Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Dec 15

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 15, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Year in Review—The most important research of 2015: April
- Researchers demonstrate how the brain can handle so much data
- Transparent metal films for smart phone, tablet and TV displays
- 'Hydricity' concept uses solar energy to produce power round-the-clock
- VERITAS detects gamma rays from galaxy halfway across the visible universe
- PumpTire prototype takes riders off of pumping grind
- Researchers study tie between estrogen, memory
- Scientist unravels the mysteries of a beetle that lived a million centuries ago
- In pursuit of HIV vaccine, scientists shed light on antibody origins
- Satellite's last days improve orbital decay predictions
- Study suggests a rise in number of trading partners leads to fewer wars between nations
- Pill that targets gut receptor treats fatty liver disease, obesity in mice
- Researchers identify gene in petunias responsible for controlling how much UV light is absorbed
- Current climate models misrepresent El Nino
- Small metal grate makes big impact on environment, health

Astronomy & Space news

	VERITAS detects gamma rays from galaxy halfway across the visible universe In April 2015, after traveling for about half the age of the universe, a flood of powerful gamma rays from a distant galaxy slammed into Earth's atmosphere. That torrent generated a cascade of light - a shower that fell onto the waiting mirrors of the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) in Arizona. The resulting data have given astronomers a unique look into that faraway galaxy and the black hole engine at its heart.
	Observations provide crucial third dimension in probe of universe's dark side ESO telescopes have provided an international team of astronomers with the gift of the third dimension in a plus-sized hunt for the largest gravitationally bound structures in the universe—galaxy clusters. Observations by the VLT and the NTT complement those from other observatories across the globe and in space as part of the XXL survey—one of the largest ever such quests for clusters.
	Satellite's last days improve orbital decay predictions Scientists are learning more about how the upper atmosphere and ionosphere affect space satellites as well as communications and navigation here on Earth, thanks to new data from a U.S. Air Force satellite that recently completed a more than seven-year mission.
	Russian capsule heads for space station A Russian space capsule carrying three astronauts from the United States, Britain and Russia has blasted off for the International Space Station.
British astronaut docks with ISS as country cheers debut trip (Update) Tim Peake, the first British astronaut to travel to the International Space Station, on Tuesday docked with the orbiting laboratory with two other spacemen, to cheers and excitement back home.
	Image: Enceladus and Saturn's rings Although Enceladus and Saturn's rings are largely made up of water ice, they show very different characteristics. The small ring particles are too tiny to retain internal heat and have no way to get warm, so they are frozen and geologically dead. Enceladus, on the other hand, is subject to forces that heat its interior to this very day. This results in its famous south polar water jets, which are just visible above the moon's dark, southern limb, along with a sub-surface ocean.
	How long is a day on Mars? Mars represents something of a conundrum for scientists. In many respects, it is significantly different from Earth. It's cold, it's dry, there is little atmosphere or precipitation to speak of, and nothing grows there. By our standards, that makes it an incredibly inhospitable place. And yet, in many other respects, it is quite similar to our world.
	Go for the burn—how to melt a satellite Imagine being confronted with half a tonne or more of metal and composite structures, electronics boxes and solar panels – an unwanted satellite. And then being handed a blowtorch and told to melt it into vapour.
	UK astronaut Tim Peake puts space back on agenda in Britain Britain has decided to boldly go where others have gone before.
	Small satellites to pave way for future space-borne weather observations A typical environmental monitoring satellite is a big deal, literally. These satellites contain thousands of kilograms of remote sensing equipment, hurtling through space, making critical observations.
	Europe readies for satellite launch, moves closer to own satnav Europe is set to launch the next two satellites Thursday for its multi-billion-euro Galileo satnav system, a rival to America's GPS, according to space firm Arianespace.
	Russian capsule docks safely at International Space Station A Russian spacecraft carrying three astronauts from the United States, Britain and Russia has docked successfully at the International Space Station.
	Scientists launch NASA rocket into auroral "speed bumps" above Norway A team of scientists led by Marc Lessard of the University of New Hampshire Space Science Center launched an instrument-laden, four-stage sounding rocket from Norway's Andøya Space Center about 280 miles above Earth to study how particles move in a region near the North Pole where Earth's magnetic field is directly connected to the solar wind. The launch occurred Sunday, Dec. 13, at 2:34 a.m. EST.
	Citizen scientists name planet Volunteers from the Perth based citizen astronomy project theSkyNet have won the right to name a planet around a distant star as part of a global contest run by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
	100m radio telescope maps the complete northern sky in the light of neutral hydrogen Radio astronomers from Bonn University and the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie have reached a scientific milestone with their publication in the January issue of the international science journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
	Physicist celebrate expansion of international agreement at Auger Observatory LSU Physicist James Matthews and an international team of scientists are reconstructing the path of the universe's most energetic cosmic rays, bringing new insights into the origin and nature of this intergalactic phenomenon. A founding member of the worldwide research collaboration at the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina, Matthews is celebrating 15 years of achievement at the observatory and the extension of a new international agreement that will allow this work to continue for the next 10 years.

