Fwd: Science X Newsletter Monday, Nov 6

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 7, 2017 at 12:57 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Monday, Nov 6
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 6, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Distinguishing between humans and computers in the game of go

Scientists find potential 'missing link' in chemistry that led to life on Earth

Astronomy team image one of the first massive galaxies to form, 12.8 billion years ago

Researchers report first-ever protein hydrogels made in living cells

New study reveals sleep deprivation disrupts brain-cell communication

Extremely massive exoplanet discovered in the Milky Way's bulge

Ultrafast magnetic reversal points the way toward speedy, low-power computer memory

Artificial intelligence aids materials fabrication

Tiny bees play big part in secret sex lives of trees

Cool idea: Magma held in 'cold storage' before giant volcano eruption

Theoretical quark fusion found to be more powerful than hydrogen fusion

Heating ocean moon Enceladus for billions of years

Beyond good vibrations: New insights into metamaterial magic

Physicists develop a device that could provide conclusive evidence for the existence (or not) of non-Abelian anyons

Early bloomers: Statistical tool reveals climate change impacts on plants

Nanotechnology news

	Subset of carbon nanotubes poses cancer risk similar to asbestos in mice Nanotechnology, the science of developing materials containing very small fibers, is having a growing influence on daily life. Now researchers have shown for the first time in mice that long and thin nanomaterials called carbon nanotubes may have the same carcinogenic effect as asbestos: they can induce the formation of mesothelioma. The findings were observed in 10%-25% of the 32 animals included in the study, which has not yet been replicated in humans. The work appears November 6 in Current Biology.
	Age-old malaria treatment found to improve nanoparticle delivery to tumors A new study shows that a 70-year-old malaria drug can block immune cells in the liver so nanoparticles can arrive at their intended tumor site, overcoming a significant hurdle of targeted drug delivery, according to a team of researchers led by Houston Methodist.
	Characterisation of the structure of graphene Graphene, the world's first two-dimensional material, is many times stronger than steel, more conductive than copper, lightweight, flexible and one million times thinner than a human hair.
Nanosensors could monitor health in real time Public health organizations have long warned about the devastating potential of superbugs—bacteria that are immune to any existing antibiotics. If left unchecked, by 2050 these microorganisms could kill 10 million people per year, which is more than the current number of annual deaths from cancer and diabetes combined.

Physics news

	Distinguishing between humans and computers in the game of go (Phys.org)—By analyzing the statistical features of thousands of go games played by humans and computers, researchers have found that it's surprisingly easy to tell whether a game is being played by a human or by a computer. The results point to fundamental differences in the ways that humans and computers solve problems and may lead to a new kind of Turing test designed to distinguish between the two.
	Ultrafast magnetic reversal points the way toward speedy, low-power computer memory Researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Riverside have developed a new, ultrafast method for electrically controlling magnetism in certain metals, a breakthrough that could lead to greatly increased performance and more energy-efficient computer memory and processing technologies.
	Theoretical quark fusion found to be more powerful than hydrogen fusion (Phys.org)—A pair of researchers with Tel Aviv University and the University of Chicago has found evidence suggesting that fusing quarks can release much more energy than anyone thought. In their paper published in the journal Nature, Marek Karliner and Jonathan Rosner describe their theories surrounding the amount of energy involved when various types of quarks are fused together.
	Beyond good vibrations: New insights into metamaterial magic If invisibility cloaks and other gee-whiz apps are ever to move from science fiction to science fact, we'll need to know more about how these weird metamaterials actually work. Michigan Tech researcher Elena Semouchkina has gone back to basics and shed more light on the physics behind the magic.
	Physicists develop a device that could provide conclusive evidence for the existence (or not) of non-Abelian anyons What kinds of 'particles' are allowed by nature? The answer lies in the theory of quantum mechanics, which describes the microscopic world.
	A new kind of quantum computer Quantum mechanics incorporates some very non-intuitive properties of matter. Quantum superposition, for example, allows an atom to be simultaneously in two different states with its spin axis pointed both up and down, or combinations in between. A computer that uses quantum mechanical manipulation of atoms or particles therefore has many more possible options than a conventional one that works with "zeros" and "ones" and has only two choices, called bits. A quantum computer's memory uses instead what are called quantum bits - qubits - and each qubit can be in a superposition of these two states. As a result, theoretical physicists estimate a quantum computer with only about one hundred of these qubits could in principle exceed the computing power of the powerful current classical computers. Building a quantum computer is therefore one of the main technological goals in modern physics and astrophysics.
	Researchers develop milestone for ultra-fast communications and computing A mineral discovered in Russia in the 1830s known as a perovskite holds a key to the next step in ultra-high-speed communications and computing.
	Where did those electrons go? Decades-old mystery solved The concept of "valence" - the ability of a particular atom to combine with other atoms by exchanging electrons - is one of the cornerstones of modern chemistry and solid-state physics.
	Antiferromagnetic dysprosium reveals magnetic switching with less energy Dysprosium is not only the atomic element with the strongest magnetic moments, but it also possesses another interesting property: Its magnetic moments point either all the same direction (ferromagnetism) or are tilted against each other, depending on the temperature. This makes it possible to investigate within a single sample how differently oriented magnetic moments behave when they are excited by an external energy pulse.
	The element erbium could pave the way to a quantum internet If you were to try reciting the periodic table, you might stumble before you got to the rare earth elements.
	How much does a kilogram weigh? The kilogram doesn't weigh a kilogram any more. This sad news was announced during a seminar at CERN on Thursday, 26 October by Professor Klaus von Klitzing, who was awarded the 1985 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the quantised Hall effect. "We are about to witness a revolutionary change in the way the kilogram is defined," he declared.
	Black holes with 'dreadlocks' offer insight into quantum matter Physicists understand little about quantum matter, which is a building block of future quantum computers. Theorists have now discovered that black holes with 'dreadlocks' harbor a similarly exotic order pattern, which makes calculations on quantum matter easier. The research is published in Physical Review Letters.
	Researchers develop data bus for quantum computer The quantum world is fragile; error correction codes are needed to protect the information stored in a quantum object from the deteriorating effects of noise. Quantum physicists in Innsbruck have developed a protocol to pass quantum information between differently encoded building blocks of a future quantum computer, such as processors and memories. Scientists may use this protocol in the future to build a data bus for quantum computers. The researchers have published their work in the journal Nature Communications.
	Diffused light shows clear structures Scientists gain an insight into the fascinating world of atoms and molecules using x-ray microscopes. Ground-breaking research by physicists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg, and the University of Hamburg has paved the way towards new imaging techniques. The team of scientists have successfully developed and tested a method which is considerably more effective than conventional procedures. The researchers' findings have recently been published in Nature Physics.
	Physicists improve vertical stability of superconducting Korean fusion device A major challenge facing the development of fusion energy is maintaining the ultra-hot plasma that fuels fusion reactions in a steady state, or sustainable, form using superconducting magnetic coils to avoid the tremendous power requirement of copper coils. While superconductors can allow a fusion reactor to operate indefinitely, controlling the plasma with superconductors presents a challenge because engineering constraints limit how quickly such magnetic coils can adjust when compared to copper coils that do not have the same constraints.

