Science X Newsletter Sunday, Dec 28

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 28, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Sony's PlayStation, Microsoft's Xbox offline in 'hacker attack' (Update)
- Top Japan lab dismisses ground-breaking stem cell study
- Dutch scientists use smell to recreate JFK, Diana and other famous deaths
- Finding faster-than-light particles by weighing them
- Innovative use of pressurant extends MESSENGER's mission, enables collection of new data
- Chattanooga touts transformation into Gig City

Astronomy & Space news

Innovative use of pressurant extends MESSENGER's mission, enables collection of new data The MESSENGER spacecraft will soon run literally on fumes. After more than 10 years traveling in space, nearly four of those orbiting Mercury, the spacecraft has expended most of its propellant and was on course to impact the planet's surface at the end of March 2015. But engineers on the team have devised a way to use the pressurization gas in the spacecraft's propulsion system to propel MESSENGER for as long as another month, allowing scientists to collect even more data about the planet closest to the Sun.

Technology news

	Sony's PlayStation, Microsoft's Xbox offline in 'hacker attack' (Update) The online gaming networks for Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox consoles—hot gifts this Christmas—were disrupted for a second day Friday in what hackers said was a coordinated attack.
	Chattanooga touts transformation into Gig City A city once infamous for the smoke-belching foundries that blanketed its buildings and streets with a heavy layer of soot is turning to lightning-fast Internet speeds to try to transform itself into a vibrant tech hub.
	Taxi app Uber defies ban in Spain Smartphone car-ride service Uber vowed Friday to keep operating in Spain despite a ban following a lawsuit by taxi drivers and said it would fight the case in court.
	Sony broadly releases 'The Interview' in reversal of plans Amid a swell of controversy, backlash, confusion and threats, Sony Pictures broadly released "The Interview" online Wednesday—an unprecedented counterstroke against the hackers who spoiled the Christmas opening of the comedy depicting the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
	Google and Microsoft stand with Sony against hackers Google and Microsoft joined forces with Sony on Wednesday, using their online might to release "The Interview" film to online audiences despite threats from hackers.
UK body warns drone owners: Fly safely, or you'll be fined Got a nifty little drone for Christmas? If so, fly it carefully. Especially if you are in Britain.
	Streaming release of 'Interview' test for industry Sony's "The Interview" has been a hacking target, a punchline and a political lightning rod. Now, with its release online at the same time it debuts in theaters, it has a new role: a test for a new kind of movie release.
	Sony film mess reflects gadgets-entertainment gap Sony's iconic gadgetry and the star appeal of Hollywood may have appeared to be a perfect match when the electronics giant bought Columbia Pictures in 1989. A quarter century later, it's apparent that Sony Corp. has not attained the magic synergy it was hoping for.
	China a likely factor in North Korea cyber prowess: experts North Korea may be facing explosive hacking accusations, but analysts are questioning how an isolated, impoverished country with limited Internet access could wage cyber sabotage—and many experts believe China plays a role.
Sony's PlayStation offline, Microsoft's Xbox restored Microsoft's online network for its Xbox gaming console was restored to nearly full service Friday after an allegedly coordinated Christmas Day hack brought it and Sony's PlayStation network down.
	Uber broke Indian financial rules: central bank chief India's central bank chief lashed out at Uber, already under fire over the alleged rape of a passenger, saying the US taxi-hailing firm violated the country's financial regulations by using an overseas payment system.
	Sony's PlayStation 'gradually coming back' Sony was still struggling Saturday to fully restore its online PlayStation system, three days after the Christmas day hack that also hit Microsoft's Xbox, reporting that services were "gradually coming back."
	N. Korea suffers another Internet shutdown North Korea suffered an Internet shutdown for at least two hours on Saturday, Chinese state-media and cyber experts said, after Pyongyang blamed Washington for an online blackout earlier this week.
Showing 'The Interview' is part of Google's long-term YouTube plan Google's decision to distribute "The Interview" on YouTube this week is far more than a defense of free speech. It is a calculated business move that aims to propel the video site from the go-to place for free videos of dancing cats and Korean pop stars to a source for Hollywood-grade films that viewers will pay to see, industry analysts said.
	Sony's PlayStation back online after Christmas hack Sony's PlayStation reported that its network was back online and claimed that it had been attacked, three days after it and Microsoft's Xbox went down in an outage.
	Key decisions on drones likely from Congress The Obama administration is on the verge of proposing long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year.
	Ukraine shuts down faulty nuclear power plant reactor Ukraine on Sunday shut down one of the six reactors in its most powerful nuclear power plant for the second time in a month due to an apparent electrical malfunction.
Residents alarmed as Coast Guard changes foghorns For Tom Bradbury and his neighbors, the town foghorn is more than just a familiar, wistful noise—it represents something greater, like peace itself.

