From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Dec 7, 2013 at 1:57 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Friday, Dec 6
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 6, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Quantum dots with confined light holes could have applications in quantum technologies- Time warp: Researchers show possibility of cloning quantum information from the past
- Coal yields plenty of graphene quantum dots
- Researchers find giant convection cells on the Sun
- Apple guides shoppers inside stores with iBeacon (Update)
- Valve engineer builds mouth-mouse and butt controller from other gadgets (w/ Video)
- Huge grains of copper promote better graphene growth
- HIV cure hopes dashed for two US cancer patients (Update 2)
- Seeking another Earth, by the numbers
- Quantum effects help cells capture light, but the details are obscure
- Researcher traces the history of the American urban squirrel
- Clinical waste may prove valuable for monitoring treatment response in ovarian cancer
- Researchers may have discovered a plan to disable Meniere's disease
- Scientists probe abandoned mine for clues about permanent CO2 sequestration
- Quality of biodiversity, not just quantity, is key
Astronomy & Space news
Two MSU-built satellites set to launch early Dec. 6
Two more satellites built by Montana State University students are scheduled to be lofted into space this week under NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa-2) program.
Rocket with secret payload launches off California
A rocket carrying a secret payload for the U.S. government has successfully launched from the central California coast.
Subaru telescope captures comet Lovejoy's tail
A team of astronomers from Stony Brook University (the State University of New York at Stony Brook), the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and others used Suprime-Cam, Subaru Telescope's wide-field, prime-focus camera, to capture an image of the intricate flow of Comet Lovejoy's (C/2013 R1) ion tail. (Figure 1)
Heat shield for NASA's Orion spacecraft delivered to Kennedy Space Center
NASA's Orion spacecraft is just about ready to turn up the heat. The spacecraft's heat shield arrived at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday night aboard the agency's Super Guppy aircraft.
NASA's latest space technology small satellite phones home
PhoneSat 2.4, NASA's next generation smartphone cubesat has phoned home. The tiny spacecraft that uses an off-the-shelf smartphone for a brain has completed checkout and sent back data confirming all systems are "go" for the spry spacefarer.
First folding space telescope
The capability of orbital telescopes to see wide swaths of the earth at a time has made them indispensable for key national security responsibilities such as weather forecasting, reconnaissance and disaster response. Even as telescope design has advanced, however, one aspect has remained constant since Galileo: using glass for lenses and mirrors, also known as optics. High-resolution imagery traditionally has required large-diameter glass mirrors, which are thick, heavy, difficult to make and expensive. As the need for higher-resolution orbital imagery expands, glass mirrors are fast approaching the point where they will be too large, heavy and costly for even the largest of today's rockets to carry to orbit.
Final checkout for Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory
Following the Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory's arrival at the Tangashema Space Center in Japan, efforts by the NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency team will now focus on final checkouts and preparation for launch in early 2014.
China moon rover enters lunar orbit
China's first lunar rover entered the moon's orbit on Friday, state media reported, a key step towards the vessel's planned landing later this month.
Seeking another Earth, by the numbers
In a room with concrete block walls from which he can barely see the sky, Drake Deming explores the heavens.
Researchers find giant convection cells on the Sun
(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers with affiliations with NASA and several U.S. institutions has found the elusive giant convection cells suspected for nearly a half century to exist on and within the sun. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes how they used data from a NASA observatory that captured solar information every 45 seconds over a several month period which allowed the researchers to track the slow movement of the giant cells.
Medicine & Health news
FDA: Idaho noted yeast in yogurt before recall
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration report says the Idaho Department of Agriculture detected abnormalities in yogurt at a Chobani facility two months before the company issued a recall.
World Bank says universal health coverage key in growth
Universal health coverage is not only morally correct, but vital for a country's economic development, the president of the World Bank told a conference in Japan on Friday.
Majority of millennials don't support health care reform
new national poll of America's 18- to 29-year-olds by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government finds a solid majority of millennials disapprove of the comprehensive health reform package that the president signed into law in 2010, regardless of whether the law is referred to as the Affordable Care Act (56 percent disapprove) or "Obamacare" (57 percent disapprove). Less than three in 10 uninsured millennials say they will definitely or probably enroll in insurance through an exchange if and when they are eligible.
