Science X Newsletter Monday, Dec 22

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 22, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Best of Last Week – Quantum physics got less complicated, the pseudogap and ibuprofen as an anti-aging drug
- Acoustic tweezers manipulate cell-to-cell contact
- Light-emitting e-readers detrimentally shift circadian clock, study shows
- Piezoelectricity in 2-D semiconductor holds promise for future MEMS
- The importance of three-way atom interactions in maintaining coherence
- New chemical analysis of ancient Martian meteorite provides clues to planet's history of habitability
- Halting photons could lead to miniature particle accelerators, improved data transmission
- Financial decisions: Older adults' lifetime of acquired expertise offsets declining ability to process information
- New cell marking technique to help understand how our brain works
- New non-invasive method can detect Alzheimer's disease early
- Study pumps up the volume on understanding of marine invertebrate hearing
- Mysteries of 'molecular machines' revealed
- Variety is the spice of humble moth's sex life
- Fast-food consumption linked to lower test score gains in 8th graders
- New technology makes tissues, someday maybe organs

Astronomy & Space news

	New chemical analysis of ancient Martian meteorite provides clues to planet's history of habitability A new analysis of a Martian rock that meteorite hunters plucked from an Antarctic ice field 30 years ago this month reveals a record of the planet's climate billions of years ago, back when water likely washed across its surface and any life that ever formed there might have emerged.
	Image: Hubble sweeps a messy star factory This sprinkle of cosmic glitter is a blue compact dwarf galaxy known as Markarian 209. Galaxies of this type are blue-hued, compact in size, gas-rich, and low in heavy elements. They are often used by astronomers to study star formation, as their conditions are similar to those thought to exist in the early Universe.
	Gecko grippers get a microgravity test flight (w/ Video) There are no garbage trucks equipped to leave the atmosphere and pick up debris floating around the Earth. But what if we could send a robot to do the job?
	The Milky Way's new neighbour The Milky Way, the galaxy we live in, is part of a cluster of more than 50 galaxies that make up the 'Local Group', a collection that includes the famous Andromeda galaxy and many other far smaller objects. Now a Russian-American team have added to the canon, finding a tiny and isolated dwarf galaxy almost 7 million light years away. Their results appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	Ultra-luminous X-ray sources in starburst galaxies Ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are point sources in the sky that are so bright in X-rays that each emits more radiation than a million suns emit at all wavelengths. ULXs are rare. Most galaxies (including our own Milky Way) have none, and those galaxies that do host a ULX usually contain only one. ULXs are also mysterious objects. They can't be normal stars because their huge luminosities should then tear them apart. Most astronomers think that ULXs are black holes more than about ten solar masses in size (so-called intermediate mass black holes) that are accreting matter onto a surrounding disk and emitting X-rays. Bright X-ray emission is not unusual - the nuclei of galaxies also are bright X-ray emitters - but they are super-massive black holes, while ULXs are neither super-massive nor located in galactic nuclei.
	When a bright light fades Astronomer Charles Telesco is primarily interested in the creation of planets and stars. So, when the University of Florida's giant telescope was pointed at a star undergoing a magnificent and explosive death, Telesco, a UF professor, didn't immediately appreciate what a rare and valuable find he had.
	Astrophysicists offer new research, tool for identifying habitable zones Research by a University of Texas at Arlington astrophysicist sheds greater light on S-type and P-type binary stars and forms the basis for BinHab, a new online tool that can be used to calculate the regions of binary systems favorable for life, commonly known as habitable zones.
	Funding challenges for Orion and SLS The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress, which exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and accountability of the federal government. On Dec. 10 the Space Subcommittee of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee held a hearing on the progress of the nation's next generation deep space exploration vehicle and heavy lift rocket. GAO Director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management Christina Chaplain testified on the progress of the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion crew vehicle, which are being developed for deep space human missions that will take astronauts to the Moon and Mars. In an interview with astrowatch.net Chaplain discusses challenges that NASA's human space exploration programs have to face in order to successfully send U.S. astronauts beyond Earth.
	Image: Horsehead nebula viewed in infrared Sometimes a horse of a different color hardly seems to be a horse at all, as, for example, in this newly released image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The famous Horsehead nebula makes a ghostly appearance on the far right side of the image, but is almost unrecognizable in this infrared view. In visible-light images, the nebula has a distinctively dark and dusty horse-shaped silhouette, but when viewed in infrared light, dust becomes transparent and the nebula appears as a wispy arc.