Earth news

	Cool idea: Magma held in 'cold storage' before giant volcano eruption Long Valley, California, has long defined the "super-eruption." About 765,000 years ago, a pool of molten rock exploded into the sky. Within one nightmarish week, 760 cubic kilometers of lava and ash spewed out in the kind of volcanic cataclysm we hope never to witness.
	Swapping where crops are grown could feed an extra 825 million people Redrawing the global map of crop distribution on existing farmland could help meet growing demand for food and biofuels in coming decades, while significantly reducing water stress in agricultural areas, according to a new study. Published today in Nature Geoscience, the study is the first to attempt to address both food production needs and resource sustainability simultaneously and at a global scale.
	Mandatory state policies work best to curb power plant emissions, study finds U.S. state policies aimed at mitigating power plant emissions vary widely in effectiveness, finds a new study by researchers at Emory University.
	Advancing the science and management of European intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) are waterways that cease to flow and sometimes dry. However, there is much left to learn about them, including their occurrence in the landscape, ecology, economic and societal values and incredible biodiversity. For efficient and adequate management and protection actions, these knowledge gaps need to be closed sooner rather than later.
	Perigord black truffle cultivated in the UK for the first time The Mediterranean black truffle, one of the world's most expensive ingredients, has been successfully cultivated in the UK, as climate change threatens its native habitat.
	For Amazon tribe, rainforest is a whole world When Japarupi Waiapi looks into the dense foliage of the Amazon rainforest, he sees the equivalent of a supermarket, pharmacy, furniture store—and that's just the beginning.
	Protecting 'high carbon' rainforest also protects threatened wildlife Conservation efforts focused on protecting forests using carbon-based policies also benefit mammal diversity, new research at the University of Kent has found.
	Oil and gas emissions a major contributor to bad ozone days On certain days in 2014, oil and gas emissions made a big contribution to high summertime ozone levels in northeastern Colorado, according a new study led by CIRES and NOAA researchers. High concentrations of summertime ozone in the northern Front Range of Colorado aren't limited to the urban Denver area. High ozone levels were also observed in rural areas where oil and gas activity was the primary source of ozone precursors, the study found.
	2017 set to be hottest non-El Nino year: UN 2017 is on track to be the hottest year on record except for two warmed by El Nino phenomena, the UN's World Meteorological Organization said Monday.
	Renewable coal on the horizon Coal fueled the Industrial Revolution, but it took eons to form. Now, a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth has introduced what might be called "instant coal": an energy-dense biofuel made from wood and agricultural waste in the Natural Resources Research Institute's (NRRI) Renewable Energy Lab.
	2017 likely to be third warmest year on record The latest estimate for 2017 suggests the year will be the second or third warmest in a record stretching back to 1850.
	How telling the right stories can make people act on climate change The latest UN Climate Change Conference since the 2015 Paris Agreement is taking place in Bonn between November 6-17 – and the world will be watching. The conference will be presided over by the government of Fiji, a country that is no stranger to the devastation that climate change brings.
	Climate change likely to be more deadly in poor African settlements Conditions in crowded urban settlements in Africa make the effects of climate change worse, pushing temperatures to levels dangerous for children and the elderly in those areas, according to a new study led by a Johns Hopkins University scientist.
	NASA satellite tracks ozone pollution by monitoring its key ingredients Ozone pollution near Earth's surface is one of the main ingredients of summertime smog. It is also not directly measurable from space due to the abundance of ozone higher in the atmosphere, which obscures measurements of surface ozone. New NASA-funded research has devised a way to use satellite measurements of the precursor gases that contribute to ozone formation to differentiate among three different sets of conditions that lead to its production. These observations may also assist air quality managers in assessing the most effective approaches to emission reduction programs that will improve air quality.
	Rich nations far behind on $100 bn climate pledge: study Wealthy countries are falling well short of their pledge to provide $100 billion a year to developing countries by 2020 as part of the Paris climate accord, a report published Monday said.
	Fiji calls for urgency in talks to implement climate accord Fiji's prime minister called for a sense of urgency in the fight against global warming Monday, telling negotiators "we must not fail our people," as he opened two weeks of talks on implementing the Paris accord on combating climate change, which is already affecting his Pacific island nation.
	The future of climate refugees As climate change causes sea levels to rise, vulnerable populations in countries like Tuvalu, Bangladesh and Vietnam are threatened with the very real prospect of losing their homes and migrating inland.
Federal study: Climate change sucks moisture from the West, adding to droughts, fires The Trump administration released a sweeping report Friday that pegged man-made climate change to droughts and wildfires in California and the West, but for reasons you may not expect.
	Satellite imagery reveals decline in ISIS oil production Oil production by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) steadily declined between 2014 and 2016, indicating that the group was financing itself in other ways, like taxation or extortion.
	NASA sees late season Atlantic Tropical Depression form NASA's Terra satellite passed over Tropical Depression Nineteen shortly after it formed in the Central Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 6. A visible image from Terra showed the storm formed despite being under wind shear conditions.
	GPM radar spots tornado spawning thunderstorms in Ohio Valley Severe weather that rolled through the Ohio Valley on Nov. 5 was analyzed by NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM satellite. GPM provided forecasters at the National Weather Service with rain rates and cloud heights that showed where strongest storms were located.

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomy team image one of the first massive galaxies to form, 12.8 billion years ago Astronomers using the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), which is operated jointly by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, report today in Nature Astronomy that they have detected the second most distant dusty, star-forming galaxy ever found in the universe - born in the first one billion years after the Big Bang.
	Extremely massive exoplanet discovered in the Milky Way's bulge (Phys.org)—As a result of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope observations of a microlensing event, astronomers have found an extremely massive alien world circling a star located in the Milky Way's bulge. The newly discovered planet, designated OGLE-2016-BLG-1190Lb, is the first Spitzer microlensing exoworld residing in the galactic bulge. The finding was presented October 27 in a paper published on arXiv.org.
	Heating ocean moon Enceladus for billions of years Enough heat to power hydrothermal activity inside Saturn's ocean moon Enceladus for billions of years could be generated through tidal friction if the moon has a highly porous core, a new study finds, working in favour of the moon as a potentially habitable world.
	Forest of molecular signals observed in star-forming galaxy Ryo Ando, a graduate student of the University of Tokyo, and his colleagues have observed the galaxy NGC 253 and resolved its locations of star formation down to the scale of a molecular cloud, a star formation site with a size of about 30 light-years. As a result, they identified eight massive, dusty clouds aligned along the center of the galaxy.
	18-month twinkle in a forming star suggests the existence of a very young planet An international team of researchers have found an infrequent variation in the brightness of a forming star. This 18-month recurring twinkle is not only an unexpected phenomenon for scientists, but its repeated behavior suggests the presence of a hidden planet.
	Premature death of star confirmed by astronomers A group of Brazilian astronomers observed a pair of celestial objects rarely seen in the Milky Way: a very low-mass white dwarf and a brown dwarf.
	Tests ensure astronaut, ground crew safety before Orion launches NASA is performing a series of tests to evaluate how astronauts and ground crew involved in final preparations before Orion missions will quickly get out of the spacecraft, if an emergency were to occur on the pad prior to launch. This testing took place the week of Oct. 30, 2017, using the Orion mockup in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. In this photo, engineers used fake smoke to imitate a scenario in which astronauts must exit the capsule when their vision is obscured.
	Hubble cashes in Abell's richest cluster The universe contains some truly massive objects. Although we are still unsure how such gigantic things come to be, the current leading theory is known as hierarchical clustering, whereby small clumps of matter collide and merge to grow ever larger. The 14-billion-year history of the universe has seen the formation of some enormous cosmic structures, including galaxy groups, clusters, and superclusters—the largest known structures in the cosmos!
	A fleeting visit—an asteroid from another planetary system just shot past Earth The discovery of an unusual small object in the solar system last month caught the imagination of the global astronomical community. Scientists around the world were asking "what is it?" and "where did it come from?"
	Image: Saturn's moon Daphnis in the Keeler Gap Daphnis, one of Saturn's small ring-embedded moons, is seen here kicking up waves as it orbits within a gap between rows of icy ring particles.
	Giant Magellan Telescope organization casts fifth mirror The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) announced that it has initiated the casting of the fifth of seven mirrors that will form the heart of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The mirror is being cast at the University of Arizona's Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory, the facility known for creating the world's largest mirrors for astronomy. The 25-meter diameter GMT will be sited in the Chilean Andes and will be used to study planets around other stars and to look back to the time when the first galaxies formed. The process of "casting" the giant mirror involves melting nearly 20 tons of glass in a spinning furnace. Once cooled, the glass disk will be polished to its final shape using state-of-the-art technology developed by the University of Arizona.

