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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 2, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Early protostar already has a warped diskUsing observations from the ALMA radio observatory in Chile, researchers have observed, for the first time, a warped disk around an infant protostar that formed just several tens of thousands of years ago. This implies that the misalignment of planetary orbits in many planetary systems—including our own—may be caused by distortions in the planet-forming disk early in their existence. |
 | Juno mission captures images of volcanic plumes on Jupiter's moon IoA team of space scientists has captured new images of a volcanic plume on Jupiter's moon Io during the Juno mission's 17th flyby of the gas giant. On Dec. 21, during winter solstice, four of Juno's cameras captured images of the Jovian moon Io, the most volcanic body in our solar system. JunoCam, the Stellar Reference Unit (SRU), the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) and the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVS) observed Io for over an hour, providing a glimpse of the moon's polar regions as well as evidence of an active eruption. |
 | Second scientific balloon launches from AntarcticaWashington University in St. Louis announced that its X-Calibur instrument, a telescope that measures the polarization of X-rays arriving from distant neutron stars, black holes and other exotic celestial bodies, launched today from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. |
 | NASA: Icy object past Pluto looks like reddish snowmanA NASA spacecraft 4 billion miles from Earth yielded its first close-up pictures Wednesday of the most distant celestial object ever explored, depicting what looks like a reddish snowman. |
 | NASA's technosignatures report: every way to find evidence of an intelligent civilizationIn 1961, famed astronomer Frank Drake created a formula for estimating the number of extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs) that could exist within our galaxy. Known as the "Drake Equation," this formula demonstrated that even by the most conservative estimates, our galaxy was likely to host at least a few advanced civilizations at any given time. About a decade later, NASA officially kicked of its search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) program. |
 | Digital Earth: the paradigm now shaping our world's data citiesToday's smart cities rely on networks: squillions of semiconductor devices that constantly pulse electromagnetic waves (light and radio frequencies) through telecommunications satellites. |
 | A guide to hunting zombie starsApparently not all supernovas work. And when they fail, they leave behind a half-chewed remnant, still burning from leftover heat but otherwise lifeless: a zombie star. Astronomers aren't sure how many of these should-be-dead creatures lurk in the interstellar depths, but with recent simulations scientists are making a list of their telltale signatures so that future surveys can potentially track them down. |
Martian drill set for Antarctic climate missionA drill originally developed to break through Martian rocks is set to be deployed to Antarctica on a mission which could help us understand the history of Earth's changing climate. | |
 | From volcanoes on Mars to scarps on Mercury – how places on other worlds get their namesThe New Horizons spacecraft, which flew past Pluto in 2015, successfully completed a flyby of "Ultima Thule", an object in the Kuiper belt of bodies beyond Neptune on January 1, 2019. The name Ultima Thule, signifying a distant unknown place, is fitting but it is currently just a nickname pending formal naming. The official names of the body and of the features on its surface will eventually be allocated (this could take years) by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which celebrates its centenary in 2019. |
Technology news
 | Controlling neurons with light—but without wires or batteriesUniversity of Arizona biomedical engineering professor Philipp Gutruf is first author on the paper Fully implantable, optoelectronic systems for battery-free, multimodal operation in neuroscience research, published in Nature Electronics. |
Global tech show to celebrate innovation amid mounting concernsAmid trade wars, geopolitical tensions and a decline in public trust, the technology sector is seeking to put its problems aside with the Consumer Electronics Show, the annual extravaganza showcasing futuristic innovations. | |
Marriott data breach: 500 million times concernedOn November 30, 2018, Marriott International announced an enormous data breach concerning 500 million clients, the second biggest ever. With new data breaches being announced almost daily, you have to ask yourself, how is this possible? | |
 | We took a gamble on Premier League betting odds – and showed that football bets should come with a health warning"Please drink responsibly" is a familiar plea to those who might be inclined to consume alcohol, and we are also reminded to "gamble responsibly", a timely reminder during a busy period for Premier League football, full of fixtures and plenty of casual fans with time on their hands. |
 | How we built a tool that detects the strength of Islamophobic hate speech on TwitterIn a landmark move, a group of MPs recently published a working definition of the term Islamophobia. They defined it as "rooted in racism", and as "a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness". |
