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Date: Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 12:30 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Aug 24
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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for August 24, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Rocky planet found orbiting habitable zone of nearest star

Humans have caused climate change for 180 years: study

No batteries required: The first autonomous, entirely soft robot

Can one cosmic enigma help solve another? Astrophysicists argue fast radio bursts could provide clues to dark matter

Modelling water uptake in wood opens up new design framework

China unveils 2020 Mars rover concept: report

Engineers discover a high-speed nano-avalanche

Bags don't fly free: Charges have boosted airlines' departure performances, study finds

Nutrition matters: Stress from migratory beekeeping may be eased by access to food

In some genetic cases of microcephaly, stem cells fail to launch

A new path for killing pathogenic bacteria

Selecting the right house plant could improve indoor air

LiH mediates low-temperature ammonia synthesis

Funneling fundamental particles

Miniaturised clinical testing for fast detection of antibiotic resistance

Nanotechnology news

Development of silicon-metal composite material for high-capacity lithium-ion rechargeable batteries A research group led by Naoki Fukata, a Leader of Nanostructured Semiconducting Materials Group at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan, and a research group at the Georgia Institute of Technology, US, jointly developed an anode material for lithium (Li)-ion rechargeable batteries by forming nanoparticles made of silicon (Si)-metal composites on metal substrates. The resulting anode material had high capacity—almost twice as high as conventional materials—and a long cycle life. These results will lead to the development of higher-capacity, longer-life anode materials for Li-ion rechargeable batteries.

Physics news

	Can one cosmic enigma help solve another? Astrophysicists argue fast radio bursts could provide clues to dark matter Astrophysicists from the Johns Hopkins University have proposed a clever new way of shedding light on the mystery of dark matter, believed to make up most of the universe.
	Modelling water uptake in wood opens up new design framework Analytical approach could accelerate the development of new preservation treatments delivering environmental benefits and help in the design of bio-inspired smart actuators.
	Engineers discover a high-speed nano-avalanche Charles McLaren, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering at Lehigh University, arrived last fall for his semester of research at the University of Marburg in Germany with his language skills significantly lagging behind his scientific prowess. "It was my first trip to Germany, and I barely spoke a word of German," he confessed.
	Funneling fundamental particles Neutrinos are tricky. Although trillions of these harmless, neutral particles pass through us every second, they interact so rarely with matter that, to study them, scientists send a beam of neutrinos to giant detectors. And to be sure they have enough of them, scientists have to start with a very concentrated beam of neutrinos.
	Spherical tokamak as model for next steps in fusion energy Among the top puzzles in the development of fusion energy is the best shape for the magnetic facility—or "bottle"—that will provide the next steps in the development of fusion reactors. Leading candidates include spherical tokamaks, compact machines that are shaped like cored apples, compared with the doughnut-like shape of conventional tokamaks. The spherical design produces high-pressure plasmas—essential ingredients for fusion reactions—with relatively low and cost-effective magnetic fields.
	Feeling the force between sand grains For the first time, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have measured how forces move through 3D granular materials, determining how this important class of materials might pack and behave in processes throughout nature and industry.
	Unraveling the crystal structure of a record high-temperature superconductor For the first time, a research group led by Osaka University, Japan, clarified the crystal structure of hydrogen sulfide in its superconducting phase at the high temperature of -70°C. This was achieved by conducting a combination of experiments at one of the world's largest synchrotron radiation facilities, SPring-8 in Japan. These results mark a huge step toward developing room-temperature superconductors, which may provide promising solutions to energy problems.
	Silicon nanoparticles trained to juggle light A team of physicists from ITMO University (Saint Petersburg) and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) has demonstrated the potential of silicon nanoparticles for effective non-linear light manipulation. Their work lays the foundation for the development of novel optical devices with a wide range of functionalities. These silicon nanoparticle-based devices would allow transmission, reflection and scattering of incident light in a specified direction, depending on its intensity. They could be integrated into microchips that would enable ultrafast, all-optical signal processing in optical communication lines and the next generation of optical computers.
New method enables superior light confinement in low-refraction-index microcavity The trapping of photons in low-refraction-index materials is thought to be difficult in conventional photonic structures that employ total internal reflection. Specifically, the whispering gallery mode (WGM) microcavity, which is an important optical component, has to rely on a refraction index with high contrast to the surrounding environment to manifest excellent light confinement. A team led by Professor Yun-Feng Xiao at Peking University collaborated with researchers from the Harbin Institute of Technology, and demonstrated that an optical microcavity structure consisting of a low-refraction-index silica microtoroid that was directly bonded on a high-refraction-index silicon substrate supports high-Q fundamental WGMs. This work has been published in a recent issue of Optica.
	Researchers moving forward with neutrino experiments Approximately 100 trillion neutrinos bombard your body every second—but you don't notice these ghostly subatomic particles. Because they are electrically neutral and interact with other matter via the weak force, their detection is difficult—and the subject of challenging experiments that convene physicists from universities, national labs and other research institutions worldwide.
	Theory of thermoelectric properties updated after 23 years Since the Hicks-Dresselhaus publication in 1993, the researchers have focused the low dimensional materials (2D or 1D) for searching the high thermoelectric material according to their theory of the confinement effect on 1D and 2D thermoelectricity, which was successful.
	Research sheds new light on proton behavior, draws praise from science community Consider: You've always thought that the only way to travel from northern New Jersey to New York City was over the Hudson River via the George Washington Bridge. Then one day there's a news flash: The Lincoln Tunnel through the Hudson is actually much more efficient.

