Science X Newsletter Friday, Jan 9

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 9, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Metamaterial prism creates a reverse rainbow
- Map of mysterious molecules in galaxy sheds new light on century-old puzzle
- Packing single-photon detectors on an optical chip to create quantum-computational circuits
- Atomic placement of elements counts for strong concrete
- Infamous study of humanity's 'dark side' may actually show how to keep it at bay
- Zurich team's beach robot draws art in the sand
- Online homes becoming mindful members of the family
- Reverse engineer creates Thunderstrike bootkit able to exploit vulnerability in OS X boot ROM
- Research probes temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles
- SpaceX poised for cargo, rocket-recycle launch
- Clinical trials of anti-LINGO-1 drug to treat eye damage from MS appears to show mixed results
- Virtual reality enters a new dimension
- TV of the future may be a sphere
- Physics professor finds old Roman fort in England aligned with the sun
- Study IDs two genes that boost risk for post-traumatic stress disorder

Astronomy & Space news

	Map of mysterious molecules in galaxy sheds new light on century-old puzzle By analyzing the light of hundreds of thousands of celestial objects, Johns Hopkins astronomers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey have created a unique map of enigmatic molecules in our galaxy that are responsible for puzzling features in the light from stars.
	African moon bid seeks boost for spacecraft blast off An ambitious project to put an African spacecraft on the Moon is sputtering on the launchpad as it struggles to secure an Internet crowdfunding lift off.
	Mars rover Opportunity climbs to high point on rim After completing two drives this week, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has paused to photograph the panoramic vista from the highest point the rover has reached during its 40 months of exploring the western rim of Mars' Endeavour Crater. The view is one of the grandest in Opportunity's Martian career of nearly 11 years and more than 25.8 miles (41.6 kilometers).
	Machines teach astronomers about stars Astronomers are enlisting the help of machines to sort through thousands of stars in our galaxy and learn their sizes, compositions and other basic traits.
	SpaceX poised for cargo, rocket-recycle launch SpaceX will try again Saturday to launch a load of cargo to the International Space Station and recycle its Falcon 9 rocket by landing a key part on an ocean platform.
	Why are reusable rockets are so hard to make? SpaceX is attempting a huge feat in spacecraft engineering. It is seeking to land the first stage of its Falcon 9-R rocket on a floating platform at sea. Normally this would end up at the bottom of the ocean. If successful, SpaceX will shake the rocket launch market, by shaving millions of dollars off launch costs.
	Comet Lovejoy glows brightest during mid-January Comet Lovejoy, already being tracked by backyard astronomers worldwide, is entering its best and brightest two weeks for viewing. From about January 7th through 24th the comet is predicted to be glowing at 4th magnitude—bright enough that skywatchers with clear, dark skies might be able to just glimpse it by eye, without optical aid. And the early-evening sky during this time will be dark and moonless, allowing the best views.
	Will we mine asteroids? It's been said that a single asteroid might be worth trillions of dollars in precious rare metals. Will we ever reach out and mine these space rocks? How hard could it be?
	SpaceX tries again to launch station supplies, land rocket SpaceX is taking another crack at delivering supplies to the International Space Station and landing the rocket on an ocean barge.
	James Webb Space Telescope sunshield is taking shape at ManTech's NeXolve subsidiary ManTech International Corporation announced today that its NeXolve subsidiary has completed manufacturing and shape testing of the first layer of the James Webb Space Telescope's sunshield system. NeXolve is subcontractor to Northrop Grumman in manufacturing the one-of-a-kind sunshield membranes.

Technology news

	Nissan, NASA to work on autonomous car technology Japanese automaker Nissan and NASA are teaming up to advance the technology behind cars that drive autonomously.
	New transport options aim to be 'un-Segway' A host of newfangled wheeled devices unveiled this week offer innovative solutions to urban transport which could fulfill the failed ambitions of the Segway.
	Coming to a car near you: Auto technology at CES Self-driving cars garner much of the attention, but in reality, we're years away from tooling around in something like Knight Rider's KITT. Coming sooner to a car near you: smartphone apps on dash displays, cruise control that adapts to cars around it, remote engine starting and more.
