Fwd: Science X Newsletter Friday, Jun 20

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Sat, Jun 21, 2014 at 2:19 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Friday, Jun 20
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for June 20, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- New test may provide 'smoking gun' for modified gravity
- Solitary acoustic waves observed to propagate at a lipid membrane interface
- Independent research group testing D-Wave Two finds no quantum speedup
- Big Bang breakthrough team allows they may be wrong
- Pyramid scheme for brighter organic LEDs
- Germany sets record for single day energy use – 50 percent comes from solar
- Swift satellite tallies water production of Mars-bound comet
- Researcher invents continuous, zero-toxic-emission system that converts nonrecycled plastics into crude oil
- Google, Microsoft to add smartphone 'kill' switches (Update)
- A bacterial ballistic system
- Experimentally testing nonlocality in many-body systems
- Molecule regulates production of antibacterial agent used by immune cells
- Review: Warming up to tablets with keyboard covers
- Earth's breathable atmosphere tied to plate tectonics?
- Elastic invisibility cloak hides materials from touch sense

Astronomy & Space news

Video: Magnetic field update This animation shows changes in Earth's magnetic field from January to June 2014 as measured by ESA's Swarm trio of satellites.
In the Sierra, teens learn calculus while aiming for the stars High in the Eastern Sierra, a pack of huskies is howling in the shadow of snow-covered peaks.
	Top engineering development and technology maturation projects from International Space Station for 2013 The International Space Station (ISS) is not just an orbiting laboratory full of traditional research seen through the microscope; it also serves as an important technology test bed. Based on findings published last year, three of the best technology applications were recognized at the third annual ISS Research and Development conference on June 18, 2014.
	Spitzer spies an odd, tiny asteroid (Phys.org) —Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have measured the size of an asteroid candidate for NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), a proposed spacecraft concept to capture either a small asteroid, or a boulder from an asteroid. The near-Earth asteroid, called 2011 MD, was found to be roughly 20 feet (6 meters) in size, and its structure appears to contain a lot of empty space, perhaps resembling a pile of rubble. Spitzer's infrared vision was key to sizing up the asteroid.
	QuikScat's eye on ocean winds lives on with RapidScat Today (June 19) marks the 15th anniversary of the launch of NASA's QuikScat, a satellite sent for a three-year mission in 1999 that continues collecting data. Built in less than 12 months, QuikScat has watched ocean wind patterns for 15 years and improved weather forecasting worldwide. Despite a partial instrument failure in 2009, it provides calibration data to international partners.
	Slowly rotating neutron star paired with a red-giant star reveals properties that conflict with existing theory Neutron stars are amongst the most exotic astrophysical objects in the Universe. Born from the supernova explosion of massive stars, neutron stars are so densely compacted by their own gravity that a sphere just 20 kilometers in diameter has more mass than our Sun. In rare circumstances, neutron stars can become paired with regular stars to form 'binaries' that emit intense pulses of x-rays (Fig. 1).
	Success! Cassini flies by Titan, collects intel on mysterious lakes NASA's Cassini mission flew past Titan early Wednesday morning, successfully completing a complex maneuver that will help scientists better understand one of the solar system's most intriguing moons.
	Swift satellite tallies water production of Mars-bound comet (Phys.org) —In late May, NASA's Swift satellite imaged comet Siding Spring, which will brush astonishingly close to Mars later this year. These optical and ultraviolet observations are the first to reveal how rapidly the comet is producing water and allow astronomers to better estimate its size.
	NASA sees Titan's potential for studying prebiotic chemistry (Phys.org) —NASA is proposing a mission study to open up the mysteries of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. The reason is compelling enough. Titan would serve as a vast reservoir of information about one of the most earth-like worlds ever discovered. With its thick atmosphere and organic-rich chemistry, said NASA, Titan resembles a frozen version of Earth, several billion years ago, before life began pumping oxygen into our atmosphere. NASA's Larry Matthies, senior research scientist at the Pasadena, California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, authored Titan Aerial Daughtercraft on the NASA website earlier this month. The proposed mission study involves a vehicle for Titan exploration, a rotorcraft, which would weigh less than 22 pounds. "We propose a mission study of a small (< 10 kg) (
	Swarm reveals Earth's changing magnetism (Phys.org) —The first set of high-resolution results from ESA's three-satellite Swarm constellation reveals the most recent changes in the magnetic field that protects our planet.
	Rosetta image demonstrates the unpredictable nature of comets (Phys.org) —An image snapped earlier this month by ESA's Rosetta spacecraft shows its target comet has quietened, demonstrating the unpredictable nature of these enigmatic objects.
