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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 26, 2017:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Camera on NASA's Lunar Orbiter survived 2014 meteoroid hitOn Oct. 13, 2014 something very strange happened to the camera aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), which normally produces beautifully clear images of the lunar surface, produced an image that was wild and jittery. From the sudden and jagged pattern apparent in the image, the LROC team determined that the camera must have been hit by a tiny meteoroid, a small object in space. |
 | SDO sees partial eclipse in spaceOn May 25, 2017, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, saw a partial solar eclipse in space when it caught the moon passing in front of the sun. The lunar transit lasted almost an hour, between 2:24 and 3:17 p.m. EDT, with the moon covering about 89 percent of the sun at the peak of its journey across the sun's face. The moon's crisp horizon can be seen from this view because the moon has no atmosphere to distort the sunlight. |
 | 'Tiny clocks' crystallize understanding of meteorite crashesAlmost two billion years ago, a 10-kilometre-wide chunk of space slammed down into rock near what is now the city of Sudbury. Now, scientists from Western University and the University of Portsmouth are marrying details of that meteorite impact with technology that measures surrounding crystal fragments as a way to date other ancient meteorite strikes. |
 | Construction begins on the world's first super telescopeScientists are a step closer to understanding the inner-workings of the universe following the laying of the first stone, and construction starting on the world's largest optical and infrared telescope. |
 | New Horizons deploys global team for rare look at next flyby targetOn New Year's Day 2019, more than 4 billion miles from home, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will race past a small Kuiper Belt object known as 2014 MU69 – making this rocky remnant of planetary formation the farthest object ever encountered by any spacecraft. |
 | Australian satellite in orbitThe first Australian satellite in 15 years, UNSW-EC0, was successfully deployed from the International Space Station, and UNSW engineers are working to make contact when it next passes above Sydney. |
 | Image: Sequence of Juno spacecraft's close approach to JupiterThis sequence of enhanced-color images shows how quickly the viewing geometry changes for NASA's Juno spacecraft as it swoops by Jupiter. The images were obtained by JunoCam. |
Technology news
 | New algorithm for drones quickly makes sense of incoming visual dataThere's a limit to how fast autonomous vehicles can fly while safely avoiding obstacles. That's because the cameras used on today's drones can only process images so fast, frame by individual frame. Beyond roughly 30 miles per hour, a drone is likely to crash simply because its cameras can't keep up. |
 | AI exploration shifts focus from rewards to curiosity(Tech Xplore)—A paper titled "Curiosity Driven Exploration by Self-Supervised Prediction" has been prepared by a team of researchers at University of California Berkeley (on arXiv). |
 | Running a power plant on carbon dioxide instead of steam(Tech Xplore)—A team with NET Power is currently in the process of building a power plant in Texas that will use a form of carbon dioxide to turn turbines instead of using steam to make electricity. The plant will be the first in the world to attempt to utilize the new technology. Levi Irwin and Yann Le Moullec with SETA, ManTech SRS Technologies, Inc., and Électricité de France, China Holding R&D respectively offer a Perspective piece on the work being done by the company in the journal Science. |
Avideh Zakhor: The brains behind Google Earth and Street ViewFor one of Silicon Valley's most important inventions, we can thank Avideh Zakhor, creator of the technology that brought us Google Earth and Street View. | |
 | New technique could increase success rate, life span of implantable devicesA new technique being developed at Purdue University could provide patients who require implantable catheters in the treatment of neurological and other disorders with a reliable and self-clearing catheter that could eliminate the need for additional surgery to replace failing devices. |
 | Designing games that change perceptions, opinions and even players' real-life actionsIn 1904, Lizzie Magie patented "The Landlord's Game," a board game about property ownership, with the specific goal of teaching players about how a system of land grabbing impoverishes tenants and enriches property owners. The game, which went on to become the mass-market classic "Monopoly," was the first widely recognized example of what is today called "persuasive play." |
 | The problem of treating play like work – how esports can harm well-beingWe are mid-way through the annual esports calendar and South Korean team SK Telecom 1 recently scored a resounding victory at the Mid-Seasonal Invitational. The MSI, as it's known, is a tournament where teams compete to win the video game League of Legends. This year, for the first time, there were world-class players from 13 regions across the globe battling for a US$1.69m prize pool. SK Telecom 1 skirmished through three weeks of matches to retain their title, taking home nearly US$700,000 (£544,000) in prize money. |
