Science X Newsletter Sunday, Oct 12

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 12, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Unexpected finding shows nanoparticles keep their internal crystal structure while flexing like droplets
- Getting sharp images from dull detectors: Operating in the fuzzy area between classical and quantum light
- Physicists set new records for silicon quantum computing
- Icebergs once drifted to Florida, new climate model suggests
- Revving up fluorescence for superfast LEDs: Researchers set speed record for molecular fluorescence
- Bioinspired coating for medical devices repels blood and bacteria
- Large mosaic in ancient tomb uncovered in Greece
- Novel culture system replicates course of Alzheimer's disease, confirms amyloid hypothesis
- A novel platform for future spintronic technologies
- Researchers develop new cells meant to form blood vessels, treat peripheral artery disease
- No single explanation for biodiversity in Madagascar
- Atomic map reveals clues to how cholesterol is made
- Optics experts offering $99 VR ONE headset for December
- Thermoelectrics for waste-heat recovery: Introducing E1
- It is rocket science! World's first 3D craft set for take-off

Technology news

	It is rocket science! World's first 3D craft set for take-off Fuelled by beer and the enthusiasm of amateurs, a British team on Friday said it was preparing to launch the world's first ever 3D printed rocket.
	Thermoelectrics for waste-heat recovery: Introducing E1 Alphabet Energy has an inexpensive thermoelectric generator, the E1, for waste heat recovery. The generator captures exhaust heat and converts it into electricity. The E1 uses Alphabet's thermoelectric materials to convert the waste heat.
	Optics experts offering $99 VR ONE headset for December ZEISS believes that virtual reality is going to change the way we perceive things, beyond all our imagination. They created a new headset, a mobile VR goggle, called the ZEISS VR ONE. The head-mounted virtual reality device can enable you to view pictures and videos in the kind of immersive environment that vendors say will envelop us.
Interactive history beats interactive chat for website engagement Small cues that display a user's transaction history may help a website feel almost as interactive as chatting with an online customer service agent, paving the way for more cost-effective websites, according to researchers.
	Kmart becomes latest retailer hit by data theft Sears Holdings Corp. said Friday that a data breach at its Kmart stores that started last month may have compromised some customers' credit and debit cards.
JPMorgan's Dimon says cybersecurity a long-term fight JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon Friday called for close collaboration between government and banks on cybersecurity in his first public appearance since his throat cancer disclosure.
Virtual currency founder extradited to face US charges The founder of virtual currency firm Liberty Reserve, Arthur Budovsky, was extradited Friday from Spain to face US criminal charges for operating what officials called a massive money-laundering scheme.
Sapphire screen maker wants Apple contracts nixed A supplier enlisted to make sapphire screens for Apple mobile devices on Friday urged a bankruptcy court to free it from contracts it branded "oppressive and burdensome."
	U2 go from rock legends to accused spammers U2 and Apple planned the gesture for maximum publicity—a concert by the Irish megastars at the tech giant's latest product launch, with the surprise that their new album had just been released for free to the world's half-billion iTunes customers.
NYC poised to end school cellphone ban New York City is preparing to end its ban on cellphones in schools.