Earth news

	Humans have caused climate change for 180 years: study An international research project has found human activity has been causing global warming for almost two centuries, proving human-induced climate change is not just a 20th century phenomenon.
	Seals help plug Antarctic water mystery Elephant seals have helped scientists to demonstrate that fresh water from Antarctic's melting ice shelves slows the processes responsible for the formation of deep-water ocean currents that regulate global temperatures.
	Research team develops data-driven methods to refine climate predictions, analyze climatic changes The year 2016 is on pace to be the hottest on record, with each of the first six months setting new temperature records, according to NASA. Climate change, combined with the effects of El Niño, is the main reason behind the record-setting temperatures.
	Earth scientists untangle the curious landscape of China's Tarim Basin using a model simulation of ancient events Sometimes the answers to our most persistent questions are found in the most unexpected places. Just ask Douglas Burbank.
	Giant cruise ship heads to Arctic on pioneering journey It is a voyage explorers only dreamed of not so long ago.
	Keeping global warming to 1.5C, not 2C, will make a crucial difference to Australia, report says Australia could avoid punishingly long heatwaves and boost the Great Barrier Reef's chances of survival by helping to limit global warming to 1.5℃ rather than 2℃, according to a report released by the Climate Institute today.
	The peak of the hurricane season – why now? Although the Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1st, we're now entering the "season within the season" - a roughly eight-week period that is often the most active and dangerous time for tropical cyclone activity.
	Human population footprint may be growing more slowly The human footprint continues to expand, with three quarters of earth's land surface now experiencing measurable pressures from buildings, roads, crops, pastures and other human structures and activities, according to a new report. Those pressures are building most intensely in the few remaining wild areas of high biodiversity, it notes. But the report also finds an encouraging trend: in recent years, growth in the footprint has lagged far behind population and economic growth. From 1993 to 2009, population grew 23 percent, and the global economy by 153 percent–but human influence on land went up only 9 percent. The mismatch suggests that increasing urbanization and more sustainable use of resources may be buying time for the rapidly expanding human biome, even as overall consumption of resources hits new heights. The report appears this week in the journal Nature Communications.
	Forest and watercourse interplay important for restorations Humans utilise forests and watercourses in a way that depletes ecosystem habitats, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Many areas are restored to break the trend, but to succeed you need to consider not only the ecosystem in mind, but also surrounding ecosystems. This according to researchers in Umeå in Sweden in an article published in BioScience.
	Molecular signature shows plants are adapting to increasing atmospheric CO2 Plants are adapting to increasing atmospheric CO2 according to a new study from the University of Southampton.
Climate change: Trade liberalization could buffer economic losses in agriculture Global warming could create substantial economic damage in agriculture, a new study conducted by a team of scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research finds. Around the globe, climate change threatens agricultural productivity, forcing up food prices. While financial gains and losses differ between consumers and producers across the regions, bottom line is that consumers in general will likely have to pay more for the same basket of food. As the additional expenditure for consumers outweighs producers' gains, increasing net economic losses will occur in the agriculture and food sector towards the end of the century. However, economic losses could be limited to 0.3 percent of global GDP - depending on agricultural trade policies.
	Italy quake struck notorious seismic hotspot The deadly earthquake that struck central Italy before dawn Wednesday occurred in a notorious seismic hotspot, and dangerous aftershocks are possible, scientists said.
	Image: Fires in Idaho and Wyoming Wildfires have been plaguing the western part of the United States for the summer season and no state seems to be without incident.  Both Idaho and Wyoming have their share of wildfires as well.  The Pioneer and Rough Fires are both burning in Idaho.  The Maple Fire is blazing around Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
	The Latest: Geologist: creeping tectonic plate caused quake The Latest on the earthquake in central Italy (all times local):
	Whales in the desert In Cerro Colorado, located in the Ica Desert of Peru, sedimentary sequences dating back nine million years have been found to host the fossil skeletons of hundreds of marine vertebrates.
	NASA's GPM observes Tropical Storm Gaston's development The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite provided scientists with a look at rainfall rates and cloud heights within Tropical Storm Gaston as it continued to intensify in the Atlantic Ocean.
	Arctic gives clues on worst mass extinction of life Extreme global warming caused a severe mass extinction of life on Earth 252 million years ago. It took life up to 9 million years to recover. New study finds clues in the Arctic as to why this recovery took so long.
	NASA sees a small tropical depression 14W Tropical Depression 14W appeared to be a small storm when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead early on Aug. 24.
	GPM sees Tropical Depression Kay fading into history The remaining traces of rainfall in weakening Tropical Depression Kay was in a small area when the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite passed overhead early on Aug. 23.
	NASA sees Lionrock strengthen into a typhoon NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Typhoon Lionrock as it strengthened to a typhoon east of Japan's Ryukyu Islands. The chain of islands stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan.

Astronomy & Space news

	Rocky planet found orbiting habitable zone of nearest star An international team of astronomers including Carnegie's Paul Butler has found clear evidence of a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Solar System. The new world, designated Proxima b, orbits its cool red parent star every 11 days and has a temperature suitable for liquid water to exist on its surface, if it were present. This rocky world is a little more massive than the Earth and is the closest exoplanet to us; it may even be the closest possible abode for life beyond our own Sun. A paper describing this milestone finding is published by Nature.
	China unveils 2020 Mars rover concept: report China has unveiled illustrations of a Mars probe and rover it aims to send to the Red Planet at the end of the decade in a mission that faces "unprecedented" challenges, state media said on Wednesday.
Test for damp ground at Mars streaks finds none Seasonal dark streaks on Mars that have become one of the hottest topics in interplanetary research don't hold much water, according to the latest findings from a NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars.
	Astronaut breaks US record: 521 days in space and counting Astronaut Jeffrey Williams has a new record for NASA under his space belt.
	Cosmic neighbors inhibit star formation, even in the early-universe The international University of California, Riverside-led SpARCS collaboration has discovered four of the most distant clusters of galaxies ever found, as they appeared when the universe was only 4 billion years old. Clusters are rare regions of the universe consisting of hundreds of galaxies containing trillions of stars, as well as hot gas and mysterious dark matter. Spectroscopic observations from the ground using the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope in Chile confirmed the four candidates to be massive clusters. This sample is now providing the best measurement yet of when and how fast galaxy clusters stop forming stars in the early Universe.
	A better way to learn if alien planets have the right stuff A new method for analyzing the chemical composition of stars may help scientists winnow the search for Earth 2.0.
	WISE, Fermi missions reveal a surprising blazar connection Astronomers studying distant galaxies powered by monster black holes have uncovered an unexpected link between two very different wavelengths of the light they emit, the mid-infrared and gamma rays. The discovery, which was accomplished by comparing data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has enabled the researchers to uncover dozens of new blazar candidates.
	Image: Spacewalkers successfully install new docking adapter for commercial crew flights Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams (shown here) and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA successfully installed the first of two international docking adapters (IDAs) Friday Aug. 19, 2016, during a five hour and 58-minute spacewalk.
	Exoplanets 101: Looking for life beyond our Solar System An Earth-like planet orbiting the star closest to our Sun, revealed Wednesday, is the most recent—and among the most stunning—in a string exoplanet discoveries going back 20 years.