 | No green light for latest traffic light app following expert evaluationFROM sat-nav to automated parking and collision avoidance systems - cars are equipped with an increasing array of electronic aids designed to reduce the scope for human error. One of the latest pieces of kit is an app that provides assistance at traffic lights, telling drivers when they will have to stop and how long before they can move off. |
 | French designer shows off DIY robot in public for first timeA French designer has shown his humanoid DIY robot to the public for the first time. |
Canadian accused in Yahoo hack to appeal bail denialA Canadian man accused in a massive hack of Yahoo emails says he'll appeal a judge's decision to deny him bail. | |
Gadgets: Several decisions to be made before selecting new headphonesWith the summer just about upon us, headphone season is in full force. If you're about to make a new purchase, don't get fooled with fancy marketing, colorful boxes or hype. Instead, consider these features when shopping around (the order of importance depends on you): wireless vs wired, earbuds vs over the ear, cost and sound quality (which would be No. 1 for me). | |
Review: Three devices to talk on your phone while drivingHave you ever talked on your phone while driving your car? | |
 | Taiwan's 'forest bus' charms passengersWith moss-covered seats and an explosion of lush plants and flowers throughout its interior the "forest bus" offers a fragrant leafy ride for passengers used to crammed public transport in Taiwan's capital. |
Minimizing the risk of electric shock around pools and lakesA danger that you can't see or hear—electric shock in water—can easily go undetected. Electricity is deadly and often discovered only after it is too late. | |
 | Fractious politics leads 'Far Cry' video game to USThe latest edition of the blockbuster shooter video game "Far Cry" plays out on US soil, inspired by angry political divides and intense isolationist passions in rural America. |
 | G7 demands internet giants crack down on extremist contentThe G7 nations on Friday demanded action from internet providers and social media firms against extremist content online, vowing to step up their fight against terrorism after the Manchester attack. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Study finds gray matter density increases during adolescenceFor years, the common narrative in human developmental neuroimaging has been that gray matter in the brain - the tissue found in regions of the brain responsible for muscle control, sensory perception such as seeing and hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision making, and self-control—declines in adolescence, a finding derived mainly from studies of gray matter volume and cortical thickness (the thickness of the outer layers of brain that contain gray matter). Since it has been well-established that larger brain volume is associated with better cognitive performance, it was puzzling that cognitive performance shows a dramatic improvement from childhood to young adulthood at the same time that brain volume and cortical thickness decline. |
 | Researchers studying century-old drug in potential new approach to autismIn a small, randomized Phase I/II clinical trial (SAT1), researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine say a 100-year-old drug called suramin, originally developed to treat African sleeping sickness, was safely administered to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who subsequently displayed measurable, but transient, improvement in core symptoms of autism. |
 | Isolated Greek villages reveal genetic secrets that protect against heart diseaseA genetic variant that protects the heart against cardiovascular disease has been discovered by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators. Reported today in Nature Communications, the cardioprotective variant was found in an isolated Greek population, who are known to live long and healthy lives despite having a diet rich in animal fat. |
 | Study sweetens connection between cancer and sugarIn a new study, scientists at The University of Texas at Dallas have found that some types of cancers have more of a sweet tooth than others. |
 | New cellular target may put the brakes on cancer's ability to spreadA team led by Johns Hopkins researchers has discovered a biochemical signaling process that causes densely packed cancer cells to break away from a tumor and spread the disease elsewhere in the body. In their study, published online May 26 in Nature Communications, the team also reported that the combined use of two existing drugs disrupts this process and appears to significantly slow cancer's tendency to travel, a behavior called metastasis. |
