Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Dec 1

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 1, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Physicists confirm thermodynamic irreversibility in a quantum system
- Researchers confirm original blood vessels in 80 million-year-old fossil
- Roboticists learn to teach robots from babies
- Nano-walkers take speedy leap forward with first rolling DNA-based motor
- New paper shows degree of impact of corporate messaging on public perception of global warming
- Study finds 'rudimentary' empathy in macaques
- Getting into the flow on the International Space Station
- Scientists overcome key CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing hurdle
- Quantum dots used to convert infrared light to visible light
- Xbox gaming technology may improve X-ray precision
- Genes for a longer, healthier life found
- First language wires brain for later language-learning
- Fossil dinosaur tracks give insight into lives of prehistoric giants
- Theory of 'smart' plants may explain the evolution of global ecosystems
- Exiled exoplanet likely kicked out of star's neighborhood

Astronomy & Space news

	Timing a sextuple quasar Quasars are galaxies with massive black holes at their cores around which vast amounts of energy are being radiated. Indeed, so much light is emitted that the nucleus of a quasar is much brighter than the rest of the entire host galaxy, and their tremendous luminosities allow quasars to be seen even when they are very far away. The quasar SDSSJ1029+2623, for example, is so distant that its light has been traveling towards us for 11.4 billion years, 83% of the age of the universe. This quasar is particularly unusual because it happens to have five quasar neighbors in the sky that look very similar to it and moreover are located at the same cosmological distance.
	Cassini mission provides insight into Saturn Scientists have found the first direct evidence for explosive releases of energy in Saturn's magnetic bubble using data from the Cassini spacecraft, a joint mission between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency. The research is reported in the journal Nature Physics.
	LISA Pathfinder will pave the way for us to 'see' black holes for the first time It has been a century since Einstein presented his theory of general relativity but it is still helping us unveil some of the deepest mysteries of the universe. Now the LISA pathfinder mission will prepare the way for us to study violent events that we've never seen before – such as the creation of massive black holes.
	Exiled exoplanet likely kicked out of star's neighborhood A planet discovered last year sitting at an unusually large distance from its star - 16 times farther than Pluto is from the sun - may have been kicked out of its birthplace close to the star in a process similar to what may have happened early in our own solar system's history.
	Getting into the flow on the International Space Station Think about underground water and gas as they filter through porous materials like soil and rock beds. On Earth, gravity forces water and gas to separate as they flow through the ground, cleaning the water and storing it in underground pools. Gravity's role is significant in the process, both in nature with ground water and in chemical processes such as water reclamation reactors.
	Image: Lisa Pathfinder ready for launch Final preparations are under way at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, for the launch of LISA Pathfinder, ESA's technology demonstrator that will pave the way for detecting gravitational waves from space. Liftoff is planned at 04:15 GMT (05:15 CET) on 2 December.
	Cassini image: Water world Although Enceladus and Saturn's rings are largely made up of water ice, they show very different characteristics. The small ring particles are too tiny to retain internal heat and have no way to get warm, so they are frozen and geologically dead. Enceladus, on the other hand, is subject to forces that heat its interior to this very day. This results in its famous south polar water jets, which are just visible above the moon's dark, southern limb, along with a sub-surface ocean.
	Orion gets beefed up, silver-metallic thermal protection coating for next flight on EM-1 In the wake of NASA's supremely successful inaugural test flight of the Orion deep space capsule on the EFT-1 mission in Dec. 2014, NASA is beefing up the critical thermal protection system (TPS) that will protect astronauts from the searing heats experienced during reentry as the human rated vehicle plunges through the Earth's atmosphere after returning from ambitious expeditions to the moon and beyond.
	European Space Agency delays launch of gravity probe The European Space Agency is postponing the launch of probe that will test technology for a future mission to measure gravitational waves.
Waterloo to lead new experiment aboard International Space Station A spacecraft carrying supplies for a new physiology experiment led by a University of Waterloo researcher will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, the Canadian Space Agency announced.
	ESA astronaut Tim Peake arrives in Baikonur on his last stop before space ESA astronaut Tim Peake, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Roscosmos commander Yuri Malenchenko arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan today ahead of their launch to the International Space Station.
	What does it take to be an astronaut? Are you an overachiever? Are you working on multiple PhDs in obscure and difficult topics? Can you speak multiple languages, including alienese? Do you suspect, if handed the controls, you could complete the Kessel Run in fewer parsecs than Han Solo?

Technology news

	Roboticists learn to teach robots from babies Babies learn about the world by exploring how their bodies move in space, grabbing toys, pushing things off tables and by watching and imitating what adults are doing.
	Installing a cycle of energy at home: HomeBiogas offers bio-digester Declining energy resources, environmental hazards, rural and urban pollution...going green appears to be a daunting task but a single family's effort to "go green" with a small product could make a big impact.
	Making 3-D imaging 1,000 times better MIT researchers have shown that by exploiting the polarization of light—the physical phenomenon behind polarized sunglasses and most 3-D movie systems—they can increase the resolution of conventional 3-D imaging devices as much as 1,000 times.
	Researchers demonstrate world's first 5G, 100 to 200 meter communication link up to 2 Gbps Keysight Technologies, Inc., in collaboration with electrical engineers at the University of California, San Diego, has demonstrated the world's first 64 (8 x 8) and 256-element (16 x 16), 60-GHz silicon wafer-scale phased-array transmitter with integrated high-efficiency antennas for Gbps communications at 100 to 200 meters. With this demonstration, Keysight and UC San Diego have proven that a 5G communication link is not only possible, but can deliver record performance.
	Eliminating 'springback' to help make environmentally friendly cars Manufacturing safe and lightweight cars that emit less carbon dioxide could become easier thanks to a clever new engineering development from researchers at Hiroshima University.
	Xbox gaming technology may improve X-ray precision With the aim of producing high-quality X-rays with minimal radiation exposure, particularly in children, researchers have developed a new approach to imaging patients. Surprisingly, the new technology isn't a high-tech, high-dollar piece of machinery. Rather, it's based on the Xbox gaming system.
	OZO Virtual Reality camera ready to stand out for professional creatives Nokia Technologies' uniquely simple but high-end professional Virtual Reality camera has gone up for pre-orders and numerous technology sites said it's a camera worth viewing.
	New dad Zuckerberg vows to give away Facebook fortune Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday announced he is a dad and pledged to give away his fortune to make the world a "better place" for baby daughter Max and others.
Report: BMW CEO sees point when updating diesel uneconomic BMW's CEO says that at some future point it will no longer make economic sense to keep adapting diesel engines to ever-tougher rules, but he isn't saying when.