Technology news

	Researchers develop wallpaper bio-solar panel A two-in-one solar bio-battery and solar panel has been created by researchers who printed living cyanobacteria and circuitry onto paper.
	Big tech tieup: Broadcom bids $103 bn for Qualcomm (Update 4) In what could be the biggest deal ever in the tech sector, Broadcom on Monday bid $103 billion for rival chip maker Qualcomm to gain position in the booming sector fueled by growth in smartphones and an array of connected devices from cars to wearables.
	Multi-racial facial recognition system provides more accurate results, study says A multi-racial facial recognition system delivers more accurate results than those typically used today, a new study published in Pattern Recognition journal has revealed.
	Research team creates powerful system to identify biological threats A team led by investigators from the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech has been selected through a competitive process to participate in a multimillion dollar program sponsored by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).
	The principle of optical illusions technically imitated in electronic circuit The human brain must cope with a large variety of information simultaneously so we can orientate ourselves in our environment and make quick decisions. How exactly it processes the gigantic data stream provided by our sense organs has still not been fully researched. For a deeper understanding of how the brain works, scientists at Kiel University's Faculty of Engineering attempt to imitate this biological processing of information technically. Their goal is to develop electronic circuits with cognitive abilities, modelled on neural networks. Now, using the example of optical illusions, the researchers have demonstrated how processes of perception can be copied in an electronic circuit made of nanoelectronic components. Their results have been published in the scientific journal Science Advances.
	Apple's $120 mn patent award from Samsung upheld by top US court (Update) The US Supreme Court on Monday upheld a $120 million patent award Samsung was ordered to pay Apple in the latest ruling in a series of legal skirmishes between the top two smartphone makers.
Startup fights fraud as hackers breach networks With every new hack of computer networks comes questions about how it happened and what kind of security can prevent the next one.
Pandora loses listeners, ad revenue So many listeners have turned off Pandora that Friday could have been called the day the music died for the internet radio streaming pioneer.
States go after third-party sellers on Amazon Marketplace A chapter in Amazon.com's long tax saga closed this spring when the online retailer began collecting sales tax on purchases in all 45 states that have one, long a goal of the online retailer's brick-and-mortar rivals.
	Afghanistan overturns suspension of WhatsApp, Telegram Afghanistan on Monday overturned a temporary ban on WhatsApp and Telegram following outcry among social media users who had branded the move an attack on free speech.
	Apple tax avoidance plan laid bare in leaked documents Apple shifted much of its offshore wealth in the face of a tax crackdown on a haven it had in Ireland, according to reporting Monday on the Paradise Papers on the iPhone maker's tax strategy.
	Infrastructure optimization tool helps design future bases Where do you get your water? How do you generate electricity to cook your food and keep it fresh? What happens to your waste after you toss it or flush it?
Broadcom's megadeal for Qualcomm would top tech deal list Broadcom's $103 billion bid for Qualcomm would rank as the biggest acquisition ever in the tech industry, if it goes through. Here's a look back at some other big deals:

Chemistry news

	Scientists find potential 'missing link' in chemistry that led to life on Earth Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found a compound that may have been a crucial factor in the origins of life on Earth.
	Researchers report first-ever protein hydrogels made in living cells Johns Hopkins cell biologists report what they believe is the first-ever creation of tiny protein-based gelatin-like clumps called hydrogels inside living cells. The ability to create hydrogels on demand, they say, should advance the long scientific struggle to study the elusive structures—which form in nature when proteins or other molecules aggregate under certain conditions—and to uncover their suspected contributions to human diseases.
	Artificial intelligence aids materials fabrication In recent years, research efforts such as the Materials Genome Initiative and the Materials Project have produced a wealth of computational tools for designing new materials useful for a range of applications, from energy and electronics to aeronautics and civil engineering.
	Scientists make significant breakthrough on road to new superbug-killing antibiotic teixobactin Scientists working to develop a 'game-changing' new antibiotic have made a significant advance towards creating commercially viable drug treatments by producing two simplified synthetic versions of the substance which are just as potent at killing superbugs like MRSA as its natural form.
	Researchers probe brain disease-causing proteins at the atomic level Researchers studying a protein that causes a hereditary degenerative brain disease in humans have discovered that the human, mouse and hamster forms of the protein, which have nearly identical amino acid sequences, exhibit distinct three-dimensional structures at the atomic level.
	Autonomously growing synthetic DNA strands Synthetic biologists and nanobiologists are re-purposing DNA, the hereditary material present in nearly all the body's cells, as a smart and stable self-assembling material to build nanofactories, drug-delivering nanostructures and molecular devices that can sense their environment and respond in different ways by, for example, detecting inflammation in the body or toxins in the environment. These nanoscale applications often involve the synthesis of large sequences comprising thousands of the building blocks that DNA is made of, known as the A, T, C and G nucleotide bases, which can be further folded and structured due to the specific base-pairing abilities between As and Ts, and Cs and Gs, respectively.
	Gold nanoparticles enhance light emissions from tungsten disulphide NUS physicists have discovered that gold nanoparticles can enhance light emissions from tungsten disulphide (WS2) flakes and reveal minute changes in the material composition.
	Breaking the chain—catalyzing a green future for chemistry Osaka University researchers create catalyst for refining chemicals in plant waste, allowing a green way to produce valuable raw materials.
	Simple green synthesis is a breath of fresh air A method for creating nanoparticles without using solvents could lead to environmentally friendly electronics.
	First-ever US experiments at new X-ray facility may lead to better explosive modeling For the first time in the U.S., time-resolved small-angle x-ray scattering (TRSAXS) is used to observe ultra-fast carbon clustering and graphite and nanodiamond production in the insensitive explosive Plastic Bonded Explosive (PBX) 9502, potentially leading to better computer models of explosive performance.
	Uncovering bacterial cell wall secrets to combat antibiotic resistance Cell walls—the jacket-like structures that surround all known bacteria—may turn out to be bacteria's undoing , holding the key to developing new drugs that target it for destruction.
	Chemists have created compounds that can treat glaucoma Glaucoma is a serious disease associated with increased intraocular pressure, often leading to blindness. One treatment is to reduce aqueous humour secretion in the ciliary body of the eye by inhibiting the activity of special enzymes called carbonic anhydrases. Russian scientists from RUDN University have designed new compounds that can effectively reduce intraocular pressure by isoform selective inhibiting human carbonic anhydrase. The results of the study have been published in Bioorganic Chemistry.
	Chemists discover a new formation mechanism of anti-cancer substances RUDN University chemists revised the formation mechanism of organophosphorus complexes with metal. The results of the study may help in the production of organophosphorus compounds, polymers with specified properties as well as in the synthesis of anti-cancer drugs, as reported by Journal of Organometallic Chemistry.
	An investigation of the Rose window instability Royal Society Open Science recently published "The Electric Honeycomb; an investigation of the Rose window instability" with a single author, Muhammad Shaeer Niazi. Nothing unusual in that, you might think, but Muhammad is 17 years old, and this is his first published manuscript. His work has generated a lot of attention both for breaking new scientific ground and his relative youth, we were delighted when Muhammad was willing to answer a few questions about his research.
	Coloring the heartbeat In the 17th Century two giants of science, Isaac Newton and Robert Hooke, were both trying to understand how the wings of butterflies and peacocks, which are made of the same material as our fingernails and hair, could colors of such brilliant quality. They both came to the same conclusion, the color was a result of tiny structures on the wing, structures so small that they could not observe it themselves but had deduced must exist.

