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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 2, 2014:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Human Media Lab introduces shape-changing smartphone (w/ Video)- Space Station research shows that hardy little space travelers could colonize Mars
- Probing dopant distribution: Study opens door to better doping of semiconductor nanocrystals
- Mysterious illness killing off starfish on both US coasts
- Researchers find possible evidence of toroidal magnetic field surrounding magnetar
- Study reveals a way to improve chances of winning at rock-paper-scissors
- Computer system automatically solves word problems
- Superheavy element 117 confirmed
- Dimenco no-glasses 3D TV offer goes live on Kickstarter
- A 3-D model of stellar core collapse
- Out of shape? Your memory may suffer
- How bacteria exploit proteins to trigger potentially lethal infections
- Researchers find unique fore wing folding among Sub-Saharan African ensign wasps
- Investigators discover how key protein enhances memory and learning
- Police use new tool to source crowds for evidence (Update)
Astronomy & Space news
Research will gauge hypothetical disaster: A supernova close to Earth
Seen from our planet, the flash could be brighter than a multitude of suns—and might be followed by a ruined ozone layer, an upsurge in radiation, and a wave of cancers and mutations in humans and other creatures that would crest for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Square Kilometre Array will see sky bubbling with exploding stars
It is hard to imagine that any astronomical phenomenon could escape our latest and most powerful telescopes, but an international research team has now forecast some of the exotic discoveries that will only be able to be studied with the forthcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
Rosetta commissioning in final stages
All of Rosetta's 11 science instruments and the lander Philae have now been successfully switched on! But the data are still being analysed to confirm the mission's readiness for science operations, so the commissioning period is not officially complete until those final reports from the instrument teams are in (this is expected to take place on 13 May, and we'll provide another update then).
Ship of dreams: First mission to Europa in more than a generation designed
It all began on a clear night in 1610 AD. Galileo Galilei caught glimpses of four bodies that would later bear his name—the Galilean Moons. Because Jupiter's largest satellites were so bright, Galileo called them, "stars."
Mass launched: Raising the weight limit on Mars missions
Sometimes one ton just isn't enough. In fact, going forward, it probably won't be nearly enough. For almost forty years, we've been dropping landers on Mars in the same fashion. Time and again parachute have served as the primary braking mechanism. Parachute deceleration systems have helped rovers and landers make it safely to the Martian surface since Viking 1's landing in 1976.
A 3-D model of stellar core collapse
(Phys.org) —What happens when massive stars collapse? One potential result is a core-collapse supernova. Astronomers can make observations of such events that tell us what is happening on the surface of a star when it explodes in a supernova, but it is considerably more difficult to know what is driving the process inside the star at its hot, dense core.
Space Station research shows that hardy little space travelers could colonize Mars
In the movies, humans often fear invaders from Mars. These days, scientists are more concerned about invaders to Mars, in the form of micro-organisms from Earth. Three recent scientific papers examined the risks of interplanetary exchange of organisms using research from the International Space Station. All three, Survival of Rock-Colonizing Organisms After 1.5 Years in Outer Space, Resistance of Bacterial Endospores to Outer Space for Planetary Protection Purposes and Survival of Bacillus pumilus Spores for a Prolonged Period of Time in Real Space Conditions, have appeared in Astrobiology Journal.
Technology news
58 held in Philippines over global 'sextortion' ring
Fifty-eight people have been arrested in the Philippines for their involvement in a giant, global Internet "sextortion" network, local police and Interpol announced on Friday.
Engineering solutions to society's problems
Can engineering help people live better lives? Can it help to preserve our most deeply held values? University of Kentucky researcher Samson Cheung thinks so. He researches how technology can be used to help people in very realistic and immediate ways.
The touchy-feely robot coming soon
Think of a world where a robot can not only carry a cup of tea to an elderly person, but can also sense whether it's too hot to handle.
University experts help create first mobile-connected smart city ranking
A global initiative to encourage the world's leading cities to become 'smart' has received a significant boost from information specialists at the University of Sheffield, who have helped develop the first global smart city ranking.
Interpol, Philippines bust cyber extortion network
Philippine police, backed by Interpol, have arrested dozens of suspected members of an online extortion syndicate who duped hundreds of victims worldwide into exposing themselves in front of webcams or engaging in lewd chats, including a Scottish teenager who committed suicide after being blackmailed, officials said Friday.
Microsoft picks Miami for first US innovation center
Microsoft is opening a state-of-the-art training facility in Miami, its first within the United States, the company announced Friday.
