From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Dec 21, 2013 at 2:22 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Friday, Dec 20
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 20, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- It's a negative on negative absolute temperatures- Japan robot chats with astronaut on space station
- Researchers develop new device to help image key proteins at room temperature
- Breaking down cancer's defense mechanisms
- How the cells remove copper
- Birth of black hole kills the radio star
- Slosh experiment designed to improve rocket safety, efficiency
- Early detection of blinding eye disease could be as easy as scanning a barcode
- Shudder action buys time for male spider from being killed
- The season's weirdest, wackiest tech gifts
- Not just the Koch brothers: New study reveals funders behind the climate change denial effort
- New vaccine protects against lethal pneumonia caused by staph bacteria
- Physicists publish observation of the 'Charming Socialites'
- Even or odd: No easy feat for the mind
- A wrong molecular turn leads down the path to Type 2 diabetes
Astronomy & Space news
Gaia's mission: solving the celestial puzzle
A space mission to create the largest, most-accurate, map of the Milky Way in three dimensions has been launched yesterday. Astronomers say the data gathered by the satellite will "revolutionise" our understanding of the galaxy and the universe beyond.
Space has an 'animalistic' sound according to artist in residence
University of Leicester Leverhulme Scholar provides unique insight into the sounds of space
Producing electricity on the moon at night
Scientists from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and other international collaborators have proposed a system of mirrors, processed lunar soil and a heat engine to provide energy to vehicles and crew during the lunar night. This would preclude the need for batteries and nuclear power sources such as those used by the Chinese rover that recently landed on the moon.
Bolivia's first telecoms satellite launched from China
A Chinese rocket launched Bolivia's first telecommunications satellite early Saturday with the president of the South American country declaring it a success.
Japan robot chats with astronaut on space station
The first humanoid robot in space made small talk with a Japanese astronaut and said it had no problem with zero gravity on the International Space Station.
Birth of black hole kills the radio star
Astronomers led by a Curtin University researcher have discovered a new population of exploding stars that "switch off" their radio transmissions before collapsing into a Black Hole.
Slosh experiment designed to improve rocket safety, efficiency
Since Robert Goddard's first launch of a liquid propellant rocket in 1926, experts have worked to perfect engine propulsion systems. As launch vehicles have grown in size, fuel and oxidizer tanks have become more complex resulting in unexpected changes in thrust, potentially endangering flight crews and mission success. A team of scientists and engineers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is now studying how to better understand this phenomenon and reduce its potential impacts to flight safety.
Starless cloud cores reveal why some stars are bigger than others
Massive stars – those at least 8 times the mass of our Sun – present an intriguing mystery: how do they grow so large when the vast majority of stars in the Milky Way are considerably smaller?
Medicine & Health news
Nearly 8 percent of hip implants not backed by safety evidence
Almost 8 percent of all implants used in hip replacement surgery have no readily available evidence relating to their safety or effectiveness, finds a study published in BMJ today.
Options set for those lacking new health coverage
People whose existing health care insurance has been canceled because of the Affordable Care Act will not be hit with tax penalties for failing to line up new coverage as required under the law.
Bubonic plague claims 32 lives in Madagascar (Update)
Bubonic plague, which wiped out a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages, has reared its ugly head in the African island state of Madagascar where 32 people have died in a fresh outbreak of the so-called Black Death disease, according to health authorities.
IRB develops ChroGPS, a new generation visual browser of the epigenome
ChroGPS is a software application that serves to facilitate the analysis and understanding of epigenetic data and to extract intelligible information, which can be downloaded free of charge in Bioconductor, a reference repository for biocomputational software. The scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) describe the uses of the programme in an article published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, in which they explain that ChroGPS is the answer to a problem that has been dragging on for the last ten years.
Physical activity behaviour against excess weight and type II diabetes
"I'm going to exercise in the new year." Hardly any resolution is made more frequently than this one after the calorie-filled Christmas holidays – and hardly one that is broken as frequently. A team headed by Prof. Wolfgang Schlicht from the Institute for Sport and Movement Science at the University of Stuttgart are investigating behaviour techniques in the framework of the project "PREVIEW" with which the physical activity behaviour can be changed in the long term. The objective is to identify those contents of nutrition and physical activity that could prevent the illness breaking out at an early stage in people in danger of becoming diabetic. The recommendations not only help potential diabetic patients but all those intending to live a healthier lifestyle in the new year.
