Science X Newsletter Friday, Dec 11

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 11, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Study shows important goal for organic semiconductors is attainable
- Year in Review—The most important research of 2015: February
- High-resolution repeat imaging allows detecting dynamic surface processes on Mars
- DNA-based electromechanical switch demonstrated
- New optical technique able to detect a single radio signal amongst background noise
- Researchers create powerful pseudomagnetic fields in graphene
- Report of discovery of large object in far outer edges of solar system incites skeptical reactions
- Cooperative catalysts offer unique route to alkenes
- Scientists reveal that the rotation of Earth's core holds a clue to understanding global sea-level rise
- New catalyst paves way for bio-based plastics, chemicals
- Diagnostics with birefringence
- Volcanic event caused ice age during Jurassic Period, new research suggests
- Three astronauts land back on Earth from space station
- Researchers develop nature-mimicking freeze-casting technique for fabricating advanced porous materials
- Study uncovers influence of Earth's history on the dawn of modern birds

Astronomy & Space news

	High-resolution repeat imaging allows detecting dynamic surface processes on Mars (Phys.org)—Mars, which has constantly observed by space probes for over 40 years, still holds unresolved mysteries like its dynamic surface processes. The multitude of high-resolution images of the Red Planet at our disposal could provide crucial insights into these changes seen on the Martian ground. A new study conducted by the scientists from the University College London, U.K., analyzes the available imagery and by producing a series of 35 global coverage maps of Mars, attempts to create an initial basis for researchers to better examine the dynamic natural phenomena on Mars.
	What spawned the Jellyfish Nebula? The Jellyfish Nebula, also known by its official name IC 443, is the remnant of a supernova lying 5,000 light years from Earth. New Chandra observations show that the explosion that created the Jellyfish Nebula may have also formed a peculiar object located on the southern edge of the remnant, called CXOU J061705.3+222127, or J0617 for short. The object is likely a rapidly spinning neutron star, or pulsar.
	Did 'dark matter' or a star called Nemesis kill the dinosaurs? The dinosaur extinction 66m years ago was most likely caused by a comet or big asteroid hitting the Earth. But given that asteroids don't actually hit our planet very often, could this really be the whole story? Many scientists are now asking whether some sort of cosmological event could have boosted the number of comets at the time, making such a collision more likely.
	Mars Rover Curiosity reaches sand dunes NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has begun an up-close investigation of dark sand dunes up to two stories tall. The dunes are on the rover's trek up the lower portion of a layered Martian mountain.
	Three astronauts land back on Earth from space station Three astronauts, from the United States, Russia and Japan, on Friday successfully completed a rare nighttime landing on Earth in the wintry Kazakh steppe after returning from the International Space Station.
	Report of discovery of large object in far outer edges of solar system incites skeptical reactions (Phys.org)—Two separate teams of researchers (one from Mexico, the other Sweden), have incited skepticism among the astronomy community by posting papers on the preprint server arXiv each describing a different large object they observed in the outer edges of the solar system. Both teams made their observations after reviewing data from ALMA—a cluster of radio dishes in the Chilean mountains.
	Rarity of Jupiter-like planets means planetary systems exactly like ours may be scarce Is our little corner of the galaxy a special place? As of this date, we've discovered more than 1,500 exoplanets: planets orbiting stars other than our sun. Thousands more will be added to the list in the coming years as we confirm planetary candidates by alternative, independent methods.
	Purdue team creates high-tech torches for Indiana Bicentennial An interdisciplinary team of students and faculty at Purdue University has designed and built three types of torches that will be central to Indiana's bicentennial relay next year.

Technology news

	Not your nephew's drone: Fleye as flying robot of future Hobbyists can give their Saturday afternoon drones a rest. Why must fun be in the form of military-looking insects? What about a design-friendly ball floating in the air?
