Science X Newsletter Monday, Jan 5

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 5, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- New instrument reveals recipe for other Earths
- Stars' spins reveal their ages
- Best of Last Week – New explanation for dark matter, a simulation of the universe and the randomness of cancer
- DNA origami could lead to nano 'transformers' for biomedical applications
- More effective diet pill: 'Imaginary meal' tricks the body into losing weight
- Super-Earths have long-lasting oceans
- Professor researches rare rock with 30,000 diamonds
- Epigenomics analysis reveals surprising new clues to insulin resistance
- Seeds out of season: New modeling framework elucidates the interaction between various life stages of a plant
- Comet probe 'may revive in March', French space chief says
- Freshmen-level chemistry solves the solubility mystery of graphene oxide films
- 'Glowing' new nanotechnology guides cancer surgery, also kills remaining malignant cells
- Animal study points to a treatment for Huntington's disease
- Electromagnetic waves linked to particle fallout in Earth's atmosphere, study finds
- How does white-nose syndrome kill bats?

Astronomy & Space news

	New instrument reveals recipe for other Earths How do you make an Earth-like planet? The "test kitchen" of Earth has given us a detailed recipe, but it wasn't clear whether other planetary systems would follow the same formula. Now, astronomers have found evidence that the recipe for Earth also applies to terrestrial exoplanets orbiting distant stars.
	Super-Earths have long-lasting oceans For life as we know it to develop on other planets, those planets would need liquid water, or oceans. Geologic evidence suggests that Earth's oceans have existed for nearly the entire history of our world. But would that be true of other planets, particularly super-Earths? New research suggests the answer is yes and that oceans on super-Earths, once established, can last for billions of years.
	Stars' spins reveal their ages When you're a kid every birthday is cause for celebration, but as you get older they become a little less exciting. You might not want to admit just how old you are. And you might notice yourself slowing down over the years. You're not alone - the same is true of stars. They slow down as they age, and their ages are well-kept secrets. Astronomers are taking advantage of the first fact to tackle the second and tease out stellar ages.
	NASA explores inflatable spacecraft technology (Update) Devising a way to one day land astronauts on Mars is a complex problem and NASA scientists think something as simple as a child's toy design may help solve the problem. Safely landing a large spacecraft on the Red Planet is just one of many engineering challenges the agency faces as it eyes an ambitious goal of sending humans into deep space later this century.
Before explosion, NASA knew aging Soviet engines could crack and leak fuel Years before an unmanned rocket erupted in a fireball in October, NASA officials knew the metal in its 50-year-old Soviet-made engines could crack, causing fuel to leak and ignite, government documents show.
	Technology innovations spin NASA's SMAP into space t's active. It's passive. And it's got a big, spinning lasso.
	Image: Hubble sees an ancient globular cluster This image captures the stunning NGC 6535, a globular cluster 22,000 light-years away in the constellation of Serpens (The Serpent) that measures one light-year across.
	New analyses of Martian chemical maps suggest water bound to sulfates in soil A research team led by LSU Geology and Geophysics Assistant Professor Suniti Karunatillake reveals a spatial association between the presence of sulfur and hydrogen found in martian soil. The work by this multi-institutional team of researchers from Georgia Tech (James Wray), Stony Brook University (Scott McLennan and Deanne Rogers), CNRS/ Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (Olivier Gasnault), Cornell University (Steve Squyres), and University of Arizona (William Boynton) may in turn identify hydrous iron sulfates as key carriers of H2O in bulk martian soil. The gamma spectral signature of hydrogen serves as a possible indicator of water, a primary driver of weathering and life processes on Earth.
	Comet probe 'may revive in March', French space chief says A probe that made the first landing on a comet but fell silent when its battery ran down may revive with sunlight in March, France's space chief said Monday.
	SpaceX to try ocean platform landing of Falcon rocket SpaceX aims to launch a new era in modern rocket science Tuesday by landing a key part of its Falcon 9 rocket on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean.
	Image: Solar coronal hole welcomes the new year There were no fireworks on the sun to welcome in the New Year and only a few C-class flares during the last day of 2014. Instead, the sun starts 2015 with an enormous coronal hole near the south pole. This image, captured on Jan. 1, 2015 by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, shows the coronal hole as a dark region in the south.
	Image: Space simulation chamber prepared for testing Webb telescope This photo was captured from outside the enormous mouth of NASA's giant thermal vacuum chamber, called Chamber A, at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
	Tracking the night sky for January 2015 Jupiter will dominate the night during January from the time it rises until dawn, soaring high across the sky in the constellation Leo the Lion about 10 degrees northwest of Leo's brightest star, Regulus.
	How did we find the distance to the sun? How far is the Sun? It seems as if one could hardly ask a more straightforward question. Yet this very inquiry bedeviled astronomers for more than two thousand years.
	Video: What is the biggest thing in the universe? Think big. Really big. Like, cosmic big. How big can things in the Universe get? Is a galaxy big? What about a supercluster? What is the biggest thing in the Universe?
	Rogue star HIP 85605 on collision course with our solar system, but Earthlings need not worry It's known as HIP 85605, one of two stars that make up a binary in the Hercules constellation roughly 16 light years away. And if a recent research paper produced by Dr. Coryn Bailer-Jones of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany is correct, it is on a collision course with our Solar System.