Samsung replaces mobile chief as smartphone lead dwindles Samsung appointed a new mobile president at Samsung Electronics for the first time in six years after growth stalled at the world's largest smartphone maker.
Nearly half of US homes use cellphones only, shun landlines Nearly half of U.S. households only use cellphones, according to new federal statistics that show more and more people are cutting the cord on landlines.
	Google opens online window on toll of climate change As world leaders gathered in Paris on Monday in the hope to stopping catastrophic climate change, Google Maps provided online views of remote locations where wildlife is struggling for survival.
	Cybersecurity bill would add secrecy to public records laws A proposed law meant to encourage companies to share information about cyberthreats with the U.S. government includes measures that could significantly limit what details, if any, the public can review about the program through federal and state public records laws.
	Ryanair launches court action against Google, eDreams Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair on Tuesday said it had launched court action against Internet giant Google and online travel agent eDreams, accusing them of misleading customers and not offering the best deal.
	NASA and CWRU Fusion analyze ways to commercialize a promising new water purification technology NASA Glenn Research Center scientists and students in Case Western Reserve University's interdisciplinary Fusion program are studying a novel water purification technology and how to commercialize it. Senior researchers at NASA Glenn have developed and tested a promising technology that reduces organic contaminants to carbon dioxide and clean water. NASA is experimenting with applying high-voltage pulses to fluids to form what is called "non-equilibrium plasma."
	Software diagnoses battery health and remaining life High-performing batteries are capable of propelling vehicles for hundreds of miles, storing electricity for the electric grid or running powerful electronic devices for several hours. A significant gap exists in knowledge about battery health, however, especially in how specific battery chemistries respond to usage conditions and different environments. These factors influence the degradation mechanisms, while also creating uncertainty in capacity and power (remaining useful life).
	Warm countries launch Sun-energy alliance India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched in Paris an alliance of 121 sun-drenched countries, rich and poor, to dramatically boost the use of solar power.
	Offshore wind farms – measuring buoy reduces costs Building and operating offshore wind farms is an expensive business. To be able to estimate the profitability of the plants, first the wind potential must be determined. Fraunhofer researchers have now created a wind measurement buoy with sophisticated, precise measurement technology that supplies the necessary data.
	Can Christmas tree lights really play havoc with your wi-fi? Ofcom, the UK's independent telephony regulator, has just released a wi-fi checker app for your smart phone. At the same time, it warned in its press release that your Christmas tree fairy lights could affect the quality of your wi-fi connection.
	That laser pointer could be more dangerous than you think Lasers are rapidly getting cheaper, smaller and better. CD, DVD and BluRay players all brought lasers to use for our entertainment. In science, amazing laser imaging techniques were recognised with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2014. In manufacturing, low cost laser cutting machines are increasingly available in small companies, universities and even schools.
	Electric cars—batteries with brains The battery is the heart of the electric car. Fraunhofer researchers have developed an energy storage device which is significantly more cost-effective over the entire life cycle in comparison with previous models. If one of the more than one hundred battery cells is defective, it can be replaced easily. Until now, the entire battery had to be replaced.
	Door manufacturer benefits from simulation tools Building burglary-resistent doors with thermal insulation is a challenge for manufacturers. Their complex structure provides holes for the flow of air. With scientific simulation methods, Fraunhofer researchers have designed an insulating construction on the computer – without expensive prototypes having to be built.
	Belgium extends lives of ageing nuclear reactors Belgium agreed to extend the life of two ageing nuclear reactors for another decade under a hard-won deal to preserve jobs and invest in the transition to cleaner energy.
	Laser mapping Lincoln Cathedral to uncover its architectural secrets A powerful laser scanner has been used by experts at The University of Nottingham to capture a detailed, virtual record of the interior of Lincoln Cathedral and reveal clues to its architectural past.
	Germany's Spiegel to cut 150 jobs, charge for some online content German news media company Spiegel said Tuesday it would cut 150 jobs and start charging fees for some of its online content.
	Google gives online arts viewers access to prime seats Google on Tuesday began letting online viewers get prime seats to ballets, operas and orchestra concerts, or even virtually step on stage with performers.
	Volkswagen brand US sales fall nearly 25 percent in November Volkswagen's emissions-cheating scandal took a serious bite out of the company's U.S. sales last month.
	Turkey YouTube ban violated freedom of expression: Europe court (Update) The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Turkey had violated conventions on freedom of expression when it banned YouTube for more than two years.
	New composite material techniques promise efficient manufacturing Composites have emerged in recent years as a valuable class of engineering materials. They offer many attributes not attainable with other materials – they are lightweight, yet offer stiffness – and as a result can be found in a range of high tech applications such as satellites and high performance aircraft. Gel coats are used to provide a high-quality finish onto the visible surface of fibre-reinforced composite materials, which are then used in the manufacture of complex moulded parts.
	World's first office papermaking system that turns waste paper into new paper Seiko Epson Corporation has developed what it believes to be the world's first compact office papermaking system capable of producing new paper from securely shredded waste paper without the use of water. Epson plans to put the new "PaperLab" into commercial production in Japan in 2016, with sales in other regions to be decided at a later date. Businesses and government offices that install a PaperLab in a backyard area will be able to produce paper of various sizes, thicknesses, and types, from office paper and business card paper to paper that is colored and scented.
	High thermally durable all-solid-state lithium ion battery Hitachi, Ltd. and Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Material Research(AIMR) have developed a basic technology to reduce the internal resistance of the all-solid-state lithium ion battery (Li-ion battery) using a complex hydride as a solid electrolyte. The reduction of internal resistance improves the charge-discharge performance of the all-solid-state Li-ion battery, resulting in the batteries (capacity: 2 mAh) successfully operating at temperatures as high as 150℃ with a discharge capacity of 90% of theoretical value. This technology is significant as it allows the thermally durable Li-ion battery to be used in a wider variety of applications, such as large-scale industrial machines with motors, and medical machines which need to be heated for autoclave sterilization. .Since this technology does not require the cooling system common in conventional Li-ion batteries. It is expected to lead to further developments compact battery systems and reduce the overall costs.
	The self-catering houseboat A life away from traffic noise and exhaust fumes – more and more people are drawn to water. Energy self-sufficient floating homes not only fulfill the criterion for this new lifestyle, they can also boost economy. Medium-sized companies, manufacturers, universities as well as two Fraunhofer Institutes work hand-in-hand on the autartec project.
