Science X Newsletter Sunday, Dec 21

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 21, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- First direct evidence that a mysterious phase of matter competes with high-temperature superconductivity
- Japan scientists develop micro-fine adhesive sensors
- Cyclist's helmet, Volvo car to communicate for safety
- Video gives astronaut's-eye view inside NASA's Orion spacecraft
- California puzzles over safety of driverless cars
- First successful vaccination against 'mad cow'-like wasting disease in deer
- Ancient clay seals may shed light on biblical era
- Off-world manufacturing is a go with space printer
- Cadillac CT6 will get streaming video mirror
- Unique entry complex discovered at Herodian Hilltop Palace

Astronomy & Space news

Video gives astronaut's-eye view inside NASA's Orion spacecraft New video recorded during the return of NASA's Orion through Earth's atmosphere this month provides a taste of the intense conditions the spacecraft and the astronauts it carries will endure when they return from deep space destinations on the journey to Mars.

Technology news

Japan scientists develop micro-fine adhesive sensors Scientists in Japan have developed a sticky sheet of tiny sensors that can be put directly on moving joints, beating hearts or other living tissues.
	Cadillac CT6 will get streaming video mirror Cadillac said Thursday it will add high resolution streaming video to the function of a rearview mirror, so that the driver's vision and safety can be enhanced. The technology will debut on the 2016 Cadillac CT6. That means visual obstructions—passengers, headrests, car roof and rear pillars—can be removed.
	Off-world manufacturing is a go with space printer On Friday, the BBC reported on a NASA email exchange with a space station which involved astronauts on the International Space Station using their 3-D printer to make a wrench from instructions sent up in the e-mail. Quite a marker for things to come? An object, after all, was designed on Earth and then transmitted to space for manufacture, indicating such events may have an impact on the economics of supply and demand for space missions. Astronauts would be more self-reliant on future long-duration space missions if on-demand manufacturing were in place, as an alternative to launching the actual items from Earth. NASA in this recent episode was responding to a request by ISS commander Barry Wilmore for a ratcheting socket wrench. Previously, said the BBC, if astronauts requested a specific item they could have waited months for it to be flown up on one of the regular supply flights. The BBC posed the question, "If a 3D printer ca! n churn out something as useful as a tool in space, what else is possible?" The sky is no longer the limit. "Spare parts, components, even equipment, according to the company behind the printer, Made In Space. And that's just the start."
	California puzzles over safety of driverless cars California's Department of Motor Vehicles will miss a year-end deadline to adopt new rules for cars of the future because regulators first have to figure out how they'll know whether "driverless" vehicles are safe.
	Cyclist's helmet, Volvo car to communicate for safety Volvo calls it "a wearable life-saving wearable cycling tech concept." The car maker is referring to a connected car and helmet prototype that enables two-way communication between Volvo drivers and cyclists for proximity alerts. And why not?
	Sony faces 4th ex-employee lawsuit over hack A former director of technology for Sony Pictures Entertainment has sued the company over the data breach that resulted in the online posting of his private financial and personal information.
	Sony tells AFP it still plans movie release Sony Pictures boss Michael Lynton denied Friday the Hollywood studio has "caved" by canceling the release of "The Interview," and said it still hoped to release the controversial film.
N. Korea proposes joint probe with US into Sony cyber attack (Update) North Korea called Saturday for a joint investigation with the US into a crippling cyber attack on Sony Pictures, denouncing Washington's "slandering" after President Barack Obama warned Pyongyang of retaliation and the US sought help from China on the issue.
	Seoul, Toyko pledge to work with US to combat cyber crime South Korea and Japan on Saturday vowed to work closely with the US to combat cyber crime, after Seoul blamed North Korea for a crippling cyber attack on Sony Pictures.
In United States, drones take off as Christmas gifts Andrew Steele, 15, chose a drone as a Christmas present. And he's not alone. Thousands of drone fans—young and old—turned out at a recent show in Los Angeles.
	First of four Fukushima reactors cleared of nuclear fuel One of four heavily damaged reactor buildings at Japan's tsunami-battered Fukushima nuclear power plant has been cleared of radioactive fuel rods, the operator said Saturday.
	Why the Sony hack isn't big news in Japan Japan's biggest newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, featured a story about Sony Corp. on its website Friday. It wasn't about hacking. It was about the company's struggling tablet business.
US seeks China's help after cyberattack The United States is asking China for help as it weighs potential responses to a cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment that the U.S. has blamed on North Korea.
	China's Xiaomi raises more than $1 bn in funding China's top smartphone seller Xiaomi Corp. is raising more than $1 billion in a fresh round of funding, a move which would raise its valuation above $45 billion, a report said Sunday.
	Sony saga blends foreign intrigue, star wattage The hackers who hit Sony Pictures Entertainment days before Thanksgiving crippled the network, stole gigabytes of data and spilled into public view unreleased films and reams of private and sometimes embarrassing executive emails.
US dismisses N. Korea hacking probe offer, seeks China's help The United States has dismissed a call by North Korea for a joint investigation into the hacking of Sony Pictures and wants China to help block cyber attacks from Pyongyang.
	NYC subways slowly upgrading from 1930s-era technology New York City's subways—the nation's biggest mass transit network—serve more than 6 million daily riders who depend largely on a signal system that dates back to the Great Depression.
	Entrepreneur builds a sleek ship, but will anyone buy it? Even on land, the Ghost looks futuristic and fast.
	Russia makes Facebook block page of Putin's top critic Russian authorities convinced Facebook to shut off a page inviting people to attend a rally in support of an opposition politician, drawing ire from Internet users Sunday.
	Belarus blocks online sites, closes stores to stem currency panic Belarus blocked online stores and news websites Sunday, in an apparent attempt to stop a run on banks and shops as people rushed to secure their savings.
	Britain's UKIP issues online rules after gaffes UK Independence Party (UKIP), the British anti-European Union party, has ordered a crackdown on the use of social media by supporters and members following a series of controversies.