Technology news

	No batteries required: The first autonomous, entirely soft robot A team of Harvard University researchers with expertise in 3D printing, mechanical engineering, and microfluidics has demonstrated the first autonomous, untethered, entirely soft robot. This small, 3D-printed robot—nicknamed the octobot—could pave the way for a new generation of completely soft, autonomous machines.
	Bags don't fly free: Charges have boosted airlines' departure performances, study finds When most major airlines began charging flyers for checked bags in 2008, travelers grumbled. Southwest Airlines—one of the most successfully run airlines in history—even resisted and seized a new marketing slogan "bags fly free."
	Going beyond 3-D printing to add a new dimension for additive manufacturing A team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers has demonstrated the 3-D printing of shape-shifting structures that can fold or unfold to reshape themselves when exposed to heat or electricity. The micro-architected structures were fabricated from a conductive, environmentally responsive polymer ink developed at the Lab.
	China sets sights on new global export: nuclear energy On a seaside field south of Shanghai, workers are constructing a nuclear reactor that is the flagship for Beijing's ambition to compete with the United States, France and Russia as an exporter of atomic power technology.
	World's largest aircraft damaged on 2nd test flight The developer of the world's largest aircraft says the blimp-shaped airship sustained damage after it made a bumpy landing Wednesday on its second test flight in eastern England.
	Exploration and collaboration are taking gaming to the next level Two of the most unique—and potentially revolutionary—games of all-time were released this summer. The first was "Pokémon Go," the augmented reality game for the iOS and Android operating systems in which players use their mobile device's GPS capability to locate, capture, and then train the virtual creatures. The second, "No Man's Sky," the action-adventure game for the PC and PlayStation 4, allows players to travel through a massive world comprising 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets. The game is built on four primary actions—explore, fight, trade, survive—with a particular focus on collecting resources, defeating alien creatures, and cataloguing discoveries en route from one planet to the next.
	A new class of collaborative robots may be the future of industrial remanufacturing By 2030 more than half of the world's jobs could be performed by machines. But far from a dystopian vision of humans being forced from employment by the rise of the machines, Tijo Thayil, section manager for robotics development at the A*STAR Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre, believes this labor shift could be a positive development.
	How Isaac Newton could help you beat the casino at roulette Imagine walking into a casino with a computer strapped to your chest. Solenoid electromagnets thump against your body telling you where to place your bet on the roulette table. Suddenly, you start getting electric shocks. You rush to the toilet to undertake emergency repairs, hoping that the casino staff do not realise what is happening.
	Designer's 3-D prosthesis makes waves For his Master's research, Stuart focused on restoring balance for trans-tibial amputees while swimming—a solution that would improve accessibility and enjoyment, and make it easier for those with below-the-knee amputations to exercise.
Technique to grade multiple-choice exams with any optical scanner What if there were a faster, easier way to grade exams? A DMZ-based startup has perfected the technology: Akindi, a browser-based system that allows professors to quickly scan and grade multiple-choice exams.
	Researchers work to predict the future of transit Haris N. Koutsopoulos believes that our ability to predict the future has the potential to enable various innovations in public transit. The short-term future, that is.
	Post-disaster optimization technique capable of analyzing entire cities Some problems, says Paolo Bocchini, cannot be solved through intuition.
	Median installed price of solar in the United States fell by 5-12 percent in 2015 Solar energy system pricing is at an all-time low, according to the latest editions of two recurring "state of the market" reports released today by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
	Reward your ears: Five gadgets to liven up your music Open your ears. What do you hear?
Lyft CEO Logan Green has a plan that's far bigger than ride-hailing Logan Green applied for his first job out of college by submitting a resume and a document titled "Logan's Life Plan."
Augmented reality offers new way to shop for furniture Close your eyes. Can you picture that sofa you're coveting in your living room? Now, open your eyes and pull out your phone - because edgy furniture stores are giving you a tool that's more accurate than imagination.
Bay Area startups developing the high-tech way to make a baby As Silicon Valley technophiles use devices to collect data on everything from how many calories they burn to their fluctuating stress levels and their posture, a group of entrepreneurs is bringing that technology somewhere new - into the bedroom.
Silicon Valley's power brain food: Crickets For Bay Area techies attuned to the latest trends, kale is no longer cutting it and quinoa is passe. Instead, many are opting for a six-legged snack.
Fugitive tech CEO expected to plead guilty in fraud case A fugitive former technology company CEO who frustrated federal authorities by living comfortably in exile in southwest Africa for the past 10 years has agreed to return to the United States to face charges he hatched a scheme to pocket millions of dollars by secretly manipulating stock options and is expected to plead guilty, prosecutors revealed on Tuesday.
Refugee who made it returns with drone to halt drownings Standing on a pebbled beach on the Greek island of Lesbos, Mehdi Salehi searches for a good spot to set his drone loose.
System might detect doctored images and videos for the military Purdue University is leading part of an international effort to develop a system for the military that would detect doctored images and video and determine specifically how they were manipulated.
US Treasury blasts European tax probe of multinationals U.S. officials are publicly criticizing Europe's investigations into favorable tax arrangements that Apple and other multinational companies have reached with Ireland and a few other countries.

Chemistry news

	Selecting the right house plant could improve indoor air Indoor air pollution is an important environmental threat to human health, leading to symptoms of "sick building syndrome." But researchers report that surrounding oneself with certain house plants could combat the potentially harmful effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a main category of these pollutants. Interestingly, they found that certain plants are better at removing particular harmful compounds from the air, suggesting that, with the right plant, indoor air could become cleaner and safer.
	LiH mediates low-temperature ammonia synthesis Nearly half of the world's population is fed by industrial N2 fixation, i. e., the Harbor-Bosch process. Although exergonic in nature, NH3 synthesis from N2 and H2 catalyzed by the fused Fe has to be conducted at elevated temperatures and high pressures. It consumes over 1 percent of the world's annual energy supply. Developing efficient catalysts that enable NH3 synthesis under mild conditions is a grand scientific challenge and is of great practical need.
	Miniaturised clinical testing for fast detection of antibiotic resistance A portable power-free test for the rapid detection of bacterial resistance to antibiotics has been developed by academics at Loughborough University and the University of Reading.
	Bio-inspired tire design: Where the rubber meets the road The fascination with the ability of geckos to scamper up smooth walls and hang upside down from improbable surfaces has entranced scientists at least as far back as Aristotle, who noted the reptile's remarkable feats in his History of Animals.
	Calcium channel blockers caught in the act at atomic level An atomic level analysis has revealed how two classes of calcium channel blockers, widely prescribed for heart disease patients, produce separate therapeutic effects through their actions at different sites on the calcium channel molecule.
	New electrical energy storage material shows its power A powerful new material developed by Northwestern University chemist William Dichtel and his research team could one day speed up the charging process of electric cars and help increase their driving range.
	Green light: Biochemists describe light-driven conversion of greenhouse gas to fuel By way of a light-driven bacterium, Utah State University biochemists are a step closer to cleanly converting harmful carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion into usable fuels. Using the phototropic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris as a biocatalyst, the scientists generated methane from carbon dioxide in one enzymatic step.
	An entirely new way of manufacturing pharmaceutical and other valuable chemicals Historically, pharmaceutical industries have relied on novel medications to meet profit targets; however in today's competitive markets, the huge expenditures associated with drug development now challenge this approach. An international team led by A*STAR researchers show how manufacturers can make rapid decisions about switching to alternative drug manufacturing procedures with promising economic prospects.
	A coating that blocks 90 per cent of the heat from sunlight could be used to develop smart windows By fine-tuning the chemical composition of nanoparticles, A*STAR researchers have developed a coating that is promising for fabricating smart windows suitable for tropical countries. Such windows block almost all the infrared heat from sun rays, while admitting most of the visible light.