Life-saving formula a step closer to human trials
A global innovation that has the potential to prevent women in developing countries from the fatal loss of blood after childbirth will move a step closer to human trials, following a $500,000 gift from Australia's Planet Wheeler Foundation.
Helping good genes win in brain cancer cells
Researchers at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) have shown that manipulating an epigenetic mechanism, which regulates gene expression, may promote cell death and favor maturation towards less malignant-prone phenotypes in pediatric brain cancer cell lines.
Classic signaling pathway holds the key to prostate cancer progression
University of Houston researchers published a study investigating the processes through which androgen receptors affect prostate cancer progression. The publication, "Androgens Regulate Prostate Cancer Cell Growth via an AMPK-PGC-1α-Mediated Metabolic Switch," featured in Oncogene, illuminates a known metabolic pathway as a potential novel therapeutic target. Daniel Frigo and his team at the Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling demonstrate that androgens take control of the AMPK signaling cascade to increase prostate cancer cell growth.
Allen Institute for Brain Science announces new data release on Allen Brain Atlas resources
The Allen Institute for Brain Science recently announced major updates to the online public resources available through the Allen Brain Atlas data portal. The updates include feature enhancements and data additions to four different atlas resources: the Mouse Brain Connectivity Atlas, the BrainSpan Atlas of the Developing Human Brain, the Human Brain Atlas and the Mouse Brain Atlas. The tools and data are freely available for download and analysis to the entire global research community, constituting a key resource of high-quality neuroscience datasets.
Angiogenic factor secretion by melanocytes associated with pigmentation leve
The decreased vision loss that accompanies age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is associated with abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye. Frequencies of AMD development are different among racial backgrounds, with occurrence of AMD highest among individuals of mixed European decent. Furthermore, other diseases associated with dysfunctional neovascularization occur at different frequencies depending on racial background, suggesting a connection between pigmentation and susceptibility to angiogenic disease.
Nonsense suppression drug restores function in a mouse model of aniridia
Congenital aniridia is a progressive disease that is associated with improper development of eye structures as well as abnormalities in the brain and pancreas. A variety of nonsense mutations in the PAX6 gene are linked with aniridia; however, despite understanding the genetic basis of the disease, few treatment and prevention strategies are available.
Dysfunctional TGF-beta signaling contributes to Loeys-Dietz syndrome-associated aortic aneurysm
Patients with the connective tissue disorder Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) are at high risk for aortic aneurysm. LDS results in the presence of missense mutations within either of the genes encoding receptors for TGF-β. LDS-associated mutations are predicted to reduce TGF-β signaling; however, aortic tissue samples from LDS patients indicate that TGF-β signaling may be enhanced.
Evaluation of mangafodipir treatment for oxaliplatin-associated neuropathy
An unfortunate side effect of the platinum-chemotherapy drug oxaliplatin is the development of neurotoxicity, which can adversely affect a patient's quality of life; therefore, the benefit of oxaliplatin-based therapy must be balanced with prevention of neuropathies. Currently, there are no therapeutic interventions available to relieve oxaliplatin-associated neurological symptoms, which are thought to be a result of reactive oxygen species-associated damage.
Obama opens insurance law loophole
The Obama administration opened a last-minute loophole in its health insurance overhaul, offering one-year hardship exemptions from tax penalties to Americans whose private coverage was cancelled because it did not meet the new law's benefit requirements.
Spanish govt approves new restrictive abortion law (Update)
Spain's conservative government on Friday approved tighter restrictions on abortion, allowing the practice only in the case of rape or when there is a serious health risk to the mother or fetus.
Ariad to relaunch leukemia drug with new warnings (Update)
Ariad Pharmaceuticals has received approval to relaunch its leukemia drug Iclusig after addressing safety concerns raised by U.S. regulators in October.
How to stop or slow sickness from going around this winter
It's hard to fend off illnesses when sniffles and coughs are "going around," says Dr. Ray Tsai, who rushed his 1-year-old daughter to the doctor when she developed croup, a respiratory disease that left her struggling to breathe during this cold season.