 | Bioelectricity new weapon to fight dangerous infectionChanging the natural electrical signaling that exists in cells outside the nervous system can improve resistance to life-threatening bacterial infections, according to new research from Tufts University biologists. The researchers found that administering drugs, including those already used in humans for other purposes, to make the cell interior more negatively charged strengthens tadpoles' innate immune response to E. coli infection and injury. This reveals a novel aspect of the immune system - regulation by non-neural bioelectricity - and suggests a new approach for clinical applications in human medicine. The study is published online May 26, 2017, in npj Regenerative Medicine, a Nature Research journal. |
 | Optic probes shed light on binge-eatingActivating neurons in an area of the brain not previously associated with feeding can produce binge-eating behavior in mice, a new Yale study finds. |
 | FDA approves cancer drug for personalized immunotherapy approachEarlier this week, for the first time, a drug was FDA-approved for cancer based on disease genetics rather than type. |
 | Scientists jump hurdle in HIV vaccine designScientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made another important advance in HIV vaccine design. The development was possible thanks to previous studies at TSRI showing the structures of a protein on HIV's surface, called the envelope glycoprotein. The scientists used these structures to design a mimic of the viral protein from a different HIV subtype, subtype C, which is responsible for the majority of infections worldwide. |
 | People match confidence levels to make decisions in groupsWhen trying to make a decision with another person, people tend to match their confidence levels, which can backfire if one person has more expertise than the other, finds a new study led by UCL and University of Oxford researchers. |
 | Losing sleep over climate changeClimate change may keep you awake—and not just metaphorically. Nights that are warmer than normal can harm human sleep, researchers show in a new paper, with the poor and elderly most affected. According to their findings, if climate change is not addressed, temperatures in 2050 could cost people in the United States millions of additional nights of insufficient sleep per year. By 2099, the figure could rise by several hundred million more nights of lost sleep annually. |
 | Mind-controlled device helps stroke patients retrain brains to move paralyzed handsStroke patients who learned to use their minds to open and close a device fitted over their paralyzed hands gained some control over their hands, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. |
 | Chemical array draws out malignant cells to guide individualized cancer treatmentMelanoma is a particularly difficult cancer to treat once it has metastasized, spreading throughout the body. University of Illinois researchers are using chemistry to find the deadly, elusive malignant cells within a melanoma tumor that hold the potential to spread. |
Genetic test for anal cancer could identify those at high riskA new test, based on a patient's epigenetics, could be an accurate and inexpensive way to find and treat those at highest risk of anal cancer - a disease with growing incidence in women, men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with HIV. | |
Balancing rights and responsibilities in insurers' access to genetic test resultsGenetic testing is widely used across the developed world in order to diagnose and predict disease. However, along with its usefulness comes concern about how others, such as employers and insurers, can have access to and use its results. This in turn leads to the risk that individuals may avoid medically recommended genetic testing, or participation in genetic research, if they fear that they may be discriminated against based on their results. | |
 | Scientists identify protein linked to chronic heart failureResearchers in Japan have identified a receptor protein on the surface of heart cells that promotes chronic heart failure. The study, "Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 2 exacerbates chronic cardiac dysfunction," which will be published May 26 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggests that inhibiting this protein could help treat a disease that affects more than 20 million people worldwide. |
Researchers develop faster and cheaper cardiac imaging test for developing countriesResearchers in the UK and Peru have developed a faster and cheaper cardiac imaging test that can be used in developing countries, according to the results of the INCA-Peru study presented today at EuroCMR 2017. The scan is three times faster, less than one-fifth of the cost, and changed clinical management in 33% of patients. | |
 | Diesel pollution linked to heart damageDiesel pollution is linked with heart damage, according to research presented today at EuroCMR 2017. |
 | Designer viruses stimulate the immune system to fight cancerSwiss scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, and the University of Basel have created artificial viruses that can target cancer. These designer viruses alert the immune system and cause it to send killer cells to fight the tumor. The results, published in the journal Nature Communications, provide a basis for innovative cancer treatments. |