Biology news

	Nutrition matters: Stress from migratory beekeeping may be eased by access to food In the first large-scale and comprehensive study on the impacts of transporting honey bees to pollinate various crops, research from North Carolina State University shows that travel can adversely affect bee health and lifespan. Some of these negative impacts may be reduced by moving bee colonies into patches with readily available food or by providing supplemental nutrition when there are few flowers for honey bees to visit, the researchers say.
A new path for killing pathogenic bacteria Bacteria that cause tuberculosis, leprosy and other diseases, survive by switching between two different types of metabolism. EPFL scientists have now discovered that this switch is controlled by a mechanism that constantly adapts to meet the bacterium's survival needs, like a home's thermostat reacting to changes in temperature.
	Cuttlefish found to have number sense and state-dependent valuation (Phys.org)—A pair of researchers with National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan has found that cuttlefish have both number sense and state-dependent valuation. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Tsang-I Yang and Chuan-Chin Chiao describe a series of experiments they carried out with cuttlefish and what they learned about the cephalopods.
	Scientists develop new techniques to track how cells develop Understanding how various cell types differentiate themselves during development is one of the fundamental questions in developmental biology. Using genome-editing tools, Harvard scientists are getting closer to finding answers.
	Carp demonstrate rapid de-evolution to get their scales back (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with members from France, Hungary and Madagascar has found that a type of carp bred to have fewer scales and subsequently released into the wild in Madagascar a century ago has devolved to get its scales back. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team describes how they collected large numbers of specimens to study their scales and to look at their DNA and what they found.
	Genetic study of skinks suggests extreme matrotrophy evolved only once in Africa (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with Villanova University in the U.S. and associates from South Africa, Germany and Switzerland has found via genetic study that extreme matrotrophy evolved just once in African mabuyine skink. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the researchers describe how they ventured to Zambia and Angola to obtain skink samples and then conducted DNA tests on them to create family trees which allowed them to learn more about the evolutionary history of matrotrophy in skinks.
Mutually helpful species become competitors in benign environments Nature abounds with examples of mutualistic relationships. Think of bees pollinating flowers whose nectar nourishes the bees, or clownfish that fight off predators of anemones that in turn provide habitats for the clownfish. Each species benefits the other, and together their chances of survival are better than if they lived apart.
	Whiskers help animals sense the direction of the wind Many animals appear to have an impressive ability to follow the wind to find food, avoid predators, and connect with potential mates. Until now, however, no study had examined how land mammals know the direction of the wind. New research finds that an important part of this ability lies in an animal's whiskers. The work could pave the way for the design of novel airflow measurement devices that imitate these biological sensors.
	African bird shows signs of evil stepdad behavior An African desert-dwelling male bird favours his biological sons and alienates his stepsons, suggests research published today in Biological Letters.
	Myanmar's peacock: a national symbol dying off in the wild Embraced by kings and freedom fighters alike, Myanmar's peacocks have long been a national symbol of pride and resistance—but they are becoming ever harder to spot in the wild.
	Rare endangered primate spotted in Vietnam A new group of critically endangered primates has been spotted in Vietnam, raising hopes the rare creatures may not be wiped out in the next decade as scientists had feared.
	Recordings of tiger sounds aim to help save wild population Tigers use a grunt-like snort called chuffing as a greeting, short roars for intimidation and long roars to find mates.
Genome mapped in battle to beat superbugs A Queensland scientist has completed the world's first gene decoding of a superbug bacteria resistant to all commercially-available antibiotics.
	Seagrass restoration threatened by fungi Dutch biologists have discovered that seagrass seed is killed by waterborne fungi that are related to the well-known potato blight. These fungi, which have not previously been found in seawater, hinder seed germination and thus prevent the restoration of seagrass. The biologists, including Laura Govers of Radboud University, published their results on August 24 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
China's honey bee losses are low compared with West Since concern about widespread honey bee colony losses began 10 years ago, there have been surveys carried out to assess winter losses in North America and many European countries. So far, the picture in China, the largest beekeeping country in the world, has been unclear. Now for the first time, information about winter losses from a large-scale survey carried out from 2010-13 has been published.
	Biological invasions threaten biodiversity, economy and human livelihood in developing countries Invasions from alien species such as Japanese Knotweed and grey squirrels threaten the economies and livelihoods of residents of some of the world's poorest nations, new University of Exeter research shows.
	Golden eagles may be more abundant in undeveloped, elevated landscapes Golden eagles may be more abundant in elevated, undeveloped landscapes with high wind speeds, according to a study published August 24, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ryan Nielson from Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., USA, and colleagues.
	Interactive, open source visualizations of nocturnal bird migrations in near real-time New flow visualizations using data from weather radar networks depict nocturnal bird migrations, according to a study published August 24, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Judy Shamoun-Baranes from University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues.
Ocean acidification threatens cod recruitment in the Atlantic Increasing ocean acidification could double the mortality of newly-hatched cod larvae. This would put populations of this economically important fish species more and more under pressure if exploitation remains unchanged. For the first time ever, members of the German research network BIOACID have quantified mortality rates of cod in the western Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea under more acidified conditions which the fish may experience towards the end of the century. They integrated their results of two several-weeks long experiments in model calculations on stock dynamics. The various model scenarios showed that the recruitment could decrease to levels of one quarter to one twelfth of the recruitment of the last decades - a strong call for action for fisheries management.
Video: Empowering Maine's mightiest pollinators For the last 30 years, Drummond, professor of insect ecology at the University of Maine, has studied the biology, ecology, disease susceptibility and pesticide exposure of Maine's 275 native species of bees, as well as the millions of commercial honey bees annually trucked into the state to aid in crop pollination.
	Algae as vessels for synthetic biology Algae (a term used to group many photosynthetic organisms into a rather heterologous mash-up) do not have a kind place in the public imagination. Take for example the following passage from Stephen King's Pet Semetary:
	'Citizen science' pollen monitoring service "Citizen science" is one of the latest trends in science – it is a scientific method whereby projects are carried out with considerable input from interested parties and affected laypeople. The Austrian Pollen Monitoring service at MedUni Vienna's Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases is a prime example of this.