	FaceDirector software generates desired performances in post-production, avoiding reshoots Some film directors are famous for demanding that scenes be shot and re-shot repeatedly until actors express just the right emotion at the right time, but directors will be able to fine-tune performances in post-production, rather than on the film set, with a new system developed by Disney Research and the University of Surrey.
	Aerial thermal imaging camera set for 2016 drone market release Best of class thermal-imaging technology is available for aerial applications, with news that drone company DJI has entered into a collaboration with thermal imaging systems company FLIR.
	Team develops software to predict and prevent drone collisions When Jeff Bezos unveiled his vision of drones delivering packages to Amazon customers during a 60 Minutes segment in late 2013, it caught many people as science fiction. Scarcely two years later, drones are poised to become a technology for not just delivering packages, but monitoring agriculture, gathering news in urban environments and even conducting search and rescue missions.
	Wearable energy generator uses urine to power wireless transmitter A pair of socks embedded with miniaturised microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and fuelled with urine pumped by the wearer's footsteps has powered a wireless transmitter to send a signal to a PC. This is the first self-sufficient system powered by a wearable energy generator based on microbial fuel cell technology.
	Diagnosing better efficiencies for solar cells A new diagnostic imaging technique developed by a University of Maryland -led team of researchers promises to boost efficiencies of solar cells by making it possible to find and correct previously undetected ways that solar cells fall far short of theoretical efficiencies.
	Samsung aid for sick workers comes with conditions, secrecy Samsung's hopes of ending years of acrimony over whether its computer chip factories caused cancer have hit a hitch: some sickened workers and their families say they'll never accept its highly conditional offer of financial assistance.
	Addicted to Facebook—why we keep returning Admit it, you've thought about walking away from Facebook at one time or another. Perhaps you've gone so far as to shut down your account, swearing never to return, only to meekly log back in a week later.
	Connecting, protecting, and informing the next generation of first responders "Right now when a firefighter in New York goes into a subway tunnel, he can go 15 feet in and is out of communication range. Nobody knows whether he's alive, whether he's safe, or whether he has oxygen," says Amna Greaves, a technical staff member in the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Systems Group. This description highlights the need for tools that improve the communications, and consequently the safety, of first responders. Since last year, Greaves and her team have been working with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) First Responder Group's cutting-edge Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Apex Program to actively address this need with innovative technology that will provide response teams with situational awareness when traditional communications are restricted or disabled. The goal is to research and develop various solutions to problems ! faced by first responders in emergency operations.
	Desperately seeking Bitcoin's Satoshi Nakamoto In 2008, someone calling themselves Satoshi Nakamoto posted a paper describing the workings of what would become the world's most important digital cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. Two months later, he posted the code for the first version of the software that would allow people to create and exchange the currency.
	Robot revolution raises urgent societal issues not yet addressed by policy Rapid developments in the automation of our everyday lives have prompted a world leading multidisciplinary group of technology scholars to form the Foundation for Responsible Robotics (FRR).
	How to build a real lightsaber As even casual Star Wars fans will know, lightsabers are probably the coolest weapon ever to make an appearance on the big screen. Lightsaber fights are so elegant that they are almost hypnotic and, even though not all of us might have a strong enough flow of Force running through our veins, a lightsaber in the right hand is by far the deadliest weapon to be found in the universe.
	How can electrical energy from solar power be profitable? A team of researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), in collaboration with the Nobel Laureate Carlos Rubbia from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS, Potsdam, Germany) and the King Abdulaziz University of Arabia Saudi, have developed a technology based on the use of carbon dioxide to improve the energy production in solar fields. The usage of this fluid on solar energy has been verified by the research group of UPM at the Almeria Solar Platform (PSA), achieving excellent results:  fluid and inexpensive solar fields that are friendly to the environment.
	Five ways chemicals can save the world from climate change When it comes to the environment, the chemical industry doesn't have the best reputation. Yet it has a vital role to play in developing technological solutions to help save us from climate catastrophe, and could create significant opportunities for global economic development at the same time.
