Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Dec 16

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 16, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Your chance of becoming globally famous depends on the language you speak
- NIST physicists build a watt balance using LEGO blocks to measure Planck's constant
- Intensive agriculture may have exacerbated drought in ancient Maya city
- Is the Higgs boson a piece of the matter-antimatter puzzle?
- Future batteries: Lithium-sulfur with a graphene wrapper
- Curiosity rover finds active, ancient organic chemistry on Mars
- 'Valleytronics': Researchers investigate a new kind of 2-D microchip using different electron properties
- Healthy eaters, ignore glycemic index: Clinical trial shows no beneficial effects on heart disease, diabetes risk
- Boeing 737 factory to move to clean energy
- Big-data analysis reveals gene sharing in mice
- Microbiome may have shaped early human populations
- The simplest element: Turning hydrogen into 'graphene'
- Scientists trace nanoparticles from plants to caterpillars
- What was the 'Paleo diet'? There was far more than one, study suggests
- Microwave imaging system promises better, cheaper breast images for cancer screening

Astronomy & Space news

	Curiosity rover finds active, ancient organic chemistry on Mars (Phys.org)—NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has measured a tenfold spike in methane, an organic chemical, in the atmosphere around it and detected other organic molecules in a rock-powder sample collected by the robotic laboratory's drill.
	Image: The magnetic field along the galactic plane While the pastel tones and fine texture of this image may bring to mind brush strokes on an artist's canvas, they are in fact a visualisation of data from ESA's Planck satellite. The image portrays the interaction between interstellar dust in the Milky Way and the structure of our Galaxy's magnetic field.
	Voyager 1 revealing regularity of interstellar shock waves (Phys.org)—The "tsunami wave" that NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft began experiencing earlier this year is still propagating outward, according to new results. It is the longest-lasting shock wave that researchers have seen in interstellar space.
	Impacts, extinctions and climate in the search for life elsewhere Every so often our Earth encounters a large chunk of space debris which reminds us that our solar system still contains plenty of debris that could potentially have an impact on life on Earth.
	NASA tests software that may help increase flight efficiency, decrease aircraft noise NASA researchers Friday began flight tests of computer software that shows promise in improving flight efficiency and reducing environmental impacts of aircraft, especially on communities around airports.
A visual journey to Bennu, the target of NASA's asteroid sampling mission OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Bennu, the target of OSIRIS-REx, NASA's first mission to a pristine carbonaceous asteroid that may hold clues to the origins of life in our solar system, took center stage at the AAS's Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting in Tucson, Arizona. The mission's principal investigator, Dante Lauretta, will unveil a video animation chronicling the history and evolution of Bennu and present a review paper summarizing what scientists have learned about Bennu during 12 years of astronomical observations.
	Vesta is not an intact protoplanet Nearly forty years ago, Guy Consolmagno was young graduate student at the University of Arizona's Department of Planetary Sciences; his work there with the late Michael Drake first proposed that asteroid Vesta was the parent body of the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) clan of basaltic meteorites. Last month, at the annual meeting of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences, that identification was called into question by the same scientist who first proposed it.
	Image: Opportunity pausing at a bright outcrop on Endeavour rim, Sol 3854 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is continuing its traverse southward on the western rim of Endeavour Crater during the fall of 2014, stopping to investigate targets of scientific interest along way.
	Confirmation bias in studies of gamma ray bursts Our understanding of gamma ray bursts (GRBs) – flashes of gamma rays from explosions in distant galaxies – since they were discovered more than 50 years ago may not be as solid as first thought.
	NASA and SpaceX targeting Dec. 19 for next space station launch NASA and SpaceX are now targeting Dec. 19 as the launch date for the next unmanned cargo run to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract.
	What is the average surface temperature of the planets in our solar system? It's is no secret that Earth is the only inhabited planet in our Solar System. All the planets besides Earth lack a breathable atmosphere for terrestrial beings, but also, many of them are too hot or too cold to sustain life.
	Why is space black? Imagine you're in space. Just the floating part, not the peeing into a vacuum hose or eating that funky "ice cream" from foil bags part. If you looked at the Sun, it would be bright and your retinas would crisp up. The rest of the sky would be a soothing black, decorated with tiny little less burny points of light.
	Curiosity rover makes first detection of organic matter on Mars The team responsible for the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on NASA's Curiosity rover has made the first definitive detection of organic molecules at Mars. Organic molecules are the building blocks of all known forms of terrestrial life, and consist of a wide variety of molecules made primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. However, organic molecules can also be made by chemical reactions that don't involve life, and there is not enough evidence to tell if the matter found by the team came from ancient Martian life or from a non-biological process. Examples of non-biological sources include chemical reactions in water at ancient Martian hot springs or delivery of organic material to Mars by interplanetary dust or fragments of asteroids and comets.
	Carnegie hosts crater-naming contest The MESSENGER Education and Public Outreach (EPO) Team is launching a competition this week to name five impact craters on Mercury. The contest is open to all Earthlings, except for members of the mission's EPO team. The contest runs from December 15, 2014, to January 15, 2015.

Technology news

	Robin Williams' suicide seizes the year on Google Robin Williams' suicide seared into the world's collective mindset more than anything else this year, based on what people were searching for on Google.