Medicine & Health news

	In some genetic cases of microcephaly, stem cells fail to launch In a very severe, genetic form of microcephaly, stem cells in the brain fail to divide, according to a new Columbia University Medical Center study that may provide important clues to understanding how the Zika virus affects the developing brain.
	Marijuana makes rats lazy, less willing to try cognitively demanding tasks New research from the University of British Columbia suggests there may be some truth to the belief that marijuana use causes laziness— at least in rats.
	Scientists use ultrasound to jump-start a man's brain after coma A 25-year-old man recovering from a coma has made remarkable progress following a treatment at UCLA to jump-start his brain using ultrasound. The technique uses sonic stimulation to excite the neurons in the thalamus, an egg-shaped structure that serves as the brain's central hub for processing information.
	How do antidepressants trigger fear and anxiety? More than 100 million people worldwide take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft, to treat depression, anxiety and related conditions, but these drugs have a common and mysterious side effect: they can worsen anxiety in the first few weeks of use, which leads many patients to stop treatment. Scientists at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine have mapped out a serotonin-driven anxiety circuit that may explain this side effect and lead to treatments to eliminate it.
	Breast cancer cells found to switch molecular characteristics A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators reveals how spontaneous changes in the molecular characteristics of tumors can lead to tumors with a mixed population of cells requiring treatment with several types of therapeutic drugs. In their report in the Sept. 1 issue of Nature, the research team describes finding a mixture of HER2-positive and HER2-negative circulating tumors cells (CTCs) in blood samples from patients who developed metastatic disease after originally being diagnosed with estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.
	New class of molecules play key role in influencing the immune system In a study published online this week in Science Translational Medicine, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Santa Lucia Foundation in Rome report that resolvins and maresins, molecules produced in the body naturally from certain omega-3 fatty acids, regulate subsets of white blood cells that play a central role in inflammation and the immune system. The new findings suggest that resolvins and maresins are part of a new class of molecules that may be useful for treating chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
	Scientists track metabolic pathways to find drug combination for pancreatic cancer Cancer researchers have long observed the value of treating patients with combinations of anti-cancer drugs that work better than single drug treatments. Now, in a new study using laboratory-grown cells and mice, Johns Hopkins scientists report that a method they used to track metabolic pathways heavily favored by cancer cells provides scientific evidence for combining anti-cancer drugs, including one in a nanoparticle format developed at Johns Hopkins, that specifically target those pathways.
	In unstable times, the brain reduces cell production to help cope People who experience job loss, divorce, death of a loved one or any number of life's upheavals often adopt coping mechanisms to make the situation less traumatic.
	Scientists identify spark plug that ignites nerve cell demise in ALS Scientists from Harvard Medical School have identified a key instigator of nerve cell damage in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a progressive and incurable neurodegenerative disorder.
First randomized trial shows IVF culture media affect the outcomes of embryos and babies Fertility experts are calling on the companies who make the solutions in which embryos are cultured during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to give a clear list of ingredients following publication of a trial that shows that the composition of these laboratory cultures affects the outcomes of the resulting embryos and babies.
	New surgical option for breast cancer comes to the US Breast cancer patients in the U.S. will have a new surgical option that eliminates exposure to radioactive materials and offers a less invasive, more flexible alternative for cancer detection. Receiving FDA approval in April and a distribution deal this month, the new device will be used to locate early stage tumors that cannot yet be felt.
Simplify and standardize health insurance plans, advise CMU behavioral economists Choosing a health insurance plan - whether through an employer, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Medicare - is complicated and stressful and often leads to consumers making costly mistakes.
Insulin pill could make diabetes treatment 'ouchless' Every day, millions of Americans with diabetes have to inject themselves with insulin to manage their blood-sugar levels. But less painful alternatives are emerging. Scientists are developing a new way of administering the medicine orally with tiny vesicles that can deliver insulin where it needs to go without a shot. Today, they share their in vivo testing results.
	Injected mix of bone-augmenting agents causes new bone growth in mouse jaws The part of the jawbone containing the tooth sockets is known as alveolar bone, and its loss over time or following dental disease may ultimately result in tooth loss. While dentures can be used as a tooth replacement, the mechanical stimuli under the dentures causes further bone loss. Health professionals therefore seek an alternative and more permanent solution. Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) has been used to stimulate osteogenesis (bone formation) in humans, but high levels can cause inflammation and tumor development. Therefore, agents such as peptide drugs for accelerating bone augmentation need to be developed, even in the presence of lower levels of BMP-2. Additionally, there are no known means of stimulating local bone augmentation without performing surgery.
	Major breakthrough identifies cause and treatment of fatal autoimmune disease The cause of a potentially fatal inherited autoimmune disease has been identified for the first time. The disease, now named OTULIN-related autoinflammatory syndrome (ORAS), was discovered by doctors treating patients who developed symptoms such as rashes, fever, and diarrhoea shortly after birth. The immune system of these patients spontaneously activates and starts to attack the patient's own body leading to the described symptoms and eventually to the child's death. Doctors performed extensive investigations describing the symptoms and analysing patients, but the origin of the disease remained obscure for years. Now, as a result of collaborative research involving the groups of David Komander and Andrew McKenzie in the LMB's PNAC Division, Professor Eamonn Maher's group in the Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge and colleagues at the University of Birmingham, the cause of this disease has been discovered.
	Soda tax linked to drop in sugary beverage drinking in low-income Berkeley neighborhoods In an encouraging sign in the fight against obesity, a new UC Berkeley study shows a 21 percent drop in the drinking of soda and other sugary beverages in Berkeley's low-income neighborhoods after the city levied a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
	Couples HIV testing, counseling prevents more than 70 percent of new infections in Rwanda A 30-year HIV prevention and research initiative in Rwanda has resulted in the prevention of more than 70 percent of new HIV infections in that country. Rwanda is the first African country to implement Couples' Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing (CVCT) as a nationwide intervention and a social norm. The program includes the Rwanda Ministry of Health, Emory University, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Study shows parental training helps parents cope with stress A project which was funded by Save The Children Hong Kong has revealed that parents from families with low monthly household income are more likely to have higher parental stress and lower parental self-efficacy.
	Domestic violence significantly impacts on children's health outcomes, says new study Growing up in a family in which the mother is victim of domestic violence has negative effects on a child's health, according to a new study from academics at City University London.
	Research tests how people make moral decisions using classic dilemmas Is it acceptable and moral to sacrifice a few people's lives to save many others? An academic at City University London has developed a new model with colleagues to test in an unbiased way how people make such decisions using the classic trolley and footbridge dilemmas.
	The immune system-body weight connection A primary role of the immune system is fighting off harmful bacteria and viruses. However, recent studies have revealed additional roles of immune cells in other important host functions, such as controlling body weight.
	Genetic mutation during embryonic development could hold the key to a lifetime living with diabetes Personalized treatment for people with diabetes could be a step closer after researchers discovered how a single gene mutation fundamentally alters pancreatic development.
	Immune system B cells play a role in tackling liver cancer and provide a marker for patient prognosis Immunotherapy—developing treatments by boosting natural immune system responses—holds much potential in the fight against serious diseases. Now, A*STAR researchers have determined how one group of immune cells called tumor-infiltrating B cells (TiBs) can fight liver cancer. Their results could inform future treatments.
	Infiltrating self-defense cells provoke kidney failure in a chronic autoimmune disease The crucial role of dendritic cells in a fatal renal condition of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been exposed by A*STAR researchers. "Our studies show that these cells switch mild autoimmune phenotypes to severe kidney disease," says Anna-Marie Fairhurst at the A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network, who led the study.
	How advertisers seduce our subconscious In 1957 Vance Packard's book The Hidden Persuaders shocked the world by revealing that messages exposed subliminally, below our level of perception, were able to increase sales of ice cream and Coke. The experiment he cited was later shown to be a hoax, but one of Packard's other assertions, that advertising can influence us below our level of awareness, is absolutely true.
Fighting the stigma of albinism People with albinism face major health problems, including skin cancer, involuntary eye movements, and poor eyesight. According to a new study in the journal Anthropology & Medicine, many of them also suffer severe discrimination and social stigmatization.
	Psychologists see humor as a character strength Humor is observed in all cultures and at all ages. But only in recent decades has experimental psychology respected it as an essential, fundamental human behavior.
	Using cold adaptation to produce safe inactivated polio vaccine candidates Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a debilitating childhood disease caused by poliovirus. It has been eliminated from most parts of the world thanks to the extensive use of polio vaccines. However, there are concerns that current vaccines could lead to the reemergence of poliovirus in a polio-free world. It is important to safeguard this eradication by developing safer and more effective strains of polio for use in future vaccine preparations. Earlier this year, PLOS Pathogens published a study in which the authors used cold-adapted virus attenuation (CAVA) to develop temperature-sensitive poliovirus strains, which can be used to produce the next generation of vaccines. While CAVA has been used for other vaccines, it has not been used as a successful tool for poliovirus to date.