Roles of T cells in disease cures and causes
T cells aren't as simple as you might think. Some attack infections and keep us healthy. Others allow tumors to grow. Understanding how these cells – the soldiers of our immune systems – develop and function is the goal of Yisong Wan, an immunologist in the UNC School of Medicine.
Pain management for infant injections
According to pain management specialist Professor Denise Harrison, an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne, breastfeeding and the use of sweet water can help to calm babies during immunisation.
University's research key in new international guidelines for treatment of severe malnutrition
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidelines for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, based in large part on research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Study shows benefits for men with metastatic prostate cancer who receive chemotherapy when starting hormone therapy
Men with hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer who received the chemotherapy drug docetaxel given at the start of standard hormone therapy lived longer than patients who received hormone therapy alone, according to early results from a National Institutes of Health-supported randomized controlled clinical trial.
Dietary supplement use among older persons
Many older people are ingesting too much magnesium and vitamin E in the form of dietary supplements. This was discovered by scientists of the Helmholtz Zentrum München in a population-based study; their results have been published in 'The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging'.
Trucks found to be a significant cause of severe accidents
Trucks are responsible for 4,500 deaths per year in the United States. Truck crashes also cause huge losses in productivity, property and personal injury. New research just published in the International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion details how trucks account for 8% of US highway traffic, yet are involved in 11% of fatal road crashes.
Online platform simulates how the body defends itself
A platform that simulates how the body defends itself: The T cells of the immune system decide whether to trigger an immune response against foreign substances. Since December 2013 scientists from around the world can use the "virtual T cell" to test for themselves what happens in the blood cell when receptor proteins are activated on the surface.
College students bringing home mononucleosis
One of the hallmarks of heading home for winter break is the enormous amount of laundry college students bring home as a present for mom and dad. But the dirty socks might not be the only unwelcome guest they transport home. They might also bring mononucleosis, better known as mono.
Nutrition education does result in better food choices
Roxanna Salinas was stunned when a third-grader told her he had never tasted a carrot.
Norwegian brain researchers share Horwitz prize
Edvard and May-Britt Moser of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and John O'Keefe, from University College London have been awarded the 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for discoveries that have illuminated how the brain calculates location and navigation.
Enzalutamide in prostate cancer: Hints of added benefit
Enzalutamide (trade name: Xtandi) has been approved since June 2013 for men with metastatic prostate cancer in whom the commonly used hormone blockade is no longer effective and who have already been treated with the cytostatic drug docetaxel. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined whether this new drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy specified by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA).
To improve foster care, add a psychiatric nurse to treatment team
Psychiatric nurses offer a missing and critical point of view in treating adolescents in foster care who have mental health issues, an instructor at Saint Louis University School of Nursing found.
FDA approves first drug for rare erection disorder
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat an unusual condition that causes painful, curved erections in men.
Stockings perform better than bandages to treat leg ulcers
A new study has found that leg ulcers take the same time to heal when people wear compression stockings rather than traditional bandages.
Study delivers protein across blood-brain barrier to degrade Alzheimer's plaques
The body is structured to ensure that any invading organisms have a tough time reaching the brain, an organ obviously critical to survival. Known as the blood-brain barrier, cells that line the brain and spinal cord are tightly packed, making it difficult for anything besides very small molecules to cross from the bloodstream into the central nervous system. While beneficial, this blockade also stands in the way of delivering drugs intended to treat neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's.
More signs that US births may have stopped falling
There's more evidence that U.S. births may be leveling off after years of decline.
Cigarette smoking after cancer diagnosis increases risk of death
Men who continued to smoke after a cancer diagnosis had an increased risk of death compared with those who quit smoking after diagnosis, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Group of anti-diabetic drugs can significantly lower cancer risk in women with type 2 diabetes
A Cleveland Clinic-led study shows that a specific type of diabetes drug can decrease the risk of cancer in female patients with type 2 diabetes by up to 32 percent.
