Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Nov 1

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 1, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Is shotgun marriage dead?

New theory debunks consensus that math abilities are innate

Food supply—not 'live fast, die young' mentality—makes male crickets chirpy

The effectiveness of 3-D camouflage

Researchers develop a system for adaptive live imaging of large living organisms

Scientists prove how genetics change behavior by studying worms' foraging strategies

Researchers find way to increase scanning speed

Purple bacteria shine path to super-efficient light harvesting

Mathematical analysis offers clues on timing of flu outbreaks

Researchers find protein target to knock out herpesvirus RNA transport

Antimicrobial found to calm inflamed gut in mice

Babies' first gestures are a key sign of how they'll talk

New tech uses electricity to track water, ID potential problems in concrete

Short RNA molecules mapped in single cell

Creating a slippery slope on the surface of medical implants

Astronomy & Space news

	New instrument could search for signatures of life on Mars A sensing technique that the U.S. military currently uses to remotely monitor the air to detect potentially life-threatening chemicals, toxins, and pathogens has inspired a new instrument that could "sniff" for life on Mars and other targets in the solar system—the Bio-Indicator Lidar Instrument, or BILI.
	Image: NASA's SDO catches a lunar transit From SDO's point of view, the sun appears to be shaking slightly – but not because the solar observatory was spooked by this near-Halloween sight.
	SwRI flips switch on LAMP in lunar orbit A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) team successfully opened a "failsafe" door on the Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) instrument in lunar orbit, improving the quality of ultraviolet (UV) data it collects. The door, one of LAMP's few moving parts, operated flawlessly, even after orbiting the moon for seven years onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), providing LAMP more UV exposure for LRO's extended mission.

Technology news

	New tech uses electricity to track water, ID potential problems in concrete Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Eastern Finland have developed a new technique for tracking water in concrete structures - allowing engineers to identify potential issues before they become big problems.
	3-D-printed permanent magnets outperform conventional versions, conserve rare materials Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated that permanent magnets produced by additive manufacturing can outperform bonded magnets made using traditional techniques while conserving critical materials.
	Hitting back at hackers: debate swirls on how far to go After a seemingly endless barrage of cyberattacks, debate is heating up on hitting back at hackers where it hurts.
	China's J-20 stealth fighter makes public air show debut China's J-20 stealth fighter made its public debut at an air show on Tuesday, in the latest sign of the growing sophistication of the country's military technology.
China's cybersecurity draft law targets foreign hackers Chinese authorities could freeze assets and take other actions against foreign hackers threatening the country's infrastructure under a revised draft of a new cybersecurity law.
	Sony H1 net profit dives 78% on strong yen, battery unit sale Sony said on Tuesday its fiscal first half net profit dived owing to a sharp rally in the yen and losses linked to the sale of its battery business.
	Tablet market shrinks as demand grows for hybrids The tablet market shrank in the recently-ended quarter, as shipments of bargain-priced computers with detachable screens hit a record high, according to market analysis firm International Data Corporation.
	Licensing deal ends years-long German YouTube battle Streaming video platform YouTube on Tuesday said it had reached a deal with German music licensing organisation GEMA, ending a years-long battle that blocked users from watching many videos.
	Researchers look at ways to improve Pennsylvania bridges Every day, millions of Pennsylvania motorists drive on or under one of the Commonwealth's more than 22,000 bridges without ever thinking about its safety and durability.
	Sensors monitor Sweden's bridges – and even enable them to tweet Bridge collapses are rare, but there have been enough of them to raise concerns in some parts of the world that their condition is not sufficiently monitored. In Sweden however, researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology are taking a hi-tech approach to the country's aging infrastructure, with sensors that detect wear and tear on bridges - as it's happening.
	Researchers create technology to detect bad bots in social media When you check your Twitter feed, do you assume there is a real person behind each Tweet that is posted or shared? After all, there is a name and a photo, so it must be a real person behind the words, right?
	Driverless shuttlebus undergoes trial in South Perth No longer science fiction, Australia's first fully driverless, electric shuttlebus—the RAC Intellibus—has begun trials along the South Perth foreshore.
	How to ensure smart cities benefit everyone By 2030, 60 percent of the world's population is expected to live in mega-cities. How all those people live, and what their lives are like, will depend on important choices leaders make today and in the coming years.
Germany: Clock ticking for Facebook to act over hate speech Facebook and Twitter have months to improve their response to online hate speech in Germany or face legal measures, the country's justice minister said Tuesday.
	Nuclear CSI: Noninvasive procedure could identify criminal nuclear activity Determining if an individual has handled nuclear materials, such as uranium or plutonium, is a challenge national defense agencies currently face. The standard protocol to detect uranium exposure is through a urine sample; however, urine is able to only identify those who have been exposed recently. Now, scientists at the University of Missouri have developed procedures that will better identify individuals exposed to uranium within one year. Scientists and homeland security experts believe this noninvasive procedure could identify individuals who may be smuggling nuclear materials for criminal purposes.
Thomson Reuters cuts jobs as profits slip Thomson Reuters announced a new "streamlining" plan on Tuesday to cut an estimated 2,000 jobs at the financial information group as it reported flat revenues and a drop in profits.
	UK in $2.3 bn plan to 'strike back' at hackers Finance minister Philip Hammond on Tuesday warned Britain will "strike back" against states hacking into strategic networks in order to avoid a military showdown, as part of a new cyber-defence plan.
	Facebook-owned Instagram getting into shopping Instagram on Tuesday said it will start testing features that let smartphone or tablet users easily buy items they find on the popular photo and video sharing service.
Who's Driving app aims to help parents in need of a carpool Busy parents who know the difficulties of arranging carpools for their kids now have a new application, Who's Driving, to help.
Former Facebook Live manager bets on more private video sharing with Alively Vadim Lavrusik tried to send a video of his son celebrating his first birthday to family in Minnesota, but the process didn't exactly go smoothly.
	Technological, regulatory, economic, and environmental underpinnings of microgrids Microgrids are spreading globally, driven by technological, regulatory, economic, and environmental factors. Siemens helps build and get the best from these modern energy systems.
	Saudi minister hails 'bold' fund deal with Japan's SoftBank The Saudi energy minister said Tuesday that a multi-billion-dollar technology investment fund the kingdom is developing in partnership with Japan's SoftBank showed its determination to diversify its economy.
	Newspaper deal falls apart as Gannett gives up on Tronc USA Today publisher Gannett walked away Tuesday from its attempted takeover of Tronc, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other major dailies.