Biology news

	Tiny bees play big part in secret sex lives of trees When it comes to sex between plants, tiny bees the size of ladybugs play a critical role in promoting long-distance pairings. That's what scientists at The University of Texas at Austin discovered after one of the most detailed paternity tests in wild trees ever conducted. The research gives new insight into how tiny pollinating animals promote genetic diversity that is essential for plants' adaptation in the face of disease, climate change and other threats relevant for agriculture and reforestation efforts worldwide.
	Early bloomers: Statistical tool reveals climate change impacts on plants Early flowering, early fruiting: Anecdotal evidence of climate change is popping up as quickly as spring crocuses, but is it coincidence or confirmation of shifts in plant phenology caused by global warming?
	Mammals switched to daytime activity after dinosaur extinction Mammals only started being active in the daytime after non-avian dinosaurs were wiped out about 66 million years ago (mya), finds a new study led by UCL and Tel Aviv University's Steinhardt Museum of Natural History.
	Researchers discover new pathway for handling stress Balance is key to many physiological functions and it is especially true in the production and regulation of proteins. A balance of proteins in cells helps maintain health, but an unhealthy clumping can lead to a variety of diseases, including those connected to aging such as Alzheimer's.
	For these baleen whales, hunting requires little more than treading water Rorqual whales are known for their impressive lunge-feeding behavior. As the name suggests, this method involves lunging forward with mouth opened wide to engulf large quantities of water, which is then strained through a series of baleen plates to leave many individually tiny prey behind. But researchers reporting in Current Biology on November 6 have made the surprising discovery that Bryde's whales also find food in a much more relaxed way: they simply lift their heads at the surface, allowing water and prey to flow in.
	Biological clock found in fungal parasite sheds more light on 'zombie ants' phenomenon Charissa de Bekker, Ph.D., came to UCF earlier this year to continue her research on a fungal parasite that infects ants, hijacks their brains and controls their behavior to spread its fungal spores - a phenomenon that's led to those infected being called "zombie ants."
	Mexico says endangered vaquita porpoise died in captivity Researchers were thrilled to have captured one of the few remaining vaquita porpoises, but announced Sunday that the adult female died after a few hours in captivity in a floating pen, raising questions about the last-ditch effort to enclose the world's smallest porpoises to save them from extinction.
	Animation meets biology—shedding new light on animal behaviour Many animals rely on movement to find prey and avoid predators. Movement is also an essential component of the territorial displays of lizards, comprising tail, limb, head and whole-body movements.
	Identifying pathogens that cause soybean stem canker Scouting soybean fields and identifying diseases are some of the tasks that Kristina Petrović performs as a research associate at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Serbia. She is expanding her work on pathogens that affect soybeans as a visiting scientist at South Dakota State University, where she is working with field crops pathologist Febina Mathew, an assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science.
	Five reasons not to spray the bugs in your garden The weather is getting warmer, and gardens are coming alive with bees, flies, butterflies, dragonflies, praying mantises, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, and spiders.
First luxury Perigord truffle is cultivated in Britain A black Perigord truffle has been cultivated in Britain for the first time, and the scientists who announced the breakthrough on Monday said climate change could make it a new British crop.
	Circadian clock discovery could help boost water efficiency in food plants A discovery by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists in Dallas provides new insights about the biological or circadian clock, how it regulates high water-use efficiency in some plants, and how others, including food plants, might be improved for the same efficiency, possibly to grow in conditions uninhabitable for them today.
	A force-driven mechanism for establishing cell polarity A team of researchers from the Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore (MBI) at the National University of Singapore, along with colleagues from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore, has uncovered a novel mechanism for establishing cell polarity that relies on tension force induced clustering of proteins. This work was published in the scientific journal Nature Cell Biology in August 2017.
	Crime-scene technique used to track turtles Scientists have used satellite tracking and a crime-scene technique to discover an important feeding ground for green turtles in the Mediterranean.
	How underwater gardening can rewild the Atlantic Ocean From the use of seaweed for bleaching linen, to Roman emperors eating oysters as aphrodisiacs, human culture along the North Atlantic coast has been integrally linked to the exploitation of the sea for centuries. But as populations have expanded and economies grown, people have impoverished the ocean.
Acoustic monitoring provides holistic picture of biodiversity Ecologists are using a network of "outdoor recording studios" to better monitor the subtropical Japanese island of Okinawa. Now a pilot study, in which more than 1,100 hours of birdsong were analyzed, is available in the journal Ecological Research which is the official journal of the Ecological Society of Japan and is published by Springer.
	Same gene, different mating techniques in flies A study of two related species of fruit fly published in JNeurosci reveals that a gene known to regulate behavior for attracting a mate in one species gives rise to unique wooing techniques observed in the other species.
	Signs may help may help history buffs get more buff Visitors to the country's national parks and historic sites may be just a sign—and a few steps—away from improving their health and fitness while enjoying their park trips, according to a team of researchers.
	25 new genomes to celebrate 25 years of the Sanger Institute To commemorate the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute turning 25 in 2018, the Institute and its collaborators are sequencing 25 new genomes. From the blackberry to the robin, bush cricket to brown trout, the 25 species all reside in the UK and represent the richness of species in this country. Twenty species have already been decided, and the remaining five will be voted for by the public and school children as part of 'I'm a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here'.
	Briny pool bacteria can clean up and power up Warm and salty wastewater is a by-product of many industries, including oil and gas production, seafood processing and textile dyeing. KAUST researchers are exploring ways to detoxify such wastewater while simultaneously generating electricity. They are using bacteria with remarkable properties: the ability to transfer electrons outside their cells (exoelectrogenes) and the capacity to withstand extremes of temperature and salinity (extremophiles).
	Hearing the dawn chorus: Okinawa's new acoustic monitoring network In Okinawa's thick, hot jungle and amid its urban sprawl, a collection of green boxes has sprung up in the past year. These monitoring stations are simple, yet they have the potential to remotely track animal life and weather conditions on the island, collecting vast stores of information about species on the island.
Government agrees to halt use of cyanide traps in Colorado U.S. officials have agreed to stop using predator-killing cyanide traps on Colorado public lands amid pressure to ban the devices nationwide after one injured an Idaho teenager and killed his dog.
	Calls for end to Mexico's capture of endangered porpoise Calls are mounting for the Mexican government and international experts to stop an operation to capture and enclose the few remaining vaquita porpoises, after one of the animals died soon after being caught over the weekend.

