Fwd: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Dec 30

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 2:36 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Dec 30
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 30, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Rethinking things past: Both Hebbian plasticity and neuromodulation essential to memory formation
- Ten of the biggest science and technology stories of 2014 on Phys.org
- Ten of the top medical research discoveries of 2014 on Medical Xpress
- Dawn spacecraft begins approach to dwarf planet Ceres
- Study finds possible alternative explanation for dark energy
- Researchers use optogenetics to trigger REM sleep in mice
- Scientists identify new encapsulation agents for delivery of nitric oxide, potent antibacterial agent and vasodilator
- Email, Internet remain top workplace tools: study
- New liver cancer target is a protein that accelerates inflammation
- Researchers show neutrinos can deliver not only full-on hits but also 'glancing blows'
- Molecules seen binding to HIV-1's protective capsule, blocking infection
- Cancer treatment potential discovered in gene repair mechanism
- Dubai awaits snow-making Heart of Europe transplant
- Review: IPhone user tries to go back to BlackBerry
- The quality of light

Astronomy & Space news

	Dawn spacecraft begins approach to dwarf planet Ceres (Phys.org)—NASA's Dawn spacecraft has entered an approach phase in which it will continue to close in on Ceres, a Texas-sized dwarf planet never before visited by a spacecraft. Dawn launched in 2007 and is scheduled to enter Ceres orbit in March 2015.
	A simulation of the universe with realistic galaxies An international team of astronomers, based at the Universities of Leiden in the Netherlands and Durham in the UK and, led by professor Joop Schaye (Leiden University), developed a simulation of the universe in which realistic galaxies are created; their mass, size and age are similar to those of observed galaxies. Their similarity is caused by the simulation of strong galactic winds - gas winds that are blown from galaxies.
	A solar wind workhorse marks 20 years of science discoveries The end of 2014 marks two decades of data from a NASA mission called Wind. Wind—along with 17 other missions – is part of what's called the Heliophysics Systems Observatory, a fleet of spacecraft dedicated to understanding how the sun and its giant explosions affect Earth, the planets and beyond.
	Students design Martian weather forecasting tool Cold and windy with a chance of dust storms, that's what a weather forecaster might say about Mars. But if we want our colonization plans of the Red Planet to be successful, a better understanding of Martian weather patterns is needed. A team of students of the Arizona State University (ASU) has developed a tool named Sensing Pressure and Atmospheric Research Console (SPARC), to make it possible, and they aim to put it on Mars to conduct a series of weather experiments. "If you want to go on vacation you always check the weather. Otherwise you would end up in Alaska with a Hawaiian shirt and shorts!" Brody Willard of the Sun Devil Satellite Lab (SDSL) at ASU told astrowatch.net. "With that in mind, we designed a payload that would not only record data about Mars atmosphere, but also records video of the Martian environment. That way we don't just have both a visual and data component, but when looking over the data we can actually! see the event that the data is telling us about." The project is participating in the Mars One University Competition and if it wins, it will be send as a payload to Mars, onboard the Dutch company's mission to the Red Planet.
	Comet Q2 Lovejoy flies past the globular cluster M79 Oh my, oh my. Rolando Ligustri captured this scene last night as Comet Q2 Lovejoy swished past the globular cluster M79 in Lepus. If you've seen the movie Wild or read the book, you'll be familiar with the phrase "put yourself in the way of beauty", a maxim for living life adopted by one of its characters. When I opened up my e-mail today and saw Rolando's photo, I felt like the beauty truck ran right over me.
	Video: Space station flies in front of the moon This has been on my bucket list for a while, but I've never had the opportunity to witness it myself: seeing the International Space Station transit the Moon. And now thanks to my friend Gadi Eidelheit, I want to see it for myself even more! He captured video and imagery of the ISS scooting in front of the Moon, from Ganot, Israel.
	NASA's upcoming Year of the Dwarf Planet Together, the space probes Dawn and New Horizons have been in flight for a collective 17 years. One remained close to home and the other departed to parts of the Solar System of which little is known. They now share a common destination in the same year: dwarf planets.
	Image: View of the Alps from space Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) took this photograph of the Alps from the International Space Station, and posted it to social media on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014.