Technology news

	Wakati solution aims to extend produce shelf life In 2015, Africa continues to struggle with some fundamental problems. According to the United Nations 45 percent of all crops grown in developing countries never reaches the consumer and ends up as waste. No fridge for preserving food is part of the problem and even if a farmer had a fridge, he might need electricity to make it run.
	VERSABALL gripper to play ball and cup game at CES (Phys.org)—This year's CES 2015 will draw technology watchers, including industry vendors, buyers and technology media; many in the media will be asked by their publications to keep their focus on booths and events representing the product mainstream—tablets, PCs, phones, smartwatches, automobile apps, connected home devices—avoiding distraction from displays of fun gadgets way out in futureland. We will need some disobedient media watchers, though, because some fun displays will introduce important breakthroughs and practical applications to come. Wandering eyes will want to check out a little robot tool slinging pingpong balls into cups.
	Raise your home's IQ: smart gadgets take center stage at CES Imagine a world in which your garage door opens automatically as you pull into the driveway. The living room lights and heater turn on—perhaps the oven starts warming up, too. In the so-called "smart home," cars, appliances and other devices all have sensors and Internet connectivity to think and act for themselves, and make your life easier.
	How 3-D printing could revolutionize war and foreign policy 3D printing will revolutionize war and foreign policy, say experts, not only by making possible incredible new designs but by turning the defence industry—and possibly the entire global economy—on its head.
	Electronics show a window into the 'Internet of Me' New technology is getting more personal. So personal, it is moving to connect and analyze our movements, our health, our brains and our everyday devices. Welcome to the so-called Internet of Me.
	Robots do kitchen duty with cooking video dataset Now that we have robots that walk, gesture and talk, roboticists are interested in a next level: How can they learn more than they already know? The ability of these machines to learn actions from human demonstrations is a challenge for those working on intelligent systems or, in Eric Hopton's words, in writing for redOrbit, for instances where "you need it to do a new task that's not part of its database." Now researchers from the University of Maryland and the Australian NICTA (an information communications technology research center) have written a paper reporting they have succeeded in this area. They are to present their findings at the 29th annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence later this month, from January 25 to 30, in Austin, Texas. They have explored what it takes for a self-learning robot to improve its knowledge about fine-grained manipulation actions –namely, cooking sk! ills through its "watching" demonstration videos.
Crowd science provides major boost for certain research projects Crowd science is making possible research projects that might otherwise be out of reach, tapping thousands of volunteers to help with such tasks as classifying animal photos, studying astronomical images, counting sea stars and examining cancer cell images. Also known as "citizen science," these efforts to involve ordinary people in research projects have attracted interest from policy makers, scientific agencies and others.
	Solar plane to leave Switzerland ahead of round-the-world trip A sun-powered plane was loaded onto a cargo carrier in Switzerland late Monday heading for the Middle East from where it will attempt a revolutionary round-the-world trip.
	Paris-based team shows stress-cutting gear at CES Paris-based myBrain Technologies chose a fitting environment to unveil their first product: the melomind headset and smartphone app, designed to help people relax. That venue is the CES 2015 in Las Vegas. The melomind headgear provides a reading of brain waves, which goes over to your smartphone.
	Uber rings in New Year with two million rides Car-sharing startup Uber bragged it rang in the New Year with two million rides, many of them apparently to revellers heading home in early morning hours.
	Four large objects detected in AirAsia wreckage hunt Indonesian officials said Saturday that they were confident wreckage of AirAsia Flight 8501 had been located after sonar equipment detected four massive objects on the ocean floor.
	Divers try to reach suspected AirAsia wreck site Divers were grappling with light rain and rolling waves Sunday as they tried to reach what is believed to be the fuselage of AirAsia Flight 8501, thick sediment on the sea floor leaving them with zero visibility.
	Las Vegas airport preps for tech-savvy travelers While the gadgets of the future are only just arriving in Las Vegas for the annual International CES show, officials at the city's main airport are updating a decades-old terminal to cater to legions of tech-savvy travelers.
Smartphone maker Xiaomi says 2014 sales doubled The chairman of Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi, a rising star of the consumer technology industry, says sales more than doubled last year to $12.2 billion and the company plans to expand further into global markets.
	Global tech spending sputters amid economic woes The outlook for global technology spending is uncertain after nearly flat growth in the past year, with turbulent economic conditions making a forecast difficult, an industry gathering was told.
	China eases controls on rare earths after WTO complaint China has scrapped its export quotas for rare earths, minerals used in mobile phones and other high-tech products, after losing a World Trade Organization case brought by Washington and other trading partners over controls that alarmed global technology producers.
	Divers resume search for victims and fuselage of AirAsia jet The weather improved Monday and divers will attempt again to locate large objects on the ocean floor believed to be the fuselage of the AirAsia flight that crashed more than one week ago, killing all 162 on board.
	'Smart pot' watches over house plants Parrot is ramping up its Flower Power with a pot that not only detects whether plants have enough light and fertilizer, but waters them as needed.
Sony tries to make good after PlayStation network outage Sony offered disgruntled gamers a "holiday thank you" to ring in the New Year, extending PlayStation Plus memberships and offering a one-time discount after a Christmastime cyber attack left its networks offline.
Lawsuit claims Uber pesters consumers via spam texts to work as drivers James Lathrop used to look forward to getting text messages - until Uber got his cell phone number. The San Francisco-based ride-sharing company has allegedly bombarded him with at least 19 texts in the past two months, urging him to sign up as a driver.