Medicine & Health news

	New study reveals sleep deprivation disrupts brain-cell communication Ever sleep poorly and then walk out of the house without your keys? Or space out on the highway and nearly hit a stalled car?
	Drinking glasses can contain potentially harmful levels of lead and cadmium Enamelled drinking glasses and popular merchandise can contain potentially toxic levels of lead and cadmium, a study has shown.
	New techniques give blood biopsies greater promise Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Koch Institute at MIT, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital have developed an accurate, scalable approach for monitoring cancer DNA from blood samples.
	Deadly lung cancers are driven by multiple genetic changes A new UC San Francisco-led study challenges the dogma in oncology that most cancers are caused by one dominant "driver" mutation that can be treated in isolation with a single targeted drug. Instead, the new research finds one of the world's most deadly forms of lung cancer is driven by changes in multiple different genes, which appear to work together to drive cancer progression and to allow tumors to evade targeted therapy.
	Elementary neural processing units that tile the mouse brain A hexagonal lattice organizes major cell types in the cerebral cortex, researchers in Japan have discovered. The pattern repeats across the brain, with similar cells synchronizing their activity in 'microcolumns', which could represent an essential computational unit in the brain.
	Immune cell policing offers insights into cancer, autoimmune disease Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the traffic cops of the immune system. They instruct other types of immune cells on when to stop and when to go. Learning how to direct the activity of Tregs has important implications for improving cancer immunotherapy as well as developing better treatments for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.
	H3N2 mutation in last year's flu vaccine responsible for lowered efficacy The low efficacy of last year's influenza vaccine can be attributed to a mutation in the H3N2 strain of the virus, a new study reports. Due to the mutation, most people receiving the egg-grown vaccine did not have immunity against H3N2 viruses that circulated last year, leaving the vaccine with only 20 to 30 percent effectiveness. Scott Hensley, PhD, an associate professor of Microbiology, in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, describes his team's findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.
	Diverse drug-resistant cancer cells share a hidden weakness UC San Francisco researchers have discovered a gene vulnerability that could let oncologists wipe out drug-resistant cancers across many different cancer types. The findings, published in Nature on November 1, 2017, suggest a promising new approach to preventing cancer recurrence, if they can be validated in human patients.
	Saving neurons may offer new approach for treating Alzheimer's disease Treatment with a neuroprotective compound that saves brain cells from dying also prevents the development of depression-like behavior and the later onset of memory and learning problems in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Although the treatment protects the animals from Alzheimer's-type symptoms, it does not alter the buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the rat brains.
	Immune cells mistake heart attacks for viral infections A study led by Kevin King, a bioengineer and physician at the University of California San Diego, has found that the immune system plays a surprising role in the aftermath of heart attacks. The research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for heart disease.
	Researchers discover eight new epilepsy genes Approximately 30 per cent of patients with epilepsy do not respond to anti-epileptic drugs. In these cases, all neurologists can do is attempt to find the right combination of medication through trial and error. A treatment that could target the root cause of epilepsy is a beacon of hope for these patients. But identifying the cause of the pathology is no easy feat. "There are many genes involved," said Jacques Michaud, pediatrician at CHU Sainte-Justine and Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the Faculty of Medicine of Université de Montreal. "Each child can have different genetic mutations. Often the clinical symptoms do not clearly reflect the cause of epilepsy, which makes choosing the right treatment more difficult."
	Stem cells from muscle could address diabetes-related circulation problems Stem cells taken from muscle tissue could promote better blood flow in patients with diabetes who develop peripheral artery disease, a painful complication that can require surgery or lead to amputation.
	For the first time, researchers control cells' chromatin to prevent cancer from adapting to treatment Northwestern Engineering's Vadim Backman has developed an effective new strategy for treating cancer, which has wiped out the disease to near completion in cellular cultures in the laboratory.
	Scientists discover potential treatment to stop glaucoma in its tracks Vision scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Toronto have discovered that naturally occurring molecules known as lipid mediators have the potential to halt the progression of glaucoma, the world's second-leading cause of blindness.
	Controlling nerve injury repair revealed in new study Monash University scientists are one step closer to solving the riddle of how nerves can self-heal.
	Study reveals large disparities in survival for patients with HPV-associated cancers A new study found large disparities by sex, race, and age in survival for patients diagnosed with different cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings suggest that improvements in HPV vaccination and access to cancer screening and treatment are needed.
	New treatment direction sought in Parkinson's by blocking the blocker of a natural protection Oxidative stress plays a big role in the brain cell loss that occurs in Parkinson's disease. Now scientists have their sights on a protein that inhibits one of the body's natural protections against it.
Group B Streptococcus infection causes estimated 150,000 stillbirth, infant death An estimated one in five pregnant women around the world carry Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria which is a major, yet preventable, cause of maternal and infant ill health globally.
Indigenous young people who use drugs in BC 13 times more likely to die Indigenous young people in British Columbia who use drugs are 13 times more likely to die than other young people of the same age, and young women and people who use drugs are even more likely to die, according to research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)
	Vitamin D may be simple treatment to enhance burn healing Patients with severe burns who have higher levels of vitamin D recover more successfully than those with lower levels, according to a study presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Harrogate. This study is the first to investigate the role of vitamin D in recovery from burn injury and suggests that vitamin D supplementation may be a simple and cost-effective treatment to enhance burn healing.
	More physical activity, higher intensity may significantly reduce risk of death in older women in the short term More physical activity and at higher intensities could lead to a big drop in the risk of death in older women from any cause, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
	Dental filling failure linked to smoking, drinking and genetics New research shows that people who drink alcohol or men who smoke are more likely to suffer a failed dental filling. Strikingly, the research team also found that a genetic difference in some patients is associated with increased filling failure rates. The study, published today in open-access journal Frontiers in Medicine, also shows no major difference in filling failure rates between traditional amalgam and newer composite resin fillings. The results suggest that genetic analysis might help dentists to personalize treatments for their patients, which could lead to improved outcomes.
	Mutual understanding in love is attainable with non-native English As the number of intercultural marriages rises, more couples use English as the relationship's lingua franca.
Trust in healthcare undermined by 'bad apples,' new research reveals Research based on analysis of 6,714 cases of professional misconduct by health and care professionals, and published today, has identified three different types of perpetrator:
	How burnout is plaguing doctors and harming patients The presidential symposium at this year's Annual Meeting of the Child Neurology Society of America in early October in Kansas City raised many eyebrows. The first presentation of this symposium focused on burnout rates among neurologists around the country.
	The curious relationship between altitude and suicide Suicide is one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S. In the next 20 years, it's expected to cause more than 2 million deaths per year worldwide, ranking 14th in the world as a cause of death.
	Microfinance institutions are found effective in giving health products to underserved communities Microfinance institutions are popularly known for providing small loans to low-income entrepreneurs lacking access to traditional banking services. However, new research from The Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, published today in the November issue of Health Affairs, suggests that the capabilities of microfinance networks expand well beyond banking, and that tapping into these networks can bring measurable health improvements to rural and underserved communities on a national scale with reduced cost.
	Fat hormone linked to progression of fatty liver disease may hold key to new treatments The rising obesity epidemic has brought with it an army of maladies. One, in particular, is threatening to outpace many of the disorders that accompany obesity, in terms of occurrence and severity: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Vitamin D may be key for pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome Vitamin D may play a key role in helping some women seeking treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-related infertility get pregnant. PCOS is a hormonal disorder affecting 5 to 10 percent of women of reproductive age. Left untreated, the condition can lead to long-term complications such as type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol, and infertility due to lack of ovulation. Results of the new study, led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, showed women who were Vitamin D deficient when starting fertility treatments were 40 percent less likely to achieve a pregnancy. The results were presented this week at the annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine Scientific Congress & Expo in San Antonio, Texas.
	Uptake of medications for HIV treatment and prevention changes sexual practices The Annual Report of Trends in Behaviour 2017 released today by the Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH) at UNSW Sydney finds the proportion of non-HIV-positive gay men who reported pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use in the six months prior to the annual Gay Community Periodic Surveys increased from 2 percent in 2013 to 5 percent in 2016.
	Study explores nicotine patch to treat mild cognitive impairment Three years ago Reece Dean, of Nashville's Bellevue community, retired at age 69 from a career as a busy truck driver. Mary Ann, his wife, began to notice some changes in his memory and behavior since he was home more consistently.
Chemotherapy drug maintains quality of life despite side effects Patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) reported similar health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during treatment with a recently approved chemotherapy drug as compared to patients receiving a placebo treatment, according to a clinical trial published in Lancet Oncology.
	Regular smoking in young people at record low The proportion of young people smoking in England regularly is the lowest on record, according to new figures .
	Low testosterone levels linked to reduced risk of prostate cancer Men with unusually low amounts of testosterone in their blood are around 20% less likely to develop prostate cancer, according to new research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool.