	Four Galileo satellites at ESA test centre ESA engineers unwrapped a welcome Christmas present: the latest Galileo satellite. The navigation satellite will undergo a full checkout in Europe's largest satellite test facility to prove its readiness for space.
	Water fleas prepared for trip to space Local 'Daphnia' waterfleas are currently being prepared by scientists at the University of Birmingham for their trip to the International Space Station (ISS), where they will be observed by astronauts.
	NASA's first Orion crew module arrives safely back at Kennedy Space Center After a history making journey of more than 66,000 miles through space, ocean splash down and over 2000 mile cross country journey through the back woods of America, NASA's pathfinding Orion crew capsule has returned to its home base at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
	The worst trip around the world As you celebrate the end of the year in the warmth of your home, spare a thought for the organisms riding with a third-class ticket on the International Space Station – bolted to the outside with no protection against open space.
	Scientists 'map' water vapor in Martian atmosphere Russian scientists from the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), together with their French and American colleagues, have created a 'map' of the distribution of water vapour in Mars' atmosphere. Their research includes observations of seasonal variations in atmospheric concentrations using data collected over ten years by the Russian-French SPICAM spectrometer aboard the Mars Express orbiter. This is the longest period of observation and provides the largest volume of data about water vapour on Mars.
	Image: Multicoloured view of supernova remnant Most celestial events unfold over thousands of years or more, making it impossible to follow their evolution on human timescales. Supernovas are notable exceptions, the powerful stellar explosions that make stars as bright as an entire galaxy for several days.
	Holiday lights on the Sun: SDO imagery of a significant solar flare The sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 7:28 p.m. EST on Dec. 19, 2014.

Technology news

	BlackBerry rides with Boeing on self-destruct phone The news from Reuters on Friday came as no shock to those who know Blackberry's strong rep for security (John Chen, the company's CEO, is not shy about promoting the company's branding message of safety. "Don't be fooled by the competition's rhetoric claiming to be more secure or having more experience than BlackBerry," he has asserted.) The aerospace company Boeing, which communicates with government agencies, decided to build a high-security smartphone of its own based on Android and is now tapping the security tech strengths of Blackberry's BES 12 solution to enhance Boeing's design. On Friday, in a conference call to discuss his company's quarterly results, Chen said that BlackBerry is working with Boeing "to provide a secure mobile solution for Android devices utilizing our BES 12 platform." Boeing's self-destructing smartphone is called the Boeing Black. The phone provides secure communication among government agencies and partners working on matters related to defense and national security.
	Google self-driving car prototype ready to try road Google on Monday announced that the first completed prototype of its self-driving car is ready to be road tested.
	S.Korea nuclear plants stage drill against cyber attack South Korea's nuclear power plant operator launched a two-day drill Monday to test its ability to thwart a cyber attack, after a series of online information leaks by a suspected hacker.
	Driverless public transport will change our approach to city planning – and living Just a couple of years ago, driverless cars were viewed as little more than a geekish techno-fantasy. But the entry of tech behemoth Google has produced an autonomous car that is now very close to entering the market.
	Air traffic control system failure is too complex to fix in a day The recent computer systems failure at the National Air Traffic Services' en-route control centre (known as NERC) at Swanwick in Hampshire led to an airspace slowdown over England and Wales, delaying or grounding hundreds of flights.
Study examines websites' password practices Global IT giants including Amazon and LinkedIn could be doing far more to raise awareness of the need for better password practices among their users.
Throwing money at data breach may make it worse Information systems researchers at the University of Arkansas, who studied the effect of two compensation strategies used by Target in reaction to a large-scale data breach that affected more than 70 million customers, have found that overcompensation of affected customers may only raise suspicions rather than satisfy customers' sense of justice.
	Intelligent façades generating electricity, heat and algae biomass Windows that change their light permeability at the touch of a button, façades, whose color can be changed according to the sunlight, façades and window parts in which transparent photovoltaic modules are integrated or in which microalgae are being bred to provide the house with its own biofuel: This is what the buildings of the future could feature, or at least something similar. "Many of these ideas are certainly within imagination end even technological feasibility, today, in particular within the field of façades which may adapt to their environment and thus improve the energy efficiency of modern buildings," states Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lothar Wondraczek from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena (Germany). "But only a fraction of this potential has been tackled so far, as the relevant materials and production processes are still missing," he further explains.