	Researchers develop 3-D reconstruction software Researchers have designed a program to generate 3D imagery from the projection and digitization of binary data that allows reconstruction of various objects in order to reproduce parts of classic automobiles, prehispanic antiques, as well as serving as a tool for face recognition.
	Production of 500 daily litres of bioethanol from food waste From waste generated in the processing of cereals, scientists from the Center for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco (CIATEJ) have produced bioenergy in the form of ethanol, and designed a prototype plant that generates 500 litres of bioethanol a day.
	Bamboo bike recharges mobile devices and external batteries by pedaling Bambootec, a consortium from Yucatán, has designed a bamboo bicycle that transforms the kinetic energy generated by pedaling into a source of electricity that has the ability to simultaneously recharge mobile devices, external smartphone batteries and power a navigation dashboard located on the handlebars which measures the distance and time. It also has Bluetooth capability.
	Time to reactivate nuclear energy The energy sector has been one of the strategic infrastructural areas for Mexico, not only as a revenue generator for the nation but as a lever of industrial development. However, Mexico has a deficit in generating technologies and human talent in this area, making it an issue addressed by various academic specialists.
	Researcher identifies defects in solar cells made of silicon Since he was a teenager, engineer Sergio Castellanos had the desire to study abroad to prepare and do research in the best laboratories, particularly on solar energy. With six years of study in the United States, first at the University of Arizona and now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, his dream has come true: "I am working on defects found on silicon and their impact on the efficiency of solar cells made with this material," he says. This research is toward his doctorate from MIT.
	New concept of fuel cell for efficiency and environment The Center for Nanoparticle Research at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has succeeded in proposing a new method to enhance fuel cell efficiency with the simultaneous removal of toxic heavy metal ions.
	Job survival in the age of robots and intelligent machines It is a sobering thought that in ten years, around 65% of the jobs that people will be doing have not even been thought of yet, according to the US Department of Labor.
	Gadget Show: TV channels delivered by Internet, new TV sets One of the biggest changes in television this year will be more channels being available online with no separate cable or satellite subscription. But for would-be cord-cutters, watching sports has been the Holy Grail. Until now—Dish Network Corp. on Monday unveiled an Internet-only subscription offering that includes ESPN.
	At The Gadget Show: Curved phones, smarter homes Would-be novelists rejoice! No need to write your masterpiece with finger taps, Lenovo is launching AnyPen, which lets you write on a tablet with any ordinary pen or pencil. Elsewhere, LG unveiled a new curved smartphone at CES. The International CES show in Las Vegas this week isn't typically a major forum for mobile products, as many manufacturers wait a month or two for the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. But it's hard to separate mobile from other technologies these days.
Model helps size boulders to protect buildings from vehicle impacts Boulders can be effective barriers to protect embassies and other buildings from large vehicle impacts, and a simple model is sufficient to select the right size boulder for the job, according to a team of Penn State researchers.
LG out to clean up with first-ever Twin clothes washer LG Electronics on Monday promised to take some of the hassle out of doing laundry with a first-ever washing machine setup that simultaneously handles two separate loads.
Morgan Stanley says employee stole client data An employee of Morgan Stanley's wealth management business stole information on about 350,000 clients and posted some of it on the Internet, the investment bank said Monday.
	Green walls, effective acoustic insulation Zaloa Azkorra, an agricultural engineer of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country, is conducting research at the University School of Mining and Public Works Engineering into the benefits provided by green walls. The researcher has concluded that walls comprising plants offer great potential for absorbing noise and could be used as acoustic insulation.
US museums puts Asian art treasures online Artistic treasures from Asia's past have found a place online after the Freer and Sackler galleries in Washington released its entire 40,000-piece collection on the Internet.
Regulators weigh proposal to close part of New Mexico plant New Mexico regulators began taking testimony Monday on a plan that calls for shutting down part of an aging coal-fired power plant that provides electricity to more than 2 million people in the Southwest.

Medicine & Health news

	More effective diet pill: 'Imaginary meal' tricks the body into losing weight Salk researchers have developed an entirely new type of pill that tricks the body into thinking it has consumed calories, causing it to burn fat. The compound effectively stopped weight gain, lowered cholesterol, controlled blood sugar and minimized inflammation in mice, making it an excellent candidate for a rapid transition into human clinical trials.
	Rotating night shift work can be hazardous to your health Night shift work has been consistently associated with higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. In 2007 the World Health Organization classified night shift work as a probable carcinogen due to circadian disruption. In a study in the current issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers found that women working rotating night shifts for five or more years appeared to have a modest increase in all-cause and CVD mortality and those working 15 or more years of rotating night shift work appeared to have a modest increase in lung cancer mortality. These results add to prior evidence of a potentially detrimental effect of rotating night shift work on health and longevity.
	Fructose more toxic than table sugar in mice When University of Utah biologists fed mice sugar in doses proportional to what many people eat, the fructose-glucose mixture found in high-fructose corn syrup was more toxic than sucrose or table sugar, reducing both the reproduction and lifespan of female rodents.
	Women, quitting smoking for New Years? Time it with your period The menstrual cycle appears to have an effect on nicotine cravings, according to a new study by Adrianna Mendrek of the University of Montreal and its affiliated Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal.
	'Small screens' prevent kids from sleeping, study says Children who have access to tablets or smartphones in their bedrooms get less sleep than children who do not have the devices with them at night, a US study said Monday.
