Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Feb 10

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 10, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Researchers use closed-loop feedback from the brain to improve attention abilities
- Of cancer and chaos: Single base mutation induces cancer-like gene profile and major unexpected impact on phenotype
- Eavesdropping concerns in Samsung smart TVs (Update)
- Electronics you can wrap around your finger
- Molybdenum disulfide may find new application for thin-film transistors in extremely high-temperature electronics
- DNA 'cage' could improve nanopore technology
- Babies can identify complex social situations and react accordingly
- Nanotubes self-organize and wiggle: evolution of a non-equilibrium system demonstrates maximum entropy production
- Engineers put the 'squeeze' on human stem cells
- Google boosts health search with more medical sources
- Earthquake activity linked to injection wells may vary by region
- Study shows global sea ice diminishing, despite Antarctic gains
- Novel non-stick material joins portfolio of slippery surface technologies
- Google to stop SPDY protocol support early 2016
- Protein linked to longevity and enhanced cognition protects against Alzheimer's symptoms

Astronomy & Space news

	Dark Energy Camera unveils small objects in solar system The 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera, built at DOE's Fermilab and mounted on the 4-meter Victor Blanco Telescope in Chile, delivers some of the most detailed images of celestial objects. While about a third of the camera's observing time goes to scientists working on the Dark Energy Survey, dozens of other teams share the remaining time. While the majority of them focus on observing objects far away, five groups recently highlighted in Symmetry magazine are investigating things close to Earth, looking for "space junk" that could damage satellites, large rocks that could hit Earth and other objects traversing our solar system.
	High wind scraps SpaceX observatory launch, rocket landing Dangerously high wind is keeping a deep-space observatory grounded for yet another day.
	Microbiologist teams with NASA research panel to find life on Mars Are we alone in the universe? It's one of the most fundamental of questions, says Hazel Barton, an associate professor of biology at The University of Akron who joined to a panel of experts, convened by NASA, to help answer that very question.
	Image: The icy cap at Mars' south pole Swirls of chocolate, caramel and cream – this image is definitely one to trigger sweet-toothed cravings. Smooth cream-coloured plateaus surrounded by cocoa-dusted ridges interspersed with caramel-hued streaks create a scene reminiscent of a cosmic cappuccino.
	Next solar maximum may be safest time for manned missions to Mars Humans have long dreamed of traveling to Mars, and several nations and private organizations are developing plans for crewed Mars missions in the coming decades. But a recent study looking at the risks for astronauts going to the moon, Mars, and other destinations, suggests some times will be safer than others for humans attempting the journey.
	How fast is the universe expanding? The Universe is expanding, but how quickly is it expanding? How far away is everything getting from everything else? And how do we know any of this anyway?
	How can Mars sometimes be warmer than Earth? Remember a few weeks ago when the weather on Mars was making the news? At the time, parts of the Red Planet was experiencing temperatures that were actually warmer than parts of the US. Naturally, there were quite a few skeptics. How could a planet with barely any atmosphere which is farther from the Sun actually be warmer than Earth?
	Do stars move? We know that Earth is not the center of the universe—let alone the Solar System—but looking at the sky, it's easy to get confused. Stars appear to be rising and setting, as well as the planets, Moon and the Sun. And with more precise instruments, we can see some stars appearing to move back and forth relative to other ones.
	SpaceX tries again to launch observatory, land rocket at sea (Update) SpaceX is taking another stab Tuesday at launching an observatory into deep space and landing the rocket booster that carries it up.
	Queen's University Belfast plays leading role in world's biggest solar telescope Queen's University Belfast and Belfast business Andor Technology are playing a leading role in the construction of the world's biggest and most revolutionary solar telescope.
	NASA solicits proposals for a precision Doppler spectrometer at Kitt Peak National Observatory Kitt Peak National Observatory is the future home of a state-of-the-art instrument that will be used to detect and characterize other worlds. The new instrument, an extreme precision radial velocity spectrometer, will measure the subtle motion of stars produced by their orbiting planets. The spectrometer, funded by NASA, will be deployed on an existing telescope at Kitt Peak, the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope. The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), which is funded by NSF, is a partner in the telescope and operates Kitt Peak.
	Image: Space station flyover of Gulf of Aden and horn of Africa European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took this photograph from the International Space Station.
	Image: DSCOVR on the launch pad This photo shows the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set to launch NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory spacecraft, or DSCOVR, at the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
	Google gives Lick Observatory $1 million Google Inc. has given $1 million to the University of California's Lick Observatory in what astronomers hope is the first of many private gifts to support an invaluable teaching and research resource for the state.

Technology news

	Eavesdropping concerns in Samsung smart TVs (Update) Watch what you say in your living room. Samsung's smart TV could be listening. And sharing.
	Robots replacing human factory workers at faster pace Cheaper, better robots will replace human workers in the world's factories at a faster pace over the next decade, pushing labor costs down 16 percent, a report Tuesday said.
