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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 4, 2017:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | 'Little Cub' gives astronomers rare chance to see galaxy demiseA primitive galaxy that could provide clues about the early universe has been spotted by astronomers as it begins to be consumed by a gigantic neighboring galaxy. |
 | Shining light on solar energetic particles and jetsA team of astronomers, led by PhD researcher Malcolm Druett of Northumbria University at Newcastle, have taken a big step forward in understanding a 30-year-old mystery in the process of formation of solar flares. Druett will present their work on Monday 3 July at the National Astronomy Meeting in Hull, and the research appears in a paper in Nature Communications on the same day. |
 | Surprise organic molecule detection paints complex picture of Saturnian moonScientists reveal the first detection of a molecule from Enceladus with a ground-based telescope, with implications for the search for life. |
 | NASA plans to test asteroid deflection technique designed to prevent Earth impactNASA is moving forward with a plan to develop a refrigerator-sized spacecraft capable of deflecting asteroids and preventing them from colliding with Earth. |
 | Musical sun reduces range of magnetic activityA study of the sun using sound waves suggests that the layer in which the significant magnetic activity is located has grown thinner in recent years. Prof Yvonne Elsworth will present results at the National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Hull on Tuesday, 4th July. |
 | Hidden red dwarf discovered in dust of giant starCW Leonis, a red giant star 500 times the size of the sun is located in the Leo constellation 300 light years away. This is an evolving star that is ejecting significant amounts of dust forming an enveloping cloud many times the size of our solar system. It has been the subject of hundreds of studies over the years, but only now has the existence of a smaller red dwarf star been found within the dust cloud. |
 | Shocking case of indigestion in supermassive black holeA multi-wavelength study of a pair of colliding galaxies has revealed the cause of a supermassive black hole's case of 'indigestion.' Results will be presented by Dr Hayden Rampadarath at the National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Hull. |
 | Flow of material observed for the first time around a young eruptive starEvery year, about two Earth masses of material flows to the disk of the young star V346 Nor from its surroundings, to end up on the star causing brightening. The hard-to-see phenomenon was captured by a Hungarian-led research group using ALMA, the largest astronomical telescope on Earth. The observation helps in the understanding of a key phenomenon: how circumstellar disks evolve and ultimately form planets. |
 | China rocket failure likely to set back next space missionsThe failure of China's Long March 5 rocket deals a rare setback to China's highly successful space program that could delay plans to bring back moon samples and offer rival India a chance to move ahead in the space rankings. |
 | Telescope for detecting optical signals from gravitational waves launchedA state-of-the-art telescope for detecting optical signatures of gravitational waves - built and operated by an international research collaboration, led by the University of Warwick - has been officially launched. |
Technology news
 | Researchers tackle bias in algorithmsIf you've ever applied for a loan or checked your credit score, algorithms have played a role in your life. These mathematical models allow computers to use data to predict many things—who is likely to pay back a loan, who may be a suitable employee, or whether a person who has broken the law is likely to reoffend, to name just a few examples. |
 | Owls' wings could hold the key to beating wind turbine noiseA new study has revealed how inspiration from owls' wings could allow aircraft and wind turbines to become quieter. |
 | Energy, bird sounds and lights are showcased on London smart street(Tech Xplore)—The expression "science" of living is vague, imprecise, and could mean just about anything, from a video tutorial on biology to a diet guru promoting healthful meals. |
 | Detecting forged parts of photographs faster and more accuratelyResearchers at India's Jaypee University of Information Technology have developed a new way to detect 'copy-move forgery' in photographs that is more successful and faster than currently available methods. |
 | World's smallest and most accurate 3-D-printed biopsy robotThe world's smallest and most accurate 3-D-printed biopsy robot was revealed last week. |
 | On computer science—a turbo in the algorithmA new "Interview on Computer Science". Serge Abiteboul and Christine Froidevaux interview Claude Berrou, computer engineer and electronics engineer, and a member of the French Academy of Sciences. Claude Berrou is a professor at IMT Atlantique. He is best known for his work on turbo codes, which has been used extensively in mobile telephony. His current research focus is on informational neuroscience. This article is published in collaboration with the blog Binaire. |
Ensuring carpoolers are compatible is key to ridesharing successEnsuring that would-be carpoolers are riding with people they actually like could potentially decrease car use by nearly 60 per cent, research from a professor at the University of Waterloo has found. | |
Samsung to invest $18 billion in memory chip businessSamsung Electronics will invest nearly $18 billion in its chip business, the South Korean firm said Tuesday, as it seeks to expand its lead in the global memory chip and smartphone markets. | |
