Science X Newsletter Sunday, Apr 26

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Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 26, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- MIT team's wireless Vital-Radio could follow breathing, heart rate at home
- Ears, grips and fists take on mobile phone user ID
- Team develops faster, higher quality 3-D camera
- Diabetes drug found in freshwater is a potential cause of intersex fish
- Start of dwarf planet mission delayed after small mix-up
- Drinking just 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks a day linked to liver disease
- MRI shows association between reading to young children and brain activity
- Supermarkets welcome cold-comfort edge of F1 aerofoils

Astronomy & Space news

Start of dwarf planet mission delayed after small mix-up NASA said Friday observations of a dwarf planet have been delayed slightly after a communication glitch.

Technology news

	MIT team's wireless Vital-Radio could follow breathing, heart rate at home Homes with the accompanying tag of "smart" are often described as deploying devices that can tell the temperature and air quality as signals of the home's health status. What about residents' health status? A team from MIT believe that, as health-monitoring technologies advance, future smart homes will not only monitor the environment but also people's vital signals such as breathing and heartbeats.
	Ears, grips and fists take on mobile phone user ID A research project has been under way to explore a biometric authentication system dubbed Bodyprint, with interesting test results. Bodyprint has been designed to detect users' biometric features using the capacitive touchscreen as an image scanner. As such, one would use Bodyprint as a convenient replacement for PIN codes for smartphones. The biometric scanner can scan body parts such as ears, palm grips and fists when pressed against the display, to identify the user biometrically.
	Team develops faster, higher quality 3-D camera When Microsoft released the Kinect for Xbox in November 2010, it transformed the video game industry. The most inexpensive 3-D camera to date, the Kinect bypassed the need for joysticks and controllers by sensing the user's gestures, leading to a feeling of total immersion into the game. Microsoft sold 8 million Kinect units within 60 days, making it the fastest-selling electronic device ever.
	Supermarkets welcome cold-comfort edge of F1 aerofoils UK-based Williams Advanced Engineering, the technology and engineering services business of the Williams Group, has collaborated with UK-based Aerofoil Energy to develop an aerodynamic device that can reduce the energy consumed by refrigerators in supermarkets and convenience stores.
	'Map spam' puts Google in awkward place Google was re-evaluating its user-edited online map system Friday after the latest embarrassing incident—an image of an Android mascot urinating on an Apple logo.
	Winners and losers of the demise of the big Comcast deal In the aftermath of Comcast's decision to walk away from buying Time Warner Cable, some winners and losers are emerging.
	Starbucks: Computer outage disrupts sales in US, Canada A computer outage affecting registers forced Starbucks to give away free drinks Friday before closing stores early.
	Technology and outdoor sports converge at drone conference Surfers catching waves and mountain bikers pedaling through forests are used to the occasional low flying pelican or diving hawk, but these days outdoor recreationalists can find what's up in the air isn't a bird at all, it's a drone.
	Russian hackers read Obama emails, report says Emails to and from President Barack Obama were read by Russian hackers last year in a breach of the White House's unclassified computer system, The New York Times said Saturday.
	'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3': 5 ways it's different "Call of Duty: Black Ops 3" is enlisting a few new recruits.
	Robots and dinosaurs as Japan holds 'Niconico' offline gala Robots and dinosaurs mingled with cosplayers as Japan's largest video-sharing website Niconico on Saturday opened its two-day meet-up gala which is expected to attract more than 100,000 fans for the offline get together.

