Fwd: Science X Newsletter Monday, Oct 5

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Three ways viruses have changed science for the better

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 6, 2015 at 3:53 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Monday, Oct 5
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 5, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Proposed diamond maser could operate at room temperature
- Researchers simulate information signaling between cells
- Three share Nobel medicine prize for new tools to kill parasites (Update)
- Best of Last Week – Water on Mars, drunk kicking a robot and a drug to sharpen memory
- New on-chip optical sensing technique used to detect multiple flu strains
- Researchers find a new way to weigh a star
- Ancestors of land plants were wired to make the leap to shore
- Study bolsters the special status of the brain's face recognition ability
- Crucial hurdle overcome in quantum computing
- The long anticipated structure of an ion channel reveals how excited neurons settle down
- Nanoscale photodetector shows promise to improve the capacity of photonic circuits
- World's largest atom smashers produce world's smallest droplets
- The warmer the higher: Sea-level rise from Filchner-Ronne ice in Antarctica
- Surprise: Your visual cortex is making decisions
- True colors: Using molecular analysis to clarify dino color claims

Nanotechnology news

	Brightness-equalized quantum dots improve biological imaging Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have introduced a new class of light-emitting quantum dots (QDs) with tunable and equalized fluorescence brightness across a broad range of colors. This results in more accurate measurements of molecules in diseased tissue and improved quantitative imaging capabilities.
	High-speed march through a layer of graphene In cooperation with the Center for Nano-Optics of Georgia State University in Atlanta, scientists of the Laboratory for Attosecond Physics of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität have made simulations of the processes that happen when a layer of carbon atoms is irradiated with strong laser light.
	Developing a nanoscale 'clutch' A model microscopic system to demonstrate the transmission of torque in the presence of thermal fluctuations - necessary for the creation of a tiny 'clutch' operating at the nanoscale - has been assembled at the University of Bristol as part of an international collaboration.
	Nanoscale photodetector shows promise to improve the capacity of photonic circuits Photonic circuits, which use light to transmit signals, are markedly faster than electronic circuits. Unfortunately, they're also bigger. It's difficult to localize visible light below its diffraction limit, about 200-300 nanometers, and as components in electronic semiconductors have shrunk to the nanometer scale, the photonic circuit size limitation has given electronic circuits a significant advantage, despite the speed discrepancy.
	Like biological channels, graphene pores are selective for certain types of ions The surface of a single cell contains hundreds of tiny pores, or ion channels, each of which is a portal for specific ions. Ion channels are typically about 1 nanometer wide; by maintaining the right balance of ions, they keep cells healthy and stable.
	Researchers find 'greener' way to assemble materials for solar applications The efficiency of solar cells depends on precise engineering of polymers that assemble into films 1,000 times thinner than a human hair.
	High-speed electron tomography sets new standards for 3-D images of the nanoworld Scientists from the Ernst Ruska-Centre in Forschungszentrum Jülich used a transmission electron microscope to record almost 3500 images in 3.5 seconds for the reconstruction of a 3D electron tomogram. Previously, 10 to 60 minutes and a ten-fold greater electron dose were required to record such image sequences. The new capability is particularly suitable for examining biological cells, bacteria and viruses, whose structure can be damaged by the electron beam. In addition, it enables dynamic processes, such as chemical reactions and electronic switching phenomena, to be visualized in real time in three dimensions with sub-nanometre precision. The findings have been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
	Graphene teams up with two-dimensional crystals for faster data communications Ultra-fast detection of light lies at the heart of optical communication systems nowadays. Driven by the internet of things and 5G, data communication bandwidth is growing exponentially, thus requiring even faster optical detectors that can be integrated into photonic circuits.

Physics news

	Proposed diamond maser could operate at room temperature (Phys.org)—Before there were lasers, there were masers—devices that operate in the microwave regime and other wavelengths that are longer than those of visible light. But while the first masers were built back in the 1950s, they have failed to achieve the same commercial success as lasers due to their demanding operating conditions: gas masers require high-vacuum conditions and solid-state masers require ultracold liquid-helium temperatures (about 4 K) to operate.
Researchers simulate information signaling between cells (Phys.org)—Many natural systems are described by dynamics of traveling wavefronts. Sharp traveling fronts are employed in countless phenomena, including fluid convection, chemical reactions, and cellular phenomena. Living systems use front propagation encoded in biochemical reactions to communicate and perform computations, but these dynamics are difficult to study in three dimensions (i.e., in vivo). Thus, to understand how propagating gene expression fronts work in complex living systems, it is important to study how they work in minimal systems.
	Crucial hurdle overcome in quantum computing The significant advance, by a team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney appears today in the international journal Nature.
	New Quantum Cats game launches to build better understanding of quantum concepts A new Angry Birds-style game is set to help launch a new understanding of quantum science.
	World's largest atom smashers produce world's smallest droplets How small can a droplet shrink and remain a liquid?
	Laser-wielding physicists seize control of atoms' behavior Physicists have wondered in recent years if they could control how atoms interact using light. Now they know that they can, by demonstrating games of quantum billiards with unusual new rules.
Chewing over the aging process Could scientists use the Second Law of Thermodynamics on your chewing muscles to work out when you are going to die? According to research published in the International Journal of Exergy, the level of entropy, or thermodynamic disorder, in the chewing muscles in your jaw increases with each mouthful. This entropy begins to accumulate from the moment you're "on solids" until your last meal, but measuring it at any given point in your life could be used to estimate life expectancy.
	Muon g-2 magnet successfully cooled down and powered up Two years ago, scientists on the Muon g-2 experiment successfully brought a fragile, expensive and complex 17-ton electromagnet on a 3,200-mile land and sea trek from DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York to Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois.
	Researchers measure electron orbitals of molecules in 3-D Many people will remember them from physics lessons at school: Often represented as colourful clouds or balloons, electron orbitals provide information on the whereabouts of the electrons in atoms and molecules. Scientists from the University of Graz, Forschungszentrum Jülich, and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt have now succeeded in experimentally recording these structures in all three dimensions. They achieved this by further developing a method they had already applied two years ago to make these orbitals visible in two dimensions. Their findings have now been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Earth news