Shopping 'mega-jams' have brought cities to a halt for decades If you found yourself this year sitting in traffic waiting to get into your local town centre in order to buy Christmas presents while pining for a simpler time, frustrated drivers may be surprised to learn that gridlocked city streets are really nothing new, according to a University of Leicester researcher.
How will Google, Apple shake up car insurance industry? Car insurance industry, meet potential disrupters Google and Apple. Currently, nearly all mainstream insurers that offer driver-monitoring programs use relatively expensive devices that plug into a portal under the dashboard. Usage-based insurance programs, also called telematics, are a small but growing segment of the auto insurance business.
Next-generation tracking technology could be in your gadgets soon Sophisticated tracking technology, the likes of which you might associate with governments or big companies, may soon be in consumers' hands, homes, cars and local stores.
Pluto.TV offers curated online videos as alternative to YouTube, TV Ilya Pozin's 2-year-old daughter wasn't about to abandon daddy's comfortable lap. But Pozin had to manage his successful e-cards company, so he'd entertain Paisley in his home office by playing cartoons and educational videos off YouTube on a second monitor.
	Electronic gadget for shaking hands over the Internet Takanori Miyoshi at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, has developed an innovative gadget that enables people to 'shake hands' over the Internet, irrespective of their location.
	It's down to the wire for online shopping As the holiday shopping season winds down, FedEx, UPS and online retailers are using the last few days to try to avoid the problems that occurred last year when severe winter weather and a surge in late orders from shoppers caused delivery delays.
	Intel seeks to make migrations to Chromebook easy Intel is making it easy to do transfers to an Intel-based Chromebook, as easy as a one-click migration from old devices to your new Chromebook.
FAA, industry launch drone safety campaign Alarmed by increasing encounters between small drones and manned aircraft, drone industry officials said Monday they are teaming up with the government and model aircraft hobbyists to launch a safety campaign.
N.Korea's Internet appears to collapse after Sony hack (Update) North Korea's weak Internet links appear to have been crippled by a major outage, cyber experts said Monday, suggesting the country's network could be under attack after the hacking of Sony Pictures.
	Skiers have reservations over airbag safety system Some skiers are concerned they will turn into the puffy "Michelin Man" when they are not supposed to.
	As dust clears, what's next for Sony? The Sony hacking attack continues to deliver more dramatic plotlines than any fictional movie, but meanwhile the movie studio must move forward and tackle the next steps in minimizing the mess. Will Sony eventually release "The Interview" in some form? In theaters, on DVD or online? And what recourse does the company have against the North Korean-linked hackers?
Madonna speaks of 'crazy times' after songs leaked Madonna and Sony Pictures both were separately torpedoed by major hacks this month, in what the pop icon called "crazy times."
China condemns 'cyber terrorism' in wake of Sony attack China's foreign minister condemned all forms of "cyber terrorism" in talks with his American counterpart, a statement said Monday, as the US accused Beijing's ally North Korea with being behind a cyber attack on Sony Pictures.
Fuel cells to connect our smartphones to the outside world The potential of hydrogen and fuel cell applications goes way beyond the development of green cars. The FCPOWEREDRBS team is determined to prove this with a Fuel Cell technology to power off-grid telecom stations. They believe not only that this solution is better than standard generators, but also that it provides a significant advantage in terms of 'Total cost of ownership' (TCO).
US urges N. Korea to compensate Sony for cyberattack The United States urged North Korea on Monday to admit it ordered a cyberattack on the Hollywood studio Sony Pictures and to pay for the damage it had caused.

Medicine & Health news

	Light-emitting e-readers detrimentally shift circadian clock, study shows You may think your e-reader is helping you get to sleep at night, but it might actually be harming your quality of sleep, according to researchers. Exposure to light during evening and early nighttime hours suppresses release of the sleep-facilitating hormone melatonin and shifts the circadian clock, making it harder to fall asleep at bedtime.
	Team finds new genetic anomalies in lung cancer Developing effective treatments for lung cancer has been challenging, in part because so many genetic mutations play a role in the disease.
	New research suggests an existing drug, riluzole, may prevent foggy 'old age' brain Forgetfulness, it turns out, is all in the head. Scientists have shown that fading memory and clouding judgment, the type that comes with advancing age, show up as lost and altered connections between neurons in the brain. But new experiments suggest an existing drug, known as riluzole and already on the market as a treatment for ALS, may help prevent these changes.