Medicine & Health news

	Drinking just 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks a day linked to liver disease According to the World Health Organization, excessive alcohol drinking is the most common cause of cirrhosis worldwide. A new worldwide study presented at The International Liver CongressTM 2015 has shown the significant influence of daily drinking on this disease burden. New data shows that the cirrhosis burden caused by alcohol increased by 11.13% when moving from the moderate to heavy daily drinking (up to one drink/day for women; two drinks/day for men) classification (p
	MRI shows association between reading to young children and brain activity Among the advice new parents receive is to read to their babies early and often. The hope is that sharing books together will help children's language development and eventually, turn them into successful readers.
Mental disorders don't predict future violence Most psychiatric disorders - including depression—do not predict future violent behavior, according to new Northwestern Medicine longitudinal study of delinquent youth. The only exception is substance abuse and dependence.
Researchers find alarming rise in cost of MS drugs over past two decades A new study shows an "alarming rise" over the last 20 years in the costs of drugs used to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis or reduce the frequency of attacks, according to a study led by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Oregon State University (OSU).
	French firm announces multiple sclerosis drug breakthrough French biotechnology company MedDay on Friday announced encouraging results for a multiple sclerosis (MS) drug trial, saying it decreased its progress and in some cases led to a "significant improvement" for sufferers.
Pepsi dropping sweetener aspartame from diet cola drinks PepsiCo said Friday it was bowing to customer demand and doing away with the controversial sweetener aspartame in its diet line of cola drinks in the US.
Cell phones take parents' attention away from kids on playgrounds Parents who take their kids to the playground may be tempted to pull out their cell phone to send a quick text or check Facebook. It may be more prudent, however, to stay focused on their child to ensure he or she plays safely, according to two studies to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
Babies as young as 6 months using mobile media More than one-third of babies are tapping on smartphones and tablets even before they learn to walk or talk, and by 1 year of age, one in seven toddlers is using devices for at least an hour a day, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 25 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
	Magazine, Internet images fail to promote infant sleep safety Images of infants sleeping in unsafe environments are pervasive in women's magazines and on stock photo websites, which could create confusion among parents and put babies at risk, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 25 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
Youths who survive self-poisoning continue to be at risk of suicide for years Teenagers who are hospitalized after intentionally poisoning themselves are at a significantly increased risk of dying by suicide in the following decade, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 25 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego, and published at the same time in The Lancet Psychiatry.
State laws dampen texting by teen drivers but rates still high State laws banning texting while driving led to significant reductions in the number of teens using their cell phones while behind the wheel, but nearly one-third still admitted to engaging in this risky behavior, according to new research to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
Giving books to kids before summer break can stem reading losses It's common knowledge among teachers that when students return to school after the long summer break, they likely will have lost some academic ground—a phenomenon known as "summer slide." A new study, to be presented on Saturday, April 25 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego, shows that giving students books at the end of the school year can help stem losses in reading skills.
Bill under debate would limit farm antibiotics in Oregon For decades, farmers have routinely fed antibiotics to livestock to fatten up the animals and protect them from illnesses amplified by confined conditions.
How hospitals can improve outcomes of weekend surgeries Studies have shown that patients who undergo surgeries on weekends tend to experience longer hospital stays and higher mortality rates and readmissions.
Two treatments yield similar results for children after cardiac arrest A large-scale, multicenter study has shown that emergency body cooling does not improve survival rates or reduce brain injury in infants and children with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest more than normal temperature control.
We are family: Adult support reduces youths' risk of violence exposure Adults can have a bigger influence on youths growing up in poor, violent neighborhoods than they may realize, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 26 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
Electronic cigarettes gaining in popularity among teens Teens no longer smoke just cigarettes. They have branched out to using alternative tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes, hookahs and little cigars. In fact, e-cigarette use is rising rapidly among both cigarette smokers and nonsmokers, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 26 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
	Some children lose autism diagnosis but still struggle About one in 14 toddlers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) no longer met the diagnostic criteria in elementary school, but most continued to have emotional/behavior symptoms and required special education supports, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 26 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
Despite warnings, health food stores recommend OTC dietary supplements to minors Fifteen year olds are not only able to buy over-the-counter dietary supplements from a sampling of health food stores across the country, the staff at those stores actually went so far as to recommend certain products, despite labels reading "for adult use only."
	Parents sound off on mobile device use by children Smartphones and tablets have become part of everyday life, but parents still worry that mobile devices may not be the best thing for their children, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 26 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
	Just an hour of TV a day linked to unhealthy weight in kindergartners New research shows that it doesn't take much for kids to be considered couch potatoes.
Program puts a dent in summer hunger When schools close their doors for the summer, many low-income children who rely on subsidized breakfasts and lunches don't know when they will get their next meal. An innovative program to fill this gap could serve as a model for communities looking to help feed struggling families when school is out.