Medicine & Health news

	New theory debunks consensus that math abilities are innate A new theory regarding how the brain first learns basic math could alter approaches to identifying and teaching students with math learning disabilities. Published in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences journal, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers offer a better understanding of how, when and why people grasp every day math skills.
	Scientists prove how genetics change behavior by studying worms' foraging strategies "Organisms pay attention to what other members of their species are doing," says Cori Bargmann, a neuroscientist at Rockefeller University. "It's a very robust phenomenon that you see from humans on Twitter to bacteria, and everything in between."
	Antimicrobial found to calm inflamed gut in mice (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with the University of California has found that introducing a type of antimicrobial protein called a microcin into the guts of mice with inflamed bowels caused a reduction in the degree of inflammation. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes their study of the use of the protein in mice and their evidence that microcins intercede in the relationship between different types of bacteria in the gut.
	Babies' first gestures are a key sign of how they'll talk Babies' first gestures are a reliable indicator of how their language will develop, according to new research to be highlighted at the ESRC Festival of Social Science. Understanding these early behaviours gives parents the opportunity to help support their child's later progress in communicating.
	Schizophrenic stem cells do not differentiate properly into neurons Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have used human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to identify a characteristic of abnormal brain development in schizophrenia. Published in Translational Psychiatry, the study shows how deletion of a specific gene known to be associated with schizophrenia leads to abnormal differentiation of neurons and an imbalance between the number of neurons and astrocytes in the brain.
	The dark side of 'junk' DNA: Repeating DNA sequences play a role in bone cancer The stretches of DNA between genes, littered with repeating sequences, were once considered the "junk of the genome," but scientists are learning that some of this junk is far from harmless clutter.
	Study explains factors that influence the timing of infectious disease outbreaks The delay between the time when a disease outbreak becomes possible and when it actually happens depends chiefly on how frequently infection is introduced to the population and how quickly the number of cases caused by a single individual increases, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
	Researchers developing new interactive sleep app There are plenty of cellphone apps on the market designed to help people monitor their sleep patterns. The apps generally record data on when people go to bed and when they wake, and many use the device's microphone and accelerometer to take note of noises in the night and to monitor how much people toss and turn.
	Most under age 35 say e-cigs are safer, study aims to find out Most Americans under age 35 think that using electronic cigarettes does not cause as much damage lung health as compared with traditional cigarettes, according to the results of a new national consumer survey.
Mechanism of an effective MEK inhibitor identified Understanding the effects of certain targeted therapies on antitumor immunity is necessary to design combined interventions for more effective cancer treatment. In the past, data have shown that trametinib, an FDA-approved MEK inhibitor routinely administered to patients with melanoma and currently being studied to treat a number of other types of cancer, inhibits T cell responses in vitro, but is effective in some tumor models in vivo.
Combination therapy improved chemoresistance in ovarian cancer Treating ovarian cancer with platinum-based chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin is initially very effective, with about four out of five patients responding favorably. However, most of these patients quickly become resistant to chemotherapy and may not respond as well to this standard treatment for the disease.
Young adults' problem drinking may have lasting health effects Young adults with symptoms of alcohol dependence may see health effects late in life—even decades after conquering their problem drinking, according to a study in the November 2016 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Confusing food labels place consumers with food allergy at risk A study found that consumers with food allergy concerns often misunderstand food labels about allergens that say "may contain" or "manufactured on shared equipment." While they should avoid such products to prevent what could be a serious allergic reaction, up to 40 percent bought food items with precautionary allergen labels.
	New survey shows obesity ties cancer as top health threat Americans take obesity as seriously as cancer, and say it's an even bigger health threat than heart disease, the nation's leading killer, yet most do not go beyond traditional diets or involve doctors in their largely unsuccessful personal struggles against the disease, according to a new survey by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the independent research organization, NORC at the University of Chicago. The findings were released here during ObesityWeek 2016, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity.
Beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid, inhibits nicotine-linked lung cancer development in mice Beta-cryptoxanthin (BCX), a carotenoid pigment compound found primarily in plants, reduces the number and invasiveness of tumors in mouse and cell models of lung cancer, report scientists from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (USDA HNRCA). The findings were published in the November issue of Cancer Prevention Research.