 | How celebrity non-experts and amateur opinion could change the way we acquire knowledgeWhen digital media entrepreneur Andrew Keen predicted in 2007 that the user-generated focus of Web 2.0 would lead to a reduction of well researched and factual information – and in turn the rise of amateur opinion – he was clearly on to something. |
 | Engineers, zoologists reveal how gulls 'wing morph' for stable soaringA unique collaboration between University of British Columbia (UBC) zoologists and U of T Engineering's aviation expert Professor Philippe Lavoie provides new insights into how gulls configure their wing shape—known as wing morphing—to stabilize their flight. The findings could be used to design more efficient flying vehicles, including soaring drones for farming or environmental monitoring. |
Tesla delivers record number of vehicles, cuts prices $2,000Tesla says it delivered over 245,000 electric cars and SUVs last year, nearly as many as all previous years combined. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Tiny, implantable device uses light to treat bladder problemsA team of neuroscientists and engineers has developed a tiny, implantable device that has potential to help people with bladder problems bypass the need for medication or electronic stimulators. |
 | Living a stronger and longer life: What scientists are learning from wormsResearch from the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute has uncovered a cause of declining motor function and increased frailty in tiny aging worms—and a way to slow it down. |
 | Sex differences identified in deadly brain tumorsFor decades, scientists have recognized that more males get cancer and die of the disease than females. This is true for many types of cancer, including the deadly brain tumor glioblastoma. Now, a team of researchers led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified distinct molecular signatures of glioblastoma in men and women that help explain such underlying disparities in patients' response to treatment and survival. |
 | How does the brain learn by talking to itself?Humans, like other animals, possess an enormous learning capacity that allows for the apprehension of new sensory information to master new skills or to adapt to an ever-changing environment. However, many of the mechanisms that enable people to learn remain poorly understood. One of the greatest challenges of systems neuroscience is to explain how synaptic connections change to support adaptive behaviours. Neuroscientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, previously showed that synaptic learning mechanisms in the brain's cortex are dependent on feedback from deeper brain regions. They have now deciphered how this feedback gates synaptic strengthening by switching particular inhibitory neurons on and off. This study, published in Neuron, not only constitutes an important milestone in the understanding of the mechanisms for perceptual learning, but may also offer insight into computerized learning systems and artificial intelligence. |
 | The immune system's fountain of youthIf only we could keep our bodies young, healthy and energetic, even as we attain the wisdom of our years. New research at the Weizmann Institute of Science suggests this dream could be at least partly obtainable in the future. The results of this research, led by Prof. Valery Krizhanovsky and Dr. Yossi Ovadya in the Molecular Cell Biology Department, were recently published in Nature Communications. |
 | Tumors backfire on chemotherapySome patients with breast cancer receive chemotherapy before the tumor is removed with surgery. This approach, called neoadjuvant therapy, helps to reduce the size of the tumor to facilitate breast-conserving surgery, and can even eradicate the tumor, leaving few or no cancerous cells for the surgeon to remove. In those cases, the patients are very likely to remain cancer-free for life after surgery. |
 | Engineers create delicate sensor to monitor heart cells with minimal disruptionFor the first time, engineers have demonstrated an electronic device to monitor beating heart cells without affecting their behavior. A collaboration between the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Women's Medical University and RIKEN in Japan produced a functional sample of heart cells with a soft nanomesh sensor in direct contact with the tissue. This device could aid study of other cells, organs and medicines. It also paves the way for future embedded medical devices. |
 | Sound changes the way rodents sense touchThe brain assigns sensory information from the eyes, ears and skin to different regions: the visual cortex, auditory cortex and somatosensory cortex. However, it is clear that there are anatomical connections between these cortices such that brain activation to one sense can influence brain activation to another. A new study by the laboratory of Associate Professor Shoji Komai at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Japan, published in PLOS ONE, explains how auditory stimulation of the barrel cortex influences responses to tactile stimulation in mice and rats. |
 | New findings on genes that drive male-female brain differences, timing of pubertyResearchers have identified a group of genes that induces differences in the developing brains of male and female roundworms and trigger the initiation of puberty, a genetic pathway that may have the same function in controlling the timing of sexual maturation in humans. |