	Runtastic turns to VR for optimal workouts Some people avoid technology altogether when it comes time to switch off stress and turn on a feeling of health and well-being. They put on a pair of shoes and start walking. They get on a bike and start cycling. They stretch their legs and start jogging. Unwired, gadget-free, and, yes, data-free, they work out. The industry that has adapted technologies to fitness, however, is not interested in such a crowd. Rather, the fitness-band, heart and pulse-tracking vendors of hardware and software apps are far more interested in those who would like to see measured results and health-maintenance data realtime using their products. Runtastic is in this camp of those in the business offering ways to optimize fitness efforts. Runtastic offers apps with names such as Six Pack, Sleep Better, Strength & Toning, and Runtastic Me. They work with the company's hardware. Data syncs to Runtastic.com where users view online training logs, data anal! ysis and access online services, such as training plans.
	Carbon-trapping 'sponges' can cut greenhouse gases In the fight against global warming, carbon capture – chemically trapping carbon dioxide before it releases into the atmosphere – is gaining momentum, but standard methods are plagued by toxicity, corrosiveness and inefficiency. Using a bag of chemistry tricks, Cornell materials scientists have invented low-toxicity, highly effective carbon-trapping "sponges" that could lead to increased use of the technology.
	Team develops thermotherapy smartphone controlled skin patch for pain relief A team of researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia has developed an electronic skin patch that can provide heat for relief of pain. In their paper published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, the team describes the hurdles they overcame in designing and building the patch and where they hope to take it in the future.
	Boeing 737 factory to move to clean energy Boeing said Tuesday it plans to buy renewable energy credits to replace fossil-fuel power at the factory in Washington state where it assembles its 737 commercial airplanes.
	Apple wins class-action lawsuit over iPod prices A federal jury decided Tuesday that Apple didn't compete unfairly when it sold music players and songs with copy-protection software that was incompatible with rival devices and music from competing online stores.
	Sites stumble on to malware path with plugin exploit The numbers were not pretty. Over 100,000 WordPress websites may have been infected with malware, once again proving that where there is widespread popularity, whether in operating systems or platforms or plug-ins, there is mischief. In this case, malware that compromised certain WordPress sites was inadvertently turned into a malware distribution system. Tyler Lee in Ubergizmo reported on the incident where sites that are infected load attack code into pages viewed by visitors. As a result, said Lee, Google has since flagged more than 11,000 domains as malicious. Tony Perez, CEO of the website security company Sucuri, in tracking how this all happened, blogged with the headline "SoakSoak Malware Compromises 100,000+ WordPress Websites" that Sunday "started with a bang" with Google flagging over 11,000 domains. "Our analysis is showing impacts in the order of 100's of thousands of WordPress specific websites. We cannot confirm the! exact vector, but preliminary analysis is showing correlation with the RevSlider vulnerability," he said. The malware when decoded loads a javascript malware from the SoakSoack.ru domain.
	Sony Pictures reassures staff after hackers vow 'Xmas gift' Sony Pictures vows it will not be destroyed by a massive cyber attack, a day after hackers promised a big "Christmas gift" for the Hollywood studio.
	Gift Guide: How to pick the right fitness tracker The holidays are here, which means feeling guilty about how much you're eating and how little you're exercising. Gadgets are available to help keep that in balance.
	Gift Guide: Five fitness trackers offer wide range There are several fitness trackers to choose from, varying in what they measure and how easy they are to use. Here are five, ranked from budget to sophisticated, to give you a sense of the range available. By no means are these the only good offerings out there.
Spain: Google News vanishes amid 'Google Tax' spat Google on Tuesday followed through with a pledge to shut down Google News in Spain in reaction to a Spanish law requiring news publishers to receive payment for content even if they are willing to give it away.
	Local market conditions and policies strongly influence solar PV pricing Differences in local market conditions and policies, and other factors, particularly the size of the system, can lead to wide disparities in what consumers across the United States pay to install solar energy systems on their homes or small businesses, according to a recent study published by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). This translates into thousands of dollars difference in the price of comparable solar energy systems around the U.S.
	Composite plane life cycle assessment shows lighter planes are the future A global fleet of composite planes could reduce carbon emissions by up to 15 per cent, but the lighter planes alone will not enable the aviation industry to meet its emissions targets, according to new research.
Better protection against floods Hurricanes are devastating. Aside from the high, sustained wind speeds, they usually bring with them heavy rain, which can quickly lead to the breaching of flood defences in susceptible areas. Now, US and UK researchers have reviewed hurricane flood defence barriers and technologies with a view to helping engineers find improved designs.
	Getting bot responders into shape Sandia National Laboratories is tackling one of the biggest barriers to the use of robots in emergency response: energy efficiency.
Amazon extends Christmas shipping deadlines Amazon is courting last-minute holiday shoppers by extending its free-shipping deadline by one day to Dec. 19.
	T-Mobile to let customers carry over unused data T-Mobile will now let customers carry over their unused cellular-data allotments.
NREL compares state solar policies to determine equation for solar market success Analysts at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have used statistical analyses and detailed case studies to better understand why solar market policies in certain states are more successful. Their findings indicate that while no standard formula for solar implementation exists, a combination of foundational policies and localized strategies can increase solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in any state.
Startup Seamless Devices launches from professor Peter Kinget's lab Innovative technology developed in Electrical Engineering Professor Peter Kinget's lab is at the core of Seamless Devices, a startup co-founded by Kinget and his former student Jayanth Kuppambatti PhD'14. Seamless Devices aims to address critical limitations faced by semiconductor technologies striving to meet the demands of performance and power efficiency required by the next-generation of electronic devices and sensors.
