Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Nov 19

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 19, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Quantum-dot technology makes LCD TVs more colorful, energy-efficient
- 'Cloaking' device uses ordinary lenses to hide objects across continuous range of angles
- Research team advances understanding of atomically thin crystal growth
- LHCb experiment observes two new baryon particles never seen before
- Imagination, reality flow in opposite directions in the brain
- Researchers compare mammals' genomes to aid human clinical research
- Sun's rotating 'magnet' pulls lightning towards UK
- Gecko inspired pads allow researchers to climb glass wall
- Business culture in banking industry favors dishonest behavior, study shows
- Thin film produces new chemistry in 'nanoreactor'
- Giving LEDs a cozy, warm glow
- Professor proposes alternative to 'Turing Test'
- New study shows ancient volcanic field in Utah actually one massive landslide
- Captive mice and native mice don't care to breed together, study finds
- Fountain of youth underlies Antarctic Mountains

Astronomy & Space news

	Spooky alignment of quasars across billions of light-years Quasars are galaxies with very active supermassive black holes at their centres. These black holes are surrounded by spinning discs of extremely hot material that is often spewed out in long jets along their axes of rotation. Quasars can shine more brightly than all the stars in the rest of their host galaxies put together.
	Subaru Telescope detects sudden appearance of galaxies in the early universe A team of astronomers using the Subaru Telescope's Suprime-Cam to perform the Subaru Ultra-Deep Survey for Lyman-alpha Emitters have looked back more than 13 billion years to find 7 early galaxies that appeared quite suddenly within 700 million years of the Big Bang. The team, led by graduate student Akira Konno and Dr. Masami Ouchi (Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo's ICRR) was looking for a specific kind of galaxy called a Lyman-alpha emitter (LAE), to understand the role such galaxies may have played in an event called "cosmic reionization". (Figure 1)
	Scientists study the interaction of the solar wind and Earth's atmosphere from Norway (Phys.org) —Northern Norway in December? It may not be your ideal spot to visit, but for NASA sounding rocket teams and university scientists, this is the ideal place to conduct experiments to increase the understanding of the interaction of the solar wind with Earth's upper atmosphere.
	Hubble reveals a super-rich galactic neighborhood (Phys.org) —This new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the super-rich galaxy cluster Abell 1413. Located between the constellations of Leo (The Lion) and Coma Berenices, the cluster is over 2 billion light-years from Earth. This image is dominated by a large and highly elliptical galaxy called MCG+04-28-097, with a halo of stars extending for more than 6.5 million light-years.
	Mystery of dwarf galaxy could be ejected black hole An international team of researchers analyzing decades of observations from many facilities—including the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, the Pan-STARRS1 telescope on Haleakala and NASA's Swift satellite—has discovered what appears to be a black hole booted from it's host galaxy. The team was led by Michael Koss, who was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa during most of the time the study was ongoing. The study will be published in the Nov. 21 edition of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	The Rosetta lander detects organic matter Scientists working with data sent back by the now-slumbering Philae lander have announced the discovery of organic molecules on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
	NASA Skunkworks team set to deliver newfangled 6U Cubesat (Phys.org) —A NASA "skunkworks" team gave itself just one year to develop, test and integrate a newfangled CubeSat that could reliably and easily accommodate agency-class science investigations and technology demonstrations at a lower cost.
	NASA's MMS spacecraft begin pre-launch activities in Florida NASA's second mini-stack of two Magnetospheric Multiscale, or MMS, observatories arrived Nov. 12, 2014, in Florida to begin launch preparations. All four MMS observatories will go through a host of pre-launch activities.
	Shortly after Mars comet, NASA's new red planet spacecraft officially starts mission NASA's newest Mars spacecraft is "go" for at least a year—and potentially longer. After taking a time-out from commissioning to observe Comet Siding Spring whizz by the Red Planet in October, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) officially began its science mission Monday (Nov. 17). And so far things are going well.
	Rosetta's comet looks weird in decade-old Hubble model Okay, let's take a deep breath about Rosetta and remember just how far we've come since the mission arrived at its target comet in August. Lately we've been focused on reporting on the Philae landing, but remember how we barely knew how the comet looked until this summer? How much of a surprise the rubber duckie shape was to us?
	Mission Moon: Millions may help lunar landing It's the moon mission for the masses. A project to fund a private lunar exploration mission got underway Wednesday, offering the public the chance to take part.
Virginia to look at spaceport deal after explosion Virginia officials plan to re-examine a spaceport deal with Orbital Sciences Corp. following a rocket explosion that damaged a state-owned launch pad.
	Radiation monitors tested on space station to fly on Orion Already tested on the International Space Station (ISS), six radiation detectors developed by a team from the University of Houston physics department and their NASA colleagues have paved the way for two new devices to fly on the first test flight of NASA's new Orion spacecraft.
	Image: Micro-sections of circuit boards intended for space missions Embedded within these resin discs are vital clues to determine whether future space missions will fail or thrive.

Technology news

	Gecko inspired pads allow researchers to climb glass wall A team of researchers working at Stanford University has used prior research involving the means by which gecko's climb walls to create pads that allow a human to do very nearly the same thing. In their paper published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the team describes how they improved on the ideas used by gecko's to allow for the creation of pads capable of carrying the weight of a human while climbing a glass wall.
	Japan's 311 mph super maglev train takes passengers for run Japan's magnetically levitating maglev train, faster than Japan's bullet train, is doing test runs with passengers, members of the public, in central Japan. The world's fastest maglev train, the 311 mph (500 km/h) Series L0 (pronounced "L zero") prototype, made its first public run.