	Reverse engineer creates Thunderstrike bootkit able to exploit vulnerability in OS X boot ROM Trammell Hudson, an employee of Two Sigma Investments has found a way to hack into computers running OS X, using a pre programmed hardware device. He calls the software that runs from the device a bootkit because it allows for gaining unprecedented access to Mac computers prior to the point where the operating system is loaded—he has named it Thunderstrike after Mac's Thunderbolt interface.
	Online homes becoming mindful members of the family From door bells that scrutinize visitors to washing machines that know when you're home and lights that click off when you get in bed, houses are getting smarter.
	Virtual reality enters a new dimension Welcome to "The Matrix"? Not quite, but new technologies are pushing ultra-convincing virtual realities out of the realm of science fiction and into the now.
	TV of the future may be a sphere The TV of the future may not be a rectangle, but a sphere.
	Zurich team's beach robot draws art in the sand Disney Research Zurich and ETH Zurich have come up with a robot artist capable of drawing giant sketches on the beach. Thanks to a team of mechanical and electrical engineers and industrial designers, the BeachBot was created with the goal to perform sand art on a large scale on public beaches. As such, onlookers would see an entertaining drawing process as well as finished image. Wait, how long would an image last on the beach if it is only sand? That is the point.
	US did not 'hack back' against North Korea The U.S. government was not responsible for sustained electronic attacks that crippled North Korea's Internet infrastructure last month, just after President Barack Obama promised that his administration would respond to the hacker break-in at Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., two senior U.S. officials told The Associated Press.
	China bans private drivers on ride-hailing apps China has banned drivers of private cars from offering services through ride-hailing apps, throwing up a new hurdle to Uber Technologies Ltd.'s global expansion.
	Google loses US search share, Yahoo on rise Google saw its share of the US Internet search market slip to its lowest ever mark, while Yahoo notched its highest share in five years, an independent analytics firm said Thursday.
	Sony Pictures CEO: call to Google got 'The Interview' out (Update) The network was crippled. Days before Thanksgiving, Sony Pictures employees had logged onto computers that flashed a grim message from a hacker group calling itself Guardians of Peace. Soon personal information for tens of thousands of current and former workers was dumped online, including Social Security numbers and the purported salaries of top executives. Five Sony-produced movies, including the unreleased "Annie," appeared on file-sharing websites. Thousands of private, and sometimes embarrassing, emails hit the Internet.
India's Infosys net profit climbs 13%, shares gain Indian software giant Infosys announced Friday a better-than-expected 13 percent jump in third-quarter net profit, helped by strong demand for services in the United States.
	First responders get mobile app for biodetection First responders have downloaded more than 10,000 copies of a guide to commercially available, hand-portable biodetection technologies created to help them determine what they might be up against in the field. Since many first responders do not always have immediate access to a computer, a mobile version of the guide is now available for cell phones and tablets.
Do companies deliberately underreport environmental progress? While some companies have been criticized for overstating their environmental credentials—a practice known as greenwashing—a new University of Michigan study has found that some do just the opposite
	Flexible methane production from electricity and bio-mass Interlinkage of the power and gas grids is planned to make electricity supply sustainable and robust in the future. Fluctuating amounts of wind and solar power, for instance, might be stored in the form of the chemical energy carrier methane. Researchers of the KIT and DVGW have now proved that this element of the Energiewende is technically feasible. The DemoSNG pilot plant constructed by the KIT will be used in Sweden for the reliable and efficient production of methane from biomass-based carbon dioxide and variable amounts of hydrogen from green power.
	Honda to introduce world's first predictive safety cruise control system Honda is to introduce the world's first predictive cruise control system known as Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (i-ACC), capable of foreseeing and automatically reacting to other vehicles 'cutting-in' to the equipped vehicle's lane.
	Environmentally friendly coating for aircraft furniture A new coating protects business jet interiors against fire. Not only is the agent more environmentally friendly than before; it can also be applied more quickly. Empa is thus helping the Swiss company Jet Aviation to leave its competitors in the dust. This new coating could also be used in textiles and wood-based furnishing and architectural systems.