Echolocation acts as substitute sense for blind people Recent research carried out by scientists at Heriot-Watt University has demonstrated that human echolocation operates as a viable 'sense', working in tandem with other senses to deliver information to people with visual impairment.
	Diverse autism mutations lead to different disease outcomes People with autism have a wide range of symptoms, with no two people sharing the exact type and severity of behaviors. Now a large-scale analysis of hundreds of patients and nearly 1000 genes has started to uncover how diversity among traits can be traced to differences in patients' genetic mutations. The study, conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, was published Dec. 22 in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
	Flashes of light help researchers to both 'read' and 'write' brain signals University College London researchers have developed an innovative way to understand how the brain works by using flashes of light, allowing them to both 'read' and 'write' brain signals.
	Scientists uncover new, fundamental mechanism for how resveratrol provides health benefits Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found that resveratrol, the red-wine ingredient once touted as an elixir of youth, powerfully activates an evolutionarily ancient stress response in human cells. The finding should dispel much of the mystery and controversy about how resveratrol really works.
	Suppressing a protein reduces cancer spread in mice Scientists have found that decreasing the levels of or blocking a specific protein commonly found in humans and many other animals allowed them to slow the spread of two different kinds of cancer to the lungs of mice. The research indicates that when the protein becomes dysregulated it helps pave the way for cancers to spread and suggests that addressing such dysregulation is a lead worth pursuing in fighting metastasis.
	New technology makes tissues, someday maybe organs A new instrument could someday build replacement human organs the way electronics are assembled today: with precise picking and placing of parts.
	Fast-food consumption linked to lower test score gains in 8th graders The amount of fast food children eat may be linked to how well they do in school, a new nationwide study suggests.
	New non-invasive method can detect Alzheimer's disease early No methods currently exist for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, which affects one out of nine people over the age of 65. Now, an interdisciplinary team of Northwestern University scientists and engineers has developed a noninvasive MRI approach that can detect the disease in a living animal. And it can do so at the earliest stages of the disease, well before typical Alzheimer's symptoms appear.
	New cell marking technique to help understand how our brain works Scientists from the University of Southampton have developed a new technique to mark individual brain cells to help improve our understanding of how the brain works.
	Fragile bones of modern humans result from reduced physical activity New research across thousands of years of human evolution shows that our skeletons have become much lighter and more fragile since the invention of agriculture - a result of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles as we shifted from foraging to farming.
	Team finds drug that helps Huntington's disease-afflicted mice—and their offspring Famine, drug abuse and even stress can "silence" certain genes, causing health problems in generations to come. Now scientists are wondering—could therapies that change gene expression in parents help their children?
	Blocking Notch pathway leads to new route to hair cell regeneration to restore hearing Sensory hair cell loss is the major cause of hearing loss and balance disorders. The postnatal mammalian inner ear harbors progenitor cells which have the potential for hair cell regeneration and hearing recovery, but the mechanisms that control their proliferation and hair cell regeneration are yet to be determined. Now scientists from the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School and Fudan University, Shanghai, China, have shown that blocking the Notch pathway, known to control the elaborate hair cell distribution in the inner ear, plays an essential role that determines cochlear progenitor cell proliferation capacity. Their research was published today in PNAS Early Edition.
	Fear of terrorism increases resting heart rate and risk of death A new study of over 17,000 Israelis has found that long-term exposure to the threat of terrorism can elevate people's resting heart rates and increase their risk of dying. This is the first statistics-based study, and the largest of its kind, which indicates that fear induced by consistent exposure to the threat of terror can lead to negative health consequences and increase the risk of mortality.
	Study: Extra income boosts health of elderly in poor countries Boosting the incomes of poor, elderly residents in developing countries can significantly improve their health and well-being, particularly in lung function and memory, a new study released Monday shows.
Skin patch could help heal, prevent diabetic ulcers, study finds Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine say they have developed a safe and effective skin patch to deliver a drug that enhances the healing of diabetes-related ulcers. The patch, which they tested in mice, may also serve as a way to prevent ulcer formation.
Consumer purchases of cakes, cookies, pies have decreased by 24 percent Ready-to-eat grain-based desserts (RTE GBDs) are pre-packaged consumer baked goods such as cakes, cookies, pies, doughnuts, and pastries. These types of products contribute a significant amount of energy, sugar, and saturated fat to Americans' diets, making them a strategic target for researchers looking to pinpoint ways to lower consumption of empty calories.