 | Mystery of Yemen cholera epidemic solvedThe most likely source of the cholera epidemic in Yemen has been discovered by scientists. Through the use of genomic sequencing, scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Institut Pasteur estimate the strain of cholera causing the current outbreak in Yemen—the worst cholera outbreak in recorded history—came from Eastern Africa and entered Yemen with the migration of people in and out of the region. |
 | Meta-analysis highlights important challenges in cognitive processing for adults with ASDThe first comprehensive, systematic review and meta-analysis of adults with autism shows that despite having an intact IQ, these adults have medium to large impairments in four key social- and non-social cognitive domains: theory of mind, emotion perception and knowledge, processing speed, and verbal learning and memory. |
 | Be alert for concussions in young athletes(HealthDay)—With youth winter sports in full swing, it's important for coaches and parents to know the signs of a concussion, a sports medicine doctor says. |
 | How to better reach men for HIV testing—a randomized trial on incentives for self-testingProviding pregnant women with HIV self-testing kits to pass along to their male partners can boost the partners' rate of HIV testing and entry into care, according to a research article published this week in PLOS Medicine by Augustine Choko of the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Clinical Research Program, Malawi, and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and colleagues. |
Risk of developing depression and anxiety is higher in those with cerebral palsyAdults with cerebral palsy have a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety than their peers without the condition, a new study in the journal JAMA Neurology reports. | |
 | AI predicts cancer patients' symptomsDoctors could get a head start treating cancer thanks to new AI developed at the University of Surrey that is able to predict symptoms and their severity throughout the course of a patient's treatment. |
Fitness clothing reduces bump bounce in pregnancySpecialist fitness clothing for pregnant women can reduce bounce of the 'bump' by half, even when running, according to new research. | |
 | Heart patients need kindness as much as medical interventionHeart attack patients can suffer substantial emotional trauma once the medics have finished making their bodies better, according to new research. |
 | Why improving access to surgery in childbirth makes economic senseMaternal mortality remains high around the world, with more than 303,000 women dying in pregnancy, childbirth or shortly afterwards. The majority (99%) of these deaths occur in developing countries. More than half of these deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa. |
 | The importance of watching the health of a U.S. President: the Spanish flu and a flawed peace treatyAs we reflect on the centennial of the end of First World War, it's worth remembering that another calamity was just beginning in 1918: the Spanish flu pandemic, which killed at least 50 million people, more than twice the number of men who had just been shot, blasted or gassed to death in the trenches. |
 | Where should we draw the line between a healthy and an unhealthy sports body?Athletes focus on their weight and carefully control their food intake for obvious reasons. It goes without saying that a long distance runner with a lighter body will run more easily from one point to another. |
 | Real-time subtitle system developedIn Spain, there are over 1 million people over the age of six who have varying types and degrees of hearing disabilities; they represent 8 percent of the population, according to a study by the National Confederation of Deaf People (CNSE). Of these, over 97 percent communicate with oral language, according to data of the National Statistics Institute (INE). All these people can have problems understanding lectures and other learning activities at university. |
 | Seasonal affective disorder: your eye colour might be why you have the 'winter blues'You're not alone if colder weather and longer nights make you feel down. This well-known phenomenon, called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), might explain why people feel low, irritable, and lethargic in the winter months. For some, the condition can be serious and debilitating. |
 | Brain scans predict stimulant drug relapsePredicting who will remain drug-free and who will relapse following treatment for drug addiction has been impossible – so far. Now, Stanford psychologists think they've found a possible clue. For stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines, at least, activity in the brain's reward-processing circuits could be the key. |
 | Trying to quit smoking? New research suggests higher levels of nicotine may helpAllowing smokers to determine their nicotine intake while they are trying to quit is likely to help them kick the habit, according to an early study in 50 people led by Queen Mary University of London. |
 | An app that nudges people to eat their veggies only works when it's introduced with a human touchPaula, a 59-year-old mother of two in Southern California, is getting out of a cooking rut with VeggieBook, a free mobile app we created that users can view in English or Spanish. It gives her customized recipes and food tips. |