	Novel mathematical research for quantifying and predicting uncertainty in design models Uncertainty is sometimes unavoidable. But in the world of scientific computing and engineering, at least, what's worse than uncertainty is being uncertain about how uncertain one is.
	From quirky to revolutionary, the CES show has them all Sure, the International CES show was chock full of connected cars, smart home sensors, music gear and computer gadgets, as you'd expect. There were even drones buzzing the 160,000-plus people that tromped across the 2.2 million square feet of exhibit space along the Las Vegas Strip. But if you didn't get to see some of these goodies, well, you just haven't lived.
	With mobile laboratories, we accelerated 20 years in fighting pipeline corrosion Mexico could recover from a lag of 20 years in technology to protect oil pipelines from corrosion, thanks to a model developed at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), which creates mobile laboratories to reach the places where the severe corrosion problems occur and apply a technique called "cathodic protection" to protect pipes.
	Innovative approach to help country decide on energy needs An innovative web-based computer model to help one of the world's most densely populated countries get to grips with its energy needs has been developed by the University.
Remembered: CES founder 'Analog Jack' Wayman The man who started the Consumer Electronics Show in 1967 was known affectionately as "Analog Jack" by family and friends.

Medicine & Health news

Bacteria could contribute to development of wound-induced skin cancer Researchers at King's College London have identified a new mechanism by which skin damage triggers the formation of tumors, which could have important therapeutic implications for patients suffering with chronic ulcers or skin blistering diseases.
	Novel breast cancer gene found A new study identifies a gene that is especially active in aggressive subtypes of breast cancer. The research suggests that an overactive BCL11A gene drives triple-negative breast cancer development and progression.
	Research explains how we live in harmony with friendly gut bacteria Stability in the composition of the hundred trillion bacterial cells in the human gastrointestinal tract is crucial to health, but scientists have been perplexed how our microbiota withstands an onslaught of toxins, dietary changes, and immune response to infections or antibiotics with little change.
	Neurotransmission caught on camera Scientists have captured the exact point and time when information is exchanged between brain cells, a breakthrough that could explain how and why neurological conditions like schizophrenia or epilepsy occur.
	Human brain keeps memories tidy by pruning inaccurate ones Forget about it. Your brain is a memory powerhouse, constantly recording experiences in long-term memory. Those memories help you find your way through the world: Who works the counter each morning at your favorite coffee shop? How do you turn on the headlights of your car? What color is your best friend's house?
	Clinical trials of anti-LINGO-1 drug to treat eye damage from MS appears to show mixed results (Medical Xpress)—Biogen Idec Inc has released preliminary results of a phase II clinical trial (called RENEW) meant to test the effectiveness of using an anti-LINGO-1 drug called BIIB033, to treat eye damage that occurs in patients with multiple sclerosis—and the results appear to be mixed. While some improvement in the recovery of optic nerve latency were seen, there did not appear to be any recovery in secondary outcomes, which are necessary for a patient to recover lost vision abilities.
	Study IDs two genes that boost risk for post-traumatic stress disorder Why do some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while others who suffered the same ordeal do not? A new UCLA discovery may shed light on the answer.
	Researchers uncover cellular mechanism that protects lungs during severe infections Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered a novel molecular mechanism that tightens the bonds between the cells that line blood vessels to form a leak-proof barrier. The mechanism presents a potential new target to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an often fatal condition in which fluid leaks out of blood vessels into the lungs.
	FDA approves bellafill for treatment of pitted acne scars (HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for acne scarring.
Study supports link between injectable hormonal contraceptive and HIV risk Women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), commonly known as Depo-Provera or the birth control shot, have a moderately increased risk of becoming infected with HIV, a large meta-analysis of 12 studies involving more than 39 500 women published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases has found. Other forms of hormonal contraception, including oral contraceptive pills, do not appear to increase this risk.
	Scientists seek religious experience — in their subjects' brains At the push of a button, the gurney holding Auriel Peterson slides slowly into the pale blue glow of a magnetic resonance imaging machine. Soon, all that's visible are the shins of her black track pants and the chartreuse-and-white soles of her running shoes, angled like the fins of a torpedo.
