Fwd: Science X Newsletter Friday, Feb 20

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Feb 21, 2015 at 2:40 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Friday, Feb 20
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 20, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Magnetic material's unusual heating effect could fry cancer cells at the perfect temperature
- Pen draws flexible circuits using half-meter long carbon nanotube fibers
- Research trio finds bluebird mothers give sons extra dose of androgen when antagonized
- Cutting off a cancer cell at its transcriptional source: Model system for designing a small molecule inhibitor
- Reducing energy efficiency boosts calorie burning in muscle
- Researchers discuss plans for developing human model organs on plastic chips
- Diabetes and depression predict dementia risk in people with slowing minds
- Doctors say fitness trackers, health apps can boost care
- Virus-cutting enzyme helps bacteria remember a threat
- Genome's tale of 'conquer and enslave'
- Stolen SIM card keys could be powerful spy tool
- Ancient and modern cities aren't so different
- Keeping the heart's engine in sync: Contractions' efficiency depends on critical protein
- Life on Europa? Scientists ponder the possibilities
- Team finds powerful dengue neutralizing antibody

Astronomy & Space news

	Life on Europa? Scientists ponder the possibilities When Galileo viewed Jupiter through his telescope in 1610, he saw four dim objects near it that he assumed were stars. Repeated observations revealed that these "stars" orbited Jupiter like our own moon circles Earth. Thus began over 400 years of observations of Jupiter's moons, which now number 67. But if experts who gathered Wednesday at NASA's Ames Research Center are successful, by midcentury we may see one of these moons in a whole new light.
	Planets can alter each other's climates over eons A new study sheds light on how exoplanets in tightly-packed solar systems interact with each other gravitationally by affecting one another's climates and their abilities to support alien life.
	SwissCube's longevity marks its success Launched more than five years ago, the small Swiss satellite designed by EPFL and several other Universities of Applied Sciences, will soon have orbited the Earth 30'000 times. Against all odds, its systems are still fully functional. For the students who built it, it is a great testament to the quality of their work. This feat is the subject of an article in the latest issue of Flash.
	The controversy over interstellar messaging Should we beam messages into deep space, announcing our presence to any extraterrestrial civilizations that might be out there? Or, should we just listen? Since the beginnings of the modern Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), radio astronomers have, for the most part, followed the listening strategy. In 1999, that consensus was shattered. Without consulting with other members of the community of scientists involved in SETI, a team of radio astronomers at the Evpatoria Radar Telescope in Crimea, led by Alexander Zaitsev, beamed an interstellar message called 'Cosmic Call' to four nearby sun-like stars. The project was funded by an American company called Team Encounter and used proceeds obtained by allowing members of the general public to submit text and images for the message in exchange for a fee.
	What's important to know about planet Mercury? Close by the Sun is Mercury, a practically atmosphere-like world that has a lot of craters. Until NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft arrived there in 2008, we knew very little about the planet—only part of it had been imaged! But now that the spacecraft has been circling the planet for a few years, we know a heck of a lot more. Here is some stuff about Mercury that's useful to know.
	Image: Magnetospheric Multiscale Observatories processed for launch NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observatories are processed for launch in a clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida. MMS is an unprecedented NASA mission to study the mystery of how magnetic fields around Earth connect and disconnect, explosively releasing energy via a process known as magnetic reconnection. MMS consists of four identical spacecraft that work together to provide the first three-dimensional view of this fundamental process, which occurs throughout the universe.
	A recipe for returning Pluto to full planethood A storm is brewing, a battle of words and a war of the worlds. The Earth is not at risk. It is mostly a civil dispute, but it has the potential to influence the path of careers. In 2014, a Harvard led debate was undertaken on the question: Is Pluto a planet. The impact of the definition of planet and everything else is far reaching – to the ends of the Universe.