	Pair finds lawyers with deep voices less likely to win cases at Supreme Court (Medical Xpress)—A pair of researchers, Alan Yu of the University of Chicago who is a linguist and Daniel Chen who studies legal theory at ETH Zurich in Switzerland has found, via a study they conducted, that lawyers with higher, less masculine voices, tend to have a better chance of winning a case presented to the U.S. Supreme Court than do those with deeper voices. The two will be presenting their findings to attendees at this year's Linguistic Society of America meeting in Portland later this month.
	Researchers find the missing part of brain's 'internal compass' If you have taken a walk and would like to return home you need to have an idea of where you are in relation to your destination. To do this, you need to know which way you are facing and also in which direction home lies. This all seems fairly instinctive to humans and other animals, so how do we manage it?
	Cold virus replicates better at cooler temperatures The common cold virus can reproduce itself more efficiently in the cooler temperatures found inside the nose than at core body temperature, according to a new Yale-led study. This finding may confirm the popular yet contested notion that people are more likely to catch a cold in cool-weather conditions.
	Study IDs risk factors linking low birthweight to diabetes A new study of more than 3,000 women confirms that low birthweight predicts an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood and reports which intermediating biomarkers appear to be the best predictors. The research could help physicians better assess patient risk.
	Whole plant therapy shows promise to beat malaria parasites' drug resistance For decades, physicians and public health officials worldwide have been thwarted by the malaria parasite's ability to evolve resistance to the succession of drugs developed to treat it. But now University of Massachusetts Amherst microbiologist Stephen Rich and his research team report an effective and sustainable malaria intervention that shows great promise in laboratory models.
	Epigenomics analysis reveals surprising new clues to insulin resistance In studying the cellular structure and function of insulin, a research team led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has uncovered previously unknown steps in the development of insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Reported in the January 2015 issue of Nature Cell Biology, their surprising new findings identify two transcription factors—the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) - that play a key role in insulin resistance, providing some of the first evidence that changes in the cellular nucleus underlie the condition and offering a promising new route for the development of drug therapies for type 2 diabetes.
	Animal study points to a treatment for Huntington's disease By adjusting the levels of a key signaling protein, researchers improved motor function and brain abnormalities in experimental animals with a form of Huntington's disease, a severe neurodegenerative disorder. The new findings may lay the groundwork of a novel treatment for people with this fatal, progressive disease.
Skin microbes trigger specific immune responses New research in mice shows that the immune system in the skin develops distinct responses to the various microbes that naturally colonize the skin, referred to as commensals. A team led by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that each type of microbe triggers unique aspects of the immune system, suggesting that immune cells found in the skin can rapidly sense and respond to changes in microbial communities.
	Imaging linking cell activity and behavior shows what it means for mice to have sex in mind Most people have seen fMRI scans of the human brain. These use a technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify portions of the brain that are active while a subject is being scanned. Fuzzy, ill-defined areas that "light up" on the scans indicate where neurons are active, based on magnetic changes in the blood that correlate with activated cells' need for glucose, their energy supply.
	Diabetes debate: Triglycerides form in liver despite insulin resistance Solving one of the great mysteries of type 2 diabetes, a team of Yale researchers found that triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood and liver, are produced in the liver independent of insulin action in the liver.
	Major study of bereaved military families underway With his wife and child close at hand, Army Maj. Chad Wriglesworth battled skin cancer for more than a year before dying at age 37.
Another drug is approved to help the obese The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug that may be help some of the millions of Americans resolving to lose weight this year.
Small change in blood acidity could prove detrimental to kidney disease patients (Medical Xpress)—A University of Manchester scientist has discovered that very small changes in the level of acidity in blood may have a detrimental impact on the health of patients with kidney disease.
The power of mental visualization in maintaining real-life muscle Anyone who has worn a cast knows that rebuilding muscle strength once the cast is removed can be difficult. Now researchers at the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI) at Ohio University have found that the mind is critical in maintaining muscle strength following a prolonged period of immobilization and that mental imagery may be key in reducing the associated muscle loss.
	Poor sleep causes weight gain and susceptibility to diabetes People who suffer breathing and heart rate abnormalities, called obstructive sleep apnea, are likely to develop diabetes, and the risk increases if they have a hereditary proclivity.
New study examines criminal behavior in patients with neurodegenerative diseases Criminal behavior can occur in patients with some neurodegenerative diseases, although patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) were among the least likely to commit crimes, according to a study published online by JAMA Neurology.
	More whole grains associated with lower mortality, especially cardiovascular Eating more whole grains appears to be associated with reduced mortality, especially deaths due to cardiovascular disease (CVD), but not cancer deaths, according to a report published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Stress can be a factor for developing diabetes and autoimmune diseases Over time, recurrent stress can trigger insulin resistance, hypertension, and abdominal fat deposition, researchers have found.
Health-promoting Nordic diet reduces inflammatory gene activity in adipose tissue A Nordic study led by the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition at the University of Eastern Finland discovered that the health-promoting Nordic diet reduces the expression of inflammation-associated genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue. In overweight persons, the expression of these genes reduced without weight loss. To a certain extent, the adverse health effects of overweight are believed to be caused by an inflammatory state in adipose tissue. The results were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
	The man who revolutionized our knowledge of the human body December 31, 2014 marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of one of the most important figures in the history of medicine. He authored one of the most elegant and influential books in scientific history. His investigations revolutionized our understanding of the interior of the human body and the methods physicians use to study and teach about it, reverberating throughout medicine down to the present day.