	Simple questionnaire predicts unprotected sex, binge drinking Researchers in the social sciences have been searching for a holy grail: an accurate way to predict who is likely to engage in problematic behavior, like using drugs. Over the years experts in economics, psychology and public health have designed hundreds of questionnaires in an attempt to understand who will binge drink or have unprotected sex – and why.
	Intense awakenings during the night may contribute to sleep apnoea Researchers from Neuroscience Research Australia have identified a potential new cause for obstructive sleep apnoea. Specifically, how 'intensely' a person wakes during the night.
	Does your empathy predict if you would stop and help an injured person? If you see an injured person by the side of the road, would you stop and help them, or are you more likely to walk on by? What motivates people to do good in such a situation?
	Three-tier collaboration between eye professionals could reduce vision loss The number of cases of macular disease without a clear diagnosis could be halved under an innovative system that first refers patients to an optometrist, UNSW research shows.
	Why you shouldn't blame lying on the brain The recent finding that telling lies induces changes in the brain has stimulated a number of misrepresentations that may wreak more harm on our understanding than the lies on which they report. CNN's headline runs, "Lying May Be Your Brain's Fault, Honestly," and PBS reports, "Telling a Lie Makes Way for the Brain to Keep Lying."
Eating dairy cheese may protect against sodium-related health risks Consuming dairy cheese instead of other sodium-laden foods may actually protect against some of sodium's effects on the cardiovascular system, such as high blood pressure, according to researchers at Penn State.
Strategy-based training may improve brain health in bipolar patients A new study from the Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas shows that strategy-based reasoning training may improve brain health in those with bipolar disorder.
	Rehearsing a speech to a virtual audience increases confidence Giving a speech or presentation to an audience can be nerve-wracking. To practice, you can either imagine an audience or enlist a few friends or acquaintances. But these practice scenarios are far from the reality of an audience made up of different characters, emotions and interests. Ni Kang observed the behavior of a group of people listening to speeches and developed a virtual audience for speakers to practise on. On Wednesday, 2 November, she will obtain her doctorate on the subject of 'public speaking in virtual reality' at TU Delft.
	How to break the junk food habit Do you find yourself craving ice cream, intoxicated by an image of french fries or unable to resist the candy jar at a co-worker's desk?
	The brain's multi-track road to long-term memory Our brain has a tough task every time we experience something new – it must be flexible to take in new information instantly, but also stable enough to store it for a long time. And new memories may not be allowed to alter or overwrite old ones. The brain solves this problem by storing new information in two separate places – the hippocampus, a short-term storage site with high plasticity and capacity that can absorb information quickly; and in a part of the cerebral cortex, the neocortex. This is slower to take in the information, but protects it for the long term and does not allow it to be overwritten. Researchers from the Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology at the University of Tübingen have been working with colleagues from Munich to discover how these two systems work together as we learn. Their findings have been published in the latest issue of PNAS.
	The key to a better mood for young men is walnuts College can be a stressful time for young adults as they figure out how to manage intense daily routines that include work, study and play. Eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep is a familiar mantra to alleviate this stress, but now with the results of his latest study, UNM Nutrition Professor Peter Pribis is able to tell college students that walnuts could be a key to a happier state-of-mind.
	Being fit protects against health risks caused by stress at work It is a well-known fact that fitness and well-being go hand in hand. But being in good shape also protects against the health problems that arise when we feel particularly stressed at work. As reported by sports scientists from the University of Basel and colleagues from Sweden, it therefore pays to stay physically active, especially during periods of high stress.
How autoimmune disease is prevented—mechanism discovered A previously unknown safety mechanism in our immune system keeps the body free from autoimmune diseases. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have discovered that a cell in our inherited immune system can prevent our adaptive (learned) immune system from reacting to the body's native cells, which can otherwise lead to autoimmune diseases such as SLE. The study is published in the academic journal Nature Immunology.
Structural deficits may explain mood-independent cognitive difficulties in bipolar disorder A new study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reports a link between reduced functional activation and reduced cortical thickness in the brains of patients with bipolar disorder. The abnormalities were found in patients not currently experiencing depression or mania, which suggests that there is a structural basis for altered neural processing that may help explain why cognitive deficits persist even during periods of normal mood.
	Lois Lane would identify Clark Kent as Superman by his body language Researchers from the University of Aberdeen have found evidence that suggests that superheroes would be identifiable as their alter-ego personalities due to their unique body movements.
	Fruits and vegetables may slow amyotrophic lateral sclerosis New research at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health reveals that foods like fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidant nutrients and carotenoids are associated with better function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients around the time of diagnosis. This is among the first studies to evaluate diet in association with ALS function and the first to show that healthy nutrients and antioxidants are associated with better ALS functioning. The findings are published online in JAMA Neurology.