Technology news

	'Hydricity' concept uses solar energy to produce power round-the-clock Researchers are proposing a new "hydricity" concept aimed at creating a sustainable economy by not only generating electricity with solar energy but also producing and storing hydrogen from superheated water for round-the-clock power production.
	Researchers demonstrate how the brain can handle so much data Humans learn to very quickly identify complex objects and variations of them. We generally recognize an "A" no matter what the font, texture or background, for example, or the face of a coworker even if she puts on a hat or changes her hairstyle. We also can identify an object when just a portion is visible, such as the corner of a bed or the hinge of a door. But how? Are there simple techniques that humans use across diverse tasks? And can such techniques be computationally replicated to improve computer vision, machine learning or robotic performance?
	Siri vs. Cortana vs. 'OK Google': Who's better, who's best Cortana's learning the neighborhood. Google's digital assistant can't tell a joke. And Siri apparently has a thing for the metric system.
	Seating in the sky tops all others in SkyDeck concept Windspeed Technologies, an aerospace engineering services company, is introducing its SkyDeck, which autoevolution described as "basically the aeronautical equivalent to a panoramic sunroof." You might also consider it an offer of luxury surround-sky seating in a dome.
	Wireless sensors could make diesel engines greener Advances in wireless technology continue to pave the way for better consumer devices. In the future, however, wireless devices could also benefit the automotive industry, by helping diesel engines use less fuel while curbing soot and ash emissions.
	Scientists devise algorithm that detects sarcasm better than humans Think people know when you're being sarcastic? Yeah, right.
	HTC gives Taiwan first look at virtual reality headset Smartphone maker HTC unveiled Tuesday to Taiwanese gamers its virtual reality headset for the first time, as the company pins its hopes on the new product to help revive struggling sales.
	Fuel economy improvements in US climate commitment on par with 1970s gains To hold up its end of the landmark climate deal signed in Paris last week, the U.S. will need to make cars and trucks of the future far more fuel efficient.
	EU mulls age limit for social media use The European Union was mulling the possibility Tuesday of setting an age for parental consent, perhaps as high as 18, for users of social media such as Facebook, EU sources said.
	Gorilla Glass, used for cell phones, is coming to cars The thin, lightweight glass on your smartphone could soon be found on your car.
	PumpTire prototype takes riders off of pumping grind In 2011, Wired.co.uk reported that inventor Benjamin Krempel has an interesting idea for those who ride bicycles and would prefer not to be hassled with pumping their tires every few weeks.
	Tech underlying bitcoin could take off even if currency doesn't You may never use bitcoin, but there's a decent chance that you'll eventually benefit from the technology underlying the virtual currency.
Cybersecurity startups are proliferating, but sorting out what works and what doesn't is tricky His reputation scorched by Edward Snowden, the former director of the National Security Agency is heading a cybersecurity startup that aims to shortcircuit data leakers, cyber warriors, terrorists and thieves.
Seattle's Uber unionization measure a new economy test case Seattle has been seen as a leader on workers' rights with moves that include gradually raising the minimum wage and requiring most employers to provide paid sick leave.
Biomass—a possible source of green energy Bioenergy represents two-thirds of the energy produced from renewable sources in Europe, though biomass sustainability is not taken for granted. A study conducted by researchers in Sicily, southern Italy, gives a revealing cross-section of how biomass may have both positive and negative impacts on the environment.
	People are info-egoists when it comes to their privacy People are much more concerned about sharing their own private information with third-party app developers than they are about revealing their friends' data, according to Penn State researchers.
	How someday robots may run to the rescue—literally Rescuers in Turkey are working tirelessly to free this young boy, one of the many victims of Sunday's devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake.
Bacterial battery fuels recovery of valuable commodities from wastewater A team at Virginia Tech has devised a system to recover ammonia from wastewater using a natural electrochemical engine: bacteria.
	National survey shows public still opposes Internet 'fast lanes' but resists government regulation As a federal court considers new national rules on Internet service, a new study by the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication shows most people still oppose Internet "fast lanes." But the study also shows Americans are reluctant to give the federal government power to regulate "net neutrality."
	We need to make digital navigation tools more human – here's how Imagine you're in a city you don't know, and need to find the way to the train station. You ask a stranger in the street, and she answers: "Walk east for 144ft, turn right towards the main road for 26ft, continue straight onto main road for 377ft. Your destination will be on the left." You would probably think she sounded robotic – more like a digital route-finding system than a human being. And you'd be right.