 | Cannabis harm prevention message a must, says studyGovernment, police and health agencies need clear guidelines for public campaigns on preventing harm from cannabis use, according to new research from Massey University. |
 | IVF babies do not have lower cognitive skills than naturally conceived children: studyNew research shows that between the ages of three and 11, children conceived artificially can be linked with better scores for reading and verbal tests than children conceived naturally. |
 | Why a monthly period is especially hard for millions of women and girls around the worldMillions of girls and women are displaced and on the move right now globally – and the Trump administration's proposed drastic cuts to humanitarian aid will have a major impact on these girls' and women's health. |
 | Game study not playing around with PTSD reliefPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients wrestling with one of its main symptoms may find long-term relief beyond medication thanks to the work of a Western researcher. |
Study explores the safety and efficacy of using a patient's cartilage cells to repair knee damageRepairing painful and debilitating knee injuries may soon be as easy as growing your own new cartilage, according to a Western researcher. | |
Health care providers should review response plans for Congo Ebola outbreakWith an Ebola outbreak underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo, experts say health care providers should review their Ebola response plans now to avoid repeating past mistakes. | |
 | Vitamin D in pregnancy may prevent childhood asthmaA new study published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has found that taking Vitamin D supplements in pregnancy can positively modify the immune system of the newborn baby, which could help to protect against asthma and respiratory infections, a known risk factor for developing asthma in childhood. |
Majority of time-pressed Brits walk less than a mile a dayStagnant Brits struggle to walk more than a mile a day according to new research from Cancer Research UK's Walk All Over Cancer campaign published today. | |
 | Strategies needed to prevent malnutrition in older peopleNew research from Massey University shows concerning levels of malnutrition among older people living independently in the community or newly admitted to hospital or a residential care facility. |
 | Fat nation—the rise and fall of obesity on the political agendaWhen we hear the word "obesity", the words "crisis" or "epidemic" often follow. And as being overweight, obese and eating an unhealthy diet are leading contributors to disease in Australia, evidence is mounting that "tackling obesity" should be a political priority. |
 | How to stop boxing deaths and brain injury with a simple ruleThe coronial inquest in Sydney into the death by subdural haematoma (brain bleed) of 28-year-old boxer Davey Browne has yet again seen the same predictable response about how we might prevent such outcomes in the future. |
 | New stretcher to prevent baby deaths in ambulancesAcademics and industry partners in Birmingham are developing a new device that will ensure newborn babies could survive in the event of a crash in an ambulance at up to 40 miles per hour. |
 | HIV patients sticking with therapy longer, Medicaid data showWith antiretroviral drugs, HIV has become a manageable chronic condition, but only so long as patients continue to take the medication. A large new Brown University study finds substantial momentum in that direction. The study, which examined a national sample of Medicaid patients, showed that , the median duration of persisting with treatment increased by more than 50 percent over the decade 2001 to 2010. |
Statins associated with improved heart structure and functionStatins are associated with improved heart structure and function, according to research presented today at EuroCMR 2017. The benefits were above and beyond the cholesterol lowering effect of statins. | |
 | Dramatic shift in gut microbes and their metabolites seen after weight loss surgeryObesity, already a global epidemic, is on the rise. Over one third of the U.S. population is currently afflicted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the monetary costs alone are approaching $150 billion dollars annually. Causes of the epidemic include changing diets and greater sedentism, though environmental factors may also contribute. |
 | Five food groups to jump-start nutrition(HealthDay)—Most Americans still don't eat enough nutrient-rich foods from key groups including vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy, according to federal health statistics. |
 | Some benefit for curcuminoids in knee osteoarthritis(HealthDay)—Curcuminoids seem beneficial for knee osteoarthritis (OA), although they are less effective for pain relief than ibuprofen, according to a review and meta-analysis published online May 4 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases. |
