Fwd: Science X Newsletter Friday, Jan 16

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Jan 17, 2015 at 2:38 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Friday, Jan 16
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 16, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Three nearly Earth-size planets found orbiting nearby star
- Galactic 'hailstorm' in the early universe
- Solving an organic semiconductor mystery
- Lost and found in space: Beagle 2 seen on Mars 11 years on (Update)
- Is it possible to reset our biological clocks?
- Researchers find salmon semen can be used to extract rare earth elements from waste
- 3-D seagrass model shines leaf-level light on photosynthesis
- Statins inhibit spread of some cancers in laboratory tests
- New "triggered-release" mechanism could improve drug delivery
- Closing your eyes boosts memory recall, new study finds
- Speeding bullet galaxy observed slamming into galaxy cluster
- A little help from your friends just increases pain
- Antiquity of dairying on Emerald Isle revealed
- Vitamin A deficiency may be involved in type 2 diabetes
- The heat is on; NOAA, NASA say 2014 warmest year on record

Astronomy & Space news

	Galactic 'hailstorm' in the early universe Two teams of astronomers led by researchers at the University of Cambridge have looked back nearly 13 billion years, when the Universe was less than 10 percent its present age, to determine how quasars - extremely luminous objects powered by supermassive black holes with the mass of a billion suns - regulate the formation of stars and the build-up of the most massive galaxies.
	Lost and found in space: Beagle 2 seen on Mars 11 years on (Update) A British-built probe which vanished 11 years ago has been found on the surface of Mars, scientists said on Friday, solving an enduring mystery of space exploration.
	Three nearly Earth-size planets found orbiting nearby star NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, despite being hobbled by the loss of critical guidance systems, has discovered a star with three planets only slightly larger than Earth. The outermost planet orbits in the "Goldilocks" zone, a region where surface temperatures could be moderate enough for liquid water and perhaps life, to exist.
	Europe comet mission deserves Nobel, says space chief A European mission that made the first landing on a comet deserves the Nobel prize, the head of the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Friday.
	New Horizons spacecraft begins first stages of Pluto encounter NASA's New Horizons spacecraft recently began its long-awaited, historic encounter with Pluto. The spacecraft is entering the first of several approach phases that culminate July 14 with the first close-up flyby of the dwarf planet, 4.67 billion miles (7.5 billion kilometers) from Earth.
	Speeding bullet galaxy observed slamming into galaxy cluster (Phys.org)—Researchers working at Europe's XMM-Newton X-ray space telescope have observed a speeding galaxy smashing its way through a galaxy cluster called Abell 4067. They have reported their observations and findings in a paper uploaded to the arXiv server, soon to be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Russian firm seals $1 billion deal to supply US rocket engines A Russian manufacturer on Friday announced a $1 billion deal to supply engines for the US Antares rockets making deliveries to the International Space Station.
Singer Sarah Brightman delays space tourist training: Russian space agency British singer Sarah Brightman has delayed the start of her training to be a space tourist but plans to go ahead with her flight, Russia's space agency said Friday.
	First SLS engine blazes to life in Mississippi test firing igniting NASA's path to deep space NASA's goal of sending astronauts to deep space took a major step forward when the first engine of the type destined to power the mighty Space Launch System (SLS) exploration rocket blazed to life during a successful test firing at the agency's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
	What causes the northern lights? If you live in the high latitudes, like Alaska, or New Zealand, you've probably had a chance to see an aurora. Here in Canada, we call them the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis, but the lucky folks in the far southern latitudes see them too. On a good night, you can see flickering sheets of light that dance across the night sky, producing an amazing display of colors. You can see green, red and even yellow and purple ghostly displays.
	Rejigging the Cluster quartet Aiming to study Earth's 'bow shock' in the solar wind, the constellation of Cluster satellites is being rejigged to bring two of the four to within almost touching distance.
	Image: Interior view from the International Space Station cupola This image of the interior view from the International Space Station's Cupola module was taken on Jan. 4, 2015. The large bay windows allows the Expedition 42 crew to see outside. The Cupola houses one of the space station's two robotic work stations used by astronauts to manipulate the large robotic arm seen through the right window.