	Diabetes study finds that cutting nerves to the kidneys improves insulin resistance Incapacitating specific nerves to the kidneys improves the work of insulin on another organ, the liver, according to research from Cedars-Sinai recently published in the journal Diabetes.
	Cancer to kill 5.5 mn women a year by 2030: report Cancer will kill 5.5 million women—about the population of Denmark—per year by 2030, a near 60-percent increase in less than two decades, a report said Tuesday.
	Simple food additive slows E. coli poisoning Polysorbate, a safe additive found in everything from ice cream to cosmetics, has been proven to slow the toxic effects of E. coli poisoning.
Healthy living linked to higher brain function, delay of dementia It's tempting to dip into the leftover Halloween treats, but new research out of York University has found eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, combined with regular exercise, leads to better cognitive functioning for younger and older adults, and may delay the onset of dementia.
Could targeting a gene linked to microcephaly lead to a better brain cancer treatment? University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have identified a potential new treatment for brain cancer by learning from a rare condition that can cause microcephaly.
	Scientists discover the 'switch' that makes breast cancer cells aggressive A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has established novel insights into the relationship between breast cancer tumour intracellular redox environment and the cancer cells' ability to become invasive.
Study raises concerns about timely follow-up to positive mammogram for the uninsured A study by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers has found that younger, uninsured women in North Carolina had higher odds of missing a 60-day window for getting follow-up after an abnormal mammogram, even though research underscores the importance of timely follow-up.
Orthopaedic surgeons use new patient-focused measures to assess outcomes Orthopaedists traditionally rely on X-rays, MRI, CT scans, physical measurements, and functional tests for patient outcomes assessments, but this is changing thanks to new technology that communicates ongoing, real-time outcomes feedback from patients, according to research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS).
Gene therapy for blistering skin disease appears to enhance healing in clinical trial Grafting sheets of a patient's genetically corrected skin to open wounds caused by the blistering skin disease epidermolysis bullosa appears to be well-tolerated and improves wound healing, according to a phase-1 clinical trial conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Prescription of psychotropic medication after prison release linked to lower rate of violent reoffending Among released prisoners in Sweden, rates of violent reoffending were lower during periods when individuals were dispensed antipsychotics, psychostimulants, and drugs for addictive disorders, compared with periods in which they were not dispensed these medications, according to a study appearing in the November 1 issue of JAMA.
No association found between Tdap vaccination during pregnancy and microcephaly, structural birth In an analyses that included more than 300,000 births, tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine administration during pregnancy was not significantly associated with increased risk for microcephaly or for structural birth defects in offspring, according to a study appearing in the November 1 issue of JAMA.
	Combined training may prevent falls associated with Parkinson's and other disorders A combination of virtual reality and treadmill training may prove effective in preventing dangerous falls associated with aging, Parkinson's disease, mild cognitive impairment or dementia, according to a new Tel Aviv University-Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (TASMC) study published in The Lancet.
	Why you need a flu shot now (HealthDay)—Flu season is just about here, and now's the time to protect yourself with a flu shot, doctors say.
	PCI noninferior to CABG for left main coronary artery disease (HealthDay)—For patients with left main coronary artery disease, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with everolimus-eluting stents is noninferior to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), according to a study published online Oct. 31 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research was published to coincide with the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics 2016 meeting, held from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 in Washington, D.C.
Do rich people really not care about anyone? Rich people. They're nothing like us. They've got more money, more things and, according to a recent study, less time to waste on simply noticing other people.
Can too much Halloween candy kill you? If you've inhaled so many "fun size" Halloween candies that you feel like you could die, scientists have some good news: That is extremely unlikely.
Why some of us crave fear Each Halloween, we are reminded that we are a nation divided.
	Do home remedies for the common cold really work? Kids have an average of six to eight colds each year and adults have two to four. Which home remedies do you use for colds and do you know if they really work? News that a homeopathic teething remedy has caused the deaths of at least 10 children has raised questions about the safety and effectiveness of alternative medicines for treating common problems.
Nearly every American will know a victim of gun violence, study finds Nearly all Americans are likely to know a victim of gun violence within their social networks during their lifetime, indicating that citizens are "closer to gun violence than they perceive," according to a new study by researchers from the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine.