	What's the real risk from consumer drones this holiday season? This holiday season, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is estimating that over one million small "Unmanned Aerial Systems" (sUAS's) – drones, to the rest of us – will be sold to consumers. But as hordes of novice pilots take to the air, just how safe are these small bundles of metal, plastic, video cameras and whirling blades?
	Hello Barbie, hello hackers—accessing personal data will be child's play At the top of some children's Christmas present wish list this year will be the new Hello Barbie doll.
	Germany says internet giants to crack down on hate speech Germany announced a deal Tuesday with social network giants Facebook, Twitter and Google to clamp down on hate speech, with the Internet companies pledging to remove offending posts within 24 hours.
	US women as likely as men to play video games: study Despite widespread belief, women are just about as likely as men to have ever played video games, a Pew Research Center survey released Tuesday revealed.
Qualcomm opts not to split company US chip maker Qualcomm on Tuesday said it will not split in two despite pressure by an activist investment fund.
Feds: 3 charged in spamming scheme that targeted 60M people Three men were charged Tuesday in a computer hacking and spamming scheme that federal prosecutors in New Jersey said compromised the personal information of 60 million people and netted more than $2 million in profits.
	Enlisting distributed energy devices to balance the power grid The electric grid has to balance power supply and demand nearly in real-time, requiring power plants to be adjusted on a second-by-second basis. This instantaneous balance is made significantly more complex by renewable energy such as wind and solar, which add more uncertainty and variability.
	In Tech: AI research center, Android Pay, OneDrive storage Three billionaires who launched PayPal and then went on to even greater success in their next ventures are now trying to make sure that artificial intelligence does more good than harm to humans.
	British police arrest 21-year-old man in VTech hacking Police in the UK say they've made an arrest in the hacking of kids' technology maker VTech, which compromised the personal information of more than 6 million children around the world.
EU gets provisional deal on data protection rules The European Union late Tuesday took a major step toward approving sweeping new data protection rules that would strengthen online privacy, streamline legislation between the 28 member states and boost police and security cooperation.
	Facebook gets friendlier to adopted names Facebook on Tuesday modified a "real names" policy once protested by drag queen performers, the gay community, abuse victims and others.
	Social media link to attacks poses conundrum Pressure is growing on social networks to play a bigger role in finding and weeding out jihadists and others looking to recruit members and plot deadly attacks.
	Toward a more resilient and flexible power grid "The biggest and most complex machine ever built by humankind." That is how University of Wisconsin–Madison doctoral student of electrical engineering Philip Hart describes the nation's power grid.
Energy storage and renewable energy growth to accelerate in 2016 The extreme weather patterns and environmental occurrences experienced across the Asia Pacific region have brought to the forefront the urgent need for countries to work together and reach an agreement on actionable solutions to limit global warming. Examples of recent incidents include drought and severe haze in Southeast Asia, smog in Beijing and the serious floods in Chennai.
	Internet is the primary source of information in Switzerland 88 out of every 100 people in Switzerland use the internet. Usage time is increasing and accessing the internet from mobile devices is considerably more frequent than before. The internet is now the most important source of information, and lots of applications are a daily routine, but concerns about privacy on the internet are increasing. In addition, users confidence in their internet skills has decreased, especially amongst women. These are findings of a survey by the University of Zurich.
	RateX: TUM team wins a Bell Labs Prize Three young researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have won a prestigious Bell Labs Prize, tied for third place in a global competition in information and communications technology. They showed how a single type of transceiver could be used across the full range of digital communications systems, ensuring in each instance that its transmission rate will approach the theoretical limit. Their method could enhance flexibility and reduce costs in the engineering of wireless, wireline, optical fiber, and satellite systems.
	Researchers to make virtual energy audits a reality Case Western Reserve University researchers were awarded a $1.4 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop software to perform virtual energy audits of light commercial buildings.

Medicine & Health news

	Expert debunks the 'curse of the rainbow jersey' The cycling World champion is significantly less successful during the year when he wears the rainbow jersey than in the previous year, but this is not due to a curse, as many believe, according to a study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.
	Lung inflammation contributes to metastasis Pre-existing inflammation in the lungs may increase the risk that cancers beginning elsewhere will spread to that organ, according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine.
	Pill that targets gut receptor treats fatty liver disease, obesity in mice A bile acid that can turn off a receptor in the gut has prevented and reversed fatty liver disease in mice, according to an international team of researchers. The compound may help treat certain metabolic disorders, such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as well.
	In pursuit of HIV vaccine, scientists shed light on antibody origins From Peter Parker's fateful spider bite to Arthur pulling the sword from the stone at the beginning of his reign—everyone likes to know a hero's origin story.