	Jupiter's moons remain slightly illuminated, even in eclipse Astronomers using the Subaru Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope have found that Jupiter's Galilean satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) remain slightly bright (up to one millionth of their normal state) even when in the Jovian shadow and not directly illuminated by the Sun. The effect is particularly pronounced for Ganymede and Callisto. The finding was made by researchers at Tohoku University, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and elsewhere.

Medicine & Health news

Lawmaker calls for over-the-counter access to pill U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner is proposing that women be allowed to buy birth control pills without a prescription.
Kanebo to start payouts over whitening cream blotches Japanese cosmetics firm Kanebo is to offer interim compensation payments to 4,000 people who suffered skin blotches after using its popular whitening creams, a company spokeswoman said Friday.
	New York lawmakers agree on medical marijuana New York leaders have reached an agreement to make the state the 23rd to legalize medical marijuana.
Living filter offers better way to test new glaucoma drugs (Medical Xpress)—When the next generation of glaucoma medications reaches the market, part of the credit might go to the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) in Albany.
New research on stroke aims to help recovery Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability worldwide but new funding of $1.2 million for research at the University of Auckland aims to better help people recover normal movement after stroke.
Historically low number of Danes infected with salmonella The number of Danes who contracted a salmonella infection reached a historic low level in 2013. More than half of those infected became ill during a trip abroad. For the third year in a row no salmonella cases were linked to Danish broiler meat. These are some of the findings presented in the annual report on the occurrence of diseases that can be transmitted from animals and food to humans. The report was prepared by the Zoonosis Centre at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, in cooperation with Statens Serum Institut, one of Denmark's largest research institutions in the health sector, and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.
Sierra Leone steps up measures to tackle Ebola outbreak Sierra Leone, one of three neighbouring west African countries facing an Ebola epidemic, has stepped up measures to fight the highly contagious and deadly disease, the health minister has said.
Czechs condemn euthanasia proposal for children (Update) A senior university lecturer and Czech government adviser has been forced to resign for proposing to legalize euthanasia for children born with birth defects, officials said Friday.
Electronic health record patient safety issues persist long after 'go live' date Patient safety issues related to electronic health records (EHRs) persist long after the 'go live' date, concludes research published online in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
	Doctors Without Borders: Ebola 'out of control' (Update) The Ebola outbreak ravaging West Africa is "totally out of control," according to a senior official for Doctors Without Borders, who says the medical group is stretched to the limit in its capacity to respond.
Citing 'urgent, acute' mental health issues, especially in Africa, experts petition governments to act Calling global mental health problems "acute and urgent," 37 leading medical authorities from 11 countries have published a joint declaration calling for basic mental health care in Africa.
No evidence of long-term PTSD risk in patients with awareness during surgery Patients with confirmed episodes of awareness during anesthesia and surgery don't seem to be at increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other problems with psychosocial well-being at long-term follow-up, reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
French magistrate urges ending life support for vegetative patient The public rapporteur of France's top court has recommended ending the life support of a 39-year-old in a vegetative state for the last six years, overriding the wishes of some close relatives.
	Food safety a new frontier for legal pot The marijuana in those pot brownies isn't the only thing that can potentially make consumers sick. Regulators are now taking a closer look at how those pot-infused edibles are actually made.
For cancer patients, new tool predicts financial pain Cancer care has a new side effect. Along with the distress that comes with a cancer diagnosis and the discomforts of treatment, more patients now have to deal with "financial toxicity," the expense, anxiety and loss of confidence confronting those who face large, unpredictable costs, often compounded by decreased ability to work.
	Sharp rise in 'meth'-linked ER visits in US, study shows (HealthDay)—The number of methamphetamine-related visits to U.S. hospital emergency departments jumped from about 68,000 in 2007 to almost 103,000 in 2011, the latest year for which such data is available, a new federal government report finds.
	Teen 'sexting' has a double standard, study shows (HealthDay)—While explicit "sexting" doesn't appear common among American teenagers, a small new study suggests girls may face a double standard: Boys might consider them promiscuous if they send nude photos but prudes if they don't.
	One in ten moms-to-be develop pregnancy-linked diabetes (HealthDay)—As many as one in 10 pregnant women in the United States develop the pregnancy complication called gestational diabetes, a new government study estimates.
	Higher operator volume linked to better PCI outcomes (HealthDay)—Higher individual operator percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) volume is associated with better outcomes, according to a review published online June 17 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
	Targeted thyroid testing not effective in pregnancy (HealthDay)—A targeted thyroid testing approach is not effective during pregnancy in clinical practice, according to a study published online June 4 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Light ahead in fight against degenerative blindness Once doomed to a life of darkness, dozens of people stricken by retinal diseases are rediscovering a world of light as scientists push ahead on cures for blindness.
