Science X Newsletter Friday, Aug 16

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for August 16, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Solving a Rubik's Cube with a dexterous hand

Studying the excitation spectrum of a trapped dipolar supersolid

Optofluidic chip with nanopore 'smart gate' developed for single molecule analysis

uSEE breakthrough unlocks the nanoscale world on standard biology lab equipment

Ring-shaped multi-carbon compound cyclocarbon synthesized

For superconductors, discovery comes from disorder

Researchers build a heat shield just 10 atoms thick to protect electronic devices

Wearable sensors detect what's in your sweat

Ancient feces reveal how 'marsh diet' left Bronze Age Fen folk infected with parasites

Discovery of a bottleneck relief in photosynthesis may have a major impact on food crops

Could biological clocks in plants set the time for crop spraying?

Research offers new insight into bacterial infections found in the noses of healthy cattle

Discovery provides path to pathogen-targeted antibiotics

Wireless sensors stick to skin and track health

Single protein plays important dual shipping role in the brain

Astronomy & Space news

	Best of both worlds: Asteroids and massive mergers The race is on. Since the construction of technology able to detect the ripples in space and time triggered by collisions from massive objects in the universe, astronomers around the world have been searching for the bursts of light that could accompany such collisions, which are thought to be the sources of rare heavy elements.
	Robotic toolkit added to NASA's Mars 2020 rover The bit carousel—a mechanism that will play a key role in the acquisition, containment and eventual return to Earth of humanity's first samples from another planet—has been incorporated into NASA's Mars 2020 rover.
	NASA selects proposals to demonstrate smallSat technologies to study interplanetary space NASA has selected two proposals to demonstrate small satellite technologies to improve science observations in deep space, which could help NASA develop better models to predict space weather events that can affect astronauts and spacecraft.
	The moon rock that turned out to be from Earth All is not what it seems in the world of lunar samples.
	Space samples link NASA's Apollo 11 and Mars 2020 On July 24, 1969, Apollo 11 command module Columbia splashed down in the Pacific, fulfilling President Kennedy's goal to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth. Among the mission's many firsts was the acquisition and return of the first samples from another celestial body. Findings based on the 47 pounds (21.5 kilograms) of lunar rock and soil rewrote the textbooks on both the Moon and solar system, and the samples are still being studied today by researchers using new and more sensitive instruments.
	Image: Hubble's portrait of star's gaseous glow Although it looks more like an entity seen through a microscope than a telescope, this rounded object, named NGC 2022, is certainly not algae or tiny, blobby jellyfish. Instead, it is a vast orb of gas in space, cast off by an aging star. The star is visible in the orb's center, shining through the gases it formerly held onto for most of its stellar life.

Technology news

	Solving a Rubik's Cube with a dexterous hand In recent years, a growing number of researchers have explored the use of robotic arms or dexterous hands to solve a variety of everyday tasks. While many of them have successfully tackled simple tasks, such as grasping or basic manipulation, complex tasks that involve multiple steps and precise/strategic movements have so far proved harder to address.
	Wearable sensors detect what's in your sweat Needle pricks not your thing? A team of scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, is developing wearable skin sensors that can detect what's in your sweat.
	Wireless sensors stick to skin and track health We tend to take our skin's protective function for granted, ignoring its other roles in signaling subtleties like a fluttering heart or a flush of embarrassment.
	Using Wall Street secrets to reduce the cost of cloud infrastructure Stock market investors often rely on financial risk theories that help them maximize returns while minimizing financial loss due to market fluctuations. These theories help investors maintain a balanced portfolio to ensure they'll never lose more money than they're willing to part with at any given time.
	'Hey Google' to help you set reminders for everyone in the family Gone are the days when you'd write a note on a piece of paper to remind someone to do something. Instead, you now leave reminders on your smart speaker.
	Be wary of scammers, some tips Readers, you really need to be on your toes.
	Researchers make automated vehicles real QUT researchers are trialling the most advanced cooperative and automated car in Australia and will present a panel discussion this weekend on the big issues around the emergence of automated cars on Queensland roads.
	Technology start-ups that fail fast succeed faster Failure rates of new technology-based companies are shockingly high. It is estimated that 75 percent of technology start-ups do not generate profits. Other data suggests upwards of 90 percent of new technology enterprises completely fail.
	Time to worry: Silicon Valley wants to read your mind Not content with monitoring almost everything you do online, Facebook now wants to read your mind as well. The social media giant recently announced a breakthrough in its plan to create a device that reads people's brainwaves to allow them to type just by thinking. And Elon Musk wants to go even further. One of the Tesla boss's other companies, Neuralink, is developing a brain implant to connect people's minds directly to a computer.
	Alibaba co-founder Tsai set to own all of NBA Nets: reports Joseph Tsai, co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, is expected to purchase full control of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets from Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov, according to multiple reports Thursday.
	Chips and cheese: Google's latest doodle honors Ignacio Anaya García, the inventor of nachos This is "nacho" ordinary Google Doodle.
	Everywhere you go, there's Wi-Fi. What if there was also a phone charger? In three years, Freddy Sidi has proved that it is indeed worth the money to advertise on phone chargers.
	Amazon pays warehouse workers to say good things on Twitter. The campaign is getting backlash online Select workers at Amazon warehouses—or fulfillment centers—are part of a campaign to tweet positively about their employer as a response to criticisms about working conditions.
	AI disaster mitigation technology to predict river flooding with limited data Fujitsu today announced the development of a technology that draws on mathematical models built with limited data on rainfall and water levels to create flooding predictions for rivers. The solution leverages Fujitsu Human Centric AI Zinrai, a comprehensive portfolio that encompasses Fujitsu's wide range of AI technologies and techniques, and utilizes a model that incorporates insights from hydrology to produce an AI that achieves predictions with greater precision.
The future is more human than you think Creating a future that is bright for all requires more humanity rather than less. Especially in the case of robots.

