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Medical News

Lung Function Decline Accelerates in Menopausal Women
Menopausal women appear to experience an accelerated decline in lung function, according to new research published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
– American Thoracic Society (ATS)
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Embargo expired on 02-Dec-2016 at 00:15 ET

Simple Walking Program Provides Physical and Mental Benefits to Dialysis Patients
• A simple home-based walking program improved physical capacity and quality of life in patients undergoing long-term dialysis.
– American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 17:00 ET

Women Dissatisfied with Long Process to Diagnose Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
A large international survey of women with a common condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is characterized by reproductive and metabolic problems, found nearly two in three were dissatisfied with the length of time they waited and ...
– Endocrine Society
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 14:00 ET

Scientists Identify Unique Genomic Features in Testicular Cancer
Researchers led by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute say they have identified unique genomic changes that may be integral to testicular cancer development and explain why the great majority are highly curable with chemotherapy – unlike mos...
– Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Nature
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 13:00 ET

Study Reveals New Role for Hippo Pathway in Suppressing Cancer Immunity
Previous studies identified the Hippo pathway kinases LATS1/2 as a tumor suppressor, but new research led by University of California San Diego School of Medicine scientists reveals a surprising role for these enzymes in subduing cancer immunity. The...
– University of California San Diego Health Sciences
Cell
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 12:00 ET

Magnetic Brain Stimulation Can Bring Back Stowed Memories
A University of Wisconsin-Madison lab is challenging the idea that working memory remembers things through sustained brain activity. They caught brains tucking less-important information away somewhere beyond the reach of the tools that typically mon...
– University of Wisconsin-Madison
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 14:00 ET

Kidney Disease Hospitalization and Mortality Rates Continue to Decline in the U.S.
According to an annual data report from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), hospitalization and mortality rates for patients with chronic kidney disease continue to decline in the U.S.
– University of Michigan Health System

Turning off Asthma Attacks
Working with human immune cells in the laboratory, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have identified a critical cellular "off" switch for the inflammatory immune response that contributes to lung-constricting asthma attacks. The switch, they say,...
– Johns Hopkins Medicine
Journal of Biological Chemistry

Johns Hopkins Researchers Uncover More Genetic Links to Brain Cancer Cell Growth
Two recently discovered genetic differences between brain cancer cells and normal tissue cells — an altered gene and a snippet of noncoding genetic material — could offer clues to tumor behavior and potential new targets for therapy, Johns Hopkin...
– Johns Hopkins Medicine
Acta Neuropathologica; Modern Pathology,

’Tis the Season to Protect Yourself Against the Flu
Flu cases are being reported in Maryland and across the country, and experts at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine expect to see numbers continue to rise. To prevent the flu, Johns Hopkins experts say everyone 6 months and older should g...
– Johns Hopkins Medicine

With Promising Results From Emerging Therapies, Penn Research Yields Fresh Hope for Treatment of Rare Disease AL Amyloidosis
Two new treatments are showing promise and overall survival is on the rise for AL amyloidosis, according to a series of studies involving researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania....
– Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

UGA-Led Research Team Discovers a Pathogen’s Motility Triggers Immune Response
Until now, a pathogen’s ability to move through the body has been overlooked as a possible trigger of immune response, but new research from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine found that motility will indeed alarm the host and...
– University of Georgia
PLOS Pathogens

Unique Premed Program Gives Future Healthcare Providers Tools to Understand Social Contexts for Health
Vanderbilt's Medicine, Health and Society graduates demonstrate a thorough grounding in issues of structural competence while remaining as competitive as traditional pre-med students for medical school, showing that the undergraduate years are ideal ...
– Vanderbilt University
Academic Medicine

Scripps Florida Scientists Identify Novel Compound to Alleviate Pain and Itch
In a new study, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified a possible drug candidate that suppresses pain and itch in animal models.
– Scripps Research Institute
Science Signaling, Nov. 2016; P01GM113852; P50DA006634; R01DA014030; U01AA014091; R01DA031297