	Patient safety benefits when hospitals provide feedback to staff who report errors Voluntary reporting by hospital staff of errors and patient safety events are a key source of information for improving patient care. A St. Jude Children's Research Hospital analysis suggests that to increase reporting, hospitals should focus on informing staff about how their previous reports have helped enhance patient safety.
	Women have a remarkable variety of orgasmic experiences: study The nature of a woman's orgasm has been a source of debate for over a century. Since the Victorian era, the pendulum has swung from the vagina to the clitoris, and to some extent back again.
	Stimulating the brain makes exercising the legs feel easier Research led by the University of Kent shows stimulation of the brain impacts on endurance exercise performance by decreasing perception of effort.
New CBT resource shows promise in reducing children's dental anxiety The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have published an article titled "Development and Testing of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Resource for Children's Dental Anxiety" in the OnlineFirst portion of JDR Clinical & Translational Research. In this study, Jenny Porritt, Department of Psychology, Sociology, and Politics, Sheffield Hallam University, UK, et al describe the development of a guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) resource for the management of children's dental anxiety and provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility and acceptability of this approach with children aged between nine and 16 years.
	Scientists flip molecular switches to distinguish related immune cells The cornerstone of genetics is the loss-of-function experiment. In short, this means that to figure out what exactly gene X is doing in a tissue of interest—be it developing brain cells or a pancreatic tumor—you somehow cut out, switch off or otherwise destroy gene X in that tissue and then watch what happens. That genetic litmus test has been applied since before people even knew the chemical DNA is what makes up genes. What has changed radically are the tools used by biologists to inactivate a gene.
Making the microbiome part of precision medicine Studies of the microbiome should be integral to future precision medicine initiatives, argue scientists from the University of Chicago in a new commentary published Nov. 1 in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences.
Study bodes well for low-carb eaters Three low-carb meals within 24 hours lowers post-meal insulin resistance by more than 30 percent, but high-carb meals sustain insulin resistance, a condition that leads to high blood pressure, prediabetes and diabetes, according to a University of Michigan study.
	New iPS-cell model system helps develop treatments for spinocerebellar ataxia Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology have succeeded in creating a new model system that can be used to develop drug therapies for genetic disorders like spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6). Published in Cell Reports, the study shows how stem cells from patients with SCA6 can be transformed into mature Purkinje cells—the same type of neuron that starts dying when people develop SCA6 later in life. With this setup, the team discovered that mature Purkinje cells with the SCA6 mutation became vulnerable when deprived of thyroid hormone.
Gaps in knowledge of pharmacokinetic changes in pregnancy and their clinical consequences There is a substantial gap in knowledge of pharmacokinetic changes in pregnancy and their clinical consequences, according to a study published by Shinya Ito and colleagues from the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, in PLOS Medicine.
Study finds mild exercise helps decrease pain and improve activity level in older adults It's never too late to reap the benefits of exercise, and that includes older adults with arthritis and other muscle and joint conditions, according to a study.
	Hospital readmission history a valid measure of skilled nursing quality When an elderly loved one is discharged from a hospital to a skilled nursing facility (SNF), the family's hope is that they will get good care that will allow them to return home rather than poor care that requires a return trip to the hospital. That's why on its Nursing Home Compare website, the federal government recently included an SNF's historical track record of 30-day hospital readmissions in its ratings of care quality.
	Scientists find cause of facial widening defects Widening across the forehead and nose occurs when loss of cilia at the surface of the cells disrupts internal signaling and causes two GLI proteins to stop repressing midfacial growth. Ching-Fang Chang and Samantha Brugmann of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, US, report the findings in a study published November 1st, 2016 in PLOS Genetics.
	No. 1 risk for child stunting in developing world: Poor growth before birth In a new Canadian-funded study, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers today rank for the first time a range of risk factors associated with child stunting in developing countries, the greatest of which occurs before birth: poor fetal growth in the womb.
Mexico's sugar-sweetened beverage tax may reduce diabetes, CVD, and costs over 10 years The national 10% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Mexico is projected to have a substantial impact on the burden of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality over the next 10 years, according to a modeling study published in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo of the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues, indicates that 983 million international dollars in healthcare costs may be saved from the prevention of diabetes cases alone.