	Not 'junk' anymore: Obscure DNA has key role in stroke damage A study of rats released today shows that blocking a type of RNA produced by what used to be called "junk DNA" can prevent a significant portion of the neural destruction that follows a stroke. The research points toward a future treatment for post-stroke damage, which is often more extensive than the initial destruction that results when blood to the brain is temporarily shut off.
	First serotonin neurons made from human stem cells Su-Chun Zhang, a pioneer in developing neurons from stem cells at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has created a specialized nerve cell that makes serotonin, a signaling chemical with a broad role in the brain.
	Researchers study tie between estrogen, memory A new study by University of Guelph researchers that narrows down where and how estrogens affect the brain may help in understanding how the hormones affect cognition and memory in women, says psychology professor Elena Choleris.
	Study finds that aging warps our perception of time Much like trying to watch a video with the audio out of synch, older adults may have difficulty combining the stimuli they see and hear, and it could have implications for rapid decision-making tasks such as driving, according to new research.
	Social stress: Brain circuitry fails to connect in children with autism The holidays can be difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly because of new or different social situations. One reason scientists believe ASD causes impairment in social interactions is due to an inability to effectively infer other's thoughts and feelings through "theory of mind," or ToM—the ability to understand the mental states of others and oneself.
Survival rates for patients with prostate cancer better with surgery vrs radiotherapy A rigorous evaluation of survival rates has shown that cancer patients with localised prostate cancer—the most common form of prostate cancer—have a better chance of survival if treated by surgery than by radiotherapy. These findings hold true even after accounting for type of radiation and the aggressiveness of cancer. This is the most robust analysis (meta-analysis) to date of published literature comparing surgery and radiotherapy for localised prostate cancer. The study is published in the peer-reviewed journal, European Urology.
Researchers have found little or no 'July effect' in the field of neurosurgery The "July effect' is the theory that more medical and surgical errors, and, consequently, greater levels of morbidity and mortality occur during July, the month during which fourth year medical students become interns and residents advance to higher levels of training where they face greater challenges and more responsibility.
	MRI shows 'brain scars' in military personnel with blast-related concussion MRI shows brain damage in a surprisingly high percentage of active duty military personnel who suffered blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), according to a new study appearing online in the journal Radiology.
Researchers take first step in precision medicine for penile cancer Researchers have identified potential genetic alterations in penile cancer that could pave the way for targeted treatments.
New model of collaborative cancer research may help advance precision medicine A new system that facilitates data and biospecimen sharing among cancer centers may speed cancer research findings from the laboratory to patient care, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The study was published December 15 in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Rise of zombie infections should be a wake-up call for global community, says expert Better funding and cooperation by the international community is needed to prevent a zombie apocalypse, argues a US expert in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.
Military families benefit from UCLA-developed resilience program Across the U.S., families of troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Uganda and other hot spots are emailing photos of their holiday feasts to their loved ones overseas—and asking them to respond with pictures of their own holiday celebrations.
	We infer a speaker's social identity from subtle linguistic cues When we speak, we "leak" information about our social identity through the nuanced language that we use to describe others, according to new research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. This research shows that people can infer a speaker's social identity (e.g., political party affiliation) from how the speaker uses abstract or concrete terms to describe someone else's behavior.
Innovative trial aims to induce remission of type 2 diabetes Remission is well-known as the goal in cancer treatment but scientists are discovering it's also an exciting possibility for those with type 2 diabetes.
Bayer sued in Germany over contraceptive pill after health scares "If I'd known, I'd never have taken this pill," says Felicitas Rohrer, who is suing German pharmaceuticals giant Bayer, claiming its oral contraceptive Yasminelle caused her to suffer a pulmonary embolism.
Cartoon characters can influence children to make better nutrition choices Cartoon characters are often used to market so-called junk food to children. However, new research from Italy suggests that the same technique might be used to nudge preschoolers into eating more fresh fruit and vegetables too. Details of the investigation appear in the International Journal of Markets and Business Systems.
Novel drug approach could improve outlook in high-risk leukemia Researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine, working with Chinese and American colleagues, have discovered a novel way to enhance and restore cancer suppressor activity in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, resulting in better outcomes in a pre-clinical model of the disease. The finding could pave the way for a new class of drugs for this and other forms of leukemia.
	You could be suffering from FoMO this Christmas The holiday season can be a traumatising time for many people, but spare a thought (or retweet) for those who strive to be a part of the cultural zeitgeist at the expense of all sanity and reason.
	Bones of obese children may be in trouble, study finds Studies have shown that obese children tend to have more muscle, but recent University of Georgia research on the muscle and bone relationship shows that excess body fat may compromise other functions in their bodies, such as bone growth.
	Researcher hopes to use fluorescence to target tumors Cancer usually manifests itself in tumors that proliferate quickly. This happens because tumor cells have higher quantities of cell surface growth factors than regular ones, which causes them to develop at accelerated rates.