	Tag Heuer changes tune, now looking at smartwatches Barely a few months after dismissing Apple's smartwatch, the new chief executive of luxury Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer conceded Tuesday that such a hi-tech gadget might after all have a place in his firm's line-up.
	After Google, Dutch privacy watchdog probes Facebook The Dutch government-affiliated watchdog said Tuesday it is probing changes in Facebook's privacy policy, the latest skirmish in a wider fight over the commercial use of online personal data.
	Ex-employees sue Sony Pictures over hacked personal details (Update) Two former employees of Sony Pictures Entertainment are suing the company for not preventing hackers from stealing nearly 50,000 social security numbers, salary details and other personal information from current and former workers.
	Uber targeted by Belgium tax probe Belgian authorities ordered a probe Tuesday into the tax affairs of Web-based taxi app Uber in the latest legal challenge the fast-growing company faces around the world amid fierce resistance from cab drivers.
Novel technique for pasteurizing eggs wins patent The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent to a novel technique and device for pasteurizing eggs developed by engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The award marks the 27th patent granted to PPPL inventors since 1994.
	Global decline in car dependency investigated To reduce its car dependency, Perth should improve public rail transport and increase urban density around rail stations, according to data from 26 cities gathered over 40 years.
	"ResearchLandscaping" brings together science and industry experts Research collaborations and related networks are becoming increasingly important in developing new technologies, particularly since more and more of these activities are interdisciplinary. Fraunhofer IAO's new "ResearchLandscaping" method makes it easier to find suitable partners.
Breakthrough capability keeps subs, ships on safe track Interactive software that can dramatically cut the time it takes to plan safe submarine missions is crossing over to the surface fleet and is being installed this month on the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53).
	First steps for Hector the robot stick insect A research team at Bielefeld University has succeeded in teaching the only robot of its kind in the world how to walk. Its first steps have been recorded in a video. The robot is called Hector, and its construction is modelled on a stick insect. Inspired by the insect, Hector has passive elastic joints and an ultralight exoskeleton. What makes it unique is that it is also equipped with a great number of sensors and it functions according to a biologically inspired decentralized reactive control concept: the Walknet. By 2017, the walking robot will be equipped with additional abilities in a major project at the Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC).
Artist's 'Angry Birds' lawsuit goes forward A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit by a Seattle artist who says she was cheated out of millions of dollars when the company that sold her line of plush pet toys called "Angry Birds" reached a deal with the Finnish company that makes the insanely popular video game of the same name.
	Sony hackers reference 9/11 in new threats against theaters Hackers calling themselves Guardians of Peace made ominous threats Tuesday against movie theaters showing Sony Pictures' film "The Interview" that referred to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The group also released a trove of data files including about 8,000 emails from the inbox of Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton.
Millions without mobile phone service in Argentina Millions of mobile phone users in Buenos Aires found themselves without service Tuesday, because of an unexplained outage to wireless provider Claro.
	Apple stops sales in Russia, citing unstable ruble Apple has halted online sales of its iPhones, iPads and other products in Russia amid financial turmoil triggered by the steep decline in the country's currency.

Medicine & Health news

	Healthy eaters, ignore glycemic index: Clinical trial shows no beneficial effects on heart disease, diabetes risk Good news for people who are already following a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in sweets: New research suggests these heart-healthy eaters don't need to worry about choosing low glycemic index foods to lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Though the study was not designed to test the effects of low glycemic index foods on weight control, its lead researchers looked at studies that did focus on weight and found no clear proof of a benefit.
	'Radiogenetics' seeks to remotely control cells and genes It's the most basic of ways to find out what something does, whether it's an unmarked circuit breaker or an unidentified gene—flip its switch and see what happens. New remote-control technology may offer biologists a powerful way to do this with cells and genes. A team at Rockefeller University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is developing a system that would make it possible to remotely control biological targets in living animals—rapidly, without wires, implants or drugs.
	Antibodies discovery could lead to universal dengue vaccine  A major new class of antibodies that can make the four different types of dengue virus (DENV) non-infectious has been discovered by a group of international researchers, including from the University of Melbourne.
	Origins of left-sided gut artery, lymphatic system discovered Researchers have understood very little about how blood and lymphatic vessels form in the mammalian gut – until now.
	How the brain can distinguish good from bad smells Scientists from Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, have found that in fruit flies, the quality and intensity of odors can be mapped in the so-called lateral horn. They have created a spatial map of this part of the olfactory processing system in the fly brain and showed that the lateral horn can be segregated into three activity domains, each of which represents an odor category.
	New research unlocks a mystery of albinism Newly published research provides the first demonstration of how a genetic mutation associated with a common form of albinism leads to the lack of melanin pigments that characterizes the condition.
	People trust typical-looking faces most Being "average" is often considered a bad thing, but new research suggests that averageness wins when people assess the trustworthiness of a face. The research indicates that, while typical-looking faces aren't seen as the most attractive, they are considered to be the most trustworthy. The new findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
	Amount of mitochondrial DNA predicts frailty and mortality New research from The Johns Hopkins University suggests that the amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) found in peoples' blood directly relates to how frail they are medically. This DNA may prove to be a useful predictor of overall risk of frailty and death from any cause 10 to 15 years before symptoms appear.
	The sense of smell uses fast dynamics to encode odors Neuroscientists from the John B. Pierce Laboratory and Yale School of Medicine have discovered that mice can detect minute differences in the temporal dynamics of the olfactory system, according to research that will be published on December 16 in the open access journal PLOS Biology.