Medicine & Health news

	Cutting off a cancer cell at its transcriptional source: Model system for designing a small molecule inhibitor (Medical Xpress)—What if you could attack cancer cells at their source without hurting the surrounding healthy cells? A group of researchers from the University of Virginia, the University of Massachusetts, Cornell University, and the University of Kansas constructed a small molecule inhibitor that targets a mutated protein present in leukemia cells, halting the progression of leukemia in both mouse models and in human cells. Their work appears in Science.
	Scientists discover a protein's novel role in several types of cancers A protein found in pancreatic tumors may lead to a new chemotherapy that is effective against many different kinds of cancers, but turning the discovery into a new drug has required a bit of chemistry know-how.
	Research duo question whether oxytocin really can be used to treat autism (Medical Xpress)—A pair of researchers with Emory University in Atlanta has published a Perspective piece in the journal Science, questioning whether oxytocin can help people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In their article, Larry Young and Catherine Barrette note that as it stands right now, no one appears to know the answer to that very basic question because the results of studies conducted to find out have been mixed.
	Researchers discuss plans for developing human model organs on plastic chips (Medical Xpress)—A diverse group of speakers at this year's American Society for Microbiology-Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting held last week, outlined their work and plans for the future on developing among other things, human model organs. Though their approaches differ, the ultimate goal for most of them is the same—to create a system of connected artificial model organs that can accurately mimic the intricacies of the human body when subjected to certain toxins.
Researchers identify gene that pushes normal pancreas cells to change shape A research team led by investigators from Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, and the University of Oslo, Norway, have identified a molecule that pushes normal pancreatic cells to transform their shape, laying the groundwork for development of pancreatic cancer—one of the most difficult tumors to treat.
	Team finds powerful dengue neutralizing antibody A new Duke-NUS-led study has identified a super-potent antibody which requires a minute amount to neutralize the dengue virus.
	Reducing energy efficiency boosts calorie burning in muscle What started as an evolutionary protection against starvation has become a biological "bad joke" for people who need to lose weight. The human body doesn't distinguish between dieting and possible starvation, so when there is a decrease in calories consumed, human metabolism increases its energy efficiency and weight loss is resisted.
	Diabetes and depression predict dementia risk in people with slowing minds People with mild cognitive impairment are at higher risk of developing dementia if they have diabetes or psychiatric symptoms such as depression, finds a new review led by UCL researchers.
	Keeping the heart's engine in sync: Contractions' efficiency depends on critical protein The human heart is a fine-tuned engine - more advanced than the finest Ferrari despite being simply designed by Mother Nature. It's so carefully constructed that if it gets off kilter in the slightest way, it can throw the engine out of whack. The heart simply won't perform as well - or at all.
Study in Myanmar confirms artemisinin-resistant malaria close to border with India The spread of malaria parasites that are resistant to the drug artemisinin - the frontline treatment against malaria infection - into neighbouring India would pose a serious threat to the global control and eradication of malaria. If drug resistance spreads from Asia to the African sub-continent, or emerges in Africa independently as we've seen several times before, millions of lives will be at risk.
Up in smoke: Belief that shisha pipe 'filters out' heavy metals Contrary to popular belief, only a minimal amount of heavy metals are removed in the 'filtration' process when smoking shisha, also known as hookah, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Public Health. On average, 3% of heavy metals present in tobacco are removed and this would not be enough to protect users from exposure to these toxins.
Women back idea of more breast screens for those at high risk of cancer Most women (85 per cent) would back the idea of more frequent breast screening if they are at higher genetic risk of developing breast cancer, according to research published today by The Breast.
	'Remission' replaces 'functional cure' in HIV case (HealthDay)—All babies born with HIV should receive the same rapid medical response as the young Mississippi girl born with the virus who suffered a disappointing relapse last July, despite the fact that the virus later reappeared, according to a letter published in the Feb. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Propranolol effective for infantile hemangioma (HealthDay)—Propranolol (Inderal) appears to be effective in treating infantile hemangiomas, according to research published in the Feb. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	New target for prostate cancer treatment discovered Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) scientists have found a promising new therapeutic target for prostate cancer. The findings offer evidence that a newly discovered member of a family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) promotes prostate cancer cell growth. The protein, GPR158, was found while the researchers were looking for new drug targets for glaucoma.