Five factors identify subset of patients with advanced cervical cancer who may not benefit from bevacizumab treatment Patients with advanced cervical cancer who were at intermediate and high risk of poor outcome, as assessed by the Moore criteria, gained survival benefit from having bevacizumab added to their chemotherapy regimen while those at low risk of poor outcome did not, according to results of a major objective of the phase III NRG Oncology-Gynecologic Oncology Group protocol 240 (GOG 240) clinical trial published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
'Sweet spot' for treating diabetic patients with heart failure Researchers at the University of Dundee have discovered a `sweet spot' in the treatment of diabetes among patients with heart failure.
Fun and friends key to getting teens off the couch Forms of exercise that prioritises having fun, group activities and keeping healthy rather than competition could be the key to getting WA teenagers more active, research suggests.
	Use of nanoparticles administered via hair follicles will combat surgical site infections and wounds Infections contracted during surgical operations are a serious healthcare problem, leading to death in some cases. Now, a research project at the University of Huddersfield is investigating the use of nanoparticles as a way to disinfect wounds. It could prove to be much more effective than existing techniques because the particles would be tiny enough to enter the skin via hair follicles, ensuring much better penetration of the area affected by surgery.
	Treatment for lupus enters phase III Lupuzor may become the first specific and non-immunosuppressant therapy for lupus, a disabling autoimmune disease that is currently incurable. Discovered by Sylviane Muller's team in the CNRS Immunopathologie et Chimie Thérapeutique laboratory, in Strasbourg, this peptide is the subject of a CNRS patent (granted in 2009) and has already successfully completed phases I and II of its regulatory clinical trials, supervised by ImmuPharma-France. An international phase III pivotal trial, also managed by this company, will begin in a few days' time in the US when the first patient starts the treatment, before the trial is extended to Europe. Phase III is the last stage in the testing of a candidate drug, before it can be given market approval. The launch of phase III was the subject of a meeting involving around a hundred physicians on December 11-12, in Paris.
Pregnancy does not increase risk of Hodgkin lymphoma recurrence Pregnancy does not increase the risk of relapse among women successfully treated for Hodgkin lymphoma. This according to a new study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology.
What science doesn't know about menopause My physio, a young woman called Lucy, was simply making conversation. She wanted to distract me from the serious discomfort she was about to inflict by massaging the nerves around my painful posterior tibial tendon, an ankle injury I assumed I had brought on by running too much. "My mother's post tib has ruptured," she said. "It's really common in menopausal women." This definitely worked as a distraction. What did all this have to do with the menopause, I asked? She looked surprised, because to her the answer was obvious: "Collagen."
	Feeling SAD? Talk therapy gets better long-term results than light boxes As the days get shorter and the nights grow longer, sometimes it can seem like we barely get a chance to see the sun. For most people, this can be frustrating; and for others, the slide into winter can actually lead to a subset of depression called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
Forensic psychiatric patients and staff view the effects of mental illness differently Offenders sentenced to forensic psychiatric care do not consider their mental illness to be the main reason for their crime. Instead, they point to abuse, poverty or anger toward a particular person.
Another 'whey' to improve your health in the New Year? Adding calcium, Vitamin D and prebiotic dietary fibre to a beverage made of whey can have huge health benefits for those who drink it, team of Lithuanian scientists has discovered.
	Body clock study unlocks prospect of treatment for osteoarthritis A University of Manchester biologist has for the first time established that the painful and debilitating symptoms endured by osteoarthritis sufferers are intrinsically linked to the human body clock.
Carbs, not fats, boost half-marathon race performance, study finds Carbohydrates are the body's main energy source during high-intensity, prolonged running, a new study published in Journal of Applied Physiology reports.
	Duration of concussion symptoms is as significant as severity Sports concussions continue to garner national attention and the conversation will likely continue over the holidays with the release of the new feature film, "Concussion."
	Hunger hormone is boosted by restricted meal times Rats with restricted feeding schedules learn to eat more, helped by the "hunger hormone" ghrelin, according to new research from the University of Southern California.
Swine flu toll up by 15, reached 57 in Iran: Official An outbreak of swine flu has claimed 57 lives since mid-November in Iran, where hundreds of people have been diagnosed with the virus, the health ministry said Tuesday.
	Sepsis: Cell therapy to repair muscle long-term impairment Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, Paris Descartes University, Sainte-Anne Hospital and the CNRS have recently published a paper in Nature Communications in which they reveal mayor players in the severe muscle damage caused by sepsis, or septicemia, which explains why many patients suffer debilitating muscle impairment long-term after recovery. They propose a therapeutic approach based on mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, which has produced encouraging results and has proved successful in restoring muscle capacity in animals.