	UA-led HiRISE camera spots long-lost space probe on Mars The UK-led Beagle 2 Mars Lander, thought lost on Mars since 2003, has been found partially deployed on the surface of the planet, ending the mystery of what happened to the mission more than a decade ago.

Medicine & Health news

	Closing your eyes boosts memory recall, new study finds In a new study, published today in the journal Legal and Criminology Psychology, researchers from the University of Surrey have found further evidence to suggest that eyewitnesses to crimes remember more accurate details when they close their eyes. The team also discovered that building a rapport with witnesses also helped them to remember more.
	Rare mutations do not explain 'missing heritability' in asthma Despite a strong suspected link between genetics and asthma, commonly found genetic mutations account for only a small part of the risk for developing the disease - a problem known as missing heritability.
	Neuroscientists investigate how 100 billion nerve cells produce a clear thought or an action We have approximately 100 billion nerve cells in our brains, all of which communicate with one another. Why do they lead to clear thoughts or purposeful actions instead of mere gibberish? The reason lies, among other things, in a small group of inhibitory nerve cells that can use the messenger GABA to curb the activity of other nerve cells. The neuroscientists Dr. Michael Strüber and Prof. Dr. Marlene Bartos from the University of Freiburg and their colleague from Vienna Prof. Dr. Peter Jonas have discovered that the distances between communicating cells play a part in the regulation of brain networks. The team presents this approach in the current issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
	Study details a link between inflammation and cancer A new study from MIT reveals one reason why people who suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases such as colitis have a higher risk of mutations that cause cancer. The researchers also found that exposure to DNA-damaging chemicals after a bout of inflammation boosts these mutations even more, further increasing cancer risk.
	Research sheds new light on the hierarchy of the senses When people converse in their day-to-day lives, they often speak about what they hear, smell, taste or feel. First and foremost, however, they talk about their visual perceptions. This is the conclusion of a team of scientists headed by Lila San Roque, Kobin H. Kendrick, Elisabeth Norcliffe and Asifa Majid at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, who conducted a study of 13 languages from around the world. However, they found no evidence of a fixed hierarchy of the other senses in the speakers' linguistic usage. They therefore conclude the hierarchy of the senses is shaped by both biological predispositions and cultural influences.
	Statins inhibit spread of some cancers in laboratory tests Cholesterol-lowering drugs appear to be a promising, cost-effective way to reduce the risk of metastases in some cancers, according to laboratory research led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Metastases, rather than the original tumor, are what usually kill people with cancer.
	A little help from your friends just increases pain Maybe misery doesn't love company. When physical pain is involved, having an equally suffering friend nearby just makes you feel worse, according to a study published online Thursday in the journal Current Biology.
	Is it possible to reset our biological clocks? Imagine being able to easily get over all of the discomfort and problems of jet lag or night-shift work. Science is not quite there, but recent work by Marc Cuesta, Nicolas Cermakian and Diane B. Boivin from the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McGill University has opened new therapeutic avenues for improving the synchronization of the body's different biological clocks.
	Vitamin A deficiency may be involved in type 2 diabetes Investigators have long sought the answer to a vexing question: What are the biological mechanisms involved in the development of type 2 diabetes? A recent study from Weill Cornell Medical College researchers suggests that the culprit may be a lack of vitamin A, which helps give rise to the cells, called beta cells, in the pancreas that produce the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin.
	New genetic clues found in fragile X syndrome Scientists have gained new insight into fragile X syndrome—the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability—by studying the case of a person without the disorder, but with two of its classic symptoms.
	One in five adults with epilepsy also has ADHD symptoms (HealthDay)—Nearly one in five adults with epilepsy also has symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study finds.
	Unhealthy insulin levels may boost breast cancer risk (HealthDay)—After menopause, unhealthy insulin levels may predict breast cancer risk even more than excess weight, new research suggests.
	Gene-based spit test shows promise in lung cancer detection (HealthDay)—Medicare indicated recently that it might soon cover CT scans to check longtime smokers for early lung cancer, and these types of scans are becoming more common.