Medicine & Health news

CDC monitoring lab tech after possible Ebola exposure A lab worker may have been exposed to a live sample of the deadly Ebola virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday, adding the accident is under investigation.
Firm recalls caramel apples amid listeria fears A Missouri firm is recalling its Happy Apple brand caramel apples because of the potential that they could be contaminated with listeria. The recall comes after at least three deaths and at least 29 illnesses in 10 states have been linked to an outbreak of the deadly bacteria.
	2015 medicare fee schedule offers payment for chronic care (HealthDay)—The 2015 Medicare Fee Schedule includes a Current Procedural Terminology Code that pays for clinical staff time for developing and implementing a care plan for patients with two or more chronic conditions, according to an article published Dec. 18 in Medical Economics.
	Nerve-sparing surgery for cervical CA may protect sex life (HealthDay)—Nerve-sparing (NS) laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) impairs sexual function less than conventional LRH in cervical cancer patients, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
	Cardiac risk up with noncardiac surgery six months post-stent (HealthDay)—Among post-stent patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, the incremental risk of adverse cardiac events is highest in the first six months following stent implantation, according to a study published in the Dec. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Computer-generated GI patient history deemed higher quality (HealthDay)—Computer-generated histories of present illness (HPIs) seem to be of higher overall quality than physician-documented HPIs, according to a study published online Dec. 2 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
	Keep holiday meals festive and safe (HealthDay)—Holiday parties and home-cooked meals offer plenty of opportunities for germs to find their way into food.
	Don't let burns mar your holidays (HealthDay)—The risk of burns from fires and cooking accidents increases during the holidays, so you need to be extra cautious, an expert says.
	'Tis the season to overeat (HealthDay)—Overeating is common during the holidays, but there are strategies that can help you eat in moderation, an expert says.
	Make your home 'kid safe' during the holidays (HealthDay)—During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, poisonings involving children increase, experts say.
Worse lower, higher, frequency hearing in HIV-positive adults Adults with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) had poorer lower- and higher-frequency hearing than adults without HIV infection, according to a report published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
2015 to ring in advances in prevention, interventional procedures, heart repair Wearable technologies, possible changes to stenting practices, state legislation on energy drinks, expanded use of minimally invasive heart repair procedures, and the development of a new class of cholesterol lowering drugs are among top stories anticipated in cardiology in 2015.
Japan first nation to approve Novartis psoriasis drug Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis said Friday it has won approval to market its Cosentyx psoriasis treatment in Japan, making it the first country to authorise commercialisation of the drug.
	Pregnant woman taken off life support in Ireland A brain-dead pregnant woman was taken off life support Friday after a court ruled that her 18-week-old fetus was doomed to die—a case that exposed fear and confusion among doctors over how to apply Ireland's strict ban on abortion in an age of medical innovation.
	Pack a travel first-aid kit for the holidays (HealthDay)—If you're planning on traveling during the holidays, be sure to pack a travel first-aid kit, an expert recommends.
Hong Kong raises bird flu alert level as woman critical Hong Kong hospitals raised alert levels Sunday as a woman diagnosed with the deadly H7N9 avian flu virus was in a critical condition.
	A case for treating both mind and body New research from Rutgers University lends more support to the idea that integrating treatment of mind and body could lead to better - and cheaper - medical care.
	Keeping that weight loss resolution (HealthDay)—If you're one of the many Americans who plan to lose weight next year, there are a number of things you can do to improve your chances of success, an expert says.
Ebola chief says CDC lab incident poses no risk to public The U.S. Ebola response coordinator is calling the mishandling of materials that led to a lab technician's possible exposure to the virus "unacceptable."
In Liberia, Ebola steals Christmas The Ebola epidemic has cast a dark shadow over Christmas this year in Liberia, where small businesses are especially feeling the pinch.
S.Leone nurses strike over Ebola hazard pay amid lockdown Nurses at a public hospital in northern Sierra Leone were on strike Thursday to demand hazard pay for treating Ebola patients, as the region was under lockdown in a bid by authorities to combat the killer virus.
Ebola expert calls for European anti-virus 'corps' Europe will be "vulnerable" if it does not regard viruses as a "national security issue" like the United States, the microbiologist who discovered Ebola said in an interview published Friday.
Four die of bird flu in Libya: minister Four people have died of bird flu in Libya in recent days, the health minister of the country's internationally recognised government said on Saturday.
EU aid shipment arrives in Ebola-hit West Africa An EU aid shipment including vehicles and medical equipment for the three west African nations hardest hit by the Ebola epidemic has arrived in Guinea, officials said Sunday.

Biology news

	Top Japan lab dismisses ground-breaking stem cell study Japan's top research institute on Friday hammered the final nail in the coffin of what was once billed as a ground-breaking stem cell study, dismissing it as flawed and saying the work could have been fabricated.
	Scientists target mess from Christmas tree needles The presents are unwrapped. The children's shrieks of delight are just a memory. Now it's time for another Yuletide tradition: cleaning up the needles that are falling off your Christmas tree.
Prized sea snail not at risk of extinction, federal officials say The National Marine Fisheries Services has decided not to grant federal protection to the pinto abalone, a prized six-inch sea snail whose population has severely declined in Northern California.
	Keep dogs and cats safe during winter (HealthDay)—Winter can be tough on dogs and cats, but there are a number of safe and effective ways you can help them get through the cold season, an expert says.

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