Stroke falls to No. 5 cause of death in US Stroke has dropped from the nation's fourth-leading cause of death to No. 5, according to new federal statistics. It is the second time since 2011 that stroke has dropped a spot in the mortality rankings.
	'Magic' blood test simply a matter of science A blood-typing test based on bioactive paper has enormous implications for use in the developing world and poor and remote regions.
	For most 'healthy' obese, health declines over time The idea of "healthy" obesity is a misleading concept in that most obese individuals become progressively less healthy over time, according to a study that tracked the health of more than 2,500 men and women for 20 years. The research was published online today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	A healthy lifestyle may prevent heart disease in nearly three out of four women A new study that followed nearly 70,000 women for two decades concluded that three-quarters of heart attacks in young women could be prevented if women closely followed six healthy lifestyle practices.
Public reporting on quality slows price increases for bypass surgery and other hospital procedures A public reporting website that allows insurance companies and others to compare hospitals based on quality has injected a dose of competition into negotiations on the hospital prices for common procedures, according to a first-of-a-kind study out today in the January issue of Health Affairs. Avi Dor, a professor of health policy and management at Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University and colleagues, looked at the impact of Medicare's Hospital Compare website on actual hospital prices, finding that the public reporting initiative appears to have slowed price increases for two kinds of major cardiac procedures.
	Infections increase death risk by 35 percent for ICU patients, study finds Elderly patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are about 35 percent more likely to die within five years of leaving the hospital if they develop an infection during their stay, a new study finds. Preventing two of the most common health care-acquired infections - sepsis caused by central lines and pneumonia caused by ventilators - can increase the odds that these patients survive and reduce the cost of their care by more than $150,000.
Radiation plus hormone therapy prolongs survival for older men with prostate cancer Adding radiation treatment to hormone therapy saves more lives among older men with locally advanced prostate therapy than hormone therapy alone, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology this week from Penn Medicine researchers.
	Overly conservative FDA label likely prevents use of metformin in many type 2 diabetics Many patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States may be discouraged from taking metformin—a proven, oral diabetes medicine—because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inappropriately labels the drug unsafe for some patients also suffering from kidney problems, researchers from Penn Medicine and Weill Cornel Medical College report this week in a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Higher altitude not necessarily better for athlete training Sports scientists have demonstrated that sprint training at a simulated altitude of 4000m results in poorer training performance, suggesting that a moderate altitude may give the greatest benefit to team sport athletes.
	Support, childcare needed for mothers of kids with intellectual disability Extra support, education and childcare services are needed to address a high rate of mental health problems in mothers of children with intellectual disabilities, research suggests.
	'Use it or lose it' treatment for spinal injuries WEST Australian researchers are taking part in an innovative 'use it or lose it' approach to treating spinal injuries, with the potential to revolutionise the way such injuries are treated.
	Study uncovers the reason behind health and safety myths New research from the University of Exeter reveals some of the complex reasons why health and safety regulations are used incorrectly and blamed for over-the-top decisions.
	New game to help people cut back on drinking New Year is a time when our thoughts often turn to making changes to our lifestyle. After the excesses of the festive season, reducing the amount of alcohol we drink is often high on this list, but our willpower can always benefit from a little boost to help us make these changes. Research shows that a new mobile game from Bangor University spin-out company Attention Retraining Technologies (ART) can do just that.
	Study makes case for wider gene testing in bowel cancer Up to a quarter of patients with bowel cancer who have a family history of the disease could have the causes of their cancer identified through gene testing, a new study reports.
	Cancer doctors don't discuss herbs, supplements with patients (HealthDay)—Despite concerns about potentially dangerous interactions between cancer treatments and herbs and other supplements, most cancer doctors don't talk to their patients about these products, new research found.
	Team studies blood test for prostate cancer Vanderbilt University researcher William Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues in Germany and Canada have demonstrated a method for detecting "cell-free" tumor DNA in the bloodstream.
	Twin study suggests genetic factors contribute to insomnia in children, teens A new study of twins suggests that insomnia in childhood and adolescence is partially explained by genetic factors.
	Chronic high blood pressure increases risk of glaucoma A new study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) has found that chronic (long term) hypertension increases a person's susceptibility to glaucoma. These results suggest that doctors should consider a patient's blood pressure levels in managing the potentially blinding eye disorder.
	Patent granted for new technology diagnosing cancer A new diagnostic technology may significantly improve early detection and treatment of cancer and other diseases. Via a simple blood test the method can potentially diagnose diseases such as cancer at an early stage, enable screening of healthy individuals at risk of developing cancer, and help plan an individual course of treatment. Aarhus University has just received a patent for the technology in the USA.
Cancer prevention guidelines may lower risk of obesity-linked cancers Low alcohol consumption and a plant-based diet, both healthy habits aligning with current cancer prevention guidelines, are associated with reducing the risk of obesity-related cancers, a New York University study shows. The findings appear in the journal Cancer Causes & Control.
A human enzyme (CD 39) targets the Achilles heel of sepsis There may never be a way to completely prevent infection, but sepsis may have an Achilles heel that would allow for more effective treatment of the condition. In a new report published in the January 2015 issue of the FASEB Journal, scientists use mice to show that a human membrane-bound enzyme called CD39, which can clear the dangerous buildup of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from the bloodstream, significantly improves survival of mice in sepsis. In addition to sepsis, the researchers speculate that CD39 may also be used in other diseases associated with inflammation, such as trauma, hemorrhagic shock and burns.