	The warmer the higher: Sea-level rise from Filchner-Ronne ice in Antarctica The more ice is melted of the Antarctic Filchner-Ronne shelf, the more ice flows into the ocean and the more the region contributes to global sea-level rise. While this might seem obvious, it is no matter of course for the huge ice masses of Antarctica: parts of the ice continent are characterized by instabilities that, once triggered, can lead to persistent ice discharge into the ocean even without a further increase of warming - resulting in unstoppable long-term sea-level rise. In the Filchner-Ronne region however, ice-loss will likely not show such behavior, scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research now found. Published in Nature Climate Change, their study shows that in this area the ice flow into the ocean increases just constantly with the heat provided by the ocean over time.
	Volcanic eruptions affect flow of world's major rivers, study finds Major volcanic eruptions can have a significant effect on the flow of the biggest rivers around the world, research shows.
	Bacteria in the world's oceans produce millions of tonnes of hydrocarbons each year An international team of researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, has estimated the amount of hydrocarbons - the primary ingredient in crude oil - that are produced by a massive population of photosynthetic marine microbes, called cyanobacteria. These organisms in turn support another population of bacteria that 'feed' on these compounds.
	History shows more big wildfires likely as climate warms The history of wildfires over the past 2,000 years in a northern Colorado mountain range indicates that large fires will continue to increase as a result of a warming climate, according to new study led by a University of Wyoming doctoral student.
	A simpler way to estimate the feedback between permafrost carbon and climate One of the big unknowns in predicting climate change is the billions of tons of carbon frozen in Arctic permafrost. As global warming causes soil temperatures to increase, some of this carbon will decompose and enter the atmosphere and accelerate climate change.
Aspen stands in Southwest suffering from fungal disease Visitors marveling at the fall foliage in national forests might find that some of the aspen leaves are brown and blotchy or gone already.
	Analysis: Dozens of deaths likely from VW pollution dodge Volkswagen's pollution-control chicanery has not just been victimless tinkering, killing between five and 20 people in the United States annually in recent years, according to an Associated Press statistical and computer analysis.
	New marine parks named as Chile hosts oceans summit The United States and partner countries were to announce new marine reserves on Monday at the start of a major conference in Chile on protecting the world's oceans.
	Emissions targets are out of reach without a massive technological shift in Europe's basic industries The targets for lower emissions of carbon dioxide from Europe's basic industries are out of reach, without urgent introduction of innovative carbon dioxide mitigation technologies. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology draw this conclusion after several years of research into carbon-intensive industry in Europe.
	Killing saltcedar does not increase streamflow in the Pecos River Saltcedar, an introduced species choking many Texas waterways, has long been a prime suspect in dwindling streamflows, but a Texas A&M AgriLife team has found that Tamarix, the plant in question, may have been falsely accused of that specific crime.
Gas 'fingerprinting' could help energy industry manage carbon dioxide storage A new technique for monitoring carbon dioxide could help the energy industry's efforts to reduce future greenhouse gas emissions, scientists have found.
	Malaysia shuts schools as choking smog worsens Malaysian authorities on Sunday ordered most of the country's schools shut for two days because of possible health risks posed by the thick haze from Indonesian forest fires.
The 'water mafias' that suck Karachi dry The moment they saw the city water tanker stop in their neighbourhood, Mohammed and Nayla rushed towards it. That day, the water was free—a rare event in Karachi, where organised gangs siphon it off to sell to thirsty residents.
	France's Fabius urges stragglers to publish emissions data French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who will chair December's UN-led climate talks in Paris, on Sunday urged countries which have yet to publish greenhouse gas emissions data to do so as soon as possible.
	Archaeology and conservation in the tropical forests of the Central African Republic The tropical forests and savannas of Africa play a central, symbolic role in our modern dialogue about wilderness, conservation, and land management. However, efforts to establish reserves, parks, and wilderness areas often create conflicts with local societies who use the territory for subsistence as laborers, cash-croppers, pastoralists, horticulturalists, or hunter-gatherers. One of the major stumbling blocks for biological conservation in the African tropics is that we know little about the history of the region, which has important implications for our understanding of its ecosystems.
Global climate agreements could be counterproductive International climate agreements like the Kyoto Protocol may discourage much-needed investment in renewable energy sources, and hence be counterprodutive, according to new research.
	NASA tracking Tropical Storm Oho, south of Hawaii NASA's RapidScat instrument that flies aboard the International Space Station saw that newly formed Central Pacific Ocean Tropical Storm Oho's strongest side was east of its center. By October 5, NOAA's GOES satellite saw a more circular, more uniform circulation.
	NASA sees Tropical Storm Choi-Wan strengthening over open ocean Tropical storm Choi-wan was spinning over open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean when NASA's Aqua satellite saw the strengthening storm.
	Aqua and Terra satellites analyze Hurricane Joaquin near Bermuda Hurricane Joaquin maintained its comma shape as it brought heavy rains, strong winds and ocean swells to Bermuda on October 5 when NASA satellites passed overhead.
	Satellite sees the short life of Tropical Depression 8C Tropical Depression 8C formed southwest of Hawaii on October 3 and by October 4 it was a post-tropical cyclone. A day later NOAA's GOES-West satellite captured an image of the storm as it tracked in a westerly direction through the Central Pacific Ocean.

Astronomy & Space news

	Researchers find a new way to weigh a star Researchers from the University of Southampton have developed a new method for measuring the mass of pulsars – highly magnetised rotating neutron stars formed from the remains of massive stars after they explode into supernovae.
	Satellite Internet gets a fresh look, cash infusion The race for Internet service from space is on, again.
	Canadian university head proposed rocket spaceflight in 1861 Rocket-based spaceflight was proposed 30 years earlier than previously thought by a Canadian university head, a space historian says.
	How to prepare for Mars? NASA consults Navy sub force As NASA contemplates a manned voyage to Mars and the effects missions deeper into space could have on astronauts, it's tapping research from another outfit with experience sending people to the deep: the U.S. Navy submarine force.
	Curiosity's drill hole and location are picture perfect On Tuesday, Sept. 29, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover drilled its eighth hole on Mars, and its fifth since reaching Mount Sharp one year ago. The drilling of the hole 2.6-inches (65 millimeters) deep in a rock the team labeled "Big Sky" is part of a multi-day, multi-step sequence that will result in the analysis of the Martian rock's ingredients in the rover's two onboard laboratories - the Chemistry and Mineralogy X-Ray diffractometer (CheMin) and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite.
	Peeking into our galaxy's stellar nursery Astronomers have long turned their telescopes, be they on satellites in space or observatories on Earth, to the wide swaths of interstellar medium to get a look at the formation and birth of stars. However, the images produced over the last 50 years look more like weather maps showing storm systems instead of glittering bursts of light that the untrained observer might expect of a "star map." That is, until now.
	Moon Express, Rocket Lab set for 2017 mission plan In 2017 a private moon landing could make news. If the mission is successful, said GeekWire, Moon Express could become the first privately backed venture to achieve a soft lunar landing.
	Farming water on Mars Mars is a different place than Earth. There is water on Mars, more than the Moon, but lots less than on our own world. But the water on Mars is the same H2O we have here, and we should use it when we travel to Mars and set up the first human bases. "Living off the land" on Mars is going to be crucial, because we can't hope to bring all the water we need.
	Is there life on Mars? We're finally starting to wonder again The most interesting thing we wonder about Mars is this: does it house Martians? This week, some highly technical research touted during a NASA press conference has given hope for an answer.
	How big is the universe? Our brains struggle to comprehend how big the universe is because everything here on Earth, and even the Earth itself, is very small when compared to the immense scale of the universe.
	What kind of life would we find on Titan? Could there be life on Saturn's large moon Titan? Asking the question forces astrobiologists and chemists to think carefully and creatively about the chemistry of life, and how it might be different on other worlds than it is on Earth. In February, a team of researchers from Cornell University, including chemical engineering graduate student James Stevenson, planetary scientist Jonathan Lunine, and chemical engineer Paulette Clancy, published a pioneering study arguing that cell membranes could form under the exotic chemical conditions present on this remarkable moon.
	Invest a night in Vesta The brightest asteroid visible from Earth prowls across Cetus the Whale this month. Vesta shines at magnitude +6.3, right at the naked eye limit for observers with pristine skies, but easily coaxed into view with any pair of binoculars. With the moon now gone from the evening sky, you can start your search tonight.
	Saturn's moon Titan In ancient Greek lore, the Titans were giant deities of incredible strength who ruled during the legendary Golden Age and gave birth to the Olympian gods we all know and love. Saturn's largest moon, known as Titan, is therefore appropriately named. In addition to being Saturn's largest moon – and the second-largest moon in the solar system (after Jupiter's moon Ganymede) – it is larger by volume than even the smallest planet, Mercury.
	Atlas V streaks to orbit on 100th successful mission for ULA with Mexico's Morelos-3 United Launch Alliance (ULA) celebrated an incredible milestone today, Oct. 2, with the successful launch of the firms 100th mission on an Atlas V rocket carrying Mexico's next generation Morelos-3 satellite to provide advanced telecommunications for education and health programs for rural communities and secure communications for Mexican national security needs.