Survey: E-cigs surpass regular cigs in teen use (Update 2) Electronic cigarettes have surpassed traditional smoking in popularity among teens, the government's annual drug use survey finds.
Yoga has the potential to reduce risk factors of cardiovascular disease There is "promising evidence" that the popular mind-body practice of yoga is beneficial in managing and improving the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and is a "potentially effective therapy" for cardiovascular health.
Top blood transfusion-related complication more common than previously reported Two studies published in the January issue of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), shed new light on the prevalence of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO), the number one and two leading causes of blood transfusion-related deaths in the United States. According to researchers, postoperative TRALI is significantly underreported and more common than previously thought, with an overall rate of 1.4 percent. While the rate of TACO was found to be on the decline, the risk to surgical patients remains high, at a rate of 4 percent, similar to previous TACO estimates in non-surgical patients.
Med students' site translates Ferguson evidence medical jargon To advance public understanding, a new website produced by nine students at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University translates into everyday language the medical jargon in more than 60 pages of evidence considered by the grand jury that declined to indict former Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.
	Men in recovery from Ebola should wear condoms for at least three months A new article reports that despite a clear lack of research on male survivors of Ebola, the current recommended practice of waiting at least three months after recovery to have unprotected sex should be upheld. This study was published today in Reproductive Sciences.
France seeks to stamp out first e-joint (Update) France sought to stamp out a new electronic cigarette containing cannabis, launched Tuesday with the claim it provides all of the relaxation but none of the mind-altering effects of marijuana.
Detection of enterovirus infection in pancreatic islets in patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes Norwegian scientists with European partners have found evidence for the presence of enterovirus in pancreatic islets of type 1 diabetic patients. This provides evidence consistent with the theory that a low grade enteroviral infection in the pancreatic islets contribute to disease progression in humans.
One of the most difficult challenges in weight loss is keeping the weight off over the long term A new report combining perspectives from a range of obesity experts identifies genetic, epigenetic and neuro-hormonal differences between individuals as one of the key challenges associated with weight loss and long-term weight control. The authors, led by Paul MacLean, PhD, and Rena Wing, PhD, reinforce that maintaining weight loss over the long term can be a major challenge. They recommend a number of novel approaches to improve obesity therapeutics, including more emphasis on an individualized approach to weight-loss treatments and maintenance, and the integration of physiology and behavioral psychology to identify effective and sustainable interventions.
	New findings in the link between selenium and cancer Higher levels of selenium are associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer, according to new research* published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Combining social media and behavioral psychology could lead to more HIV testing Social media such as Twitter and Facebook can be valuable in the fight against HIV in the United States, where research has demonstrated they can prompt high-risk populations to request at-home testing kits for the virus that causes AIDS, suggesting a way to potentially boost testing rates.
	If eggnog has eggs in it, why is it safe to drink? Eggnog is a holiday treat, but it contains – surprise! – eggs. So how come it's okay for us to drink it? Here are a few questions and answers about eggnog and food safety.
	Study recommends GPs should be more open when referring patients for cancer investigations GPs should consider a more overt discussion with patients when referring them for further investigation of symptoms which may indicate cancer, according to a paper published in the British Journal of General Practice.
	Fruit a depression–buster for women Women who eat fewer than two serves of fruit a day face a greater risk of developing depression, University of Queensland research shows.
	Young adults often neglected in policies and programs that could help them Young adults between the ages 18 to 26 are in need of better support and programs to help them be fully productive members of society, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine. The report says individuals in this age group have poorer health, higher stress and more economic challenges than other generations.
Depression in dementia more common in community care, study finds A University of Manchester study of over 400 people in eight EU countries with severe dementia has found that those residing in long-term care homes are less likely to suffer from depressive symptoms than those living in the community.
	Try salmon with all the trimmings on your festive menu The guilt of tucking into a calorific Christmas dinner may be lessened by adding fish to the menu, according to new research from the University of Stirling.
	Book sharing could be life-changing for world's poorest children Book sharing could transform the lives of children living in the poorest parts of the world, the findings of a new University of Reading study suggest.
Flu is dampening holiday spirit, infectious disease expert says Vomiting, diarrhea and fever – that's what many people are experiencing this holiday season as the seasonal flu grips Chicago.
Don't believe the hype – we are a long way from an HIV cure HIV has infected over seventy million people but only one of them has been cured: Timothy Ray Brown.
	Protecting the brain Neuroscience is a big field, populated by experts around the world. They search for treatments for people with brain and spine injuries, seek cures for neurodegenerative diseases and research diagnostic and prevention methods for the body's most intricate—and delicate—of systems.
	Real Christmas trees are better for your health than artificial ones, says academic It's that time of the year when Christmas trees are popping up in the homes of many, but before we dig out last year's artificial tree, University of Surrey environmental psychologist Dr Birgitta Gatersleben, explains the benefits of purchasing a real one instead.
	Researchers reveal Ebola virus spreads in social clusters An analysis of the ongoing Ebola outbreak reveals that transmission of the virus occurs in social clusters, a finding that has ramifications for case reporting and the public health.
E-cigarettes may recruit lower risk teens to nicotine use Researchers at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and University of Hawaii Cancer Center find that one-third of Hawaiian adolescents have tried e-cigarettes, half of whom have never used another tobacco product.
Survey: E-cigs surpass regular cigs in teen use Electronic cigarettes have surpassed traditional smoking in popularity among teens, the government's annual drug use survey finds.