Bone loss drugs may help prevent endometrial cancer A new analysis suggests that women who use bisphosphonates—medications commonly used to treat osteoporosis and other bone conditions—have about half the risk of developing endometrial cancer as women who do not use the drugs. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study supports other research that has shown an anti-cancer effect of this type of medication.
IMF lending undermined healthcare provision in Ebola-stricken West Africa Writing today in the journal Lancet Global Health, researchers from Cambridge University's Department of Sociology examine the links between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
	Is it lonelier at the bottom or at the top? Psychologist links ambition to mental health The indomitable human quest for power, influence and a foothold in the social hierarchy has long been a subject of fascination and study for UC Berkeley psychologist Sheri Johnson.
	Vitamin D link to short-sightedness ruled out New findings from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol suggest that children with low levels of vitamin D in their blood are not at increased risk of developing myopia (short-sightedness).
Holidays spark rise in emergency room visits, ER physician says While it is true that suicide rates are actually lower at the holidays compared with other times of the year, these weeks can be very lonely for those with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. As a result, the hospital emergency department sees an increase in visits from people who have engaged in potentially self-destructive or depressive behavior.
	Weighing risks and rewards, pregnant women in survey eat less fish A survey of women who recently gave birth found that many women change their behavior and consume less fish during pregnancy, in spite of receiving information about guidelines for types of fish and how much to eat during pregnancy.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment need improvement New Zealand is lagging behind in diagnosis and treatment of cancer, compared to Australia and internationally.
	Home cooks risk food poisoning from washing their Christmas bird Washing the Christmas Day turkey is putting home cooks at risk of poisoning their dinner guests.
	Mobile phones monitor vaccine response WA researchers used mobile phone text messages to implement a real-time safety monitoring program for pregnant women immunised with trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV).
Five tips for enjoying the holiday party without a guilt trip The countdown for the holidays is on and so is the calorie counting.
Live trees, scented candles hijack the holidays for allergy sufferers The many smells and tastes of the holidays that get so many in a festive mood can make others sick, thanks to allergic reactions. But with some seasonal savvy, allergy sufferers can breathe easy this time of year.
Child-safety expert offers tips for holiday gifts Christmas is the most wonderful time of year, but it can quickly turn tragic if we're not careful, according to Bridget Boyd, MD, pediatric safety expert at Loyola University Health System.
Binge drinking may not equal addiction, but it will hurt your health Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol this holiday may not make you an addict—according to a recent CDC report on the diagnostic criteria for alcoholism—but it will significantly damage your body.
	Mother's depression tied to later delinquency in kids (HealthDay)—Teens are more likely to smoke, drink and use marijuana—and to do so at an earlier age—if their mothers were depressed when the kids were in grade school, a new study says.
Proponent of the G spot takes on a critic Ashley Furin had a "very satisfying" sex life with her husband, she said. Then, seven years into their relationship, she had "an experience that rocked me to my core." They had found her G spot.
Clarithromycin-statin mix can cause drug interactions, requiring hospitalization The combination of the common antibiotic clarithromycin with some statins increases the risk of adverse events, which may require hospital admission for older people, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
One in every three people with type 1 diabetes produces insulin years post-diagnosis About one-third of people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) produce insulin, as measured by C-peptide, a byproduct of insulin production, even upward of forty years from initial diagnosis, according to a first-of-its-kind, large-scale study conducted by researchers from T1D Exchange. This sheds new light on the long-accepted belief that these patients lose all ability to produce any insulin; this could have significant policy implications, said researchers from T1D Exchange, whose Clinic Network involves a national consortium of diabetes centers. The findings were published online this week in Diabetes Care.
Alcohol apps aimed at young Apps with names like 'Let's get Wasted!' and 'Drink Thin' have led a James Cook University Professor to call for Government action on alcohol advertising on mobile devices.
	Germany introduces bird flu test for ducks, geese Germany said it would start testing ducks and geese for bird flu prior to slaughter, after two cases of the highly infectious H5N8 strain were detected in a week.
	Blocking excessive division of cell powerhouses reduces liver cell death in cholestasis The power plants that fuel liver cells rapidly splinter when exposed to bile salts that aid digestion, prompting cell death, but blocking this excessive fission appears to protect the liver, scientists report.
	Smoke signals: New evidence links air pollution to congenital defects The health effects of air pollution are a major concern for urban populations all over the world. Children, the elderly, and people with impaired respiratory systems (such as asthmatics) tend to be especially sensitive to the impact of exposure to ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter.