House considers requiring search warrant to get old emails (Update) Investigators would need a search warrant to get people's old emails under a bill considered Tuesday by a House panel looking to update a nearly 30-year-old federal law to reflect today's communications.
IRS: Won't use phone-tracking technology without warrant Internal Revenue Service criminal investigators will not continue to use cellphone-tracking technology without first seeking a warrant, the IRS commissioner told Congress in a letter made public Tuesday.

Medicine & Health news

	Higher cigarette taxes linked to fewer infant deaths Higher taxes and prices for cigarettes are strongly associated with lower infant mortality rates in the United States, according to a new study from Vanderbilt University and the University of Michigan released Dec. 1 in the journal Pediatrics.
	Wiring rules untangle brain circuitry Our brains contain billions of neurons linked through trillions of synaptic connections, and although disentangling this wiring may seem like mission impossible, a research team from Baylor College of Medicine took on the task. Researchers worked to decipher the wiring of the mouse neocortex, the outermost part of the brain that is thought to be responsible for cognition and perception.
	HIV/AIDS drugs interfere with brain's 'insulation,' study shows Antiretroviral therapies, or ART, have enabled people with HIV and AIDS to live much longer lives, transforming what was considered a death sentence into a chronic condition. Yet concerns for these patients remain. Up to half of people with HIV on these drug regimens have some sort of cognitive impairment, such as memory loss or problems with executive functioning, despite the virus being almost undetectable in their bodies.
	Anxiety can kill your social status Neuroscientists at EPFL identify a brain region that links anxious temperament to low social status. The researchers were able to tweak social hierarchy in animals by using vitamin B3.
	Targeting HIV 'reservoir' could be first step to understanding how to cure the disease A new clinical trial will test whether it is possible to destroy hidden reservoirs of HIV virus that are a key obstacle to curing the disease.
	Watching eyes prevent littering People are less likely to drop litter if it has printed eyes on it, researchers at Newcastle University, UK, have found. An image of watching eyes reduced the odds of littering by around two thirds.
	Research team tracks twists and turns on the road to malignancy Gliomas can begin as benign growth in brain tissue but almost all eventually morph into malignant cancers called GBMs. Despite medical and surgical advances, GBMs remain one of the most deadly cancers in humans.
	Genes for a longer, healthier life found Out of a 'haystack' of 40,000 genes from three different organisms, scientists at ETH Zurich and a research consortium in Jena have found genes that are involved in physical ageing. If you influence only one of these genes, the healthy lifespan of laboratory animals is extended—and possibly that of humans, too.
	First language wires brain for later language-learning You may believe that you have forgotten the Chinese you spoke as a child, but your brain hasn't. Moreover, that "forgotten" first language may well influence what goes on in your brain when you speak English or French today.
Researchers use gaming technology to create better X-rays Researchers have developed software for the Microsoft Kinect gaming console that measures body part thickness and checks for motion, positioning and beam adjustment immediately before X-ray imaging, according to a feasibility study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
MRI reveals heart changes during apnea in elite divers Athletes who engage in the extreme sport of free diving, descending hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean while holding their breath, undergo significant cardiovascular changes, according to a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). These changes can pose potential dangers, particularly to inexperienced or cardiac untrained divers.
Ultrasound reveals knuckle-cracking fireworks Research presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) tackles one of life's great mysteries: what causes a knuckle to "crack" out loud?
Gastric artery embolization shows promise in treating obesity An interventional radiology technique shows promise for helping morbidly obese patients lose weight, according to the preliminary results of a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Lower survival rates in women with breast cancer diagnosed with depression Women with breast cancer who subsequently had a recorded diagnosis of depression had a 45% higher risk of death from all causes, according to a study led by King's College London. The researchers suggest this finding could help to target and support those women most at risk of depression.
	Survey finds 90 percent overlook key to weight loss Tens of millions of Americans vow each year to lose weight in the New Year, and while their intentions are good, most of the time their results are not. It's estimated that only 8 percent of those who make New Year's resolutions actually keep them.
	Crave coffee too much? Talk therapy may help (HealthDay)—A short round of "talk-therapy" seems to help over-consumers of caffeine dramatically cut back their intake, a small new study suggests.
New way of classifying scleroderma A new way of classifying scleroderma will greatly help the diagnosis and stratification of the debilitating medical condition, as well as assist in researching other autoimmune diseases.
Promising new treatment joins the war on superbugs The fight against superbugs has been bolstered thanks to a promising new therapy discovered by University of Adelaide researchers.
	Physicians and burnout: It's getting worse Burnout among U.S. physicians is getting worse. An update from a three-year study evaluating burnout and work-life balance shows that American physicians are worse off today than they were three years earlier. These dimensions remained largely unchanged among U.S. workers in general, resulting in a widening gap between physicians and workers in other fields. The study conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers in partnership with the American Medical Association compared data from 2014 to metrics they collected in 2011 and found that now more than half of U.S. physicians are experiencing professional burnout. The findings appear in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
	Biophysicists develop a model for arterial thrombus formation A group of biophysicists, including representatives from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, have developed a mathematical model of arterial thrombus formation, which is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes. The scientists described the process of platelet aggregation as being similar to the popular video game Tetris and derived equations that allowed them to reproduce the wave process of platelet aggregate formation in a blood vessel.
	Chemotherapy can cause tumor evolution Russian scientists have found that neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer can stimulate evolution of the tumor. The results of the research conducted by Nicholay Litvyakov, D.Sc. at Cancer Research Institute, Head of the Tumor Virology Laboratory, and TSU researcher Marina Ibragimova, were published in Siberian Journal of Oncology.
	Marijuana use during pregnancy exposes mom and baby to health risks With the recent legalization of both medical and now recreational cannabis in states such as Colorado and Washington, marijuana consumption is seen by many as more socially acceptable and its use during pregnancy is steadily increasing. Approximately 10% of women in the United States use marijuana while pregnant. Exposure to cannabis during pregnancy can pose health risks to both women and newborns, such as anxiety or heart problems in women. It can also be associated with complications with childbirth.
Distracted dining? Steer clear of it! A new University of Illinois study reveals that distracted dining may be as dangerous to your health as distracted driving is to your safety on the highway.
	Express Scripts offers low-cost alternative to Turing drug The nation's biggest pharmacy benefits manager is muscling back into the debate over soaring drug costs by promoting a less-expensive alternative to a life-saving medicine with a list price of $750 per pill.