	Flyability set to empower drones for good deeds Flyability drones are going to advance a perception of drones as service angels as opposed to attack agents. Switzerland-based Flyability is all about making robots to support search and rescue operations. Their product is a small, lightweight drone which can collide on obstacles without losing stability and is safe to fly in contact with humans.
	New battery startup promises safe lithium batteries Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) battery scientist Nitash Balsara has worked for many years trying to find a way to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries. Now he believes he has found the answer in a most unlikely material—a class of compounds that has mainly been used for industrial lubrication.
	Google boosts health search with more medical sources Google on Tuesday began tuning its mobile search application to better answer people's questions about common ailments from tennis elbow to the measles.
	Google to stop SPDY protocol support early 2016 Goodbye SPDY. The official Chromium blog from Chris Bentzel, Multiplexing Manager and Bence Béky, HTTP/2 Enabler, said on Monday they are saying goodbye to SPDY, the open nonstandard protocol that they were using. Chrome supported SPDY since Chrome 6, but now the plan is to remove support for SPDY in early 2016. They will also remove support for a TLS extension named NPN. (TLS stands for Transport Layer Security extension. NPN stands for Next Protocol Negotiation, which "allows application level protocols to be negotiated without additional round trips and with clean fallback in the case of an unsupportive MITM proxy.")
Ride-sharing service Sidecar adds package deliveries Ride-sharing service Sidecar on Monday said that along with transporting people it is making same-day deliveries of packages.
	Samsung and Microsoft end patent dispute Samsung and Microsoft said on Tuesday they had ended a patent dispute that had seen the US software giant sue the South Korean conglomerate for breaching a 2011 licensing contract.
	Let hackers in: Experts say traps might be better than walls Ever since the Internet blossomed in the 1990s, cybersecurity was built on the idea that computers could be protected by a digital quarantine. Now, as hackers routinely overwhelm such defenses, experts say cybersecurity is beyond due an overhaul.
Softbank quarterly profit dives, robot deal announced Softbank's quarterly profit plunged by two thirds as it struggled with reshaping its money-losing U.S. acquisition Sprint Corp.
	US admiral praises laser and electromagnetic guns on costs Lasers that shoot down drones with precision and electromagnetic cannons that fire more than 100 miles are part of the future of naval warfare, promising to be cheaper to use than conventional weapons, a U.S admiral said on Tuesday.
	In Japan, happiness is... wearable sensors? It is a problem that has defeated generations of philosophers, poets and painters, but one Japanese company thinks it has come up with a way of knowing for sure if people are happy.
	Softbank to add learning technology to empathetic robot Japanese mobile carrier Softbank said Tuesday it will incorporate artificial intelligence technology from IBM into its empathetic robot Pepper that will be available to Japanese consumers around midyear.
	New Ford Focus launches with next-generation stability control technology designed to predict potential spinouts What's better than a car that helps prevent spinouts once they occur? The answer at Ford Motor Company is a car that can predict a spin before it even begins.
	Fishing vessel transformed into a wave power plant Is it possible for a redundant fishing vessel to be used as a power plant? Absolutely! The first vessel of its kind is now anchored offshore in the Stadthavet area west in Norway, with the aim of generating electricity from the natural forces of the sea.
	Shaping up our 'soundscapes' can improve our lives We live in an increasingly noisy world. Since even low-level noise can affect quality of life, new tools to deal with noise are welcome. "Auralisation", the audio equivalent of visualisation, is now helping to model and improve the sound of our living and working spaces, as well as recovering the acoustics of past environments.
	It's not just your TV listening in to your conversation Be careful what you say in front of your new television, following reports that Samsung's new Smart TVs are now being programmed to listen to every word you say and send it over the internet to a third party cloud service.
	Experimental wave-power buoy survives winter in Monterey Bay In early January 2015, a team of MBARI engineers, led by Andy Hamilton, set out to sea to recover an experimental buoy that creates electrical energy from ocean waves. This power buoy had been deployed six miles southwest of Moss Landing Harbor for 131 days, while the engineers tested the system's ability to handle storms.
	Accident-tolerant fuels ready for testing Higher performance nuclear fuels could allow use in a reactor for longer periods of time along with enhanced tolerance to severe accident conditions. The summer of 2014 marked an important milestone toward development of nuclear fuel with enhanced accident-tolerant characteristics.
	Newsweek Twitter feed hijacked by pro-IS hacker Newsweek's Twitter feed was briefly hijacked Tuesday by hackers who displayed messages supporting the Islamic State group.
Obama to create new agency to examine cyberthreats The White House is setting up a new agency designed to coordinate cyberthreat intelligence that currently is spread across the U.S. government.
Computer analysis verifies authenticity of Jackson Pollock's drip paintings Abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock was perhaps most famous for his "drip painting" technique. His legacy, however, is plagued by fake "Pollocks" and even experts often have trouble distinguishing the genuine from the counterfeit. Now, a machine vision approach described in a forthcoming issue of International Journal of Arts and Technology has demonstrated 93 percent accuracy in spotting true Pollocks.
	Flipboard magazines not just for mobile anymore Smartphones and tablets have been pushing the personal computer aside, thanks in part to popular apps made by mobile-first entrepreneurs like Flipboard CEO Mike McCue.