Police use new tool to source crowds for evidence (Update)
An annual spring party in a Southern California beach town devolved into a riot last month when revelers turned violent, rocking cars, smashing windows and throwing rocks. Dozens were injured and about 50 people ended up in the hospital, including several police officers.
Dimenco no-glasses 3D TV offer goes live on Kickstarter
Eindhoven, Netherlands-based Dimenco has launched a Kickstarter campaign for their glasses-free 3D TV, selling for under $1,250 via a Kickstarter campaign. The company has a manufacturing site in The Netherlands, but is ramping up manufacturing at new facilities in the Far East, targeted for this month. After test runs of their new production facility, they are to start manufacturing in August to deliver their first products in September, and the bulk in November. "Having to use 3D glasses hampers social interaction and is simply uncomfortable," they said, and they have worked to develop a TV that can improve on the viewing experience. They are a small team, with years of experience in 3D technology. Maarten Tobias, Jan van der Horst, Pieter de Jong and Bas Böggemann are the four founders of Dimenco. They worked together at a former venture of Philips that focused on 3D technology. Dimenco was founded in 2010. The Kickstarter campaign offer is a 39" glasses-free 3D TV wi! th Full HD quality in 3D and 2D.
Computer system automatically solves word problems
Researchers in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, working with colleagues at the University of Washington, have developed a new computer system that can automatically solve the type of word problems common in introductory algebra classes.
Human Media Lab introduces shape-changing smartphone (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —After hearing about the work at a premier media lab in Canada, suddenly"smartphone" becomes a very limiting word, incomplete in describing the instrument that has been created as a handheld map, book, menu or whatever else rendering of information you may need that just happens to have a phone function too. The Human Media Lab at Canada's Queen's University have come up with PaperFold, as a multi-display shape changing smartphone. The PaperFold uses up to three detachable display tiles. Each tile has a flexible E-ink display and flexible 3D-printed substrate with embedded sensors.
Medicine & Health news
Around 60 percent of people who contemplate or attempt suicide do not receive treatment
In a Review, published to coincide with the launch of The Lancet Psychiatry journal, Professor Rory O'Connor from the University of Glasgow and Professor Matthew K. Nock from Harvard University review the key psychological factors that may contribute to, or protect against, suicidal behaviour including personality differences, cognitive factors, and negative life events such as serious physical illness, as well as current psychological treatments. Evidence suggests that about 60% of people struggling with suicidal thoughts or behaviour do not receive any help, and, surprisingly, there is relatively little evidence for the effectiveness of treatments received by those who do. The authors conclude by calling for more research into novel psychological and psychosocial treatments.
Reliance on voluntary sector support for suicide bereavement 'unsustainable and inappropriate'
People bereaved by the suicide of a partner and mothers losing an adult child to suicide run a significantly higher risk of suicide compared to people bereaved after sudden deaths from other causes. The psychological impact on other members of the family is also serious: children who lose a mother to suicide have an increased risk of depression, while people who lose a child to suicide have an increased likelihood of psychiatric admission for mental illness.
Promising biomarkers to predict suicide risk
In a Review, published to coincide with the launch of The Lancet Psychiatry journal, Professor Kees van Heeringen from Ghent University in Belgium and John Mann from Columbia University in the USA discuss the stress-diathesis theory of suicide, in which a predisposition or diathesis interacts with stressful life experiences and acute psychiatric illness to cause suicidal behaviour. The theory explains why only a small minority of individuals are at risk of taking their own lives after exposure to such stressors.
AstraZeneca rejects sweetened Pfizer takeover bid (Update)
The board of pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca on Friday flatly rejected drug maker Pfizer's sweetened takeover offer just hours after it was levelled, describing it as inadequate.
Fighting a global war against super-bugs
It reads like the plot of Hollywood's next survival horror film, but it couldn't be more real. A first-of-its-kind report by the World Health Organization details the worldwide spread of drug-resistant super-bugs.
Mixing stem cells with clay to regenerate human tissue
Gels made from clay could provide an environment that would stimulate stem cells to regenerate damaged tissues such as bone, skin, heart, spinal cord, liver, pancreas and cornea.
Study provides new insights into health system cost of living and dying in New Zealand
A just-published study showing how public spending on health varies by age and proximity to death raises interesting questions about the best use of taxpayer funds, the authors say.
Pregnant Maori teens let down by system despite positive health-seeking behaviour
A new study dispels the myth that young pregnant Māori women delay access to antenatal care in their first trimester.
Considering the ethics of sex-work research
The increase of research focusing on sex work and health is not without its ethical concerns. Researchers have sometimes struggled with challenges related to consent, inclusion, privacy and confidentiality, especially working with marginalized populations.