After Ebola, UN must prepare for next deadly outbreak: Ban The United Nations must learn lessons from the Ebola crisis and begin preparing now for the next outbreak of deadly disease, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday.
	Study finds cardiorespiratory fitness improves memory among older adults Older adults who have greater heart and lung health also have better memory recall and cognitive capabilities. The study, which appears online in the Journal of Gerontology, examines the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), memory and cognition in young and older adults.
	Study links suicide risk with insomnia, alcohol use A new study is the first to show that insomnia symptoms mediate the relationship between alcohol use and suicide risk, and that this mediation is moderated by gender. The study suggests that the targeted assessment and treatment of specific sleep problems may reduce the risk of suicide among those who use alcohol.
Limit imaging scans for headache? Neurosurgeons raise concerns Recent guidelines seeking to reduce the use of neuroimaging tests for patients with headaches run the risk of missing or delaying the diagnosis of brain tumors, according to a special article in the January issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
An alternative for pain control after knee replacement surgery It's estimated that more than half of adults in the United States diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis will undergo knee replacement surgery. While improvements in implantable devices and surgical technique has made the procedure highly effective, pain control after surgery remains a common but persistent side effect for patients.
	Crowdsourcing with mobile apps brings 'big data' to psychological research A fast-paced game app where players pretend they are baggage screening officers operating airport x-ray scanners has provided researchers with billions of pieces of data in record time, according to an article published by the American Psychological Association.
	Survival rates higher in obese heart failure patients Patients who were obese before developing heart failure lived longer than normal weight patients with the same condition according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that examined the "obesity paradox" by following obese and non-obese heart failure patients for more than a decade.
	Study links physical violence, stress hormone in women A new study links physical violence against women by male partners to a disruption of a key steroid hormone that opens the door potentially to a variety of negative health effects.
Use with caution: High doses of vancomycin fuel risk of kidney damage in children Results of a small Johns Hopkins Children's Center study show that hospitalized children given high-dose IV infusions of the antibiotic vancomycin to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections face an increased risk for kidney damage—an often reversible but sometimes serious complication.
Study discovers mutation role involved in 75 percent of glioblastomas, melanomas Researchers at the University of Louisville's James Graham Brown Cancer Center have identified for the first time mutations that destabilize a DNA structure that turns a gene off. These mutations occur at four specific sites in what is known as the "hTERT promoter" in more than 75 percent of glioblastomas and melanomas.
Do heart patients fare better when doctors away? Doctors joke that if you're going to have a heart attack, the safest place would be at a big national gathering of heart specialists. But a new study suggests some older hospitalized heart patients may fare better when these doctors aren't around.
	Mindfulness helps teens cope with stress, anxiety As the morning school bell rings and students rush through crowded corridors, teenagers in one Portland classroom settle onto mats and meditation pillows. They fall silent after the teacher taps a Tibetan "singing bowl."
Research on guilt-prone individuals has implications for workplace Some people hate to disappoint—and you should definitely get them on your team. It turns out individuals who are highly prone to feel guilty for disappointing their co-workers are among the most ethical and hard-working partners. However, new research suggests that these highly guilt-prone people may be the most reticent to enter into partnerships.
Using no-evidence-of-disease-activity standard for patients with multiple sclerosis Maintaining "no-evidence-of-disease-activity" (NEDA) was difficult over time for many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) but the measure may help gauge a patient's long-term prognosis, according to a study published online by JAMA Neurology.
New concussion laws result in big jump in concussion treatment New laws regulating concussion treatment, bolstered by heightened public awareness, have resulted in a large increase in the treatment of concussion-related injuries for school-age athletes.
Risk for leukemia after treatment for early-stage breast cancer higher than reported The risk of developing leukemia after radiation therapy or chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer remains very small, but it is twice as high as previously reported, according to results of a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
FDA approves new melanoma drug from Bristol-Myers The Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval Monday to a new drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb to treat the deadliest form of skin cancer.
	Weight training appears key to controlling belly fat Healthy men who did twenty minutes of daily weight training had less of an increase in age-related abdominal fat compared with men who spent the same amount of time doing aerobic activities, according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers and colleagues. Combining weight training and aerobic activity led to the most optimal results. Aerobic exercise by itself was associated with less weight gain compared with weight training.
	Immune system may play role in obesity (HealthDay)—Certain immune system cells may play an important role in weight control, an early study suggests.