Good body image goes hand in hand with happier relationship
(HealthDay)—Women who are happy with their bodies are better able to maintain a happy relationship, a new study finds.
Researchers record data from brain of ambulatory Parkinson's patient
(Medical Xpress)—Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have successfully implanted and recorded data from a device that not only generates electrical impulses to tame symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but also continuously monitors and records brain activity in a key affected structure deep within the patient's brain.
Assessing the US population's sodium intake
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists used an automated dietary survey tool they developed to accurately estimate how much sodium volunteers consumed as part of their daily diets.
Healthy breakfast boosts math performance
Eating breakfast—or choosing to skip it—may significantly influence a child's ability to solve math problems, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded nutrition study suggests.
Space technology informs artificial heart development
An artificial heart containing miniaturised space technology will soon beat inside a person, having now been approved for human trials in France.
Sequencing tuberculosis strain genomes
(Medical Xpress)—The use of whole genome sequencing to identify different strains of bacteria which cause tuberculosis may unlock the door to improved treatments and more accurate clinical trials, according to a new international study.
Researchers inhibit brain production of beta-amyloid
(Medical Xpress)—A discovery by Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Scripps Research Institute scientists could lead to drugs that slow Alzheimer's disease progression.
Tooth loss exacts significant emotional toll
(Medical Xpress)—Academics have called for tooth loss to be taken more seriously, after new research revealed the full imact it can have on patients' lives.
Drug delivery system successfully treats deadly ovarian cancer in mice
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at Rutgers University have developed a targeted drug delivery system that they believe could make ovarian cancer more treatable and increase survival rates for the most deadly gynecological cancer in the United States.
Precautions urged against meningitis
Recent outbreaks of meningitis at Princeton University and other college campuses across the nation have students on alert, but there are ways to lessen the threat, says Madhuri Sopirala, MD, associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Cincinnati and a UC Health physician.
Two potential therapies for preventing myofibroblast differentiation
Multiple types of cells are needed for patients to recover from surgery or to restore life to tissues that have lost circulation. University of Georgia researchers have identified how the cells involved in the final stage of repair, myofibroblasts, are switched on. This information can lead to drug development that could speed recovery.
Study correlates ADHD and secondhand smoke
(Medical Xpress)—Duke Medicine has established a new research program to investigate the relationship between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy and childhood and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
Novel hormone essential for heart development discovered
Scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMCB) have identified a gene encoding a hormone that could potentially be used as a therapeutic molecule to treat heart diseases. The hormone - which they have chosen to name ELABELA - is only 32 amino-acids long, making it amongst the tiniest proteins made by the human body.
Synthetic RNAs designed to fight cancer
(Medical Xpress)—In search of better cancer treatments, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have designed synthetic molecules that combine the advantages of two experimental RNA therapies.
Report studies children's views on sexism and sexual harassment
New research by Cardiff University has revealed how pre-teen boys and girls feel about growing up in an increasingly sexist society.
Is morbid obesity a psychosomatic disorder?
A study published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics has applied diagnostic criteria for psychosomatic syndromes to a sample of patients with morbid obesity.
Brain shape affects children's learning capacities
The anatomy of the brain affects cognitive control, an essential skill for learning and academic success. This is the result of studies performed by the Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education de l'Enfant (CNRS/Université Paris Descartes/Université de Caen Basse-Normandie), in collaboration with the NeuroSpin Center (CEA). The scientists showed that an asymmetry of the two brain hemispheres relative to a particular pattern of a cortical region could partly explain the performance of 5-year old children during a task designed to measure cognitive control. According to the research team, and depending on the characteristics of their brains, children may have different pedagogical requirements in terms of learning cognitive control. This work, published online in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience on 30 November 2013, opens new educational perspectives.
Better diagnoses yield improved treatment for vets with anxiety
Veterans who suffer from anxiety may not get appropriate treatment for want of a specific diagnosis, finds a new study in General Hospital Psychiatry.