 | Technology can help patients facing routine decisions(HealthDay)—Information technology can be harnessed to assist patients facing routine decisions, according to a study published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine. |
 | Riboflavin shows positive effect for migraine in adults(HealthDay)—Riboflavin is well tolerated and has a positive therapeutic effect in prophylactic treatment of migraine headache in adults, according to a review published online May 8 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. |
 | Cognitive decline linked to visual field variability(HealthDay)—For patients diagnosed as having glaucoma or glaucoma suspects, cognitive decline is associated with increased visual field variability, according to a study published online May 18 in JAMA Ophthalmology. |
 | Streptococcal throat infection linked to mental disorders(HealthDay)—Individuals with streptococcal throat infection have increased risks of mental disorders, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tics, according to a study published online May 24 in JAMA Psychiatry. |
 | Latin-Americans with different Native-American ancestry show different health risksLatin Americans originate from a mix of people with Native American, European and African ancestry. A new study finds that different types of original Native American ancestry can be associated to different causes of death. Justo Lorenzo Bermejo and Felix Boekstegers from Heidelberg University in Germany, and their Chilean colleagues report these findings in a new study published May 26th, 2017 in PLOS Genetics. |
 | New drug reduces transplant and mortality rates significantly in patients with hepatitis CPatients with hepatitis C who suffer from advanced stages of liver disease have renewed hope, thanks to findings by researchers who have discovered that a new drug significantly reduces their risk of death and need for transplantation. |
 | The correlation between lying and alcohol consumption in teensAdolescents who have a greater tendency to lie to their parents are also more likely to start using alcohol at an earlier age, while excessive parental supervision may aggravate rather than solve the problem. Both honesty and a lower risk of developing a drinking habit are usually the result of a trusting relationship between a teenager and parents, according to a joint study by New York University and HSE researchers, published at Journal of Adolescence. |
How to avoid germs in the gymWith summer quickly approaching, many people are hitting the gym to get in shape. But can going to the gym actually be harmful to your health? One Baylor College of Medicine expert offers his tips on how to avoid germs in the gym. | |
Maori obesity linked to various factors in studySpiritual beliefs, cultural practices and the impacts of colonisation may make it harder for Māori to stick to the typical diet and exercise advice for reducing weight, a University of Otago PhD candidate has found. | |
Increased facial and head injuries after motorcycle helmet law change in MichiganSkull fractures and other head and facial injuries from motorcycle trauma in Michigan have doubled since that state relaxed its motorcycle helmet laws, reports a study in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The new study is one of the first to focus on how helmet laws affect CMF trauma rates. | |
Total abdominal wall transplantation for complex transplant cases—experts outline techniqueFor some patients undergoing intestinal or multi-organ transplantation, closing the abdominal wall poses a difficult surgical challenge. Total abdominal wall transplantation provides an alternative for abdominal closure in these complex cases, according to a state-of-the-art approach presented in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). | |
German kindergartens to name parents who skip vaccine adviceThe German government wants kindergartens to inform authorities if parents fail to prove they have attended a doctors' consultation on child vaccinations. | |
Biology news
 | The high cost of communication among social bees(Phys.org)—Eusocial insects are predominantly dependent on chemosensory communication to coordinate social organization and define group membership. As the social complexity of a species increases, individual members require a greater diversity of signals. The communications of highly social insects such as wasps are well documented, but relatively little is known about the evolutionary transition between solitary and social living. |
 | Knowledge gap on the origin of sexThere are significant gaps in our knowledge on the evolution of sex, according to a research review on sex chromosomes from Lund University in Sweden. Even after more than a century of study, researchers do not know enough about the evolution of sex chromosomes to understand how males and females emerge. |