	Test could diagnose oesophageal cancer 8 years earlier A new genetic test could help diagnose oesophageal cancer up to 8 years before symptoms appear in people at a high risk of the disease, according to new research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute's (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool.
Scientists exploit leaks in blood brain barrier to treat glioblastoma An ovarian cancer drug can leak through the blood brain barrier to reach brain tumours and could be an effective treatment for glioblastoma, suggest results presented at the National Cancer Research Institute's (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool, today (Monday).
Researchers examine fall prevention efforts for seniors Two NDSU researchers have published a paper giving high marks to a program designed to help aging adults prevent falls.
Survivors of childhood leukemia with Down syndrome have unique health risks, benefits Doctors have long recognized that children with Down syndrome are significantly more susceptible to leukemia, and have believed that they also were at higher risk of treatment-related chronic conditions. Now, new research led by UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco, with data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, challenges this belief and offers fresh insights into survivorship.
	Liquid biopsy spots aggressive pediatric brainstem cancer earlier without surgery A particularly aggressive form of pediatric cancer can be spotted reliably by the genetic fragments it leaves behind in children's biofluids, opening the door to non-surgical biopsies and providing a way to gauge whether such tumors respond to treatment, according to an abstract presented by Children's National Health System researchers during the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) 2017 Annual Meeting.
	Thunderstorm asthma—who's at risk and how to manage it Late in the afternoon of a hot spring day, November 21, 2016, a thunderstorm from the northwest swept over Geelong and Melbourne, triggering the world's most devastating thunderstorm asthma epidemic.
	Here's what we think Alzheimer's does to the brain Around 50m people worldwide are thought to have Alzheimer's disease. And with rapidly ageing populations in many countries, the number of sufferers is steadily rising.
Analysis reveals complex effects of combining clinically used drugs The effect of combining clinically used drugs for the treatment of colon cancer can vary widely depending on concentrations, ranging from cases where the drugs counteract each other to cases where they reinforce each other. This is the main conclusion from a cell culture analysis in which collected data were analysed using novel open source software developed by Uppsala researchers.
Blood-plasma infusions safe to be explored as Alzheimer's treatment Scientists in the US have found that regular infusions of blood plasma from young donors are safe to explore as a treatment option for people living with Alzheimer's disease. The results from the PLASMA trial, short for Plasma for Alzheimer's Symptom Amelioration, are presented at Clinical Trials Alzheimer's Disease Conference in Boston, US today.
	These foods will lower your risk of heart disease Low-fat or low-carb? Butter or margarine? Avocado oil or coconut oil? Bombarded with contradictory media reports on the ever-changing landscape of nutrition research, it's difficult for anyone to know which fats and other foods they should eat, and in what quantities.
	After repeated C. diff infections, people change their behaviors After suffering repeated bouts of debilitating Clostridium difficile infections, many patients significantly change their behaviors, but some precautions may do little to prevent future infections, according to a first-of-its-kind study.
Asymptomatic infection helps norovirus to spread in Indonesia Norovirus, also referred to as the "winter vomiting bug", is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in humans. A Japanese research team has shown that norovirus is significantly present in the stools of healthy volunteers in Indonesia who are asymptomatically infected with the virus. This suggests that asymptomatic infection is a source of norovirus outbreaks, and sheds light on the transmission mode of the virus.
	Research finds brain treats dialects as language A distinctive Scots brogue is at the centre of new international research that shows the brain treats a dialect and a language in the same way.
	Type 2 diabetes linked to shorter lifespan Type 2 diabetes is linked to lower life expectancy regardless of a person's socioeconomic status, a Scotland-wide study suggests. The research, involving more than three million people, could help scientists understand more about the effects of type 2 diabetes on lifespan. It could inform public health campaigns aimed at tackling the condition. The comprehensive study is the first study of its kind to get a snapshot of type 2 diabetes and life expectancy in a national population.
	The problems that occur when health data is not used Health data is more than just statistics or numbers. It can be collected, used and shared in lots of different ways. But ignoring certain medical data has the potential to change the way you are treated, how your care is provided and what happens to you as a result.
	Relational factors in music therapy can contribute to positive outcome for children with autism It might not surprise that good relationships create good outcomes, as meaningful relational experiences are crucial to all of us in our everyday life. However, the development of a relationship with a child with autism may be disrupted due to the level of symptoms interfering with the typical development of emotional and social abilities.
	Clear effect of art therapy on severe depression Create a picture of how you are feeling on this particular day, said the first exercise in the art therapy. After ten treatments the patients who suffered from severe or moderately severe depression had shown more improvement than the patients in the control group, shows research at Sahlgrenska academy.
Gelatin accelerates healing of the blood brain barrier in acute brain injury Researchers already know that gelatin-covered electrode implants cause less damage to brain tissue than electrodes with no gelatin coating. Researchers at the Neuronano Research Centre (NRC) at Lund University in Sweden have now shown that microglia, the brain's cleansing cells, and the enzymes that the cells use in the cleaning process, change in the presence of gelatin.
	New drug shows potential as a different kind of antidepressant in mouse trials A potential new antidepressant and antianxiety treatment with a unique mechanism of action has been developed by scientists at the University of Bath.
	First evaluation of sickle cell screening programme published The first evaluation of the NHS Sickle Cell Screening Programme has found that it is successfully identifying newborn babies with sickle cell disease.
	Mapping brain connectivity with MRI may predict outcomes for cardiac arrest survivors, study finds A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers found that measures of connectivity within specific cerebral networks were strongly linked to long-term functional outcomes in patients who had suffered severe brain injury following a cardiac arrest.
	Poor social skills may be harmful to health Those who struggle in social situations may be at greater risk for mental and physical health problems, according to a new study from the University of Arizona.
Web-based social media intervention can positively influence parental vaccine behaviors Pregnant women who received vaccine information through an interactive website monitored by a clinical expert were more likely to vaccinate their children than those who did not use the web resource, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the journal Pediatrics.
	With cigarettes out of favor, many U.S. teens also shun pot (HealthDay)—Today's American teens are smoking less than ever, and the trend may be keeping many from smoking pot, too.
	Doctor burnout: A big health threat in U.S. (HealthDay)—Complaining of burnout and job dissatisfaction, many U.S. doctors plan to reduce their work hours or leave medicine altogether, a new study reveals.
	TV ads still push unhealthy foods at kids (HealthDay)—The number of food ads targeting American children has declined, but most of the ads they do see are for unhealthy foods, a new study finds.
	Five diet minefields to avoid (HealthDay)—All-you-can-eat buffets are known diet disasters, but they're far from the only minefields you're likely to face.
	Do violent communities foster violent kids? Children and adolescents regularly confronted with violence in their community have a greater tendency to show antisocial behavior. This finding was reported by researchers from the University of Basel and the University Psychiatric Hospital Basel. Their new study examined the link between exposure to community violence and antisocial behavior in over 1000 children and adolescents from seven European countries. The journal Frontiers of Behavioral Neuroscience Research has published the results.
	Stem cells pave the way for new treatment of diabetes A new stem cell study conducted at the University of Copenhagen shows how we may increase the vital production of insulin in patients suffering from diabetes. The discovery helps to more efficiently at less cost make insulin-producing beta cells from human stem cells. Therefore, the research paves the way for more effective treatment of diabetes. The method may also prove significant to the treatment of a series of other diseases.
Watchdog group blasts study that suggests 80 percent of baby formula contains arsenic The watchdog website Snopes has blasted a new study that suggests up to 80 percent of products that we feed to our babies are tainted by arsenic and other potentially harmful contaminants.
	FDA alerts public about fraudulent claims that marijuana products can treat, cure cancer The Food and Drug Administration has warned the public to beware of fraudulent advertising that promises that certain marijuana-derived products can be used to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure cancer.
	Survey reveals surprising mismatch between perception and reality of obesity in America Nearly 40 percent of American adults and 20 percent of children carry enough extra weight to warrant a diagnosis of obesity. That's the highest obesity rate among the world's affluent nations, and it's already shortening Americans' lifespans by driving up rates of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancers, arthritis and dementia.
Learning to advance the positives of aging What can be done about negative stereotypes that portray older adults as out-of-touch, useless, feeble, incompetent, pitiful and irrelevant?
	Poll: Americans avoid planning for serious illness "I'll deal with it tomorrow. The perpetual tomorrow."
	Higher brain glucose levels may mean more severe Alzheimer's For the first time, scientists have found a connection between abnormalities in how the brain breaks down glucose and the severity of the signature amyloid plaques and tangles in the brain, as well as the onset of eventual outward symptoms, of Alzheimer's disease. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and appears in the Nov. 6, 2017, issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia: the Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.
	Study shows electric bandages can fight biofilm infection, antimicrobial resistance Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have shown - for the first time - that special bandages using weak electric fields to disrupt bacterial biofilm infection can prevent infections, combat antibiotic resistance and enable healing in infected burn wounds. The dressing becomes electrically active upon contact with bodily fluids.
	Hearing an opinion spoken aloud humanizes the person behind it People attribute more humanlike qualities to those expressing opinions they disagree with when the opinions are spoken as opposed to written, according to new research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings explore how specific aspects of speech, such as intonation and frequent pauses, may serve as cues that humanize the people who are speaking, making them seem more intellectual and emotionally warm than those whose opinions are written.
	High risk sex behaviors impact women's health High-risk sexual behavior like sex work may be biologically linked to an increased risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), new research at McMaster University has found.