	Vaccine coverage should begin during pregnancy, says researcher New parents-to-be see and hear a host of messages geared toward them. Breastfeeding is best. Rear-facing, not front-facing, car seats are safer for newborns. Babies should sleep on their backs. What parents aren't hearing enough, says RSPH researcher Saad Omer, is that pregnant women and their babies need vaccines so that both stay healthy.
	The science behind your kid's obsession with 'Frozen' When the animated film Frozen was released in 2013, no one expected it to become a worldwide juggernaut. Frozen, which earned more than $1.2 billion at the box office, is not only the first "princess" movie to make the list of top 10 grossing animated films, but even more astonishingly, the number-one animated film of all time. Talk about shattering the glass ceiling, or in this case, the glass slipper.
	Rapid weight gain in first three months of life increases asthma risk Babies who gain weight rapidly in the first three months of life are more likely to develop asthma and for it to persist into adolescence. This is according to the latest research from the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s study, which analysed information on height, weight and asthma symptoms in almost 10,000 people in the study at various points in time from birth to age 17.
	Statin treatment reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in women A large international study, published today in The Lancet, has shown conclusively that statin treatment reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in women.
Wearable tracking devices alone won't drive health behavior change, according to researchers New Year's weight loss resolutions are in full swing, but despite all the hype about the latest wearable tracking devices, there's little evidence that this technology alone can change behavior and improve health for those that need it most, according to a new online-first viewpoint piece in JAMA. The paper, written by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation, and the LDI Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, points out that even though several large technology companies are entering this expanding market, there may be a disconnect between the assumed benefits and actual outcomes.
	Study finds which brain skills are more likely to last over a lifetime Research from the Center for Vital Longevity (CVL) at The University of Texas at Dallas has shed new light on which cognitive processes tend to be preserved with age and which ones decline.
US okays Roche test to identify HIV, hepatitis viruses US authorities have approved a test developed by Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche that can detect both HIV and hepatitis viruses, the company said Friday.
	Optimistic people have healthier hearts, study finds People who have upbeat outlooks on life have significantly better cardiovascular health, suggests a new study that examined associations between optimism and heart health in more than 5,100 adults.
	Mounting research tightens gut microbial connection with the brain The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human body, collectively called the microbiome, are estimated to weigh two to six pounds—up to twice the weight of the average human brain. Most of them live in the gut and intestines, where they help us to digest food, synthesize vitamins and ward off infection. But recent research on the microbiome has shown that its influence extends far beyond the gut, all the way to the brain.
Two leading Ebola vaccines appear safe, further tests starting (Update) The World Health Organization says the two leading Ebola vaccines appear safe and will soon be tested in healthy volunteers in West Africa.
	Tens of thousands to test Ebola vaccines in affected countries: WHO (Update) Human tests of two possible Ebola vaccines have proven safe and now tests to measure their efficiency will begin within weeks in the three west African countries ravaged by the deadly virus, the World Health Organization said Friday.
What can your online avatar say about your personality? More communication among individuals is occurring online, and often between individuals who do not know each other offline. Researchers at York University are looking to understand the potential impressions and their limitations of those we meet in a digital context. In a study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the researchers specifically looked at what personality traits are conveyed by a user's avatar.
	Science says eat with your kids As a family therapist, I often have the impulse to tell families to go home and have dinner together rather than spending an hour with me. And 20 years of research in North America, Europe and Australia back up my enthusiasm for family dinners. It turns out that sitting down for a nightly meal is great for the brain, the body and the spirit. And that nightly dinner doesn't have to be a gourmet meal that took three hours to cook, nor does it need to be made with organic arugula and heirloom parsnips.
	Change agent: Creating new scans to track brain diseases Seven weeks after weight-loss surgery, a group of women have seen significant changes in their body shapes and sizes. They're each down 20 to 30 pounds, but that's not the only change their bodies are going through.
	Can haskap keep the doctor away? Researchers at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Agriculture believe what Hippocrates, the father of medicine, stated thousands of years before: "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."
	What can beagles teach us about Alzheimer's disease? Every 67 seconds someone in the United States is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and new estimates suggest that it may be the third leading cause of death of older people.