	Professor proposes alternative to 'Turing Test' (Phys.org) —A Georgia Tech professor is offering an alternative to the celebrated "Turing Test" to determine whether a machine or computer program exhibits human-level intelligence. The Turing Test - originally called the Imitation Game - was proposed by computing pioneer Alan Turing in 1950. In practice, some applications of the test require a machine to engage in dialogue and convince a human judge that it is an actual person.
	How to teach self-driving cars ethics of the road A large truck speeding in the opposite direction suddenly veers into your lane.
	Let's Encrypt certificate authority to launch 2015 Web encryption for free—tough deal to turn down? After all the instances of cyberattacks, snoopers and sophisticated surveillance, encryption technology has become especially appreciated and familiar to many people. In a bid to alleviate the expense and complexities of encryption, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has joined Mozilla, Cisco, Akamai, IdenTrust, and researchers at the University of Michigan for Let's Encrypt, to launch in summer 2015 as a certificate authority to encrypt the entire web.
Senate blocks NSA phone records measure (Update) The Senate on Tuesday blocked a bill to end bulk collection of Americans' phone records by the National Security Agency, dealing a blow to President Barack Obama's primary proposal to rein in domestic surveillance.
	Financial planning gets a dose of virtual reality Financial planning often involves lots of spreadsheets, pie charts and eyes glazing over.
Netflix heading for Australia and New Zealand Netflix on Tuesday announced that it will debut its film and television show streaming service in Australia and New Zealand early next year as it continues expanding internationally.
	Video games, e-commerce booming in Mideast: study Video game and e-commerce markets are growing "exponentially" across the Middle East and North Africa, driven by the mobile revolution and new youth-produced content, according to a study.
	Building the world's fastest downhill racer I'd like to say that it's not every day you get asked to try to break a world record with a speed-obsessed truck mechanic from Grimsby, but for us at the Centre for Sports Engineering Research it's starting to become a bit of a habit.
	An agent-based model that analyzes commuters' travel data The introduction of smartcard ticketing for Singapore's public transport system has enabled A*STAR researchers to provide valuable predictive data on potential train overloading.  This will enable system planners to address critical bottlenecks as the system stretches to accommodate an expanding population.
	Company powers up with food waste Garden products company Richgro is using Western Australian food waste to power their operations in a new zero-waste system.
Lean times ahead: Preparing for an energy-constrained future Some time this century, the era of cheap and abundant energy will end, and Western industrial civilization will likely begin a long, slow descent toward a resource-limited future characterized by "involuntary simplicity."
	Showdown looms between US gov't, air bag maker A showdown is looming between U.S. safety regulators and a Japanese company that makes air bags linked to multiple deaths and injuries. Car companies and the driving public are caught in the middle.
	Hackers turning smartphones into slave armies Mobile security firm Lookout on Wednesday warned that Android-powered smartphones or tablets are being targeted with malicious software that puts them at the mercy of hacker overlords.
	Dancing, talking robots show off at Madrid congress Hundreds of robotics experts and their whirring, flashing robot creations gathered in Madrid on Wednesday for a top world congress on humanoid technology.
	Yahoo replaces Google as Firefox's default search Yahoo may be getting more serious about search again.
	Top China official urges stronger Internet management A top Beijing official called for stronger management of the Internet Wednesday at a government-organised conference condemned by rights campaigners as a Chinese attempt to promote its online controls globally.
Timberlake becomes co-owner of audio tech company Justin Timberlake wants to make sure you have a 20/20 sound experience when you listen to music: He's now a co-owner of the audio technology company AfterMaster Audio Labs, Inc.
	Polish election commission website hacked Computer hackers have attacked the website of Poland's electoral commission, which is still unable to publish full returns from local elections because of an unrelated computer glitch, officials said Wednesday.
	Winter-like temps can reduce tire pressure The polar plunge that has chilled much of the nation does more than bring out ice scrapers and antifreeze. It can trigger vehicles' tire pressure monitoring systems overnight, sending nervous drivers to dealers and service centers.
	Graphics acceleration enables in-car technology seen at LA auto show At the Los Angeles Auto Show's Connected Car Expo Tuesday, NVIDIA and Audi showcased the latest innovations developed out of our partnership to deliver the auto industry's most advanced in-car technologies.
	Gift Guide: Dragons, aliens, heroes for the gamer Sony's PlayStation 4 video-game console has built an impressive lead over its competitors. That's good news for holiday shoppers because it has driven Microsoft and Nintendo to offer more budget-friendly holiday deals on their consoles.
Ridesharing service Uber expands in Nordics Uber is expanding its app-based taxi and ridesharing services in the Nordic region, to include the cities of Helsinki, Oslo and Copenhagen.
Could hydrogen vehicles take over as the 'green' car of choice? Now that car makers have demonstrated through hybrid vehicle success that consumers want less-polluting tailpipes, they are shifting even greener. In 2015, Toyota will roll out the first hydrogen fuel-cell car for personal use that emits only water. An article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, explains how hydrogen could supplant hybrid and electric car technology—and someday, even spur the demise of the gasoline engine.
Uber investigating if exec broke privacy rules Uber Technologies is investigating whether one of its general managers violated the popular car-booking service's privacy policies by snooping on a reporter's whereabouts.

Medicine & Health news

	Imagination, reality flow in opposite directions in the brain As real as that daydream may seem, its path through your brain runs opposite reality.
	Mind the gap: How new insight into cells could lead to better drugs Professor Dan Davis and his team at the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research, working in collaboration with global healthcare company GSK, investigated how different types of immune cells communicate with each other - and how they kill cancerous or infected cells. Their research has been published in Nature Communications.
	Many older brains have plasticity, but in a different place A widely presumed problem of aging is that the brain becomes less flexible—less plastic—and that learning may therefore become more difficult. A new study led by Brown University researchers contradicts that notion with a finding that plasticity did occur in seniors who learned a task well, but it occurred in a different part of the brain than in younger people.