Women's perceptions of 'normal' female genitalia may be influenced by exposure to modified images
Women's perceptions of what is considered normal and desirable female genitalia may be influenced by exposure to modified images, suggests a new study published today (20 December) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
White blood cell count predicts infarct size in STEMI
(HealthDay)—For patients with anterior wall ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), elevated white blood cell count (WBCc) on presentation is associated with increased infarct size, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Biomarker identified in systemic sclerosis predicts progression
(HealthDay)—Patients with systemic sclerosis have elevated levels of CXCL4, which predicts disease risk and progression, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fat, protein impact postprandial glucose excursion in T1DM
(HealthDay)—For children with type 1 diabetes using intensive insulin therapy (IIT), high-fat (HF) and high-protein (HP) meals increase glucose excursions, with an additive effect observed, according to a study published in the December issue of Diabetes Care.
Physicians must be proactive in risk management
(HealthDay)—Risk is inherent in the practice of medicine, but physicians can take steps to prevent patient injury and avoid lawsuits, according to an article published Dec. 10 in Medical Economics.
Criteria issued for tests for stable ischemic heart disease
(HealthDay)—Appropriate use criteria have been released for tests used to diagnose or evaluate stable ischemic heart disease, in a document published online Dec. 16 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Heart Failure Society of America, Heart Rhythm Society, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons all partnered in the development of the document.
Role of E-cigarettes in eliminating tobacco use discussed
(HealthDay)—The public health issues relating to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and their role in eliminating tobacco use are discussed in a perspective piece published online Dec. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Okinawan plant holds promise of elixir of youth
Sweet tropical smells drift through Shinkichi Tawada's laboratory as he stirs an amber liquid that he believes could be the secret behind the historic longevity of people in southern Japan.
French firm starts human trials of artificial heart
French biomedical firm Carmat said on Friday it had begun the first human trial of its prototype artificial heart, which aims at overcoming shortages of organs available for transplant.
Biomarkers of kidney injury indicate increased risk of death after discharge from cardiac surgery
Following cardiac surgery, patients with elevated levels of kidney injury biomarkers are at a significantly higher risk of dying during the next three years, a Yale study has found. The results appear in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Pharmacy staff frequently misinform teens seeking emergency contraception
Despite the fact that emergency contraception, also known as the morning-after pill, has been available since 2003, many teens still face barriers to obtaining the medication, a safe and effective way to prevent up to 74 percent of pregnancies following the failure of birth control or after unprotected sex.
Overcoming anxiety for the holidays
From Thanksgiving to the New Year, a bustling stream of family gatherings, office parties and high expectations fill most hearts with joy. But for some people—and maybe more people than you think—the holidays bring untold levels of anxiety. An introverted personality, an inability to say no to relatives or colleagues, age-old family conflicts: All can heighten anxiety in normally healthy people while making life miserable for people with clinical anxiety disorders.
Admitted for "observation?" Watch out for big medical bills
Hospitals are increasingly placing patients too ill to be sent home but not sick enough to be admitted into observation services.
Mapping objects in the brain
A brain region that responds to a particular category of objects is found to consist of small clusters of neurons encoding visual features of these objects.
Want a better understanding of your favourite song? Move to the beat
We do it in the office, in the car and in that trendy Cuban café when our friends aren't looking. When the music is good, the urge to move is irresistible.
The first biological heart valve implanted into a beating heart
A few days ago, the cardiac surgeons at the MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital achieved an absolute first: the first biological heart valve implanted into a beating heart was given to a male patient who had a leaky aortic valve. The patient, whose medical care was being provided in Vienna, had aortic regurgitation and was unsuitable for open-heart surgery due to his other co-morbidities.
Study: New Year resolution is your best chance to quit smoking
January is one of the best times to give up smoking, according to award-winning researchers who say New Year's resolutions can help you quit forever.
Clinical histories reveal surprising evidence of multiple, distinct 'autisms'
(Medical Xpress)—Simple patterns can emerge from even the most chaotic, complex data.
Researchers use oral peptide spray to stimulate weight loss in animals
(Medical Xpress)—A quick spray on the tongue with an oral spray containing a compound that naturally occurs in the body could be all it takes to curb appetite and spark weight loss. And unlike oral weight-loss sprays currently on the market, this one holds the promise of being backed by medical science.