Medicine & Health news

	Single protein plays important dual shipping role in the brain Just as a packaging breakdown can hamstring delivery of cables, switches and connectors to a house under construction, removing a protein from neurons can block the "shipment" of proteins to developing axons.
	Genetic anti-opioid system: A protein that could make opioid use safer in the future A team of researchers from the Scripps Research Institute and the University of Kansas has found a protein that could one day be manipulated to make it safer for pain sufferers to use opioids. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of intentional mutations in nematodes and what they learned.
	Novel findings explain indirect regulation of glucose homeostasis The hormone secreting islets of Langerhans in the pancreas have a unique cyto-architecture that allows functional interrelationships between the different cell types. Somatostatin is secreted by the delta cell and is an effective inhibitor of the insulin-secreting beta cell and the glucagon-secreting alpha cell. According to a novel study from Sweden's Karolinska Instiutet, published in the journal Nature Communications, the delta cell can thereby indirectly affect glucose homeostasis in health and disease.
	Using math to help treat Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases Protein aggregation—in which misfolded proteins clump together to form large fibrils—has been implicated in many diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and type II diabetes. While the exact role these fibrils play in diseases isn't fully understood, many of the current treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's target the aggregation process. However, finding the right treatment protocols for these drugs, which can be toxic in large doses, is challenging.
	Genes responsible for sex-related differences in cancer aggressiveness found in vinegar flies An understanding of the molecular basis of differences in the incidence and survival of cancer between men and women may allow the discovery of specific and more effective treatments.
	Researcher decodes the brain to help patients with mental illnesses Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness in a given year. Severe mental illnesses cause the brain to have trouble dealing with cognitively effortful states, like focusing attention over long periods of time, discriminating between two things that are difficult to tell apart, and responding quickly to information that is coming in fast.
	Children with mild asthma can use inhalers as needed A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis supports evidence that children with mild asthma can effectively manage the condition by using their two inhalers—one a steroid and the other a bronchodilator—when symptoms occur. This is in contrast to the traditional method of using the steroid daily, regardless of symptoms, and the bronchodilator when symptoms occur. The as-needed use of both inhalers is just as effective for mild asthma as the traditional protocol, according to the investigators.
	Dozens of US teens hospitalized with lung disease after vaping US health officials are investigating the cases of dozens of people, mainly teens, who were hospitalized with severe lung injuries in recent weeks after vaping, though the precise cause of their illnesses remains a mystery.
Transgender college students four times as likely to experience mental health problems The largest and most comprehensive mental health survey of college students in the US reveals that students who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary face enormous mental health disparities relative to their peers. In a first-of-its-kind study published on Friday, August 16, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Boston University researchers and collaborators found that gender minority students, whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned them at birth, are between two and four times more likely to experience mental health problems than the rest of their peers.
	Cannabis-related poison control calls for Massachusetts kids doubled after medical pot legalized After medical marijuana became legal in Massachusetts, cannabis-related poison control calls involving the commonwealth's children and teenagers doubled, according to a public health investigation led by University of Massachusetts Amherst injury prevention researcher Jennifer Whitehill.
	Team studies safe gun storage practices in military homes Homes are the front lines of military suicide prevention as nearly two-thirds of suicides occur at home using a firearm—nearly always a personal firearm. Because suicide risk decreases if a firearm is safely stored locked and unloaded researchers, led by Craig Bryan of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah, surveyed military personnel to learn more about the relationship between safe firearm storage and thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Their results are published today in JAMA Network Open.
	Measure blood pressure with a selfie or your running shoes? Be wary, Penn doctor says Don't get Jordana Cohen wrong.
	The sad truth about happiness scales You might feel sad after looking closer at studies about happiness. That's because an emotion that's easy to experience is immensely difficult to measure, says Purdue University economist Timothy Bond.
	Scientists reveal how a faulty gene leads to kidney disease New insights into why a faulty gene involved in a devastating form of a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome leads to disease in some patients have been identified in new Kidney Research UK-funded research led by the University of Bristol. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), could pave the way for new ways to prevent or treat the condition, by revealing new targets to intervene in the process. Around 1 in 50,000 children are diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome each year.
	Brain region identified that specializes in close-up exploration When viewing objects within reach of our hands, specific areas in the brain become active. This is true in humans as well as in mice. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology have now identified a mouse brain region that appears to specialize in the perception of the nearby environment. In addition to visual impressions, the region also receives information from the whiskers. By comparing distances the mouse has seen and felt, the young brain may, for example, learn to estimate the own range.