	New function for rods in daylight (Medical Xpress)—Vision – so crucial to human health and well-being – depends on job-sharing by just a few cell types, the rod cells and cone cells, in our retina. Botond Roska and his group have identified a novel function for rod photoreceptor cells in the retina in daylight. Driven by cones and mediated by horizontal cells, rods help to increase contrast information at times when they are not directly sensing light. The retina thus repurposes its cells in different light conditions to increase the amount of visual information about the environment.
	New understanding of genetic replication could help in the fight against cancer A new line of research from a team at Florida State University is pushing the limits on what the world knows about how human genetic material is replicated and what that means for people with diseases where the replication process is disrupted, such as cancer.
	Variation in expression of thousands of genes kept under tight constraint in mice, humans An international team of researchers led by Professor Thomas R. Gingeras of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and Roderic Guigo (Centre For Genomic Regulation, Barcelona) has identified some 6600 genes whose level of expression varies within a comparatively restricted range in humans and mice.
	Gut microbiota influences blood-brain barrier permeability A new study in mice, conducted by researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet together with colleagues in Singapore and the United States, shows that our natural gut-residing microbes can influence the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from harmful substances in the blood. According to the authors, the findings provide experimental evidence that our indigenous microbes contribute to the mechanism that closes the blood-brain barrier before birth. The results also support previous observations that gut microbiota can impact brain development and function.
	Scientists deliver promising one-two punch for lung cancer Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a powerful one-two punch for countering a common genetic mutation that often leads to drug-resistant cancers. The dual-drug therapy—with analogs already in use for other diseases—doubled the survival rate of mice with lung cancer and halted cancer in pancreatic cells.
Peanut in household dust linked to peanut allergy in children with eczema during infancy A new study led by researchers at King's College London in collaboration with the US Consortium of Food Allergy Research and the University of Dundee has found a strong link between environmental exposure to peanut protein during infancy (measured in household dust) and an allergic response to peanuts in children who have eczema early in life.
	A medium amount of physical activity can lower the risk of Parkinson's disease A new study, published online in Brain: A Journal of Neurology today, followed 43,368 individuals in Sweden for an average of 12.6 years to examine the impact of physical activity on Parkinson's disease risk. It was found that "a medium amount" of physical activity lowers the risk of Parkinson's disease.
	Paradox lost: Speedier heart attack treatment saves more lives after all, study suggests A national effort to shave minutes off emergency heart attack treatment time has increased the chance that each patient will survive, a new study suggests. But yet the survival rate for all patients put together hasn't budged.
	When it comes to teen alcohol use, close friends have more influence than peers A recent study by an Indiana University researcher has found that adolescents' alcohol use is influenced by their close friends' use, regardless of how much alcohol they think their general peers consume.
	How to bring the teen pregnancy rate down Teen pregnancy is a public health problem in the United States. According to 2010 estimates, girls aged 15-19 years accounted for 614,000 pregnancies in the US. An additional 11,000 pregnancies were recorded in girls younger than 14. This translates to a rate of 126.6 pregnancies per 1,000 sexually active teens.
	Violent television may make children more susceptible to advertising messages (Medical Xpress)—A study by a University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism researcher has found that children who watch television shows with action or violence are more susceptible to messages in the advertisements shown during the programs.
	Survival rates improve in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, thanks to community efforts Researchers have determined that survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) improved in communities across the U.S. between 2005 and 2012. Improvements that impacted survival rates were noted in both pre-hospital and in-hospital care. Bystander CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and on-site automated external defibrillator (AED) use improved during the interval as well.
	Clinical trial to target ovarian and breast cancers The Australian first Women's Health, Creating Change trial will focus on women's reproductive cancers, such as ovarian, breast and endometrial cancer.
	Adult daycare helps caregivers' emotional stability Caregivers who employ adult daycare services to help care for individuals with dementia have fewer emotional ups and downs, and that may protect the caregivers' health, according to Penn State researchers.
	New laser therapy helps slow macular degeneration (Medical Xpress)—A new, low impact low energy laser treatment for patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has produced positive results by reducing indicators of the disease.
	Should health systems send patients abroad to save money? While various options can be explored to rationalize resources in the health sector, delegating certain medical services to foreign hospitals should be assessed in an interdisciplinary context, says Catherine Régis of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Law. If you were offered the possibility of being treated or operated in another country more rapidly and at a lower cost to the government, what would you say? Your answer will probably depend on the country and hospital in question, your family situation, and the quality of care offered. According Régis and her colleagues, the concept of "medical tourism" should be thoroughly analyzed to assess which avenues may – or may not – be beneficial and in which legal, ethical, political, and economic frameworks.
	Treatment strategy may reduce infants' wheezing caused by virus (Medical Xpress)—The antibiotic azithromycin may reduce the risk of recurrent wheezing in infants hospitalized with a common respiratory infection, according to a small pilot study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Evidence suggests that reduced wheezing may lower an infant's risk of developing asthma over the next several years.
	Research shows extremely limited diversity among one group of immune cells and uncovers a new population In an investigation of a specific group of immune cells, researchers at A*STAR identified a limited repertoire of receptors that recognize bacterial targets. This finding led to the further discovery of a previously undetected population of these cells, indicating that they have wider functions than previously thought.
	Immune system surprise hints at new strategy for fighting HIV The discovery of the innate immunity system's role in mobilizing the body's defenses against invading microorganisms has been long studied at Yale. Now in the Nov. 17 issue of the journal Nature Immunology, Yale researchers led by Margarita Dominguez-Villar and David Hafler have discovered a surprising twist to the story that may open a new avenue in the fight against HIV.
