From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Feb 22, 2014 at 2:23 AM
Subject: Phys.org Newsletter Friday, Feb 21
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>
Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 21, 2014:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- New, inexpensive production materials boost promise of hydrogen fuel- Self-cleaning, antireflective coating mimicks the structure of moth eyes
- Researchers find neurons responsible for tying together fearful events with environment
- Tracking catalytic reactions in microreactors
- New method to create monomodal, mesoporous metal oxides
- Exchange of genetic material between harmless bacteria could be reservoir of antibiotic resistance
- Nissan-Renault boss upbeat about green car future
- Fruit-loving lemurs score higher on spatial memory tests
- Adobe Flash Player updates confront zero-day exploit
- Pew maps Twitter conversations, finds six types
- Is a 'buttery' molecule behind cystic fibrosis flare-ups?
- US officials at odds over cellphone use on planes (Update)
- NASA suspends space capsule recovery test in ocean (Update)
- Seed-filled buoys may help restore diverse sea meadows in San Francisco Bay
- Scientist proposes revolutionary naming system for all life on Earth
Astronomy & Space news
Voyager, the space triumph that nearly wasn't
The Voyager 1 spacecraft is the first human-made object to venture into interstellar space. Even if defined only by distance, the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory twin Voyagers are America's greatest space adventure. They've been flying successfully for more than 36 years and are billions of miles from home. What isn't widely known is that they almost never made it out there.
Japan's Pocari Sweat bound for the moon: maker
Japan's curiously-named Pocari Sweat is to be sent to the moon, its Japanese maker has said, in what the firm claims will make it the first sports drink on the celestial body.
NASA deploys record-breaking 29 small satellites into orbit
(Phys.org) —A spectacular launch from Virginia's eastern shore recently resulted in the successful deployment of a record-breaking 29 small satellites into orbit, but that wasn't the only first for the mission or the bustling spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va.
Could Jupiter become a star?
NASA's Galileo spacecraft arrived at Jupiter on December 7, 1995, and proceeded to study the giant planet for almost 8 years. It sent back a tremendous amount of scientific information that revolutionized our understanding of the Jovian system. By the end of its mission, Galileo was worn down. Instruments were failing and scientists were worried they wouldn't be able to communicate with the spacecraft in the future. If they lost contact, Galileo would continue to orbit the Jupiter and potentially crash into one of its icy moons.
Smart SPHERES getting a software upgrade
(Phys.org) —Smart devices – such as tablets and phones – increasingly are an essential part of everyday life on Earth. The same can be said for life off-planet aboard the International Space Station. From astronaut tweets to Google+ Hangouts, our reliance on these mobile and social technologies means equipment and software upgrades are an everyday occurrence – like buying a new pair of shoes to replace a pair of well-worn ones.
The bow shock of Kappa Cassiopeiae, a massive, hot supergiant
(Phys.org) —Roguish runaway stars can have a big impact on their surroundings as they plunge through the Milky Way galaxy. Their high-speed encounters shock the galaxy, creating arcs, as seen in this newly released image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
NASA suspends space capsule recovery test in ocean (Update)
A training exercise designed to showcase the government's ability to recover a space capsule at sea was scrubbed after NASA ran into trouble off the Southern California coast, the space agency said Friday.
NASA's IRIS spots its largest solar flare
(Phys.org) —On Jan. 28, 2014, NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, witnessed its strongest solar flare since it launched in the summer of 2013. Solar flares are bursts of x-rays and light that stream out into space, but scientists don't yet know the fine details of what sets them off.
Medicine & Health news
Study questions programs to prevent psychological problems for troops
Many federal programs aimed at preventing psychological problems for military service members and their families have not been evaluated correctly to determine whether they are working or supported by science, says a new report commissioned by theDefense Department.
Majority of hardest hit populations excluded from trauma research
New study reveals just over 12 percent of traumatic stress studies published in 2012 were conducted in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs), where 83 percent of the world's population lives, and where risk of experiencing a potentially traumatic event is often greatest.