Technology news

	Daimler tests self-driving truck on German highway German automaker Daimler said it trialled a self-driving truck under real traffic conditions for the first time Friday, on a motorway in southern Germany.
	Drone market to hit $10 billion by 2024: experts The market for military drones is expected to almost double by 2024 to beyond $10 billion (8.9 billion euros), according to a report published Friday by specialist defence publication IHS Jane's Intelligence Review.
	En route to CEATEC: 17.3-inch 8K4K LCD module In the old days, people were impressed if a screen image simply was not blurry. "Clear" was the supreme compliment. We know the rest. Technology advances have raised consumer expectations; a competitive vendor in electronics wants to use the word "outstanding" for the screen image and, if Japan Display Inc. (JDI) has an impact on this kind of history, the description now had better use the word "immersive."
	Internet giants race to faster mobile news apps US tech giants are turning to the news in their competition for mobile users, developing new, faster ways to deliver content, but the benefits for struggling media outlets remain unclear.
	Google patent application is about head display with holograms Might capabilities for augmented reality holograms become a feature of Google smart eyewear? Google filed a patent application involving holograms.
	Facebook, Eutelsat in African Internet satellite hook-up European satellite operator Eutelsat Communications and social media giant Facebook said Monday they are working jointly to deliver satellite broadband Internet to connectivity-hungry sub-Saharan Africa.
	Liquid cooling moves onto the chip for denser electronics Using microfluidic passages cut directly into the backsides of production field-programmable gate array (FPGA) devices, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are putting liquid cooling right where it's needed the most - a few hundred microns away from where the transistors are operating.
	Dutch create world's largest man-made wave In a country where most people live below sea level, studying the oceans is a matter of survival. Now Dutch scientists have created the world's biggest man-made wave in a bid to prepare for the worst.
	Research improves efficiency from larger perovskite solar cells Perovskite solar cells are cheaper to make than traditional silicon cells and their electricity conversion efficiency is improving rapidly. To be commercially viable, perovskite cells need to scale up from lab size. Researchers from Brown and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory report a method for making perovskite cells larger while maintaining efficiency.
Why credit bureau Experian has data on T-Mobile customers In the latest high-profile breach of a U.S. organization, hackers broke into Experian's database of information on 15 million T-Mobile customers and potential customers. But what is Experian, and why does the credit bureau keep data on a wireless carrier's customers?
	Kaspersky boss warns of emerging cybercrime threats Russian online security specialist Eugene Kaspersky says cybercriminals will one day go for bigger targets than PCs and mobiles, sabotaging entire transport networks, electrical grids or financial systems.
	UAE says to invest $35 bln in clean energy by 2021 The gas-rich United Arab Emirates will invest $35 billion in clean energy by 2021 as it seeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels following crude's global price slide, it said Sunday.
	Study: Airlines could achieve improved fuel savings The airline industry has the ability to sustain significant fuel savings and greatly reduce its greenhouse emissions, according to the conclusions reached in a Virginia Tech led study for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for traffic in the North Atlantic oceanic airspace.
	Twitter gives co-founder Jack Dorsey a second chance as CEO (Update) Twitter is embracing Jack Dorsey as its CEO in hopes that its once-spurned co-founder can hatch a plan to expand the short messaging service's audience and end nearly a decade of financial losses.
	With the Peeple app you will be judged by the crowd – whether you like it or not Never shy of publicity or fearful of controversy, Silicon Valley's app entrepreneur scene seems on course to establish a new low in ethical values and/or self-delusional thinking with the planned launch of the Peeple app – described as "Yelp for people".
	Keeping personal details personal in the Digital Age Users of mobile phones, tablet computers and other devices with a memory card—that being practically everyone these days—risk having their identify stolen if they don't securely erase their personal data.
	A laptop battery system that knows your habits and lasts a lot longer Engineers have spent decades trying to build a significantly better battery for laptop and tablet computers.
	GCHQ's surveillance hasn't proved itself to be worth the cost to human rights The release of yet more of Edward Snowden's leaked files reveals the still-astonishing scale and breadth of government surveillance after more than a year of revelations. These recent papers revealed by Wikileaks discuss a programme within Britain's GCHQ known as "Karma Police", in which the intelligence agency gathered more than 1.1 trillion pieces of information on UK citizens between August 2007 and March 2009.
	A 2-D microwave camera developed The National Institutes of Natural Sciences National Institute for Fusion Science has developed a high-speed two-dimensional microwave camera for performing diagnostics of high-temperature plasma. By using microwaves to penetrate through fog, clothing, walls, and soil, application of this camera is anticipated for safe passage through dense fog, underground exploration, non-destructive investigation, and other industrial fields.
	New study identifies factors that affect email response time What are the chances that a person will respond to your email in the next hour? And why is the reply so terse? New study by USC Viterbi School of Engineering researchers finds that email responses depend on a variety of factors including age, platform, volume and timing.
	UK spies can hack smartphones: Snowden British spies can hack into phones remotely with a simple text message and make audio recordings or take photos without owners knowing, former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden said on Monday.
	Nuclear power plants warned on cyber security Operators of nuclear power plants worldwide are "struggling" to adapt to the increasing and potentially dangerous threat of cyber attacks, a report warned Monday.
	Google parent Alphabet codifies doing the right thing Google's new parent company hit the stock market on Monday with an inked credo to "Do the right thing"—a spin on the founding principle "Don't be evil."
	Data hack at 7 Trump hotels confirmed Customer credit and debit card numbers may have been stolen at seven Trump hotels after its payment systems were hacked for over a year.
	Researchers developing framework to detect damage to dams from earthquakes A UT Arlington researcher is developing a comprehensive, reliability-based framework to analyze North Texas dams and detect damage from seismic activity.
	ONR advances cutting-edge unmanned underwater vehicles at demo Robotic arms help Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) techs to neutralize underwater mines. Autonomous underwater vehicles map out a ship's hull in blackness beneath the water. And hundreds of personnel from six nations come together in one place to work on autonomous underwater vehicles and mine countermeasures (MCM).
Spanish police probe garages offering emission cheating Spanish police have cracked down on a string of garages that allegedly provided customers with mechanical and software services that enabled their cars to cheat emission checks in a scam similar to that which has engulfed Volkswagen, a statement said Saturday.
	At Asian film fest, new etiquette shows rise of mobile app Kakao Talk, a popular mobile messaging app in South Korea, must have annoyed its share of moviegoers.
Belarusian media claim gov't attack on their websites Belarusian independent media outlets on Monday accused the government of blocking their websites less than a week before presidential elections, describing it as an attack against free press.
Norway's Telenor to sell stake in Russia's VimpelCom Norwegian telecoms company Telenor says it plans to sell its entire 33 percent stake in VimpelCom Ltd, valued at some 20 billion kroner ($2.4 billion).
Philippines sees big growth in outsourced medical services Leaders of the Philippine outsourcing industry said Monday they expect a big increase in business as the result of a new, highly detailed medical diagnosis coding system adopted by the U.S. for insurance claims.
	Engineer and vision scientist nets Emmy for tool to predict perceived video quality Sometimes it's not so much what you see as what you don't see that matters.