	15,000 extra children survived cancer thanks to improvements since the 1970s During the last 40 years over 15,000 more children have beaten cancer than would have done if survival had remained the same as in the 1970s, according to new figures from Cancer Research UK.
	Doctors prove home recovery is safe and effective Fremantle Hospital researchers have confirmed rehabilitation in the home (RITH) is not only safe, but in some cases better for the patient than in-hospital rehabilitation.
	Nursery school games encourage toddlers to try new healthy foods Toddlers could receive a kick-start to a healthier diet later in life by taking part in fun fruit and veg games at nursery school, new University of Reading research has found.
	Schools often fail to follow their own written wellness policies To receive federal funding for student breakfasts and lunches, public schools must adopt school-wide wellness policies. A new study in the journal Health Promotion Practice finds a wide divide between written policies and schools' actual practices.
Setting the record straight on Alzheimer's disease Can your diet deter dementia? Is there a link between cold sores and Alzheimer's? Do crossword puzzles help prevent memory decline?
	Ignoring early warning signs of defiance can lead to deviant behaviors in adolescence Rule breaking is not uncommon for preschool children, but being able to identify those children most at risk of long-term defiant behavior is key in helping them avoid a myriad of negative consequences.
Child abuse, adversity associated with poor health and employment outcomes later in life People who currently fall into low-income and educational brackets are up to five times as likely to have faced abuse and adversity during childhood as people who fall into higher socioeconomic groups, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysis of Allegheny County residents.
	Lifelong learning and the plastic brain Our brains are plastic. They continually remould neural connections as we learn, experience and adapt. Now researchers are asking if new understanding of these processes can help us train our brains.
	Beverage companies still target kids with marketing for unhealthy, sugary drinks Beverage companies spent $866 million to advertise unhealthy drinks in 2013, and children and teens remained key target audiences for that advertising, according to a new report released today by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. The report, Sugary Drink FACTS 2014, highlights some progress regarding beverage marketing to young people, but also shows that companies still have a long way to go to improve their marketing practices and the nutritional quality of their products to support young people's health.
	High heels may enhance a man's instinct to be helpful If it's help a woman needs, maybe she should wear high heels. That's the message from Nicolas Guéguen of the Université de Bretagne-Sud in France, after he observed how helpful men are towards women in high heels versus those wearing flat, sensible shoes. The study, published in Springer's journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, is the first ever to investigate how the height of a woman's shoe heel influences how men behave towards her.
	Get ready for the Great American Smokeout (HealthDay)—The third Thursday of November is almost here, and that's a key annual date for many health advocates—the Great American Smokeout.
	Blue-eyed people may face higher melanoma risk (HealthDay)—New research suggests that genes tied to blue eyes and red hair could put people at higher risk for moles or freckling in childhood, which are often precursors to the deadly skin cancer melanoma later in life.
Study shows rheumatoid arthritis support and education program has strong positive impact A study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) finds that a support group addressing the psychological and educational needs of people recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a strong positive impact on their lives.
	New app aims for rapid interventions and reduced mortality for infants with heart defects A powerful new app is directly connecting single ventricle heart defect patients to their doctors, dramatically improving their monitoring while they recover from heart surgery at home. Girish Shirali, MBBS, FACC, FASE, Co-Director of the Ward Family Heart Center at Children's Mercy Kansas City, will report today on how the technology is changing patient care at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2014.
Common blood pressure medication does not increase risk of breast cancer, study finds Women who take a common type of medication to control their blood pressure are not at increased risk of developing breast cancer due to the drug, according to new study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah.
	Surgeons use 3-D printed model of heart to treat patients with disorders An experimental 3-dimensional printed model of the heart may help surgeons treat patients born with complicated heart disorders, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Mindfulness techniques can help protect pregnant women against depression Pregnant women with histories of major depression are about 40 percent less likely to relapse into depression if they practice mindfulness techniques—such as meditation, breathing exercises and yoga—along with cognitive therapy, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.
Handheld ultrasound technology can help medical students improve their physical diagnosis A new study by researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that training medical students to use a handheld ultrasound device can enhance the accuracy of their physical diagnosis. The study was presented November 18 at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
	Can eating blueberries really help you see better in the dark? Blueberries are super stars among health food advocates, who tout the fruit for not only promoting heart health, better memory and digestion, but also for improving night vision. Scientists have taken a closer look at this latter claim and have found reason to doubt that the popular berry helps most healthy people see better in the dark. Their report appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry.
High-quality hospitals deliver lowest-cost care for congenital heart surgery patients U.S. children's hospitals delivering the highest-quality care for children undergoing heart surgery, also appear to provide care most efficiently at a low cost, according to research led by the University of Michigan and presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago.
	Bacterial infections suppress protective immune response in neurodermatitis The skin condition neurodermatitis affects nearly one in four children and also occurs frequently in adults. Many patients also develop infections in the dry, open patches of skin, for example due to colonization by the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which is particularly abundant on the skin of neurodermatitis patients. Scientists at Technische Universitat Munchen and the University of Tubingen have now shown in an animal model that these infections can severely disrupt the immune system, thus aggravating the skin condition.
	E-cigarettes significantly reduce tobacco cravings Electronic cigarettes offer smokers a realistic way to kick their tobacco smoking addiction. In a new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, scientists at KU Leuven report that e-cigarettes successfully reduced cravings for tobacco cigarettes, with only minimal side effects.
	Fathers' engagement with baby depends on mother Fathers' involvement with their newborns depends on mothers' preparation for parenthood, even for fathers who show the most parenting skills, a new study suggests.