	How to feed and raise a Wikipedia robo-editor Wikipedia is to put artificial intelligence to the enormous task of keeping the free, editable online encyclopedia up-to-date, spam-free and legal. The Objective Revision Evaluation Service uses text-processing AI algorithms to scan recent edits for signs that they may be spam, trolling, revert wars (where edits are made and reversed endlessly), or otherwise dubious. But humans are excellent at making sense of the nuance of the written word – can a computer do the same?
	Report cites 241 near collisions between pilots, drones There has yet to be a confirmed U.S. collision between a drone and a manned aircraft, but there's a growing number of close calls as drones fly where they least belong—near airports.
NY judge suspends two fantasy sports websites A New York judge on Friday ordered two fantasy sports websites to suspend operations in the state, pending a final decision on whether they are illegal gambling operations or games of skill.
	What are my options for mobile pay? With Wal-Mart Stores Inc. becoming the latest retailer to launch a mobile pay system, there are more places than ever to break out a digital wallet to pay for the things you want. Apple, Rite Aid, Starbucks, KFC and others are now using some form of mobile payment system with a smartphone seemingly in every pocket and purse. Forrester predicts that money spent in stores by people using digital wallets will grow from the $4 billion of 2014, to $34 billion by 2019. But not all digital wallets are the same. So which ones should you use and how safe are they? Here's a look at mobile payment systems and how they work.
Judge says police improperly using phone tracking data A Connecticut judge says police have been improperly using data from cellphones to track the location of suspects.
	Alibaba buys Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Friday it's buying Hong Kong's leading English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post, as part of a plan to create a global platform for news about China.
	EMF exposure index identifies opportunities for innovation More accurate perceptions of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure will dispel unfounded fears and drive technological development, say researchers.
	Lightweight metal component processing offers competitive advantages Lightweight components offer the aerospace and automotive industries the means to reduce energy consumption and emissions through the development of lighter vehicles, and provide other industrial sectors with flexible materials to develop new innovative tools. Manufacturing such high quality lightweight components however has consistently been a challenge; vibration and pressure during the milling process often means that manual labour is required to finish off production, thus ramping up costs.
	Glove-type touch sensor to obtain data from palpations in Kampo medicine Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., and the Kitasato Institute's Kitasato University Oriental Medicine Research Center today announced that they have collaborated in the development of a new glove-type touch sensor that captures touch data when a Kampo doctor palpates a patient.
	Turkey fines Twitter over 'pro-terror' content Turkey's communications regulator has imposed an unprecedented fine on Twitter for allowing the publication of content deemed to justify terror, the state-run Anatolia news agency said Friday.
New report calls for more consistent regulations for mobile app transportation Innovative transportation services such as car sharing, bike sharing, and transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft are changing mobility for millions of people, yet regulation of these services often varies greatly across geographic areas and industry segments. Policymakers and regulators should formulate consistent policies that encourage competition among new and traditional transportation services—such as taxis and limousines—in order to improve mobility, safety, and sustainability, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Medicine & Health news

	Neural stimulation offers treatment for 'dry eye' Scientists have developed a device that electronically stimulates tear production, which will offer hope to sufferers of dry eye syndrome, one of the most common eye diseases in the world.
Contraceptive implants and injections associated with repeat abortions Women who used contraceptive implants or injections after an initial termination were among those with an increased likelihood of a repeat abortion in the long term, finds a study published online in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care.
	Moderate drinking linked to reduced risk of death in early stage Alzheimer's disease Drinking 2 to 3 units of alcohol every day is linked to a reduced risk of death among people with early stage Alzheimer's disease, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Poorer children nearly three times as likely to be obese, new study finds A new study has questioned why poorer children are at higher risk of obesity compared to their better-off peers. The findings are published today in The European Journal of Public Health.