Uganda to criminalize 'wilful' HIV transmission
Lawmakers in Uganda are set to pass a measure criminalizing the intentional transmission of the virus that causes AIDS.
For newly insured under Obamacare, a steep learning curve
(HealthDay)—Sheri Samotin, a California-based patient advocate, knows the ins and outs of health insurance, including how to find a participating physician.
AMA alliance session explores the resilient medical family
(HealthDay)—Practical, evidence-base strategies should be employed to maintain a resilient medical family, according to an educational session to be hosted during the American Medical Association (AMA) Alliance National Conference, scheduled for June 8 to 10 in Chicago.
Sofosbuvir: Indication of added benefit for specific patients
The drug sofosbuvir has been available since January 2014 as a treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined whether the new drug offers added benefit in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapy.
Shining a light on heart disease
A study to investigate how nanoparticles could be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease has received £3 million funding.
Nationwide study finds US newspaper reporting of suicide linked with some teenage suicide clusters
Heightened newspaper coverage after a suicide might have a significant impact on the initiation of some teenage suicide clusters, according to new research published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.
The ancient Greek riddle that helps us understand modern disease threats
Even in the face of death, Zeno of Elea knew how to frustrate people. Arrested for plotting against the tyrant Demylus, the ancient Greek philosopher refused to co-operate. The story goes that, rather than talk, he bit off his own tongue and spat it at his captor.
'Laughter Guy' dissects features of counterfeit chortling
(Medical Xpress)—Ever wonder how often you fool your boss or in-laws by pretending to laugh at their dumb jokes?
Male infertility is 'culturally invisible', finds research
Research for a new book reveals a culturally sanctioned suppression of dialogue around male infertility – despite it being equally as common as female infertility – to the extent that many infertile men receiving treatment still don't actually consider themselves infertile.
Kidney disease gene controls cancer highway
University of Queensland researchers have discovered that a gene that causes kidney disease also controls growth of the lymphatic system, a key route through which cancer spreads.
Statin use associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer recurrence
(Medical Xpress)—Men who begin taking statins after prostate cancer surgery are less likely to have a recurrence of their cancer, according to a retrospective analysis led by researchers at Duke Medicine.
Simple educational initiative dramatically reduces pre-hospital delay for patients with heart attack / angina
(Medical Xpress)—A new study, recently published in the leading international peer reviewed journal, The Journal of Emergency Medicine, has shown how a simple, individualised 40- minute educational session dramatically improved the amount of time it took patients who experienced symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) to present to the emergency department. Acute coronary syndrome includes heart attack and unstable angina.
Vitamin B3 treatment for ataxia shows promise in first human trial
(Medical Xpress)—A form of vitamin B3 has shown early promise against Friedreich's ataxia, a debilitating degenerative disease with no treatment or cure, in the first human trial of the treatment involving UCL researchers.
People with autistic tendencies vulnerable to alcohol problems
(Medical Xpress)—Young adults with autistic tendencies don't often engage in social or binge drinking, but if they drink, they are slightly more likely than their peers to develop alcohol problems, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Researchers create protein with potential for weight loss, diabetes treatment
(Medical Xpress)—It sounds like a magic bullet: Administer a protein, watch the subject lose weight. But that's exactly what University of Florida scientists found when they discovered a new way to deliver a protein that helps develop cells that convert fat into energy.
Genome study identifies three possible drug candidates for autoimmune diseases
(Medical Xpress)—New pharmaceuticals to fight autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, may be identified more effectively by adding genome analysis to standard drug screening, according to a new study by a research team led by UC San Francisco and Harvard researchers, in collaboration with Tempero and GlaxoSmithKlein.
Taste and smell dysfunction in childhood cancer survivors
Childhood cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy may have long-term negative impacts on taste and smell function, new research suggests.
Misunderstanding health insurance leads some to overspend
When selecting a health insurance plan, both uninsured, tech-savvy young adults and uninsured low-income, rural adults had trouble understanding their insurance options. Many selected insurance plans that were more expensive than required for their health care needs, finds a new study in Health Services Research.
UK has one of the highest death rates for children in western Europe
(Medical Xpress)—The UK has one of the highest rates of death for children under five in western Europe, according to new research published in The Lancet.
New form of treatment to reduce risk for surgery-related ischemic brain injury?
Ischemic brain injury due to heart and vascular surgery cause more than 100,000 deaths annually in Europe and the United States. In addition, approximately 10–20% of patients undergoing heart and vascular surgery – at least 1.5 million people in Europe and the United States every year – suffer from ischemic brain injury as a side-effect of their surgery.