Serving healthy foods with a smile may entice students to eat better Labeling healthy foods with smiley faces and offering small prizes for buying nutritious items may be a low-cost way to get students to make healthy choices in the school lunch line, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 26 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
Researchers harness the power of mobile devices to teach kids about safety Since it's nearly impossible to keep mobile devices out of the hands of children, they might as well learn something worthwhile using these devices. That was the idea behind the development of a game app to teach youngsters about bicycle and dog bite safety.
Combined brachytherapy techniques should be 'benchmark' for cervical cancer treatment The first large international study to investigate the late side-effects of a combination of two forms of brachytherapy to treat cervical cancer has shown that the technique successfully delivers higher radiation doses to the tumour without an increase in treatment-related problems afterwards.
	Health officials say ice cream is safe despite some recalls Federal health officials say ice cream is still safe to eat—even amid recalls by two ice cream companies after the discovery of listeria bacteria in their frozen confections.
Niger battles deadly meningitis epidemic Parents cradling sick children in their arms streamed into a treatment centre in Niger's capital Niamey, the victims of a meningitis epidemic that has claimed over 100 lives and appears to be accelerating.
Hawaii poised to become first state to raise smoking age to 21 Lawmakers have passed a bill that would make Hawaii the first state to raise the legal smoking age to 21.
West Africa battles mystery of 'post-Ebola syndrome' As the Ebola epidemic retreats across west Africa, international health authorities are turning their attention to the little understood long-term effects of the often-deadly virus on the survivors.
Use of pocket-sized ultrasound device reduces need for further testing in clinical settings Results from a study presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015 demonstrate that the use of a pocket-sized ultrasound device (PUD) helps to reduce the need for further testing in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.
Preliminary safety findings: IFN-free DAA comb. with dasabuvir in chronic HCV patients Preliminary data from an ongoing study revealed today at The International Liver Congress 2015 suggest that a combination of three direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) plus dasabuvir is well tolerated in patients with severe renal impairment or end-stage renal disease when used either with or without ribavirin. In addition, the combination led to rapid hepatitis C viral load suppression with no virological failures seen in the preliminary data from the ongoing open-label study.
Researchers highlight need for better evidence to guide EU efforts to increase hep B+C testing The apparent dearth of research on hepatitis B and C testing in many European countries could be hampering efforts to identify infected individuals, according to results from a comprehensive review of 136 studies presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015.
Hepatitis C screening essential to help catch patients with advanced liver fibrosis Study results presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015 show that the occurrence of advanced liver fibrosis is similar for patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), whether or not they have been diagnosed.
Alcohol use disorders - stronger predictor of mortality than chronic hepatitis C virus infection Results presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015, show that alcohol use disorders (AUD) have a serious, negative prognostic outcome with higher mortality risks in the general population and patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in particular.
Sofosbuvir plus peginterferon/ribavirin demonstrates virologic response rates in G3 hep C patients Results presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015 demonstrate that hepatitis C (HCV)-infected genotype-3 (GT-3) patients, with and without cirrhosis, receiving 24 weeks of sofosbuvir (SOF) in combination with ribavirin (RBV) and peginterferon (PEG) achieved the highest sustained virologic response rates at 12 weeks (SVR12), observed in a Phase 3 study, to date.
Use of direct-antiviral agents helps overcome hepatitis C recurrence in liver transplant patients New data presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015, supports the use of sofosbuvir (SOF)- and daclatasvir (DCV)-based regimens in patients with recurrence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) following liver transplantation (LT). The results are based on data from patients with HCV being treated with second-generation DAAs in the large French prospective ANRS CO23 CUPILT study. Among them, 296 patients were treated with a combination of SOF+DCV, with or without ribavirin.
DCV, SOF and RBV combination effective / tolerated in HCV with adv, cirrhosis / post-transplant recurrence Phase 3 results presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015 show that a combination of daclatasvir (DCV), sofosbuvir (SOF) and ribavirin (RBV) for 12 weeks was effective and well tolerated amongst patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with advanced cirrhosis and post-transplant recurrence. Sustained virologic response rates at 12 weeks (SVR12) were >90% in patients with Child-Pugh class A or B cirrhosis but lower in Child-Pugh class C. SVR12 was achieved by 94% of liver transplant recipients with HCV recurrence.
Sofosbuvir/daclatasvir combination effective treatment for difficult-to-treat hep C patients Results presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015 show that the sofosbuvir (SOF)/daclatasvir (DCV) treatment combination is effective amongst hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype-1 mono-infected patients. These results are significant because whilst other combinations have been widely reported on, there have been few data until now regarding the use of SOF/DCV combination in real world situations.
Europe's police crack massive horsemeat trafficking ring Police from seven European countries detained 26 people in a crackdown on a horsemeat trafficking ring two years after a tainted meat scandal that rocked the continent, the EU's judicial agency Eurojust said Saturday.
Brachytherapy improves survival for inoperable early stage endometrial cancer Women who have early stage endometrial cancer and are inoperable tend to live longer if they have been treated with brachytherapy with or without external beam radiation, according to new research to be presented at the 3rd ESTRO Forum in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday.
High radiotherapy dose improves prospects for children with brain cancer Two studies to be presented today (Sunday) at the 3rd ESTRO Forum in Barcelona, Spain, show that increasing the dose of radiotherapy given to children with an intracranial ependymoma, a form of cancer of the central nervous system, can significantly improve their survival.

Biology news

Diabetes drug found in freshwater is a potential cause of intersex fish A medication commonly taken for Type II diabetes, which is being found in freshwater systems worldwide, has been shown to cause intersex in fish -male fish that produce eggs.

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