Tencent's plans to list its answer to Kindle Store in Hong KongChinese internet giant Tencent is to list China Literature, the country's biggest online publishing business, in Hong Kong with a report saying it could raise as much as half-a-billion dollars. | |
 | EU states have right to ban Uber: top lawyerEU member states can ban ride-hailing pioneer Uber without informing the European Commission because at heart it is an ordinary transport company under their jurisdiction, a top EU lawyer said Tuesday. |
 | China's young gamers face 'King of Glory' playing time limitsAll-night gaming marathons will soon end for some Chinese kids: internet giant Tencent began limiting daily playing times on its smartphone smash hit "King of Glory" on Tuesday to "ensure children's healthy development". |
 | Communication in times of crisisResearchers at the TU Darmstadt around Professor Matthias Hollick are experimenting with technologies designed to empower the civilian population in times of crisis. They aim at establishing basic communications and means to share information, thus facilitating human cooperation and mutual aid even following wide-spread power and Internet outages. |
 | Google may get access to genomic patient data – here's why we should be concernedArtificial intelligence is already being put to use in the NHS, with Google's AI firm DeepMind providing technology to help monitor patients. Now I have discovered that DeepMind has met with Genomic England – a company set up by the Department of Health to deliver the 100,000 Genomes Project – to discuss getting involved. |
Innovative bracing for durable structuresAcross the world, severe earthquakes regularly shake entire regions. More than two billion people live in danger zones – many of them in structures not built to withstand an earthquake. Together with partners from industry, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research WKI are developing building materials designed to prevent buildings from collapsing in a natural disaster. | |
 | Defect-free coatings for silicon spheresThe prototype kilogram – to which all scales are calibrated to – is losing weight. International efforts are striving to redefine the base unit for measuring mass and, in future, redefine the kilogram on natural constants. For this purpose, the Avogadro experiment determines the number of atoms in almost perfect silicon spheres. Fraunhofer researchers have recently succeeded in homogeneously coating the spherical surfaces – the measurement uncertainty can be limited to a range below 10 micrograms. |
 | Virtual laboratory—fast, flexible and exactDuring the forming process, sheet metal materials are often stressed to their limits. Computer simulations are used to test how far it is possible to go in production. However, the simulation is only ever as exact as the data on which it is based. Fraunhofer scientists have now developed a virtual test laboratory that allows them to examine different load states for metal materials and determine precise mechanical data. |
 | Mobile control with facial gesturesMobile devices play an increasingly important role in our lives; in some situations, though, they cannot be adequately managed and even accepting a call is a real challenge. In a study, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD in Rostock, Germany have evaluated which alternative control concepts are suitable to supplement the conventional use of mobile devices. EarFieldSensing (EarFS), the proprietary development that recognizes facial gestures via a special ear plug, has a lot of potential and offers further development possibilities besides its use on mobile devices. |
 | Pulling the plug on huge hackingSalim Neino had been waiting for something like WannaCry. |
Solar cell design using diverse plant pigmentsA member of the Faculty of Biology of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, in cooperation with colleagues, has optimized and characterized TiO₂-based solar cell design using diverse plant pigments. The study involved two types of solar cells with two photosensitizers, thylakoid membrane preparations and anthocyanin-enriched raspberry extracts. The project results have been published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. | |
Thai reform body suggests tight regulations on social mediaA policy-writing body advising Thailand's military government has suggested imposing stringent restrictions on internet usage, intended in part to identify the posters of all content on services such as Facebook and YouTube. | |
 | Emirates, Turkish Airlines try to join Etihad off laptop banAt Abu Dhabi International Airport, travelers bound for the United States on Tuesday enjoyed something many others flying out of the Middle East can't—walking onto an airplane with their laptop. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Popular heartburn drugs linked to higher death riskPopular heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been linked to a variety of health problems, including serious kidney damage, bone fractures and dementia. Now, a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that longtime use of the drugs also is associated with an increased risk of death. |