	Twitter exec's account fires off spam posts An official Twitter account for the company's chief financial officer unleashed a barrage of spam posts on Tuesday in what may have been a hack or a glitch.
	Chinese spy team hacks Forbes.com: security firms US cyber security firms on Tuesday said that a Chinese espionage team hacked Forbes magazine to hunt defense contractors, financial firms, and other unsuspecting prey visiting the popular news website.
	Apple becomes first company worth over $700 bn Apple became the first company to reach a market value of $700 billion Tuesday as shares vaulted amid upbeat news on the US tech giant's gains in the smartphone market and soon-to-arrive smartwatch.
Apple building big solar energy farm in California Apple will spend $850 million on a massive solar energy project that will generate enough power for the computer giant's new office campus, retail stores and its other California operations.
	Cybersecurity students discover security gaps in 39,890 online databases Anyone could call up or modify several million pieces of customer data online including names, addresses and e-mails. According to the Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability (CISPA) in Saarbrücken, Germany, three of its students were able to show this for 40,000 online databases in both Germany and France. The cause is a misconfigured open source database upon which millions of online stores and platforms from all over the world base their services.
	Lower-cost metal 3-D printing solution available 3D printing of plastic parts to prototype or manufacture goods is becoming commonplace in industry, but there is an urgent need for lower-cost 3D printing technology to produce metal parts. New substrate release solutions that offer easy, less expensive alternatives to aluminum parts removal during gas metal arc weld 3D printing are described in an article in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing.
	Russia, Egypt say they aim to build nuclear power plant The presidents of Egypt and Russia on Tuesday said the two countries would build Egypt's first nuclear power plant together and boost natural gas trade and other ties.
Pentagon No. 2 sounds alarm over tech erosion The Pentagon's second-ranking official sounded alarm bells Tuesday about an erosion of America's military technological edge, warning that a return to automatic budget cuts would be an "unmitigated disaster" for the Pentagon.
Obama seeks $2 billion in private dollars for clean energy President Barack Obama is setting a goal of raising $2 billion from the private sector for investments in clean energy.
	On the menu for Yelp: Ordering takeout with Eat24 (Update 2) Competition for online takeout orders is heating up with Yelp's purchase of Eat24.
	FBI probes Newsweek hack following threats The FBI is investigating the hijacking of Newsweek's Twitter feed Tuesday by pro-Islamic hackers in which a threat was made to President Barack Obama's family, the White House said.

Medicine & Health news

	Of cancer and chaos: Single base mutation induces cancer-like gene profile and major unexpected impact on phenotype (Medical Xpress)—In chaos theory – the study of dynamical systems highly sensitive to initial conditions – was first described in 1890 by Henri Poincaré1, followed by work by Jacques Hadamard in 1898 and Pierre Duhem in 1908. Then, in his 1963 paper2, meteorologist Edward N. Lorenz theoretically demonstrated how in deterministic nonlinear systems, slightly differing initial states can evolve into very different later states – an effect commonly known as the butterfly effect. (While Lorenz did not use the term in his paper – it was previously introduced by Ray Bradbury in his 1952 science fiction story, A Sound of Thunder – it is attributed to him: the title of his talk at the 139th meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1972, Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?, was anecdotally coined by fellow meteorologist Philip Merilees.) That said, while chaotic behavior in many natural systems can be studied through analysis of a chaotic mathematical model or analytical techniques such as recurrence plots and Poincaré maps, there is not universal agreement that weather systems are so exquisitely sensitive to initial conditions, with alternative explanations including model error and oversimplified Lorenz equations.
	Researchers use closed-loop feedback from the brain to improve attention abilities (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers at Princeton University has found a way to improve the attention span of volunteers in a study. In their paper published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the team describes how they used fMRI machines to provide feedback to volunteers having their attention abilities tested and the impact it had on them.
	Grey matter loss from smoking may be reversible, study finds Damage to the brain's outer layer caused by smoking may be reversible after quitting, but it could take years, a study said Tuesday.
	Plant extract fights brain tumour Silibinin has an outstanding safety profile in humans and is currently used for the treatment of liver disease and poisoning. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich discovered in collaboration with scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München in cell cultures, animal models and human tumor tissue that silibinin can be applied to treat Cushing Disease, a rare hormone condition caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland in the brain. The researchers have filed a patent and now plan clinical trials using silibinin as a non-invasive treatment strategy. Thus, in future, patients might not have to undergo brain surgery anymore.
	Genetic guides to epigenetics Dirk Schübeler and his group at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) identify determinants that set epigenetic marks along the genome. The new study, published in Nature, shows that genetic activity and DNA sequence play a greater role in the regulation of epigenetic marking than previously thought. This questions the popular idea that gene expression can be influenced by external factors via epigenetic marking.
	New screening tool could speed development of ovarian cancer drugs University of Chicago Medicine researchers have built a model system that uses multiple cell types from patients to rapidly test compounds that could block the early steps in ovarian cancer metastasis. Their three-dimensional cell-culture system, adapted for high-throughput screening, has enabled them to identify small molecules that can inhibit adhesion and invasion, preventing ovarian cancers from spreading to nearby tissues.
