Science X Newsletter Friday, Dec 4

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 4, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Student discovers stellar chamaeleon that had the astronomers fooled for years
- Shaking bosons into fermions
- Scientists develop 'Shazam for earthquakes'
- Study undercuts idea that 'medieval warm period' was global
- Neuroscientists now can read the mind of a fly
- Nanoscale drawbridges open path to color displays
- Brain activity reveals how detecting violations of social norms varies between cultures
- Young lithium-rich giant star discovered
- New Horizons returns first of the best images of Pluto
- Holometer rules out first theory of space-time correlations
- The science of aging
- A new technique to gauge the distant universe
- Marine debris travels far
- ALMA spots monstrous baby galaxies cradled in dark matter
- Italy's Etna in most dramatic eruption in 20 years

Astronomy & Space news

	Student discovers stellar chamaeleon that had the astronomers fooled for years It is the brightest infrared star in the Northern sky, but a University of Sydney student has found that astronomers have been mistakenly interpreting the dust in the environment of a famous star that lies 450 light years from Earth.
	Young lithium-rich giant star discovered (Phys.org)—An Argentinian team of astronomers from the Astronomical Observatory of Córdoba has announced the finding of a new exceptional young lithium-rich giant star, designated KIC 9821622. Using the data obtained with the high-resolution GRACES spectrograph at the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, the scientists were able to determine the chemical abundances of 23 elements of this star as well as reveal its mass, radius, and age. The results appear in the December issue of the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.
	New Horizons returns first of the best images of Pluto NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has sent back the first in a series of the sharpest views of Pluto it obtained during its July flyby – and the best close-ups of Pluto that humans may see for decades.
	Mars mission team addressing vacuum leak on key science instrument A key science instrument that will be carried aboard NASA's Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) spacecraft being prepared for launch in March 2016 is experiencing a leak in the vacuum container carrying its main sensors. The sensors are part of an instrument called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS), which is provided by the French Space Agency (CNES).
	LRO finds Apollo 16 booster rocket impact site After decades of uncertainty, the Apollo 16 S-IVB impact site on the lunar surface has been identified. S-IVBs were portions of the Saturn V rockets that brought astronauts to the moon. The site was identified in imagery from the high-resolution LROC Narrow Angle Camera aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
	A new technique to gauge the distant universe Scientists have developed a technique to use quasars – powerful sources driven by supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies – to study the universe's history and composition. To demonstrate the new method, based on a relation between a quasar's luminosity at X-ray and ultraviolet wavelengths, they made extensive use of data from ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory. This approach promises to become an important tool to constrain the properties of our universe.
	ALMA spots monstrous baby galaxies cradled in dark matter Astronomers discovered a nest of monstrous baby galaxies 11.5 billion light-years away using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The young galaxies seem to reside at the junction of gigantic filaments in a web of dark matter. These findings are important for understanding how monstrous galaxies like these are formed and how they evolve in to huge elliptical galaxies.
	Rotational movies of Pluto and Charon: It's show time It's amazing that we've come such a long way in our exploration of the Pluto system, and it's only been five months since the close flyby of New Horizons. From the exceptionally young ice-covered plain informally named Tombaugh Regio on Pluto to the deep canyons cut into Charon, the terrains we're seeing are just amazing. Everyone, from the mission scientists to the general public, seems to be having a field day coming up with pet theories and comparisons with other places in our solar system to explain the alien Pluto system worlds we're seeing.
	Bad weather postpones Orbital cargo launch Rainy weather and thick clouds over Florida on Thursday forced Orbital ATK to postpone the planned launch of its Cygnus cargo craft toward the International Space Station, NASA said.
	NASA: Leak in French instrument may stall next Mars mission A NASA spacecraft that's supposed to fly to Mars and land on the red planet next year has a leak that could delay the mission.
	British astronaut to run a marathon in space A British astronaut will attempt to run a digital version of the London Marathon in space, as part of his 173-day mission to the International Space Station.
	More lousy weather as NASA tries for space station delivery For the second day in a row, foul weather threatens to stall a critical space station delivery for NASA.