	Family violence leaves genetic imprint on children A new Tulane University School of Medicine study finds that the more fractured families are by domestic violence or trauma, the more likely that children will bear the scars down to their DNA.
Battle of the bulge occurs in the liver (Medical Xpress)—An international team of scientists led by Monash University researchers has shown how free radicals contribute to type 2 diabetes, obesity and fatty liver disease.
Poor neighborhoods more to blame than poor parents for childhood obesity (Medical Xpress)—By age 2, poor children have gained more weight than those who are better off. But after age 2, neighborhood poverty, not family poverty, puts the pounds on, finds a new study, published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology (35:3).
	Interfering with breast cancer metastasis (Medical Xpress)—Nancy Hynes and her group at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research have discovered an important mediator of breast cancer metastasis. The protein called Memo is not only required for cell migration and invasion, it is also an excellent prognostic marker for poor patient outcome and points the way to new therapeutic approaches.
	Reducing the alcohol minimum purchasing age increased assaults of young males (Medical Xpress)—New research from the University of Otago shows that reducing the minimum alcohol purchasing age to 18 in December 1999, was associated with an increase in assaults of 15-19 year-old males in New Zealand.
	FDA says bee pollen weight loss products pose health risks (HealthDay)—Some bee pollen products marketed for weight loss may actually threaten your health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
	Treating silent killer cuts risk of stroke and death (Medical Xpress)—Opportunistic detection of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) and treating it with anticoagulants can greatly reduce the risk of stroke and premature death, a new landmark study reveals.
	PET scans peer into minimally conscious mind (Medical Xpress)—New research by Physics and Astronomy professor Andrea Soddu touts the ability of PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans to identify patients in a minimally conscious state (MCS) far more accurately than other imaging technologies.
Test puts math prep on par with language (Medical Xpress)—For some kids, numbers simply don't add up. But now, thanks to a test developed by Western researchers, teachers and parents will have an early warning that extra help may be needed.
Diabetes study helps families sleep easier Two Western professors hope their clinical trial will soon lead to eliminating overnight dangers for children with Type 1 diabetes.
Homecoming provides hope for HIV/AIDS patients Eric Arts' arrival isn't about nostalgia; it's about combating one of the world's deadliest diseases.
Huntington's research results in treatment advance Treatment of Huntington's disease may become more targeted and individualised as a result of research at the University of Auckland's Centre for Brain Research.
	Prehistoric parasite egg suggests early disease spread through human technology We are used to the idea that modern technological inventions can have unforeseen consequences on health. Infamous examples include the anti-nausea drug thalidomide, which caused limb defects in unborn babies, and the pesticide DDT, which led to poorly formed egg shells in birds of prey and a crash in the population. Another example in recent history is Marie Curie and her colleagues who developed bone marrow failure or cancer after discovering radiation and developing X-ray imaging. However, much less is known about the earliest time periods and the impact of new man-made technologies.
	Thinking about breaking up? You may as well flip a coin In their latest book, Think Like a Freak, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner urge readers to think about the world differently by training readers' brains to approach problems in unique ways. In the final chapter, the Upside of Quitting, Levitt and Dubner suggest that, contrary to what many people have told you in life, you should quit. That is, when things get tough, you shouldn't always tough them out and stick with it. Instead, you should quit and do so sooner rather than later.
	Class and insurance stigma are barriers to good health care Some low-income, uninsured and Medicaid patients report feeling stigma when interacting with health care providers, finds a new report in The Milbank Quarterly.
	Study published on the transmission of the giant roundworm Ascaris between pigs and people The giant roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides infects approximately 0.8 billion people worldwide, leading to chronic morbidity including intestinal problems and poor growth, particularly in children. The closely-related worm Ascaris suum infects pigs across the globe, causing production losses for pig farmers. Human and pig roundworms look very similar, so it is unclear whether they are actually the same or two separate species.
Review of RDTs for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis Researchers from the Cochrane Infectious Disease Group, co-ordinated through the editorial base in LSTM, conducted an independent review into the effectiveness of rapid diagnostic tests in diagnosing patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL), published in The Cochrane Library today.
Screening tool may under-report malnutrition risk in hospitalised frail older people A number of frail, older hospital patients in the UK who are either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition may currently go unreported, according to the findings of a new clinical study.
Signalling protein plays different roles in breast cancer and normal cells A key step in developing effective cancer therapies is identifying differences between normal, healthy cells and cancer cells – these differences can then be exploited to specifically kill tumour cells.
	Single tick bite can pack double pathogen punch People who get bitten by a blacklegged tick have a higher-than-expected chance of being exposed to more than one pathogen at the same time.