Subjective poverty massively affects older people's health
Being objectively low income leads to poor health and a shorter life. This much we already knew. But poverty can also be a matter of subjectively feeling poor. WZB economist Maja Adena and her colleague Michal Myck (DIW Berlin and the Center for Economic Analysis, CenEA, Szczecin) have substantiated how the subjective assessment of being poor affects the health of the 50+ age group. A study of Germany and 11 other European countries shows that older people who assess themselves as poor get sick more often (38 per cent) and suffer more from health setbacks (48 per cent) than those who do not. The probability of dying earlier is also much higher – around 40 per cent for men in this age group.
Report analyzes drug overdose morbidity and mortality among Kentucky residents
A new report from the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) reveals the prevalence and charges associated with drug overdose in the Bluegrass state. The report, "Drug Overdose Deaths, Hospitalizations, and Emergency Department Visits in Kentucky, 2000‐2012", analyzes overdose morbidity and mortality among Kentucky residents and documents the enormous societal and financial toll on the Commonwealth's population. KIPRC, located in the UK College of Public Health, is a bona fide agent for the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
Enzalutamide: IQWiG assessed data subsequently submitted by the manufacturer
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) in November 2013, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) determined an added benefit of this new drug over the appropriate comparator therapy specified by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA).
Physicians in India access UPMC medical expertise through telemedicine
With the latest expansion of its global telemedicine efforts, UPMC is now offering physicians in India access to its world-renowned medical expertise to improve care for patients. Through advanced, web-based technology, UPMC physicians specializing in oncology, pulmonology, colorectal surgery and other specialties are providing second opinions to physicians in the world's second-most populous nation.
US 'not targeting' India, says FDA chief (Update)
US regulators are not targeting India, despite a series of import restrictions on drugs from the major US trading partner, the head of the US Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
Colorado, Utah move to hike smoking age to 21 (Update 2)
Two Western states with some of America's lowest smoking rates are considering cracking down even more by raising the tobacco age to 21.
Greece's deepening health crisis: Study details signs of the nation's deterioration in health
Greece's health crisis is worsening as a result of continued healthcare budget cuts, says a new study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. Researchers say the harmful effects of austerity are linked to the increasing inability of patients to access the health system, large rises in the incidence of infectious disease, and a deterioration in the overall mental health of Greek people.
Genetic screening can identify men with advanced prostate cancer
Screening men with a family history of prostate cancer for a range of gene mutations can identify those who are at high risk of aggressive forms of the disease and in need of lifelong monitoring, a new study has shown.
Average obese woman gets just one hour of exercise a year, study says
(HealthDay)—A new study suggests that obese women get just one hour of vigorous exercise a year, while obese men don't do much better at fewer than four hours.
A little weight loss may ease sleep apnea
(HealthDay)—A small amount of weight loss might help combat sleep apnea, a new study suggests.
Low fluence, multiple pass laser efficacious in hair removal
(HealthDay)—Using diode lasers at low fluences and high average power with a multiple pass in-motion technique is an effective method for hair removal, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
Direct fitness measures better predict cardiometabolic risk
(HealthDay)—Directly measured fitness is more strongly associated with cardiovascular risk than self-reported physical activity level, according to research published in the Feb. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Unfilled hospital openings for doctors growing, survey finds
(HealthDay)—The need for hospital physicians is growing, according to an article published Jan. 3 in Medical Economics.
Total vaginal hysterectomy generates net hospital income
(HealthDay)—Compared with total vaginal hysterectomy (TVH), hospital costs are greater with laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH), and robotic hysterectomy (RH), according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Surgeons can up outcomes for work-related lumbar surgery
(HealthDay)—In patients with chronic disabling occupational lumbar disorder (CDOLD) and workers' compensation claims, lumbar fusion outcomes can be improved if opioid dependence and excessive length of disability after surgery are controlled through care, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
New magnetic treatment offers hope for depression
Though depression is often dubbed the common cold of mental health, the disorder can be crippling - and nearly a third of those who suffer find little or no relief in the flood of anti-depressants now on the market.
'Too much mammography'
Doctors tell many American women that they need a yearly mammogram to screen for breast cancer. Early detection saves lives, women are told. But evidence has been mounting for years that mammograms do not reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer.