	Lower RA activity for patients seen at practices with NPs, PAs (HealthDay)—Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have lower disease activity when seen at practices with nurse practitioners (NPs) or physician assistants (PAs) versus rheumatologist-only practices, according to a study published in the December issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
	Vitamin D won't guard against colds in people with asthma (HealthDay)—If you have asthma, vitamin D supplements won't protect you against colds, new research suggests.
	Symptoms tend to vary by patient's age for two leading breast cancer drugs A study of two leading breast cancer drugs has determined that the breast cancer symptoms women experience while taking those drugs—and the severity of those symptoms—tend to vary based on the patients' ages.
ICU patients with unknown diabetes have more complications during hospital stay Emory researchers have found that patients who do not know they have diabetes when hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) have greater complications during their stay and poorer outcomes than patients without diabetes. Complications include higher blood glucose levels often requiring an insulin drip, more deaths, and discharge to hospice or rehabilitation instead of home.
	Holidays often a challenge for people with eating disorders With food everywhere you look, difficult relatives and pressure to create perfect memories, the holidays can be a tough time for those who struggle with eating disorders.
Neighborhoods impact health of South Asian women in US South Asian women in the U.S. are less likely to have high blood pressure when they have a high sense of "neighborhood cohesion"—a feeling they know most of their neighbors and could trust them, a new study says.
	Study probes genes for clues to drug resistance in aggressive breast cancer By sifting through the 20,000 protein-encoding genes in the human genome, Yale researchers discovered new complexities behind drug resistance and identified patterns of mutations that could predict which therapies will benefit patients with aggressive breast cancer. The findings will be presented Dec. 11 at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
	Diabetes drug could protect the heart New research has shown the promising potential of a new glucose-regulating drug to protect the heart from scarring, a common complication of diabetes that can cause heart failure.
	Processing of music and language in our brain more complex than previously thought Some parts of our brain that process sound have a subsequent spot for each pitch, just like the keyboard on a piano. One part – the auditory part of the thalamus – even processes each sound on two 'keyboards' next to each other. That is one of the discoveries brain researcher Michelle Moerel of Maastricht University made while carrying out measurements into human sound processing at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) in Minneapolis (USA) with Rubicon funding from NWO Social Sciences.
	Taking a hot bath after exercise improves performance in the heat In the Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath wrote: "I am sure there are things that can't be cured by a good bath but I can't think of one." Our research shows that there may even be some things that can be prevented by a good bath – as long as the bath is at the right temperature.
	Tests find traditional medicines contain pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and endangered animals A collaborative study has found high rates of adulteration, substitution and mislabelling of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), with the undeclared ingredients rendering many of the tested samples either illegal or potentially hazardous to consumers.
	'Smart' retainer keeps patients (and teeth) in line Innovative research is underway at the UCSF School of Dentistry to produce a Bluetooth smart retainer for orthodontics patients. The goal of the SmartByte retainer is to increase the amount of time a patient wears the device, ultimately ensuring the best possible treatment outcome.
Intensive training affects the sleep, performance and mood of athletes – but more carbs may help Getting enough sleep is an essential part of any athlete's training programme, but a study in the Journal of Sports Sciences reveals intensive bouts of exercise can make it hard to get 40 winks.Suspecting that intense exercise can lead to sleep disturbance, scientists from Loughborough University studied the effects of two nine day periods of heavy training on 13 highly trained cyclists. The researchers monitored the athletes' moods, sleep patterns and performance before, during and after exercise. To determine whether diets could counter the effects of any sleep deprivation, the athletes were also given high or moderate amounts of carbohydrate throughout the study, though none of them knew which.
	Scientists discover a potential treatment for cirrhosis A study by IRB Barcelona and IDIBAPS reveals a therapeutic target to prevent the development of the many abnormal blood vessels that cause gastrointestinal bleeding—the main complication in cirrhosis.
Scientists genetically engineer patients' own cells to attack cancer In a pioneering trial taking place in London, doctors are harnessing patients' own immune systems in an effort to find a new effective treatment for resistant head and neck cancer.
