanket or hard rocks, our cells sense whether they are in a soft or rigid mechanical environment. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying cells' ability to detect tissue stiffness are largely unknown. Mechanical forces acting across individual molecules in cells are extremely small and cannot be measured by conventional methods. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried have now developed a new technique to quantify forces of only a few piconewton in cells. As a result, the researchers were able to identify the central mechanism that allows cells to sense the rigidity of their environment.
New test for ancient DNA authenticity throws doubt on Stone Age wheat trade A DNA sample thought to show prehistoric trade in cereals is most likely from modern wheat, according to new research led by the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology.
New research demands rethink on Darwin's theory of 'fecundity selection' A key concept in Darwin's theory of evolution which suggests nature favours larger females that can produce greater numbers of off-spring must be redefined according to scientists behind ground-breaking research published today (3rd November 2015).
	'Magic' plant discovery could lead to growing food in space QUT scientists have discovered the gene that will open the door for space-based food production.
	Researcher develops a painter's palette of winter-hardy hibiscus colors Like an artist using the paint on a palette, Dr. Dariusz Malinowski is mixing pollen to create a flowering masterpiece in the form of tropically colored winter-hardy hibiscus.
	Scientists discover secret to highly efficient swimming in some animals, such as jellyfish Previous studies have shown that jellyfish and eels can move using very low amounts of energy that would make a Toyota Prius jealous. In fact, these ocean denizens can go from point A to point B using less energy than any other swimmer, runner or flier ever measured. However the secret behind such amazing energetic efficiency has remained a mystery, until now.
	Lipid helps keep algae and brain fluid moving The same lipid that helps algae swim toward the light also appears to enable one type of brain cell to keep cerebrospinal fluid moving, researchers report.
	Wing structure helps female monarch butterflies outperform males in flight Evidence has been mounting that female monarch butterflies are better at flying and more successful at migration than males, and researchers from the University of Georgia have now come up with an explanation—but not one they expected.
	Japanese scientist stripped of doctorate over stem cell scandal A Japanese university has revoked a doctoral degree awarded to a young researcher embroiled in a scandal that has rocked the scientific establishment.
	New dual-purpose bioenergy, forage crop set for release by AgriLife Research next year A downturn in the bioenergy industry has led one Texas A&M AgriLife Researcher to reach to new heights in the forage biomass arena.
	How to feed a racehorse and keep him healthy As we celebrate the Melbourne Cup today with our drinks and nibbles, it's worth a passing glance at the way we nourish our champions of the turf.
	San Diego's kelp forests are teeming with life Below the San Diego coastline's pristine horizon lies a parallel world more akin to an ethereal rain forest than the sun-soaked scenery above. The region's underwater kelp forests are home to an incredibly diverse population of sea lions, fish, sharks, invertebrates and countless marine microbes, as well as—on a temporary basis—divers from San Diego State University studying this otherworldly environment.
	Playing hide and seek below the soil Below the soil of a diverse grassland area you'll find a jungle of plant roots. It is also home to a wide variety of bacteria and fungi, of which some are pathogenic and looking for a host in the tangle of roots. It appears that this is much more difficult when there is a larger diversity of plants as the host plant is more able to hide among the varied crowd. Greater plant diversity therefore results in fewer diseased plants and more productivity. Personal professor in Plant Ecology Liesje Mommer will be using a VIDI subsidy to look into the mechanisms behind this phenomenon.
	California's fish populations are declining The California Current is home to many marine animals, including marine fishes, which are the most diverse vertebrates on Earth and critical to marine ecology. Two fishery-independent data sets reveal strikingly similar trends of wide-ranging declines in fish populations in the California Current.
	Oil-based pesticides most effective at killing contents of brown widow spider egg sacs Researchers at the University of California, Riverside might have found a breakthrough in the spider-control field. In a paper published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, the researchers wrote that oil-based pesticides are more effective than water-based pesticides at killing the contents of brown widow spider egg sacs.
	Restoration project recreates variation in the Vindel River Vindel River LIFE is an EU project aimed at restoring tributaries in northern Sweden that were affected by a century-long timber-floating era. The project spanned over nearly six years and came to an end on 31 October 2015.
Grant establishes center for 3-D structure and physics of the genome at UMMS The University of Massachusetts Medical School has been awarded a five-year, $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Medicine Common Fund to establish the Center for 3-D Structure and Physics of the Genome. The center is part of the NIH's 4-D Nucleome Program, an interdisciplinary effort comprising 29 research teams across the country with the goal of mapping the three-dimensional architecture of the human genome and how this organization changes over time—the fourth dimension. The goal is to understand how 3-D genome structure influences gene expression, cellular function, development and disease. In total, UMMS received three grants for as much as $18.7 million as part the multiyear effort.
	New method reveals female biased green sea turtle sex ratio in San Diego Bay Scientists have for the first time determined the ratio of males to females in a wild foraging group of green turtles in the Eastern Pacific, which suggests that sea turtles may be vulnerable to feminization from the temperature rises expected with climate change. The sex of sea turtles is determined by incubation temperatures on the nesting beaches, with warmer sand temperatures producing more females. Research published recently in the journal PLOS ONE focused on the San Diego Bay aggregation of green turtles (Chelonia mydas), a threatened species that has been studied for more than 25 years, and scientists found that the sex ratio leans heavily toward females.
	Fighting citrus greening with vibrating orange groves When a male Asian Citrus Psyllid is looking for a mate, he situates himself on a twig, buzzes his wings to send vibrations along adjacent leaves and branches, and listens for a female's response call. If the call comes, he travels in her direction, the abbreviated insect version of courtship ensues, and two to seven weeks later, scores of psyllids nymphs emerge from their eggs, feed on phloem sap, and mature into adults who head out into the world, ravaging untold numbers of citrus trees in the process.
	Crocodiles starve after US freezes elite Honduras family's assets More than 10,000 crocodiles are starving to death on a farm in Honduras after the wealthy family owning them had their assets frozen because of US accusations they laundered money for drug traffickers.
	EU looks into reports of fake fish labeling in Brussels The European Union is looking into reports that cheap seafood is often mislabeled as choice fish in some of the Belgian capital's fine restaurants and even in EU cafeterias.
	Some South China Sea fish 'close to extinction' Experts said Tuesday that some fish species are close to extinction in the South China Sea due to over-fishing fuelled by a growing appetite for seafood.

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