 | Menstruation doesn't change how your brain works—periodA new study published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience today is setting out to change the way we think about the menstrual cycle. While it's often been assumed that anyone who's menstruating isn't working at top mental pitch, Professor Brigitte Leeners and her team of researchers have found evidence to suggest that that's not the case. They examined three aspects of cognition across two menstrual cycles, and found that the levels of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone in your system have no impact on your working memory, cognitive bias or ability to pay attention to two things at once. While some hormones were associated with changes across one cycle in some of the women taking part, these effects didn't repeat in the following cycle. Overall, none of the hormones the team studied had any replicable, consistent effect on study participants' cognition. |
 | Tiny embedded electrodes pick up nerve signals loud and clearFlexible microelectrodes embedded in canine nerve bundles show recording success with latest test, bringing the devices a step closer to human application. |
 | Advanced radiotherapy improves lung cancer survival ratesA 10-year University of Manchester and Christie NHS Foundation Trust study which used advanced radiotherapy techniques in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has achieved the best survival rates and lowest toxicity ever reported. |
Digital communication improves young patient engagement, according to new studyUsing texts, emails, Skype and other digital communication methods can improve the health care experience of younger patients. | |
 | New HIV self-testing kit aims to increase diagnosis ratesA new study from UCL, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Public Health England seeks to discover whether providing free HIV self-tests to men, transgender men and transgender women who have sex with men could reduce the number of people who have undiagnosed HIV. |
 | Combination of type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea indicates eyesight loss within four yearsResearch led by the University of Birmingham has discovered that patients who suffer from both Type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnoea are at greater risk of developing a condition that leads to blindness within an average period of less than four years. |
 | Effects of composites containing bioactive glasses on demineralized dentinBacterial plaque causes tooth decay due to acids produced by different bacteria species; this has trigged an intense research activity for the development of novel restorative biomaterials with protective and self-healing remineralizing properties. In this new study, Salvatore Sauro, a professor of CEU Cardenal Herrera University (Spain) specialized in the development of innovative dental biomaterials, has collaborated with several researchers from Finland, Brazil, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom in order to reach this goal. The collaborative generated two new dental restorative biomaterials containing bioactive glasses, and assessed their effectiveness in reducing the enzymatic auto-degradation of collagen fibres and inducing their remineralization. |
 | Can genetics play a role in education and well-being?When Daniel Benjamin was just beginning his PhD program in economics in 2001, he attended a conference with his graduate school advisers. They took in a presentation on neuroeconomics, a nascent field dealing with how the human brain goes about making decisions. |
 | Microbes aren't the enemy, they're a big part of who we areWe have long believed that "good" immune cells recognise and defend against "bad" invaders. That's why a large proportion of medicine has been directed at killing microbial enemies and conquering microbial infections. |
 | No, nanoparticles in baby formula will not harm your babyIf you watched Channel 7 news this week, you would have learnt about a study commissioned by Friends of the Earth that found "potentially toxic" nanoparticles in Australian baby formula. |
 | New handheld scanner to give instant heart disease diagnosisWith worldwide cardiovascular deaths at an all-time high, European scientists have developed a new handheld scanner that can read your heart's vital signs like a supermarket barcode reader can scan items at the checkout, allowing a GP to diagnose even preclinical patients for the early onset of a disease. |
 | Alcohol consumption putting vast majority of Europeans at risk of digestive cancersCitizens across the EU are consuming an average of 2 alcoholic drinks per day, placing drinkers at a 21% increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, in addition to other digestive cancers, a report finds. |
 | Sri Lanka's worst-ever dengue outbreak kills 225Sri Lanka is suffering its worst-ever dengue outbreak, with the mosquito-borne virus killing 225 people and infecting more than 76,000 this year. |
 | Naturally produced testosterone gives female athletes 'significant' competitive edgeHigh levels of testosterone that are naturally produced by some elite female athletes give them a "significant" competitive edge in athletics events that depend on stamina and visuospatial abilities, reveals the first study of its kind, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. |
Drugs to curb excess stomach acid may be linked to heightened risk of deathProton pump inhibitors (PPIs)—a widely available class of drug designed to curb excess stomach acid production—may be linked to a heightened risk of death, indicates research published in the online journal BMJ Open. | |
Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup increased in Canada after tariffs lowered in NAFTALower tariffs on high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) were linked to higher supply and likely consumption of added sweeteners in Canada, including HFCS, found new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) | |