 | To feel happier, we have to resolve to the life we evolved to liveWhen we have to give a talk to a group of people, we feel anxious and experience the bodily fear responses that do not make sense now: The system is not meant to function in this safe context. |
From a molecule of natural origin, new therapeutic opportunities against hypertensionSpirulina is celebrated as a so-called "superfood" because of its possible beneficial properties, though its mechanism of action is still under investigation. With the scientific name of Arthrospira platensis, spirulina is a cyanobacterium capable of photosynthesis. Sometimes classified as a "blue algae," it was supposedly used as a food by the Aztecs. | |
 | Older adults care about strangers' welfare in financial decision-makingA recent study by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that when it comes to making financial decisions under risk, older adults will regard the financial outcomes of others' as their own and make choices that they would have selected for themselves. |
 | Study shows high cholesterol levels after ChristmasConsuming large quantities of rich Christmas food appears to boost Danes' cholesterol levels. Right after the Christmas break, levels are 20 percent higher than in the summer, according to a new study carried out by researchers from the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Copenhagen University Hospital and the Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen. |
Italy health czar blames resignation on 'anti-science' governmentThe president of Italy's national health research organisation on Wednesday said he had been driven to resign due the "anti-scientific" policies of the country's populist government including efforts to undermine confidence in vital vaccinations. | |
 | Role of PCSK9 inhibitors in high risk patients with dyslipidemiaFamilial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited autosomal dominant disorder which is characterized by substantially increased Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Timely reduction of LDL-C is of paramount importance to ameliorate the risk for CV disease as patients with FH have a significantly higher risk for Cardiovascular (CV) events. Pro-protein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors have emerged as a very promising class of drugs for the management of such patients, among the available lipid-lowering novel therapies. |
Is very low LDL-C harmful?A major Cardiovascular (CV) risk factor is low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C). A lot of evidence that was accumulated supports a linear association between LDL-C levels and CV risk. However, whether the lower limit of LDL-C might offer CV benefits without any safety concerns is still a topic of debate. | |
Familial hypercholesterolemia in children and adolescents: diagnosis and treatmentFamilial hypercholesterolemia is a hereditary genetic disorder predisposing in premature atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications. Early diagnoses as well as effective treatment strategies in affected children are challenges among experts. Universal screening and cascade screening among families with familial hypercholesterolemia are being controversially discussed. | |
Exploration of umbelliferone based derivatives as potent MAO inhibitorsMonoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are potential drug candidates for treating neurological disorders such as anxiety, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. | |
Lipo-protein apheresis and PCSK9-inhibitorsResearch suggests a specific treatment for Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolaemic (HoFH) pateints; a combination therapy with PCSK9-inhibitors (PCSK9-I) and lipoprotein-apheresis (LA) may have synergistic effects on circulating lipid and lipoprotein levels. The relationship with the treatment regimen mentioned above can be investigated further with larger datasets. | |
The role of PCSK9 in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseStatin treatment exhibits a beneficial effect in patients of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Statins are common treatments for such conditions. | |
 | Fractures in children often indicate abusePhysical abuse in children often remains undetected. Atypical fractures may indicate such abuse. Everything that doctors should be particularly alert to and aware of in this setting is the subject of an article by Oliver Berthold and colleagues in the current issue of the Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2018, 115: 769-75). Fractures due to abuse are especially common among infants. In babies younger than 6 months, about 57 in every 100,000 are affected. At the age of 6-11 months, the incidence is 40/100,000 children. |
 | Painful intercourse in women improved with fibromyalgia drugWomen with chronic pain or discomfort around the vulva showed improved sexual function with an oral nerve pain medication used to treat pain caused by a previous herpes infection as well as fibromyalgia, according to a Rutgers study. |