	Should we go to Mars or back to the moon? When humans finally blast off for another world, where will we be going? Will we return to the moon, and take over where the Apollo astronauts left off, or will we press onto Mars, and set foot on a whole new planet?
Letter to Mars? Royal Mail works it out for British boy, 5 Britain's Royal Mail has turned to NASA for help after a five-year-old boy wrote in asking how much it would cost to post a letter to Mars.
	MinXSS CubeSat launches to ISS to study Sun's soft X-rays On Dec. 4, the bread loaf-sized Miniature X-Ray Solar Spectrometer, or MinXSS, CubeSat is scheduled to rocket to space alongside thousands of pounds of supplies and science experiments destined for the International Space Station. MinXSS will study the spectroscopy of soft x-rays, a particular type of light from the sun. This light is highly variable and can impact Earth's upper atmosphere, which can in turn affect communications such as GPS and radio.

Technology news

	World's first washable smartphone to debut in Japan Tired of those unsightly smudges and other dirt on your bacteria-laden smartphone?
	Dream of being a bird? Flight simulator can bring you close With a few flaps of his arms, Kip Fenton soared into the New York City skyline, veering around a sea of skyscrapers as the wind whistled in his ears.
	Team in South Korea focusing on tech to display color 3D hologram IT watchers in South Korea report that a team from the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) developed 360° 3D hologram imaging technology. Their color 3D holograms are special in that you don't need headsets to see them.
	UTA research could help transportation agencies determine best toll price The use of managed lanes could help traffic move more efficiently on North Texas highways if researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington can determine a toll price that will encourage use without increasing congestion.
	Samsung execs investigated for possible insider trading South Korea's financial regulator said Friday it is investigating possible insider trading by Samsung executives related to a contentious takeover deal.
	Nuclear power as panacea for climate change? Experts divided As delegates at a Paris summit haggle over how to curb global warming, the role of nuclear energy in limiting climate-changing emissions is the subject of fierce debate between champions and critics of atomic power.
	Anonymous leaks personal data hacked from UN climate site The United Nations confirmed Thursday reports that activist group Anonymous leaked personal data from some 1,400 people using its climate website, as the world gathered in Paris to craft a climate rescue pact.
	Fight over net neutrality rules returns to appeals court A long-running legal battle over government rules that require Internet providers to treat all Web traffic equally is back for another round before a federal appeals court.
	Volkswagen car sales down 20 percent in UK after scandal Volkswagen car sales in Britain dropped by almost 20 percent in November compared with a year earlier as the company's emissions testing scandal began to take a toll.
	Brazil pins renewable energy hopes on second generation ethanol Brazil thinks it has the sweet solution to ridding the world of reliance on fossil fuels for cars and other vehicles: sugar cane ethanol 2.0.
How California can boost biofuel production to cut pollution and help the economy California has not taken full advantage of opportunities to increase its in-state production of biofuel, despite state policies that encourage biofuel consumption, according to a report (PDF) by the Climate Change and Business Research Initiative at the UCLA and UC Berkeley law schools.
	Apple releases Swift programming language as open source Apple today announced that its Swift programming language is now open source. As an open source language, the broad community of talented developers—from app developers to educational institutions to enterprises—can contribute to new Swift features and optimizations and help bring Swift to new computing platforms. Introduced in 2014, Swift is the fastest growing programming language in history and combines the performance and efficiency of compiled languages with the simplicity and interactivity of popular scripting languages. Apple today also launched the Swift.org website with detailed information about Swift open source, including technical documentation, community resources and links to download the Swift source code.
The technology in science fiction is not always what we want in the real world Our expectations of technology in the real world are often fed by our perception of science fiction content. This is the case for children in particular.
	How we trace the hackers behind a cyber attack The Chinese military has been imputed for the recent cyber attack on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
	Playing tennis on a smart court Technis, an EPFL start-up, is bringing augmented reality to the tennis court. Their newly developed technology could be used for other sports in the future.
	The long quest for technology that understands speech as well as a human Sitting in his office overlooking downtown Bellevue, Washington, Microsoft's Fil Alleva is talking about the long and sometimes difficult road he and other speech recognition experts have taken from the early work of the 1970s to the situation he is in today, where he can turn to his computer and say, "Cortana, I want a pizza" and get results.