	It pays to have an eye for emotions Attending to and caring about the emotions of employees and colleagues - that's for wimps, not for tough businesspeople and efficient performers, right? Wrong! An extensive international study has now shown: The "ability to recognize emotions" affects income. The corresponding author of the study is Professor Dr. Gerhard Blickle of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bonn. The results are published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior.
Study finds wide variation in quality, content of clinical cancer guidelines What's the best way to treat rectal cancer? Consult any of five top clinical guidelines for rectal cancer and you will get a different answer, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
	Teens who mature early at greater risk of depression, study finds Youth who enter puberty ahead of their peers are at heightened risk of depression, although the disease develops differently in girls than in boys, a new study suggests.
Residential treatment may be first-line option for opioid-dependent young adults Residential treatment may be an appropriate first-line option for young adults who are dependent on opioid drugs - including prescription painkillers and heroin - and may result in higher levels of abstinence than does the outpatient treatment that is currently the standard of care. A study from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Addiction Services found that a month-long, 12-step-based residential program with strong linkage to community-based follow-up care, enabled almost 30 percent of opioid-dependent participants to remain abstinent a year later. Another recent study found that 83 percent of those who entered an office-based opioid treatment program had dropped out a year later.
	Alzheimer's disease: Molecular signals cause brain cells to switch into a hectic state Alzheimer's disease damages the nervous system in many different ways. This is because the disease affects not only neurons but also other brain cells, such as the astrocytes. These support the normal function of neurons and are involved in the regulation of cerebral blood flow. Through experimental studies scientists of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases at the Bonn and Berlin sites have now gained new insights into how Alzheimer's interferes with the metabolism of astrocytes.
Successful outcome prompts early end to sickle cell anemia clinical trial Conclusive data show that hydroxyurea therapy offers safe and effective disease management of sickle cell anemia (SCA) and reduces the risk of stroke, prompting early termination by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of a key clinical trial studying the drug's efficacy.
Power behind 'master' gene for cancer discovered It's hard to believe, but there are similarities between bean sprouts and human cancer.
Experts suggest single dose IV medication as first-choice treatment for Paget's disease The Endocrine Society today issued a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the diagnosis and treatment of Paget's disease of the bone, a condition where one or more bones in the body become oversized and weak.
	Research shows why antidepressant may be effective in postpartum depression An antidepressant commonly prescribed for women with postpartum depression may restore connections between cells in brain regions that are negatively affected by chronic stress during pregnancy, new research suggests.
	Early statin use may give long-term heart benefits Taking a cholesterol-lowering drug for five years in middle age can lower heart and death risks for decades afterward, and the benefits seem to grow over time, a landmark study of men in Scotland finds. Doctors say it's the first evidence that early use of a statin can have a legacy effect, perhaps changing someone's odds of disease for good.
	'Wireless' pacemaker working well so far, researchers say (HealthDay)—For a handful of patients who've received the first wire-free pacemaker, the results are still good after 18 months, researchers reported Wednesday.
	Coordination of heart attack care trims time to treatment: study (HealthDay)—Improved coordination between paramedics and hospitals can reduce heart attack deaths nearly fivefold by getting patients quicker treatment, a new study shows.
	Oxygen may not help heart attack victims (HealthDay)—Strapping an oxygen mask to someone suffering a heart attack might make their heart attack worse, new research suggests.
	Gynoid fat resists metabolic risks of obesity (HealthDay)—The differences in the developmental profiles of upper-body and lower-body fat depots may explain their opposing associations with obesity-related metabolic disease, according to research published in the November issue of Diabetes.
	Neuroimaging predicts post-stroke therapy response (HealthDay)—Response to post-stoke restorative therapy is best predicted by a model that includes measures of both neural injury and function, according to research published online Nov. 10 in the Annals of Neurology.
	Patient-doc relationship affects alternative med use disclosure (HealthDay)—Patient-centered communication with a physician can improve the likelihood of cancer patients disclosing the use of complementary health approaches (CHAs), according to a study published online Nov. 11 in Cancer.
	Docs define competencies for peds hospice and palliative care (HealthDay)—Competencies need to be developed for pediatrics hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) subspecialty, according to a special article published online Nov. 17 in Pediatrics.
	Telephone support intervention beneficial for BRCA carriers (HealthDay)—A telephone-based, peer-support program can reduce distress and unmet information needs among women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, according to a study published online Nov. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Variation in proportion of cancer survivors undergoing HIV testing (HealthDay)—The proportion of cancer survivors undergoing HIV testing varies by state and demographic and health-related factors, according to a study published Nov. 13 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
	Drinking age laws have a significant effect on collisions among young drivers Minimum legal drinking age legislation in Canada can have a major impact on young drivers, according to a new study from the Northern Medical Program at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Drivers just older than the legal age had a significant increase in motor vehicle crashes compared to those immediately under the restriction.
	From architect to social worker: Complex jobs may protect memory and thinking later on People whose jobs require more complex work with other people, such as social workers and lawyers, or with data, like architects or graphic designers, may end up having longer-lasting memory and thinking abilities compared to people who do less complex work, according to research published in the November 19, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Laser for tattoo removal appears to improve facial acne scarring A laser used to remove unwanted tattoos appears to improve facial acne scarring, according to a study published online by JAMA Dermatology.
Study examines national trends in mastectomy for early-stage breast cancer Higher proportions of women eligible for breast conservation surgery (BCS) are undergoing mastectomy, breast reconstruction and bilateral mastectomy (surgical removal of both breasts), with the steepest increases seen in women with lymph node-negative and in situ (contained) disease, according to a report published online by JAMA Surgery.
	Pac-Man instead of patch: Using video games to improve lazy eye, depth perception Scientists have created video games that add an important element of fun to the repetitive training needed to improve vision in people - including adults - with a lazy eye and poor depth perception.