	A new method accelerates the mapping of genes in the 'Dark Matter' of our DNA The information in the sequence of the human genome has a paramount importance in biomedical research. However, the value of this information is very limited in absence of a detailed map of the genes encoded in the genome. The genes are the basic biological units responsible for the biological traits of organism. Detailed information already exists, on the genomic regions that contain the genes that code for proteins, but the information about non-coding DNA regions - also known as DNA "dark matter" - lags behind. Here are found poorly-understood genes called "long non-coding RNAs" (lncRNAs), which are amongst the most numerous of all, and have been linked to a variety of diseases.
	Could a common blood thinner lower cancer risk? (HealthDay)—A pill widely taken to prevent heart attack and stroke may also guard against cancer, new research suggests.
	Incidence of early-stage breast CA, CRC up with ACA adoption (HealthDay)—After adoption of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there was an increase in the incidence of early-stage breast and colorectal cancer, according to a research letter published online Nov. 2 in JAMA Oncology.
	18-item measure reliable for symptom burden in glaucoma (HealthDay)—A shortened glaucoma symptom measure based on the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) Symptom and Health Problem Checklist (SHPC) is reliable for evaluating glaucoma symptoms, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
	Novel method developed for estimating prevalence of diabetes (HealthDay)—A novel method has been developed to enhance the prevalence estimates of diabetes and prediabetes, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in Preventing Chronic Diseases.
	Facility volume found to impact nasopharyngeal CA survival (HealthDay)—Treatment at a high-volume facility (HVF) is a significant predictor of improved overall survival in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), according to a research letter published online Nov. 2 in JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery.
	Fiber tied to lower mortality in those with colorectal cancer (HealthDay)—Higher fiber intake after a diagnosis of nonmetastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with lower CRC-specific and overall mortality, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in JAMA Oncology.
	ASN: PPIs associated with increased risk of kidney disease (HealthDay)—Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) users have an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), according to a review presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology, being held Oct. 31 to Nov. 5 in New Orleans.
	Startup Cognivive plans games as digital therapies A startup company founded by a University of California, Davis, neuroscientist is developing video games that act as "digital medicine" to treat children with cognitive impairments, as well as people with cognitive limitations resulting from brain injury or aging. The company, Cognivive, is built on research by co-founder Tony Simon, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at UC Davis, and others showing that playing action video games can enhance players' spatiotemporal cognitive abilities.
	Study identifies enhanced impact of treatment for hereditary cancer patients People with an inherited syndrome called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) have a 100% lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer if they do not seek appropriate medical care. Recent findings published by researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah identified a promising prevention treatment for patients with FAP. A new study takes these findings a step further by reporting that the treatment led to a near-complete blockade of cancer growth pathways in polyps isolated from FAP patients. Further, these patients showed evidence of activated immune responses aimed at destroying pre-cancerous polyps. The findings were published today in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.
US-born workers receive disability benefits more often than workers from abroad No matter where they came from, people born outside the United States but working here are much less likely to receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits than those born in the U.S. or its territories. Foreign-born adults, according to a study published in the December issue of the journal Demography, are less likely to report health-related impediments to working, to be covered by work-disability insurance, and to apply for disability benefits.
	Depressed with a chronic disease? Consider alternative therapies Scientists are finding more evidence that commonly prescribed antidepressants aren't effective in people battling both depression and a chronic medical disease, raising a critical question of whether doctors should enact widespread changes in how they treat millions of depressed Americans.
Important new insights into RECIST criteria measuring cancer's response to treatment Oncologists and researchers use a measurement known as Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) to evaluate the degree to which a patient's cancer responds to treatment during clinical trials. The tool is key to being able to compare the effectiveness of different treatments across different research trials. A University of Colorado Cancer Center article published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology examines current RECIST guidelines in an effort to bring them up to speed with new complexities presented by the latest targeted therapies.
	Higher estrogen levels linked to increased alcohol sensitivity in brain's 'reward center' The reward center of the brain is much more attuned to the pleasurable effects of alcohol when estrogen levels are elevated, an effect that may underlie the development of addiction in women, according to a study on mice at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Women with PCOS should be screened for mental health disorders Women with PCOS are more likely to suffer from mental health disorders and should be routinely screened for these during medical assessments, according to a study presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Harrogate. These findings support previous work showing that the condition may negatively affect mental health and highlight the importance of screening PCOS patients for mental health disorders.
	Countries facing rapid shift in noncommunicable disease burden are least prepared Within a generation, the share of disease burden attributed to noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes in some low-income countries will exceed 80 percent, rivaling that of richer countries.
Ongoing surveillance and vaccination are key to prevent yellow fever outbreak in humans A combination of continuous monitoring of mosquitoes and non-human primate deaths, along with laboratory tests and increased vaccination, is crucial to prevent human cases of yellow fever in places where the virus is transmitted. Findings from a brief research report are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Change your smoke detector batteries when you change your clocks When daylight savings ends on Sunday, November 5, use the extra hour you gain to check the smoke detectors in your home, says Art Sanford, MD, a Loyola Medicine burn surgeon.
Younger women with advanced breast cancer needlessly excluded from treatment trials Pre-menopausal women with the most common type of advanced breast cancer are usually excluded from medical research unnecessarily, according to an expert panel at the Advanced Breast Cancer Fourth International Consensus Conference (ABC 4).
	Depressed fathers risk not getting help Postnatal depression among new mothers is a well-known phenomenon. Knowledge about depression in new fathers, however, is more limited. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that depression among new fathers may be more common than previously believed. There is also a major risk that it remains undetected using today's screening instruments, and that fathers do not receive the help they need.
	Chicken embryo illuminates role of thyroid hormone in brain development A thyroid hormone transporter is essential for the earliest stages of brain development, according to a JNeurosci study of a region of the developing chicken brain with a layered structure similar to the human cerebral cortex.
	How marketing decoys influence decision-making The neural underpinnings of the decoy effect—a marketing strategy in which one of three presented options is unlikely to be chosen but may influence how an individual decides between the other two options—are investigated in new neuroeconomic research published in JNeurosci using neuroimaging and brain stimulation.
	New study finds widespread consequences after traumatic spinal cord injury Researchers have shown that some of the critical pathophysiological responses to traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), evidence of insufficient oxygen levels and metabolic stress that can permanently damage tissue, persist for at least a week post-injury at and extending away from the injury site in a large animal model. Evidence demonstrating hemodynamic and metabolic changes up to day 7 in a minipig model of traumatic SCI are reported in a new study published in Journal of Neurotrauma.
	FDG PET shows tumor DNA levels in blood are linked to NSCLC aggressiveness Italian researches have demonstrated a better way of determining the aggressiveness of tumors in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a study presented in the featured clinical investigation article of the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, they used 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT imaging to show that the amount of cell-free tumor DNA circulating in the bloodstream correlates with tumor metabolism (linked to cancer aggressiveness), not tumor burden (amount of cancer in the body).
ACP says patient safety must be improved in office-based practice setting More needs to be done to improve patient safety in the outpatient setting, said the American College of Physicians (ACP) in a new policy paper released today. Patient Safety in the Office-Based Practice Setting offers a set of recommendations aimed at improving patient care in office-based practices.
Cardiac imaging experts create 'imaging phenotype' to improve personalized treatment EuroEcho-Imaging 2017 is set to reveal the most up-to-date science and technologies in cardiovascular imaging including the new field of phenomapping. The world's largest cardiovascular imaging conference will be held 6 to 9 December in Lisbon, Portugal at the Centro de Congressos de Lisboa (CCL).
Voters tapped as Ohio opioid crisis stretches foster care Ohio's opioid crisis is stretching the state's foster care system as more and more children are removed from the homes of their drug-addicted parents, leading to ballot requests Tuesday for more funding.
Lupus patients endorse PROMIS assessment tool as relevant, valuable A study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) evaluating the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) finds that patients with lupus endorse the assessment tool as relevant, valuable and potentially useful in improving clinical care.
Study finds racial disparities in hip replacement outcomes in impoverished communities A combination of race and socioeconomic factors play a role in hip replacement outcomes, according to a study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Researchers found that black patients who lived in areas of economic deprivation did worse in terms of physical function two years after surgery compared to white patients living in impoverished areas. In wealthier neighborhoods, there was no difference in hip replacement outcomes between blacks and whites.
	Can cannabinoids be used to treat cancer? When cannabinoids activate signaling pathways in cancer cells they can stimulate a cell death mechanism called apoptosis, unleashing a potent anti-tumor effect. Yet cannabinoids, which have also shown strong activity against human tumor tissue grown in animal models, have undergone minimal testing in patients. Their potential use as antitumor drugs and/or to boost the effectiveness of conventional cancer therapies is examined in an article published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM).
Study shows lupus support line has positive impact A free telephone support and education program for people with lupus is a valuable resource to help them cope with the disease, according to a study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City.