Cigarette Smoke Exposure Increases Scar Tissue in the Kidney and Heart, Study Finds
Smoking may lead to fibrosis in the heart and kidneys and can worsen existing kidney disease, according to a new study. The research team suggests that exposure to cigarette smoke negatively affects genetic messaging that controls tissue scarring.
– American Physiological Society (APS)

Disabling Critical "Node" Revs Up Attack When Cancer Immunotherapies Fall Short
PHILADELPHIA—An existing drug known as a JAK inhibitor may help patients who don’t respond to the so-called checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drugs overcome that resistance, suggests a new preclinical study published online in Cell today by Penn...
– Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
P30CA016520; R01CA163739; R01CA158186; R01CA172651; U19AI082630; R01AI105343; U01AI095608; P01AI112521; W81XWH-09-1-0339; P50CA174523...

Today Is World AIDS Day. Find the Latest Resources and Experts on the AIDS Epidemic in the AIDS and HIV News Source
Today is World AIDS Day. Find the latest resources and experts on the AIDS epidemic in the AIDS and HIV News Source
– Newswise

Obese Children Should Be Screened for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - New NASPGHAN Guidelines
A screening test for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)—a serious condition that may have lifelong health consequences—is recommended for all obese children aged nine to eleven years, according to clinical practice guidelines developed by ...
– Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition

Adrenaline Rush: Delaying Epinephrine Shots After Cardiac Arrest Cuts Survival Rates
Hospitals in which the administration of epinephrine to patients whose hearts have stopped is delayed beyond five minutes have significantly lower survival rates of those patients, a new study led by a cardiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center f...
– UT Southwestern Medical Center
Circulation, Dec. 2016

Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine to Co-Host World Stem Cell Summit 2016 Dec. 6-9
The Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine is a co-sponsor of the 2016 World Stem Cell Summit. More than 1,200 attendees are expected at the 12th annual event in West Palm Beach, Florida.
– Mayo Clinic

Shoulder Replacements Skyrocketing
The number of shoulder replacement surgeries has skyrocketed nationally and at Loyola University Medical Center as technology improves and aging Baby Boomers seek to relieve pain and restore function to arthritic shoulders.
– Loyola University Health System

Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., Discusses Future of Alzheimer’s Research After Drug Trial Fails
Eli Lilly’s Phase III drug trial attempting to slow the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease disappointed many when it recently was announced that the study did not meet its primary endpoints.
– Mayo Clinic

PinnacleHealth Announces New, CHESTBONE-Sparing INVESTIGATIONAL Treatment Option for Patients with Leaky Mitral Valves
The RECHORD trial allows cardiovascular surgeons to replace damaged string-like tendons, called chordae, through a small incision while the heart is beating. PinnacleHealth is one of only 20 sites in the nation and the only hospital in Pennsylvania s...
– PinnacleHealth

URI Scientist: Rare Childhood Disease Linked to Major Cancer Gene
Research team has discovered an important molecular link between a rare childhood genetic disease and a major cancer gene. The discovery could lead to improved treatment outcomes for some cancer patients.
– University of Rhode Island

Surgery or Not – UAB Physician Says the Health Care System and Reimbursement Model Decide in Treating Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
A ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is the 15th leading cause of death in the country, and the 10th leading cause of death in men older than 55.
– University of Alabama at Birmingham

The Medical Minute: Toy Safety Tips for the Holidays – and Year-Round
Pretty much all toys can look inviting to children. But it’s important for adults who are buying toys this holiday season look beyond the flashing lights and cool noises to make sure they are safe.
– Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Mayo Clinic Monthly News Tips — November 2016
Mayo Clinic Monthly News Tips — November 2016
– Mayo Clinic
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease ; Journal of Clinical Oncology

Media Advisory: Save the Date for STS Annual Meeting
Credentialed press representatives are invited to attend The Society of Thoracic Surgeons 53rd Annual Meeting and Exhibition.
– The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
STS Annual Meeting

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Selected as Top 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures in Canada for 3rd Time
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is thrilled to be selected as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures in the Broader Public Service category.
– University Health Network (UHN)