	Review: Colon capsule endoscopy accurate in polyp detection (HealthDay)—Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE), especially second-generation CCE (CCE-2), has high sensitivity and specificity for detecting colorectal polyps, according to a review published in the November issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Similar complication rate for transvenous, subcutaneous ICDs (HealthDay)—For patients at risk for sudden cardiac death, the rate of complications is similar with transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (TV-ICDs) and subcutaneous ICDs (S-ICDs), although the nature of complications differs, according to a study published in the Nov. 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Educational intervention aids problematic hypoglycemia (HealthDay)—A brief, partly web-based educational intervention, HypoAware, is beneficial for reducing severe hypoglycemic episodes and improving hypoglycemia awareness compared with usual care, according to a study published online Oct. 20 in Diabetes Care.
	Use of term 'rule out' may delay dermatopathology diagnosis (HealthDay)—In an non-integrated dermatopathology practice, use of the term "rule out" on the requisition form (RF) may cause diagnostic delays and use of unnecessary pathology services, according to a study published online Oct. 25 in the International Journal of Dermatology.
	Benefit of exercise on resting pulse rate in seniors unclear (HealthDay)—A long-term moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) intervention may reduce resting pulse rate (RPR) among older adults, according to a study published online Oct. 27 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Oral probiotics have no impact on vaginal health in pregnancy (HealthDay)—For pregnant women, probiotics have no effect on vaginal health, according to a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
There's money in your wearable fitness tracker Your wearable fitness tracker is great at counting the number of steps you took today, but it could also provide a new source of currency for the emerging health data economy, according to a new study in the journal Computer.
	PET imaging visualizes hard-to-diagnose cardiac amyloidosis Researchers at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, have demonstrated that cardiac amyloidosis (abnormal deposits of proteins in the heart), which is notoriously difficult to diagnose, can be visualized noninvasively with positron emission tomography (PET) using the radiotracer fluorine-18 (F-18)-florbetaben. The study is published in the November issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine."
Researchers identify new drug target for gastrointestinal stromal tumors Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic provide the first evidence that the Hedgehog signaling pathway is central to the formation of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), which are frequently driven by the KIT oncogene. Results of the human study were recently published online in Oncotarget.
	New drug combination has potential to significantly improve chemotherapy success University of Georgia researchers have found a way to enhance chemotherapy's cancer-killing powers, bringing science one step closer to a more complete cancer treatment.
	Does living in poor neighborhood up stroke risk? (HealthDay)—People in poor neighborhoods have a higher stroke risk than those in wealthier ones, regardless of race or gender, new research suggests.
	Kids 6 and older should be screened for obesity, task force reaffirms (HealthDay)—Doctors should screen children older than 6 for obesity, and offer them behavioral therapy to help them lose weight if necessary, new guidelines reassert.
	Big money spent marketing not-so-healthy baby, toddler foods: study (HealthDay)—Ads for baby and toddler foods often go against the nutritional advice of health experts, a new study shows.
	U.S. premature births rise for 1st time in 8 years (HealthDay)—The rate of premature births in the United States increased in 2015 for the first time in eight years, and rates are especially high among certain racial and ethnic groups, a March of Dimes report says.
Man develops acute hepatitis from consuming too many energy drinks A 50-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with acute hepatitis, most likely due to his intake of 4-5 energy drinks every day for three weeks, reveal doctors writing in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
Genetic testing could help ID breast cancer pts at high risk of venous thromboembolism Genetic testing could help identify breast cancer patients with high risk of experiencing venous thromboembolism (VTE), a serious and potentially fatal complication that can occur during cancer treatment.
	Testing online treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) Over 700 children and young people are to take part in the largest clinical trial ever undertaken in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), which affects up to two per cent of young people, most of whom do not have access to treatment.
	Personalised care for dementia sufferers The company Noen AS runs courses for its helpers to enable them to establish close relationships with their dementia patients. The aim is to increase the patients' quality of life. Researchers have developed an IT tool to help the company demonstrate that its approach is on the right lines.
	Pfizer net plunges 38 pct., misses Street 3Q forecasts Drugmaker Pfizer topped off a difficult third quarter with news that it's scrapping a closely watched experimental cholesterol drug, partly due to expectations insurers would limit access so much that it wouldn't make much money, a possible bad omen for the pharmaceutical industry.
Results of PARTNER II QUALITY OF LIFE study presented Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) at intermediate surgical risk, and who are treated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) had improved health status at one month compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) but two-year quality of life outcomes were similar. Prior studies have shown that TAVR results in an early quality of life (QoL) benefit in patients at high surgical risk; however, the effect of TAVR versus. SAVR on QoL in intermediate risk patients was unknown prior to this study.