	New technique efficiently captures and grows tumour cells to guide selection of drug therapy Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a novel technique to efficiently culture clusters containing circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in 14 days that could be used to predict the outcome of cancer treatment as well as monitor the status of cancer. Using the technique, the team achieved a success rate of more than 60 per cent in culturing CTCs from patients with metastatic breast cancer, the highest known success record to-date. This breakthrough brings researchers a step closer towards enabling personalised cancer treatment and monitoring.
Study clarifies the oral consequences of methamphetamine abuse A multidisciplinary group of researchers from the UCLA School of Dentistry, the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program have published new findings that provide conclusive evidence of disproportionately high rates of dental disease in methamphetamine abusers.
	Teens know dangers of driving and cellphone use, yet do it anyway, research shows What happens when "Tom Hanks," "Tom Cruise" and "Kesha" sit around a table? When the talkers are actually teens using researcher-requested pseudonyms they chose to anonymously discuss their driving habits, the results are surprising, maybe even more so than if the real celebrities got together.
	When memory loss should concern you Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's Disease, Dr. Patrick Coll of UConn's Center on Aging recommends early screening for those with memory loss, to diagnose whether it is caused by dementia and try to slow its progression.
	New study reveals why and when straight women form close friendships with gay men A new study led by psychology researchers with The University of Texas at Arlington sheds new light on why many heterosexual women develop close friendships with gay men.
	Swaziland likely to be first to eliminate malaria in Southern Africa The Malaria Elimination Group, an independent international advisory group on malaria elimination convened by the Global Health Group at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), gathered in the Ezulwini Valley for its tenth meeting to celebrate Swaziland's achievements. The meeting was opened on November 16, 2015 by Swaziland's Minister of Health, Honorable Sibongile Ndlela-Simelane.
	How an approach called 'shock and kill' could cure HIV Current HIV medications can effectively prevent the disease's progression, but the virus can lurk for a lifetime in the body.
	Poor countries are hardest hit by tobacco marketing People living in poor countries are exposed to more intense and aggressive tobacco marketing than those living in affluent countries, according to a study authored by researchers from our Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization released today.
	Scientists create a multifunctional endoscope Cancer is a malignant force of nature that holds no prejudice when it invades tissue, permeates and forms new body sites. Ninety percent of deaths caused by cancer are due to tumors spreading throughout the body, a process called metastasis. Individual cancer cells detach from a tumor and pervade a body through blood vessels, a large quantity of the cancerous cells die in transit but the successful cells migrate through a body before leaving blood vessels and reproducing in a new location.
High-quality foster care reduces chance of callous-emotional trait development for abandoned children early in life A study to be published in the December 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) reports that high-quality foster care can mitigate the development of callous-unemotional traits for adolescents who experienced parent deprivation in early life.
New biomarkers for acute myeloid leukemia Mariam Ibáñez, lecturer at Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU (CEU Cardenal Herrera University, UCH-CEU) and biologist at "La Fe" Hospital in Valencia used massive sequencing techniques to identify new recurrent genes mutations involved in the origin of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).
	App to improve monitoring of psychotic patients' mental state and treatment adherence Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Valencia have designed a new app that allows doctors to remotely monitor a psychotic outpatient's mental state and improve overall adherence to treatment plans.
	GP funding disadvantages patients in deprived regions General Practice funding systems in Scotland are "part of the problem" of health inequality, and do not match clinical need in deprived areas where multi-morbidity is highest.
	Extended trading hours prompt spike in alcohol-fuelled injuries Further extending the trading hours of Perth's licenced premises will result in more people with alcohol-related injuries presenting at metropolitan emergency departments, according to research from the National Drug Research Institute.
Research shows access to primary care doctors lacking for some When the Affordable Care Act passed, Portland State University economists Rajiv Sharma and Arnab Mitra, and Oakland University's Miron Stano saw an opportunity.
Men who forgo aggressive treatment for prostate cancer don't receive appropriate monitoring An increasing number of men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer are opting for active surveillance - closely monitoring their cancer - rather than aggressive treatment to avoid the debilitating potential side effects of surgery and radiation, such as erectile and urinary dysfunction.
Scientists put final pieces into place for seeing cancer with protons Scientists are currently in South Africa putting together a unique medical imaging platform which could improve treatment for millions of cancer sufferers by making proton therapy a viable option.
	Blood test reveals how old your body really is Now a simple blood test can reveal your biological age—how old your body really is. This was found in a new study from Uppsala University, the results of which are now being published in the open-access journal Scientific Reports.
	Blocking a single molecule defeats chronic fear As those who suffer from anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder can attest, recovering from pervasive fear memories can be difficult or impossible to do. Yale researchers, however, have shown how disabling a single molecule can help animals eliminate engrained fear responses.
	Enhanced treatment for hepatitis C could cut prevalence by 80% Novel antiviral therapies for hepatitis C could reduce the prevalence of the blood-borne infection by more than 80%, according to an analysis by Yale researchers. The finding raises the possibility of greatly reducing, and even eliminating, hepatitis C in the United States if enhanced screening and treatment efforts target high-risk populations.
	Social media and drinks before bed are affecting teenagers' school performances Drinking caffeinated drinks and using social media 30 minutes before bedtime is significantly reducing sleep quantity in teenagers and negatively affecting their school performance, according to new research from UCL Institute of Education (IOE)'s Lifespan Learning and Sleep Laboratory.
Childbirth an athletic event? Sports medicine used to diagnose injuries caused by deliveries Childbirth is arguably the most traumatic event the human body can undergo, and new imaging techniques show that up to 15 percent of women sustain pelvic injuries that don't heal.
Sins of the father could weigh on the next generation, study shows The amount of food consumed by fathers could have a direct impact on their unborn children's health and wellbeing, according to new RMIT University research.
Genetic study of patients with inflammatory bowel disease could lead to better treatments Genetic variation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) appears to play a major role in determining how sick they will become and could provide a road map for more effective treatments.
	New report shows 45 percent increase in mortality from law enforcement from 1999 to 2013 Between 1999 and 2013 in the United States, between 279 (in 2000) to 507 (in 2012) people were killed each year by legal intervention or law enforcement, other than by legal execution. In 2013, an estimated 11.3 million arrests in the U.S. resulted in approximately 480 deaths from legal intervention. Between 1999 and 2013, there were 5,511 deaths by legal intervention.
	Stopping ovarian cancer in its tracks: An antibody may help patients heal themselves Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer among women worldwide, and it often goes undetected until it has spread to other parts of the body. More than 70% of ovarian cancer patients experience relapse; when recurrent cancers become resistant to chemotherapy, they become extremely difficult to treat. But what if patients could make use of their own immune system?