	Team finds cancer biopsies do not promote cancer spread A study of more than 2,000 patients by researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, has dispelled the myth that cancer biopsies cause cancer to spread. In the Jan. 9 online issue of Gut, they show that patients who received a biopsy had a better outcome and longer survival than patients who did not have a biopsy.
	Oral HPV infection lasts longer in older men, study finds (HealthDay)—One type of oral HPV (human papillomavirus) infection, HPV16, seems to last a year or longer in men over the age of 45 than it does in younger men, new research indicates.
	Middle school football doesn't seem to cause short-term brain damage: study (HealthDay)—Children who play football in middle school don't appear to have any noticeable short-term brain damage from repeated hits to the head, new research suggests.
	CT scans performed during maxillofacial surgery are rapid (HealthDay)—Intraoperative computed tomography (CT) scans performed during maxillofacial surgery are quick, lasting an average of 14.5 minutes, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Cataract risk not down with long-tem selenium, vitamin E (HealthDay)—Long-term supplementation with selenium or vitamin E is not associated with a reduction in the risk of age-related cataract among men, according to a study published in the January issue of JAMA Ophthalmology.
Ritual circumcision linked to increased risk of autism in young boys Research published today by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine suggests that circumcised boys are more likely than intact boys to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before the age of 10. Risk is particularly high for infantile autism before the age of five. The research was carried out in Denmark among a cohort of all children born between 1994 and 2003. During the study over 340,000 boys were followed up to the age of nine between 1994 and 2013 and almost 5,000 cases of ASD were diagnosed. The study showed that regardless of cultural background circumcised boys may run a greater risk of developing ASD. The researchers also made an unexpected observation of an increased risk of hyperactivity disorder among circumcised boys in non-Muslim families.
In head and neck cancer, surgeons need solid answers about tumor recurrence Partnering with head and neck surgeons, pathologists at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center's Norris Cotton Cancer Center developed a new use for an old test to determine if a patient's cancer is recurring, or if the biopsy shows benign inflammation of mucosal tissues. In Pathology - Research and Practice, lead author Candice C. Black, DO explained how her team confirmed the utility of ProExC, an existing antibody cocktail commonly used for pathology tests of the uterine cervix. The team's goal remained sorting out problems presented by the frequently equivocal pathology results when surgeons need to determine the difference between true pre-neoplasia and merely inflammatory/reactive biopsies.
Daily consumption of blueberries may lower blood pressure With hypertension (HTN) affecting nearly 80 million people in the United States and cardiovascular disease (CVD) the leading cause of death, any intervention that can lower blood pressure has the potential to save lives. In a study in the current issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Florida State University researchers found that daily consumption of blueberries for eight weeks resulted in significant reductions of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Karyomapping offers new way of detecting genetic conditions in IVF embryos New research at the University of Kent has identified karyomapping as a viable and cost-effective method of detecting a wide range of genetic diseases in IVF embryos.
After eight years, similar outcomes with surgical or non-surgical treatment for spinal stenosis For patients with spinal stenosis, long-term outcomes are comparable with surgery or conservative treatment, reports a study in the January 15 issue of Spine.
	Vasectomy reversal outcomes up with same partner as before (HealthDay)—Fertility outcomes are improved for men who undergo vasectomy reversal and have the same female partner as before vasectomy, according to a study published in the January issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Three-step intervention can reduce pediatric drug errors (HealthDay)—A three-step intervention addressing the diverse causes of medication errors can reduce these errors in a pediatric setting, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
	Topical diclofenac unnecessary post-photorefractive keratectomy (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing photorefractive keratectomy surgery, the administration of postoperative topical diclofenac does not alleviate pain, but is effective for local signs such as eyelid edema, according to a study published in the December issue of Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology.
	Metformin's potential role in atherosclerosis explored (HealthDay)—Metformin's role in atherosclerosis may be inhibition of monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation via AMPK-mediated inhibition of STAT3 activation, according to research published online Dec. 31 in Diabetes.