	Babies can identify complex social situations and react accordingly In the social world, people constantly gather information through visual cues that are used to evaluate others and interact. A new study from researchers at the University of Missouri determined that babies can make sense of complex social situations, and that they expect people to behave appropriately.
	Protein linked to longevity and enhanced cognition protects against Alzheimer's symptoms Scientists from the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco report in the Journal of Neuroscience that raising levels of the life-extending protein klotho can protect against learning and memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Remarkably, this boost in cognition occurred despite the accumulation of Alzheimer-related toxins in the brain, such as amyloid-beta and tau.
	Unwanted impact of antibiotics broader, more complex than previously known Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered that antibiotics have an impact on the microorganisms that live in an animal's gut that's more broad and complex than previously known.
	Study shows brain area involved in eye movements, heading An area of the brain involved in eye movements also plays an important role in establishing our direction and navigating our environment, a Dartmouth College study finds.
	Panel asks: What defines chronic fatigue syndrome? (HealthDay)—Chronic fatigue syndrome is about to get a new clinical definition, with the hope that it will help physicians better diagnose people afflicted with the mysterious and complex disorder.
	No link seen between oxytocin-assisted labor and ADHD (HealthDay)—Mothers who get an extra boost during labor with the medication oxytocin don't face a higher risk of having a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study says.
	Residential treatment program helps obese kids lose weight, study finds (HealthDay)—Extremely obese kids in an intensive 10-month residential treatment program lost more weight than their counterparts, and appeared to reverse artery damage that could lead to clogged arteries and heart disease, according to a new study from Belgium.
Lucentis approved for diabetic retinopathy (HealthDay)—A drug to treat the most common eye disease among diabetics has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
	AMA provides key messages for patients about vaccination (HealthDay)—Physicians should be prepared for questions about the safety of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to an article published by the American Medical Association (AMA). The AMA has offered advice for answering patient questions on vaccination.
	One-quarter of adnexal masses in youth are malignant (HealthDay)—For children and adolescents with an adnexal mass, about 25 percent of masses are malignant, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Review: Some nonpharmacologic Tx effective in peds GI disorders (HealthDay)—Certain nonpharmacologic treatments are effective in pediatric abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders (AP-FGIDs), according to a review published online Feb. 9 in Pediatrics.
	Tobacco-smoking moms and dads increase diabetes risk for children in utero Children exposed to tobacco smoke from their parents while in the womb are predisposed to developing diabetes as adults, according to a study from the University of California, Davis and the Berkeley nonprofit Public Health Institute.
Lung cancer may be treatable with use of SapC-DOPS technology, research shows Lung cancer is the most common and the deadliest type of cancer worldwide, with about 221,000 new cases and an estimated 158,000 deaths in 2015 in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society.
	Exposure to mercury, seafood associated with risk factor for autoimmune disease One of the greatest risk factors for autoimmunity among women of childbearing age may be associated with exposure to mercury such as through seafood, a new University of Michigan study says.
Growing number of donor hearts rejected, need for transplants rises, study finds Surgeons and transplant centers nationwide increasingly have rejected hearts donated for transplantation despite a growing need for them, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Simple blood test can predict risk of dementia Scientists at Rigshopitalet, Herlev Hospital and the University of Copenhagen identify a new biomarker that can predict the risk of developing dementia by way of a simple blood test. In the long term, this could mean better prevention and thus at least postponement of the illness and at best evading the development all together. The study was recently published in an internationally acclaimed journal, the Annals of Neurology.
	Confidence not accurate measure of prescribing competence (HealthDay)—For medical students, self-reported confidence in prescribing only weakly correlates with actual competence, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
French charity attacks Gilead patent for hepatitis drug French charity Medecins du Monde (MdM) on Tuesday said it was contesting a European patent awarded to a hepatitis drug made by US firm Gilead Sciences, arguing the treatment was too costly.
Qatar tackles weighty problem with national sport day More than a million Qataris were given a day off work Tuesday to take part in a nationwide day of sport amid growing concern at obesity levels in the super-rich Gulf state.
	How a drug for ADHD is being used to fight binge eating The US Food and Drug Administration has just approved the use of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate for the treatment of binge eating disorder. Licensed under the brand name Vyvanse, lisdexamfetamine is the first and only FDA-approved medication for this condition.
	Researcher explores complex relationship between color perception and memory As the time-honored tradition goes, many lovebirds may be seeing red this Valentine's Day. The color of blood and fire, red has long been synonymous with intense emotions, such as love, passion, desire, strength, and vitality.
	Scientists find link between clear memories, brain connectivity Research from the Center for Vital Longevity (CVL) at UT Dallas sheds new light on how memories are successfully recollected.
Do adults need booster shots? When we think of vaccinations, the image of children getting their shots at a health clinic comes to mind, but there are many reasons adults need to think about vaccinations, as well.