Rapivab approved to help treat flu (HealthDay)—Rapivab (peramivir) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat influenza.
	Inpatient admissions predict peri-op risk in lumbar fusion (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion, inpatient admissions in the prior year are associated with increased complication rate, length of stay, and total charges, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of Spine.
	HbA1c below 7.6% cuts long-term vascular complications in T1DM (HealthDay)—For patients with type 1 diabetes, long-term weighted mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is associated with development of severe microvascular complications, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in Diabetes Care.
	Sublingual immunotherapy tablet safe in asthma patients (HealthDay)—For individuals with asthma and allergic rhinitis with/without conjunctivitis (AR/C), treatment with a Timothy grass sublingual immunotherapy tablet (SLIT-tablet) seems safe, according to research published online Dec. 14 in Allergy.
	Dermoscopically, melanoma, spitz nevi indistinguishable (HealthDay)—Melanoma may be dermoscopically indistinguishable from Spitz nevi, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
	Wearable, doc-prescribed monitors may help spot high blood pressure (HealthDay)—People suspected of having high blood pressure may soon be asked to wear what's known as an "ambulatory" blood pressure monitor for a day or so to confirm the diagnosis, according to draft recommendations issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
	Many states slow to update preparticipation physical exams (HealthDay)—Many states have been slow to adopt preparticipation physical evaluation-fourth edition (PPE-4) recommendations, according to a study published online Dec. 22 in Pediatrics.
	Abandoned asbestos mines still a hazard in India Asbestos waste spills in a gray gash down the flank of a lush green hill above tribal villages in eastern India. Three decades after the mines were abandoned, nothing has been done to remove the enormous, hazardous piles of broken rocks and powdery dust left behind.
Radiologist recommendations for chest CT have high clinical yield A substantial percentage of patients who receive radiologist recommendations for chest computed tomography (CT) to evaluate abnormal findings on outpatient chest X-rays have clinically relevant findings, including cancer, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.
Seeing the doctor, overseas: Medical tourism booms in Asia The lines snaking into Bangladesh's overwhelmed hospitals are often so long, says Nusrat Hussein Kiwan, that they extend into the street outside—too many patients seeking too few quality doctors.
China punishes hospital for operating room photos Chinese health authorities put a hospital president on probation and fired three other supervisors following public outrage over photos posted online of smiling medical staff posing with patients in the middle of surgery.
Link between immune system and brain disorders focus of new project A group of UK scientists are teaming up with researchers from two pharmaceutical companies to investigate whether mood disorders, such as depression, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, could be treated by targeting the immune system.
	Express Scripts turns to AbbVie in huge hepatitis C deal The nation's largest pharmacy benefits manager is throwing its weight into the fight over high-cost hepatitis C drugs with a coverage restriction that might ultimately lower prices and improve patient access to groundbreaking treatments for the liver-destroying virus.
Ebola-infected Italian doctor 'recovering' An Italian doctor who contracted Ebola in west Africa is recovering but is still in an isolation unit, the specialist clinic in Rome treating him said Monday.
Ebola death toll passes 7,500 More than 7,500 people have now died from the Ebola virus, as the number of cases climbs towards 20,000, the World Health Organization said Monday.
Appeals court nixes NC abortion ultrasound law A federal appeals court has struck down a North Carolina law requiring abortion providers to show and describe an ultrasound to the pregnant woman, even if she refuses to look or listen.
WHO gets green light to deliver medicine to Aleppo, other areas Damascus has agreed to allow deliveries of desperately needed medical supplies to opposition-held parts of Aleppo and two other hard-to-reach areas, the World Health Organization said Monday.

Biology news

	Researchers model the mechanics of cells' long-range communication Interdisciplinary research at the University of Pennsylvania is showing how cells interact over long distances within fibrous tissue, like that associated with many diseases of the liver, lungs and other organs.
	Cells 'feel' their surroundings using finger-like structures Cells have finger-like projections that they use to feel their surroundings. They can detect the chemical environment and they can 'feel' their physical surroundings using ultrasensitive sensors. New research from the Niels Bohr Institute shows how the finger-like structures, called filopodia can extend themselves, contract and bend in dynamic movements. The results are published in the scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.
	Bacteria are wishing you a Merry Xmas A bacterium has been used to wish people a Merry Xmas. Grown by Dr Munehiro Asally, an Assistant Professor at the University of Warwick, the letters used to spell MERRY XMAS are made of Bacillus subtilis, a non-pathogenic bacterium which is found in soil and also human gut.