Chemistry news

	New on-chip optical sensing technique used to detect multiple flu strains New chip-based optical sensing technologies developed by researchers at UC Santa Cruz and Brigham Young University enable the rapid detection and identification of multiple biomarkers. In a paper published October 5 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers describe a novel method to perform diagnostic assays for multiple strains of flu virus on a small, dedicated chip.
	Flipping molecular attachments amps up activity of CO2 catalyst New research by chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and their collaborators offers clues that could help scientists design more effective catalysts for transforming carbon dioxide (CO2) to useful products. The study, published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, reveals how a simple rearrangement of molecular attachments on an iridium hydride catalyst can greatly improve its ability to coax notoriously stable CO2 molecules to react.
Flame retardant breakthrough is naturally derived and nontoxic Inspired by a naturally occurring material found in marine mussels, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have created a new flame retardant to replace commercial additives that are often toxic and can accumulate over time in the environment and living animals, including humans.
	New TSRI metabolomic platform reveals fundamental flaw in common lab technology A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) shows that a technology used in thousands of laboratories, called gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), fundamentally alters the samples it analyzes.
	Video: How pee brought you the modern world You might not believe it, but there was a time when urine, yes urine, was prized by chemists. Pee played a part in some of the most significant discoveries in science, and it helped shape the modern world.

Biology news

	Ancestors of land plants were wired to make the leap to shore When the algal ancestor of modern land plants first succeeded in making the transition from aquatic environments to an inhospitable shore 450 million years ago, it changed the world by dramatically altering climate and setting the stage for the vast array of terrestrial life.
	Trade in invasive plants is blossoming Every day, hundreds of different plant species—many of them listed as invasive—are traded online worldwide on auction platforms. This exacerbates the problem of uncontrollable biological invasions.
	Most EU nations seek to bar GM crops Nineteen of the 28 EU member states have applied to keep genetically modified crops out of all or part of their territory, the bloc's executive arm said Sunday, the deadline for opting out of new European legislation on GM crops.
	Wild plants call to carnivores to get rid of pests—could crops do the same? Rose gardeners have a lot to say about aphids. Some may advise insecticides as a way to manage an infestation, but others will swear by live ladybugs (natural predators of aphids). The latter is more environmental friendly, and once the ladybugs run out of food to eat, they move on.
	Color matters in display of fish aggression Biologists have unlocked new insights into the mysterious evolution of colour diversity among fish, and how aggression from other species plays a part in patterns of colour diversity observed in the wild.
	Instance of female reproductive failure due to shortage of males found in squirrels (Phys.org)—A pair of researchers with the Russian Academy of Sciences has found an instance of female reproductive failure that was due to a shortage of males—and because of that, a large percentage of yellow ground squirrels living near the Russian village of Dyakovka did not to get pregnant each year. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, Nina Vasilieva and Andrey Tchabovsky describe their four year study of the little rodents and why their results suggest that traditional theories regarding females as the major factor in reproductive failure in a species, may have to be altered.
	Illegal trade contributes to placing cacti among world's most threatened species Thirty-one percent of cactus species are threatened with extinction, according to the first comprehensive, global assessment of the species group by IUCN and partners, published today in the journal Nature Plants. This places cacti among the most threatened taxonomic groups assessed on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - more threatened than mammals and birds.
	Magnetic contraption tricks migrating songbirds into changing direction When researchers captured Eurasian reed warblers along the Russian coast during their spring migrations and flew them 1,000 kilometers east to Zvenigorod, the birds weren't fazed; they simply re-oriented themselves toward their original destination. Now, the researchers who first demonstrated the birds' navigational skill in the Cell Press journal Current Biology several years ago are back with new evidence that reed warblers rely on a geomagnetic map to point them in the right direction.
	New kind of plant movement discovered in a carnivorous pitcher plant The traps of Nepenthes gracilis use heavy rain as a power source to drive a fast prey capture motion, new research from the University of Bristol has found. The findings are published this week in the journal PNAS.
	Are fish the greatest athletes on the planet? When you think of the world's greatest athletes, names like Usain Bolt generally spring to mind, but scientists have discovered the best athletes could well be found in the water, covered in scales.
	Stress in adolescence prepares rats for future challenges Rats exposed to frequent physical, social, and predatory stress during adolescence solved problems and foraged more efficiently under high-threat conditions in adulthood compared with rats that developed without stress, according to Penn State researchers. The results may provide insights into how humans respond to adolescent stress.
Scientists closer to controlling body temperature in response to 'fight or flight' New research published online in The FASEB Journal suggests that the fight or flight response that we experience in stressful situations may be controlled by a protein called TRPV1. In the mouse study, researchers found that TRPV1 controls the nerves that release noradrenaline and affect core body temperature. This opens the doors for the development of new strategies to treat the effects of stress on the body.
	Hundreds of new species discovered in the fragile Eastern Himalayan region A sneezing monkey, a walking fish and a jewel-like snake are just some of a biological treasure trove of over 200 new species discovered in the Eastern Himalayas in recent years, according to a new report by WWF.
	Genetic findings could save threatened water buffalo International collaboration between researchers at Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in Indonesia has led to the identification of two separate gene mutations which explain the white colouration of the tedong bonga water buffalo. The results could be used to conserve the threatened buffalo, an important livestock animal.
	Three ways viruses have changed science for the better A virus is nature's efficient little killer. It can invade a cell, take over its inner machinery, trick it into making more virus DNA and escape with a new posse of virus children (often killing the host in the process). They're really good at what they do, and we've been able to harness their skills to learn about – and potentially improve – human health in several ways.
	Three new chigger mite species discovered in Taiwan Three new species of trombiculid mites, also known as "chiggers," have been discovered in Taiwan, according to a new paper published in the Journal of Medical Entomology. Furthermore, 23 other species that are new records for Taiwan were found, more than doubling the number of previously-known species on the island.
	Night calls reveal two new rainforest arboreal frog species from western New Giunea Tracked by their calls at night after heavy rains, two species of narrow-mouthed frogs have been recorded as new. During the examinations it turned out that one of the studied specimens is a hermaphrodite and another one represents the first record of the genus Cophixalus for the Misool Island.
	Horse sickness shares signs of human brain disorders, study finds Horses with a rare nerve condition have similar signs of disease as people with conditions such as Alzheimer's, a study has found.
	At site of world's worst nuclear disaster, the animals have returned In 1986, after a fire and explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant released radioactive particles into the air, thousands of people left the area, never to return. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on October 5 have found that the Chernobyl site looks less like a disaster zone and more like a nature preserve, teeming with elk, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, and wolves.
Spay, neuter, or shot? How an injection could be the future of animal control A single shot into the muscle is enough to stop egg and sperm production in mice, report California Institute of Technology scientists on October 5 in Current Biology. The injection delivers packaged DNA into muscle cells, causing them to produce neutralizing antibodies against male and female reproductive hormones. All mice that received the shot were unable to sire offspring after about two months, with no side effects. The researchers see this proof-of-concept study as the first step for developing a cheap alternative to spaying or neutering feral animals.
	One new fly species, zero dead bodies: First insect description solely from photographs The importance of collecting dead specimens or not when verifying a new species has been a hot ongoing discussion for quite a while now. Amid voiced opinions ranging from specimen collection being "no longer required" to relying on anything but physical evidence being defined as mere "malpractice," science is now witnessing the first description of an insect species based solely on high-resolution photographs.
	Saucer-like shields protect two new 'door head' ant species from Africa and their nests Shaped like saucers, or concave shields, and covered with camouflaging layers of debris, the heads of two "door head" ant species are found to differentiate them as new taxa. They use their peculiar features to block the entrances of their nests against intruders like other predatory ants and invertebrates.
Genetic differences among monkeys in Tanzania show troubling pattern An endangered monkey species in Tanzania is living in geographical pockets that are becoming isolated from one another. The situation, researchers say, is mostly driven by the monkeys' proximity to villages and the deliberate burning of forests to make way for crops and pastures.
Using—and sharing—new technologies is key for conservation Scientists estimate that we are losing species at 1,000-times the natural background rate.
	UNESCO experts call for ban on genetic 'editing' A UNESCO panel of scientists, philosophers, lawyers and government ministers called Monday for a halt to genetic "editing" of the human germline, warning of the danger of tampering with hereditary traits that could lead to eugenics.
Obama administration designates two new marine sanctuaries The White House is announcing the designation of two new National Marine Sanctuaries—the first chosen in 15 years—as part of President Barack Obama's efforts to protect the environment.
Cryptic invasions by ecological engineers conceal profound changes in nature A new study reveals that the salt marsh plant Spartina alterniflora, which grows on more than 9,000 km of the Atlantic coastline of South America, is not native to the area and was in fact introduced 200 years ago.