 | Heart cell defect identified as possible cause of heart failure in pregnancyPeripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare form of heart failure that affects women in their last month of pregnancy and up to five months after giving birth. PPCM can be difficult to detect because its symptoms—swelling in the feet and legs and shortness of breath—mimic many of those of third trimester pregnancy. The disease, which can be fatal, manifests itself as heart muscle dysfunction and heart failure, but its underlying cause has eluded researchers. |
Our social judgments reveal a tension between morals and statisticsPeople make statistically-informed judgments about who is more likely to hold particular professions even though they criticize others for the same behavior, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. | |
 | Computer model shows how to better control MRSA outbreaksA research team led by scientists at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health report on a new method to help health officials control outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a life-threatening antibiotic-resistant infection often seen in hospitals. The researchers are the first to reveal the invisible dynamics governing the spread of these outbreaks and demonstrate a new, more effective method to prevent their spread. Findings are published in the journal eLife. |
Study details development of functional skills in persons with Down syndromeWhen expectant parents learn their child will be born with Down syndrome, they invariably have questions about what this diagnosis will mean for their son or daughter and for the rest of their family. When will their child be able to walk, to speak clearly, to care for most basic needs? Will he or she be able to hold a job, to live or travel independently? A new study from investigators at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) and colleagues in the Netherlands is providing answers to some of those questions. | |
 | Researchers find telemedicine may increase patient satisfaction with medical careCardiovascular disease pervades Appalachia, yet many Appalachians live far from any heart and vascular specialist. Follow-up doctor's visits in the weeks after cardiovascular surgery can involve hours-long drives down narrow, winding roads. |
 | Two possible new ways to treat silent seizures in childrenJanuary 2, 2019—As early as 3 months of age, infants with a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome start having convulsive seizures, during which their arms and legs jerk repeatedly. As they become toddlers, another type of seizure begins to appear. These seizures do not cause obvious convulsions, but disrupt consciousness and can occur more than 50 times every single day. A challenge to detect and difficult to treat, these non-convulsive seizures often go unnoticed by parents and physicians. |
 | Study implicates hyperactive immune system in aging brain disordersIn a study of fruit flies, NIH scientists suggested that the body's immune system may play a critical role in the damage caused by aging brain disorders. The results are based on experiments in which the researchers altered the activity of Cdk5, a gene that preclinical studies have suggested is important for early brain development and may be involved in neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Previously, they found that altering Cdk5 sped up the genetic aging process, causing the flies to die earlier than normal and have problems with walking or flying late in life and greater signs of neurodegenerative brain damage. |
 | Work-family conflict hits homeResearchers have long known that sick children can affect a company's bottom line, as employees are distracted or have to take time off to care for their children. Far less is known about the impact a parent's work life has on their children's health. |
 | Study offers new insights into children with autismIt's a challenging proposition for anyone: Lie flat on your back, helmet covering half of your face, in a tight-quartered MRI capsule that would make even the non-claustrophobe jittery. Then try not to move for 45 minutes. For children and adolescents with autism and low verbal and cognitive performance (LVCP), that proposition has been nearly impossible without sedation—until now. |
 | Deadly meningitis B targets college students(HealthDay)—College students face a much higher risk for the deadly bacterial infection meningitis B, a new analysis shows. |
 | What's the best diet for 2019? Experts weigh in(HealthDay)—For many, the start of the new year signals the start of a new diet. But what's the best way to eat if you want to lose weight? |
 | Testicular cancer a bigger threat to young men(HealthDay)—Testicular cancer occurs most often in young men, and they need to know the signs of the disease, a urologist says. |
 | The pros and cons of weighing yourself every dayThis is the year you've vowed to lose weight. You step on the scale to mark the starting point toward your goal. |
 | Asthma often goes undetected in urban teens, study finds(HealthDay)—For many city-dwelling teens with asthma, their chronic lung disease may go undiagnosed and untreated, a new study finds. |
 | Making the most of a well-woman checkup(HealthDay)—Don't wait until you get sick to see a doctor—wellness visits for women can catch problems before they become serious, as well as make sure you're taking all the right steps for good health. |
 | You can have a role to play in ER care(HealthDay)—There are few life events more unsettling than being in a hospital emergency room. In situations that threaten life or limb, you may not have any say in your care. |