A focus on fatty eggs and fertility A new study of fat levels in oocytes (immature ova or eggs) has the potential to transform IVF practice, benefiting the dairy industry, and women seeking assisted reproductive treatment too.
	Drug provides another treatment option for an early form of breast cancer The drug anastrozole is effective in treating an early form of breast cancer, according to a clinical trial led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The results of the IBIS-II DCIS trial show that anastrozole is as effective as tamoxifen for this type of breast cancer and could offer a new treatment option for post-menopausal women.
Review explores cancer screening, prevention, and treatment in people with mental illness A new report calls attention to cancer in people with mental illness, suggesting that healthcare system and societal factors are just as critical as individual lifestyle factors— linked to smoking and obesity—that lead to health disparities among this group. The report appears early online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Aural feedback for oral hygiene Researchers in Japan have discovered that how effectively we clean our teeth and how satisfied we are with the brushing job we do depends a lot on the sound of the bristles scrubbing against the enamel. In trials with volunteer teeth cleaners, the team has used a tiny microphone in a modified toothbrush to 'sample' the sound being made in the mouth during brushing and to modulate it and then feed that sound back to the volunteer via headphones to see what effect it would have on cleaning efficacy and satisfaction. They describe details in the International Journal of Arts and Technology.
	New ASU worldwide resource for exploring genes' hidden messages After a decade-long $3 billion international effort, scientists heralded the 2001 completion of the human genome as a moon landing achievement for biology and the key to finally solving intractable diseases like cancer.
	New culture model makes fallopian tube accessible A new way of growing fallopian tube cells in culture is expected to give a boost to our understanding and prevention of female gynecological diseases, such as infertility, inflammatory disease, and ovarian cancer. The tubes, which connect the ovaries with the uterus, are the site of fertilization but they are now also believed to be the site from which high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma originates - the deadliest form of gynecological cancer. From the open end of the tube early cancer cells appear to spread not only to the ovaries, but also to other organs in contact with the abdominal cavity. Ascending gynecological infections, on the other hand, can lead to inflammation, scarring and closure of the fallopian tubes, which frequently leads to infertility or ectopic pregnancies. Both ovarian cancer and pelvic inflammatory disease often start silently and are not diagnosed until the late stages, as the inner lining of the tube, the fallopian epithelium, is inaccessible to direct clinical examination.
Earlier intervention leads to better weight recovery in children with multiple risk factors for weight faltering Young children who are underweight experienced greater weight recovery the earlier an intervention was started, and the recovery was more significant in children with multiple household risk factors, according to a study published this week in The Journal of Pediatrics.
AIDS treatment benefits health, economics of people without HIV, new study shows In rural Malawi, roughly 10 percent of the adult population has HIV. At the peak of the epidemic, in the 1990s and early 2000s, nearly everyone knew someone infected with or affected by the virus, what demographer Hans-Peter Kohler of the University of Pennsylvania describes as a generalized epidemic.
Non-small cell lung cancers can be sorted in clusters by endocytic changes In the Age of Personalized Medicine, we've learned that one size doesn't fit all, least of all in cancer. Cancer is a disease of your cells, and sorting out your cancer from all others is a daunting challenge but one that cancer cell biologists are furiously pursuing. They are examining every aspect of cell function and cell structure, looking for clusters of phenotypes that could label a patient's cancer so precisely that it could be linked to therapies proven effective against just that type. The latest frontier in this search for cancer telltales is the cellular process of endocytosis, which is the way cells take outside materials like proteins inside.
CRISPR/Cas9 + HPSC = human PKD lab model CRISPR/Cas9 is hot. News of the revolutionary gene editing technique that is already shaking up bioscience has finally reached the news media and the public. Now comes a first rate example of how CRISPR is changing the pace of biomedical research by linking up with another cutting edge technology—human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Benjamin S. Freedman, now at the University of Washington, and his colleagues in Joseph Bonventre's lab at Harvard Medical School, have used CRISPR/Cas9 to guide hPSCs into becoming a human cell-based lab model system for polycystic kidney disease (PKD). The most common inherited kidney disorder, affecting one in 500 Americans, PKD currently is not curable and, without long-term dialysis or kidney transplant, can be fatal.