Medicine & Health news

	Study bolsters the special status of the brain's face recognition ability (Medical Xpress)—There is seemingly no cognitive load associated with the near-instantaneous recognition of individual faces. Indeed, facial recognition is so innate and so obviously critical to human social exchange that researchers have long hypothesized that this ability has a "special status" independent of general cognitive ability, and that it is likely to be a highly heritable trait.
	Three share Nobel medicine prize for new tools to kill parasites (Update) The Nobel prize in medicine went Monday to three scientists hailed as "heroes in the truest sense of the word" for saving millions of lives with the creation of the world's leading malaria-fighting drug and another that has nearly wiped out two devastating tropical diseases.
	The long anticipated structure of an ion channel reveals how excited neurons settle down Within the brain, some neurons fire off hundreds of signals per second, and after ramping up for such a barrage, they need to relax and reset. A particular type of ion channel helps bring them down, ensuring these cells don't get overstimulated—a state that potentially can lead to severe epileptic seizures, among other problems.
	Identifying cancer's food sensors may help to halt tumor growth Oxford University researchers have identified a protein used by tumours to help them detect food supplies. Initial studies show that targeting the protein could restrict cancerous cells' ability to grow.
	Scientists uncover a new layer in visual brain imaging Neuroscientists have gained new insight into how the brain perceives the world by using high resolution high field MRI to study activity in different layers of the visual cortex in great detail.
	Predictive model could help guide choices for breast cancer therapies Biomedical engineers have demonstrated a proof-of-principle technique that could give women and their oncologists more personalized information to help them choose options for treating breast cancer.
	Sharing of genetic data empowers discovery of new disorders in children The team behind the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) Study, one of the world's largest nationwide rare disease genome-wide sequencing initiatives, have developed a novel computational approach to identify genetic variants that cause disease in young children. This approach is only made possible by contrasting the DNA of children with severe developmental disorders of unknown genetic cause, with the DNA from individuals without overt developmental disorders. These research participants were drawn from around the globe.
	New role for hedgehog gene offers better understanding of lung disease The whimsically named sonic hedgehog gene, best known for controlling embryonic development, also maintains the normal physiological state and repair process of an adult healthy lung, if damaged, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published online this week in Nature in advance of the print edition.
Nanoparticulate carbon black particles tiny culprits that start emphysema When pathologists perform autopsies on smokers who died with severe emphysema, they find that lungs are black in appearance. These emphysematous lungs place strain on lung structures and ultimately other organs. Until recently, researchers and physicians could only guess at the composition of the material that gave the black color to the lungs of smokers.
	Study reveals key structure in telomerase enzyme, a target for cancer drugs Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have determined the structure of a key part of the enzyme telomerase, which is active in most cancers and enables cancer cells to proliferate indefinitely. The new findings, published October 5 in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, reveal how the enzyme carries out a crucial function involved in protecting the ends of chromosomes.
	Finches offer researchers a new tool with which to study Huntington's disease Many neurological disorders can rob someone of the ability to speak clearly, causing them to stutter, mispronounce words, and struggle to put together coherent sentences. However, the molecular and neurological dysfunctions that cause these symptoms aren't well understood.
	Scientists test new gene therapy for vision loss from a mitochondrial disease Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a novel mouse model for the vision disorder Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), and found that they can use gene therapy to improve visual function in the mice. LHON is one of many diseases tied to gene mutations that damage the tiny energy factories that power our cells, called mitochondria.
	Optogenetic research shows which neurons flip fertility master switch New Zealand scientists have achieved another milestone in their world-leading efforts to understand the neural mechanisms underlying the brain's master control of fertility.
	Dengue epidemics linked to high temperatures during strong El Nino season An international research team led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health has shown that epidemics of dengue, which is caused by a mosquito-borne virus, across southeast Asia appear to be linked to the abnormally high temperatures brought by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
	Neuroscientists find evidence that the brain's inferotemporal cortex can identify objects When the eyes are open, visual information flows from the retina through the optic nerve and into the brain, which assembles this raw information into objects and scenes.
	Surprise: Your visual cortex is making decisions The part of the brain responsible for seeing is more powerful than previously believed. In fact, the visual cortex can essentially make decisions just like the brain's traditional "higher level" areas, finds a new study led by a Michigan State University neuroscientist.
	Researchers discover role of microglia during early progression of Alzheimer's disease For the first time, researchers have determined how toxic tau fibrils spread by the help of brain immune cells called microglia during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The discovery of this new pathway may lead to a therapeutic target for AD, one that has not been previously identified.
	Researchers discover evidence that lead exposure in mothers can affect future generation A team of researchers at Wayne State University have discovered that mothers with high levels of lead in their blood not only affect the fetal cells of their unborn children, but also their grandchildren. Their study, Multigenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans: DNA methylation changes associated with maternal exposure to lead can be transmitted to the grandchildren, was published online this week in Scientific Reports.
	'Tennis elbow' usually heals without therapy, study finds (HealthDay)—Most people with tennis elbow recover without physical therapy and steroid injections, according to a study by researchers in Norway.
	MRI effectively measures hemochromatosis iron burden (HealthDay)—Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an accurate and safe tool for the detection of low levels of iron overload in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis, according to a letter to the editor published online Sept. 11 in the American Journal of Hematology.
	Review suggests habit reversal beneficial in atopic dermatitis (HealthDay)—Habit reversal (HR) seems to be beneficial for reducing scratching among patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), according to a review published online Sept. 19 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
	Serotonin levels low in ankylosing spondylitis (HealthDay)—Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have lower serotonin levels than healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
	Psychological Tx for depression not as effective as believed (HealthDay)—The benefits of psychological therapy for depression are overstated, according to research published online Sept. 30 in PLOS ONE.
	Providers must understand legal limits of telemedicine (HealthDay)—In order to minimize risk when practicing telemedicine, providers should ensure they hold the proper medical licenses, have medical liability insurance coverage, and communicate with patients regarding the potential risks of telemedicine, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
	Research supports theory of nonceliac gluten sensitivity (HealthDay)—For patients with suspected nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), overall symptom severity increases with intake of small amounts of gluten, according to a study published in the September issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Add-on sitagliptin cuts risk of insulin initiation in T2DM (HealthDay)—For patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with metformin, add-on sitagliptin is associated with a lower risk of insulin initiation than add-on sulphonylurea, according to a study published in the October issue of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
Aromatherapy's natural appeal drives sales Long eclipsed by modern medicine, demand for aromatherapy with its sensual fragrances and soothing powers has surged as more people are attracted to natural products.
	Stimulant meds safe, effective for children with ADHD and congenital heart disease A new study finds that children with congenital heart disease and ADHD can take stimulant medications without fear of significant cardiovascular side effects.
	New study finds zipline-related injuries are rapidly increasing The popularity of ziplining has skyrocketed rapidly in recent years. The number of commercial ziplines in the U.S. rose from 10 in 2001 to more than 200 in 2012, in addition to more than 13,000 amateur ziplines which can be found in outdoor education programs, camps, and backyards. The increase in popularity has also increased the number of injuries related to ziplining. A new study by researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that an estimated 16,850 non-fatal zipline-related injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments from 1997 through 2012.
Pegylated enzyme helps in mice with urea cycle disorder A specially engineered, long-lasting form of the enzyme arginase, which converts arginine to ornithine, reduces levels of arginine in the blood after both single and repeated doses in mice with arginase deficiency said researchers led by those at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.
Research shows 'friends' often lead in teen cyber aggression A research project involving Dr. Marion Underwood, dean of graduate studies and professor of psychological sciences, has found that most online conflicts among teens occur with friends and that reading social media without posting (often known as "lurking") is associated with psychological distress.
Complex gut microbiota analysis is unnecessary in diagnosis of cirrhosis In a recent issue of the journal Nature, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine associate professor Jasmohan S. Bajaj, M.D., provides new data to reinterpret conclusions from a July 2014 Nature journal study that had reported on a novel way to diagnose cirrhosis using complex microbiota analysis. The term microbiota refers to the network of tiny organisms in the human body such as bacteria and fungi that can either bolster an immune system or weaken it.
	Loneliness, severe mental illness behind frequent calls to crisis helplines People who regularly turn to telephone helpline services are more likely to require complex medical care and are often socially isolated, a new study released for Mental Health Week 2015 has revealed.
	CokeGate – big soda's deep pockets reach further than we think Alexandra Jones is a lawyer, working on food policy with The George Institute for Global Health. She is interested in how law can be used to create conditions for people to live healthier lives, particularly in the field of non-communicable diseases. Alexandra holds a Master of Laws in Global Health from Georgetown Law, and in 2016 will start a PhD at the University of Sydney exploring nutrition labeling worldwide.