Other Sciences news

	Love actually: Americans agree on what makes people 'feel the love' Americans may disagree on many things, but love might not be one of them. According to researchers, people in the U.S. largely agree about what makes them feel loved, coming to a general consensus that it may be small gestures that matter most.
	Best of Last Week – Aliens may look like us, risk of quantum attacks on Bitcoin and the benefits of strength exercise (ScienceX)—It was a good week for space research as a team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory report that a Martian ridge brought out the Curiostiy rover's color talents—special filters on the rover helped identify mineral deposits, offering information key to determining where the rover should move to next. Also, a team at the University of Oxford applied evolutionary theory to organisms that might exist on other planets. In so doing, they found that aliens may be more like us than we think. In somewhat related news, a trio of physicists used data from the groundbreaking gravitational wave experiments and report rapid progress in bounding the speed of gravity—Einstein predicted a century ago that gravity propagates in waves at the speed of light, and the new experiments are bringing closer the possibility of proving it.
	Team discovers a rare Minoan sealstone in the treasure-laden tomb of a Bronze Age Greek warrior In the more than two years since University of Cincinnati researchers unearthed the 3,500-year-old tomb of a Bronze Age warrior in southwest Greece, an incredible trove of riches has emerged, including four gold signet rings that have challenged accepted wisdom among archaeologists about the origins of Greek civilization.
	Archeologists discover ancient gymnasium near Egypt's Cairo Egypt's antiquities ministry says archaeologists have discovered remnants of an ancient gymnasium dating back about 2,300 years, from the Hellenistic period.
	How some dinosaur discoveries might be wishful scientific thinking According to Catholic doctrine, transubstantiation is the process whereby the bread and wine of the Holy Mass are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. I am unaware of any rigorous chemical investigations into this claim – but I doubt the conclusions would please those who favour a literal interpretation of the Eucharist sacrament.
	Nuclear energy programs do not increase likelihood of proliferation, study finds Contrary to popular thought, nuclear proliferation is not more likely to occur among countries with nuclear energy programs, according to research published in International Security.
Afterschool program environments linked to academic confidence and skills Afterschool programs with positive, responsive, and organized environments can have academic benefits for students, finds a new study by NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
	Amid booming economy, homelessness soars along US West Coast In a park in the middle of a leafy, bohemian neighborhood where homes list for close to $1 million, a tractor's massive claw scooped up the refuse of the homeless - mattresses, tents, wooden frames, a wicker chair, an outdoor propane heater. Workers in masks and steel-shanked boots plucked used needles and mounds of waste from the underbrush.
Social repercussions on places declared World Heritage Sites A researcher from the Economic and Business Sciences Faculty of the University of Seville, together with a group of teachers from Malaysia, has published a study of the factors that influence the perception of tourism of rural and urban residents living in declared UNESCO World Heritage sites. This project was carried out in Malaysia, in the city of George Town, on the island of Penang, in the north of Malaysia, in the Lenggong Valley, and in the north of the country, which is an example of a rural area with developing tourist activity.
	Excavation in Northern Iraq: Sasanian loom discovered A team of Frankfurt-based archaeologists has returned from the Iraqi-Kurdish province of Sulaymaniyah with new findings. The discovery of a loom from the 5th to 6th century AD in particular caused a stir.
	The impact of the 'war on drugs' for female 'mules' University of Kent research on women working as drug 'mules' has found they aren't victims of their sex but of the trade, and its illegal status.

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