Researchers discover byproducts from bacteria in gum disease can awaken dormant T-cells and HIV viruses Dental and medical researchers from Case Western Reserve University found another reason to treat periodontal disease as soon as possible.
Gamma-Delta T cells may play a role in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes New research in mice suggests that an unusual type of immune cell called "γδ T cells" may be a new drug and research target for treating or preventing type 2 diabetes caused by obesity. The research report, appearing in the January 2015 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, suggests that γδ T cells are necessary for obesity-induced accumulation of macrophages, which are associated with promoting inflammation in fat tissue. This inflammation, which is induced during obesity, is known to be a risk factor for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, but its underlying causes have not been clear.
Melanoma: Scientists find new link between pigment production and mitochondrial function A new research report published in the January 2015 issue of the FASEB Journal helps explain what goes wrong to when someone gets skin cancer and the relationship between changing skin pigment and the cancer itself. In particular, this research shows that there is a direct link between changes in mitochondrial function and melanin production in cancerous skin cells. This link may also serve as a viable drug target for the disease.
Exposure to cold reveals the 'switch' that controls the formation of brown and white fat The roles that white fat and brown fat play in metabolism is well documented, but new research published in the January 2015 issue of the FASEB Journal presents a new wrinkle: each type of fat may change into the other, depending on the temperature. In particular, cold temperatures may encourage "unhealthy" white fat to change into "healthy" brown fat.
Infection control preparedness measures control avian flu in Hong Kong hospital A proactive infection prevention plan implemented widely in a Hong Kong healthcare system was a significant factor preventing the spread of influenza strain A H7N9, otherwise known as Avian flu. The study was published in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).
Hold your breath to protect your heart Women who have breast cancer on their left side present a particular challenge to radiation oncologists. Studies have shown that the risk of heart disease is higher in this group of women after radiation treatment because it can be difficult to ensure that a sufficient dose of radiation is delivered to the left breast while adequately shielding the heart from exposure. New research shows a woman who holds her breath during radiation pulses can greatly reduce radiation exposure to the heart.
	For men, income linked to changes in bone mineral density (HealthDay)—For men, income, but not self-identified race/ethnicity or genetic ancestry, is associated with annualized percentage changes in bone mineral density (BMD), according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
	Extra bed rest may not be best for kids with concussions (HealthDay)—For teens who suffer a mild concussion, more rest may not be better—and may be worse—in aiding recovery from the brain injury, new research suggests.
	Deep fascia excision no help with cutaneous melanoma (HealthDay)—Excision of the deep fascia does not improve the outcome of patients with cutaneous melanomas thicker than 2 millimeters, according to a study published in the December issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.
	Mediators explain paternal depression, child behavior link (HealthDay)—The correlation between depression in fathers in the postnatal period and subsequent child behavior is mainly mediated by the family environment, according to a study published online Jan. 5 in Pediatrics.
	Ketamine produces rapid-onset antidepressant action (HealthDay)—Ketamine has rapid-onset antidepressant action, although the mechanism of its positive effect is currently unclear, according to research published online Dec. 26 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
	Low prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea suggests overscreening (HealthDay)—For urban women aged 25 years and older, the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) is low, and women may be overscreened, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	For visually impaired, early offer of low vision rehab may be best (HealthDay)—Several factors, including duration of symptoms, influence the decision to seek low vision rehabilitation services, according to a study published in the January issue of Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.
	Review: SSRI use ups risk of upper GI bleeding (HealthDay)—Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use is associated with increased risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), according to a meta-analysis published in the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Vitamin B may counter negative effect of pesticide on fertility Women who have adequate levels of B vitamins in their bodies are more likely to get and stay pregnant even when they also have high levels of a common pesticide known to have detrimental reproductive effects, according to new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research.
A novel biomarker for mutant p53 could help pathologists assessing tumors during surgery Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) today report the discovery of a novel cellular biomarker that could make it comparatively easy for cancer surgeons to determine if a patient has a potentially lethal mutation in a protein called p53, the most powerful of the body's natural tumor suppressors and often called "the guardian of the genome."
Mom's exercise habits good for blood pressure in kids It's been well established among doctors and researchers alike, that babies with lower birth weight have a greater risk of having high blood pressure later in life.
Alcohol taxes protective against binge drinking, study shows Higher alcohol taxes strongly protect against binge drinking, according to a new study by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers.
Human speech's surprising influence on young infants America's preoccupation with the "word gap"— the idea that parents in impoverished homes speak less to their children, which, in turn, predicts outcomes like school achievement and income later in life—has skyrocketed in recent years, leading to a rise in educational initiatives aiming to narrow the achievement gap by teaching young children more words.
	Nutrition education may help prevent breast cancer reoccurrence Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of death among women worldwide, and five-year survival rates are just 58.4% in Brazil, lower than in many other regions. In a new study, however, researchers from Federal University of Santa Catarina provided Brazilian breast cancer patients with nutrition education and found it could benefit patients and may help prevent reoccurrence of the cancer.
Avian flu found in SE Wash. backyard flock Avian influenza has been found in a backyard poultry flock in southeast Washington after previously showing up in wild birds in the northwest part of the state, but there is no immediate public health concern, state officials said Friday.
Somalia dismisses Ebola scare The government of war-torn Somalia has moved to reassure residents that there was no outbreak of Ebola in the country, dismissing rumours that a man had brought the virus back with him from Guinea.