Powder vs. crack: Study identifies arrest risk disparity for cocaine use In light of the current sentencing disparity(18:1) between crack and powder cocaine possession in the United States, researchers from New York University's Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (NYU CDUHR) examined socioeconomic correlates of use of each, and relations between use and arrest, to determine who may be at highest risk for arrest and imprisonment.
Saudi MERS deaths surge Deaths from the MERS virus have surged in Saudi Arabia, health ministry figures showed on Friday, after authorities warned of a seasonal increase in Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
	Los Angeles hospital 'superbug' takes toll on infected Among the seven people infected by a "superbug" outbreak tied to medical instruments at a Los Angeles hospital is an 18-year-old student who has spent nearly three months in the hospital and is in grave condition, his attorney said.
	People with a "bonding identity" cope better with structural disadvantage In a paper published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, NCCR LIVES PhD candidate at the University of Lausanne, Mouna Bakouri, demonstrates how individuals from socially disadvantaged populations who define themselves as connected to a group are better prepared to deal with barriers encountered in their life-course. Their self-esteem is indeed less harmed as a result of stronger sense of efficacy. Her findings call for renewed integration policies.
New test could significantly reduce burden on UK hospitals A new test that rules out heart attacks in patients could reduce hospital admissions by as much as 40%, for patients with chest pain, according to research published by Bournemouth University (BU).
	Findings pinpoint modules that regulate glioblastoma genes Researchers at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), Moores Cancer Center, and Department of Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego, have shown for the first time a pyramid hierarchical network of "coherent gene modules" that regulate glioblastoma genes, involved in a highly aggressive form of brain cancer.
	Researchers discover potential treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a new small molecule drug that may serve as a treatment against multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, a form of the disease that cannot be cured with conventional therapies. They describe their findings in a paper published recently in Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters.
	Beyond genetics: Illuminating the epigenome If you are attracted to the more mysterious areas of science, such as quantum mechanics and cosmology, and your special interest is Lamarckian epigenetic inheritance, then you may be aware that Nature has just published articles summarising progress of the Roadmap Epigenomics Project towards producing a reference human epigenome.
	Researchers measure concussion forces in greatest detail yet More than 40 million people worldwide suffer from concussions each year, but scientists are just beginning to understand the traumatic forces that cause the injury.
	Major study led by autistic scientist challenges long-held preconceptions about the condition A scientist with autism has used his own experiences to aid the completion of a study which challenges some of the most commonly-held beliefs about the condition.
Renewed call in Lancet for governments to get smart to curb obesity A University of Otago economist has written in the latest issue of the prestigious medical journal The Lancet that Government policy-makers serious about curbing the obesity epidemic should take into account the evidence from behavioural sciences about how people choose their food – and not just listen to the food industry.
Let's talk about sex... after cancer Romance may still be lingering in the air, but for many cancer survivors Valentine's Day was just another reminder of how their sexuality has been scarred by cancer.
	A large amount of mitochondrial toxic agents cross the placenta barrier Researchers from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (Spain) have reviewed ten years' worth of scientific studies on mitochondrial toxicity in pregnant women. Exposure to toxic agents such as viruses, certain drugs, pesticides, alcohol and tobacco cause mitochondrial diseases about which very little is known, and which are transmitted from the mother to the foetus.
	Evidence linking marijuana and risk of stroke grows Smoking marijuana may increase your chances of having a stroke, according to a review of 34 different studies published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.
	Low antibiotic doses combat Golden Staph Local chemists have helped develop a class of antibiotics that kills drug-resistant superbugs in low doses.
Researcher says mental health services need to be made more 'attractive' and accessible to men With the 2013 suicide figures released today, Professor Shirley Reynolds, Director of the University of Reading's Charlie Waller Institute for Evidence-Based Psychological Treatment, provides comment:
	WHO gives green light to 15-minute Ebola test The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Friday it had approved a 15-minute test for Ebola that should prove a fast and rugged tool in countries hit by the disease.