 | Kidney stones tied to increased renal cell carcinoma risk(HealthDay)—Kidney stones are associated with an increased risk for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), specifically papillary RCC, and upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), according to a study published online Dec. 19 in the British Journal of Cancer. |
 | College students at increased risk for SgB meningococcal Dz(HealthDay)—College students have an increased risk for sporadic and outbreak-associated serogroup B meningococcal disease, according to a study published online Dec. 31 in Pediatrics. |
 | Price of alirocumab would have to be cut to be cost-effective(HealthDay)—For patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome receiving a statin, the price of alirocumab would have to be reduced to be cost-effective, according to a study published online Jan. 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | Smoking habits do not differ for teens with, without asthma(HealthDay)—Smoking habits do not differ for adolescents with asthma or their parents versus those without asthma, according to a letter to the editor published online Dec. 4 in Allergy. |
For first time, researchers can measure insecticide on surface of mosquito netsInsecticide-infused mosquito netting is in widespread use around the world to limit the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria. Researchers from North Carolina State University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have now come up with a technique that actually measures how much insecticide is found on the surface of these nets—paving the way for efforts to determine how long the nets are effective. | |
To head off late-life depression, check your hearingA new study found that elderly individuals with age-related hearing loss had more symptoms of depression; the greater the hearing loss, the greater the risk of having depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that treatment of age-related hearing loss, which is underrecognized and undertreated among all elderly, could be one way to head off late-life depression. | |
Congolese flee to Uganda after vote, raising Ebola fearsA Red Cross official says hundreds of refugees have crossed into Uganda from Congo in the aftermath of that country's presidential election, heightening concerns about the possible cross-border spread of Ebola. | |
Biology news
 | Imaging nerve-cell interactionsA new imaging technique developed by LMU researchers is garnering lots of attention. Based on a method for making tissues, organs and even whole organisms transparent, it promises to transform studies of the nervous system in particular. |
 | Scientists produce 'designer triacylglycerols' in industrial microalgaeMolecules of triacylglycerol (TAG), formed by attaching three molecules of fatty acid (FA) to a glycerol backbone, are the main constituents of vegetable oil in plants and fats in animals and humans. TAG plays an important role in cellular metabolism as a universal storage form and currency of energy, since its energy density is much greater than carbohydrates or proteins. |
 | Feisty hummingbirds prioritize fencing over feedingMost hummingbirds have bills and tongues exquisitely designed to slip inside a flower, lap up nectar and squeeze every last drop of precious sugar water from their tongue to fuel their frenetic lifestyle. |
 | Is habitat restoration actually killing plants in the California wildlands?In 2014, plant biologists with the California Department of Agriculture reported an alarming discovery: native wildflowers and herbs, grown in nurseries and then planted in ecological restoration sites around California, were infected with Phytophthora tentaculata, a deadly exotic plant pathogen that causes root and stem rot. |
 | Asian mussel confirmed on British beachesAn Asian mussel named after a British naval officer has found its way to Britain and is making itself at home on southern beaches, according to new research. |
 | A new, escape-proof fish cage for a lice-free salmon farmIn October this year, the first salmon were farmed in a new fish production prototype in Trøndelag, Norway. With a rigid steel construction and a water current generator, the new Aquatraz fish cage both prevents fish escape and keeps the fish in shape, while researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) are monitoring the sea lice and water quality in the cage. |
 | Powerful Icelandic Vikings were buried with stallionsArchaeologists in Iceland have for decades examined the remains of more than 350 graves from the Viking Age. In approximately 150 examples, teeth or bones of horses were found. Geneticists and archaeologists have now examined ancient DNA from 19 horses in such graves, and found that all the horses except one were male. |
 | Fewer monarch butterflies are reaching their overwintering destinationArguably, one of the world's most famous insects, the monarch butterfly, is currently experiencing dire problems with its migration in eastern North America. Fewer and fewer monarchs are successfully reaching their overwintering destinations, and scientists aren't sure why. Because of this, the need for research on the migration has never been more urgent. New research published in De Gruyter's Open Access journal Animal Migration, aims to help with this effort. |
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