	Early death in female popular musicians In her 2005 memoir Pleasure and Pain: My Life, singer Chrissie Amphlett reflected on the "the dreadful scenes, the despair and remorse, the damage I did to my mind and body, and to others' minds and bodies" during her time with the influential 1980s rock band, The Divinyls.
	Link between schizophrenia and sleep apnoea New University of Adelaide research at the Lyell McEwin Hospital has shown that people with schizophrenia are 3.4 times more likely to have severe obstructive sleep apnoea than people without.
	Thousands of algorithms trained for predicting the treatment efficacy of rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Anti-TNF treatment is a widely used treatment blocking the inflammatory cytokine, but it fails in approximately 1/3 of the patients.
Virus spread can be blocked by attacking Ebola's Achilles' heel Scientists have found Ebola's Achilles' heel: a new kind of chemical compound can block the protein Ebola uses to break out of cells and infect new cells. The compounds, revealed in a new paper in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, could potentially be used to treat the disease after infection.
	Progress in vaccination against vespid venom Especially in late summer, apprehension about wasp stings increases amongst allergy sufferers. So-called hyposensibilisation therapy can help, but it is linked to a heavy burden on patients and health insurers. Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University Munich have now presented a method in the journal Allergy, which facilitates a personalised procedure.
Discovery could provide new prevention, treatment option for organ transplant rejection An international team led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that targeting certain donor cells lowered the risk of organ rejection in mice that underwent kidney and heart transplants. The study results, published today in Nature Communications, could lead to new ways of preventing or treating organ transplant rejection in humans.
Acupuncture may yield pain relief for children who have complex medical conditions It appears that acupuncture may be a viable option for pain management when it comes to pediatric patients who have complex medical conditions, according to new research published by Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, Minnesota. The study found that a significant portion of children who have chronic care conditions - many of whom are already on numerous medications - might benefit from the use of the low-risk and non-toxic benefits of acupuncture. The study was published in a recent edition of Medical Acupuncture.
India moves to ban booming commercial surrogacy business India's government Wednesday approved plans to ban the booming commercial surrogacy industry, a move that would block thousands of foreign couples who flock to centres to have a baby.
Amyloid-related heart failure now detectable with imaging test A type of heart failure caused by a build-up of amyloid can be accurately diagnosed and prognosticated with an imaging technique, eliminating the need for a biopsy, according to a multicenter study led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).
Comparing coronary artery calcium scores in patients with psoriasis, diabetes Assessing coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a measure of the severity of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) and a cornerstone for screening for risk of future cardiac events. The inflammatory skin condition psoriasis has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes is a high-risk disease associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
HIV-infected adults with depression have increased risk for heart attack Among more than 26,000 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults, those with major depressive disorder (MDD) were more likely to experience a heart attack than those without MDD, according to a study published online by JAMA Cardiology.
	Study shows diabetes treatment helps reduce weight in children with autism A new study shows significant evidence that a common drug used to treat type2 diabetes - metformin - is also effective in helping overweight children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who take antipsychotic medications maintain or reduce their body mass index (BMI).
	Graying but grinning: Despite physical ailments, older adults happier While even the best wines eventually peak and turn to vinegar, a new study by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests a paradoxical trend in the mental health of aging adults: They seem to consistently get better over time.
Asthma risk increases when child had bronchiolitis Results of a study published in PLOS ONE show that asthma risk increased 17 times when children who had bronchiolitis in the first two years of life also had a common variation of the Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene. Similarly, children with this genetic variation were 12 times more likely to develop asthma after any lower respiratory tract infections requiring medical contact early in life (including those which were potentially less severe).
Heroic firefighter who underwent most extensive face transplant is thriving The severely burned Mississippi firefighter, who captivated the world when he successfully underwent the most extensive face transplant ever performed, is thriving one year after his historic surgery, according to his medical team at NYU Langone Medical Center. Among his many milestones, he has never had an incident in which his body has attempted to reject his new face - an unprecedented achievement among those who have had the procedure.
A brain circuit to push past nutritional stress When we go hungry, we have the ability to ignore the urge to eat such that we can carry out the task at hand. It has long been known that the brain is involved in such decisions. But how the brain coordinates the response to nutritional stress so that the body can function normally is not understood very well. Now, researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, have discovered a brain circuit that allows fruit flies to take a major developmental step in their lives despite nutritional stress.
	Donor fecal microbiota transplant effective for C. difficile infection (HealthDay)—For patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), donor fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is safe and more efficacious than autologous FMT, according to a study published online Aug. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Success, safety up for ART with elective single embryo transfer (HealthDay)—An updated Committee Opinion urges providers of assisted reproductive technology (ART) to do everything possible to reduce the likelihood of a multifetal pregnancy. The report is published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Mental stress may cause reduced blood flow in hearts of young women with heart disease Younger women with coronary heart disease and mental stress are more susceptible to myocardial ischemia (reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, which can lead to a heart attack), compared to men and older patients, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
Late-onset asthma linked to increased heart disease, stroke risk People who develop asthma as adults (late onset asthma) may also be at greater risk of developing heart disease and having a stroke, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
	Biomarkers may help better predict who will have a stroke People with high levels of four biomarkers in the blood may be more likely to develop a stroke than people with low levels of the biomarkers, according to a study published in the August 24, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
	Excess weight linked to eight more cancer types There's yet another reason to maintain a healthy weight as we age. An international team of researchers has identified eight additional types of cancer linked to excess weight and obesity: stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, ovary, meningioma (a type of brain tumor), thyroid cancer and the blood cancer multiple myeloma.
	UCF technology for killing metastatic breast cancer cells discovered, licensed A University of Central Florida cancer researcher has discovered a way to kill spreading breast cancer cells and her new technology has generated a licensing agreement that will accelerate the therapy's path to clinical trials.
Study strengthens evidence that cognitive activity can reduce dementia risk Are there any ways of preventing or delaying the development of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of age-associated dementia? While several previously published studies have suggested a protective effect for cognitive activities such as reading, playing games or attending cultural events, questions have been raised about whether these studies reveal a real cause-and-effect relationship or if the associations could result from unmeasured factors. To address this question, a Boston-based research team conducted a formal bias analysis and concluded that, while potentially confounding factors might have affected previous studies' results, it is doubtful that such factors totally account for observed associations between cognitive activities and a reduced risk of dementia.
Disruptions to sleep patterns lead to an increased risk of suicides The link between sleep problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviours is made starkly clear in new research from The University of Manchester, published in the BMJ Open.
How parents cope with stress of the NICU affects family dynamics Understanding how parents cope while their child is in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) could lead to better support for the family and a more successful transition to home when the baby is healthy, according to Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Harrisburg researchers. Parental use of religious and secular coping strategies while their prematurely born baby receives intensive medical care may affect the family's interactions.
Lymph node stage may have clinical significance among NSCLC patients with stage IV M1a Analysis of a large non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient cohort with stage IV M1a disease identified lymph node staging as having clinical significance and an impact on prognosis.
	50 years after the release of the film 'Fantastic Voyage,' science upstages fiction Fifty years to the day after the film Fantastic Voyage was first shown in theatres, the Polytechnique Montréal Nanorobotics Laboratory is unveiling a unique medical interventional infrastructure devoted to the fight against cancer. The outcome of 15 years of research conducted by Professor Sylvain Martel and his team, it enables microscopic nanorobotic agents to be guided through the vascular systems of living bodies, delivering drugs to targeted areas.
Gut bacteria could tip balance in developing celiac disease or staying healthy About 40 per cent of the population have a genetic disposition to celiac disease, but only about one per cent develop the autoimmune condition when exposed to gluten, and this could be promoted by the type of bacteria present in the gut.