	Predicting which misbehaving teens may become troubled adults It's not surprising that teens involved in fighting, vandalism, theft and other bad behaviors often have problems later in life as adults.
	Bio-inspired robotic sock that promotes blood circulation and prevents blood clots in legs Patients who are bedridden or unable to move their legs are often at risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a potentially life-threatening condition caused by blood clots forming along the lower extremity veins of the legs. A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Faculty of Engineering has invented a novel sock that can help prevent DVT and improve survival rates of patients.
Depression and anxiety may be the first manifestations of a medical disease In the current issue of P&P, Fiammetta Cosci and other italian investigators have analyzed the data available on depression and anxiety as early manifestations of medical disease.
	Mum and Dad's genes battle over baby's body shape Scientists from our Department of Biology & Biochemistry have uncovered how genes inherited from your mother and father have opposite effects on growth during early life, the outcome of which can influence the risk of conditions such as obesity and diabetes in adult life.
	Predicting disability and death after the ICU A growing number of older adults are surviving visits to hospital intensive care units (ICUs), but many emerge with disabilities such as impaired walking and poor overall function. A new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers shows that the level of disability the year before an ICU visit can predict post-ICU disability and death.
Impact of obesity on fertility can be reversed In a breakthrough discovery, researchers at the University of Adelaide have revealed how damage from obesity is passed from a mother to her children, and also how that damage can be reversed.
	Voice therapy needed to counter the "Marilyn Monroe" effect Routine voice therapy is needed for children who were intubated when they were born very preterm to reduce their risk of developing speaking difficulties, according to recent research.
	US patient is first outside Japan to receive new heart implant George "Mac" McAllister had already endured two heart attacks, quadruple-bypass surgery, myopathy, ischemia of the heart and a congestive heart failure diagnosis by the time he arrived at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heart & Vascular clinic in October 2014. Actually, McAllister, a Hayden, Alabama, native, had experienced all of those things, including the congestive heart failure diagnosis, some five and a half years earlier.
	Plain packaging reduces 'cigarette-seeking' response by almost a tenth, says study Plain tobacco packaging may reduce the likelihood of smokers seeking to obtain cigarettes by almost 10% compared to branded packs, according to research from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol.
More targeted pre-surgery radiation significantly reduces long term negative impact in certain cancers Using advanced imaging technology to more precisely target radiation beams to treat soft tissue cancers (sarcomas) in the extremities significantly reduces long term side effects without effecting survival rates, according to research results published online today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Review finds 'significant link' between cannabis use and onset of mania symptoms Researchers from the University of Warwick have found evidence to suggest a significant relationship between cannabis use and the onset and exacerbation of mania symptoms.
	Calories in, calories out – obesity and the energy imbalance gap The prevailing notion about obesity is that if we just work out harder and eat a little bit better, then perhaps the obesity trend will subside in a few years. However, the key to really making a difference is food – the number of calories we eat is the most important factor in obesity. But changing the way people eat will take a very long time.
Drug targeting Ebola virus protein VP24 shows promise in monkeys An experimental medication that targets a protein in Ebola virus called VP24 protected 75% of a group of monkeys that were studied from Ebola virus infection, according to new research conducted by the U.S. Army, in collaboration with Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. The study was published this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology
Saudi warns of MERS surge linked to baby camels Saudi authorities warned Tuesday of a possible spike soon in cases of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) because of the risk posed from newborn camels.
Smartphone apps just as accurate as wearable devices for tracking physical activity Although wearable devices have received significant attention for their ability to track an individual's physical activity, most smartphone applications are just as accurate, according to a new research letter in JAMA.
Size of biomarker associated with improved survival following transplantation Among patients with severe aplastic anemia who received stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor, longer leukocyte (white blood cells) telomere length (a structure at the end of a chromosome) was associated with increased overall survival at 5 years, according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA.
	Creatine does not slow rate of Parkinson's disease progression Treatment with creatine monohydrate for at least 5 years for patients with early and treated Parkinson disease failed to slow clinical progression of the disease, compared with placebo, according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA.
Iron supplementation improves hemoglobin recovery time following blood donation Among blood donors with normal hemoglobin levels, low-dose oral iron supplementation, compared with no supplementation, reduced the time to recovery of the postdonation decrease in hemoglobin concentration in donors with low or higher levels of a marker of overall iron storage (ferritin), according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA.
BP-lowering treatment for type 2 diabetes linked to longer survival Blood pressure-lowering treatment among patients with type 2 diabetes is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and heart disease events and improved mortality, according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA.
	Crowdfunding helps solve rare disease mystery Rare diseases—those that affect fewer than one in 200,000 people—are often identified early in life. Some 30 percent of children afflicted by these "orphan diseases" do not live to see their fifth birthday. While the U.S. Orphan Drug Act of 1983 was written into law to promote research on the topic, the cost of identifying the source and progression of these diseases remains prohibitive for many families.
	Study unlocks more about cancer Ground-breaking research from Griffith University on the Gold Coast has some scientists wondering if the entire study of cellular biology needs to be adjusted.