	Possible mechanism for specific symptoms in bipolar disorder discovered Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, and the Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University in Sweden have identified a gene variant linked to psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairment in people with bipolar disorder. The study, which is published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, describes a possible mechanism for how the gene variant produces clinical symptoms by affecting levels of specific proteins in the brain.
Brain regions of PTSD patients show differences during fear responses Regions of the brain function differently among people with post-traumatic stress disorder, causing them to generalize non-threatening events as if they were the original trauma, according to new research from Duke Medicine and the Durham VA Medical Center.
Rapid 'dipstick' test tackles fatal sleeping sickness Scientists have developed a quick and simple diagnosis method, similar to a dipstick pregnancy test, to fight a deadly sleeping sickness.
Industry-financed clinical trials on the rise, as number of NIH-funded trials falls Since 2006, the number of industry-sponsored clinical trials studying the benefits and harms of medical treatments has risen dramatically, while the number of clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has fallen substantially, according to new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research.
	Newer cancer drug may help protect kidneys from damage caused by older drug A class of drugs used increasingly to help fight cancer may have the additional benefit of protecting the kidneys when packaged with the powerful chemotherapy agent cisplatin.
	Adolescents separated from their father are more likely to suffer from stress and transient depression symptoms Family breakdown and the insecure financial situation that may result is more likely to cause worry, anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents who are separated from their father, says Professor Jennifer O'Loughlin of the University of Montreal. However, these symptoms can disappear in the nine-month period following the separation. O'Loughlin came to these conclusions after conducting a study that was recently published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
	Interactions between attention-grabbing brain networks weak in ADHD, study says Interactions between three brain networks that help people pay attention are weaker than normal in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Type of electromagnetic field therapy improves survival for patients with brain tumor Early research indicates that the use of tumor-treating fields, a type of electromagnetic field therapy, along with chemotherapy in patients with a brain tumor who had completed standard chemoradiation resulted in prolonged progression-free and overall survival, according to a study in the December 15 issue of JAMA.
Stem cell transplantation does not provide significant improvement for Crohn's disease Among adults with difficult to treat Crohn disease not amenable to surgery, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, compared with conventional therapy, did not result in significant improvement in sustained disease remission at l year and was associated with significant toxicity, according to a study in the December 15 issue of JAMA.
British watchdog probes Nurofen adverts Britain's advertising watchdog said Tuesday it was investigating a TV advert for Nurofen after some versions of the painkiller were removed from shelves in Australia over misleading claims.
	Plant-based diets linked to lower mortality in CKD (HealthDay)—A diet high in plant protein intake is associated with lower all-cause mortality in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to research published online Dec. 10 in the American Journal of Kidney Disease.
	Early gestational diabetes tied to poor outcomes (HealthDay)—Diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) early in pregnancy remains associated with poorer pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 8 in Diabetes Care.
	Improvements in RA disease activity with bariatric sx (HealthDay)—For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), bariatric surgery-associated weight loss correlates with lower disease activity, decreased serum inflammatory markers, and less RA-related medication use, according to a study published in the December issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
	Common signatures predict flu vaccine responses in young and elderly What factors inhibit strong responses to seasonal flu vaccines in the elderly? Why do anti-flu antibodies last longer after vaccination in some people?
	Viral infections leave a signature on human immune system, study finds A team of immunologists and informatics experts at the Stanford University School of Medicine has identified a distinctive pattern of gene expression that distinguishes people with a viral infection from those with a bacterial infection. The team also identified a second pattern of gene expression that is more specific: It can distinguish the flu from other respiratory infections.
Shingles increases short-term risk of stroke in older adults More than 95% of the world's adult population is infected with the virus that causes chickenpox. Up to one third of these individuals will develop shingles (herpes zoster) in their lifetime. A new U.S. study has found that there is a short-term increased risk of stroke after having shingles, reports Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
	Patients can safely self-administer long-term IV antibiotics, reducing hospital stays Uninsured patients can be trained to safely and efficiently self-administer long-term intravenous antibiotics, UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians have found, a result that may have profound implications for patient treatment at public hospitals across the country.
Diversity in medical research is a long way off, study shows Despite Congressional mandates aimed at diversifying clinical research, little has changed in the last 30 years in both the numbers of studies that include minorities and the diversity of scientists being funded, according to a new analysis by researchers at UC San Francisco.
Elevated testosterone levels may raise risk of uterine fibroids Women who have high levels of both testosterone and estrogen in midlife may face a greater risk of developing benign tumors on the uterus called uterine fibroids than women with low levels of the hormones, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Herpes zoster is linked to increased rates of both stroke and myocardial infarction Herpes zoster (also called "shingles") is linked to a transient increased risk of stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) in the months following initial zoster diagnosis, according to a study published by Caroline Minassian and colleagues from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, published in this week's PLOS Medicine.