	Face-to-face socializing more powerful than phone calls, emails in guarding against depression In a slight knock on digital and telephone communications, a new study points to the unsurpassed mental health benefits of regular face-to-face social interactions among older adults. Study participants who regularly met in person with family and friends were less likely to report symptoms of depression, compared with participants who emailed or spoke on the phone. The gains people derived from face-to-face socializing endured even years later. The findings were published online today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	NIH hypertension study makes a stronger case for aiming for even lower blood pressure A national clinical trial was halted when it became evident that more intensive management of high blood pressure for certain people improved survival and incidence of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.
Gastric bypass surgery improves blood sugar handling and insulin sensitivity, study finds Roux-en-Y, the most common type of gastric bypass surgery, can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes along with weight loss. A new study in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology examines why, finding that insulin sensitivity of the main glucose (sugar) storage sites in the body improve after gastric bypass surgery.
	Understanding sleep paralysis—a terrifying but unique state of consciousness "I awake in bed … In the corner of the room there are two men. I cannot see them but I know that they are there, and what they look like. I can hear them talking. They are talking about murder. I cannot move. One of the men comes and stands directly above me … He spits, and his spit lands in the socket of my closed eye. I can feel the impact, the wetness, the trail of slime."
	Compulsive texting associated with poorer school performance among adolescent girls, study finds Teenage girls who compulsively text are more likely than their male counterparts to do worse academically, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Study examines incidence of serious, highly drug-resistant group of bacteria The overall incidence in 2012-2013 was relatively low of a serious, highly drug-resistant group of bacteria (Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae [CRE]) that are an important cause for health-care associated infections, according to a study published online by JAMA. Most CRE cases were associated with prior hospitalizations and discharge to long-term care settings.
	Immunotherapy combination Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab receives FDA approval for metastatic melanoma Today, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the immunotherapy combination nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) for use in patients with metastatic melanoma. This is the first-ever combination immunotherapy to receive approval by the FDA. To learn more, we spoke with Memorial Sloan Kettering medical oncologist and cancer immunologist Jedd Wolchok, the physician-scientist leading this work.
	Researchers develop novel prosthetic heart valve for treatment of severe heart disorder A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a novel prosthetic heart valve, known as VeloX, which can be implanted through a small incision for the treatment of a serious heart valve disorder called mitral regurgitation. This is a condition in which the mitral valve on the left side of the heart does not close properly. The device is particularly beneficial to patients who are of high surgical risk or are unsuitable for existing clinical interventions.
Insulin vaccine for type 1 diabetes undergoes second trial A vaccination against type 1 diabetes will soon also be available to young children: the Pre-POINTearly vaccination study will involve children between the ages of six months and two years from across Germany who have a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes. In the preceding Pre-POINT study a positive immune response was triggered in children aged between two and seven years with the aid of powdered insulin. The follow-up Pre-POINTearly study will now test whether this effect can be confirmed by giving very young children oral insulin, and whether type 1 diabetes can be prevented in the long term.
	A genetic polymorphism associated with lung cancer progression Genetic polymorphisms associated with cancer progression lead to variations in gene expression and may serve as prognostic markers for lung cancer. Researchers at the Hiroshima University and Saitama Medical University found that in patients with lung cancer, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may regulate gene and protein expression and be associated with poor prognosis. To establish this genetic polymorphism as a useful clinical prognostic marker and to further clarify its molecular mechanism, large-scale clinicopathological studies of lung cancer and/or other types of cancer are required for additional insights.
	Doctors liken keeping patients alive unnecessarily to torture Trainee doctors think they are being asked to prolong some patients' lives unnecessarily and describe such cases as being tantamount to torture and abuse, according to a new study.
EU breached tobacco lobbying rules: watchdog The EU has failed to be transparent about its dealings with the tobacco industry, in breach of UN rules, the bloc's watchdog said Monday after a lobbying scandal claimed a top Brussels official.
	Expectant dads get depressed too Transition to parenthood can be a difficult life event. It can have an impact on both parents and on the long-term development of the child. While mother's "baby blues" have been widely investigated, little research has been conducted on antenatal paternal depression. A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) sheds light on fathers' mental health by releasing the first study to report the prevalence of antenatal depression symptoms among Canadian men. The findings, which have been published in the American Journal of Men's Health, show that a significant number of first-time expectant fathers experience depression during their partner's pregnancy. This may have important clinical implications for depression screening and early prevention efforts in expectant fathers.
Patients with flu-associated pneumonia less likely to have received flu vaccine Among children and adults hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, those with influenza-associated pneumonia, compared with those with pneumonia not associated with influenza, had lower odds of having received an influenza vaccination, according to a study published online by JAMA.
Disparities in outcomes for rare pediatric cancer suggest unequal access to primary care Disparities in outcomes for children with retinoblastoma—a rare eye tumor usually discovered in routine pediatric check-ups—suggest unequal access to primary care, researchers from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center report in a study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. Although virtually all the children in the study survived, Hispanic children and children who lived in disadvantaged areas were more likely to lose an eye due to late diagnosis.
Antihypertensive beta-blockers may increase cardiovascular risks in surgical patients A two-drug antihypertensive treatment that included a beta-blocker was associated with increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and death in a study of Danish patients who underwent noncardiac surgery, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Laws in 25 states put the brakes on high school bullying In the most comprehensive study of the effectiveness of anti-bullying policies to date, researchers found that compliance with the U.S. Department of Education guidelines in antibullying laws reduced rates of bullying and cyberbullying—the most common forms of peer aggression. The study, which uncovered varying rates of bullying reported across the states, has important implications for educators, policy makers, and researchers. Findings will appear online in JAMA Pediatrics.
Disparities in time spent seeking medical care in the United States Racial/ethnic minorities and unemployed individuals had a longer total time burden (time spent traveling to, waiting for and receiving ambulatory medical care) in a nationally representative study, although patients' face-to-face time with physicians tended not to vary, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Artificial scents have no place in hospitals Artificial scents such as perfumes and after-shave have no place in our hospitals because they can aggravate asthma and other allergies, argues an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)
Antibiotics after knee and hip surgery: Are they effective? Prescribing antibiotics after joint surgery to prevent infection is common, although there is little evidence to support it, argues a commentary published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
	Study finds high HPV prevalence in subset of Peruvian men A decade ago, a clinical trial of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in brothel-based female sex workers took Brandon Brown of the University of California, Riverside to Peru, a country where HIV prevalence is high, the epidemic concentrated in men who have sex with men (MSM).
	When care turns costly, patients leave private Medicare People are free to switch between traditional, public Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans every year. Under normal circumstances that traffic is equal in either direction—that is, a new Brown University study shows, until more costly services, such as hospital, at-home or nursing home care, become necessary. Then, despite federal policy to prevent this, the migration becomes decidedly away from the private plans toward the public one.
Physical activity: More is better for heart failure prevention Doubling or quadrupling the minimum federally recommended levels of physical activity lowered the risk of developing heart failure by 20 percent and 35 percent, respectively, according to research published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
	Phone app allows researchers to conduct concealed food safety observations Smartphones are so ubiquitous, and text messaging and social media activities so common in public places, that no one questions what anyone does with their phone. That pervasiveness allows a phone application to be used in direct, concealed observations without alerting the people being observed.
Study: Cars, child seats not compatible 42 percent of time Many parents roll up towels and blankets and use pool noodles just to get their child's car seat to fit better in their car. This common practice creates extra steps for parents and can make proper installation more difficult.
Risk profiling is key to managing pain in era of opioid abuse Patients undergoing rehabilitation for physical injuries and their physicians can better understand who is most at risk of abusing opioids by reviewing their family history, lifestyle and environment for critical cues about susceptibility to addiction, according to physical medicine and rehabilitation experts.
Gut bacteria population, diversity linked to anorexia nervosa Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine found that people with anorexia nervosa have very different microbial communities residing inside their guts compared to healthy individuals and that this bacterial imbalance is associated with some of the psychological symptoms related to the eating disorder.
Hospital care patterns vary greatly for children with complex medical issues Although children with high health care needs represent a small percentage of the overall pediatric population, they account for a large percentage of pediatric health care costs, including up to 40% of pediatric hospital charges. In recent years, there has been more information available about the medical care received by these children, but generally studies have been limited to care provided in hospital settings.
Blood clots may complicate aortic valve replacements Heart valve replacements made from tissue (bioprosthetic valves) have long been thought to be spared the complication of blood clot formation. Researchers have now found that about 15 percent of all bioprosthetic aortic heart valve patients develop blood clots on the leaflets affecting valve opening, regardless of whether the patient received the new valve via open-heart surgery or a minimally-invasive catheter procedure, a new study from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute shows.