	UNC cardiologist examines training, staffing, research in cardiac intensive care Jason Katz, MD, MHS, associate professor of medicine at UNC School of Medicine and medical director of the cardiac intensive care unit, was the lead author of a recently published manuscript in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that examined the early growth and maturation of critical care cardiology, and the challenges and uncertainties that threaten to stymie the growth of this fledgling discipline.
	How long do you want to live? Your expectations for old age matter Why do some people want to live a very long time, while others would prefer to die relatively young? In a latest study, a team of researchers including Vegard Skirbekk, PhD, at the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, investigated how long young and middle-aged adults in the United States say they want to live in relation to a number of personal characteristics. The results showed that more than one out of six people would prefer to die younger than age 80, before reaching average life expectancy. There was no indication that the relationship between preferring a life shorter or longer than average life expectancy depended on age, gender or education.
New research shows impact of Crohn's disease on brain function New research published in the UEG Journal1 has found that Crohn's disease sufferers experience slower response times than matched individuals that do not have the disease.
Majority of US doctors discussing electronic cigarettes with their patients A new survey of US doctors reveals they are frequently discussing electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) with patients in a clinical setting. A substantial proportion of physicians also recommend e-cigs to their patients who smoke despite some controversy around the devices.
	Barcodes show the blood family tree By assigning a barcode to stem cells, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have made it possible to monitor large blood cell populations as well as individual blood cells, and study the changes over time. Among other things, they discovered that stem cells go through different stages where their ability to restore immune cells varies. The new findings provide important information for the research and treatment of leukaemia and autoimmune diseases.
Enigmatic molecules maintain equilibrium between fighting infection, inflammatory havoc Special RNA molecules called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key controllers for maintaining immune health when fighting infection or preventing inflammatory disorders, according to research led by Jorge Henao-Mejia, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The discovery offers a potential drug target for several inflammatory disorders characterized by an abnormal lifespan in a group of white blood cells, which can lead to organ damage.
	Researchers measure emotional flexibility in mother-daughter dyads Queen's University researchers Tom Hollenstein and Jessica Lougheed have published new research on the emotional bonds between mothers and adolescent daughters. The study examined how well mother-daughter pairs were able to manage rapid transitions between emotional states and the so-called "emotional rollercoaster" of adolescence.
Study takes a step back to look at use of restraints in hospitals The use of belts, bedrails and other devices to prevent patients from hurting themselves has increasingly come under fire. Within a hospital setting, the use of such restraints may be reduced by ensuring that the nursing staff includes a sufficient number of registered nurses, says Vincent Staggs of Children's Mercy Hospital and the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the US. He led a study which appears in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
	Team discovers how Zika virus causes fetal brain damage Infection by the Zika virus diverts a key protein necessary for neural cell division in the developing human fetus, thereby causing the birth defect microcephaly, a team of Yale scientists reported Aug. 24 in the journal Cell Reports.
	Diets avoiding dry-cooked foods can protect against diabetes Simple changes in how we cook could go a long way towards preventing diabetes, say researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. A new randomized controlled trial, published online July 29 in the journal Diabetologia, found that obese individuals with signs of insulin resistance showed improvement simply by avoiding the intake of advanced glycation endproducts, or AGEs, a byproduct of cooking found most commonly in dry heat-cooked or heat-processed foods.
Scientists uncover the way a common cell enzyme alerts the body to invading bacteria Biomedical investigators at Cedars-Sinai have identified an enzyme found in all human cells that alerts the body to invading bacteria and jump-starts the immune system.
Zika virus detected in newborn until two months after birth Physicians at the Santa Casa de Misericordia and researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at University of São Paulo describe the case of a baby born with Zika infection in January 2016, who remained infected by the virus even two months and one week after birth.
	Conflicts subverting improved health conditions in Eastern Mediterranean Region Improved health conditions and life expectancy over the past 20 years in the Eastern Mediterranean Region are being subverted by wars and civil unrest, according to a new scientific study.
	Senior years may truly be golden for happiness (HealthDay)—In a culture that values youth, aging can seem like a dismal prospect. But a new study suggests that older adults are generally less stressed and happier with their lives than younger people are.
	Cancer on course to become top killer of Americans (HealthDay)—Cancer is on track to become the leading cause of death in the United States, closing in on heart disease as America's number one killer, a new government study shows.
	Season of conception may affect fetal brain growth (HealthDay)—Children conceived during the winter are more likely to have learning disabilities, and a mother's exposure to sunlight may play a role, a new study suggests.
	Two variants ID cardiovascular effect of intensive glycemic Tx (HealthDay)—Two genetic variants predict the cardiovascular effect of intensive glycemic control in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, according to research published online Aug. 15 in Diabetes Care.
	For those with T1D, more former smokers in U.S. than Europe (HealthDay)—Among patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), there are more former smokers in the United States than in Europe, according to research published online Aug. 16 in Diabetes Care.
	Review: Frailty status may predict outcome after cardiac surgery (HealthDay)—Frailty status may be able to predict outcome in older adults undergoing cardiac surgical procedures, although the quality of evidence is variable, according to a review published online Aug. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Medication-assisted treatment underused in teen opioid addicts (HealthDay)—Resources should be increased to promote use of medication-assisted treatment of opioid addicted adolescents and young adults, according to a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published online Aug. 22 in Pediatrics.
	Favorable outcomes for vitiligo in nivolumab-treated melanoma (HealthDay)—For patients with advanced melanoma, vitiligo occurrence is associated with favorable clinical outcome during nivolumab treatment, according to a study published online Aug. 11 in the Journal of Dermatology.
	CDC urges prevention, early recognition of sepsis (HealthDay)—Many cases of life-threatening sepsis could be recognized and treated long before they cause severe illness or death, according to an Aug. 23 Vital Signs report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	A-fib tied to adverse outcomes in patients undergoing PCI (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with in-hospital adverse outcomes, according to a study published in the Aug. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	ACOG addresses thrombocytopenia in pregnancy (HealthDay)—Thrombocytopenia is common in pregnancy and can have causes that are serious medical disorders, with potential for maternal and fetal morbidity, according to a Practice Bulletin published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Seniors with more continuity of care use the ER less Seniors with traditional Medicare coverage who have more continuity of care - defined as consistently seeing the same physician in an outpatient setting - have lower chances of visiting an emergency department, according to the results of a study published online earlier this month in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
New report: Rate of uninsured young adults drops by more than one-third in Texas The percentage of young adults ages 18 to 34 in Texas without health insurance has dropped by 35 percent since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect, according to a new report released today by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation.
Direct and active parent involvement key to healthy living for kids Parents who directly and actively engage their children in healthy living behaviour - instead of passively 'supporting' the behaviour - are significantly more likely to see their kids meet Canadian guidelines when it comes to physical activity, healthy eating and screen time, new research from Public Health Ontario (PHO) has found.
Venezuelan hospitals lack 80% of medicines, supplies Hospitals in crisis-hit Venezuela are facing shortages of about eight in 10 medications and medical supplies needed to treat patients, according to a study published Tuesday.
Opinion: What's ailing the ACA—insurers or Congress? Since the Affordable Care Act – or what many call Obamacare – has been labeled a failure since the day it started, according to some political types, it's difficult to know if the recent defections by large insurance companies are really a death knell or just growing pains.
Video: What if there was an alternative to IVF? For those facing infertility, IVF has long been the established option to have a baby.
Summit focuses on coordinating efforts to fight drug abuse State Supreme Court justices and other high-ranking officials huddled Wednesday to discuss ways to coordinate efforts to battle the drug abuse epidemic in a judicial summit involving some of the hardest-hit states.
AstraZeneca to sell molecule antibiotics business to Pfizer Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca plans to sell its molecule antibiotics business to Pfizer in a deal that will be valued in excess of $1.5 billion when rights, royalties and other payments are included.
Could physical activity be good for alcohol and substance use disorders? A team of researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, has received funding of £154,000 from the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme, to carry out a systematic review of research to see if and how physical activity and exercise could help those with alcohol and substance use disorders.
Conjoined newborn Syrian twins die: Red Crescent One-month-old conjoined twins evacuated from a besieged area near Damascus died Wednesday in the capital, despite a campaign to send them abroad for surgery, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent said.
Top US medical group blasts EpiPen's 'exorbitant' costs The American Medical Association urged the maker of the EpiPen, a life-saving device that counteracts severe allergies, to drop its price Wednesday as public outrage mounted over a soaring cost hike.