Ebola-infected UK nurse fighting for her life (Update 3) A British nurse with Ebola was fighting for her life Sunday as two health workers, who also spent time in Sierra Leone, were placed under observation in the US and Germany.
	SKorean Ebola medic flown to Germany for anonymity A South Korean medic exposed to Ebola while working in West Africa has been flown to Germany for treatment because the patient's anonymity would be better protected there, authorities in Berlin said Saturday.
Victory against Ebola 'within our reach': new UN mission chief Ending the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history is a difficult task, but it is "within our reach", the UN's new mission chief on the disease said, warning that the world has no choice but to beat back the infection.
US healthcare worker under watch after Ebola exposure An American healthcare worker who has been in Sierra Leone will be placed under close observation at a Nebraska hospital after high-risk exposure to the Ebola virus, doctors said on Saturday.
New Ebola lockdown in Sierra Leone as airport checks upped The Ebola lockdown in the northern Tonkolili district of Sierra Leone was extended on Sunday for two weeks as authorities stepped up the fight to contain the epidemic.
China abolishes tobacco price controls: govt China has abolished price controls on tobacco leaf, the last agricultural product to have limits, the country's top economic planner said as authorities seek to give the market a greater economic role.
Video: Improve your relationship with food, registered dietitian says Loyola registered dietitian Kim Sasso sits down with WJOL radio to discuss ways to learn about healthy eating.
Geographic information helps provide public health intelligence at mass gatherings Infectious diseases are one of the many health issues that worry the organizers of mass gatherings, such as the Hajj and the World Cup. Geographers' tools of the trade can help event organizers to better plan, monitor and respond timely to such eventualities. The ways in which geographers gather, analyze, and visualize information provide health officials with clearer pictures of the transport routes and environmental factors that may further the spread of viruses to and from the attendees' home countries. In Chapter 3 of the new book Health, Science, and Place: A New Model, geographer and biologist Dr. Amy Blatt explains how geographic information is used for disease surveillance at mass gatherings.
Ouch! When teeth and hands connect, bites may be beastly Hand injuries are frequently caused by human and animal bites, prompting as many as 330,000 emergency department visits in the United States each year. A literature review appearing in the January issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) outlines the potential complications of human and animal bites to the hand, the importance of early injury assessment, and the use of antibiotic and other treatment methods to avoid infection, permanent disability, and amputation.
Novel anti-cancer drug, ONC201, focus of alliance between Oncoceutics and MD Anderson Oncoceutics Inc. and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced the initiation of a strategic alliance and research collaboration agreement for the clinical development of ONC201, a novel anti-cancer drug.
Ebola death toll tops 8,000: WHO The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in west Africa has risen to 8,153 out of 20,656 cases recorded, the World Health Organization said Monday.
British Ebola nurse 'stabilised' A British nurse hospitalised with Ebola is in a critical but stable condition, a week after she was diagnosed with the deadly virus, Britain's health minister said Monday.
First US trial of procedure to relieve pain from spinal tumors When metastatic cancer spreads to the spine, it can cause spinal fractures, severe pain and impaired mobility.
	Weed 101: Colorado tries 'neighborly' pot education Colorado is taking a novel approach to marijuana education—not telling people to avoid the drug, just to use it safely.

Biology news

Ornithologist studies bird lice for answers on pathogens and evolution When Jason Weckstein looks at a bird, he doesn't see just a creature with feathers that flies.
	How does white-nose syndrome kill bats? For the first time, scientists have developed a detailed explanation of how white-nose syndrome (WNS) is killing millions of bats in North America, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Wisconsin. The scientists created a model for how the disease progresses from initial infection to death in bats during hibernation.
	Study puts new perspective on snake evolution Snakes may not have shoulders, but their bodies aren't as simple as commonly thought, according to a new study that could change how scientists think snakes evolved.
	Researchers uncover morphological and biomechanical consequences of geckos losing adhesion (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with members affiliated with the University of California, the University of New Orleans and the University of Calgary has uncovered some of the impact of secondary loss or simplification of the adhesive pads on gecko feet over time as some species adapt to changes in their environment. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they describe field studies they conducted and what they found in doing so.
	Chimpanzees select nut-cracking tools taking account of up to five different factors Are chimpanzees sensitive to the effect of an object's properties on nut-cracking efficiency and plan their tool selection accordingly? An international team of researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, has now investigated the selection of hammers used for cracking Coula edulis nuts by wild chimpanzees in the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, taking into account the availability of potential tools at the site and time at which each tool selection episode occurred. The researchers found that wild chimpanzees select the optimal tool for the task at hand by considering several variables and conditions at once, including the weight, the material and the hardness of the hammer, the location of the anvil and whether they needed to transport it over a distance.
	Our invisible family tree could hold a key to the future It's an ancient type of microorganism that makes up 20 per cent of the Earth's biomass, yet only now are scientists revealing the secrets of archaea.
	Scientists sequence genome of bowhead whale—longest-lived mammal Scientists at the University of Liverpool have sequenced the genome of the bowhead whale, estimated to live for more than 200 years with low incidence of disease.
	Seeds out of season: New modeling framework elucidates the interaction between various life stages of a plant Researchers have created a model that considers how different stages of a plant's life cycle interact with each other. Whereas previous studies have examined the seed, vegetative, and reproductive phases individually, scientists in a working group funded by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) sought to understand the relationship between the stages in reaction to environmental and genetic factors.