	Review highlights anesthetic implications of Ebola virus (HealthDay)—Recommendations are presented for anesthetic care in patients with Ebola virus disease and published online Dec. 30 in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
	Light therapy seems promising for nonspecific back pain (HealthDay)—For adults with chronic nonspecific back pain (CNBP), light therapy is associated with reduction in pain intensity and improvement in depressive symptoms, according to a study published in the December issue of Pain Medicine.
	Polycaprolactone efficient for nasolabial fold treatment (HealthDay)—For patients with nasolabial folds (NLFs), treatment with a novel biostimulatory polycaprolactone (PCL)-based dermal filler is associated with improved long-lasting efficacy compared with nonanimal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA)-based fillers. This finding was published online Jan. 6 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
	Patient-selected audio therapy may ease pediatric post-op pain (HealthDay)—Going through a surgery often means postoperative pain for children, but listening to their favorite music might help ease their discomfort, according to a new study published online Jan. 3 in Pediatric Surgery International.
China diagnosed 104,000 new HIV/AIDs cases in 2014: report China diagnosed 104,000 new cases of HIV/AIDS in 2014, media reported Friday, highlighting growth in infections in the country despite a comparatively low overall rate.
	Q&A: Measles pops up in outbreak linked to Disney parks Measles cases have been popping up around California in an outbreak linked to visits to Disney theme parks in Orange County during the winter holiday.
	Separating a student from their iPhone can be bad for their health and for their brain If you forgot your phone at home, you may get a sense of being incomplete in some way, the itch you just can't scratch each time you reach for your absentee phone. Our phones have become such integral part of our lives that they feel like they are part of us. Your phone is where your mind goes during a less than captivating business meeting, a boring class, or a family function. Surely you are missing something – a text, an Instagram update, a tweet from Kanye. The possibilities are endless.
	Does coconut oil live up to the hype? Every month there seems to be a new "superfood" that is promoted heavily on the Internet and TV talk shows and endorsed by semi-celebrities. But rarely has a food gone through as dramatic a transformation from dietary villain to superhero as coconut oil and, indeed, all things coconut.
	Engineers enlarge brain tissue to study nanoscale features While most efforts to understand the brain focus on new technologies to magnify small anatomical features, engineers at the MIT-based Center for Brains, Minds and Machines have found a way to make brains physically bigger.
	Human mode of responding to HIV vaccine is conserved from monkeys The antibody response from an HIV vaccine trial in Thailand was made possible by a genetic trait carried over in humans from an ancient ancestry with monkeys and apes, according to a study led by Duke Medicine researchers.
Research confirms need to support student-athlete mental health A pilot program designed to raise awareness and encourage discussion about mental health issues among student-athletes at the University of Michigan has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response, a U-M team told the NCAA today.
	A new way of improving tuberculosis treatment rejected Tuberculosis kills 1.5 million people across the world every year. The existing treatment is effective but long. Many patients abandon it before completion, increasing the risk of a relapse and favouring the emergence of drug resistance in the bacillus responsible. Cutting down the duration of treatment is the priority for researchers. A team from IRD and a number of other international institutions has just published the results of a 10-year long clinical trial carried out in five African countries and involving a shorter regimen, in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, this regimen has proven to be less effective than the standard treatment. Scientists are now pursuing their research into alternative medicinal therapies, drawing on the vast network of skills developed during this clinical trial, the first of its kind for over thirty years.
	Study questions linkage between body image, labiaplasty, and pornography Preliminary research into the relationship between pornography and genital satisfaction has found women are generally content and were not considering drastic cosmetic surgery to their genitals.
	Two mechanisms work in tandem to form memories of frightening events The formation of memories of fearful experiences involves not only changes in brain wiring, but also the action of a chemical known as noradrenaline, shows a study led by researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute. This understanding has enabled the researchers to artificially implant a fear memory in rats.
	Enzyme linked to respiratory system development in fruit flies comes from another organ Research from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology has revealed that development of the respiratory system in fruit flies is controlled by a regulatory enzyme that is manufactured in the fat body—the fly's equivalent of the liver. This finding supports the broad role of the fat body in supplying essential enzymes involved in embryonic development.