	Wrapping buildings in a layer of insulating liquid Large-area fluidic windows use a fluid contained in microchannels to harvest ambient heat and solar energy and manage heat exchange, thereby boosting energy efficiency.
	Porsche plans 1 bn euro electric car by 'end of decade' Porsche said Friday it was pumping in a billion euros to bring its first all electric car to market by "the end of the decade", as the German luxury sportscar giant joined the race for a slice of the green car market.
	US court clash on 'Open Internet' rules, version 3.0 Backers and opponents of "Open Internet" rules clashed Friday in a federal appeals court, in the third round of a battle on how US broadband providers may be regulated.
Building retrofits critical to Europe's low-carbon pathway New near-zero energy buildings are increasingly springing up around Europe, though their impact on reducing the region's energy consumption will remain a drop in the ocean without a drive to apply new technologies to existing building stock.
When public buildings get smart: New technologies and tailor-made solutions for users Cooling and heating public buildings remains an expensive and a mostly unresolved issue in Europe. According to the nonprofit think tank Buildings Performance Institute Europe, Spain has about 11.2 million square metres of public buildings that need to be retrofitted by 2020 if they are to comply with the E.U. criteria. And France, the U.K. and Italy have record areas of 22, 14 and 13.7 million square metres respectively.
	Research priorities revealed by marine renewable energy experts A consortium of marine experts from across higher education, research and industry has identified the research priorities and development needs required to speed up the progress of marine renewable energy technologies.
	Bio-aggregates sow the seeds for a revolution in building materials We may be on the cusp of a revolution in building materials thanks to bio-based aggregates. Straw, clay, wheat, grasses or other organic materials, when mixed with innovative binders, can offer lower embodied energy and improved energy efficiency – as well as greater comfort – compared with conventional building materials.
	Building sustainable and liveable cities A project backed by FP7 funding is designing, developing and validating a Platform for Decision Support that will allow city authorities and utilities to promote and choose the most suitable retrofitting actions for more sustainable and liveable cities.
	Smart windows with electrochromic film—almost ready for prime time EC film devices have been hampered in making the move from research to innovation by a number of technical and economic obstacles. EELICON aims to overcome these obstacles by removing equipment limitations, automating processes, and validating a possible high-throughput prototype production process for a cost-effective, high-performance EC film technology.

Medicine & Health news

	Neuroscientists now can read the mind of a fly Northwestern University neuroscientists now can read the mind of a fly. They have developed a clever new tool that lights up active conversations between neurons during a behavior or sensory experience, such as smelling a banana. Mapping the pattern of individual neural connections could provide insights into the computational processes that underlie the workings of the human brain.
	Brain activity reveals how detecting violations of social norms varies between cultures (Medical Xpress)—Social norms are a fundamental characteristic of human behavior, and they vary across cultures in interesting ways. It's even been suggested that the development of social norms and the punishment of norm violations are a uniquely human behavior. However, little research into the neural basis for the detection of social norm violations has been conducted to date.
	Optical illusions show how the fly brain processes contrast and motion information If the price of a product is reduced, willingness to buy increases – the product appears cheaper even though it is perhaps still too expensive. Our perception of the world is therefore often relative: we compare what we see with a reference point – in this case with the price before the discount. The same applies to the perception of luminance stimuli. An object appears brighter if the background is dark, and darker if the background is bright. Optical illusions help to analyze the perception of such relative contrast signals. What happens, however, at cellular level in the brain is largely unknown. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried have now used behavioural experiments on the fruit fly Drosophila to show that spatial contrast information and motion stimuli are processed in different neural circuits.
	Protein imaging reveals detailed brain architecture MIT chemical engineers and neuroscientists have developed a new way to classify neurons by labeling and imaging the proteins found in each cell. This type of imaging offers clues to each neuron's function and should help in mapping the human brain, the researchers say.
	GM mice reveal the secret to a painless life People born with a rare genetic mutation are unable to feel pain, but previous attempts to recreate this effect with drugs have had surprisingly little success. Using mice modified to carry the same mutation, UCL researchers funded by the MRC and Wellcome Trust have now discovered the recipe for painlessness.