Ohio-Based ProMedica Health System Celebrates One-Year Anniversary for Its Grocery Market and Announces Plans to Expand
One year ago ProMedica opened a full-service grocery market in an area of Toledo that was labeled a food desert due to the lack of grocery stores and healthy food providers. Today leaders from ProMedica announced plans to expand its services beyond t...
– ProMedica

Einstein and Penn State Researchers Awarded $12.2 Million to Study Alzheimer's Disease
...
– Albert Einstein College of Medicine
2P01AG003949-32

Science News

Study Finds Hearing "Meaningful" Sounds Decreases Performance on Cognitive Tasks
Open office plans are becoming increasingly common in the workplace -- offering a way to optimize available space and encourage dialogue, interaction and collaboration among employees. However, a new study suggests that productive work-related conver...
– Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
The 172nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 13:00 ET

Fertilized Egg Cells Trigger and Monitor Loss of Sperm’s Epigenetic Memory
Scientists from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) in Vienna, Austria, have discovered how an embryo’s genomic integrity is safeguarded during the first 24 h after fertilization. Insights into this mechanism have implications for impro...
– Institute of Molecular Biotechnology
“A surveillance mechanism ensures repair of DNA lesions during zygotic reprogramming”, Ladstätter, Tachibana-Konwalski, Cell
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 12:00 ET

Increasing Tornado Outbreaks—Is Climate Change Responsible?
In a new study, Columbia Engineering researchers looked at increasing trends in the severity of tornado outbreaks where they measured severity by the number of tornadoes per outbreak. They found that these trends are increasing fastest for the most e...
– Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Science, Dec 1-2016
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 14:00 ET

Feathered Fathers and Mothers Have Diverse Parenting Arrangements, According to Research in Nature
Birds of a feather flock together but they schedule parenting duties differently. Kansas State University researchers are part of an international team of ornithologists who have published a study in Nature about how mated pairs of wild shorebirds ha...
– Kansas State University
Nature

A Friend of a Friend Is…a Dense Network
Networks evolve in different ways depending how often "second neighbor," or friends of friends, connections occur.
– Santa Fe Institute

A Cleaner, More Efficient Car? FSU Professor Designs New Material to Better Store Hydrogen Fuel
A Florida State University researcher has designed new materials that could be used to store hydrogen fuel more efficiently in vehicles or other devices that use clean energy.
– Florida State University

Study Shows Many Lakes Getting Murkier, but Gives Hope for Improvement
A study of more than 5,000 Wisconsin lakes shows that nearly a quarter of them have become murkier in the past two decades. It also shows this trend could get worse as a changing climate leads to increased precipitation.
– University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ecological Applications

Where the Rains Come From
Intense storms have become more frequent and longer-lasting in the Great Plains and Midwest in the last 35 years. What has fueled these storms? The temperature difference between the Southern Great Plains and the Atlantic Ocean produces winds that ca...
– Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Nature Communications

For the First Time, Scientists Catch Water Molecules Passing the Proton Baton
Water conducts electricity, but the process by which this familiar fluid passes along positive charges has puzzled scientists for decades. But in a paper published in the Dec. 2 in issue of the journal Science, an international team of researchers h...
– University of Washington
Science, Dec. 2, 2016

Climate Change Will Drive Stronger, Smaller Storms in U.S., New Modeling Approach Forecasts
The effects of climate change will likely cause smaller but stronger storms in the United States, according to a new framework for modeling storm behavior. Though storm intensity is expected to increase over today’s levels, the predicted reduction ...
– Computation Institute
Journal of Climate, Dec 2016

Exploring the Fate of the Earth's Storehouse of Carbon
A new study predicts that warming temperatures will contribute to the release into the atmosphere of carbon that has long been locked up securely in the coldest reaches of our planet.Soil and climate expert Katherine Todd-Brown of Pacific Northwest N...
– Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Nature, Dec. 1, 2016

Birmingham and Indian Scientists Meet to Investigate Air Pollution Causes
Scientists at the University of Birmingham are in Delhi and working with their Indian counterparts to help young researchers better understand the causes, sources and effects of pollution in India and the UK.
– University of Birmingham