	Binocular vision disorders up high morbidity injuries in seniors (HealthDay)—For older Medicare beneficiaries, having a disorder of binocular vision is associated with increased odds of musculoskeletal injury, fracture, and fall, according to a study published in the January issue of JAMA Ophthalmology.
	CDC: Occupationally acquired HIV now rare (HealthDay)—Documented occupational acquisition of HIV has now become rare in the United States, according to research published in the Dec. 9 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Satellite lesions prognostic for high-risk zoster (HealthDay)—For patients with herpes zoster, satellite lesions are prognostic of high-risk disease, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
	FDA OKs new anti-clotting drug for heart rhythm disorder (HealthDay)—A new anti-clotting drug to reduce the risk of dangerous blood clots and strokes in people with a type of heart rhythm disorder has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
	Playing catch can improve balance, prevent falls in seniors The simple training exercise of catching a weighted medicine ball can improve balance and may help prevent falls in the elderly, according to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Coupling head and neck cancer screening and lung cancer scans could improve survival Adding head and neck cancer screenings to recommended lung cancer screenings would likely improve early detection and survival, according to a multidisciplinary team led by scientists affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), a partner with UPMC CancerCenter.
At least 26 US kids die of flu in 'bad' season: officials A particularly bad flu is sweeping the United States, killing 26 children so far this season and nearly doubling hospitalizations among people over 65 in the past week alone, officials said Friday.
Five new measles cases reported with ties to Disneyland Five more people who visited Disney theme parks in California last month have fallen ill with measles, bringing the number of cases in the state to a dozen, local health officials said Friday.
	As flu becomes more widespread, CDC pushes antiviral meds In the midst of a worrisome flu season, health officials are pushing doctors to prescribe antiviral medicines more often.
Tiny device, lots of teamwork save leukemia patient's sight This is what happens when a persistent eye doctor turns into a detective, a benevolent inventor-entrepreneur works overtime and a federal agency acts a lot faster than federal agencies usually get credit for.
WHO grants approval for safe, effective meningitis A vaccine for infants The World Health Organization (WHO) has opened the door to routine immunization of infants in sub-Saharan Africa by approving for use an innovative and affordable vaccine that has all but rid the meningitis belt of a major cause of deadly epidemics.
Taiwan to cull 120,000 chickens after bird flu outbreak Taiwanese authorities began culling around 120,000 chickens on Friday following the latest outbreak of a less virulent strain of bird flu, one of the island's biggest culls in recent years.
Lifting the fog of health delivery and costs The heated national debate on complex issues related to health care was ignited by the implementation the Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) in January 2014. There is no national system that adequately records and quantifies the wide range of issues related to health care, and the public argument has been based primarily on undocumented opinion. Anecdotal reports related to health issues have increased dramatically. Since such reports are most often at best unreliable and at worst misleading, this adds to the combative unproductive nature of the public debate. As a result, academic economist estimates of the future costs under the ACA have varied from large increases to considerable reductions.
Interferon-free combination therapy prevents recurrence of HCV after liver transplantation A 24-week course of sofosbuvir and ribavirin can eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in two-thirds of patients who undergo liver transplantation, with positive consequences on their short- and long-term prognoses, according to two new studies published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.
Dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine: Considerable added benefit for some adults with HIV Since September 2014, the fixed-dose combination of dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine (trade name Triumeq) has been approved for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults and adolescents above 12 years of age. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), which had already assessed a dossier on dolutegravir in spring 2014, now examined in another dossier assessment whether the drug combination also offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy.
Agent Orange-contaminated airplanes could have affected health of air force reservists Air Force reservists based in the U.S. who worked after the Vietnam War in C-123 aircraft that sprayed Agent Orange during the war could have experienced adverse health effects from exposure to the herbicide, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The reservists who served in the contaminated C-123s experienced some degree of exposure to the toxic chemical component of Agent Orange known as TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), and it is plausible, in some cases, that the reservists exceeded TCDD exposure guidelines for workers in enclosed settings.
US fines Japanese pharma co $39 mn for doctor kickbacks Daiichi Sankyo, the large Japanese pharmaceutical company, is being fined $39 million over kickbacks it paid doctors in the United States to prescribe its drugs, the US Justice Department said Friday.