	New discovery: This is why we do not constantly get ill despite viruses and bacteria New research breaks with existing knowledge about how our immune system works. Experiments at Aarhus University have shown how the body mobilises a hitherto unknown defence against viruses and bacteria. This also explains why we do not constantly get ill despite the viruses around us.
Making backup plans can be a self-fulfilling prophecy Is having a Plan B always a good idea? Or can these 'safety nets' actually make you less likely to achieve your goals? Psychologists from the University of Zurich propose a new theoretical framework for studying the effects of backup plans. According to their model, the more effort people put into making backup plans, the more distracting and harmful those backup plans can become.
Scientists draw evidence-based blueprint for HIV treatment and prevention For many years, clinicians debated the best time to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection, with some worrying that the risks of treatment in terms of drug toxicities could outweigh the benefits of controlling the virus. In a new commentary, scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, argue that the results of three large clinical trials definitively prove that the benefits of starting ART early in infection outweigh any theoretical risk. Together, the findings from the NIH-funded SMART study reported in 2006, HPTN 052 study in 2011 and START study this year conclusively demonstrate that starting ART promptly after HIV diagnosis protects the health of the infected individual while preventing HIV transmission to uninfected sexual partners, the authors write.
Celleron Therapeutics announces encouraging clinical results with new cancer drug CXD101 Celleron Therapeutics, the UK-based company developing personalised medicine for cancer patients, has today announced that significant clinical activity was observed in the first human trial of its pioneering personalised cancer treatment CXD101 in patients at Oxford's Churchill Hospital with advanced treatment-resistant aggressive disease. The results also indicate that CXD101 has favourable safety and tolerability.
	Taking Truvada 'as needed' can prevent HIV-transmission amongst people at high-risk In a study into the prevention of HIV transmission, people who took the antiretroviral drug Truvada were 86% less likely to contract the disease than those who took a placebo, report the researchers who led the study.
	Scientists isolate genes that delay Alzheimer's Scientists have identified a network of nine genes that play a key role in the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.
	Cancer cells can poison normal cells Cancer cells are continuously produced in our bodies, where most of them are recognized by our immune systems and destroyed. Some, however, escape this innate surveillance system and find a place to survive and grow.
Researchers find adults with cerebral palsy more likely to have chronic conditions A new study from the University of Michigan finds adults with cerebral palsy are more likely to have secondary chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, than adults without cerebral palsy.
Optimal country-level C-section rate may be as high as 19 percent The most commonly performed operation in the world is cesarean section, and rates of cesarean childbirth delivery vary widely from country to country, from as few as 2 percent to more than 50 percent of live births. The World Health Organization recommends countries not exceed 10 to 15 percent (10 to 15 C-section deliveries per 100 live births) for optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Studies examine cesarean delivery rates, outcomes Two studies in the December 1 issue of JAMA examine the relationship between cesarean delivery rates and maternal and infant death, and adverse outcomes in childhood health following planned cesarean delivery at term.
Metformin does not improve glycemic control for overweight teens with type 1 diabetes In a randomized trial that included overweight and obese adolescents with type 1 diabetes, the addition of metformin to insulin did not improve glycemic control after 6 months, according to a study in the December 1 issue of JAMA.
Plant hormone may play a vital role in blood sugar control and diabetes management A treatment for managing blood sugar levels might be as close as the local health food store, suggests a new research report published in the December 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal. Specifically scientists from Italy have found that when the plant and mammal hormone, abscisic acid, is taken in low doses, glycemia in both rats and humans is reduced. This suggests that by reducing the chronic stimulation by hyperglycemia of β-cells to the release of insulin, chronic low-dose abscisic acid administration may prolong the survival and function of these cells.
Important step toward preventing and treating some MRSA post-implant infections New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, helps explain why Staphylococcus aureus infections take hold after prosthetic surgery that are resistant to both the body's natural defenses as well as antibiotic treatments. In the report, researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center show that the bacteria use a naturally occurring molecule called interleukin-10 to shield themselves and survive. This molecule is made by white blood cells called "myeloid-derived suppressor cells," which are produced by bone marrow. Understanding the process by which these bacteria take advantage of the body's normal defenses may lead to the development of new treatments that would ultimately reduce complications from infection that can occur after prosthetic surgery.
New diaphragms grown from stem cells offer hope of a cure for common birth defect An international collaboration between scientists in Sweden, Russia, and the United States has resulted in the successful engineering of new diaphragm tissue in rats using a mixture of stem cells and a 3D scaffold. When transplanted, it has regrown with the same complex mechanical properties of diaphragm muscle. The study is published in the journal Biomaterials, and offers hope of a cure for a common birth defect and possible future heart muscle repairs.
Magnesium ions show promise in slowing progression of Alzheimer's disease in mice New research published in the December 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal, shows that in mouse models of the disease oral administration of magnesium-L-threonate (MgT) alleviated cognitive decline by suppressing the Aβ deposition in amyloid plaques in an APH-1α/1β-dependent manner. Although questions still remain about how MgT permeates the blood-brain barrier, the work suggests that scientists may have found the key to a new series of Alzheimer's disease treatments. Specifically, they show that magnesium ions target pharynx defective (APH)-APH-1α/1β-suppressing the A? deposition in amyloid plaques in an anterior pharynx defective (APH)-APH-1α/1β-dependent manner.
	Report: Drug maker was focused on profits, not patients The makers of a breakthrough hepatitis drug put profits before patients in pricing the $1,000 pill that's become a symbol of the excessive cost of medications, Senate investigators said Tuesday.
	Novel peptide enhances natural mechanism to protect brain cells following cardiac arrest A novel peptide appears to enhance a natural mechanism for protecting stressed brain cells and improve cognitive function following cardiac arrest, scientists report.
	Study 'opens gate' to understanding depression A new scientific model that incorporates the myriad drivers of depression could lead to more precise treatment for an illness that affects 350 million worldwide.
	Cognitive-behavioral stress management in breast cancer Newly published research from a National Cancer Institute-funded randomized trial shows that women who were provided with skills to manage stress early in their breast cancer treatment show greater length of survival and longer time till disease recurrence over eight to 15 years after their original diagnosis.
Antibody for severe hemophilia a may reduce injections needed to prevent bleeding An antibody engineered to prevent excessive bleeding in patients with severe hemophilia A may be safe and effective, and require fewer injections than existing options, according to a first-in-human study of the treatment published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
Underage drinkers' brand preferences vary by race, age, study finds Bud Light and Budweiser—are uniformly popular among underage drinkers, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, while certain other brands appear to have a unique appeal to African-American youth drinkers, according to a new study headed by Boston University School of Public Health researchers.