Building From the Ground Up
The wise person builds on a solid foundation. The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) December 1st Soils Matter blog post explains what goes into deciding soil’s suitability for a construction project.
– Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Ohio State Fans Generated Biggest “Fan Quakes” of the Season During the Michigan Game
Even before the opening kickoff of the Ohio State-Michigan football game, fans' celebrations had broken all previous records for seismic energy generated by the biggest plays of the 2016 season.
– Ohio State University

URI Professor Arun Shukla Helps Military Create Bomb-Resistant Materials
How much force does it take to shatter a Humvee, a soldier’s body armor, or a submarine? URI professor is finding answers to those questions and more.
– University of Rhode Island

Physics Tomorrow
Exoplanet images, investigations into artificial consciousness, privacy concerns about facial screening assessments by neural-networks, and accelerators in a post-grand unification era of physics are all covered in this month’s special December, 21...
– American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Bethlehem Star May Not Be a Star After All
Studying historical, astronomical and biblical records, Grant Mathews, University of Notre Dame professor, believes the event that led the Magi was an extremely rare planetary alignment occurring in 6 B.C., and the likes of which may never be seen ag...
Expert Available
– University of Notre Dame

Houston Methodist Receives Award for Implantable HIV Drug Delivery Device
The Houston Methodist Research Institute’s department of nanomedicine is the recipient of this year’s AIDS Foundation Houston Shelby Hodge Vision Award. Alessandro Grattoni, Ph.D., nanomedicine department chair at the Houston Methodist Research I...
– Houston Methodist

FAU’s Brain Institute in Jupiter Designated a ‘Nikon Center of Excellence’
Florida Atlantic University’s Brain Institute in Jupiter is now home to a Nikon Center of Excellence, making it one of seven designated centers in the United States and 17 worldwide.
– Florida Atlantic University

Monell Center Receives Funding to Develop Technologies to Improve Taste of Lifesaving Drugs
The Monell Center announced today that it has received a $345,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant supports an innovative global health research project titled, "Developing Novel Pediatric Formulation Technologies for Global ...
– Monell Chemical Senses Center

Lifestyle & Social Sciences

How Do Children Hear Anger?
Even if they don’t understand the words, infants react to the way their mother speaks and the emotions conveyed through speech. What exactly they react to and how has yet to be fully deciphered, but could have significant impact on a child’s deve...
– Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
The 172nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America
Embargo expired on 01-Dec-2016 at 16:15 ET

Putting Fundamental Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the Map
The WORLD Policy Analysis Center at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health produced a far-reaching analysis of countries’ efforts, since adoption of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to enact and address global rights, laws ...
– University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences
Embargo expired on 02-Dec-2016 at 06:00 ET

Use Your Words: Written Prisoner Interactions Predict Whether They’ll Clean Up Their Acts
The evolution of how prisoners in substance-abuse programs communicate is a good indicator of whether they’ll return to crime, new research has found.
– Ohio State University

When Good People Get Bad Gifts
New research from NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) details reasons why some people intentionally give bad gifts.
– New York Institute of Technology

Narcissistic Individuals Use Social Media to Self-Promote
A new statistical review of 62 studies with over 13,000 individuals found that narcissism has a modest but reliable positive relationship with a range of social media behaviors.
– University of Georgia
Psychology of Popular Media Culture

GW Extremism Tracker: US Officials Charged 111 People with ISIS-Related Offenses Since March 2014
The number of ISIS-related charges issued in the United States since March 2014 increased from 109 to 111, according to updated research from the George Washington University’s Program on Extremism.
– George Washington University

‘the Frankenstein Effect’ of Working Memory: Researchers Examine How Brain Stimulation Affects Memory Reactivation
A new study from Nathan Rose, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame, examined a fundamental problem your brain has to solve, which is keeping information “in mind,” or active, so your brain can act accordingly.
– University of Notre Dame
Science

Research Suggests Creatives Worry Less About Dying
Creative achievement can provide a buffer against being anxious about death, research from psychologists at the University of Kent shows.
– University of Kent
Journal of Creative Behavior