	Hispanic women less likely to survive endometrial uterine cancer In the largest study to date evaluating outcomes of Hispanic women with endometrial uterine cancer, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have found that Hispanic women in the United States were significantly less likely to survive the cancer than non-Hispanic white women.
Extra vitamin E protected older mice from getting common type of pneumonia Extra vitamin E protected older mice from a bacterial infection that commonly causes pneumonia. Microbiologists and nutrition researchers from Tufts University report that the extra vitamin E helped regulate the mice's immune system. The findings, published online in advance of print in the The Journal of Immunology, show promise for studies investigating the effects of vitamin E and infection in humans.
	Scientists find genetic wrinkle to block sun-induced skin aging A scientific team at UBC and Providence Health Care have genetically engineered mice with less wrinkled skin, despite repeated exposure to wrinkle-inducing ultraviolet (UV) light.
	Broad receptive field responsible for differentiated neuronal activity Some neurons are more active than others, even when they are positioned right next to each other and are one and the same neuron type. Dr. Jean-Sébastien Jouhanneau and Dr. James Poulet of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin Buch have discovered the cause for this phenomenon. They found that the more active neurons in the somatosensory area of the brain respond to a broader receptive field and probably play a particularly important role in our sensory perception. The findings of the researchers, who also work at the NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence at Charité in Berlin, have now been published in the journal Neuron.
Cocaine, amphetamine users more likely to take their own lives Stimulants use such as cocaine and amphetamine is associated with a nearly two-fold greater likelihood of suicidal behaviour amongst people who inject drugs, say researchers at the University of Montreal and the CHUM Research Centre. Drug addiction had already been identified as a major risk factor for suicide, and it is in fact the cause of ten percent of deaths among drug users. The data from this groundbreaking study could help develop and evaluate more appropriate suicide prevention efforts in this highly vulnerable population.
Physicians say high-definition scopes accurately assess polyps It may not be necessary for experienced gastroenterologists to send polyps they remove from a patient's colon to a pathologist for examination, according to a large study conducted by physician researchers at the Jacksonville campus of Mayo Clinic.
	Teen prescription opioid abuse, cigarette, and alcohol use trends down Use of cigarettes, alcohol, and abuse of prescription pain relievers among teens has declined since 2013 while marijuana use rates were stable, according to the 2014 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, released today by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). However, use of e-cigarettes, measured in the report for the first time, is high.
	Domestic abuse may affect children in womb Domestic violence can affect children even before they're born, indicates new research by Michigan State University scientists.
	Antibiotic resistance is a gut reaction Scientists from the Institute of Food Research and the University of East Anglia have discovered how certain gut bacteria can protect themselves and others in the gut from antibiotics.
	Super-bacteria found in Rio bay ahead of 2016 Olympic sailing Brazilian scientists have discovered antibiotic-resistant super-bacteria thought to emanate from hospital waste in the latest bad news for the polluted bay that will host sailing events at the 2016 Olympics.
Cracking the code of brain development With a unique, multi-faceted approach, researchers at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD) have quantified the effect of previously unidentified anomalies in genetic expression that determine how the human brain develops from its earliest stages. Their work, published online December 15th in Nature Neuroscience, offers a novel technique for identifying biological markers in brain development that associate with risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
	New technology advances eye tracking as biomarker for brain function and brain injury Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have developed new technology that can assess the location and impact of a brain injury merely by tracking the eye movements of patients as they watch music videos for less than four minutes, according to a study published Friday on-line in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
First real-world trial of impact of patient-controlled access to electronic medical records In the first real-world trial of the impact of patient-controlled access to electronic medical records, almost half of the patients who participated withheld clinically sensitive information in their medical record from some or all of their health care providers.
Main reason for lifespan variability between races not cause of death Eliminating health disparities between races is a goal of many groups and organizations, but a team of sociologists suggests that finding the reasons for the differences in the timing of black and white deaths may be trickier than once thought.
	Season's eatings 'Tis the season of plenty of food and drink. While celebrating should be joyful, for some women, it's not. All the holiday temptations can add another layer to an already complicated biological process.
Single genetic abnormality accelerates, removes the brakes on Ewing sarcoma tumor growth The genetic abnormality that drives the bone cancer Ewing sarcoma operates through two distinct processes - both activating genes that stimulate tumor growth and suppressing those that should keep cancer from developing. These findings by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, published in the November issue of Cancer Cell, may lead to new therapies targeting these aberrant mechanisms.
	Naming people and objects in baby's first year may offer learning benefits years later In a follow-up to her earlier studies of learning in infancy, developmental psychologist Lisa Scott and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are reporting that talking to babies in their first year, in particular naming things in their world, can help them make connections between what they see and hear, and these learning benefits can be seen as much as five years later.
	People may inherit 'gut' bacteria that cause Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis A new study by an international team of researchers shows for the first time that people may inherit some of the intestinal bacteria that cause Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively know as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study, recently published in Genome Medicine, also confirmed that antibiotics could worsen the imbalance in the gut microbes.
	Meth users face substantially higher risk for getting Parkinson's disease In addition to incurring serious dental problems, memory loss and other physical and mental issues, methamphetamine users are three times more at risk for getting Parkinson's disease than non-illicit drug users, new research from the University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare shows.
	Syphilis on the rise among gay, bisexual men: CDC (HealthDay)—The number of cases of syphilis in the United States jumped 10 percent from 2012 to 2013, with gay and bisexual men accounting for 75 percent of the increase, U.S health officials reported Tuesday.