	Variety is the spice of humble moth's sex life A small brown moth has one of the most complex sex lives in the insect world, new research has found.
	Mysteries of 'molecular machines' revealed "Inside each cell in our bodies and inside every bacterium and virus are tiny but complex protein molecules that synthesize chemicals, replicate genetic material, turn each other on and off, and transport chemicals across cell membranes," said Tom Terwilliger, a Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist. "Understanding how all these machines work is the key to developing new therapeutics, for treating genetic disorders, and for developing new ways to make useful materials."
	Study pumps up the volume on understanding of marine invertebrate hearing Noise pollution in the ocean is increasingly recognized as harmful to marine mammals, affecting their ability to communicate, find mates, and hunt for food. But what impact does noise have on invertebrates – a critical segment of the food web?
Devising a way to count proteins as they group A new study from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and University of California Berkeley researchers reports on an innovative theoretical methodology to solve "the counting problem," which is key to understanding how proteins group and perform their vital functions within the human body. The study appears in the Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Modern genetics confirm ancient relationship between fins and hands Paleontologists have documented the evolutionary adaptations necessary for ancient lobe-finned fish to transform pectoral fins used underwater into strong, bony structures, such as those of Tiktaalik roseae. This enabled these emerging tetrapods, animals with limbs, to crawl in shallow water or on land. But evolutionary biologists have wondered why the modern structure called the autopod—comprising wrists and fingers or ankles and toes—has no obvious morphological counterpart in the fins of living fishes.
New knowledge about host-virus coevolution unmasked from the genomic record Retroviruses are important pathogens, which have attacked vertebrate hosts for millions of years. Researchers from Uppsala University and Lund University, now provide new knowledge about the long-term interactions of retroviruses and their hosts by analyzing endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), retroviruses whose genes have become part of the host organism's genome. The findings are now being published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
	South West Australian plant community on the critical list Scientists have classified a small, geographically-restricted ecosystem in the South West as critically endangered, according to a newly-adopted international benchmarking system.
	Pragmatic approach to saving what can be saved How can biodiversity be preserved in a world in which traditional ecosystems are increasingly being displaced by "man-made nature"? Biologists at the TU Darmstadt and ETH Zurich have developed a new concept for conservation measures that incorporates current landscapes formerly considered ecologically "of little value."
	Ninety-eight new beetle species discovered in Indonesia Ninety-eight new species of the beetle genus Trigonopterus have been described from Java, Bali and other Indonesian islands. Museum scientists from Germany and their local counterparts used an innovative approach for rapid collection of biodiversity data to beat the fast rates of extinction and disappearance of rainforests. A species named in honor of Sir David Attenborough, as well as 98 others can be viewed by everyone in the open access journal ZooKeys.
	221 new species described by the California Academy of Sciences in 2014 In 2014, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences added a whopping 221 new plant and animal species to our family tree, enriching our understanding of Earth's complex web of life and strengthening our ability to make informed conservation decisions. The new species include 110 ants, 16 beetles, three spiders, 28 fishes, 24 sea slugs, two marine worms, 9 barnacles, two octocorals, 25 plants, one waterbear, and one tiny mammal. More than a dozen Academy scientists—along with several dozen international collaborators—described the discoveries.
	Distribution of fish on the northeast US shelf influenced by both fishing and climate Scientists studying the distribution of four commercial and recreational fish stocks in Northeast U.S. waters have found that climate change can have major impacts on the distribution of fish, but the effects of fishing can be just as important and occur on a more immediate time scale.
	Shape-shifting may help some species cope with climate change, study shows Researchers have found that a Rocky Mountain mustard plant alters its physical appearance and flowering time in response to different environmental conditions, suggesting some species can quickly shape-shift to cope with climate change without having to migrate or evolve.
	Professor co-authors book on sustainable transportation at national parks Peter Newman, professor and head of the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management in the College of Health and Human Development has co-authored the new book, "Sustainable Transportation in the National Parks: From Acadia to Zion."
Loose bear eludes capture in Phoenix suburb Authorities called off the search Monday for a black bear that was spotted running through an alfalfa farm on the eastern edge of metropolitan Phoenix.
Drought causes birds to nest later, reducing nesting success A recent study suggests drought conditions are delaying nesting by two weeks or more for some Sonoran Desert bird species, such as Black-tailed Gnatcatchers and Verdins.

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