	How to avoid bogus health information on the web Health is one of the biggest topics searched for on the web, yet despite its importance a large portion of this information is inaccurate, anecdotal or biased.
	Scientists discover gene tied to profound vision loss An exhaustive hereditary analysis of a large Louisiana family with vision issues has uncovered a new gene tied to an incurable eye disorder called retinitis pigmentosa, according to an examination led by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). It is a family of eye diseases that affects more than 200,000 people in the United States and millions worldwide.
	Scientists spot gene linked to tanning 'addiction' (HealthDay)—Snowbirds who flock south in winter in search of the warmth of the sun, listen up:
	Women underrepresented in leadership roles in ob-gyn (HealthDay)—Women are underrepresented in leadership roles in obstetrics and gynecology, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Defensive medicine common among surgeons, radiologists (HealthDay)—Defensive medicine is commonly practiced among surgeons and radiologists in Austria, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
	Impact of medical scribes on EHR advancement discussed (HealthDay)—The increasing use of medical scribes should not be a replacement for improving electronic health records (EHRs), according to a viewpoint piece published online Dec. 15 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	BPA exposure affects heart health of males and females differently in mouse models Heart function and blood pressure in mice exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) from birth though young adulthood are affected differently in males and females, with females at greater risk of damage from stress, a study from a University of Cincinnati (UC) researcher has found.
Exploring the use of alcohol-interactive prescription medication among US drinkers Approximately 71 percent of American adults drink alcohol. While alcohol interacts negatively with a number of commonly prescribed medications, little is known on a population level about the use of alcohol-interactive (AI) prescription medication among US drinkers. A new study has found that almost 42 percent of drinkers in the US population have used one or more alcohol-interactive prescription medications.
Adolescents who sleep poorly and insufficiently may develop alcohol and drug problems Sleep difficulties and insufficient sleep are common among American youth. Prior research has shown that poor sleep can predict alcohol-related problems and illicit drug use among adolescents and young adults in high-risk samples. A new study has found that sleep difficulties and hours of sleep can predict a number of specific problems, including binge drinking, driving under the influence of alcohol, and risky sexual behavior in a nationally representative sample.
Genes and environment contribute to personal and peer drinking during adolescence and beyond Alcohol use typically begins during adolescence, within social contexts, and is often correlated with the drinking of one's peers. A new study of how a person's drinking is related to the alcohol use of their peers from early adolescence through to early adulthood has found that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the correlation between one's own drinking and peer drinking.
Pre-sleep drinking disrupts sleep For individuals who drink before sleeping, alcohol initially acts as a sedative - marked by the delta frequency electroencephalogram (EEG) activity of Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) - but is later associated with sleep disruption. Significant reductions in EEG delta frequency activity and power also occur with normal development between the ages of 12 and 16; likewise this is a time when alcohol is commonly consumed for the first time, with dramatic increases in drinking occurring among collage-age individuals. A study of the effects of alcohol on sleep EEG power spectra in college students has found that pre-sleep drinking not only causes an initial increase in SWS-related delta power but also causes an increase in frontal alpha power, which is thought to reflect disturbed sleep.
Recipient of novel stem cell treatment 'well', doctor A woman treated with a revolutionary embryonic stem-cell therapy for severe heart failure is doing well three months after the operation, her cardiologist reported Friday.
	Rare virus discovered in common tick (HealthDay)—A rare virus has been found in ticks that are common in the southeastern United States.
	Review: venlafaxine may be effective for fibromyalgia Tx (HealthDay)—Venlafaxine seems to be effective for the treatment of fibromyalgia, although studies are limited by small sample size and methodological concerns, according to a review published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
	Discectomy-related information on internet deemed poor (HealthDay)—Discectomy-related information on the Internet is poor and of variable quality, according to a study published in the Jan. 15 issue of Spine.
	Caffeine doesn't affect cardiac conduction, refractoriness in SVT (HealthDay)—For patients with symptomatic supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), caffeine is associated with increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but does not impact cardiac conduction or refractoriness, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology.
	Unhealthy dietary behaviors linked to functional dyspepsia (HealthDay)—Unhealthy dietary behaviors are associated with refractory functional dyspepsia (RFD), according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Digestive Diseases.