	Training by repetition actually prevents learning for those with autism Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes acquire a new behavior or skill only in a specific context, but they have difficulty transferring that learned skill or information to a new context.
	UV-light enabled catheter fixes holes in the heart without invasive surgery Researchers from Boston Children's Hospital, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Karp Lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital have jointly designed a specialized catheter for fixing holes in the heart using a biodegradable adhesive and patch. As the team reports in Science Translational Medicine, the catheter has been used successfully in animal studies to facilitate hole closure without the need for open heart surgery.
Adult rashes with fever call for emergency treatment, can signal life-threatening illness Adults with skin rashes accompanied by a fever of 100.5 or higher warrant a trip to the emergency room because the combination of symptoms can be associated with several life-threatening conditions, according to the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians.
	Study shows testosterone therapy does not increase aggressive prostate cancer risk A new population-based study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston showed for the first time that exposure to testosterone therapy over a five-year period was not associated with an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Further, risk of high-grade prostate cancer did not increase according to the total number of testosterone injections. The study is available in the Journal of Urology.
Schools are underprepared for pandemics and natural disasters Missouri schools are no more prepared to respond to pandemics, natural disasters, and bioterrorism attacks than they were in 2011, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
	Happy head, happy heart: Positive emotions may promote heart-healthy behaviors People with heart disease may benefit from maintaining positive emotions, according to health researchers.
Benzodiazepines ineffective in treating anxiety disorders and may increase dementia risk Patients taking benzodiazepines to treat psychiatric conditions should consider transitioning to other therapies because of heightened risks for dementia and death, according to clinicians from the American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists.
	Sexual activity causes immune system changes that increase chances of conception Research from Indiana University has found that sexual activity triggers physiological changes in the body that increase a woman's chances of getting pregnant, even outside the window of ovulation.
	New centers help health workers fight deadly infections The University of Illinois at Chicago has been selected as one of six research centers in the U.S. to help develop a comprehensive new strategy to control Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases in health facilities.
	Mixed up cell transportation key piece of ALS and dementia puzzle It's the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but until now scientists weren't sure how a specific gene caused these devastating diseases. Now researchers from the University of Toronto are one step closer to solving this incredibly complex puzzle, offering hope for treatment.
	Many women experience 'post-sex blues' Very few studies on female sexual dysfunction have looked at postcoital dysphoria (PCD), or "post-sex blues," which is characterized by tearfulness, a sense of melancholy or depression, anxiety, agitation, or aggression following sexual intercourse.
Packaged food purchases at non-grocery stores are up but nutritional quality is down What foods are Americans really buying, where are they buying them, and how nutritious are these purchases? A new study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has determined that consumers are increasingly making packaged food purchases (PFPs) at warehouse clubs, mass merchandisers, and convenience stores. These outlets offer a selection of foods that have poor nutrient profiles, with higher calories and more sugar, sodium, and saturated fat compared to grocery stores. This represents a potential U.S. public health concern. Their results are published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Severe liver damage in mid/late-adulthood among PWID with chronic HCV The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a chronic blood-borne viral infection that affects an estimated 160 million people, or 2-3% of the population world-wide. Alarmingly, chronic HCV infection accounts for one-quarter of the cases of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). If HCV is left untreated, chronic liver disease will occur in 60-70% of the cases, cirrhosis in 5-20% of the cases, and 1-5% will die from decompensated cirrhosis or HCC.
	Researchers identify new gene linked to amyloid beta plaque buildup in Alzheimer's disease In a newly published study, a multi-institutional team led by scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered an immune system gene associated with higher rates of amyloid plaque buildup in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and older adults at risk for the disease.
Women with Alzheimer's-related gene lose weight more sharply after age 70 Researchers led by Deborah Gustafson, PhD, MS, professor of neurology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, have shown that women with a gene variant (APOEe4 allele) associated with Alzheimer's disease experience a steeper decline in body mass index (BMI) after age 70 than those women without the version of the gene, whether they go on to develop dementia or not. The finding adds to a body of evidence suggesting that body weight change may aid in the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease.
Mexican 'wolf man' battles isolation of rare condition Jesus Aceves may never get used to people's stares, but after decades of alcoholism and a painful career as a circus freak, he has made a resolution: to stop burying his hair-covered face in his hands.
	Explainer: Steps to harvesting medical marijuana Thousands of legal medical marijuana plants are growing under lights in a warehouse in Albion, a small Illinois city whose residents are more familiar with corn and soybeans. Ataraxia, which runs the facility, was the state's first cultivation company allowed to start growing plants. It has started harvesting and will be the first to deliver to licensed dispensaries throughout the state by mid-October. The Associated Press was given exclusive access to see the crop.
Unconscious bias among physicians results in low quality care for LGBT, disabled patients Physicians' unconscious attitudes toward special patient populations like disabled and LGBT patients may be partially responsible for poorer overall health observed in these communities, according to a Rowan University professor of family medicine.
Even surgery may not help patients with severe constipation Current guidelines for treating severe constipation include surgical removal of part of the colon, a procedure called subtotal colectomy. Using national databases of hospital activity in the United States, investigators have discovered that colectomies for constipation nearly tripled over a span of 13 years, from 104 procedures in 1998 to 311 in 2011.
How health professionals help and hinder eradication of female genital mutilation Migration has transferred the practice of genital mutilation of girls and women to countries where it was not common or does not originate, and the World Health Organization is campaigning to eradicate the practice. A new article highlights how health professionals—including nurses and midwives—both help and hinder eradication and management of female genital mutilation.
In-person contact is critical to seniors' mental well-being In a study of adults aged 50 years and older, the probability of experiencing depressive symptoms steadily increased as the frequency of in-person—but not phone or written/email contact—decreased.
What's in store 5 decades following childhood-onset epilepsy? A 45-year study of 179 individuals with childhood-onset epilepsy indicates that patients' long-term health is excellent, with most attaining 10-year remission off medications, which is the definition of resolved epilepsy.
Africa faces rising rates of traumatic brain injury New research reveals that the projected estimates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Africa are high, with a burden of anywhere between approximately 6 to 14 million new cases in 2050. Most cases will result from motor vehicle accidents.
MS experts link neuroophthalmic syndromes with visual neuropsychological task performance Scientists found that individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had a history of neuro-ophthalmic syndromes performed poorly on visual neuropsychological tasks. The article, "Neuro-ophthalmic syndromes and processing speed in multiple sclerosis," was published in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology. The authors are Silvana Costa, PhD, of the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, and Kessler Foundation, Dr. Oscar Goncalves of the University of Minho, Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD and John DeLuca, PhD of Kessler Foundation, and Jorge Almeida of the University of Coimbra, Portugal.
Good communication in the operating room prevents patient complications In a recent study by psychologists and surgeons concerning elective, open abdominal surgeries conducted in 167 patients, communication by the surgical team that was relevant to the procedure was linked with a reduced risk of the development of surgical site infections, whereas irrelevant communication during the closing phase of the procedure was linked with an increased risk of surgical site infections.
Study shows the effects of rare autoimmune diseases on the health of pregnant women and their babies In a recent analysis of 2001 to 2011 data from Australia, pregnant women with rare autoimmune diseases had a higher likelihood of developing conditions such as hypertensive and bleeding disorders and required longer hospitalization at delivery than other pregnant women.
Women with knee osteoarthritis experience greater pain sensitivity than men Among patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, women experienced greater sensitivity to various pain modalities—such as lower tolerance to heat, cold, and pressure—and greater widespread pain than men.
Testosterone levels improve in obese men following a common weight-loss operation A common weight-loss operation called sleeve gastrectomy can make testosterone levels normal in obese men, according to new findings presented at the 2015 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. Surgeons from Stanford University in California reported that after undergoing this bariatric surgical procedure, obese patients with low testosterone levels experienced a measureable increase in their testosterone levels over a 12 month-period following the operation.
BMS paying $14.6M to settle SEC charges on payments in China Bristol-Myers Squibb will pay $14.6 million to settle charges from U.S. regulators that its joint venture in China gave cash and other benefits to government health care providers to boost drug sales.
General Mills recalling 1.8M Cheerios boxes on allergy risk General Mills is recalling 1.8 million boxes of Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios produced at a plant in Lodi, California, saying the cereal is labeled gluten-free but actually contains wheat.
	California governor signs hard-won right-to-die legislation California will become the fifth U.S. state to allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives using doctor-prescribed drugs after Gov. Jerry Brown announced Monday he had signed the legislation.
FDA orders safety studies from scope manufacturers Federal health authorities are ordering manufacturers of specialized medical scopes to study how the reusable devices are cleaned following a series of life-threatening bacterial outbreaks at U.S. hospitals.