'CRISPR' science: Newer genome editing tool shows promise in engineering human stem cells A powerful "genome editing" technology known as CRISPR has been used by researchers since 2012 to trim, disrupt, replace or add to sequences of an organism's DNA. Now, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have shown that the system also precisely and efficiently alters human stem cells.
	Humans, sparrows make sense of sounds in similar ways The song of the swamp sparrow—a grey-breasted bird found in wetlands throughout much of North America—is a simple melodious trill, repeated over and over again.
	How bacteria control their size Scientists have traditionally studied bacteria in large numbers, not individually. Working with tens of millions of cells in a culture flask, they tracked their growth by looking at how much the cells dimmed light passing through a tube.
Pacific Coast sea bird die-off puzzles scientists Scientists are trying to figure out what's behind the deaths of seabirds that have been found by the hundreds along the Pacific Coast since October.
	Bluefin tuna nets $37,000 in Tokyo new year auction A giant bluefin tuna sold for more than $37,000 in the first auction of the year at a Tokyo fish market on Monday, as Japan faces growing pressure to cut back on consumption of the threatened fish.
	Mystery of funky "disco clam" flashing revealed In the dark, underwater caves of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, a lucky diver may be treated to a rare underwater light show: the flashing of the clam Ctenoides ales, also known as the 'disco' clam. How and why these invertebrates produce their spectacular display is a mystery. New research by Lindsey Dougherty of the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that scaring off predators or luring prey may be the primary motivations for the disco clam's flashy behavior.
Baleen hormones increase understanding of bowhead whale reproduction Wild animals provide a unique challenge for physiologists because they are difficult to capture and monitor in their natural habitats. As a result, scientists are increasingly learning about organisms by extracting steroid hormones out of keratinized tissues. This includes hormones such as testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol that are deposited in feathers, human hair, and reptile claws as these tissues grow. A onetime capture and removal of a single sample can provide a scientist with a record of fluctuating amounts of hormone in the body over the growth period of the collected sample. This technique provides a wealth of information about an animal, including its reproductive history. Development of this method is now underway to monitor the reproduction of one of the largest organisms on earth, the bowhead whale.
	Deer account for almost half of long-term forest change, study finds A study released this week has linked at least 40 percent of species changes in the forests of northern Wisconsin and Michigan over the past 60 years to the eating habits of white-tailed deer.
Lizard illness makes it the 'canary in the coal mine' for chemical exposure The well-known shingle back or sleepy lizard suffers a high prevalence of anemia associated with agricultural chemical exposure, research contributed to by the University of Sydney reveals.
	How vitamin C helps plants beat the sun While vitamin C in plant chloroplasts is known to help prevent a reduction in growth that plants experience when exposed to excessive light—phenomenon called photo inhibition—how it gets into chloroplasts to begin with has been a mystery. Now, a team of researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resources and Okayama University has identified PHT4;4 as the transport protein that allows vitamin C to enter chloroplasts. Published in Nature Communications, the work shows that PHT4;4 can transport vitamin C and that it is located in the envelope membranes of chloroplasts. The researchers found that removing it leads to both less vitamin C in chloroplasts and increased photoinhibition triggered by extreme light. The research could lead to the development of crop plants with higher tolerances to environmental stress and reduce the damage to farmland in regions with strong light.
Global bird conservation could be four times more cost-effective Targeting conservation efforts to safeguard biodiversity, rather than focusing on charismatic species, could make current spending on threatened birds four times more effective, a new study has shown.
	Endangered Madagascar lemurs illegally kept as pets may threaten species conservation and survival An estimated 28,000 lemurs, the world's most endangered primates, have been illegally kept as pets in urban areas of Madagascar over the past three years, possibly threatening conservation efforts and hastening the extinction of some of lemur species, according to a study by Temple University researchers.
New hope for Borneo's orangutans despite threats of future climate change and deforestation The study, led by conservation scientists at the University of Kent, and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Germany, drew on expertise from the UK, Australia and Indonesia, in consultation with leading orang-utan experts based in the Malaysian and Indonesian parts of Borneo.
	Current Biology reviews the biology of fun Current Biology celebrates its 25th birthday with a special issue on January 5, 2015 on the biology of fun (and the fun of biology). In a collection of essays and review articles, the journal presents what we know about playfulness in dogs, dolphins, frogs, and octopuses. It provides insights on whether birds can have fun and how experiences in infancy affect a person's unique sense of humor.
Cation exchange capacity analyzed for nursery pine bark substrates A new study contains valuable recommendations that can inform container nursery fertilization practices in the northeastern United States. In this region, most nursery substrates are comprised primarily of pine bark and sphagnum moss, with minor additions of other components such as compost, sand, gravel, and humus. According to the study authors, cation exchange capacity—an important factor that affects nutrient leaching from pine bark substrates, pH buffering, and drift over the course of crop production—-had not been adequately studied for pine bark.
	Study reveals causes of apple skin spot For fruit crops such as apples, compromised skin appearance usually results in reduced market value. Identifying causes of fruit disorders and diseases can help producers modify growing strategies and increase profits. Researchers in Germany recently released a study of "skin spot", a disorder found in 'Elstar' (and occasionally in 'Golden Delicious') apples after CA storage that is characterized by patches of small brownish dots that usually appear on the apples' skin after the fruit is moved from storage.

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