New test suggests antidepressant Paxil may promote breast cancer
A team of researchers from the City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., has developed a speedy way to identify drugs and chemicals that can disrupt the balance of sex hormones in human beings and influence the development and progress of diseases such as breast cancer.
Dyspnea during daily activities predicts all-cause mortality
Dyspnea, a sensation of breathlessness, during light daily activities can be used as an indicator of exercise intolerance and low fitness. According to a study on Finnish twins, persistent or developing dyspnea reveals an increased risk of death.
Mapping global road risk
(Medical Xpress)—The next time you go to Africa or the Middle East, you may want to stay off the roads.
Self-reported memory complaints may predict clinical memory impairment
(Medical Xpress)—A recent study suggests that self-reported memory complaints might predict clinical memory impairment later in life.
How older adults conceptualize the cause of their high blood pressure
(Medical Xpress)—Older adults with hypertension may have dramatically different perceptions about the cause of their condition depending upon where they live, their ethnicity and other demographic characteristics, suggests new research that involved older adults in Arizona and Illinois.
"Evidence is weak" for cold treatment with echinacea
(Medical Xpress)—For people seeking a natural treatment for the common cold, some preparations containing the plant Echinacea work better than nothing, yet "evidence is weak," finds a new report from The Cochrane Library. The evidence review revealed no significant reductions in preventing illness, but didn't rule out "small preventive effects."
Doctors express a strong desire to learn more about e-cigarettes
The use of electronic cigarettes, battery operated devices that often look like cigarettes and deliver vaporized nicotine, is on the rise, including among minors. In a survey between 2011 and 2012, 10 percent of high school students reported ever using an e-cigarette. However, many clinicians are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable with addressing the use of e-cigarettes with their young patients, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Brain's motor cortex uses multiple frequency bands to coordinate movement
Synchrony is critical for the proper functioning of the brain. Synchronous firing of neurons within regions of the brain and synchrony between brain waves in different regions facilitate information processing, yet researchers know very little about these neural codes. Now, new research led by Tomoki Fukai of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute reveals how one region of the brain uses multiple brain-wave frequency bands to control movement.
Antibody may be detectable in blood years before multiple sclerosis symptoms appear
An antibody found in the blood of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be present long before the onset of the disease and its symptoms, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, April 26 to May 3, 2014.
Selenium and vitamin E supplementation over recommended dietary intake may raise prostate cancer risk
A multi-center study led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that high-dose supplementation with both the trace element selenium and vitamin E increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. But importantly, this risk depends upon a man's selenium status before taking the supplements.
Early warning system for epidemics
The environment has an impact on our health. Preventing epidemics relies on activating the right counter-measures, and scientists are now trying to find out how better use of forecasting can help. The EU's EO2HEAVEN project developed a risk map for correlating environmental and health data in order to identify where a disease may break out next. The concept will be on show at Booth E40 in Hall 9 of the CeBIT trade fair in Hannover.
Schizophrenics are at greater risk of getting diseases
Researchers have long known that people with autoimmune diseases, such as hepatitis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis, are at greater risk of developing schizophrenia.
Team sport compensates for estrogen loss
When women enter menopause, their oestrogen levels taper. This increases their risk of cardiovascular disease. New research from University of Copenhagen shows that interval-based team sport can make up for this oestrogen loss as it improves their conditions, reduces blood pressure and thereby protects the cardiovascular system.
US looks to reboot nonprescription drug system
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking to revamp its system for regulating hundreds of over-the-counter drugs, saying the decades-old process is not flexible enough to keep pace with modern medical developments.
Modern war wounds can devastate vets' sexual, emotional health
(HealthDay)—The tools of war have changed. With the increased use of powerful explosive devices, men and women patrolling on foot in bomb-laced areas of combat are increasingly suffering traumatic injuries to the groin and genitals, experts say.
Can a change in diet reduce onset of dementia? Studies indicate yes
Data suggesting that nutrition plays a major role in the risk of dementia and cognitive decline continue to accumulate. This is good news, as it suggests that there is a lot that each of us can do individually to lower our risk of dementia and cognitive decline as we age.