New computational model reveals novel possibilities for H. pylori treatment
A new computational model developed by researchers at the Center for Modeling Immunity to Enteric Pathogens at Virginia Tech's Virginia Bioinformatics Institute offers new ways to study host immune responses to the gastric ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
Christmas really can make you ill, leading academic warns
A breakdown in usual routines, less sleep, more alcohol and immense pressure to be the perfect host can combine to create a very real risk of Christmas making people ill, a University of Birmingham researcher has warned.
Women's age affects every stage of IVF
A woman's age affects the outcome of every single step of IVF treatment, according to a University of Aberdeen study published today in PLOS ONE. This is the first study of its kind to break down failure rates for each stage of IVF for different age groups.
Herpes viruses associated with cognitive impairment
(Medical Xpress)—The herpes virus that produces cold sores during times of stress now has been linked to cognitive impairment throughout life, according to a new University of Michigan study that for the first time shows an impact on children ages 12-16.
U-M researchers: Turn down the volume
As the nation continues to focus on health care prevention through reform, one cause of serious illness and even death gets ignored—environmental noise pollution.
New mitochondrial research offers hope to those suffering serious disease
(Medical Xpress)—Queen's University professor Stephen Archer's (Department of Medicine) research has revealed that in serious human diseases (such as pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer, cardiac arrest and neurologic disease) the cell's power source, known as mitochondria, displays an abnormal structure.
Breaking the link between ADHD and addiction
Adult sufferers of ADHD are two to three times more likely to experience substance abuse or dependence, but a research project which will map the genetic markers of the condition will help sever ties with addiction and could lead to customised treatments.
Norfolk Islanders' genes yield Bounty of insight into heart disease: study
Genetic studies of descendants of the Bounty mutineers have identified places on the human genome that contain expressed genes associated with cardiovascular disease.
Hong Kong confirms second human H7N9 bird flu case in a week
Hong Kong health authorities on Friday confirmed a new human case of the deadly H7N9 bird flu, the second case to come to light in less than five days.
Study finds parental stress linked to obesity in children
Parental stress is linked to weight gain in children, according to a new study from St. Michael's Hospital. The study found that children whose parents have high levels of stress have a Body Mass Index, or BMI, about 2 per cent higher than those whose parents have low levels of stress. Children with higher parental stress also gained weight at a 7 per cent higher rate during the study period than other children.
Human stem cells predict efficacy of Alzheimer drugs
Why do certain Alzheimer medications work in animal models but not in clinical trials in humans? A research team from the University of Bonn and the biomedical enterprise LIFE & BRAIN GmbH has been able to show that results of established test methods with animal models and cell lines used up until now can hardly be translated to the processes in the human brain. Drug testing should therefore be conducted with human nerve cells, conclude the scientists. The results are published by Cell Press in the journal Stem Cell Reports.
Promising results for Swedish cancer drug candidate
A new study conducted by scientists from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden presents very promising results for the treatment of the cancer form multiple myeloma. The drug candidate used in the research has been developed by scientists from Karolinska Institutet and a Swedish company following its initial identification at the same university. The findings are so promising that the scientists are teaming up with Harvard to bring the drug to clinical trials on patients.
Surprising discovery: The skin communicates with the liver
Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark have discovered that the skin is capable of communicating with the liver. The discovery has surprised the scientists, and they say that it may help our understanding of how skin diseases can affect the rest of the body.
CDC: Water at Marine base linked to birth defects
A long-awaited study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms a link between tainted tap water at a U.S. Marine Corps base in North Carolina and increased risk of serious birth defects and childhood cancers.
CDC says more people with asthma getting flu shots
(HealthDay)—Influenza vaccination has increased substantially among people with asthma since the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded recommendations for annual vaccinations, though all age groups fall short of Healthy People 2020 targets, according to a report published in the Dec. 6 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Poor people with diabetes may miss out on eye care
(HealthDay)—People with diabetes are at increased risk for eye problems, but a new study finds that poor diabetes patients who go to public hospital clinics have low rates of eye care.