Study finds most patients do not use inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors correctly For people with asthma or severe allergies, medical devices like inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors, such as EpiPen, can be lifesaving.
Teen contraband smokers more likely to use illicit drugs A University of Alberta economics professor has discovered a link between contraband cigarette use and illicit drug use among Canadian teens.
US children are safer, better-educated, and fatter American children are generally safer and better-educated than they have been in 20 years, a new report from Duke University finds.
Medicaid is a very good investment even if it does not lower cholesterol or blood pressure Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health analyzed the results of the Oregon Health Experiment, where eligible uninsured individuals were randomly assigned Medicaid or to stay with their current care. Considered controversial because the experiment found no measurable gains for physical health it did reveal benefits for mental health, financial wellbeing, and preventive screening. In terms of quality-adjusted life years, the researchers showed that Medicaid is an excellent value—a $62,000 gain in quality-adjusted life years. Study findings are online in the American Journal of Public Health.
Use of alcohol, cigarettes, number of illicit drugs declines among US teens A national survey of students in U.S. middle schools and high schools shows some important improvements in levels of substance use.
	Certain parenting tactics could lead to materialistic attitudes in adulthood With the holiday season in full swing and presents piling up under the tree, many parents may be tempted to give children all the toys and gadgets they ask for or use the expectation of gifts to manage children's behavior. Now, a new study from the University of Missouri and the University of Illinois at Chicago found that parents who use material goods as part of their parenting techniques may be setting children up for difficulties later in adulthood.
Real-time radiation monitor can reduce radiation exposure for medical workers It's a sound that saves. A "real-time" radiation monitor that alerts by beeping in response to radiation exposure during cardiac-catheterization procedures significantly reduces the amount of exposure that medical workers receive, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found.
	Mild memory, thinking issues: What works, what doesn't? Experts weigh the evidence For up to one in five Americans over age 65, getting older brings memory and thinking problems- along with the embarrassment of not being as "sharp" as they once were, and the worry that it will get much worse.
	How music class can spark language development Music training has well-known benefits for the developing brain, especially for at-risk children. But youngsters who sit passively in a music class may be missing out, according to new Northwestern University research.
Alcohol blackouts: Not a joke The heaviest drinking and steepest trajectory of increasing alcohol problems are typically observed during the mid-teens to mid-20s. One common and adverse consequence is the alcohol-related blackout (ARB), which is reported by up to 50 percent of drinkers. However, there are few studies of the trajectories of ARBs over time during mid-adolescence. A new study identifying different trajectories of ARBs between ages 15 and 19, along with predictors of those patterns, has found that certain adolescents with particular characteristics are more likely to drink to the point of blackouts and experience the accompanying, additional alcohol-related dangers.
Density of alcohol outlets in rural areas depends on the town's average income Alcohol outlets tend to be concentrated in lower-income areas. Given that alcohol-related problems such as trauma, chronic disease, and suicide occur more frequently in areas with a greater density of alcohol outlets, lower-income populations are exposed to increased risk. This study examines the distribution of rural outlets in the state of Victoria, Australia, finding towns had more outlets of all types where the average income was lower and where the average income in adjacent towns was higher, and that this was consistent with retail market dynamics.
Traffic stops and DUI arrests linked most closely to lower drinking and driving From 1982 to 1997, American states got tough on impaired driving. Policies favored adopting lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for driving, administrative license revocation (ALR), and increased sanctions for those convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. In the absence of stricter laws, enforcement offers the greatest opportunity for reducing alcohol-impaired driving. A study of variations in DUI prevalence and several categories of enforcement intensity has found that the number of traffic stops and DUI arrests per capita had the most consistent and significant association with drinking and driving.
Effectiveness of drugs to prevent hepatitis among patients receiving chemotherapy Among patients with lymphoma undergoing a certain type of chemotherapy, receiving the antiviral drug entecavir resulted in a lower incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatitis and HBV reactivation, compared with the antiviral drug lamivudine, according to a study in the December 17 issue of JAMA.
	'Kids' diseases' now hitting adults (HealthDay)—Chickenpox befell Angelina Jolie this week, preventing the actress-turned-director from attending the premiere of her new film.
	FDA warns against fetal 'keepsake' videos (HealthDay)—Expectant parents should leave prenatal picture-taking to medical professionals, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends.
	Guinea pigs can be source of serious strep infection (HealthDay)—In the world of infectious diseases, one worrisome phenomenon is when an illness that originated in animals jumps over into people.
	When gas prices go up, so do motorcycle accidents, study finds (HealthDay)—As gas prices rose in recent years, so did motorcyclist injuries and deaths, a new study suggests.
	Ebola survivors face critical problems (HealthDay)—Many Ebola survivors in West Africa face major challenges and need support to help them cope, two new studies report.
First newborn screening test approved for rare immune disorder (HealthDay)—The first test to screen for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) in newborns has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
	Urinary catheters often left in too long during hospital stay (HealthDay)—Even when appropriately used, urinary catheters are often left in place longer than necessary in hospitalized patients, according to a perspective piece published online Dec. 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Consider false-positives when test results don't add up (HealthDay)—Physicians should weigh patient history and include the possibility of false-positive test results when considering differential diagnoses, according to a perspective piece published online Dec. 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Public disclosure of antibiotic harms cuts prescription rates (HealthDay)—Public disclosure of the potential harms of antibiotic use is associated with a reduction in antibiotic prescription rates for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), according to a research letter published online Dec. 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Population Council reports positive acceptability for investigational contraceptive ring The Population Council published new research in the November issue of the journal Contraception demonstrating that an investigational one-year contraceptive vaginal ring containing Nestorone and ethinyl estradiol was found to be highly acceptable among women enrolled in a Phase 3 clinical trial. Because the perspectives of women are critical for defining acceptability, researchers developed a theoretical model based on women's actual experiences with this contraceptive vaginal ring, and assessed their overall satisfaction and adherence to instructions for ring use. In this trial, researchers also measured continuation of ring use for up to one year.