New cocktail of medicine helps surgical patients get back on their feet
Mary Kay Drummond kept waiting for the pain to come after her Jan. 21 knee replacement surgery. She'd had her right knee replaced a year ago, and when it was time for her left, she braced herself for the discomfort and immobility she experienced the first time.
Promising cervical cancer study
Research on cervical cancer performed by a physician at the University of Arizona Cancer Center at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The multi-site research project by Bradley J. Monk, MD, is expected to change the standard of care for women with advanced cervical cancer.
Reducing HIV transmission among drug injectors lowers AIDS mortality in heterosexuals
Although community network studies show that sexual relationships occur between members of "risk groups"—men who have sex with other men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), non-injection drug users (NIDU)—and heterosexuals, researchers at New York University's Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) note that little research has been done to help explain how HIV epidemics and programs in one population affect others and how to reduce the risks of transmission.
MS researchers find task meaningfulness influences learning and memory
Kessler Foundation researchers have found that among persons with multiple sclerosis, self-generation may be influenced by variables such as task meaningfulness during learning and memory. They also found that type of task (functional versus laboratory) had a significant effect on memory.
Air Force aircraft returned from Vietnam identified as postwar source of Agent Orange contamination
From 1971-1982 Air Force reservists, who flew in about 34 dioxin-contaminated aircraft used to spray Agent Orange and returned to the US following discontinuation of the herbicide spraying operations in the Vietnam War, were exposed greater levels of dioxin than previously acknowledged, according to a study published today in Environmental Research.
US bans bidis made by Indian tobacco company (Update)
US regulators on Friday banned four types of small cigarettes known as bidis made by an Indian company, marking the Food and Drug Administration's first-ever oversight action against a tobacco product.
Does a diet high in carbohydrates increase your risk of dementia?
Even small increases in blood sugar caused by a diet high in carbohydrates can be detrimental to brain health. Recent reports in medical literature link carbohydrate calorie-rich diets to a greater risk for brain shrinkage, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, impaired cognition, and other disorders. David Perlmutter, MD, best-selling author of Grain Brain, explores this important topic in a provocative interview in Alternative and Complementary Therapies.
The parasite that escaped out of Africa
An international team of scientists has traced the origin of Plasmodium vivax, the second-worst malaria parasite of humans, to Africa, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications. Until recently, the closest genetic relatives of human P. vivax were found only in Asian macaques, leading researchers to believe that P. vivax originated in Asia.
Degradation of viral DNA in the cell nucleus opens new Hepatitis B treatment possibilities
Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München have discovered how the viral DNA of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be degraded in the cell nucleus of liver cells, consequently allowing the virus to be eliminated. Viruses such as HBV can persist by depositing their genetic information (DNA) in the cell nucleus, where the DNA is normally not degraded. This prevents antiviral drugs from eliminating these viruses. But the newly discovered mechanism could make this possible without damaging the infected cell in the liver. In the current issue of the prestigious journal Science, the scientists report that now new therapeutic possibilities are consequently opening up.
Geneticists study how individual nerve cells assemble into specific nerves
(Medical Xpress)—Geneticists from Trinity College Dublin interested in 'reverse engineering' the nervous system have made an important discovery with wider implications for repairing missing or broken links. They found that the same molecular switches that induce originally non-descript cells to specialise into the billions of unique nerve cell types are also responsible for making these nerve cells respond differently to the environment.
Exchange of genetic material between harmless bacteria could be reservoir of antibiotic resistance
Researchers have found that a harmless bacterium could be a source for antibiotic resistance in treatments against such diseases as pneumonia, bacteraemia and meningitis. Their results could help in the design of better strategies to deal with the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Is a 'buttery' molecule behind cystic fibrosis flare-ups?
A molecule previously linked to lung injuries in factory workers producing microwave popcorn might play an important role in microbial infections of the lung suffered by people with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to a recent study led by San Diego State postdoctoral researcher Katrine Whiteson. The molecule, known as 2,3-butanedione or diacetyl, can be detected in higher concentrations in CF patients than in healthy ones.
Researchers find neurons responsible for tying together fearful events with environment
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers working at Columbia University have identified a neuron that serves to tie fearful events with the environment in which they occurred. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team explains how they isolated the special neuron and how its identification furthers the understanding of how memories are formed in the brain.
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