	New patent on synthetic molecules brings researchers closer to therapeutic approach for gum disease University of Louisville researchers recently received a patent on a synthetic biochemical compound and its variants, moving science closer to a treatment for gum disease. This discovery could lead to the formulation of a mouth rinse or tooth varnish to prevent the pathogen, P. gingivalis from colonizing in the mouth and establishing itself orally.
CTE is confirmed as a unique disease that can be definitively diagnosed For the first time, CTE has been confirmed as a unique disease that can be definitively diagnosed by neuropathological examination of brain tissue. A consensus panel of expert neuropathologists concluded that CTE has a pathognomonic signature in the brain, an advance that represents a milestone for CTE research and lays the foundation for future studies defining the clinical symptoms, genetic risk factors and therapeutic strategies for CTE.
	Distractibility trait predisposes some to attentional lapses People vary according to different personality traits, such as extraversion or conscientiousness, and new research suggests that they also vary according to a particular cognitive trait: distractibility. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders impact hospital rankings Healthcare consumers, policy and insurance organizations rely heavily on hospital ranking reports, but how accurate are they? Do differences in patient preferences for life-sustaining treatments that exist between different hospitals affect how hospitals are ranked?
	New step toward determining the cause of multiple sclerosis Researchers at the University of Toronto have found another clue in understanding the cause of what drives Multiple Sclerosis (MS) disease. Their findings were published today in Immunity.
Preoperative use of blood-thinning drugs is safe for cancer patients Among patients undergoing major cancer operations, the preoperative use of blood-thinning drugs such as heparin does not increase rates of major bleeding or transfusions, and is associated with a decreased risk of blood clots, according to new study results published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print publication early next year.
How recurrent strep A infections affect the brain Researchers have discovered how immune cells triggered by recurrent Strep A infections enter the brain, causing inflammation that may lead to autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders in children. The study, performed in mice, found that immune cells reach the brain by traveling along odor-sensing neurons that emerge from the nasal cavity, not by breaching the blood-brain barrier directly. The findings could lead to improved methods for diagnosing, monitoring, and treating these disorders.
	Treatment strategy protects children who receive liver transplants from hepatitis B-infected donors Researchers have found that a prophylaxis treatment can prevent new-onset hepatitis B in children who receive liver transplants from donors who were previously infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) but had successfully cleared the virus. The findings are published in Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
	Saline water better than soap and water for cleaning wounds, researchers find Many scientific advances have been made in the delivery of care and infection prevention for open fractures, but the standard practice of wound cleaning with soap and water before surgery has remain the unchanged. Now, an international team of researchers led by McMaster University in collaboration with the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre has found that soap and water is actually less effective than just using saline water.
	Acupuncture effective for chronic pain in children, study says It is upsetting to see anyone in pain, but it's especially heartbreaking to watch a child endure chronic pain.
Diseases that cause skin problems also can trigger serious neurological conditions Diseases such as lupus that cause rashes and other skin problems also can trigger migraine headaches, strokes and other serious neurological conditions, according to an article by Loyola University Medical Center physicians.
Ostracized children use imitation to fit in, study finds The threat of ostracism influences children to imitate group behaviors as a means of re-affiliating, according to psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin.
Eliminating cost for colorectal cancer screening doesn't improve screening rates Making colonoscopy available at no cost to eligible Medicare beneficiaries under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) did not increase the number of people in this target population who regularly undergo the procedure, says a new large scale national study from University Hospitals Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center. Interestingly, the same analysis found that rates of routine mammography significantly increased following the ACA's mandate for low or no cost screenings for Medicare recipients.
	Shingles vaccine helps protect older patients with end-stage renal disease Elderly patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who received the shingles vaccine were half as likely to develop shingles compared to those who were not vaccinated. The new study from Kaiser Permanente, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, also found the best protection against shingles was achieved when patients received the vaccination shortly after beginning dialysis.
Merck wins approval for long-delayed surgery revival drug Federal health authorities have approved a new drug that helps patients recover from the numbing effects of certain surgical drugs.
	Active and passive smoking linked to infertility and earlier menopause Active and passive smoking are linked to infertility problems and a hastening of the natural menopause before the age of 50, finds a large study published online in the journal Tobacco Control.
	Bearing the costs of illness Although there is evidence that households are able to foresee health expenses to some degree, there is little or no evidence that these expectations have an effect on the actual take up of health insurance. When people have health insurance, they tend to reduce health-risk prevention efforts, such as using mosquito nets. This was found to be the case in the Ghanaian National Health Insurance. Zelalem Yilma Debebe defended his PhD on the economic costs of illness, and effectiveness and problems of health insurance schemes in Ethiopia and Ghana on 4 December 2015 at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam.