	Bad marriage, broken heart? Older couples in a bad marriage—particularly female spouses—have a higher risk for heart disease than those in a good marriage, finds the first nationally representative study of its kind.
Delivering stem cells into heart muscle may enhance cardiac repair and reverse injury Delivering stem cell factor directly into damaged heart muscle after a heart attack may help repair and regenerate injured tissue, according to a study led by researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai presented November 18 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2014 in Chicago, IL.
Team finds mutations expressed within melanoma tumors that predict effective responses to a groundbreaking immunotherapy A team led by Ludwig and Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) researchers has published a landmark study on the genetic basis of response to a powerful cancer therapy known as immune checkpoint blockade. Their paper, in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, describes the precise genetic signatures in melanoma tumors that determine whether a patient will respond to one such therapy. It also explains in exquisite detail how those genetic profiles translate into subtle molecular changes that enable the immune system attack of cancer cells in response to immune checkpoint blockade.
	Free home flu test kits for Flusurvey participants People taking part in this year's Flusurvey, the UK's biggest crowd-sourced study of influenza will for the first time be offered a swab to confirm if their symptoms are caused by a flu virus or not as part of a new collaboration with i-sense. Data from social media and internet searches will also be combined with Flusurvey, allowing flu trends to be monitored across the UK more accurately and earlier than ever before.
High incidence of bowel disease seen in people with lung conditions People with airway diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), have a higher incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, according to the findings of a new study.
Coping strategies therapy significantly improves dementia carers' mental health and quality of life A brief coping strategies therapy which provides stress relief and emotional support for people caring for relatives with dementia can reduce depression and anxiety and improve wellbeing at no extra cost to standard care, new research published in The Lancet Psychiatry suggests.
	Cuba says doctor catches Ebola in Sierra Leone A member of the 165-member medical team Cuba sent to fight Ebola in Sierra Leone has been diagnosed with the disease, according to state media.
UN warns over threat of AIDS rebound South African actress Charlize Theron threw her weight Tuesday behind an urgent new UN campaign to end AIDS as a global health threat by 2030.
	Egypt making slow progress on genital mutilation Raslan Fadl, the first doctor in Egypt to be put on trial for committing female genital mutilation, is still practicing even through a 13-year-old girl died after he performed the procedure. And in this Nile Delta Village, he has plenty of patients.
UN calls for end to open defecation amid Ebola threat The UN called Wednesday for an end to defecation in the open, with fears growing that it has helped spread the deadly Ebola virus ravaging west Africa.
Immigrants baffled by HealthCare.gov lapse Immigrants are baffled by what looks like an obvious lapse on the government's health insurance website: There is no clear way to upload a copy of a green card.
IMF, World Bank policies may share blame in Ebola crisis Alpha Conde, the president of Guinea, was stunned. In front of him, Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, had just called for an increase in the country's budget deficit so that it could battle Ebola—a complete reversal from the Fund's orthodox view that deficits must be closed.
Egypt reports second bird flu death in a week A woman has died of bird flu in southern Egypt, a health official said on Wednesday, the country's second death from the H5N1 strain of the virus in a week.
	Better behavioral health management can improve health, lower costs More than a third of hospitalization costs in 13 low-income New Jersey communities are associated with behavioral health conditions, including mental health disorders and substance use, accounting for $880 million in annual inpatient costs, according to a new Rutgers study.
	Treating diabetes one meal at a time Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050. The American Diabetes Association observes November as American Diabetes Month, and this year's theme is America Gets Cooking to Stop Diabetes.
	Pioneering paths to healing Medical marijuana is considered so cutting-edge it's not yet legal in 27 states. The state of Connecticut became one the first to legalize medicinal cannabis sales, passing legislation two years ago that permits its use for specific health conditions while requiring a pharmacist to dispense the drug. And that's exactly why UConn alum Nick Tamborrino '02 Pharm.D., '11 MBA wants to be at the forefront of the industry in Connecticut.
	Hacking health care For as long as she can remember, Andrea Ippolito has known that she wanted to be an engineer.
Report: Sub-standard medicine floods Afghan market Half of all medicine available on the Afghan market has either been smuggled into the country or made under sub-standard conditions in neighboring Pakistan, according to a report released on Wednesday.
Star-studded silent video urges greater Ebola response U2 frontman Bono and Oscar winner Ben Affleck led an appeal Wednesday for the world to step up its fight against Ebola, releasing a video in deliberate silence to decry early inaction on the crisis.
UN urges action to fix 'broken' world food system The United Nations urged political leaders from around the world on Wednesday to up their game in the fight to wipe out malnutrition, a global scourge which afflicts poor and rich alike.
	Hands-on approach to hygiene Efforts to install modern health infrastructure into developing communities may be aided by getting local village entrepreneurs involved.
The basics behind healthy growth – and disease (w/ Video) How does understanding the basics of what goes on in our tissues during normal development help us explain the causes and progression of diseases such as cancer? While attending a Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics conference this summer on the life sciences, Arthur Lander – the Donald Bren Professor of Developmental & Cell Biology at UC Irvine – talked about the biological systems that control cell proliferation to achieve or maintain desired outcomes.
Cochrane Review of reminder systems to improve TB diagnoses and care Researchers from China, the Philippines and LSTM have today published a new systematic review of reminder systems to improve patient adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Reminder systems include prompts in advance of a forthcoming appointment to help ensure the patients attend, and also actions when people miss an appointment, such as phoning them or arranging a home visit.
Speedy heart transplant for kids better than waiting for perfect match Children who receive a heart transplant as soon as a suitable donor is available are predicted to have better quality-adjusted survival—even if they have antibodies that may attack the new heart—than children who wait for a donor to which they do not have antibodies according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Trial shows treatment-resistant advanced non-small cell lung cancer responds to rociletinib A new drug that targets not only common cancer-causing genetic mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but also a form of the mutation that causes resistance to treatment, has shown promising results in patients in a phase I/II clinical trial. The research will be presented today (Friday) at the 26th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Barcelona, Spain.