Aer Lingus and Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support Announce Visual Guide for Air Travel That Assists Individuals with Autism
Aer Lingus and the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support at Saint Joseph’s University have partnered to develop a visual guide that helps individuals with autism and related disorders prepare for and experience air travel.
– Saint Joseph's University

Texas Tech, Brazilian Researchers Examine Effects of Toxic Stress on Children’s Brain Development
The study uses fMRI data to compare brain development between children who experience pervasive, continuing trauma and those with “normal” development.
– Texas Tech University

APA Hails House Passage of Mental Health Provisions in 21st Century Cures Act
The American Psychological Association and the APA Practice Organization applauded passage by the House of Representatives of the 21st Century Cures Act, a bill that will lead to much-needed mental health reform.
– American Psychological Association (APA)

NYU Students & Alumni Selected as Schwarzman Scholars for Study in China
Two New York University students and two of the university’s alumni have been selected as 2017 Schwarzman Scholars, an honor that will support master’s degree study at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
– New York University

Rensselaer Announces More Than $24 Million Raised for Student Scholarship Support
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute held its Inaugural Scholarship Gala—and announced that is has raised over $24 million in scholarship support in the last two years—at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City Nov. 17. The Gala raised support for the...
– Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Business News

Those Funny Ads May Make You Laugh, but Maybe Not Buy
Advertisers often use humor to grab customers' attention, but they should do so with caution, according to a recently published study in the Journal of Marketing Behavior.
– University of Arizona
Journal of Marketing Behavior

International Development Expert to Discuss “Trumpism, the Global Economy, and Silicon Valley”
Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi, founder and president of the American Iranian Council and a former Iranian presidential candidate, to address the conflict between Trump and Silicon Valley values
– University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business

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Massachusetts college that took down American flag raises it again



A Massachusetts college that became a target of protests after removing the American flag from its main flagpole following Donald Trump's election victory raised the flag again on Friday, its president said.
Students at Hampshire College had lowered the main campus flag on Nov. 9, the day after the Republican businessman won the presidential election. The following day protesters burned a flag on campus, and after flying another flag at half-mast for several days, the school on Nov. 18 removed it entirely, triggering protests by veterans groups.
Following meetings with local veterans, college President Jonathan Lash said the flag would be flown again on the main flagpole at the campus in Amherst, Massachusetts, about 90 miles (145 km) west of Boston.
"We understand that many who hold the flag as a powerful symbol of national ideals and their highest aspirations for the country, including members of our own community, felt hurt by our decisions, and that we deeply regret," Lash said in a statement. "We acted solely to facilitate much-needed dialogue on our campus about how to dismantle the bigotry that is prevalent in our society."
Student protesters had voiced anger over some of Trump's campaign promises, including plans to deport illegal immigrants and restrict immigration from Muslim countries.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that flag-burning was not a crime but a form of protest protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Trump said on Twitter on Tuesday he believed that people who burned the flag should be jailed for a year or have their citizenship revoked, penalties that would violate the Constitution.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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Hundreds of thousands protest for arrest of Jakarta governor accused of blasphemy

Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, at center, is escorted by Indonesian officers as he arrives at the Indonesian Attorney General Office on Dec. 1. Purnama is accused of blasphemy due to statements made during a campaign speech in late September. The governor will be tried for the offense and could receive up to five years in prison if found guilty. Photo by Bagus Indahono/European Pressphoto Agency
JAKARTA, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The second protest of Jakarta's governor was almost as big as the first, making clear some residents in the city want to see Basuki Tjahaja Purnama jailed for allegedly insulting the Quran.
A protest Friday morning against Gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, drew about 200,000 people to Indonesia's national monument accusing the Christian governor of not respecting Islam and committing blasphemy by suggesting his opponents in a political race were using religion to trick them.
In early November, roughly the same amount of people gathered to protest Ahok after he said in a speech that candidates running against him were lying when they claimed the Quran says Muslims should not vote for non-Muslims to rule them.
Ahok has since been investigated by the government for committing blasphemy, and was just served an official report on the investigation. He is expected to be tried for the crime. If he is convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in jail.
Ahok is close with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, but the president said he would not intervene because the case is already being handled by the courts.
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Iran says U.S. extension of sanctions act violates nuclear deal