	A change of stomach: The feasibility of healthy eating campaigns in rural areas The promotion of healthy eating habits is an important issue across the United States, but research into it has largely been confined to urban areas. But one Drexel professor believes that interventions in the country can reach a significant swath of people.
Type 2 diabetes reversed by losing fat from pancreas A team from Newcastle University, UK, has shown that Type 2 diabetes is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas—and that losing less than one gram of that fat through weight loss reverses the diabetes.
Inequalities in alcohol-related mortality in Europe Alcohol-related conditions are an important contributing factor to the socioeconomic inequality in total mortality in many European countries, according to a study published this week in PLOS Medicine. The database analysis, conducted by Johan Mackenbach at Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and colleagues indicates that in some countries, alcohol-related causes account for 10% or more of the socioeconomic inequality in total mortality among men.
	Blood levels of Ebola virus are predictive of death The levels of virus in the blood (viremia) for patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD) are strong predictors of fatality, according to a study published in PLOS Medicine this week. The study, conducted by the teams of Amadou Alpha Sall (Institut Pasteur, Dakar, Senegal) and of Simon Cauchemez (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France) and scientists from Guinea and Canada, found that in the week following symptom onset, viremia remained stable, and that the case fatality ratio (CFR, the proportion of deaths from the disease to total cases) increased with level of viremia.
	A compensation system for vaccine injuries is needed for diseases such as Ebola As one part of a comprehensive plan to promote vaccine development for diseases of poverty, such as Ebola, there needs to be a plan to lessen the risks of litigation and liability and ensure recipients of vaccines are fairly compensated in the rare instances that they are harmed. A compensation system for vaccine injuries, based on no-fault principles and, most likely, overseen by the World Bank, could represent a solution to this problem argue Amir Attaran and Kumanan Wilson of the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in a Policy Forum article published this week in PLOS Medicine.
	Clozapine benefits those with tx-resistant schizophrenia (HealthDay)—Clozapine reduces symptoms in patients with schizophrenia who don't benefit from other antipsychotic medications, according to research published online Nov. 6 in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
	FACE-Q scales can assess patient perspective of rhinoplasty (HealthDay)—The FACE-Q rhinoplasty scales can be used to assess patient perspective of rhinoplasty outcome, according to research published online Nov. 25 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Factors ID'd for fine needle aspiration diagnostic accuracy (HealthDay)—Factors that can independently predict fine needle aspiration (FNA) diagnosis for follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC) as suspicious malignancy or malignant have been identified, according to research published online Nov. 18 in Head & Neck.
	HIV prevention pill may not need to be taken daily (HealthDay)—New research suggests that men at risk for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can benefit from a preventive medication taken before and after sex instead of every day.
	New diabetes cases among Americans drop for first time in decades: CDC (HealthDay)—In a sign that Americans may finally be turning the corner in the fight against diabetes—and possibly obesity—federal health statistics released Tuesday show that the number of new cases of diabetes has dropped for the first time in decades.
	Sleep apnea devices lower blood pressure (HealthDay)—For those suffering from sleep apnea, the disrupted sleep and reduction of oxygen getting to the brain can contribute to high blood pressure, but the two common treatments for the condition both lower blood pressure, Swiss researchers report.
Herniated disks in children and teens linked to lower spine malformations Most children and adolescents with herniated disks in the lower (lumbar) spine have some sort of malformation of the spinal vertebrae, reports a study in the December issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Clinical workstations: An overlooked reservoir for deadly bacteria? Clinical workstations within hospital intensive care units (ICUs) may get overlooked during routine cleanings and could therefore harbor more dangerous bacteria than regularly cleaned objects in patient areas, according to a pilot study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
Antidepressant medication protects against compounds linked to dementia In addition to treating depression, a commonly used antidepressant medication also protects against compounds that can cause memory loss and dementia, a Loyola University Medical Center study has found.
New tools yield superior genome analysis results Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed and publicly released new data analysis software that could help genomics researchers identify genetic drivers of disease with greater efficiency and accuracy. These tools were published yesterday in PLoS Computational Biology and on November 25th in Scientific Reports, a Nature publication.
Complete surgical excision is the most effective treatment for breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma The optimal treatment approach for most women with breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BI-ALCL) is complete surgical excision of the implant and surrounding capsule, according to an international study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
	Exploring new paths for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (Edmonton) Research from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is trailblazing a potential new pathway for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The research, published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, examines a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce inflammation in the brain—a key contributing factor to the muscle disability associated with multiple sclerosis.
	Study reveals new mechanism in nicotine addiction Part of the reason people find smoking difficult to quit is that each time they have a cigarette, feelings of craving, irritability and anxiety melt away. This component of addiction is known as negative reward and is controlled in part by a region of the brain called the habenula. The neurotransmitters acetylcholine and glutamate are thought to influence nicotine dependence in the habenula, but the molecular details of this regulation are unclear.
	Why online doctor ratings are good medicine A growing number of health consumers are consulting online physician-rating sites when choosing doctors even if the value of those sites—whether they're reliable sources for information, or capable of driving improvements in health care—is in dispute.
Study launched by STSI uses wearable sensors to detect AFib Researchers at the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) have launched a home-based clinical trial that uses wearable sensor technology to identify people with asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AFib).
New York state adding $200M more to $2.5B fight against AIDS New York will dedicate $200 million more to its effort to end the AIDS epidemic by 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.
Indonesia's Papua battles AIDS epidemic Fifteen-year-old Adina curls up in bed under a sheet, her body ravaged by AIDS, one of many caught up in an epidemic sweeping Indonesia's eastern Papua region.
British junior doctors call off planned strike Junior doctors in Britain called off a planned strike on Monday after last-minute talks with ministers, the British Medical Association (BMA) said.
Mosquitos spread microcephaly disease in Brazil Cases of microcephaly, which causes babies to be born with small heads, are skyrocketing in Brazil and the discovery that mosquitoes carry the disease means there are few ways to stop it, officials said Monday.
'Botched' India cataract surgery leaves 15 with sight loss At least 15 people in northern India have lost the sight in one eye after having "botched" cataract surgery, local officials told AFP Tuesday.
	New technology to project expansive virtual reality images to reduce MRI anxiety Toshiba Corporation and Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation have developed a technology for displaying expansive virtual reality images inside the bore of MRI systems. High reality images are projected onto a dome-shaped screen (dome screen) in the bore to take the patient's attention away from the actual examination space. This new technology is a reference exhibit at the 101st Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA 2015, November 29 to December 4, Chicago).