Elevated liver enzyme levels linked to higher gestational diabetes risk
Women with high levels of a common liver enzyme measured prior to pregnancy were twice as likely to subsequently develop gestational diabetes than those with the lowest levels, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the journal Diabetes Care.
New myeloma-obesity research shows drugs can team with body's defenses
Obesity increases the risk of myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells that accumulate inside the bones.
Austrian children injected with malaria parasite (Update)
An Austrian commission says hundreds of people, including orphans in a psychiatric hospital, might have been deliberately infected with malaria to treat other patients with syphilis by doctors using a medical therapy once thought to be effective.
Cochlear implantation improves hearing in Meniere's disease
(HealthDay)—For patients with Ménière's disease (MD), cochlear implantation (CI) is associated with significant improvement in hearing performance, according to a study published online May 1 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
AAO: Americans need to be more aware of UV-related eye health
(HealthDay)—Americans need to be more aware of the increased vulnerability to ultraviolet (UV)-related eye disease associated with common medications and light-colored eyes, according to a report published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
New test set to improve care for patients with suspected heart attack
Manchester researchers have developed a novel approach, called the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes Decision Rule, to more quickly and effectively diagnose heart attack in patients admitted to emergency departments.
UN targets on health risk factors can prevent 37 million deaths by 2025
Reaching globally-agreed targets for health risks such as smoking and alcohol can prevent more than 37 million deaths by 2025. A new international study led by Imperial College London has estimated how achieving globally-agreed targets for six important health risks between 2010 and 2025 will reduce deaths caused by the big-four chronic diseases: cancers, diabetes, lung disease and cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke).
Maternal deaths on the rise in the United States
The United States is among just eight countries in the world to experience an increase in maternal mortality since 2003 – joining Afghanistan and countries in Africa and Central America, according to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
Study shows link between sleep apnea and hospital maternal deaths
Pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea are more than five times as likely to die in the hospital than those without the sleep disorder, a comprehensive national study by the University of South Florida researchers found.
MERS coronavirus can be transmitted from camel to man
The MERS coronavirus is currently spreading very rapidly in the Arab world. An infection could affect human beings as well as camels, and has already cost more than 100 human lives. Scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna show that the MERS coronaviruses in man and camels from a single region are almost identical. Their conclusions indicate transmission of the virus from animals to man, and were published in the Journal Eurosurveillance.
Sharp decline in maternal and child deaths globally, new data show
Since the start of an international effort to address maternal and child mortality, millions of lives have been saved globally, two new studies by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington show.
Better sleep predicts longer survival time for women with advanced breast cancer
A new study reports that sleep efficiency, a ratio of time asleep to time spent in bed, is predictive of survival time for women with advanced breast cancer.
Study explores genetics behind Alzheimer's resiliency
Autopsies have revealed that some individuals develop the cellular changes indicative of Alzheimer's disease without ever showing clinical symptoms in their lifetime.
Novel analyses improve identification of cancer-associated genes from microarray data
Dartmouth Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (iQBS) researchers developed a new gene expression analysis approach for identifying cancer genes. The paper entitled, "How to get the most from microarray data: advice from reverse genomics," was published online March 21, 2014 in BMC Genomics. The study results challenge the current paradigm of microarray data analysis and suggest that the new method may improve identification of cancer-associated genes.
Researchers find way to decrease chemoresistance in ovarian cancer
Inhibiting enzymes that cause changes in gene expression could decrease chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer patients, researchers at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia say.
A transcription factor called SLUG helps determines type of breast cancer
During breast-tissue development, a transcription factor called SLUG plays a role in regulating stem cell function and determines whether breast cells will mature into luminal or basal cells.
US confirms its first case of MERS infection
Health officials say a deadly virus from the Middle East has turned up for the first time in the U.S.
Drinking poses greater risk for advanced liver disease in HIV/hep C patients
Consumption of alcohol has long been associated with an increased risk of advanced liver fibrosis, but a new study published online in Clinical Infectious Diseases from researchers at Penn Medicine and other institutions shows that association is drastically heightened in people co-infected with both HIV and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Even light ("nonhazardous") drinking—which typically poses a relatively low risk for uninfected persons—was linked to an increased risk of liver fibrosis in the co-infected group.
Small variations in genetic code, previously thought to be inconsequential, can team up to have a big impact
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at USC have definitively demonstrated that large sets of variations in the genetic code that do not individually appear to have much effect can collectively produce significant changes in an organism's physical characteristics.