	NCHS: Insurance coverage expands, gaps remain (HealthDay)—Two new U.S. government reports provide a statistical snapshot of health and health insurance coverage in 2013, before new coverage options took effect under the Affordable Care Act.
	Certain birth defects more common among hispanics (HealthDay)—Hispanic mothers are at especially high risk of having newborns with serious birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects, according to a new report.
	A defining act for fathers and sons (HealthDay)—"Hey Dad? You wanna have a catch?"
	Diet may affect risk recurrence of some breast cancers (HealthDay)—Personalized dietary recommendations based on molecular characteristics of primary tumor tissue may be an effective strategy for breast cancer survivors, according to research published in the July issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.
	Screening can identify early-stage HCC but benefits unclear (HealthDay)—For patients with chronic liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening can identify patients at an earlier stage, but the benefits and harms of screening are unclear, according to a study published online June 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Head injuries tied to higher migraine risk for veterans (HealthDay)—U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffered brain injuries are at a much higher risk for headaches, especially migraines, a new study finds.
Putting a lifetime cost on autism Kristina Rhodes loves helping families with autistic children. But she may have to cut back her hours as an early-intervention therapist because her own autistic son, Erik, 10, isn't thriving in school.
Researchers identify mitochondrial mutation linked to congenital myasthenic syndrome Although significant progress has been made over the last 25 years to identify genetic abnormalities associated with congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS), many patients remain genetically undiagnosed. A report in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases identifies a gene defect in mitochondria, specifically the citrate carrier SLC25A1, that may underlie deficits in neuromuscular transmission seen in two siblings.
Effectiveness of PTSD treatments provided by DOD and VA unknown The U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should track the outcomes of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) provided to service members and veterans and develop a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to do so, says a new congressionally mandated report from the Institute of Medicine. Without tracking outcomes, neither DOD nor VA knows whether it is providing effective or adequate PTSD care, for which they spent $294 million and more than $3 billion, respectively, in 2012. The report is the second of a two-phase assessment of PTSD services for service members and veterans and echoes the findings of the first report, issued in 2012.
Nearly four percent of US babies born before full-term without medical reason (Medical Xpress)—New University of Minnesota research out this week is the first of its kind to show who is having early elective deliveries between 37 and 39 weeks gestation, and whether these deliveries happen following labor induction or cesarean.
	Menthol cigarettes linked to increased smoking among teens Teens who use menthol cigarettes smoke more cigarettes per day than their peers who smoke non-menthols, says a new study. The findings from the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact at the University of Waterloo mark the first time that menthol cigarettes have been directly linked to elevated nicotine addiction among youth in Canada.
Creating friendships between African-American and Caucasian couples can reduce prejudice Recent research findings from Wayne State University show that the physical presence of romantic partners in intergroup friendships – friendships with different racial and ethnic groups, religious groups, or sexual orientations – positively influences interactions with people who are perceived to be different from themselves.
	Study finds key to identifying, enriching mesenchymal stem cells The Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) has identified a biomarker that enables researchers to accurately characterize the properties and function of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the body. MSCs are the focus of nearly 200 active clinical trials registered with the National Institutes of Health, targeting conditions such as bone fractures, cartilage injury, degenerative disc disease, and osteoarthritis.
	Dozens of US workers taking anti-anthrax drugs The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says at least 52 workers are taking antibiotics as a precaution because of a lab safety problem that may have accidentally exposed them to anthrax.
	Mideast sees 'worrying' rise in HIV cases A sharp rise in new HIV infections in the Middle East and North Africa is a worrying trend, despite some positive developments, UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe told AFP on Friday.
	Hospital variation in pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest survival (HealthDay)—Despite risk-standardization, there is substantial hospital variation in survival for pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest, according to a review published online June 17 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
	Pre-load stress echo benefits heart failure prediction (HealthDay)—Pre-load stress echocardiography using leg-positive pressure (LPP) provides additional prognostic information beyond that provided by conventional Doppler echocardiography at rest in cases of mild heart failure, according to a study published online June 18 in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
	Meta-analysis confirms serum 25(OH)D, mortality link (HealthDay)—Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin (25[OH]D) levels are associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, according to a meta-analysis published online June 17 in BMJ.
	Antique parasite worms its way into human history Forensic sleuths said Thursday they had found the oldest known egg of the bilharzia parasite, revealing how human advancement enabled a tiny freshwater worm to become a curse for millions.
	Molecule regulates production of antibacterial agent used by immune cells Researchers have discovered how a protein molecule in immune cells promotes the production of nitric oxide, a potent weapon in the cells' arsenal to defend the body from bacterial attack. The protein may offer a target for reining in the inflammatory response, which must be able to fight infection without damaging tissue.

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