	More attention needed to results of simple test of kidney function Kidney disease in the United States is both common and under-diagnosed, but two new studies led by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers suggest that paying close attention to results of a simple blood test can help predict the likelihood that patients are headed for kidney failure or death.
Stress in older people increases risk for pre-Alzheimer's condition Feeling stressed out increases the likelihood that elderly people will develop mild cognitive impairment—often a prelude to full-blown Alzheimer's disease. In a new study, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System found that highly stressed participants were more than twice as likely to become impaired than those who were not. Because stress is treatable, the results suggest that detecting and treating stress in older people might help delay or even prevent the onset of Alzheimer's. The findings were published online today in Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders.
	Treatment associated with changes in brain activity in borderline personality disorder According to newly published research, a specialized psychotherapy has been linked to changes in activation patterns in certain areas of the brain in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), suggesting its impact may go deeper than symptom change.
	Violence in Mexico affected children's mental health Children who lived in Juarez, Mexico—once dubbed the murder capital of the world—in 2010 have high levels of behavioral and emotional problems, according to new research by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso).
Preventing diabetes at the office For people who already have high blood sugar, preventing diabetes could amount to just another day at the office.
New study finds nearly half of American Muslim doctors feel scrutinized on the job While many studies have examined the impact of bias based on race, gender or sexual orientation, religious discrimination in the health care workplace has received little research attention. A new study funded by the John Templeton Foundation and conducted at the University of Chicago finds that for Muslim Americans, even those in one the nation's most highly regarded professions, encounter a less-than-inclusive and welcoming work environment during their career.
FDA approves Genentech drug for advanced lung cancer The Food and Drug Administration has approved an experimental Genetech drug for patients with a certain type of lung cancer who have few other options.
	Seniors who head back to school may reduce dementia risk (HealthDay)—Going back to school could help older people stave off dementia, a new study suggests.
	Hanging holiday lights holds hidden danger, surgeon warns (HealthDay)—Putting up holiday lights can lead to serious foot injuries from slips and falls, an expert warns.
Vistogard approved for chemotherapy overdose (HealthDay)—Vistogard (uridine triacetate) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat an overdose of chemotherapy drugs commonly used to treat cancers of the breast and gastrointestinal tract.
	Central venous pressure-guided hydration beneficial in CKD, CHF (HealthDay)—For patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) undergoing coronary procedures, central venous pressure (CVP)-guided hydration is associated with reduced risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), according to a study published online Dec. 9 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
	Accuracy of clinical diagnosis in TIA called into question (HealthDay)—The presence of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions is similar in patients clinically diagnosed with transient neurological attack (TNA) and transient ischemic attack (TIA), calling into question the accuracy of clinically diagnosing TIA, according to research published in the December issue of the Annals of Neurology.
	Leg muscle power predicts pain, quality of life in knee OA (HealthDay)—For patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), leg muscle power independently predicts pain and health-related quality of life, according to a study published in the December issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
	Seven behaviors suggested to improve 'art of medicine' (HealthDay)—Seven behaviors should be implemented to improve the art of medicine, which can help improve relationships with patients, according to an article published in Family Practice Management.
	MITF p.E318K prevalence similar, regardless of CDKN2A (HealthDay)—The prevalence of MITF p.E318K is similar in patients with melanoma, irrespective of the presence of CDKN2A mutations, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in JAMA Dermatology.