Frequent cell phone use linked to anxiety, lower grades and reduced happiness in students
Today, smartphones are central to college students' lives, keeping them constantly connected with friends, family and the Internet. Students' cell phones are rarely out of reach whether the setting is a college classroom, library, recreational center, cafeteria or dorm room. As cell phone use continues to increase, it is worth considering whether use of the device is related to measurable outcomes important for student success, such as academic performance, anxiety and happiness.
Taking probiotics in pregnancy or giving them to infants doesn't prevent asthma
Taking probiotics has health benefits but preventing childhood asthma isn't one of them, shows newly published research led by medical scientists at the University of Alberta.
Counting the cost of infertility treatment
Although the demand for infertility treatment is rising, the high cost may deter some couples from seeking care. Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco assessed direct out-of-pocket costs for couples undergoing fertility treatment. Those using medication only had the lowest out-of-pocket expenses at $912, while those using in vitro fertilization (IVF) had the highest at $19,234. The results, published in The Journal of Urology®, will help inform couples who seek infertility care and the physicians who counsel them.
Cancer-promoting protein is vital to safe division of tumor cells
Researchers have caught a protein they previously implicated in a variety of cancer-promoting roles performing a vital function in cell division, survival and development of brain tumors.
FDA approves breakthrough hepatitis C drug
Gilead Sciences Inc. says the federal government has approved its highly anticipated hepatitis C drug that is expected to offer a faster cure to millions of people infected with the liver-destroying virus.
Gut microbes may be a risk factor for colorectal cancer
In one of the largest epidemiological studies of human gut bacteria and colorectal cancer ever conducted, a team of researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center has found a clear association between gut bacteria and colorectal cancer. The study, published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, discovered that colorectal cancer patients had fewer beneficial bacteria and more harmful bacteria than people without the disease.
Malignant and healthy cells display characteristic fractal patterns
A new approach has given rise to the hope for a faster and more reliable method for determining cancer cell types. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart and the University of Heidelberg found that cells can be very accurately characterised using fractal geometry. This theory describes objects whose minute structural details resemble their larger contours. Cancer cells are not able to regulate their growth and, as a consequence their shape, as effectively as healthy cells. The particular fractal geometry of a cell therefore becomes a marker of the cell type. Using this mathematical method in combination with sophisticated image recognition, it is possible to establish the progression of cancer in a cell. The researchers studied the statistical distribution of the occurrence of structural details on the surface of different tumour cells, and were thus able to identify cancer cells with more accuracy than when using the conventional immunohistological method. Moreover, they were able to distinguish between different tumours.
Transdermal drug delivery at the cellular level
Medicated adhesive patches have become a preferred method of delivery for everything from nicotine to hormones to motion sickness medication.
New research implicates immune system cells in muscle healing
Scientists have found that cells known primarily for tempering immune response also exist in injured muscle tissue, an unexpected role for regulatory T cells.
The brain's function in perseverance
Perseverance is a quality that plays a large role in the success or failure of many pursuits. It has never been entirely clear why this trait seems more apparent in some people than others, but a new piece of research may at least help explain where it comes from.
HIV cure hopes dashed for two US cancer patients (Update 2)
The latest hopes of curing AIDS were dashed Friday when US researchers said HIV returned in two men who briefly eradicated the virus after bone marrow transplants for cancer.
Clinical waste may prove valuable for monitoring treatment response in ovarian cancer
A microchip-based device developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators may greatly simplify the monitoring of patients' response to treatment for ovarian cancer – the most lethal form of gynecologic cancer – and certain other malignancies. The team from the MGH Cancer Center and the Center for Systems Biology reports using their device to isolate and identify tumor cells from ascites, an accumulation of fluid in the abdomen that often occurs in abdominal cancers. The PNAS Early Edition paper also describes development of a panel of four protein markers to accurately identify ovarian cancer cells in ascites.
Researchers may have discovered a plan to disable Meniere's disease
Researchers at University of Colorado School of Medicine may have figured out what causes Meniere's disease and how to attack it. According to Carol Foster, MD, from the department of otolaryngology and Robert Breeze, MD, a neurosurgeon, there is a strong association between Meniere's disease and conditions involving temporary low blood flow in the brain such as migraine headaches.
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