New report shows many Americans not receiving recommended home visiting services for lead poisoning and asthma Today, the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University released Healthcare Financing of Healthy Homes Services: Findings from a 2014 Survey of State Reimbursement Policies, a report documenting current Medicaid reimbursement practices for environmental health services in the homes of lead-exposed children and people with asthma and highlighting opportunities for increasing access to these benefits.
Empagliflozin in type 2 diabetes: Added benefit not proven Empagliflozin (trade name Jardiance) has been approved since May 2014 for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in whom diet and exercise alone do not provide adequate glycaemic control. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether the drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapies in these patient groups.
How stress aids memory Retrieving memory content under stress does not work very well. However, stress can be helpful when it comes to saving new information—especially those that are emotionally relevant in stressful situations. At the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, a team of cognitive psychologists headed by Prof Dr Oliver T. Wolf study these correlations. The RUB's science magazine RUBIN reports on the results.
South Asian boys are more likely to be overweight compared to peers, new study finds South Asian boys are three times as likely to be overweight compared to their peers, according to a new Women's College Hospital study.
Living kidney donors more likely to be diagnosed with high BP or preeclampsia once pregnant Nearly 30,000 people become living kidney donors worldwide each year, and many are young women. Researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University set out to determine if being a living donor has any effect on future pregnancies.
	US health system reveals gown to cover rears A Detroit health system has unveiled a hospital gown that aims to put the wraps on a big source of patients' grumbles—a lack of rear coverage.
Interpol call for roadmap to tackle fake drugs Interpol on Wednesday called for a greater global response to pharmaceutical crime as it warned criminal gangs were capitalising on weaknesses in legislation and border controls.
Govt wants more clinical trial results made public The government proposed new rules Wednesday to make it easier for doctors and patients to learn if clinical trials of treatments worked or not.
Publication's debut addresses pain among older adults The first issue of a new publication series from The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) called From Policy to Practice explores pain as a public health problem and takes a look at how various policies impact the care provided to patients in a range of practice settings. It also provides readers with an overview of provisions of the Affordable Care Act that address pain research, education, training, and clinical care—as well as steps taken to implement those provisions.
Foundation sells $3.3B in Vertex drug royalties The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says it has sold royalty rights worth $3.3 billion for innovative drugs it helped develop with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.
US official drops worst-case Ebola estimate The U.S. government's worst-case scenario forecast for the Ebola epidemic in West Africa won't happen, a U.S. health official said Wednesday.
New leadless pacemaker safe, reliable A new self-contained leadless cardiac pacemaker is a safe and reliable alternative to conventional pacemakers, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
More children surviving dilated cardiomyopathy without heart transplant More children with dilated cardiomyopathy are surviving without a heart transplant, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Unhealthy behavior may be cross-generational Children whose parents spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer or other screen are more likely than other children to have excessive screen-time habits, as well as associated risks for heart and blood vessel disease, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Telemedicine collaborative care for posttraumatic stress disorder in US veterans Military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who live in rural areas successfully engaged in evidence-based psychotherapy through a telemedicine-based collaborative care model thereby improving their clinical outcomes, according to a report published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
Scientist finds marker that predicts cholesterol level changes as people grow older It's known that cholesterol levels typically rise as people age and that high cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. What's less known is that cholesterol levels begin to decline the more a person ages. Recently, researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the University of Kentucky found that differences in one gene can influence a person's cholesterol levels from midlife to late life.
The Affordable Care Act in Kentucky, one year later One year ago, Michael Stillman, M.D., and his colleague, Monalisa Tailor, M.D., both physicians with the University of Louisville Department of Medicine, wrote a New England Journal of Medicine "Perspective" article about "Tommy Davis," their pseudonym-named patient who delayed seeing a doctor because he lacked health insurance.
Ebola death toll rises to 5,420: WHO The World Health Organization said Wednesday that 5,420 people had so far died of Ebola across eight countries, out of a total 15,145 cases of infection, since late December 2013.

Biology news

	Researchers compare mammals' genomes to aid human clinical research For years, scientists have considered the laboratory mouse one of the best models for researching disease in humans because of the genetic similarity between the two mammals. Now, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that the basic principles of how genes are controlled are similar in the two species, validating the mouse's utility in clinical research.
	Clean energy 'bio batteries' a step closer Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) are a step closer to enhancing the generation of clean energy from bacteria.
Warmer temperatures limit impact of parasites, boost pest populations Climate change is expected to disrupt ecosystems by changing the life cycles of insects and other organisms in unpredictable ways - and scientists are getting a preview of these changes in cities. Research from North Carolina State University shows that some insect pests are thriving in warm, urban environments and developing earlier, limiting the impact of parasitoid wasps that normally help keep those pest populations in check.
	Ancient genetic program employed in more than just fins and limbs Hox genes are master body-building genes that specify where an animal's head, tail and everything in between should go. There's even a special Hox gene program that directs the development of limbs and fins, including specific modifications such as the thumb in mice and humans. Now, San Francisco State University researchers show that this fin- and limb-building genetic program is also utilized during the development of other vertebrate features.
	Calcium loss turning lakes to 'jelly' New research on a number of Canadian lakes show that historical acid deposits as a result of industry have greatly reduced calcium levels in the water - dramatically impacting populations of calcium-rich plankton such as Daphnia water fleas that dominate these ecosystems.
	Tags on fish may act as 'dinner bell' for seals Sound-emitting tags fitted to fish to track their survival may, paradoxically, be alerting predator seals to their whereabouts, said scientists Wednesday who warned of a "dinner bell" effect.