	Valeant in new distribution deal with Walgreens Valeant Pharmaceuticals regained some credibility with upset investors thanks to its announcement Tuesday of a new distribution deal with Walgreens and plans to line up more pharmacies to sell its products after a scandal forced it to cut ties with a key distributor, Philidor.
Sanofi aims for top spot in consumer health via asset swap Sanofi said on Tuesday it hopes to take over the consumer health care unit of German peer Boehringer Ingelheim via an asset swap, making the French pharmaceutical giant the sector's world leader.
	In aging, one size does not fit all Conventional measures of age usually define people as 'old' at one chronological age, often 65. In many countries around the world, age 65 is used as a cutoff for everything from pension age to health care systems, as the basis of a demographic measure known as the 'old-age dependency ratio,' which defines everyone over 65 as depending on the population between ages 20 and 65.
Minnesota lifts final remaining bird flu quarantines Minnesota has lifted the last remaining quarantines on poultry farms that were infected with a deadly form of bird flu, officials announced Tuesday, marking a milestone in the state's recovery from an outbreak that cost its turkey and egg producers more than 9 million birds.

Biology news

	Researchers identify gene in petunias responsible for controlling how much UV light is absorbed (Phys.org)—An international team of researchers has identified the gene in petunia plants that is responsible for controlling how much UV light the flowers of the plant absorb which in turn has an impact on the types of pollinators that are attracted. In their paper published in the journal Nature Genetics, the team describes their genetic study of the plant and why they believe that what they found might help explain how it is that petunias adapt to attract different pollinators.
	Female sex cannibals not angry, just picky, spider study finds The female raft spider – often accused of indiscriminate aggression for cannibalising her potential suitors – is actually testing the worth of her mates, a new study suggests.
	Scientist's research shows promise in creating sustainable algae-based biofuels Carbon dioxide gives soda its fizz and champagne its sparkle. But increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to human activities can cause the Earth to warm and oceans to acidify at alarming rates.
	Turning point of a lifetime For the first time, scientists can observe the first two to three days of a mouse embryo's life, as it develops from a fertilised egg up to the stage when it would implant in its mother's uterus, thanks to a new light sheet microscope developed at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany.
	Mosquitoes are tuned to seek out temperatures that match warm-blooded hosts Many animals gravitate towards heat, most often to regulate their own body temperatures. In rare cases, certain species—ticks, bedbugs, and some species of mosquitoes—seek out heat for food. For female mosquitoes, finding heat is essential for survival, as they need to feast on warm-blooded prey to produce eggs. At the same time, mosquitoes have to know when something is too hot, so they won't get scorched on an over-heated blacktop, for instance.
	Free choice of mate may boost pandas' sex drive, study says Worried about the low sex drive of giant pandas in zoos, scientists have tried many things to get them in the mood—not least Viagra and "panda porn".
	Scientists satisfy our taste for blue mussels and Arctic surfclams These tiny creatures are Arctic surfclams. They're getting packed up for a trip to the shore. With some help, they're about to take up residence in an intertidal mudflat on the Maine coast, or 'Downeast' as they say around here, referring to ships sailing centuries ago from Boston east to Maine and downwind.
New long-range micro backpacks for bees could provide vital information Harnessing the bee's own electrical energy is the solution proposed by an exciting new project to create a lightweight and long range bee-tracking device.
	Researcher keeps her 'bugs' happy, leading to biofuel breakthroughs National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Senior Scientist Min Zhang has a special relationship with Zymomonas mobilis, a rod-shaped bacterium that has bioethanol-producing capabilities. Of her 80 peer-reviewed papers and 21 U.S. patents in the field of biochemistry and biofuels, many reference this sugar-eating "bug."
	Guam research aids in understanding recruitment limitation of rare tree Serianthes nelsonii, a large, handsome tree found only in the Mariana Islands was federally listed as endangered on Feb. 18, 1987. Since that time there has been relatively little research published on this rare tree.
	Increased spread rate of the fish round goby in the Baltic Sea The invasive fish species round goby is spreading at an incredible rate in the Baltic Sea. In his doctoral dissertation, Magnus Thorlacius at Umeå University in Sweden, presents evidence of asocial behaviour, higher risk tolerance and high activity levels in new populations correlating to the spread. Already three to five years, the fish starts to spread in large numbers to surrounding areas leaving a short window for measures to prevent further spread.
	UW conservationists celebrate new protected areas for Argentine penguins They live far from the North Pole, but Christmas came early for the stout-bodied, black and white Magellanic penguins of Patagonia's Punta Tombo region. On Dec. 3, the legislature for Chubut province established a new marine protected area off Punta Tombo, which would help preserve the feeding grounds for about 500,000 Magellanic penguins that make their home along this rocky stretch of Argentine coast.

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