Use of media can save lives in bad storms
The number and intensity of storms and other extreme weather events are on the increase all over the world. The latest study by the Medical University of Vienna in cooperation with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses the example of one of the largest American series of tornados of all times to show that the risk of injury can be reduced significantly with the use of certain media.
Carriers of a genetic mutation show increased dependence on tobacco
Scientists at the Institut Pasteur, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC) have recently proven that, in mice, nicotine intake– nicotine is the main addictive substance in tobacco – is heavily regulated by a genetic mutation that is very common in humans. This mutation affects the neuronal nicotinic receptor, disrupting its function and resulting in partial inactivation of the "reward circuit". Carriers of this mutation therefore have to increase their consumption to feel the effects of tobacco. These results, published online on December 3, 2013 in Molecular Psychiatry, pave the way for the development of new smoking cessation treatments that target carriers of this mutation.
Key step in developing a drug that tricks the brain into being less hungry
Lap-band surgery is maintaining support in Australia's health system with calls for the procedure to be made available to overweight teens and those who suffer diabetes.
Relationship between smoke-free law and children in the home
The greatest gift parents can give their children is a smoke-free home in which to live and grow up healthy.
Concussion tests' marketing outpaces scientific evidence, new review says
Computerized neurocognitive testing for concussions is widely used in amateur and professional sports, but little research over the past decade proves its effectiveness, a paper published this month in the journal Neuropsychology Review says.
Increasing personal savings, the 'Groundhog Day' way
Thinking about time as a cycle of recurring experiences—a reality Bill Murray's character knows all too well in the movie Groundhog Day—may help us to put more money away into our savings, according to new research. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
The logistics of learning
Learning requires constant reconfiguration of the connections between nerve cells. Two new studies now yield new insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie the learning process.
Want to stop smoking? See a specialist
Smokers in England who want to stop smoking are three times more likely to succeed if they see a trained advisor than if they try by themselves, according to a new study published online today in the medical journal Addiction. Worryingly, just buying nicotine patches, gum or other licensed nicotine products from a shop does not seem to improve the chances of quitting.
New research provides insight into epilepsy
Experiments using mice have led to new research results showing that the amount of microRNA-128 has a great impact on the musculoskeletal system. If the level of microRNA-128 is increased, it leads to lower neuron activity and can thereby help reduce uncontrolled movements in connection with epilepsy or Parkinson's disease. MicroRNA-128 can similarly be decreased to boost the neuron activity.
New data for engineering immune cells shows early promise in solid tumors
Engineered immune cells, called CARTmeso cells, designed to direct antitumor immune responses toward tumors that carry a protein called mesothelin, showed antitumor activity in two patients with advanced cancers that had not responded to prior treatments, according to a study published in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
NYC expands smoking ban to include e-cigarettes
New Yorkers who turned to electronic cigarettes to keep smoking in restaurants, offices or even libraries are down to their last few puffs in such places.
Scientists use drug to repair rare birth defect
University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health scientists have developed a potential cure for a rare eye disease, showing for the first time that a drug can repair a birth defect.
New research offers hope for vaccine and therapies for deadly infections
Mucormycosis is a deadly infection that strikes people with weakened immune systems when certain types of fungi, called Mucorales, invade the patients' cells. A novel protein on the surface of the Mucorales cells, called CotH, makes this invasion possible.
One in six fathers doesn't live with his kids: CDC
(HealthDay)—Almost one in six fathers doesn't live with his children, according to new research that looked at how involved dads are in their children's lives.
Efficiency improvements aid physician capacity
(HealthDay)—Efforts aimed at improving the efficiency of primary care practices can make impacts in alleviating physician shortages through improved primary care capacity of existing practices, according to an analysis published in the November issue of Health Affairs.
Acupuncture may relieve tonsillectomy pain in children
(HealthDay)—Preliminary evidence indicates that acupuncture may decrease perceived pain in children and adolescents following tonsillectomy, according to a review published in the December issue of the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.
Docs must help patients take responsibility for medical costs
(HealthDay)—Given that increasing numbers of patients have high-deductible health insurance, doctors and practice staff need to help patients assume financial responsibility for costs relating to medical services and procedures, according to an article published Dec. 10 in Medical Economics.