	A novel method for identifying the body's 'noisiest' networks (Phys.org) —A team of scientists led by Yale University systems biologist and biomedical engineer Andre Levchenko has developed a novel method for mapping the biochemical variability, or "noise," in how human cells respond to chemical signals. The research, published Nov. 17 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, could be used to tailor drug delivery to a patient's individual cell responses and may have further implications for advances in semiconductor chip design.
	Scientists discover bacteria's clever defence mechanism Scientists have uncovered important new information about how bacteria grow and multiply, potentially leading to the discovery of much-needed new antibiotic drugs. Using Diamond Light Source – the UK's synchrotron science facility – scientists have determined the structure of EzrA: a protein that helps bacteria to build their defensive cell walls as they divide and spread.
	Female sea urchins hedge their bets in the mating game Sleeping around pays off for females, according to an international team of evolutionary biologists.
	Bottlenose dolphins use specific whistles as names Bottlenose dolphins in Africa use signature whistles to identify each other, say scientists investigating the animals communication.
	The female of the species is harder to please than the male Female bats are fussier than males when it comes choosing where to eat in urban areas, according to new research from the University of Stirling.
	Captive mice and native mice don't care to breed together, study finds (Phys.org) —A combined team of researchers from the University of Melbourne and the organization Wildlife Conservation and Science has found that mice grown in captivity don't necessarily breed with mice living in their natural environment—a finding that could have an impact on programs designed to increase diversity in wild populations. In their paper published in Royal Society Biology Letters, the researchers describe their study and results and suggest that there could be broad implications regarding what they found.
	Natural gut viruses join bacterial cousins in maintaining health and fighting infections Microbiologists at NYU Langone Medical Center say they have what may be the first strong evidence that the natural presence of viruses in the gut—or what they call the 'virome'—plays a health-maintenance and infection-fighting role similar to that of the intestinal bacteria that dwell there and make up the "microbiome."
	Scientists map mouse genome's 'mission control centers' When the mouse and human genomes were catalogued more than 10 years ago, an international team of researchers set out to understand and compare the "mission control centers" found throughout the large stretches of DNA flanking the genes. Their long-awaited report, published Nov. 19 in the journal Nature suggests why studies in mice cannot always be reproduced in humans. Importantly, the scientists say, their work also sheds light on the function of DNA's regulatory regions, which are often to blame for common chronic human diseases.
	Unique sense of 'touch' gives a prolific bacterium its ability to infect anything New research has found that one of the world's most prolific bacteria manages to afflict humans, animals and even plants by way of a mechanism not before seen in any infectious microorganism—a sense of touch. This unique ability helps make the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa ubiquitous, but it also might leave these antibiotic-resistant organisms vulnerable to a new form of treatment.
	World parks congress ends, urges more ocean protection A once-in-a-decade global forum on parks closed in Sydney on Wednesday calling for an urgent increase in ocean protection and stressing the economic benefits of natural sanctuaries.
	Egg colours make cuckoos masters of disguise Cuckoos are notorious cheats. Instead of building a nest, incubating their eggs and raising their chicks, they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and leave the task of raising their offspring to the unsuspecting host.
Web tool helps researchers to obtain higher protein yields for a range of life sciences applications A new web tool allows researchers to obtain higher protein yields for a range of life sciences applications including biosensing and drug manufacturing. Designed by scientists at A*STAR, the program provides users with a simple and flexible interface for optimizing the sequence of synthetic genes for improved expression of desired proteins.
	Alumnus finds solutions for food insecurity through aquaponics During a routine stop at the grocery store, Miles Medina MS '14 had a random thought. Why couldn't the store grow the very produce it sells on its roof?
	Pesticides linger longer in greenhouse crops Researchers writing in the journal Chemosphere this week found that crops typically grown under glasshouses and poly-tunnels had higher levels and numbers of different pesticides in them than those typically grown in the open.
	Seed dormancy, a property that prevents germination, already existed 360 million years ago An international team of scientists, coordinated by a researcher from the U. of Granada, has found that seed dormancy (a property that prevents germination under non-favourable conditions) was a feature already present in the first seeds, 360 million years ago.
	Camera trap images help wildlife managers ID problem tigers in India Researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society and other partners in India are using high-tech solutions to zero in on individual tigers in conflict and relocate them out of harm's way for the benefit of both tigers and people.
	Florida harvester ants regularly relocate Florida harvester ants move and construct a similar subterranean nest about once a year, according to a study published November 19, 2014 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Walter Tschinkel from Florida State University.
	Endangered green turtles may feed, reside at Peru's central, northern coast Peruvian coastal waters may provide suitable habitat that may help the recovery of endangered South Pacific green turtles, according to a study published November 19, 2014 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ximena Velez-Zuazo from University of Puerto Rico and colleagues.
	Wildlife devastated in South Sudan war: conservationists Warring factions in South Sudan have slaughtered, poached and eaten "alarming" numbers of endangered wildlife, devastating one of Africa's largest migrations, conservationists warned Wednesday.
From dried cod to tissue sample preservation Could human tissue samples be dried for storage, instead of being frozen? Researchers are looking at the salt cod industry for a potential tissue sample drying technology that could save money without sacrificing tissue quality.
	Newer hybrids with shorter maturity dates provide corn producers options Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are wrapping up a two-year study to determine the best combination of corn hybrids, planting dates and maturity to maintain yield and maximize water-use efficiency.
2008 Lacey Act Amendment successful in reducing US imports of illegally logged wood Recently published research by U.S. Forest Service economist Jeff Prestemon supports the contention that the 2008 Lacey Act Amendment reduced the supply of illegally harvested wood from South America and Asia available for export to the United States.

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