Is a Nintendo a safe Christmas present? Nintendo video gaming systems are common Christmas presents, but how safe are they?
	Do caffeine's effects differ with or without sugar? Consuming caffeinated or sugary drinks can affect the body's metabolism, causing changes in heart and respiratory rate and weight gain. The results of a new study exploring whether individuals respond differently to caffeinated drinks that do or do not contain sugar and to sugar alone are published in Journal of Caffeine Research: The International Multidisciplinary Journal of Caffeine Science.
Retired officer gives autism safety talk across US A retired police officer from Michigan has made it his mission to educate first-responders and others about how to more effectively interact with people with autism spectrum disorder.
	Japan orders chicken cull after bird flu outbreak Japan on Tuesday ordered the slaughter of some 4,000 chickens after officials confirmed bird flu at a poultry farm in the southwest of the country.
Insurers ease 'Obamacare' deadline Trying to head off a new round of consumer headaches with President Barack Obama's health care law, the insurance industry said Tuesday it will give customers more time to pay their premiums for January.
Judge halts Alzheimer's drug swap until July A federal judge has ordered an Irish drug manufacturer to halt its plans to discontinue its widely used Alzheimer's medication, allegedly in an effort to drive patients to a newer patented drug.
	Stronger start for Obama's health law this year Sign-up season for President Barack Obama's health care law is off to a stronger start this year, even as Americans remain skeptical that the government's newest social program is right for the country.
Cambodia village reports mass HIV/AIDS infection Cambodian health authorities on Tuesday said more than 80 people—including children and the elderly—who tested positive for HIV/AIDS in a single remote village may have been infected by contaminated needles.
	Research studies role native language plays in processing words in new languages Research at the University of Kansas is exploring how a person's native language can influence the way the brain processes auditory words in a second language.
Madrid's citizens do not perform enough physical activity The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid is involved in a study revealing that three in four adults living in Madrid are physically inactive in their leisure time.
	Are transgender veterans at greater risk of suicide? Veterans of the U.S. armed forces who have received a diagnosis consistent with transgender status are more likely to have serious suicidal thoughts and plans and to attempt suicide. A new study shows that this group has a higher risk of suicide death than the general population of veterans, as described in an article in LGBT Health.
German cull ordered after H5N8 bird flu confirmed German authorities on Tuesday ordered the cull of thousands of farm animals after a bird flu outbreak was confirmed as the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain.
Sierra Leone to search for Ebola cases in capital Sierra Leone is planning a house-to-house search for hidden Ebola cases in the capital and surrounding areas in an effort to stem the disease's rampant spread, the government said Tuesday.
	Study hints at antioxidant treatment for high blood pressure High blood pressure affects more than 70 million Americans and is a major risk factor for stroke, heart failure and other renal and cardiovascular diseases. Two University of Houston College of Pharmacy researchers are examining the role of intrinsic antioxidant pathways in mitigating hypertension.
Home- versus mobile clinic-based HIV testing and counseling in rural Africa Home- and community-based HIV testing and counselling services can achieve high participation uptake in rural Africa but reach different populations within a community and should be provided depending on the groups that are being targeted, according to new research published in this week's PLOS Medicine by Niklaus Labhardt from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, and colleagues from SolidarMed, a Swiss non-governmental Organization for Health in Africa.
Oregon certifies recount results: GMO labels lost Oregon's secretary of state has certified recount results that show the defeat of a ballot measure to require labels on genetically modified foods.
	Hospital-based exercise program improves quality of life for adults with arthritis It may seem counterintuitive, but exercise can be beneficial for people suffering from arthritis and other muscle and joint conditions. A new study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) finds that older adults experienced less pain, reduced stiffness and less fatigue after participating in a hospital-based exercise program.
Surge in health law sign-ups Sign-ups under President Barack Obama's health care law surged last week, driven by a deadline for getting covered by Jan. 1, officials said Tuesday. Unlike last year, the HealthCare.gov website was working well.
	Physicians reminded of ethical obligations regarding torture (HealthDay)—With the issuing of the new U.S. Senate report on interrogations, the American Medical Association (AMA) is reminding physicians of their ethical obligations relating to torture and interrogation.
Brain-injury program working with NFL players A brain-injury treatment program originally designed for military veterans injured on the battlefield has been updated to include professional athletes.

Biology news

	New technology directly reprograms skin fibroblasts for a new role As the main component of connective tissue in the body, fibroblasts are the most common type of cell. Taking advantage of that ready availability, scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Wistar Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, and New Jersey Institute of Technology have discovered a way to repurpose fibroblasts into functional melanocytes, the body's pigment-producing cells. The technique has immediate and important implications for developing new cell-based treatments for skin diseases such as vitiligo, as well as new screening strategies for melanoma. The work was published this week in Nature Communications.
	How seeds recognise the seasons Scientists at the University of York have played a key role in new research into the way 'mother' plants use their memory of the seasons to teach their seeds the most advantageous time to germinate.
	Discovery aims to fight destructive bee disease University of Guelph researchers hope their new discovery will help combat a disease killing honeybee populations around the world.