 | Mapping genes could improve cancer diagnosisLarge-scale changes to the structure of the genome are often seen in cancer cells. Scientists at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, UK, have found a way to detect these changes, which could enhance cancer diagnosis and aid the use of targeted treatments. |
 | Personalized metabolic therapy treatment shows improvement on atypical Rett syndromeA translational, multicenter study has unveiled the potential of D-serine—a dietary supplement—to improve the neuronal function of a patient with a mutation of the glutamate receptors associated to atypical Rett syndrome with severe encephalopathy. This collaborative study, led by Dr. Xavier Altafaj (Neuropharmacology Unit, IDIBELL) and published in Biological Psychiatry, opens a new range of therapeutic options for patients with mutations that affect glutamatergic neurotransmission. Likewise, this study has allowed scientists to establish a unique and novel experimental approach to design personalized treatments for other mutations that affect glutamatergic transmission. |
Study finds automated embryo assessment system more accurate than that of embryologistsEmbryo quality has long been considered the main determinant of implantation and pregnancy in IVF. Morphology - a visual assessment of an embryo's shape and development - has since the very first days of IVF been the key to measuring this embryo quality, and only in recent years has this morphological grading been made somewhat more scientific with the introduction of time-lapse imaging. Yet the fact remains that many morphologically "good quality" embryos in IVF - between 30 and 60% in various studies - fail to implant in the uterus and make a pregnancy. What's going wrong? | |
The transfer of chromosomally 'abnormal' embryos can still result in pregnancy in IVFIVF embryos whose cells have mixed chromosomal profiles - one normal, another abnormal - still have the potential to implant in the uterus and become a healthy pregnancy, according to a study presented today at the 33rd Annual Meeting of ESHRE. | |
 | 7 ways to cut 50 calories every day(HealthDay)—Did you know that eating an extra 50 calories a day can sneak on about five pounds a year? But trimming the same number calories will put the trend in reverse. |
 | Guard against hearing loss from fireworks(HealthDay)—Watching a fireworks display can be a treat for your eyes, but the noise can be a threat to your ears. |
Properly sterilizing scopes still a challenge, experts sayMaybe you're getting a gallstone removed or maybe your doctor says there's a new way to remove a painful kidney stone. There's a medical device to pluck them out, but how clean is it? | |
Ca2+, the intercellular signal in arteriolesVasoconstriction must be balanced with vasodilation, particularly in the arterioles that supply tissues with blood. Endothelial cells protrude through holes in the internal elastic lamina in arterioles to make contact with vascular smooth muscle cells. | |
 | EU edges toward agreed policy on hormone disrupting chemicalsThe EU edged closer Tuesday toward a common stand on chemicals which can potentially disrupt the body's hormones and cause a range of serious health problems. |
French smokers, at 10 euros a pack, may finally think twiceThe cost of lighting up at a French sidewalk cafe may finally dissuade even the most ardent smoker, if Prime Minister Edouard Phillippe gets his way. | |
Combining antibiotics proves more effective against common infectionThe common and highly resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium is a fatal threat to weakened and ill patients. A new study from Lund University in Sweden now shows that a combination treatment using two different types of antibiotics can reduce mortality up to five times. | |
 | AI analyses X-rays as well as doctorsMany jobs, medical and otherwise, might one day be performed using artificial intelligence. According to a new study in Acta Orthopaedica by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in collaboration with the Royal Institute of Technology and Danderyd Hospital in Sweden, self-learning programmes can already find fractures with the same accuracy as orthopaedists. |
Broader firearm restrictions needed to prevent suicide deathsLimiting firearm access only for persons with a mental health condition or those who previously attempted suicide likely is not enough to reduce suicide deaths. The brief research report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. | |
Spain now sets the pace of assisted reproduction in Europe with more than 100,000 treatments a yearSpain is Europe's most active country in assisted reproduction. ESHRE has collected the national registry data of ART cycles performed in Europe since 1997 and for its latest report (for 2014) found that a record 109,275 treatment cycles were performed in Spain, which now sets the pace of European ART ahead of Russia (94.985 cycles) and former front runner France (90,434). The cycles monitored by ESHRE include treatments with IVF, ICSI, egg donation and intrauterine insemination (IUI). | |
 | School districts rethink meal debt policies that shame kidsTeaching assistant Kelvin Holt watched as a preschool student fell to the back of a cafeteria line during breakfast in Killeen, Texas, as if trying to hide. |
Biology news
 | Molecular springs produce a fly's sense of touch and hearingAs senses go, there's nothing so immediate and concrete as our sense of touch. So it may come as a surprise that, on the molecular level, our sense of touch is still poorly understood. |