'Purity' of tumor samples may significantly bias genomic analyses A new study by UC San Francisco scientists shows that the proportion of normal cells, especially immune cells, intermixed with cancerous cells in a given tissue sample may significantly skew the results of genetic analyses and other tests performed both by researchers and by physicians selecting precision therapies.
	Brain scans explain quickness to blame New research from Duke University helps explain the paradox of why we are quick to blame people for their actions, but slower to give them credit.
	Study shows that certain herpes viruses can infect human neurons For years, researchers have noted a tantalizing link between some neurologic conditions and certain species of the herpes virus. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebellar ataxia, among other neuropathies, the cerebrospinal fluid teems with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Yet, the nature of that link has remained unclear, as it has been assumed that EBV, as well as other viruses in the same sub-family, called gammaherpesviruses, cannot infect neurons.
	The science of aging (Medical Xpress)—As the year comes to a close so too do thoughts of time itself and for some that can lead to musing about our own mortality—for others it might mean worrying about how much time they have left with a loved one or perhaps a much loved cat or dog. In either event, it all comes back to the same thing, none of us are immortal. But it also begs the question of why animals have such different life spans—a topic covered by David Grimm in a recent News post in the journal Science.
	Guided ultrasound plus nanoparticle chemotherapy cures tumors in mice Thermal ablation with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a noninvasive technique for treating fibroids and cancer. New research from UC Davis shows that combining the technique with chemotherapy can allow complete destruction of tumors in mice.
	Microtubules act as cellular 'rheostat' to control insulin secretion Microtubules—cellular "highways" that deliver cargo to the cell membrane for secretion—have a surprising role in pancreatic beta cells. Instead of facilitating glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, they limit it, a team of Vanderbilt investigators reported recently in Developmental Cell.
Newborns in intensive care exposed to thirdhand smoke residue Despite hospitals operating a smoke free policy, newborns in intensive care may still be exposed to thirdhand smoke residue from their smoker parents, suggests a small study published online in the journal Tobacco Control.
	Price of cancer drugs varies by up to 388% between European countries, Australia, and New Zealand The price of new cancer drugs varies widely (from 28% to 388%) between high-income countries in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, new research published in The Lancet Oncology has found.
	Researchers develop "smart dressing" to transform wound care Manually removing patient dressings to visually inspect chronic wounds could soon become a thing of the past. Ireland's leading ICT research centre, Tyndall National Institute (Cork), has teamed up with medical equipment provider Fleming Medical (Limerick) and Holst Centre/TNO (Eindhoven, Netherlands) to develop the world's first commercially-available "smart dressing" for use in futuristic wound care applications. Chronic wounds are an increasing and costly healthcare issue, particularly in countries with ageing populations. The "smart dressing" will make wound care easier, more comfortable for the patient, and more cost-effective for healthcare providers.
Positive sign in America's diabetes fight Is there light at the end of the "diabesity" tunnel? New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seem to confirm that recent reports showing the U.S. diabetes epidemic beginning to decline are not a statistical blip.
	Forget about designer babies – gene editing won't work on complex traits like intelligence This week, scientists gathered in Washington, DC for the International Summit on Human Gene Editing to discuss a technology called CRISPR-CAS9, which can insert, remove and change the DNA of basically any organism. It is relatively simple, inexpensive and accurate, and it's already being used in laboratories around the world to make cells and breed laboratory animals with modified DNA for the study of diseases.
	Research seeks answers to black lung resurgence in Central Appalachia For some, the words "black lung" may stir thoughts of a now irrelevant disease that was once responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of miners. Unfortunately, it's back on the rise.
	With Parkinson's disease, countering symptoms is key Parkinson's disease isn't the kind of affliction that will kill most people. Instead, it creeps up slowly and progressively destroys the quality of life of those who develop it.
	Gene pair plays crucial role in colon cancer, research shows Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and researchers are hard at work to understand the disease's complex molecular underpinnings. In a new study out this month in the journal Cell Reports, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania describe two related genes in the Musashi family that are required for colon cancer to develop, and that may be useful targets for effective treatment.