UN helps restart measles vaccinations in Ebola-hit W. Africa The UN children's agency said on Friday it was helping Ebola-battered countries in west Africa resume measles immunisations at a peak transmission time in the region.
Secondary analysis of RTOG 0247 demonstrates favorable overall survival rates for rectal cancer patients Locally advanced rectal cancer patients who receive preoperative radiation therapy with either irinotecan plus capecitabine or oxaliplatin plus capecitabine have a four-year overall survival rate of 85 percent and 75 percent, respectively, according to a study published in the January 1, 2015 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). This study is a secondary endpoint analysis of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0247, originally published in 20121, to evaluate long-term survival outcomes and patterns of failure.
	Ending Ebola in '15 depends on locals as much as foreign aid Sierra Leone rang in the new year without the usual midnight festivities on its beaches in the steamy capital. Instead, the president urged the nation to stay at home, fast and pray that the plague of Ebola will finally end in West Africa.
Alterations in fatty acid synthesis linked to sepsis inflammation Sepsis is a leading cause of death for patients in intensive care units. The excessive systemic inflammation in individuals with sepsis damages organs and can lead to death. Therapeutic options for sepsis are limited and the factors that promote this excessive response to infection are poorly understood.

Biology news

	Study says China's aquaculture sector can tip the balance in world fish supplies In a new paper in Science a research team led by Stanford postdoctoral scholar Ling Cao and Professor Rosamond Naylor offers the clearest picture to date of China's enormous impact on wild fisheries. The study also presents a more sustainable alternative to the current practice of using wild-caught fish to feed farm-raised fish.
	The devil is in the detail Researchers have looked at a species of fish to help unravel one of the biggest mysteries in evolutionary biology.
	Orangutans crack consonants and vowels to shed new light on the evolution of human speech Scientist still don't know how human speech evolved from our great ape ancestors. But a study involving Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the Pongo Foundation has uncovered new calls from orang-utans that show fundamental similarities with human spoken languages offering a potential origin point for speech evolution.
	Research probes temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles Thane Wibbels, Ph.D., professor of biology in the University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences, used to go out in the wild to catch turtles.
Rockfish get glass eyes, with assist from aquarium "A fish with a glass eye" sounds like the punchline to a joke that starts with an angler and an ophthalmologist walking into a bar.
	Mouse experiments suggest that a noncoding RNA can be vital for successful pregnancy The proteins that underlie nearly all biological mechanisms are produced from RNA molecules transcribed from genetic sequences in DNA. However, a large proportion of transcribed RNA is not transcoded into proteins and appears to have no significant function. Shinichi Nakagawa from the RIKEN RNA Biology Laboratory and colleagues have now found that one particular long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is essential for fertility in some circumstances.
	Fish species flourish in hypersaline estuary Scientists have a better understanding of fish capable of living in highly saline estuaries following an in-depth study of the Leschenault Estuary in south-western Australia.
Tumour-blocking role found for cell regulation molecule Manchester scientists have explored the role of a protein in regulating tumour development and found that it suppresses liver cancer growth in the lab.
	More arginine yields little growth effect While additional arginine increases muscle mass and reduces visceral fat in pigs and rodents, the same additive does not induce faster growth in farmed salmon. Still, the amino acid may benefit salmon health in other ways.
	Concerned by decline in smolts Since 2006 there has been negative productivity growth in the Norwegian hatchery industry. "There is every reason for the salmon industry to be concerned when the productivity of such an essential supplier starts declining," asserts Hilde Ness Sandvold.
	Swedish court stops hotly contested wolf hunt A Swedish court has pulled the plug on a wolf hunt due to start Friday, favouring animal rights activists in one of the country's most hotly disputed environmental issues.
	Recreational fishing in the Mediterranean is more harmful than previously thought A total of 10 percent of adults living in developed countries practice recreational fishing, which in the Mediterranean Sea represents around 10% of the total production of fisheries. Despite its importance, this fishing is not as controlled or studied as professional fishing. For the first time, a study examines this activity, whose effects are increasingly more similar to traditional fishing. For this reason, scientists demand greater control.

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