	Butterfly effect and computer simulation pave way for heart disease prediction Scientists from Cardiff and Swansea Universities are combining the principles of the butterfly effect and computer simulation to explore new ways of predicting and controlling the beginnings of heart disease.
	How vaccines change the way we think about disease The news on the current measles outbreak contains plenty of reminders that measles causes brain damage, pneumonia, hearing loss and death. A few lone voices have spoken up to say measles isn't that serious, including an Arizona doctor who said it's "really just a fever and a rash" – and soon found himself under investigation by his state's medical board.
	GPs negotiate sick notes differently depending on whether a patient has a physical or mental illness A study which has for the first time investigated in 'real time' how GPs approach the negotiation of sick notes, has found doctors taking a differing stance with patients who have mental health problems compared with those who present with physical illness.
Survey shows postmenopausal women with VVA report improved satisfaction with VagiCap Newly released patient satisfaction survey results from a study of a novel investigational vaginal estrogen treatment show promise for improving quality of life and satisfaction for postmenopausal women who experience pain during sex and other symptoms associated with vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA).
	Safety and life-saving efficacy of statins have been exaggerated, says USF scientist Hailed as miracle drugs when they hit the market two decades ago, statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to prevent heart attacks, are not as effective nor as safe as we have been led to believe, say Dr. David M. Diamond, a professor of psychology, molecular pharmacology and physiology at the University of South Florida, and Dr. Uffe Ravnskov, an independent health researcher and an expert in cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes drug could protect against low blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin production in the body DPP-4 inhibitors are a group of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes that lower high blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin production in the body. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now discovered that DPP-4 inhibitors are also effective against low blood sugar levels. The study, which was carried out on mice, has been published in the journal Diabetologia.
Immune cells: Learning from experience Immunologists have shown that our immune cells can learn on the job.
Dental researcher demonstrates how T cells cause inflammation during infections Case Western Reserve University dental researcher Pushpa Pandiyan has discovered a new way to model how infection-fighting T cells cause inflammation in mice.
Protein linked to development of asthma Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) have linked a specific protein to the development of post-viral infection asthma, which is the first step in generating a novel type of asthma therapy designed to prevent development of post-viral asthma in young children.
Palbociclib shows promise in patients with hormone-resistant breast cancer Palbociclib, an investigational oral medication that works by blocking molecules responsible for cancer cell growth, is well tolerated and extends progression-free survival (PFS) in newly diagnosed, advanced breast cancer patients, including those whose disease has stopped responding to traditional endocrine treatments. Results of the phase II study, led by researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania , were published this month in Clinical Cancer Research. Earlier phase I results by researchers at Penn Medicine contributed to the development of palbociclib, which was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for metastatic breast cancer patients just beginning to undergo endocrine therapy.
	In the YouTube universe, alcohol is funny, drinkers are attractive, consequences minimal A variety of socio-demographic, personal, and environmental factors have been linked to negative alcohol-use consequences during adolescence and young adulthood. Media exposure to alcohol is one of these factors. A recent study of the content of leading YouTube videos involving alcohol intoxication has found the videos commonly juxtaposed intoxication with humor and attractiveness while infrequently depicting negative clinical outcomes.
Lower IQ has been linked to greater and riskier drinking among young adult men Although several studies have shown an association between intelligence and various health-related outcomes, the research on cognitive abilities and alcohol-related problems has been inconsistent. A new study of the association between IQ-test results and drinking, measured as both total intake and pattern of use, has found that a lower IQ is clearly associated with greater and riskier drinking among young adult men, although their poor performance on the IQ-test may also be linked to other disadvantages.