	High blood pressure actually drives us insane in the membrane When they does not cause death, strokes are the second leading cause of dementia in the Western world. Here in Canada, strokes strike 50,000 people aged 60 and over each year, according to Statistics Canada. That's one person every 10 minutes, an especially worrisome figure given that it also occurs in people under 55... "We live in a society that is being killed by its arteries. The main cause of stroke is high blood pressure, which blocks the small vessels of the brain and makes it less efficient," said Dr. Christian Stapf, a neurologist at the CHUM's Hôpital Notre-Dame. Indeed, the accumulation of these lesions results in premature aging of the brain and increases the risk of cognitive disorders and dementia. "It makes you bête dans la tête (insane in the membrane)," said the neurologist.
Scientists identify new paradigm in genetics, paving way for development of better drug targets to save lives Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)'s Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) have identified a new paradigm for the identification and evaluation of genes for cell survival. By challenging long-held notions on gene essentiality and drug development, the study holds great potential to predict future drug resistance, thereby saving lives and optimising the use of resources. The study was published on 25 November 2015 in the online issue of Cell.
	Genetic underpinning found for shared risk of congenital heart and neurodevelopmental disease Children with significant congenital heart disease have a far better chance of surviving today than in decades past, thanks to major advances in surgery. But some infants who recover from repairs to their hearts later show the effects of delays in brain development, including impairments to cognitive, language and social functioning. Such impairments can affect how well these children do in school and in the workplace; they can even diminish their overall quality of life.
	Study identifies key protein that contributes to colitis The cause of Ulcerative Colitis, a debilitating disease of the intestine, is unclear. A Yale-led study has illuminated the role of a protein that plays a key part in the development of the condition. The research, published in the Dec. 3 issue of Cell, could lead to the development of new therapies to treat the painful disease, which is on the rise in Western countries.
	My genes made me do it—the problem of genetic evidence and diminished culpability There have been recent high-profile claims suggesting genetics and neuroscience are set to radically change the way we think about crime and punishment. Author Sam Harris, for example, argues that recent discoveries in neuroscience undermine our notion of free will, while Adrian Raine states there is a "biological basis also to recidivistic violent offending".
Teaching parents about the importance of breakfast has benefits for both parent and child A unique benefit of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is the inclusion of nutrition education. In a new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers report that both online and in-person group education are effective in helping parents reduce breakfast-skipping and improve other breakfast-related nutritional knowledge and benefits.
	Discovery contributes to future treatment of cervical cancer A team of scientists from Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has uncovered new molecular interactions involved in the development of cervical cancer. Proteins EDD1 and TIP60 were found to interact with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer in humans. EDD1 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in degrading cellular proteins, while TIP60 act as a tumor suppressor protein, and can both be found in the human body.
	Suppression of the brain's inhibitory functions can result in openness to mystical experiences New research suggests that suppression of the brain's inhibitory functions can result in openness to mystical experiences.
	Signaling pathway suppresses brain tumors Researchers at the University of Basel took a close look at a signaling pathway present in most organisms and found that it suppresses the formation of specific types of brain tumor. Their results have been published by the journal Cancer Cell.
	Total recall sounds great, but some things should be forgotten Imagine never again forgetting where you parked your car, or that last item you had on your grocery list, or why you walked into this room anyway. If you trust media stories about research currently under way at Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to build an implantable device to restore memory, you might not have to worry about these memory lapses in the future.
Action needed to set legal limits on trans fats in food On 3 December, the European Commission adopted a report on trans fats (TFA) in food and in the overall diet of Europeans. Based on JRC input, it suggests that setting a legal limit for industrial TFA content would be the most effective measure in terms of public health, consumer protection and compatibility with the single market. However, the implementation of such a limit would require further investigation.
	Should the NHS pay for womb transplants? The first womb transplants are due to take place in 2016. The experimental programme could allow 10 women with damaged or missing uteruses to give birth. If successful, the procedure is likely to be made available to more women who suffer from this particular type of infertility. But should such operations be made available freely on the NHS?
	Two genes linked to intellectual disability and circular skin creases on limbs Clinical geneticists from KU Leuven, Belgium, have identified two genes that cause the rare congenital syndrome known as circumferential skin creases Kunze type.