By Parisa Hafezi | ANKARA
Iran threatened on Friday to retaliate against the U.S. Senate's vote to extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for 10 years, saying it violated last year's deal with six major powers that curbed its nuclear program.
The ISA was first adopted in 1996 to punish investments in Iran's energy industry and deter its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The extension was passed unanimously on Thursday.
U.S. officials said the ISA's renewal would not infringe on the nuclear agreement, under which Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear work in return for the lifting of financial sanctions that harmed the country's economy.
But senior Iranian officials took odds with that view.
Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, who played a key role in reaching the nuclear deal, described it as a "clear violation" of the 2015 deal if implemented.
"We are closely monitoring the developments," state TV quoted Salehi as saying. "If they implement the ISA, Iran will take action accordingly."
The extension risks deepening hostilities between Iran and the United States ahead of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who said during his election campaign that he would abandon the deal.
Iran's most powerful authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had already warned in November that an extension would be viewed in Tehran as a violation of the accord.
"Iran has shown its commitment to its international agreements, but we are also prepared for any possible scenario. We are ready to firmly protect the nation's rights under any circumstances," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said in comments reported by state news agency IRNA.
RETALIATION
The U.S. senate vote will be a blow for Iran's pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani and may embolden his hardline rivals ahead of Iran's 2017 presidential election.
Khamenei and his hard-line loyalists, drawn from among Islamists and Revolutionary Guards, have criticized the deal and blamed Rouhani for its failure to deliver swift improvements in living standards since lifting of sanctions in January.
It was not immediately clear what form any eventual retaliation might take.
One lawmaker quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency said Iran's parliament planned to discuss a bill that would prevent the government purchasing "American products".
Such a bill could jeopardize deals such as U.S. planemaker Boeing's (BA.N) tentative agreement to sell passenger jets to Iran.

ALSO IN WORLD NEWS

The White House had not pushed for an extension of the sanctions act, but had not raised serious objections. Some congressional aides said they expected President Barack Obama to sign it.
The ISA had been due to expire on Dec. 31. Lawmakers said the extension would make it easier for sanctions to be reimposed if Iran violated the deal.
Trump described Iran in campaign speeches as the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism and dismissed the nuclear accord as "one of the worst deals I've ever seen negotiated."
Influential Friday prayer leaders, appointed by Khamenei, strongly denounced the ISA extension and called on the government to take action, according to the IRNA news agency.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Richard Lough)
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Russia says foreign spies plan cyber attack on banking system





By Christian Lowe and Natalia Zinets | MOSCOW/KIEV
Russia said on Friday it had uncovered a plot by foreign spy agencies to sow chaos in Russia's banking system via a coordinated wave of cyber attacks and fake social media reports about banks going bust.
Russia's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), said that the servers to be used in the alleged cyber attack were located in the Netherlands and registered to a Ukrainian web hosting company called BlazingFast.
The attack, which was to target major national and provincial banks in several Russian cities, was meant to start on Dec. 5, the FSB said in a statement.
"It was planned that the cyber attack would be accompanied by a mass send-out of SMS messages and publications in social media of a provocative nature regarding a crisis in the Russian banking system, bankruptcies and license withdrawals," it said.
"The FSB is carrying out the necessary measures to neutralize threats to Russia's economic and information security."
The statement did not say which countries' intelligence agencies were behind the alleged plot.
SITUATION 'UNDER CONTROL'
Russia's central bank said it was aware of the threat and was in constant contact with the security services. In a statement sent to Reuters, it said it had drawn up a plan to counteract any attack.
"The situation is under control. Banks have been given necessary guidance," the central bank said.
Anton Onoprichuk, director of Kiev-based BlazingFast, said neither the FSB nor any other intelligence agency had been in touch with his company. He told Reuters he was waiting for more information so his firm could investigate.
Asked if his servers could be used to mount a cyber attack he said: "Technically it is possible. It is possible with any hosting company, where you rent a server. You can attack whatever (you want) from it and in 99 percent of cases it will become known only after the event."
Russia has been on high alert for foreign-inspired cyber attacks since U.S. officials accused the Kremlin of being involved in hacks on Democratic Party emails during the U.S. presidential election.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said at the time that the United States would mount a "proportional" response to Russia.