	Russia HIV infection bucks trends as World Aids Day marked On a frigid evening on the outskirts of Moscow, two HIV-prevention activists unzip backpacks, pull out packs of hypodermic needles and start discretely approaching people leaving a nearby pharmacy with an offer that could save their lives.
Study suggests new strategy for treating rare neurodegenerative disorder menkes disease Treatments for Menkes disease, an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a deficiency in copper, focus on delivering copper to the brain. The disease arises from dysfunction in ATP7A, a protein that transports copper to cells, and introducing working versions of the protein in the brain is considered the most direct therapeutic approach. However, a new study published in the American Physiological Society—Cell Physiology suggests that functioning ATP7A located elsewhere in the body, not necessarily the entire brain, can help treat the disorder.
Treating Machado Joseph Disease; a new approach to an old problem Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that destroys the brain areas involved in muscle control. Although the disease is clearly caused by a mutation in the ATXN3 gene resulting in an abnormal ataxin-3 protein that forms toxic aggregates in the brain, the mechanism of MJD development is unclear. And despite decades of research no cure or treatment has been found. But now, a study in the journal Brain by researchers from University of Coimbra in Portugal reports a new approach to solve this old problem, finding a treatment that can reverse the disease's neural damage and its symptoms in several animal models of MJD. The treatment restores normal levels of a molecule involved in protein regulation that is abnormally low in animals and human patients with MJD. Although much work needs to be done to see if this type of therapy could be applied to MJD patients, these are promising results, and the appr! oach could be used in similar neurodegenerative diseases.
	Timely child mortality estimates are a critical tool Evaluating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals has been at the top of the global public health agenda, and work to develop plans for monitoring the goals beyond 2015 and strengthening accountability for women's and children's health are already under way. As a part of these efforts, there are increasing demands for measurement of short-term changes in mortality among children less than five years of age in low- and middle-income countries.
	USDA takes a fresh look at the calorie content of walnuts A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that one serving of walnuts (1oz) may provide 146 calories, which is 39 calories less, or 21 percent fewer, than the 185 calories listed in the USDA Nutrient Database. (1) The study takes into account the digestibility of walnut pieces and halves, and further research is needed to better understand the results of the study and how this technique for calculating calories could potentially affect the calorie count of other foods. The research was led by Dr. David J. Baer, PhD, Supervisory Research Physiologist at the Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
	Group funded by Coke to fight obesity disbanding A nonprofit funded by the Coca-Cola Co. to combat obesity is disbanding following revelations about the beverage maker's involvement with the group.
	Classes help older drivers sharpen their skills Joe Minerva has been driving since 1946. He's a skilled and disciplined driver and he's never been in an accident.
A risk management plan for functional imaging in cancer clinical trials In a paper appearing in Lancet Oncology, researchers representing the European Organisation of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), the European Society of Radiology (ESR), and the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) laid the foundation for discussions aimed at improving the implementation and utilization of imaging biomarkers in cancer clinical trials.
UN: Polio outbreak in Ukraine is a state of emergency The World Health Organization is urging Ukraine's health ministry to declare a state of emergency due to a polio outbreak, a move meant to prompt more action from the government in Kiev.
Free new tool for health providers to manage symptoms of AIDS Millions of people are now living with—rather than dying from—HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa due to combination drug therapies. But the vast majority struggle to manage the many disabilities caused by this disease and its treatment. Today, University of Toronto researchers and their partners in Zambia, Kenya, South Africa and Canada launched a free website to help health workers improve the quality of life of adults and children living with HIV throughout Africa.
New telemedicine system Tell A Sleep Doc expands patient access to sleep care Today the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) announced that sleep medicine practices nationwide now can sign up for Tell A Sleep Doc, a new state-of-the-art telemedicine platform that will dramatically increase patient access to high quality health care provided by board-certified sleep medicine physicians and accredited sleep centers. Sleep practices that sign up for Tell A Sleep Doc in December will have time to become familiar with all of the system's features prior to its public launch on Jan. 4, 2016.
	Breastfeeding is key component of World Bank's new 'Power of Nutrition' fund Greater use of breastfeeding could transform the health and economy of developing countries according to the World Bank. The potential impact of investments to promote breastfeeding and reduce undernutrition, especially during the critical first two years of a child's life, are examined in the article, "The Power of Nutrition and the Power of Breastfeeding", published in Breastfeeding Medicine, the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
Legionnaires' disease bacteria found at hotel; one guest died The bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was found in rooms of a hotel in a popular Missouri tourist town associated with Mark Twain, and health officials said Tuesday that one of three people who contracted the disease after staying there has died.
After hip-replacement surgery, medication use decreases A new study, published November 15, in the journal Pain provides information on the trajectories of prescription drug use before and after hip-replacement surgery—total hip arthroplasty (THA), one of the most common types of joint replacement surgery. Hip-replacement surgery is commonly followed by long-term reductions in the use of prescription drugs for pain and insomnia. But use of these medications increases during the year before hip replacement—and jumps even higher in the period immediately after surgery, according to Dr. Tone Blågestad of the University of Bergen, Norway, and colleagues.
Study begins in Kenya for recently-approved pediatric HIV treatment The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has begun an implementation study of a recently-approved paediatric antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in order to address the urgent need for better medicines for children living with HIV. This study, which has begun in Kenya, is an important step towards DNDi's ultimate goal of developing, together with the Indian generic pharmaceutical company Cipla Ltd and in partnership with UNITAID, improved and easy-to-take combinations of the key HIV medicines children need to survive into adulthood.
	How does your garden grow? For cancer patients, small gardens could bring big benefits The benefits of health nature-based activities are well-known; many programmes encourage cancer patients to tend gardens to improve psychological health. But nature isn't always accessible, particularly for cancer patients who are frail or disadvantaged. (And it can take a lifetime of gardening experience to find joy in a garden in winter.)
HIV diagnoses hit record low in New York The number of new HIV diagnoses in New York has hit a record low after falling nearly 40 percent in the last decade, city authorities said Tuesday.

Biology news

	China 'clone factory' scientist eyes human replication The Chinese scientist behind the world's biggest cloning factory has technology advanced enough to replicate humans, he told AFP, and is only holding off for fear of the public reaction.
	Trap-jaw ants exhibit previously unseen jumping behavior A species of trap-jaw ant has been found to exhibit a previously unseen jumping behavior, using its legs rather than its powerful jaws. The discovery makes this species, Odontomachus rixosus, the only species of ant that can jump with either its legs or its mandibles.