Results from the PARTNER I FIVE YEAR ECHO study presented A substudy of the PARTNER I Trial and Continued Access Registry found that hemodynamic trends in patients who received transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) showed excellent durability without significant structural valve deterioration at five years. The trial represents the largest to-date longitudinal analysis of echocardiographic hemodynamic parameters systematically assessed by a core laboratory.
Results from the SENTINEL trial presented A multicenter randomized trial evaluating the role of embolic protection using the Sentinel device during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) found that the device was safe but did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint of reduction in median new lesion volume in protected territories assessed by MRI at 2-7 days. In addition, neurocognitive function was not significantly improved.
Experts explore how to use and share routinely collected clinical data on a global scale Researchers are exploring ways to help clinicians and investigators use and share routinely collected medical data (such as information in electronic health records) to improve care and advance clinical research.
Conference highlights drug abuse epidemic's effects on kids A Cincinnati Children's Hospital doctor who works with newborns addicted to heroin says the opiate epidemic is harming children born addicted and creating chaos for older kids who can't have normal childhoods because of their parents' drug problems.
Moving toward a gold standard in patient handoff protocols You're in the hospital under around-the-clock care for whatever it is that ails you. During any 24-hour period, your physicians and nursing staff will change shifts at least once. When those shift changes occur, those going off shift will need to hand over information about the status of your condition to incoming staff clearly and accurately, or something could go seriously wrong - and things do frequently go wrong. According to a 2012 report by the Joint Commission, "an estimated 80% of serious medical errors involve miscommunication between caregivers during the transfer of patients."
Final results from the RESPECT study reported Final results from the RESPECT trial found that percutaneously closing a patent foramen ovale (PFO) using the Amplatzer PFO Occluder was superior to medical management in the prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke in patients who previously had a cryptogenic stroke.
Acute rehabilitation services for trauma patients improve outcomes after hospital discharge As more trauma patients survive their initial hospital stays, new study results show that acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities are the best places for some of these patients to go once they leave the hospital. Yet, the percentage of trauma patients sent to these facilities is in decline, according to a new study published online as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in advance of print.
	Could a cannabinoid pill treat concussion? The goal of finding a treatment for concussion may be one step closer due to a new study being launched by University of Miami researchers. As part of a $16 million research grant from Scythian Biosciences, researchers at the university's The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Miller School of Medicine will begin studying whether a simple pill could someday be a solution to the growing concussion epidemic.
OPTIMISTIC study: Advance care planning in nursing homes challenging but critical The goal of advance care planning is to ensure that the health care an individual receives is consistent with his or her values and preferences. New research shows the critical need for advance care planning and highlights the challenges that healthcare institutions—especially nursing homes—face in supporting high quality advance care planning.
Two-year results of the COLOR trial presented Two-year results from COLOR, the first large-scale multicenter prospective study of its kind, found that PCI on coronary artery lipid-rich plaque (LRP) detected by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was not associated with subsequent major adverse cardiac events (MACE) compared to PCI of non-LRPs.
Results of ReACT Trial presented A randomized evaluation of routine follow-up coronary angiography after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) found that there was no long-term clinical benefit compared to clinical follow-up alone among unselected patients following PCI.
Anesthesia sedation practices for patients in the pediatric congenital cardiac cath lab The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) and the Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society (CCAS), today published recommendations for institutions and physicians diagnosing and treating pediatric patients in the catheterization laboratory. This first-of-its-kind document titled, "SCAI/CCAS/SPA Expert Consensus Statement for Anesthesia and Sedation Practice: Recommendations for Patients Undergoing Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures in the Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory," is published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the official journal of SCAI.
Results from the PLATINUM DIVERSITY study presented A dedicated stent study conducted exclusively in women and minority patients evaluated clinical outcomes within the era of contemporary PCI, comparing these results to a parallel cohort of white male patients. Although there were no significant differences in stent-related outcomes, both groups had higher rates of death and myocardial infarction (MI) in the first year following the procedure.
	Hospital for Special Surgery survey defines need for health outreach programs Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), which has an Outpatient Center in Stamford, plans to increase outreach and educational programs to meet the needs of surrounding communities. To that end, the hospital recently conducted a survey to assess the muscle, bone and joint health needs of people living in lower Fairfield and Upper Westchester Counties. Efforts were made to ensure input from residents in all socioeconomic groups, including underserved communities.