	Paracentesis underutilized in patients with cirrhosis, ascites (HealthDay)—For patients admitted with diagnoses of cirrhosis and ascites, paracentesis is associated with decreased in-hospital mortality but is underutilized, according to a study published online Dec. 8 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Rhinoplasty effective treatment for nasal valve insufficiency (HealthDay)—For patients with nasal valve insufficiency, functional and aesthetic-functional rhinoplasty, involving reconstruction of the lateral nasal wall achieved with use of spreader and alar grafts, are associated with improvement in nasal obstruction symptoms, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Industry-led oncology trials may inflate cost-effectiveness (HealthDay)—Pharmaceutical industry-sponsored studies are more likely to report favorable estimates in cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of drugs used in breast cancer treatment, according to a research letter published online Dec. 10 in JAMA Oncology.
Assuring health for India's people: A call to action by leading academics A paper published in The Lancet today calls for a radical transformation in the architecture of India's healthcare delivery system, if the country is to achieve the government's vision of assuring health for all.
	CMO calls for measures to improve women's health A new report by the Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies makes a series of recommendations to improve women's health in the UK.
Tools to help health professionals make better technological choices A new database along with a handbook and toolkit covering Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessments (HB-HTAs) will help health professionals manage new technological innovations better, increasing operational efficiencies and ultimately benefiting patients.
T-DM1 improved overall survival for heavily pretreated patients with HER2-pos breast cancer Among patients with HER2-positive, metastatic breast cancer that had progressed despite treatment with two or more forms of HER2-targeted therapy (trastuzumab [Herceptin] and lapatinib [Tykerb]), median overall survival was increased for those treated with trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1 [Kadcyla]) compared with those who received treatment of physician's choice, according to results from the phase III TH3RESA clinical trial presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-12.
DCIS patients receiving anastrozole reported symptoms different from those receiving tamoxifen Analysis of patient-reported outcomes (PRO), a secondary endpoint of the phase III, NSABP B-35 clinical trial, in which anastrazole and tamoxifen were compared in postmenopausal women with ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) who underwent lumpectomy plus radiotherapy, found that there were no differences in outcomes related to quality of life (QOL) but some differences in outcomes related to symptoms in the two treatment groups, according to data presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-12.
No significant differences in recurrence rates among women with DCIS taking anastrozole or tamoxifen Postmenopausal women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) had similar outcomes with disease recurrence whether they took tamoxifen or the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole for five years after surgery, but women in the two groups had different side effects, according to results from the phase III IBIS-II DCIS clinical trial presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-12.
Postpartum family planning services should be a top reproductive health priority Approximately one-quarter of inter-birth intervals in low- and middle-income countries are less than 24 months in length, exposing infants to risks of prematurity, low birthweight, and death. Increased evidence of these health risks has emerged in the past few decades and, after a period of neglect, interest in postpartum family planning has followed, supported by organizations like WHO and USAID.
MSK studies highlight potential of liquid biopsy Information gleaned from a liquid biopsy may help predict how individual women with advanced breast cancer will respond to certain therapies as well as reveal genetic mutations that can impact prognosis, according to two new studies led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) Physician-in-Chief José Baselga and physician-scientist Sarat Chandarlapaty. The studies were presented this week at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
	Toxic skin effects common with EGFR-TKI use in NSCLC (HealthDay)—For patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) is associated with skin toxic effects, according to a research letter study published online Dec. 10 in JAMA Dermatology.

Biology news

	Urban swans' genes make them plucky Researchers have discovered that swans' wariness is partly determined by their genes. The research, which is published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology, suggests that swans which are genetically predisposed to be timid are more likely to live in non-urban areas, and the findings could have important implications for releasing animals bred in captivity into the wild.
	MIT professor's startup makes synthesizing genes many times more cost effective Inside and outside of the classroom, MIT professor Joseph Jacobson has become a prominent figure in—and advocate for—the emerging field of synthetic biology.
	DNA repair enzyme mapped in atomic detail An enzyme crucial to the process of DNA repair in our cells has been mapped in atomic detail by researchers at the University of Dundee, the UK's top-rated University for Biological Sciences.