30-year puzzle in breast cancer solved
In a new study published today in Cell Reports, scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center demonstrate that mice lacking one copy of a gene called CTCF have abnormal DNA methylation and are markedly predisposed to cancer. CTCF is a very well-studied DNA binding protein that exerts a major influence on the architecture of the human genome, but had not been previously linked to cancer.
Out of shape? Your memory may suffer
Here's another reason to drop that doughnut and hit the treadmill: A new study suggests aerobic fitness affects long-term memory.
Investigators discover how key protein enhances memory and learning
Case Western Reserve researchers have discovered that a protein previously implicated in disease plays such a positive role in learning and memory that it may someday contribute to cures of cognitive impairments. The findings regarding the potential virtues of fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5)—usually associated with cancer and psoriasis—appear in the May 2 edition of The Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Biology news
Potato pest dissected for clues to better controlling it
Researchers are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding new ways of managing zebra chip disease and the insect that can spread it to potato crops.
"The Carnivore Way" could be key to large predator conservation
North America's mountainous backbone, stretching from Mexico to Alaska, could serve as a model for balancing the needs of large predators and people, an Oregon State University biologist suggests in a new book.
Researchers endeavor to document plant regions
The science of seasonal observation has always mattered, but never has it been so urgent.
Endangered leopard images are proof of conservation progress in Caucasus
New images of the endangered Caucasian leopard emerged this week proving ten years of conservation efforts are working.
Researchers receive top honors for ecology paper
National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis postdoctoral fellow Jiang Jiang and University of Miami ecologist Don DeAngelis have won the 2014 best paper award from the Ecological Society of America for their theoretical paper on the ecological linkages between organisms and their environment.
Six bizarre feeding tactics from the depths of our oceans
Sea life can be fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Some creatures look beautiful on the outside but harbour darkness within. Some of the scariest tactics of the deep sea go on display when these creatures eat. Here are six of my favourite feeding strategies:
Famine fear won't sway minds on GM crops
A sack-hauling time traveler from the 21st century lands in an Irish potato field in 1849, just before a terrible famine, and asks: If you thought genetically modified (GM) potatoes could avert late blight disease, spare a million countrymen from starvation and keep another million from emigrating off the Emerald Isle, would you plant these newfangled spuds?
Win or lose, this computer game teaches biology
As in many computer games, the goal of "Cellvival" is to survive in a hostile environment. Unlike most others, though, this game teaches some basic science. And unlike a lot of educational games, it's fun to play.
New tool to aid in dolphin strandings
(Phys.org) —The cause of dolphin strandings has long been a mystery but a new study shows that clues about survival rates after release may be found in the sea mammal's blood.
Study suggests survival isn't always about competition
One of Charles Darwin's hypotheses posits that closely related species will compete for food and other resources more strongly with one another than with distant relatives, because they occupy similar ecological niches. Most biologists have long accepted this to be true.
New atom-scale knowledge on the function of biological photosensors
The research groups of Janne Ihalainen (University of Jyväskylä) and Sebastian Westenhoff (University of Gothenburg) have clarified how the atom structure of bacterial red light photosensors changes when sensing light. The research reveals structural changes in phytochrome protein when illuminated.
Soft substrates may promote the production of induced pluripotent stem cells
Converting adult cells into stem cells that can develop into other types of specialized cells is one of the most active areas of medical research, holding great promise for the treatment of disease and repair of damaged tissues. The techniques available for reprogramming adult cells into stem cells, however, remain imperfect and inefficient. In research that could help improve reprogramming efficiency, Sayaka Higuchi and colleagues from the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center have now found that culturing cells on soft or elastic substrates enhances expression of some of the markers of stem cell reprogramming.
African bird steals food by imitating warning calls
The forked tailed drongo bird of Africa—quite the trickster—imitates multiple species' warning calls to scare off other animals and steal their food, a study published Thursday revealed.
Researchers find unique fore wing folding among Sub-Saharan African ensign wasps
(Phys.org) —Researchers discovered several possibly threatened new species of ensign wasps from Sub-Saharan Africa—the first known insects to exhibit transverse folding of the fore wing. The scientists made this discovery, in part, using a technique they developed that provides broadly accessible anatomy descriptions.
Mysterious illness killing off starfish on both US coasts
(Phys.org) —A mysterious illness is killing starfish, or sea stars, on both U.S. coasts in unprecedented numbers, and marine scientists have no idea what it is or how to help the creatures survive. In a News Focus article published in the journal Science, Erik Stokstad describes the symptoms of the illness and the efforts that are underway to learn more about what is causing it, and more importantly, to figure out if there is something we humans can do to help starfish survive.
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