 | Newly-discovered plant enzymes open the door to novel compound productionA wealth of previously undescribed plant enzymes have been discovered by scientists at the John Innes Centre. The team who uncovered the compounds hope that harnessing the power of these enzymes will unlock a rich new vein of natural products, including potential drug leads. |
 | Through fossil leaves, a step towards Jurassic ParkFor the first time, researchers have succeeded in establishing the relationships between 200-million-year-old plants based on chemical fingerprints. Using infrared spectroscopy and statistical analysis of organic molecules in fossil leaves, they are opening up new perspectives on the dinosaur era. |
 | Praying mantises hunt down birds worldwideA study by zoologists from Switzerland and the US shows praying mantises all over the globe include birds in their diet. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology has just published the results. |
 | New pestivirus that attacks the nervous system of Austrian pigsSome newly born piglets shiver even when they are kept warm. So-called "shaking piglets" have symptoms that resemble those of the classical swine fever, with extensive damage to the brain and the spinal cord. The viral origin of the disease was clarified only recently with the discovery in Europe and the USA of an atypical porcine pestivirus. Researchers at the Vetmeduni Vienna have now discovered a further new virus in shaking piglets on an Austrian farm. The pathogenic agent is related to the Australian Bungowannah virus and more distantly to the classical swine fewer virus. Because of the symptoms it causes, the new virus is termed LINDA virus (Lateral shaking Inducing NeuroDegenerative Agent). Its discovery was recently announced in the journal Emerging infectious diseases. |
 | Better bacteria-busting techniques could make oil extraction greener and cheaperSimple tweaks to oilfield practice could provide the offshore industry with a more sustainable solution to environmental and commercial threats posed by harmful bacteria in subsea oil deposits. |
 | Size of animals dating back 100-350 million years ago inferred from resurrected proteinsTitin is one of the proteins that make up the muscles of all vertebrates; it is an elastic protein that acts as a spring by refolding and returning to its original state. "Protein evolution has been studied from many points of view: its thermal stability, function and structure, but no one had ever studied the evolution of the mechanical properties of a protein. For titin this is a particularly appropriate approach given its function," said Pérez-Jiménez. |
 | Oklahoma City zoo celebrates orangutan's 50th birthdayOklahoma City's zoo is celebrating the 50th birthday of one of its most popular residents: a Sumatran orangutan named Toba. |
Low temperature increases risk of DNA damage from UV radiationUltraviolet (UV) radiation exposure can cause DNA damage and may be one of the contributing factors in the global amphibian extinction crisis. New research from Prof Craig Franklin and a team of researchers from The University of Queensland, Australia shows how tadpoles living at low temperatures are more at risk of DNA damage than previously thought. | |
 | Japan panda fans get latest fix of cute with new footageJapan's panda-obsessed public got their latest fix of cute Tuesday as a Tokyo zoo released footage of its 20-day-old helpless cub, who has ballooned in size since its birth last month. |
 | Andean orchids – not so ancientThe Andes are the world's most species rich biological diversity hotspot, containing an astounding 15% of the world's plant species, despite making up only 1% of the earth's surface. Orchids are a key element of Andean plant life, but despite their importance and abundance, particularly epiphytic orchids (plants that grow on other plants) their origin has not yet been studied in great detail. "Orchids are not only popular in horticulture but also great models to understand evolution" says Professor Alexandre Antonelli at the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, senior author of the study. |
 | Fungi are key players of the deep biosphereIn addition to the life on the surface of the Earth and in its oceans, ecosystems have evolved deep under us in a realm coined the "deep biosphere" which stretches several kilometers down into the bedrock. Down there, the conditions are harsh and life is forced to adjust to a lifestyle that we at the surface would call extreme. One major difference to surface conditions is the lack of oxygen; a compound we take for granted and consider to be a prerequisite for survival but which subsurface life has to cope without. |
 | Helium ions reveal how viruses attack bacteriaAn interdisciplinary research consortium from the Nanoscience Center at University of Jyvaskyla in Finland (group leaders Dr. Lotta-Riina Sundberg and Prof. Ilari Maasilta) has found that bacteria and viruses can be imaged with helium ions in contrast to electrons, which are the standard workhorse in nanoscale microscopy. Helium ions, being more massive than electrons, can be focused to a much tighter spot down to the atomic length scales. By measuring the electrons generated by the ion bombardment, an image can be formed from the sample with biological features visible below the nanometer (one billionth of a meter) length. |
 | Imperial academic discusses his work on algae fuel factoriesDr Antonio Del Rio Chanona from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London is working on a new, rapid and cost effective way of creating biofuels. If successful his work may help sectors like the transport industry to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. |
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