	Stay complex, my friends The KISS concept – keep it simple, stupid – may work for many situations. However, when it comes to evolution, complexity appears to be key for prosperity and propagating future generations.
	DNA sheds light on why largest lemurs disappeared Ancient DNA extracted from the bones and teeth of giant lemurs that lived thousands of years ago in Madagascar may help explain why the giant lemurs went extinct. It also explains what factors make some surviving species more at risk today, says a study in the Journal of Human Evolution.
New method identifies genome-wide off-target cleavage sites of CRISPR-Cas nucleases Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have developed a method of detecting, across the entire genome of human cells, unwanted DNA breaks induced by use of the popular gene-editing tools called CRISPR-Cas RNA-guided nucleases (RGNs). Members of the same team that first described these off-target effects in human cells describe their new platform, called Genome-wide Unbiased Indentification of DSBs Evaluated by Sequencing (GUIDE-seq), in a report being published online in Nature Biotechnology.
	Big-data analysis reveals gene sharing in mice Rice University scientists have detected at least three instances of cross-species mating that likely influenced the evolutionary paths of "old world" mice, two in recent times and one in the distant past.
	Microbiome may have shaped early human populations We humans have an exceptional age structure compared to other animals: Our children remain dependent on their parents for an unusually long period and our elderly live an extremely long time after they have stopped procreating.
	Syracuse biologist reveals how whales may 'sing' for their supper Humpback whales have a trick or two, when it comes to finding a quick snack at the bottom of the ocean. But how they pinpoint that meal at night, with little or no available light, remains a mystery.
Microbial 'signature' for sexual crimes Bacterial communities living on an individual's pubic hairs could be used as a microbial 'signature' to trace their involvement in sexual assault cases, according to a study published in the open access journal Investigative Genetics.
	Virus causing mass Cape Cod duck die-offs identified Since 1998, hundreds and sometimes thousands of dead eider ducks have been washing up every year on Cape Cod's beaches in late summer or early fall, but the reasons behind these cyclic die-offs have remained a mystery.
	Why does rotting food smell bad? When food goes bad and starts to become pungent, it is most often due to the growth of spoilage microbes such as bacteria, yeasts and mold. Odors can come from two sources: chemicals that are released from the food as the microbes decompose it, or chemicals produced directly by the microbes themselves.
	Measures of stress in tropical birds reveal human stress on the environment Natural habitats are changing at ever-faster rates. Can wildlife cope? And what can humans learn from their responses? A range of research projects at Glasgow examining wildlife in country and city environments is helping to uncover answers.
	Wolves discriminate quantities better than dogs Being able to mentally consider quantities makes sense for any social species. This skill is important during the search for food, for example, or to determine whether an opponent group outnumbers one's own. Scientists from the Messerli Research Institute at the Vetmeduni Vienna studied how well dogs can discriminate between different quantities and discovered that wolves perform better than dogs at such tasks. Possibly dogs lost this skill, or a predisposition for it, during domestication. The results were published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
	A beetle named Marco Polo A team of Chinese and Italian scientists has joined efforts to provide a key to the understudied phaleratus group of blister beetles. During their research the scientists have also discovered a new species from the genus Hycleus, which they named after Marco Polo, as a tribute to their collaboration during the Ph.D. studies. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
Commensal bacteria were critical shapers of early human populations Using mathematical modeling, researchers at New York and Vanderbilt universities have shown that commensal bacteria that cause problems later in life most likely played a key role in stabilizing early human populations. The finding, published in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, offers an explanation as to why humans co-evolved with microbes that can cause or contribute to cancer, inflammation, and degenerative diseases of aging.
Can returning crops to their wild states help feed the world? To feed the world's growing population—expected to reach nine billion by the year 2050—we will have to find ways to produce more food on less farmland, without causing additional harm to the remaining natural habitat. A feature review, to be published on December 16th in the Cell Press journal Trends in Plant Science, points the way to intensifying agriculture sustainably by fixing weaknesses that have sprung up quite by accident in the process of traditional crop breeding over the course of thousands of years.
Cam captures penguin hatching at Pittsburgh aviary A webcam captured images of the first of two African penguins hatching at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.
	Which dot will they hunt? Prey is recognized even by the zebrafish retina Seeing - recognising - acting. These three words describe how a sensory input can lead to a targeted movement. However, very little is known about how and where the brain converts external inputs into behavioural responses. Now, scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried have been able to shed light on important neural circuitry involved in the prey capture behaviour exhibited by young zebrafish. The findings show that neurons in the retina of the eye already filter out prey objects from other environmental signals. The cells then forward this information to an area of the brain, which, up to now, had no identifiable role. The corresponding swimming movements are then initiated here.
Study shows how cows reveal feelings using their ears A new study exploring how to measure emotions in cows has suggested that it may be possible to tell how a cow is feeling from the position of their ears, and also that like dogs, cats and many of our pets they display visible and recognisable signs of pleasure at being stroked.
	Tackling tiny mites to bring major benefits to egg suppliers For such a small creature, the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) represents a major economic challenge for Europe's lucrative poultry and egg industry. The blood-sucking parasite, found in most European countries, can transmit fowl cholera and other diseases and is capable of devastating flocks. In fact, it is the most significant pest of laying hens in Europe.
Pregnancy-related infection kills endangered orca An endangered orca found dead off Vancouver Island in Canada earlier this month died after a failed pregnancy caused a bacterial infection, officials said Tuesday.

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