	CRP/ESR disagreement common in infection, inflammation (HealthDay)—For patients with suspected infection or inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP)/erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) disagreement is common, according to a study published online Dec. 31 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
	Teenage acne linked to melanoma in women (HealthDay)—There appears to be an association between teenage acne and melanoma, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Cancer.
	Active breathing coordinator beneficial in RT for left breast CA (HealthDay)—For patients with left breast cancer, radiation therapy with the Active Breathing Coordinator (ABC) can reduce the mean heart dose (MHD) by 20 percent or more, while preserving local control, according to a study published in the January-February issue of Practical Radiation Oncology.
	Four-times daily ASA more effective in post-CABG patients (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, four-times daily acetyl-salicylic acid (ASA) seems more effective than once-daily 81 mg or 325 mg ASA, according to a study published online Dec. 27 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Michigan autoworkers fare worse when it comes to the heart A Michigan State University study is the first to indicate that the state's autoworkers are at a higher risk of heart disease compared to the U.S. population overall.
Stem cells derived from amniotic tissues have immunosuppressive properties Stem cells derived from human amnion have for some time been considered promising for cell therapies because of their ease of access, ability to differentiate, and absence of ethical issues. Now, a Japanese research team has found that stem cells derived from human female amnion also have immunosuppressive activity and that the addition of antibodies to specific factors can enhance their immunosuppressive potential.
Complaints procedures have a serious impact on doctors' health and risk harming patients Doctors who are the subject of complaints procedures or investigation by the General Medical Council experience high rates of serious depression and anxiety as well as suicidal thoughts, according to a new study.
Red Cross nurse dies from Ebola in Sierra Leone A nurse working for the Red Cross in Sierra Leone has died of Ebola in the eastern district of Kenema, where no new cases had been reported for 37 days, the organisation said Thursday.
	Schools in Guinea closed amid Ebola to reopen Monday All schools in Guinea will reopen on Monday after being closed amid the deadly Ebola outbreak, Guinea's health minister said Friday.
Holistic assessment needed for wheelchair users with multiple sclerosis People with multiple sclerosis (MS) need to be holistically assessed when being offered an electric wheelchair, a study at Brunel University London has found.
	NHS cancer treatment improves – but more needs to be done New NHS figures show that, despite improvements, there are still significant differences in outcomes for cancer patients when it comes to age and socio-economic background.
Study identifies impacts of women's socio-economic status on infant health A new report from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study, led by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, provides evidence of the profound influence of early life environment on children's subsequent health and identifies implications for policy-makers.
	To tackle inequalities, build health into all public policies Many of today's public health issues – diabetes, cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease – are strongly associated with social inequalities. Literature from across the world shows that gaps in income, employment, education and access to acute and preventative health care worsen health outcomes for disadvantaged populations. When the inequalities are avoidable and based on unjust distributions of resources, for example, it then becomes an issue of health inequity.
	Medicare chief steps down, ran health care rollout Medicare's top administrator unexpectedly resigned Friday, becoming the latest casualty in the turmoil over the president's health care law, which is still struggling for acceptance even as millions benefit from expanded coverage.
EU partners with pharmaceutical industry to fight Ebola The EU will partner with the European pharmaceutical industry to finance 215 million euros in research projects to fight Ebola, mainly to develop vaccines and diagnostic tests, it announced Friday.
Novartis to close manufacturing plant in Puerto Rico by 2019 Novartis AG is closing its manufacturing plant in Puerto Rico as part of a major overhaul of its business, the company said in a statement Friday.
	Dramatic decline in risk for heart attacks among HIV-positive Kaiser Permanente members Previously reported increased risk of heart attacks among HIV-positive individuals has been largely reversed in recent years for Kaiser Permanente's California patients, according to a study published in the current online issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Aetna picks Gilead Sciences hepatitis C drugs over AbbVie's Insurer Aetna has made new hepatitis C drugs from Gilead Sciences Inc. preferred treatments for customers with the liver-destroying virus.
Egypt reports 3rd bird flu death this year An Egyptian woman died Friday of bird flu, the health ministry announced, the third victim killed in the country this year by the H5N1 infection.

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