Medicine & Health news

Researchers develop new cells meant to form blood vessels, treat peripheral artery disease Researchers have developed a technique to jump-start the body's systems for creating blood vessels, opening the door for potential new treatments for diseases whose impacts include amputation and blindness.
	Novel culture system replicates course of Alzheimer's disease, confirms amyloid hypothesis An innovative laboratory culture system has succeeded, for the first time, in reproducing the full course of events underlying the development of Alzheimer's disease. Using the system they developed, investigators from the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) now provide the first clear evidence supporting the hypothesis that deposition of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain is the first step in a cascade leading to the devastating neurodegenerative disease. They also identify the essential role in that process of an enzyme, inhibition of which could be a therapeutic target.
Ebola toll passes 4,000 as fears grow worldwide The death toll from Ebola has passed 4,000, the World Health Organization warned, as authorities worldwide tried to prevent panic over the deadly disease and a Spanish nurse fought for her life in hospital.
Researchers looks at impact of patient-to-physician messaging Email has become one of the most widespread forms of communication, with its streamlined interactions benefiting both businesses and individuals. With the advent of secure patient web portals and the faith that online access has the potential to improve care, the medical industry is slowly catching up.
The specific receptor targeted by naltrexone to enhance diabetic wound closure is OGFr A major complication associated with diabetes is delayed cell replication in epithelium and skin. Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania have reported the presence and function of the opioid growth factor (OGF) and its nuclear-associated receptor (OGFr) in skin. OGF, an inhibitory growth factor, chemically termed [Met5]-enkephalin, can be upregulated in diabetes leading to depressed cell proliferation. Topical naltrexone, a general opioid antagonist, stimulates cell replication but the specific ligand - opioid receptor pathway was previously unknown. Using rat auricular fibroblasts, and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, selective antagonists and specific ligands for mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors were shown to have no acceleratory effect on cell proliferation. Molecular knockdown of receptors using siRNAs demonstrated that only when the OGFr receptor expression was diminished did nalt! rexone become ineffective. In vivo studies using a diabetic rat model of full thickness cutaneous wounds revealed that topical application of selective antagonists (i.e., nalmefene, naltrindole, CTOP) for classical opioid receptors had no effect on wound closure.
NAMS to launch free menopause mobile app The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) is set to launch a first-ever menopause mobile app designed for use by both clinicians and patients to help manage menopausal symptoms and assess risk factors.
US approves pricey new pill against hepatitis C US regulators on Friday approved Harvoni, a daily pill to treat hepatitis C that is simpler to administer than long-standing treatments but that carries a steep price tag.
Oral capsule as effective as invasive procedures for delivery of fecal transplant A noninvasive method of delivering a promising therapy for persistent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection appears to be as effective as treatment via colonoscopy or through a nasogastric tube. In their JAMA report, receiving early online release to coincide with a presentation at the Infectious Diseases Society of America's ID Week conference, investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) report that oral administration of the therapy called fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) in acid-resistant capsules was as successful as more invasive methods in eliminating recurrent diarrhea caused by C. difficile.
Body contouring after bariatric surgery helps obese patients keep the weight off Patients who have plastic surgery to reshape their bodies after bariatric procedures are able to maintain "significantly greater" weight loss than those who do not have surgery, according to a new study by Henry Ford Hospital researchers.
US toddler dies from enterovirus D68 A 21-month-old girl is the first person in Michigan to die from the virus that has caused severe respiratory illness across the U.S., state health officials said Saturday.
	FDA: Akynzeo approved for chemo-related nausea / vomiting (HealthDay)—The combination drug Akynzeo (netupitant and palonosetron) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat nausea and vomiting among people undergoing chemotherapy, the agency said Friday in a news release.
Nations step up measures to stem worsening Ebola outbreak Countries across the world scrambled Saturday to stem a deadly Ebola outbreak that UN officials warn is getting worse as New York's main JFK airport prepared to screen travellers from epidemic-hit west Africa.
First US Ebola infection sparks fears about safety protocols A Texas health care worker has become the first person to contract Ebola on American soil, authorities confirmed Sunday, sparking jitters that safety precautions taken by medical staff could be insufficient.
	Anesthesia complications drop by half, study finds (HealthDay)—Anesthesia-related complications in the United States have fallen by more than half, while the overall death rate has remained the same, a new study indicates.
	Chewing gum before surgery safe, report says (HealthDay)—It's safe to chew gum while fasting before surgery, researchers report.
Health improves for US photojournalist with Ebola A 33-year-old American photojournalist who became infected with Ebola while working in Liberia has shown a modest improvement in his health in recent days, hospital officials said Friday.
Mali holds Ebola vaccine trials Mali's health minister says the west African country has started trials of an Ebola vaccine on scientific researchers.
Britain feels ready after Ebola outbreak test Britain is ready to cope with an Ebola outbreak, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt declared Saturday, following a nationwide exercise to test the country's readiness.
Three Russian Ebola vaccines ready within six months: Moscow Russia expects to produce three Ebola vaccines within the next six months, Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said on Saturday.
New York's JFK airport launches Ebola screenings New York's JFK airport began strict new health screenings Saturday for travelers arriving from Ebola-hit West African nations, amid growing US fears about importing the deadly virus.
	Keep it clean after ear piercings (HealthDay)—If you get your ears pierced, you need to take steps to protect against infection, an expert says.
Texas health worker with Ebola wore full protective gear A Texas health care worker who treated a Liberian man who died of Ebola was wearing full protective gear but was infected with the dangerous virus anyway, health officials said Sunday.
US confirms first case of Ebola contracted on US soil The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Sunday that a Texas health care worker has tested positive for Ebola—the first case contracted on American soil.

Biology news

	Bioinspired coating for medical devices repels blood and bacteria From joint replacements to cardiac implants and dialysis machines, medical devices enhance or save lives on a daily basis. However, any device implanted in the body or in contact with flowing blood faces two critical challenges that can threaten the life of the patient the device is meant to help: blood clotting and bacterial infection.
	No single explanation for biodiversity in Madagascar No single "one-size-fits-all" model can explain how biodiversity hotspots come to be, finds a study of more than 700 species of reptiles and amphibians on the African island of Madagascar.
	Atomic map reveals clues to how cholesterol is made In spite of its dangerous reputation, cholesterol is in fact an essential component of human cells. Manufactured by the cells themselves, it serves to stiffen the cell's membrane, helping to shape the cell and protect it. By mapping the structure of a key enzyme involved in cholesterol production, Rockefeller University researchers and a colleague in Italy have gained new insight into this complex molecular process.
	Researchers compare efficacy of 'natural' bed bug pesticides Concerns over human-insecticide exposure has stimulated the development of alternative bed bug control materials, and many essential oil-based pesticides and detergent insecticides have been developed in recent years. But how well do they work? To find out, researchers from Rutgers University evaluated the efficacy of nine essential oil-based products and two detergents that are labeled and marketed for bed bug control. The results are published in an article in the Journal of Economic Entomology.
	Canada Inuits reach EU deal to resume seal-product exports The Canadian government on Friday announced an agreement with the European Union that will let Inuit people resume the exportation of seal products, which have been the subject of an EU ban since 2009.
	Australian beaches evacuated after suspected shark attack Several beaches were closed in Western Australia Sunday after a suspected shark attack on an inflatable boat, officials said, just a week after a surfer had parts of his arms bitten off in a separate mauling.

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