Science X Newsletter Week 02

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 02:

	Scientists discover a process that stabilizes fusion plasmas Scientists seeking to bring the fusion reaction that powers the sun and stars to Earth must keep the superhot plasma free from disruptions. Now researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have discovered a process that can help to control the disruptions thought to be most dangerous.
	Astronomers discover first direct evidence of white dwarf stars solidifying into crystals The first direct evidence of white dwarf stars solidifying into crystals has been discovered by astronomers at the University of Warwick, and our skies are filled with them.
	Dental flossing and other behaviors linked with higher levels of toxic chemicals in the body A new study suggests certain types of consumer behaviors, including flossing with Oral-B Glide dental floss, contribute to elevated levels in the body of toxic PFAS chemicals. PFAS are water- and grease-proof substances that have been linked with numerous health problems. The findings provide new insight into how these chemicals end up in people's bodies and how consumers can limit their exposures by modifying their behavior.
	3-D printing 100 times faster with light Rather than building up plastic filaments layer by layer, a new approach to 3-D printing lifts complex shapes from a vat of liquid at up to 100 times faster than conventional 3-D printing processes, University of Michigan researchers have shown.
	Quantum scientists demonstrate world-first 3-D atomic-scale quantum chip architecture UNSW researchers at the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) have shown for the first time that they can build atomic precision qubits in a 3-D device—another major step towards a universal quantum computer.
	Metabolite produced by gut microbiota from pomegranates reduces inflammatory bowel disease Scientists at the University of Louisville have shown that a microbial metabolite, Urolithin A, derived from a compound found in berries and pomegranates, can reduce and protect against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Millions of people worldwide suffer from IBD in the form of either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, and few effective long-term treatments are available.
	Scientists reveal for first time the exact process by which chaotic systems synchronize Synchronization, in which two different systems oscillate in an identical way, underlies numerous collective phenomena observed in nature, providing an example for emergent behaviors ranging from the acoustic unison of cricket choruses to the behavior of the human brain.
	Scientists develop universal Ebola treatment effective in single dose There is a new medication that in one dose successfully protected nonhuman primates against a lethal infection of all strains of the deadly Ebola virus. The findings are now available in Cell Host & Microbe.
	Science races against tick-borne virus Two groundbreaking discoveries by USC researchers could lead to medications and a vaccine to treat or prevent a hemorrhagic fever transmitted by a new tick species before it spreads across the United States.
	Steam-propelled spacecraft prototype can theoretically explore celestial objects "forever" Using steam to propel a spacecraft from asteroid to asteroid is now possible, thanks to a collaboration between a private space company and the University of Central Florida.
	Short bouts of intense activity may have more benefits than hours of lower exertion The expectation of constant availability due to our 21st-century, technology-driven lifestyles can be exhausting. Throw in laundry, shopping and social obligations, and finding the time to exercise can seem impossible.
	Excessive body fat around the middle linked to smaller brain size Carrying extra body fat, especially around the middle, may be linked to brain shrinkage, according to a study published in the January 9, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the study, researchers determined obesity by measuring body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio in study participants and found those with higher ratios of both measures had the lowest brain volume.
	Essential nutrient may help fight Alzheimer's across generations In a new study, researchers at the Biodesign Institute explore a safe and simple treatment for one of the most devastating and perplexing afflictions: Alzheimer's disease (AD).
	X-ray pulse detected near event horizon as black hole devours star On Nov. 22, 2014, astronomers spotted a rare event in the night sky: A supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy, nearly 300 million light years from Earth, ripping apart a passing star. The event, known as a tidal disruption flare, for the black hole's massive tidal pull that tears a star apart, created a burst of X-ray activity near the center of the galaxy. Since then, a host of observatories have trained their sights on the event, in hopes of learning more about how black holes feed.
	Elon Musk shows off prototype of Mars-bound rocket, Starship SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has unveiled the first pictures of a retro-looking, steely rocket called Starship that may one day carry people to the Moon and Mars.
	Discovery adapts natural membrane to make hydrogen fuel from water A chemical reaction pathway central to plant biology have been adapted to form the backbone of a new process that converts water into hydrogen fuel using energy from the sun.
	Birth of a black hole or neutron star captured for first time A Northwestern University-led international team is getting closer to understanding the mysteriously bright object that burst in the northern sky this summer.
	Hubble Space Telescope's premier camera shuts down The Hubble Space Telescope's premier camera has shut down because of a hardware problem.
	Schizophrenia linked with abnormal immune response to Epstein-Barr virus New research from Johns Hopkins Medicine and Sheppard Pratt Health System shows that people in the study with schizophrenia also have higher levels of antibodies against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, so-called mono.
	A gene found only in humans and active in the cerebral cortex can enlarge the ferret brain The human brain owes its characteristic wrinkled appearance to its outer layer, the cerebral cortex. During human evolution, the neocortex, the evolutionarily youngest part of the cerebral cortex, expanded dramatically and had to fold into wrinkles to fit inside the restricted space of the skull. The human neocortex supports advanced cognitive skills such as reasoning and language. But how did the human neocortex become so big? The answer may lie in genes that are unique to humans, such as ARHGAP11B.

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