	Study uncovers influence of Earth's history on the dawn of modern birds New research led by the American Museum of Natural History reveals that the evolution of modern birds was greatly shaped by the history of our planet's geography and climate. The DNA-based work, published today in the journal Science Advances, finds that birds arose in what is now South America around 90 million years ago, and radiated extensively around the time of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that killed off the non-avian dinosaurs. The new research suggests that birds in South America survived this event and then started moving to other parts of the world via multiple land bridges while diversifying during periods of global cooling.
	Healthy or sick? Tiny cell bubbles may hold the answer Rutgers scientists have uncovered biological pathways in the roundworm that provide insight into how tiny bubbles released by cells can have beneficial health effects, like promoting tissue repair, or may play a diabolical role and carry disease signals for cancer or neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
	Why cell divisions are often followed by apoptosis of one new 'daughter' cell Programmed cell death – also known as apoptosis – is universal among higher organisms, and is a tightly regulated process that results in the disposal of damaged or unwanted cells. The latter variant is particularly important in the course of embryonic development, during which many more cells are produced than are ultimately required. Now researchers led by Barbara Conradt, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at LMU, have uncovered one mechanism that induces apoptosis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). In this case, the mother cell actively determines the fate of the daughter destined to die. The new findings appear in the journal Nature Communications.
	Research team cracks the walnut genome Scientists at UC Davis have for the first time sequenced the genome of a commercial walnut variety. The information should accelerate the rate of breeding and variety improvement in walnuts and help breeders select for desired traits such as insect and disease resistance, and drought tolerance.
	Multifaceted RNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms in Streptococcus pyogenes In her PhD dissertation, Anaïs Le Rhun, working in the laboratory of Emmanuelle Charpentier describes that the bacterial immune defense system CRISPR-Cas9 is diverse and widespread among bacteria. She shows that the present possibilities offered by this gene editing tool can be expanded by combining natural unrelated defense systems to allow several changes in the targeted DNA at the same time.
	Red deer make more out of less food during winter During the winter season, northern-latitude herbivores must cope with a food supply that is both restricted and of poorer quality. The ability of red deer to handle these extreme situations was the focus of a study conducted by the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology at the Vetmeduni Vienna in cooperation with the Hannover University of Veterinary Medicine. The study revealed that, even when good food is readily available, the animals eat only half as much in the winter as in the summer. They reduce the size of their gastrointestinal tract and extract nutrients more efficiently. The results were published in the American Journal of Physiology.
	The world's smallest terrorist: Virus hijacks protein machine and then kills the host A research team has established how a virus exploits one of its host's proteins when the virus is about to replicate its genetic material during an infection. The discovery may potentially form the basis for the development of new methods for treating viral infections.
	Study finds there is less knowledge about global species diversity than previously assumed Many of the previous studies on global species diversity are inaccurate. These are the conclusions of an international research group, led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in collaboration with the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle - Jena - Leipzig (iDiv), which carried out a long-term study on biodiversity in the subtropical forests of China. The study shows that there might be an under- or overestimation of global biodiversity by up to 50 per cent when the survey is based on only a few taxa. The study's findings were published in the journal "Nature Communications".
	Lava attraction: 74 new beetle species found hiding in plain sight on a Hawaiian volcano Confined to the limits of Haleakala volcano, Maui Island, Hawaii, the beetle fauna there turns out to be not only extremely diverse, but very abundant as well. When Prof. James Liebherr of the Cornell University Insect Collection thoroughly sampled beetle populations on the volcano, he identified 116 species of round-waisted predatory beetles, including 74 new to science. The taxonomic revision, complete with descriptions of the new species, is now published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
	Gene editing is on a roll, but is it safe to clear the way? What do disease-resistant pigs and the eradication of malaria have in common? These seemingly distant topics, both of which were extensively covered in the press this week, are actually just early glimpses of gene editing's overwhelming potential.
Veterinarian says winter preparation important for pets, too While you are busy prepping your house and car for winter, a Kansas State University veterinarian says don't forget about the pets, too.

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