	Is measles' return the 'New normal'? (HealthDay)—Is measles really back? That's the question vexing everyone from pediatricians to policymakers to parents as the outbreak of the dangerous childhood disease that was declared eliminated from the United States 15 years ago continues to spread.
Low childhood vitamin D linked to adult atherosclerosis Low levels of 25-OH vitamin D in childhood were associated with subclinical atherosclerosis over 25 years later in adulthood, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Napping reverses health effects of poor sleep A short nap can help relieve stress and bolster the immune systems of men who slept only two hours the previous night, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
	Listeria pathogen is prevalent, persistent in retail delis, study finds Purdue University research shows that standard cleaning procedures in retail delis may not eradicate Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which can cause a potentially fatal disease in people with vulnerable immune systems.
	New name, new criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome? (HealthDay)—Chronic fatigue syndrome, a debilitating illness affecting up to 2.5 million Americans, may soon get a new name and set of diagnostic criteria.
	Multidisciplinary approach successful in chronic back pain (HealthDay)—Medication combined with a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program can decrease disability and improve mental health in low back pain patients over several years, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
	ACC/AHA risk score no better for identifying elevated CAC in RA (HealthDay)—For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) 10-year risk score does not improve identification of those with elevated cardiovascular risk based on high coronary artery calcification (CAC) scores, according to a study published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
	HPV16 seropositivity relatively common before anal cancer (HealthDay)—Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 (HPV16) seropositivity is relatively common before anal cancer diagnosis, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Scientists find new cellular pathway defect in cystinosis Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified a new cellular pathway that is affected in cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder that can result in eye and kidney damage.
Changes proposed to improve research on health information technology Studies about the value of health information technology can be improved by broadening the reviews to include both costs and benefits, and lengthening study periods to capture long-term implications, according to a new RAND Corporation analysis.
Surgery for pulmonary embolism may prevent A surgical procedure that was virtually abandoned in the 1950s because of its high mortality rates in trying to save patients with acute pulmonary embolism may actually prevent more deaths in severely ill patients than current drug therapies alone, according to a new analysis of cases conducted in the North Shore-LIJ Health System over the past decade.
	2011 Houston heat wave led to significant rise in emergency department visits Houston experienced its hottest summer on record in 2011, resulting in 278 excess emergency department visits per day during the August heat wave, according to research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) published recently in Environmental Health.
	90 percent approve of cancer screening but screening uptake is lower Nine in 10 people think that cancer screening is 'almost always a good idea' despite the fact that screening uptake is lower, a Cancer Research UK study in the British Journal of Cancer shows.
Two more infants from Illinois day care have measles Health officials say two more infants from a suburban Chicago day care have measles, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois to 10.
	Mississippi, West Virginia toughest on school immunizations With rampant diabetes and obesity, Mississippi and West Virginia have struggled with health crises. Yet when it comes to getting children vaccinated, these states don't mess around.
Urban design influences level of physical activity in Chinese cities Chinese cities are different from many Western cities in relation to urban design, and far more densely populated. But a new study by New York University and East China Normal University researchers has found that the design of the built environment influences how much walking and bicycling people do in Chinese cities where obesity and chronic diseases are at highly elevated levels and still rising.
New therapeutic principle for Parkinsonian dyskinesia shows clinical effect Involuntary dyskinetic movements induced by treatment with levodopa (L-dopa) are a common problem for people with Parkinson's disease. Now, however, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Lund University in Sweden seem to be close to a novel therapy to this distressing side effect. A treatment study published in the scientific periodical Brain shows that a drug that stimulates certain serotonin receptors in the brain counteracts the dyskinesia causing effects of L-dopa.
	US advisers rethink cholesterol risk from foods: report (HealthDay)—Decades-old advice to Americans against eating foods high in cholesterol likely will not appear in the next update of the nation's Dietary Guidelines, according to published reports.
	Effectiveness of implanted defibrillators may depend on patient's age (HealthDay)—Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) prolong survival among heart patients who face a high risk for sudden cardiac death, a new review of research indicates.
Women with a pregnancy history of spontaneous preterm delivery at higher risk of CVD A history of spontaneous preterm delivery appears to double a woman's risk of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, according to results of a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The strength of the association was described by the investigators as "robust", and, as an independent risk factor for CVD, "almost equally strong" as raised blood pressure, elevated lipid levels, overweight, smoking and diabetes mellitus (with similar hazard ratios between 2.0 and 2.5).
Universal healthcare vital to fight inequality: WHO The head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday described universal healthcare as a powerful tool to fight inequality, hailing countries such as Singapore, which last month introduced a safety net for the poor and elderly.
US firms lowball earnings to avoid higher health insurance costs, says study American companies tend to report lower profits when dealing with monolithic health insurance providers, a new study shows.
Live-in caregivers unsung contributors to oilsands economy A new study led by a University of Alberta sociologist shows that live-in caregivers are helping to ease work-life stresses for families in northern Alberta's oilsands region—but are facing stressful challenges of their own.
Can dignity affect survival of terminally ill patients? A report in the current issue of P&P by a group of Portoguese investigators headed by Antonio Barbosa  applies a new psychotherapeutic approach, dignity therapy, to terminally ill patients.