 | DNA ladders: Inexpensive molecular rulers for DNA researchNew, license-free DNA ladders will allow researchers to estimate the size of fragments of DNA for a fraction of the cost of currently available methods. A research team of undergraduate students led by Penn State Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Song Tan and former undergraduate student Ryan C. Henrici developed two plasmids—a circular form of DNA—that can be cut by DNA scissors known as restriction enzymes to create the DNA ladders. The ladders can be used to estimate the size of DNA fragments between about 50 and 5,000 base pairs in length. A paper describing the research appears online May 26, 2017 in the journal Scientific Reports. |
 | Scientists are accidentally helping poachers drive rare species to extinctionIf you open Google and start typing "Chinese cave gecko", the text will auto-populate to "Chinese cave gecko for sale" – just US$150, with delivery. This extremely rare species is just one of an increasingly large number of animals being pushed to extinction in the wild by animal trafficking. |
 | New insights into the ancestors of all complex lifeA team of scientists led by the University of Bristol has provided new insights into the origins of the Archaea, the group of simple cellular organisms that are the ancestors of all complex life. |
 | Modifying cell wall can increase bacterial lipidsIf you want to create sustainable biofuels from less and for less, you've got a range of options. And one of those options is to go microbial, enlisting the help of tiny but powerful bacteria in creating a range of renewable biofuels and chemicals. |
 | Darwin was right: Females prefer sex with good listenersAlmost 150 years after Charles Darwin first proposed a little-known prediction from his theory of sexual selection, researchers have found that male moths with larger antennae are better at detecting female signals. |
 | Fungal enzymes team up to more efficiently break down celluloseOne of the biggest barriers in the commercial production of sustainable biofuels is to cost-effectively break down the bioenergy crops into sugars that can then be converted into fuel. To reduce this barrier, bioenergy researchers are looking to nature and the estimated 1.5 million species of fungi that, collectively, can break down almost any substance on earth, including plant biomass. |
Why communication is vital—even among plants and funghiPlant scientists at the University of Cambridge have found a plant protein indispensable for communication early in the formation of symbiosis - the mutually beneficial relationship between plants and fungi. Symbiosis significantly enhances a plant's ability to take up vital nutrients like phosphate from the soil, and understanding the processes involved holds great promise for the development of sustainable 'biosolutions' to enhancing food production in order to feed a growing global population. | |
 | Marine species distribution shifts will continue under ocean warmingScientists using a high-resolution global climate model and historical observations of species distributions on the Northeast U.S. Shelf have found that commercially important species will continue to shift their distribution as ocean waters warm two to three times faster than the global average through the end of this century. Projected increases in surface to bottom waters of 6.6 to 9 degrees F (3.7 to 5.0 degrees Celsius) from current conditions are expected. |
 | DNA research provides new hope for a bird on the brinkIn a fresh bid to save the southern black-throated finch from extinction, researchers are turning to a novel analysis of DNA to help plot a path to survival. Already extinct in NSW, this woodland species is endangered in Queensland, having lost 80 per cent of its range in the last 30 years. Under current development plans for its last stronghold, the Galilee basin, it's predicted to lose a further 57 per cent of its remaining habitat. |
 | Pregnant rays and babies pay a price after 'catch and release' from fishing trawlersRays are among the species most vulnerable to overfishing and are often caught incidentally in commercial trawlers and released as unwanted bycatch. |
 | Dog DNA influences face shapeA study of dog DNA has revealed a genetic mutation linked to flat face shapes such as those seen in pugs and bulldogs. |
 | Oh baby! DC zoo officials hoping to get panda pregnantZoo officials in Washington are hoping to get panda mom Mei Xiang pregnant—again. |
 | Study finds Congo's miners often resort to hunting wildlife for foodA new study by WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) has revealed how mining for valuable minerals in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a major driving factor in the illegal hunting of great apes and other wildlife for food. |
 | The plan to protect wildlife displaced by the Hume Highway has failedIt's no secret that human development frequently comes at a cost to other creatures. As our urban footprint expands, native habitat contracts. To compensate for this, most Australian governments require developers to invest in biodiversity offsetting, where habitat is created or protected elsewhere to counterbalance the impact of construction. |
US science agency: Selfies with seal pups a no-noU.S. officials are warning people not to take selfies with seals, no matter how tempting. | |
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