Other Sciences news

	Urban sociologists call for expanding concepts of 'livable cities' A commentary in the current issue of the journal Nature, co-written by Hillary Angelo, UC Santa Cruz assistant professor of sociology, argues that while big cities appear to be islands of sustainable living, issues of social equity and global impacts are missing from measures of cities' environmental friendliness.
	More than a few good men: Study finds counterintuitive outcomes of gender imbalance Contrary to traditional expectations of unbalanced sex ratios, places with more men than women do not typically experience higher rates of family and social instability, according to a University of Utah study. The study, published today in PLOS ONE by anthropologists Ryan Schacht and Karen Kramer, finds instead that surpluses of men are associated with higher levels of marriage, relationship commitment and paternal involvement, a contrast to prevailing theories that an abundance of single men lead to outcomes of crime, violence and broken homes.
	Researchers plumb the secrets of tissue paper Canada's tissue manufacturers are now much closer to producing the perfect paper, thanks to new UBC research.
	One of the most significant Etruscan discoveries in decades names female goddess Uni Archaeologists translating a very rare inscription on an ancient Etruscan temple stone have discovered the name Uni—an important female goddess.
	ACT scores show many grads not ready for college-level work The latest scores from the ACT college entrance exam suggest many of this year's high school graduates aren't ready for college-level course work.
Study explores trust in online gamers' psychology New research from UT Dallas shows that players of massively multiplayer online games, or MMOGs, who are motivated by social elements of online play display more trust in fellow players and a greater willingness to disclose personal information, particularly when the players were members of participants' guild.
Study shows some black men face discrimination on a weekly basis Others being afraid of you as you walk by. Shopping in a store and being followed by an employee. Being verbally assaulted with racist words or threatened.
Rio gold medal run was one of the best ever – according to statisticians Statisticians have created a model to work out the answers to one of the biggest questions asked by sports fans around the world – what were the best track athletics performances of all time?
Education not to blame for increasing childlessness in Europe The increasing proportion of the population who prefer to remain childless is a major social problem for many European countries. However this trend has not (so far) been the result of the expansion of education. This is the conclusion of new research, published in the journal Population Studies.
	The origins of Cuban species An international research team suggests the endangered Cuban solenodon evolved after the extinction of dinosaurs.
Do the tools to quantify addiction help to define it? Understanding what counts as an addiction, and what can be done to address it is the work of researchers across many disciplines. But what tools are used to 'measure' addiction, and are these capable of legitimising an addiction or improving our knowledge of it?
	Parents, listen up: Children keep still during prayer Preschool-aged children, and their parents, are more likely to view the physical actions of prayer (i.e., closing eyes, folding hands) to help with reflection and communicating with God. This is according to a new study by Rebekah Richert, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside. The paper, titled "Folding Your Hands Helps God Hear You: Prayer and Anthropomorphism in Parents and Children," was published in Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion. The study was funded by the Social Science Research Council New Directions in the Study of Prayer Initiative and The John Templeton Foundation Gods in Minds Initiative.
For teens, feeling safe at school means increased academic success Parents across North America are prepping their teens to head back to high school, hoping they will study hard to get straight A's. But new research shows that good grades aren't just based on smarts—high marks also depend on a student's feelings of safety.
	Chew on this: How we believe our meat is raised can influence how it tastes Our beliefs about how farm animals are raised can shape our meat-eating experience, according to a new study led by Lisa Feldman Barrett, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University.
Do juvenile murderers deserve life without parole? The U.S. Supreme Court answered this question in two recent decisions (Miller v. Alabama, 2012; Montgomery v. Louisiana, 2016). "Rarely," the Court said, and only when developmental evidence shows that the juvenile is "irreparably corrupt." Moreover, in juvenile homicide cases, developmental evidence must now guide courts' assignment of lesser sentences than life with parole as well. In their article recently published in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, Grisso and Kavanaugh (2016) examine sentencing of juveniles from the developmental perspective described in these two decisions, offering guidance to judges, attorneys, and experts who provide developmental evidence in juvenile homicide cases.
	Scientific dig in weird Wyoming cave yields ice age insights Paleontologists digging at the bottom of a strange cave in northern Wyoming say they have uncovered a trove of animal bones from the last ice age this summer and have enough funding to head back at the same underground site next year to continue their search.
Underwater expedition off California reveals sunken warship An underwater expedition along the California coast has revealed for the first time a sunken World War II-era aircraft carrier once used in atomic tests in the Pacific.
Most homeless people in New Zealand working or studying More than half of all homeless adults in New Zealand are working or studying, say University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) researchers.
	Better e-petition systems could boost digital democracy at local level E-petition systems used in local government across the UK could help to improve political participation and debate – but only if current systems are overhauled, according to new research by leading public policy scholars.
	Norwegian prisons rehabilitate criminal offenders The research project "The Social Costs of incarceration" is the largest study of imprisonment and return to a normal life that has ever been conducted in Europe.

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