Psychosocial interventions may help chronic obstructive pulmonary disease A group of Danish investigators reports on data that suggest that psychosocial interventions may be helpful in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the current issue of P&P. Psychosocial intervention has been suggested as a potentially effective supplement to medical treatment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but no reviews so far have quantified the existing research in terms of both psychological and physical health outcomes.
Psychotherapy of depression saves costs In the current issue of P&P a group of German investigators analyzes whether to treat depression with psychotherapy is worth the cost. Major depressive disorder (MDD) causes a massive disease burden worldwide. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an important treatment approach for depression. Cost-utility analysis (CUA) is a method to support decisions on efficient allocation of resources in health policy. The objective of our study was to systematically review CUA of CBT in the treatment of patients suffering from MDD.
Evidence-based medicine is only a restrictive interpretation of clinical medicine In an article in the current issue of P&P a group of Italian investigators analyzes data that derive from  the most popular approach in clinical medicine nowadays, evidence-based medicine.
The benefits of voluntary work for the working population Gainfully employed people who volunteer in their spare time are healthier and more satisfied with their work-life balance than people who do not engage in voluntary work, shows a study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
	Caregivers receive support, information thanks to online study As the baby boomer generation continues to age past retirement, many of their female children are embodying what is known as the "sandwich generation" – caring for aging parents while also raising children.
Minimally invasive Achilles tendon surgery reduces complications Brian Frias was rounding second base and heading to third when he heard a sharp snap in his Achilles tendon.
New IOM report identifies five symptoms to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome—commonly referred to as ME/CFS—is a legitimate, serious, and complex systemic disease that frequently and dramatically limits the activities of affected individuals, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The committee that wrote the report developed new diagnostic criteria for the disorder that includes five main symptoms. In addition, it recommended that the disorder be renamed "Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease" and be assigned a new code in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition.
Ebola-hit Sierra Leone announces disease control agency Sierra Leone announced Tuesday the launch of an infectious diseases prevention agency, saying it would convert its Ebola clinics into treatment and research units for some of the world's deadliest viruses.
UM brain disorder research moves toward clinical testing University of Montana is one step closer to turning a discovery into a drug. Promentis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently announced it will enter an exclusive agreement with UM to commercialize a discovery made by a team of UM faculty scientists that has the potential to treat brain cancer and possibly other disorders of the central nervous system.
Not all EGFR mutations are the same when it comes to therapy for non-small cell lung cancer Certain rare epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are associated with tobacco smoking, worse prognosis and poor response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy compared to the more common "classical" EGFR mutations. However, as not all rare mutations are the same, testing and therapy may need to be evaluated for each individual mutation.
The NELSON lung cancer screening trial results are inferable for the general high-risk Results of the NELSON lung cancer screening trial using low dose computed tomography (LDCT) can be used to predict the effect of population-based screening on the Dutch population even though there were slight differences in baseline characteristics of participants in the control arm versus eligible non-participants.
New reporter system to study bone-related regenerative medicine generated by UMN labs A new reporter system used to study the bone regeneration potential of human embryonic stem cells has been generated in research led by the University of Minnesota. The new reporter system is the first of its kind for human pluripotent stem cells and is important for identifying certain agents and pathways that mediate early stages of human bone development.
Mesothelioma in southern Nevada likely result of asbestos in environment Malignant mesothelioma has been found at higher than expected levels in women and in individuals younger than 55 years old in the southern Nevada counties of Clark and Nye, likewise in the same region carcinogenic mineral fibers including actinolite asbestos, erionite, winchite, magnesioriebeckite and richterite were discovered. These data, published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the official journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, suggest that these elevated numbers of malignant mesothelioma cases are linked to environmental exposure of carcinogenic mineral fibers.
Depression predicts disturbed sleep among stroke survivors Depression is a powerful predictor of nighttime sleep disturbances among stroke survivors, according to research presented at the Nursing Symposium of the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2015.
Puerto Rico considers fining parents of obese children Legislators in Puerto Rico are debating a bill that would fine parents of obese children up to $800 if they don't lose weight.
Brazil entices Tinder users in covert safe-sex campaign "Looking for men and women for no-strings attached sex, preferably no condoms?" reads the enticingly explicit message seemingly posted by a young Brazilian woman on popular meet-up mobile site Tinder.
	ABIM implements changes to MOC program (HealthDay)—The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has changed or suspended several of the recent revisions made to its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, to the satisfaction of American medical organizations, according to an article published Feb. 3 in Medical Economics.

Biology news

A first of its kind tool to study the histone code University of North Carolina scientists have created a new research tool, based on the fruit fly, to help crack the histone code. This research tool can be used to better understand the function of histone proteins, which play critical roles in the regulation of gene expression in animals and plants.
	Researchers have traced the evolution of glowing shrimp Florida International University researchers have traced the evolution of bioluminescence in deep-sea shrimps.