	AMA: Case before Supreme Court threatens patient privacy (HealthDay)—A case before the Supreme Court is potentially threatening patient confidentiality, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
	Plasma prekallikrein may be vascular risk factor in T1DM (HealthDay)—Plasma prekallikrein (PK) is associated with vascular disease risk in type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online Nov. 24 in Diabetes.
	Get your flu shot before the flu is widespread: CDC (HealthDay)—While relatively few cases of flu have surfaced so far in the United States, health officials say the holiday season will likely change that, so everyone should get a flu shot now.
	Autoimmune epilepsy outcomes depend heavily on antibody type Immune dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a cause of drug-resistant epilepsy but how or why the immune system attacks nerve cells - and the consequences on seizure control - are not well understood. Two studies presented at the American Epilepsy Society's (AES) 69th Annual Meeting explore how different types of autoimmune response elicit markedly different responses in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Important details revealed in the search for the causes of face blindness As part of a cooperation with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin and the University of Bamberg, researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have been studying a probably congenital dysfunction that is characterized by the inability to recognize familiar faces. Results from this study have been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
New leads in the struggle against a formidable leukemia A coordinated push to decrypt a complex form of leukemia is delivering a trove of new drug candidates and treatment ideas, a dozen of which will be presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida (Dec. 5-8).
FDA OKs first generic for Gleevec leukemia pill U.S. regulators have approved the first generic version of one of the first very effective—and expensive—cancer drugs, Gleevec, which costs about $10,000 a month.
	New periodic paralysis drug More than 15 years of research led by neurologists at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has culminated in the first approved treatment for individuals with a rare neuromuscular disorder called periodic paralysis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved dichlorphenamide, which is being marketed under the brand name Keveyis by Taro Pharmaceuticals, for individuals with the disease.
Breast screening program effective in preventing some invasive cancers Screening for and treatment of an early form of breast cancer has been found to prevent subsequent invasive cancer, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
Liberia discharges last two Ebola cases: official Liberia has released its last two known Ebola cases from hospital and started the countdown to being declared free of the virus for a third time, authorities said on Friday.
	Reflections on the WHO initiative to estimate the global burden of foodborne diseases Arie Havelaar and Rob Lake, authors of the World Health Organization Report and PLOS Collection "WHO Estimates of the Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases," reflect on an almost decade-long project to calculate and highlight the burden of foodborne diseases.
When fear is a weapon—how terror attacks influence mental health On November 13 2015, a series of coordinated attacks in Paris left 130 people dead. A week later, armed gunmen stormed a hotel in Mali, seizing hostages while also firing indiscriminately at guests, killing 27 people. And this week a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, left 14 dead. While the motive is not known, the FBI has assigned counterterrorism agents to the case, sparking public speculation that the shooting may have been an act of terrorism.
Benefit cuts to teachers won't lead to taxpayer savings Cutting benefits for teachers or other public-sector workers may not save taxpayers as much as one might think, according to a new University of Illinois at Chicago study.
	E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle expands (Update) An outbreak of E. coli linked to Chipotle has expanded to nine states, with a total of 52 reported illnesses.
Nursing community on path to transformation since IOM future of nursing report five years ago Since the 2010 Institute of Medicine report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health was issued, significant progress has been made related to many of the report's recommendations, which were geared toward helping nurses meet the heightened demand for health care and improving the nation's increasingly complex health system, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. However, continued progress will require greater focus and effort in certain areas, including removing scope-of-practice barriers, strengthening pathways to higher education, increasing diversity in the workforce, building a broader coalition to expand nurses' roles in health professions and leadership, and improving the collection of workforce-related data.

Biology news

	New web-based tool allows researchers to measure protein dynamics in embryogenesis Harvard Medical School researchers have developed a mathematical tool that can accurately characterize the quantity of proteins in the frog embryo throughout the early stages of development. The tool can also determine which proteins were present at fertilization and which were later created by the embryo itself.
	Scientists unlock secrets of Aussie 'resurrection' grass A native Australian grass that "plays dead" during droughts and selectively culls its own cells to survive could provide genetic keys to help world food crops like chickpea withstand global climate change.
How cells are foiled by a herpes virus family member in the virus-host arms race Not every virus wants to go viral—at least, not immediately. Some want to slip in quietly. Hide. Wait for the perfect opportunity to attack.