Binge drinking is strongly associated with eating problems among Russian girls Adolescent binge drinking has been linked to a host of problems, including worse school performance, risky sexual behaviors, illicit drugs, and a greater risk of suicide. Binge drinking may also be linked to problematic eating behavior, yet little research exists. A study of the relationship between binge drinking and eating problems among Russian adolescents has found that problematic eating behaviors and attitudes are commonplace, and that binge drinking is associated with more eating problems in girls than boys.
Amphetamine gets the job done Drugs are usually associated with vulnerable social groups. New research reveals that amphetamine, however, is used by some in physically demanding manual jobs - to sustain long working hours.
FDA approves new treatment for varicose veins The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new technique for treating varicose veins by sealing them with a clear liquid that turns into a solid adhesive.
Thailand bans surrogacy for foreigners after scandals Thailand has passed a law banning foreign couples from using Thai women as surrogates after a series of high-profile scandals tainting the image of the hitherto unregulated industry.
Safety groups endorse practice guidelines for youth football Three medical organizations are endorsing USA Football's new youth football practice guidelines in an effort to make the sport safer.
Indian health authorizes say 700 have died in flu outbreak Health authorities were working to ensure remote hospitals in northern and western India had adequate medical supplies for a flu outbreak that has claimed more than 700 lives in 10 weeks.
'Aging in place' may be the wrong answer for boomers and their parents Baby boomers trying to pick the best living arrangements for themselves or their parents as they age should be wary of a phrase they coined in their younger years: If it feels good, do it.
Patient information leaflets do not affect willingness to undergo mammogram screening Elisabeth Gummersbach and colleagues report on a study in which they determined how well the prospective subjects understood the information presented in leaflets about mammography screening and whether this information influenced their willingness to undergo screening.
23andMe authorized by FDA to market first direct-to-consumer genetic test Feb23andMe today announced that it has been granted authority by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the first direct-to-consumer genetic test under a regulatory classification for novel devices.
New HPV approved after international phase 2/3 trial Approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in the United States and another 4,000 die annually from the disease. However, most cervical cancers are preventable through immunization against the human papillomavirus (HPV). A pivotal international phase 2/3 clinical trial involving Moffitt Cancer Center faculty demonstrated that vaccination with Gardasil 9 protects against nine HPV types, seven of which cause most cases of cervical, vulvar, and vaginal disease. The trial data indicate that if populations are vaccinated with Gardasil 9 approximately 90 percent of all cervical cancers worldwide can be prevented.
World's oldest psychiatric hospital opens new museum The world's oldest psychiatric institution, the Bethlem Royal Hospital outside London, this week opened a new museum and art gallery charting the evolution in the treatment of mental disorders.
Simoctocog alfa for haemophilia A: No suitable data Simoctocog alfa (trade name Nuwiq) has been approved since July 2014 for people with type A haemophilia, an inherited disorder that impairs blood clotting. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this new drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy. Such an added benefit cannot be derived from the dossier, however, because the drug manufacturer did not submit any suitable data.
Patients 'under observation' in Liberia after Ebola scare Liberia put a group of patients under observation on Friday at a hospital in the capital Monrovia after they had contact with a woman infected with the deadly Ebola virus.
	Kansas Senate approves proposed ban on abortion procedure A national group's push to outlaw an abortion procedure and redefine it as "dismemberment" advanced Friday in Kansas, with the state Senate's approval of what could become the nation's first ban of the practice.
	800,000 customers of Obama health program got wrong tax data President Barack Obama's signature health care program has run into another problem.
Alcohol places Hispanics at a much greater risk of developing alcoholic liver disease Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) refers to a broad spectrum of liver injuries, including alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. ALD is among the most common liver diseases in the United States; however, it varies significantly by ethnicity. A new study examining the role of ethnicity in determining the age of onset and severity of ALD, and comparing risk factors for its progression among ethnic groups, has found that ethnicity is a major factor affecting the age and severity of different subtypes of ALD.
Liberia lifts Ebola curfew, re-opens borders Liberia said Friday it was lifting nationwide curfews and re-opening borders shut last year at the height of the Ebola crisis, after the retreat of an epidemic that has killed thousands.

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