Health care providers want to learn more about E-cigarettes
(HealthDay)—Health care providers who treat adolescents are aware of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), but have moderately low levels of knowledge about them and comfort discussing their use, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
During the holidays, keep an eye on the elderly for symptoms of Alzheimer's
When Deborah Bell's father was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer seven years ago, she knew something was off about her mother, Rosa.
Doctor details two new hepatitis C drugs
In the last three weeks, the Food and Drug Administration has approved two new drugs that are expected to dramatically improve treatment of chronic hepatitis C, a liver-damaging viral infection that afflicts more than 3.2 million Americans.
New thresholds for blood pressure drugs sought
Fewer people could be prescribed high blood pressure medications in light of new guidelines published this week, which also call for raising the threshold to initiate drug therapy in people 60 and older.
Researchers explore possible link between cognitive depressive symptoms and antiretroviral therapy uptake
Researchers from Boston University's School of Medicine (BUSM) and College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) found that among HIV-infected Russian drinkers, depressive symptom severity alone was not significantly associated with lower rates of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. However, when examining cognitive symptoms of depression, results showed that high levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation. The findings are published online in the journal AIDS and Behavior.
Cholesterol study shows algal extracts may counter effects of high fat diets
Health Enhancement Products, Inc., in conjunction with Wayne State University's Department of Nutrition and Food Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, announces the publication of a scientific article in the Journal of Nutrition & Metabolism, "ProAlgaZyme sub-fraction improves the lipoprotein profile of hypercholesterolemic hamsters, while inhibiting production of betaine, carnitine, and choline metabolites."
Study shows two drugs help adolescents with ADHD, aggression
Prescribing both a stimulant and an antipsychotic drug to children with physical aggression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), along with teaching parents to use behavior management techniques, reduces aggressive and serious behavioral problems in the children, according to a study conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Genetic basis for memory formation has implications for neurological diseases
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have shown for the first time that two genes involved in many neurological diseases act together to regulate specific aspects of protein production in nerve cells and allow the development of a simple form of memory called habituation. These findings have implications for our understanding of memory formation in general, and will also aid ongoing research in related diseases.
New study reveals insight into how the brain processes shape and color
A new study by Wellesley College neuroscientists is the first to directly compare brain responses to faces and objects with responses to colors. The paper, by Bevil Conway, Wellesley Associate Professor of Neuroscience, and Rosa Lafer-Sousa, a 2009 Wellesley graduate currently studying in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences program at MIT, reveals new information about how the brain's inferior temporal cortex processes information.
Parasitic DNA proliferates in aging tissues
The genomes of organisms from humans to corn are replete with "parasitic" strands of DNA that, when not suppressed, copy themselves and spread throughout the genome, potentially affecting health. Earlier this year Brown University researchers found that these "retrotransposable elements" were increasingly able to break free of the genome's control in cultures of human cells. Now in a new paper in the journal Aging, they show that RTEs are increasingly able to break free and copy themselves in the tissues of mice as the animals aged. In further experiments the biologists showed that this activity was readily apparent in cancerous tumors, but that it also could be reduced by restricting calories.
Common disorders: It's not the genes themselves, but how they are controlled
Many rare disorders are caused by gene mutation, like sickle cell anemia. Yet until now the underlying genetic cause of more common conditions – for example, rheumatoid arthritis – has evaded scientists for years.
Breaking down cancer's defense mechanisms
A possible new method for treating pancreatic cancer which enables the body's immune system to attack and kill cancer cells has been developed by researchers.
New vaccine protects against lethal pneumonia caused by staph bacteria
University of Iowa researchers have developed a new vaccine that protects against lethal pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria, including drug-resistant strains like MRSA.
Even or odd: No easy feat for the mind
Even scientists are fond of thinking of the human brain as a computer, following sets of rules to communicate, make decisions and find a meal.
A wrong molecular turn leads down the path to Type 2 diabetes
Computing resources at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have helped researchers better grasp how proteins misfold to create the tissue-damaging structures that lead to type 2 diabetes. The structures, called amyloid fibrils, are also implicated in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and in prion diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jacob and mad cow disease.
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