Medicine & Health news

	Rethinking things past: Both Hebbian plasticity and neuromodulation essential to memory formation (Medical Xpress)—In 1949, Donald O. Hebb (often called the father of neuropsychology and neural networks) published The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory1, connecting the two previously distinct areas of higher cognitive brain function and neural biology. His theory, known as Hebbian learning – and which came to be known as the Hebbian plasticity hypothesis – posited that "when an axon of cell A is near enough to excite a cell B and repeatedly or persistently takes part in firing it, some growth process or metabolic change takes place in one or both cells such that A's efficiency, as one of the cells firing B, is increased." (While often described in lay terms as cells that fire together, wire together, this omits the necessary causality involved: Hebbian learning requires that cell A fires just before, not coincident with, cell B – an important factor that presaged spike-timing-dependent plasticity, wh! ich adjusts the strength of connections between neurons in the brain based on the relative timing of a particular neuron's output and input action potentials, the latter referred to as spikes.)
	Researchers use optogenetics to trigger REM sleep in mice Getting enough of the right kind of sleep is crucial for keeping both body and mind healthy. Now a team of researchers at MIT has moved a step closer to being able to produce natural sleep patterns.
	Ten of the top medical research discoveries of 2014 on Medical Xpress (Medical Xpress)—It was an exciting year in the medical research field, as teams across the world continued to strive for a deeper understanding of the human body and for ways to prevent or treat ailments. Some focused on aging or ways to prevent it, while others looked for ways to enhance what Mother Nature gave us naturally.
	Hollow tree was Ebola's Ground Zero, scientists say Insect-eating bats that inhabited a hollow tree in a remote village in Guinea may have been the source of the world's biggest Ebola epidemic, scientists said on Tuesday.
	New liver cancer target is a protein that accelerates inflammation Hepatitis, alcohol consumption, even obesity can produce chronic inflammation in the liver and set the stage for cancer.
	Molecules seen binding to HIV-1's protective capsule, blocking infection Imagine a suitcase on a bumpy ride. With enough jostling it opens, spilling clothes everywhere. Similarly awkward, the suitcase locks may jam and not open at the destination.
Cancer treatment potential discovered in gene repair mechanism Case Western Reserve researchers have identified a two-pronged therapeutic approach that shows great potential for weakening and then defeating cancer cells. The team's complex mix of genetic and biochemical experiments unearthed a way to increase the presence of a tumor-suppressing protein which, in turn, gives it the strength to direct cancer cells toward a path that leads to their destruction.
	Parent's suicide attempt makes child's much more likely, study says (HealthDay)—When a parent has a history of attempting suicide, the odds of a suicide attempt in their child rises fivefold, compared to the offspring of people without such histories, a new study finds.
	Molecular network identified underlying autism spectrum disorders Researchers in the United States have identified a molecular network that comprises many of the genes previously shown to contribute to autism spectrum disorders. The findings provide a map of some of the crucial protein interactions that contribute to autism and will help uncover novel candidate genes for the disease. The results are published in Molecular Systems Biology.
Researchers: IMF policies hindered Ebola response Professors from three leading British universities say International Monetary Fund policies favoring international debt repayment over social spending contributed to the Ebola crisis by hampering health care in the three worst-hit West African countries.
	Malaria combination drug therapy for children A drug combination of artemisinin-naphthoquine should be considered for the treatment of children with uncomplicated malaria in settings where multiple parasite species cause malaria according to Tim Davis from University of Western Australia, Fremantle, Australia and colleagues in new research published in this week's PLOS Medicine.
	Neonatal HBV vaccine reduces liver cancer risk Neonatal HBV vaccination reduces the risk of liver cancer and other liver diseases in young adults in China, according to a study published by Chunfeng Qu, Taoyang Chen, Yawei Zhang and colleagues from the Cancer Institute & Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Qidong Liver Cancer Institute, China, and Yale School of Public Health and School of Medicine, USA in this week's PLOS Medicine.
	Cardiac arrest remains a deadly problem in the future, but for different reasons from today The Star Trek universe is one of the most popular pieces of science fiction entertainment. Lots of the technologies seen in the TV and cinema episodes featuring Captain Kirk, Mr Spock or Captain Picard were once regarded as futuristic, but have now become reality - with examples including wireless communication or portable computers. In a recent study by the University Department of Emergency Medicine at the MedUni Vienna, the make-believe future of the human race depicted in this series has been used to investigate the frequency and mortality of cardiac arrests in the 24th century.