Biology news

	Food supply—not 'live fast, die young' mentality—makes male crickets chirpy Shedding a few pounds might be a good strategy in the human dating game, but for crickets the opposite is true.
	The effectiveness of 3-D camouflage Over 100 years ago, the American artist Abbot Thayer proposed that the reason so many animals are darker on their backs than their bellies is to disguise their 3-D shape and so improve camouflage.
	Researchers develop a system for adaptive live imaging of large living organisms Light-sheet microscopy is one of the most powerful method for imaging the development and function of whole living organisms. However, achieving high-resolution images with these microscopes requires manual adjustments during imaging. Researchers of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden together with colleagues at Janelia Research Campus (HHMI) have developed a new kind of light-sheet microscope that can 'drive' itself automatically by adapting to the challenging and dynamic optical conditions of large living specimens. This new smart microscope combines a novel hardware design and a smart 'AutoPilot' system that can analyze images and automatically adjust and optimize the microscope. This framework enables for the first time long-term adaptive imaging of entire developing embryos and improves the resolution of light-sheet microscopes up to five-fold.
	Mathematical analysis offers clues on timing of flu outbreaks (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with the University of California and Stanford University has found that applying "empirical dynamic modeling" techniques to heat and humidity readings over a period of several years revealed some of the factors that cause flu outbreaks to occur. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes the mathematical modeling techniques they used and what it revealed about the spread of the flu.
	Researchers find protein target to knock out herpesvirus RNA transport A new approach has been developed to combat diseases caused by herpesvirus infections, including everything from cold sores to cancer.
Short RNA molecules mapped in single cell Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have measured the absolute numbers of short, non-coding, RNA sequences in individual embryonic stem cells. The new method could improve the understanding of how our genes are regulated and different cell types develop.
	Researchers discover how a bacterium, Clostridium thermocellum, utilizes both CO2 and cellulose Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) made the surprise discovery that a metabolic pathway to take up CO2 exists and functions in a microorganism capable of breaking down and fermenting cellulosic biomass to produce biofuels including hydrogen and hydrocarbons.
	Elephant poaching costs African economies $25 million per year in lost tourism revenue The current elephant poaching crisis costs African countries around USD $25 million annually in lost tourism revenue, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications.
	Study highlights diversity of arthropods found in US homes—from swabs of dust Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Colorado Boulder used DNA testing and citizen science to create an "atlas" that shows the range and diversity of arthropods found in homes across the continental United States.
	Blind as bats: Echolocation study reveals key evolutionary trade-offs with other senses Among the most fascinating evolutionary adaptations has been the development of echolocation in bats. But to develop their unique sonar system for exploring caves in the dark, what evolutionary tradeoffs occurred between their other senses like smell, vision and hearing, i.e. to be blind as a bat?
	Exploring the evolution of spider venom to improve human health This Halloween, you're not likely to see many trick-or-treaters dressed as spiders. Google Trends pegs "Spider" as the 87th most searched-for Halloween costume, right between "Hippie" and "The Renaissance." But don't let your guard down. Spiders are everywhere.
	Shark-spotting sonar technology put to the test Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair has announced the NSW Government is collaborating with UTS researchers to assess the capabilities of the Clever Buoy shark-spotting sonar technology off Port Stephens, as part of the $16 million Shark Management Strategy. The collaboration also involves the developers of Clever Buoy, Shark Mitigation Systems.
Researcher sequences the genome of a little-known bacterium abundant in US prairie soils A New Zealand scientist has sequenced the genome of a little-known bacterium abundant in the soils of the great prairie lands of the United States but almost entirely missing in the agricultural soils that replaced them.
	Understanding E. coli mobility in humans may help control outbreaks Understanding how E. coli bacteria behave once inside a human host could be the key to fighting an outbreak, and potentially saving lives. This is the premise behind a new paper co-authored by Ryerson University MSc student Jee In Kim, and PhD student Tracy Lackraj in the Molecular Science Program.  The research explores the impact of exposing E. coli to different concentrations of short chain fatty acids to simulate the environment inside the human small and large intestines.
Strange behavior in the crowded cellular environment A group of researchers from RIKEN and Michigan State University have used the powerful K computer to show how molecules move within the extremely crowded interior of a bacterial cell.
HybPiper: A bioinformatic pipeline for processing target-enrichment data With the rapid rise of next-generation sequencing technologies, disparate fields from cancer research to evolutionary biology have seen a drastic shift in the way DNA sequence data is obtained. It is now possible to sequence many genes across large numbers of species in an incredibly short period of time. And the price tag keeps getting smaller and smaller. However, the deluge of sequence data obtained using these high-throughput sequencing techniques requires a substantial amount of computational input to process—a daunting task for many biologists. A recently developed bioinformatics pipeline allows researchers with limited computational skills to quickly and efficiently extract gene regions of interest from data obtained with the increasingly popular targeted sequence capture approach.
	Rare New Mexico meadow jumping mouse populations discovered Biologists who spent weeks in three New Mexico national forests searching for signs of an elusive, endangered mouse that looks somewhat like a tiny kangaroo have found what they call irrefutable evidence that it still lives in the state for which it is named.
	Two antibiotics fight bacteria differently than thought Two widely prescribed antibiotics—chloramphenicol and linezolid—may fight bacteria in a different way from what scientists and doctors thought for years, University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have found. Instead of indiscriminately stopping protein synthesis, the drugs put the brakes on the protein synthesis machinery only at specific locations in the gene.
	Team develops versatile field phenotyping to benefit farmers Researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science, are leveraging expertise in crop phenotyping with the development of the PheNode, a 'smart', farm-ready, solar-powered environmental sensor and phenotyping station for crops.

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