Medicine & Health news

First successful vaccination against 'mad cow'-like wasting disease in deer Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and elsewhere say that a vaccination they have developed to fight a brain-based, wasting syndrome among deer and other animals may hold promise on two additional fronts: Protecting U.S. livestock from contracting the disease, and preventing similar brain infections in humans.
Concerns raised about variable performance of some UK personal use breathalyzers The ability of some breathalyzers widely sold to the UK public to detect potentially unsafe levels of breath alcohol for driving, varies considerably, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open.
FDA OKs Cubist antibiotic for serious infections The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new medicine to fight complex infections in the abdomen and urinary tract, the fourth antibiotic the agency has approved since May.
	Recorded Ebola deaths top 7,000 The worst Ebola outbreak on record has now killed more than 7,000 people, with many of the latest deaths reported in Sierra Leone, the World Health Organization said as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continued his tour of Ebola-affected countries in West Africa on Saturday.
	Sierra Leone urges safe burials to stem Ebola The radio announcement is chilling and blunt: "If I die, I want the deaths to stop with me."
	Shared medical appointments beneficial in geriatric care (HealthDay)—For older patients, a shared medical appointment (SMA) program facilitates early detection and referral for geriatric syndromes, according to an article published online Nov. 29 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Evidence plays limited role in OTC decision making (HealthDay)—For pharmacy graduates and tutors, evidence seems to play a limited role in over-the-counter decision making, according to a study published online Dec. 11 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
	SLNB doesn't up survival in melanoma arising in head, neck (HealthDay)—For patients with melanoma arising in head and neck subsites (HNM), there is no association between sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and disease-specific survival (DSS), according to research published in the December issue of JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
	Risks ID'd for referral-warranted retinopathy of prematurity (HealthDay)—Predictors have been identified for referral-warranted (RW)-retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to research published online Dec. 18 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
	Tips offered to docs, spouses for maintaining happy marriage (HealthDay)—Simple tips can help physicians and their spouses maintain marital happiness, according to an article published in the American Medical Association (AMA) Alliance magazine Physician Family.
Liberia holds Senate vote amid Ebola fears (Update) Health workers manned polling stations across Liberia on Saturday as voters cast their ballots in a twice-delayed Senate election that has been criticized for its potential to spread the deadly Ebola disease.
	New Dominican law OKs abortion if life at risk The Dominican Republic on Friday approved a law that for the first time decriminalizes abortions if the mother's life is at risk.
Restrictions lifted at British bird flu farm Britain on Sunday lifted all restrictions at a duck farm in northern England after last month's outbreak of H5N8 bird flu, the same strain seen in recent cases across Europe.

Biology news

Aging white lion euthanized at Ohio zoo An aging white lion given to the Cincinnati Zoo by performers Seigfried & Roy had to be euthanized because of age-related health issues.

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