	Live adaptation of organ models in the OR During minimally invasive operations, a surgeon has to trust the information displayed on the screen: A virtual 3D model of the respective organ shows where a tumor is located and where sensitive vessels can be found. Soft tissue, such as the tissue of the liver, however, deforms during breathing or when the scalpel is applied. Endoscopic cameras record in real time how the surface deforms, but do not show the deformation of deeper structures such as tumors. Young scientists of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now developed a real-time capable computation method to adapt the virtual organ to the deformed surface profile.
	Lifestyle choices behind more than half a million cancers in five years Nearly 600,000 cancer cases in the UK could have been avoided in the last five years if people had healthier lifestyles according to new Cancer Research UK figures announced today.
Tool helping UC cancer institute identify patients at risk for malnutrition A person needs nourishment from food to live and flourish.
	Expert advises smokers to resolve to quit without E-cigarettes Quitting smoking is one of the most common resolutions Americans make each New Year, and strategies can range from going cold turkey to using prescription medications to overcome the addiction.
	A key urban intersection Is there a dose of nature that can help make city dwellers' lives healthier and more productive?
New food labels bring revised calorie information If you are like most Americans, you eat one-third of your calories away from home. This includes meals at restaurants, snacks from vending machines, drinks at coffee shops and foods from convenience stores. With weight loss being the most popular New Year's resolution in this country, the Food and Drug Administration's new calorie labeling rules may come in handy.
	Allergies, day care linked to kids' ear infections Allergies and day care attendance increase the risk of severe, recurrent middle-ear infections in toddlers living in Australian cities, according to new research.
	Revolutionary shift in treating mental health problems An innovative new way of assessing a person's recovery from mental health problems has been developed by the mental health charity Penumbra and Abertay University.
New test measures doctors' ability to deliver patient-centered care When health care providers take patients' perspectives into consideration, patients are more likely to be actively engaged in their treatment and more satisfied with their care. This is called patient-centered care, and it has been the central focus of the curriculum at the University of Missouri School of Medicine since 2005. Recently, MU researchers have developed a credible tool to assess whether medical students have learned and are applying specific behaviors that characterize patient-centered care.
Lung cancer metastases may travel through airways to adjacent or distant lung tissue A new study by researchers in Canada supports the hypothesis that lung cancer, particularly adenocarcinoma, may spread through the airways. The putative occurrence of intrapulmonary aerogenous metastasis of lung cancer has staging, management, and prognostic implications.
	Many consumers misled about bogus weight-loss supplements, survey says (HealthDay)—Think a pill you saw advertised on the Internet can miraculously help you shed unwanted pounds? You're not alone: A new Consumer Reports survey finds many Americans are misinformed about the quality and effectiveness of these supplements.
	How to avoid a smoking relapse over the holidays (HealthDay)—The holidays can cause former smokers to reach for a cigarette, experts warn. But if you expect temptation, you'll be better prepared to fight it, they say.
Newly approved 'smart' device in woman's brain controls severe epilepsy After marking Hanukkah earlier this month, Laura Hood is celebrating what she considers her personal miracle.
New treatment strategy allows lower doses of toxic tuberculosis drug without compromising potency While an effective treatment is available for combating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, it carries serious side effects for patients. New research conducted at the Center for Tuberculosis Research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine shows that lower doses of the toxic drug bedaquiline—given together with verapamil, a medication that's used to treat various heart conditions—can lead to the same antibacterial effects as higher toxic doses of bedaquiline. The combination of the two drugs could potentially shorten treatment time, reduce the side effects of bedaquiline and improve patient outcomes for those suffering from TB.
	Children with autism who live with pets are more assertive Dogs and other pets play an important role in individuals' social lives, and they can act as catalysts for social interaction, previous research has shown. Although much media attention has focused on how dogs can improve the social skills of children with autism, a University of Missouri researcher recently found that children with autism have stronger social skills when any kind of pet lived in the home.
	Researchers use nanotechnology to engineer ACL replacements Lindsey Vonn. Derrick Rose. Tom Brady. Mickey Mantle. They have all fallen victim to the dreaded pop of the knee.
	Alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin predict outcomes in PBC (HealthDay)—For patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), levels of alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin predict clinical outcome, according to a meta-analysis published in the December issue of Gastroenterology.