	New way to make yeast hybrids may inspire new brews, biofuels About 500 years ago, the accidental natural hybridization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast responsible for things like ale, wine and bread, and a distant yeast cousin gave rise to lager beer.
	Where did Australian cats come from? Researchers have found that cats in Australia are most likely descended from those brought by European settlers. Feral cats found on the islands surrounding Australia may represent founding populations from Europe, introduced in the 19th century, according to research published in open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. Identifying the timing of the founding of these cat populations increases our knowledge of the effects this invasive species had when introduced to Australia.
	'Gene-edited' cells must not be used for pregnancy: scientists Human cells or embryos that undergo a process of gene-editing must not be used to establish a pregnancy, an international scientific panel said Thursday, urging strict limits on the controversial research.
	Imperilled African penguins pose scientific mystery In the cold, clear waters at Boulders Beach in Cape Town, the African penguins are so relaxed they swim among humans and waddle past sunbathers on the sands.
	Human activity hampers conservation in forest reserves Decline in animals in Ugandan forest reserves compared to better- protected adjacent Kibale National Park
	Botrytis 'noble rot' fungus reprograms wine grape metabolism For hundreds of years, the fungus Botrytis cinerea has been key to making the world's finest dessert wines. Now UC Davis researchers working with Dolce Winery in the Napa Valley show how the fungus changes plant metabolism to produce new flavors and aromas in white-skinned grapes.
	New research explores high-value applications for rapeseed oil A team of researchers, including biologists from the University of York, are a step closer to producing a biodegradable lubricant made from a new type of oilseed rape.
Cut, file, shred – a type of multi-tool pocketknife processes ribosomal RNA Researchers from the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH) have discovered a complex of four proteins that, much like a multi-tool pocketknife, serves as a knife, a file and a pair of scissors in the manufacture of ribosomes. The complex helps eliminate the residual ribonucleic acid (RNA) that are produced during the manufacturing of the ribsome and must be removed to complete the process. The results of the research were published in the journal Molecular Cell.
	Scientists investigated molecular processes for targeted dog cancer therapy Dogs get cancer, just like humans. Scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna are now exploring the molecular basis of cancer progression in canine cell lines. Modern cancer therapy has been revolutionized with the introduction of new drugs, so-called 'targeted drugs', but the basis for the application of these new agents in cancer therapy is a deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the disease, even with pets. Now a research team led by Sabine Macho-Maschler has investigated the activation of genetic regulatory mechanisms in canine cells and found both matches as well as differences compared to man.
	Footage captures kiwi destroying robin nest, revealing unknown behavior A kiwi destroying a robin nest and causing the death of the chicks in it has been caught on camera by a Victoria University of Wellington researcher.
	Researchers discover giant pores in the membrane of the cell organelles Researchers have discovered a second giant pore for the transport of folded proteins in certain cell organelles, i.e. peroxisomes. Five years ago, the group already described the first giant pore. The team headed by Prof Dr Ralf Erdmann from the Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum published the findings in the journal Cell Reports together with colleagues from Osnabrück, Bremen and Göttingen.
	Dolphin-disease outbreak shows how to account for the unknown when tracking epidemics Stopping the outbreak of a disease hinges on a wealth of data such as what makes a suitable host and how a pathogen spreads. But gathering these data can be difficult for diseases in remote areas of the world, or for epidemics involving wild animals.
	Albany seagrass points to historical pollution Seagrass meadows in Albany's Oyster Harbour are being used as history books to reveal fluctuating contaminant levels in harbour water throughout the last 3000 years, with a rapid increase in contamination since the 1900s.
	Cell suicide prevention squad Recent research has shown that the cells in our bodies teeter on the brink of death. They possess intricate molecular mechanisms that promote either suicide or survival. The concept is known as programmed cell death (PCD). Since the early 2000s, when PCD was confirmed, research has focused mainly on finding genes and proteins that trigger it. however, processes aiding cell survival have not been well understood.
	Tourist photographs Australian scene of croc versus croc Tourist Sandra Bell was poised to photograph a sedate scene of two crocodiles sunning themselves at the edge of an Australian waterhole when the picture unexpectedly exploded into violence.

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