	Study shows parasites may resort to sabotage if there are conflicting interests with a host (Phys.org)—A pair of researchers at the Max Planck Institute has found that for at least one type of parasite existing inside one type of host, sabotage might be at play when there are competing interests. In their paper published in the journal Evolution, Nina Hafer and Manfred Milinski, describe their experiments with tapeworm parasites that live in copepods, a small crustacean and what they learned about the tapeworm's behavior.
	Engineers put the 'squeeze' on human stem cells After using optical tweezers to squeeze a tiny bead attached to the outside of a human stem cell, researchers now know how mechanical forces can trigger a key signaling pathway in the cells.
	Crocodiles just wanna have fun, too Turns out we may have more in common with crocodiles than we'd ever dream. According to research by a psychology professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, crocodiles think surfing waves, playing ball and going on piggyback rides are fun, too.
	Fatal shark attacks rare in Australia despite deaths: experts A hunt was underway Tuesday for a large shark that killed a Japanese surfer on Australia's east coast, as experts said fatal attacks remained rare despite three deaths in as many months.
Fighting animal cruelty in LatAm, one tweet at a time Veterinarian Carmen Soto is gently swabbing what is left of Grecia the toucan's bright beak, preparing to fit him with a prosthesis to replace the part hacked off by vandals.
	The winter-to-spring cankerworm cycle It is the time of the year when you might be thinking of snuggling up with hot chocolate and your favorite book, but female cankerworm moths are hard at work – laying the foundation for an invasion that you won't notice until this spring.
	Scientists reveal rapid New Zealand penguin extinction and arrivals An international research team led by scientists from the University of Otago's Department of Zoology has documented one of the most rapid biological transition events ever found.
	Avian malaria also affects wild birds in Austria Avian malaria is not uncommon in Central Europe, as many endemic wild birds are infected with species of Plasmodium, which cause avian malaria. In most cases these blood parasites, transmitted by mosquitoes, do not produce any symptoms in endemic birds, as they have adapted to the parasites. A team of pathologists at the Vetmeduni Vienna recently showed for the first time that native birds, too, are susceptible to avian malaria. The data collected was published in the journal Parasitology Research.
	End of CRISPR-CAS9 controversy The IBS research team (Center for Genome Engineering) has successfully confirmed that CRISPR-Cas9 has accurate on-target effects in human cells, through joint research with the Seoul National University College of Medicine and ToolGen, Inc.
	The princess and the pea: Cells' ultra-sensitivity for strong molecular forces Knowing how cells exert force and sense mechanical feedback in their microenvironment is crucial to understanding how they activate a wide range of cellular functions, such as cell reproduction, differentiation and adhesion—basic physiological processes that underlie embryo development, tumor metastasis, wound healing and many other aspects of human health and disease.
	Worms in space: Exploring health effects of microgravity Humans may inevitably explore other planets, moons, and asteroids within our solar system. And although life on Earth has adapted to our planet's gravitational field, this looming possibility begs the question: How will animals and humans adapt to different gravitational environments?
Predicting plant responses to drought A new U.S. Geological Survey study shows how plants' vulnerability to drought varies across the landscape; factors such as plant structure and soil type where the plant is growing can either make them more vulnerable or protect them from declines.
	With a little help from robotic, researchers investigate the communications behind swarming Living in groups affords several benefits for animals, including better feeding opportunities and reduced risks from predators—situations in which critical information is transmitted nonverbally throughout the group. While scientists know that information is shared during coordinated maneuvers, those interactions are only a small subset of the complex behavioral repertoire displayed by the animal groups.
	South Africa weighs legal rhino horn trade South Africa has appointed a panel of experts to examine the viability of a legal rhino horn trade, the environmental affairs ministry said Tuesday as poaching of the species spiked to record levels.
Suspended soils maintain rainforest ecosystems Scientists from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) believe that the bird's nest fern, a plant commonly found in many of our homes, has a critical place in maintaining the biodiversity and the ecosystems of the world's rainforests.
	US continues global leadership to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing In its 2015 biennial report to Congress on illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU), NOAA has identified six nations—Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nigeria, Nicaragua, and Portugal—as engaging in the practice. IUU fishing and seafood fraud undermine international efforts to sustainably manage and rebuild fisheries, and creates unfair market competition for fishermen playing by the rules, like those in the United States.
	Too much of a good thing: Extra genes make bacteria lethal We, as most animals, host many different beneficial bacteria. Being beneficial to the host often pays off for the bacteria, as success of the host determines the survival and spread of the microbe. But if bacteria grow too much they may become deadly. In a new study published in the latest edition of the scientific journal PLOS Biology, a research team from Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC; Portugal) found that a single genomic change can turn beneficial bacteria into pathogenic bacteria, by boosting bacterial density inside the host.
Adult fish facility opens Oregon's South Santiam basin to threatened salmon and steelhead Oregon's Foster Dam just got an upgrade, one that is proving vital to the survival of threatened Upper Willamette River spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead. A new facility ensures fish can bypass the 126-foot flood control structure in better condition as they migrate upstream, improving the odds they reach their spawning grounds high in the Willamette Valley's South Santiam basin.

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