	Scientists debate boundaries, ethics of human gene editing Rewriting your DNA is getting closer to reality: A revolutionary technology is opening new frontiers for genetic engineering—a promise of cures for intractable diseases along with anxiety about designer babies.
	Which came first—the sponge or the comb jelly? Bristol study reaffirms classical view of early animal evolution. Whether sponges or comb jellies (also known as sea gooseberries) represent the oldest extant animal phylum is of crucial importance to our understanding of early animal evolution.
	Scientists overcome key CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing hurdle Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT have engineered changes to the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system that significantly cut down on "off-target" editing errors. The refined technique addresses one of the major technical issues in the use of genome editing.
	Study finds 'rudimentary' empathy in macaques (Phys.org)—A pair of researchers with Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université Lyon, in France has conducted a study that has shown that macaques have at least some degree of empathy towards their fellow cage mates. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Sebastien Ballesta and Jean-René Duhamela describe the experiments they carried out and why they believe the results suggest that macaques are aware of the emotional state of other macaques and express empathy towards them under certain circumstances.
	Theory of 'smart' plants may explain the evolution of global ecosystems It's easy to think of plants as passive features of their environments, doing as the land prescribes, serving as a backdrop to the bustling animal kingdom.
	Dead-easy test to tackle parasites Science has a new weapon in the global war against parasitic worms that kill hundreds of thousands or people annually: xWORM.
	Central America tests drought-resistant 'miracle' beans "These beans are miraculous because they beat droughts," crowed Manuel Ceren, a farmer in El Salvador trying out a hybrid, climate change-defying crop produced by Salvadoran, Colombian and Honduran experts.
	New technology selects high-affinity proteins Kobe University and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan have developed a technology enabling the selection of proteins with a high affinity for drug target molecules (also proteins) on cell membranes. This discovery will advance research targeting membrane proteins linked to diseases such as cancer, and therefore has potential applications in the development of new biopharmaceuticals. The results of this research were published in the British science journal Scientific Reports on 19th November 2015 at 10am GMT.
	Better microbial genome binning with metaBAT DOE JGI researchers have developed an automated tool called MetaBAT that automatically groups large genomic fragments assembled from metagenome sequences to reconstruct single microbial genomes.
	Growing stem cells faster on seaweed Alginate forms a kind of supporting skeleton in the cell walls of certain kinds of algae. Fraunhofer scientists use the gel-like mass from Chilean seaweed as the substrate for stem cells. They can flexibly adjust the pore size and elasticity of the alginate, and it transports active ingredients and has better optical characteristics than plastic materials.
	Global warming won't stop the 'green cancer' from spreading With its enormous green and purple leaves, the South American miconia tree is invading botanic gardens all around the world on account of its beauty. This plant, however, is called the 'green cancer' for its ability to infest new territories. A new study that has identified 91 countries at risk for invasion by this plant warns that the plant's expansion in infested areas will not be negatively affected by a rise in temperatures.
New research targets efficient renewable chemical production New research led by a biochemist from the University of Lincoln, UK, will aim to improve the production of an important renewable chemical used in many well-known products.
	New technique reveals causes of ageing in yeast University of Groningen scientists have designed a unique experiment to study ageing in yeast cells. By following molecular processes inside ageing yeast, they discovered that an overproduction of the proteins needed to make new proteins could be the root cause of the cellular processes that eventually kill the cells. Their results have been published online in the journal eLife.
	Viruses, too, are our fingerprint A group of researchers from the University of Helsinki and the University of Edinburgh have been the first to find the genetic material of a human virus from old human bones. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study analysed the skeletal remains of Second World War casualties from the battlefields of Karelia.
	To kill a wolf spider: Further observation of a spider wasp larva growing on its host Having been attacked, paralysed and implanted with a wasp egg to its belly, a wolf spider carries on with its life fully mobile and active. At least, until it is time for the larva to reach out for its first solid meal at a certain development stage. The present study, conducted by a Brazilian team of scientists, led by PhD student Hebert da Silva Souza, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Sao Paulo, and published in the open-access Journal of Hymenoptera Research, follows the entire cycle of larval development from the egg laying through the formation of a full-grown wasp.
	Early progress reported in designing drugs that target 'disordered' proteins St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified a small, drug-like molecule that inhibits the function of a "disordered" protein in research that may advance a novel approach to hearing restoration. The study appeared recently in the journal Scientific Reports.
Share the care: Long-tailed tits show coordinated parenting is beneficial for chicks Long-tailed tits are more successful at raising young when they alternate their feeding trips, scientists from the University of Sheffield have found.
	Parasitic tapeworm influences behavior and lifespan of uninfected members of ant colonies Ants are quite often infected by parasites. For example, tapeworms use ants as intermediate hosts for a part of their development phase before they complete their life cycle in their main host. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have now discovered that such parasites not only change the appearance and behavior of infected ants but also have an effect on the behavior of uninfected members of the colony.
	Japan fleet sets sail for Antarctic whale hunt A Japanese whaling fleet set sail for the Antarctic on Tuesday, on a mission to resume the slaughter after a one-year pause, with environmentalists slamming the move as a "crime against nature".
	Driving metabolic pathways on with sunlight Most life forms are directly or indirectly dependent on photosynthesis. The question is, can we exploit sunlight more broadly than in carbohydrate production, making it effectively a synthetic biology part? As an answer to this, a research group from University of Copenhagen published an article on using photosynthetic electrons to drive cytochrome P450 enzymes in cyanobacteria.
	A radical signal to the progeny In biology, free radicals are often regarded as the source of all evil and the major cause of molecular damage and aging. However, free radicals are indispensable as signaling molecules governing important functions in the body. Sasha De Henau, a researcher at the Biology Department of Ghent University in Belgium recently discovered a globin protein in the roundworm model Caenorhabditis elegans that is able to generate such free radical signals.
	Rare Amazonian butterfly named after British national treasure Sir David Attenborough A beautiful new Black-eyed Satyr species has become the first butterfly named in honour of the popular naturalist and TV presenter Sir David Attenborough. Although not the first animal to be named after the British national treasure, the butterfly is so rare that it is known only from lowland tropical forests of the upper Amazon basin in Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. The study, conducted by an international team of researchers, led by Andrew F. E. Neild, Natural History Museum, London, and Shinichi Nakahara, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity and Entomology & Nematology Department, University of Florida, is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
	Hundreds of whales found dead in Chile More than 300 whales have been found washed up in a remote inlet in Patagonia in southern Chile in one of the largest die-offs on record, researchers said Tuesday.

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