ALSO IN TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Since then, there have been a number of cyber attacks affecting Russian institutions, though it is unclear if they were linked to the row between Moscow and Washington.
In October, a network of Ukrainian hackers released a cache of emails obtained from the account of an aide to Kremlin adviser Vladislav Surkov.
And on Nov. 11, Russian lenders Sberbank and Alfa Bank said they had been hit by cyber attacks
Sberbank on Friday declined to comment on the FSB's statement. The press service of VTB, Russia's second-largest state-run lender, said its security systems guaranteed clients' transactions were completely protected.
(Additional reporting by Natalia Zinets in KIEV, Elena Fabrichnaya and Kira Zavyalova in MOSCOW; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
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6,000 Years Ago The Sahara Desert Was Tropical, So What Happened?


  • Credit: Shutterstock
    The Sahara desert was once a tropical jungle.
MEDIA CONTACT
Robert Korty at (979) 847-9090 or korty@tamu.edu
Robyn Blackmon at (979) 845-6324 or robynblackmon@tamu.edu
Keith Randall at (979) 845-4644 or keith-randall@tamu.edu
CITATIONS
National Science Foundation; Nature Geoscience
CHANNELS
All Journal News, Grant Funded News, Climate Science, Environmental Science, Nature (journal), Local - Texas
KEYWORDS
  • Robert Korty, Robert Kor, Climate Change, Global Warming, Environment
    • Newswise — COLLEGE STATION, Nov. 30, 2016 – As little as 6,000 years ago, the vast Sahara Desert was covered in grassland that received plenty of rainfall, but shifts in the world’s weather patterns abruptly transformed the vegetated region into some of the driest land on Earth. A Texas A&M university researcher is trying to uncover the clues responsible for this enormous climate transformation – and the findings could lead to better rainfall predictions worldwide.
    Robert Korty, associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, along with colleague William Boos of Yale University, have had their work published in the current issue of Nature Geoscience.
    The two researchers have looked into precipitation patterns of the Holocene era nd compared them with present-day movements of the intertropical convergence zone, a large region of intense tropical rainfall. Using computer models and other data, the researchers found links to rainfall patterns thousands of years ago.
    “The framework we developed helps us understand why the heaviest tropical rain belts set up where they do,” Korty explains.
    “Tropical rain belts are tied to what happens elsewhere in the world through the Hadley circulation, but it won’t predict changes elsewhere directly, as the chain of events is very complex. But it is a step toward that goal.”
    The Hadley circulation is a tropical atmospheric circulation that rises near the equator. It is linked to the subtropical trade winds, tropical rainbelts, and affects the position of severe storms, hurricanes, and the jet stream. Where it descends in the subtropics, it can create desert-like conditions. The majority of Earth’s arid regions are located in areas beneath the descending parts of the Hadley circulation.
    “We know that 6,000 years ago, what is now the Sahara Desert was a rainy place,” Korty adds.
    “It has been something of a mystery to understand how the tropical rain belt moved so far north of the equator. Our findings show that that large migrations in rainfall can occur in one part of the globe even while the belt doesn’t move much elsewhere.
    “This framework may also be useful in predicting the details of how tropical rain bands tend to shift during modern-day El Niño and La Niña events (the cooling or warming of waters in the central Pacific Ocean which tend to influence weather patterns around the world).”
    The findings could lead to better ways to predict future rainfall patterns in parts of the world, Korty believes.
    “One of the implications of this is that we can deduce how the position of the rainfall will change in response to individual forces,” he says. “We were able to conclude that the variations in Earth's orbit that shifted rainfall north in Africa 6,000 years ago were by themselves insufficient to sustain the amount of rain that geologic evidence shows fell over what is now the Sahara Desert. Feedbacks between the shifts in rain and the vegetation that could exist with it are needed to get heavy rains into the Sahara.”
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