	Lean/Six sigma advances pediatric patient discharges (HealthDay)—Incorporating Lean/Six Sigma (LSS) practices can advance pediatric patient discharges, according to research published online Dec. 8 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
	Non-chest pain presentation doesn't worsen MI outcomes (HealthDay)—Among patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), presentation with non-chest pain delays door-to-balloon (DTB) time but does not worsen clinical outcomes, according to research published in the Dec. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
	Both sexes fight the same battle to lose weight (HealthDay)—Current evidence does not show any difference between men and women with regard to which strategies are most effective in achieving weight loss, according to research published online Dec. 11 in Obesity Reviews.
	Experts discuss ethical considerations in Ebola care (HealthDay)—Guidance is provided for ethical considerations relating to Ebola care in an ideas and opinions piece published online Dec. 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Surgeon general still has important role to play (HealthDay)—The Surgeon General has an important role in educating and mobilizing the public and shaping policy on public health issues, according to an ideas and opinions piece published online Dec. 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	H. pylori may not be risk factor for head and neck cancer (HealthDay)—Helicobacter pylori may not be a risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in Head & Neck.
	Fiber intake tied to reduced risk of kidney stones (HealthDay)—Greater dietary intake of fiber, fruits, and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of incident kidney stones in postmenopausal women, according to research published in the December issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Pre-op depression tied to fewer gains in QOL after spinal surgery (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing lumbar decompression or posterior cervical fusion (PCF), preoperative depression is associated with lower improvements in postoperative quality of life (QOL), according to two studies published in the Jan. 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
	Two strategies help prevent CMV disease in transplant patients (HealthDay)—For liver transplant recipients, universal prophylaxis and preemptive strategies (using ganciclovir or valganciclovir) are similarly effective for preventing cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease (CMD), according to research published online Dec. 17 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
	Flu now epidemic in US, with 15 child deaths reported (HealthDay)—The flu has reached epidemic levels in the United States, with 15 children dead so far this season, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.
S Leone Ebola lockdown ends as new cases surface A Christmas lockdown in northern Sierra Leone aimed at preventing new Ebola infections in the country with the world's most cases ended on Monday.
Japan orders slaughter of 37,000 chickens in bird flu outbreak (Update) Japan on Tuesday ordered the slaughter of some 37,000 chickens after the country's third bird flu outbreak in less than a month, prompting Hong Kong to ban imports from the latest affected region.
Alert issued after likely HIV porn set infection California public health officials issued an alert Monday after finding "very strong evidence" that an adult film actor became infected with HIV as a result of unprotected sex on an out-of-state film shoot.
	Ebola patient in Britain transferred to London (Update) A British health care worker who contracted the Ebola virus in West Africa has been transferred from Scotland to an isolation unit in London for specialist treatment.
	Dengue program expands outlook Scaling up to take on large urban areas is the latest challenge for the Eliminate Dengue program, which tackles the disease by seeding infected areas with mosquitoes infected by a particular bacterium.
	Beef consumers get information from websites, social media In an era when consumers have a wealth of information at their fingertips, where do South Dakotans turn for recommendations on meat-purchasing?
	Ebola, Obamacare top U.S. health news for 2014 (HealthDay)—It started as a deadly but little-known outbreak in West Africa, but the lethal and unchecked spread of the Ebola virus dominated U.S. headlines for much of 2014, making it one of the year's top health news stories.
Report: 4 million actively enroll in health plans The first 50-state report on the latest sign-up season under President Barack Obama's health care law shows that more than 4 million people selected plans for the first time or re-enrolled in what the administration called "an encouraging start."
Ebola nurse treated in London as Sierra Leone rate rises A British nurse who contracted Ebola in west Africa was being treated in a specialist London hospital on Tuesday as infection rates grew again in eastern parts of Sierra Leone where the outbreak had subsided.
Hong Kong to cull 15,000 chickens after H7N9 virus found Hong Kong authorities said Wednesday they will cull 15,000 chickens after the deadly H7N9 virus was discovered in poultry imported from mainland China.
Liberia eases up on cremation order for Ebola victims Liberia's government announced Tuesday that it will allow families to bury Ebola victims in a special plot of land instead of requiring that the bodies be cremated so as not to spread the virus blamed for killing nearly 8,000 people across West Africa this year.
Two male porn performers test positive for HIV Two adult film actors have contracted HIV, with one most likely infecting the other during unprotected sex at a film shoot in Nevada where testing was less stringent than industry standards, officials said.
Guam students to be tested for tuberculosis Students at five Guam schools who were exposed to a bus driver with tuberculosis will be tested for the disease.

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