Other Sciences news

	Best of Last Week – Water on Mars, drunk kicking a robot and a drug to sharpen memory (Phys.org)—It was a good week for physics as a team at Hokkaido University in Japan reported the first observation made of quantum-tunneling diffusion of hydrogen atoms on ice—as opposed to thermal hopping. Also, another team at the Georgia Institute of Technology announced the first optical rectenna—a combined rectifier and antenna that converts light to DC current. The team used nanometer-scale components such as multiwall carbon nanotubes and extremely small rectifiers to create the device. Meanwhile, another team with members from the University of Californian and Rice University announced that they had come up with a new flat transistor that defied a theoretical limit—a field effect transistor that relies on quantum tunneling, making it possible to create ever smaller transistors without upping charge requirements.
	How much for that Nobel prize in the window? No need to make peace in the Middle East, resolve one of science's great mysteries or pen a masterpiece: the easiest way to get yourself a Nobel prize may be to buy one.
	The dark side of Nobel prizewinning research Think of the Nobel prizes and you think of groundbreaking research bettering mankind, but the awards have also honoured some quite unhumanitarian inventions such as chemical weapons, DDT and lobotomies.
	Washtenaw County mammoth find hints at role of early humans An ancient mammoth unearthed in a farmer's field southwest of Ann Arbor this week may provide clues about the lives of early humans in the region.
	True colors: Using molecular analysis to clarify dino color claims The color of dinosaurs is a fascinating topic, and in recent years the discovery of melanosomes - small, pigment-filled sacs - associated with fossilized dinosaur feathers has given rise to all sorts of speculation about our prehistoric pals, from the hue of their plumage to color's impact on behavior.
	How we found the 'prehistoric beaver' that helped mammals inherit Earth after dinosaurs were wiped out Sixty six million years ago the world changed in an instant. A huge asteroid, some ten kilometers in diameter, smashed into what is now Mexico. It arrived with the force of several million nuclear bombs, and unleashed a deadly cocktail of wildfires, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
	What fewer women in STEM means for their mental health "You're in engineering!?! Wow, you must be super-smart…"
The psychology behind religious belief Throughout history, scholars and researchers have tried to identify the one key reason that people are attracted to religion.
	Civic participation can bridge social-class segregation Good news for the Leslie Knopes, Lisa Simpsons and other civic-minded strivers of the world: New research from a University of Illinois expert in social network analysis indicates that people who participate in voluntary civic organizations such as school PTAs, religious or leisure groups strengthen their ties to high-status people and accrue significantly better social cachet than their less-outgoing peers.
When workplace relationships are good, both positive, negative humor by leaders can improve employees' job satisfaction Past research as well as conventional wisdom about the use of humor by leaders suggests that positive humor should result in happier subordinates who are satisfied with their jobs. Conventional wisdom also suggests that leaders should avoid negative humor, though actual support for that belief is scarce and ambiguous. Now, a recent study from the University of Missouri has found that the relationship between leader-humor and job satisfaction is dependent on the quality of the relationship between leaders and their subordinates not the positive or negative tone of the leader's humor.
	Student debt squeezing parents and children simultaneously A college degree practically stamped Andres Aguirre's ticket to the middle class. Yet at age 40, he's still paying the price of admission.
	Research project focuses on narrowing nation's achievement gap Since the late 1960s, Americans have been aware of a growing achievement gap between low-income minority students and their middle-class white counterparts. Yet despite the implementation of education reform initiatives to address this gap over the ensuing four decades, it remains just as pervasive today.

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