	Numbers count in the genetics of moles and melanomas University of Queensland scientists have identified a way to help dermatologists determine a patient's risk of developing melanoma.
	This is what we talk about when we talk about being drunk It's almost a rite of passage, getting so drunk that… you vomit, or have sex with a stranger, or do unthinkably wild things.
	Profiling the stem-cell characters in the story of stomach lining renewal Using an unbiased labeling technique, mathematical modeling, and single cell profiling to trace the footsteps of stem cells and their daughters, researchers at the University of Cambridge (UK), DGIST (S.Korea), and IMBA (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria) have confirmed that two populations of adult stem cells with distinct roles and characteristics reside in the glands of the stomach.
	An algorithm could play a major role in helping radiologists diagnose cancer early, accurately Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women, and it is difficult to diagnose. Nearly 1 in 10 cancers is misdiagnosed as not cancerous; on the other hand, the more mammograms a woman has, the greater the chance she will see a false positive result and face an unnecessary invasive procedure—most likely a biopsy.
	Supermarkets put junk food on special twice as often as healthy food, and that's a problem Half-price chips, "two for one" chocolates, "buy one get one free" soft drinks: Australian supermarkets make it very easy for us to fill our trolleys with junk food.
	No, eating chocolate won't cure depression A recent study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety has attracted widespread media attention. Media reports said eating chocolate, in particular, dark chocolate, was linked to reduced symptoms of depression.
	Ebola outbreak spreads to 3rd province in eastern Congo Congo's year-long Ebola outbreak has spread to a new province, with two cases, including one death, confirmed in South Kivu, according to the government health ministry.
	Patients recall few suggestions for contact lens wear, care About one-third of contact lens wearers recall never hearing any recommendation for lens wear and care from providers, although most providers report sharing recommendations always or most of the time, according to research published in the Aug. 16 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Combinatorial therapy shows early promise in patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer The PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza) in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (Temodar) showed clinical efficacy in patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to results from a phase I/II clinical trial published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
	ACIP recommends catch-up HPV vaccines through age 26 (HealthDay)—Catch-up human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations are recommended for all persons through age 26 years and should be considered for some persons aged 27 to 45 years, according to research published in the Aug. 16 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Heart disease and diabetes: Is dairy fat different? Dairy foods have been getting a lot of attention from researchers in recent years, notably from studies done both jointly and separately by scientists at Harvard and Tufts universities. They looked at the relationship between full-fat dairy and the risks for heart disease and diabetes.
	Do you know your cardiorespiratory fitness level? You might know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, but do you know your cardiorespiratory fitness level? Experts at the American Heart Association think this number may be an even better gauge of heart health.
	'Follow the leader' mentality a hallmark of gang rape Physically violent rapes by multiple perpetrators are most frequently carried out by groups in which a strong leader is able to influence the behavior of followers, new research shows.
	Cancer's 'good cop/bad cop' protein could help develop more effective drugs The basic unit of all living things is the cell—and the human body contains tens of trillions of them. Cancer can be triggered by the abnormal growth and division of just one of these, which goes on to form a lump or tumor.
Researchers identify protein governing platinum resistant ovarian cancer The extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) protein is an important mechanism behind platinum-resistance in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, according to a study from a research team at the George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center. The study, which is the first to provide clinical evidence confirming a link between ERK and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), is published in Clinical Cancer Research.
	Could microorganisms in poop help treat the deadliest form of skin cancer? A multidisciplinary team at Lawson Health Research Institute is exploring whether fecal transplants can improve outcomes in melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy.
Unmet family expectations linked to increased mortality among older Chinese Americans Filial piety—the traditional value of caring for one's elders—is foundational to the Chinese concept of family and greatly influences intergenerational relationships. When older Chinese adults' expectations of care exceed receipt, however, it can lead to increased mortality risks, according to a new Rutgers study.
Researchers show how probiotics benefit vaginal health Researchers have shown that three genes from a probiotic Lactobacillus species, used in some commercial probiotic vaginal capsules, are almost certainly involved in mediating adhesion to the vaginal epithelium. This is likely critical to how this species benefits vaginal health.
Does the judicial system give justice to assaulted EMS first responders? Violence toward first responders is widespread and can face a felony charge in Pennsylvania, yet new research shows that victims often feel they do not receive legal justice. Now a study of victim cases and interviews with district attorneys in Philadelphia offers three solutions to help educate first responders and legal professionals to participate constructively in the legal system intended to prevent incidents from occurring and deliver justice. The findings, from researchers at the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University, are published today in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
	Researcher discovers gene mutation that contributes to addiction In the field of addiction research, one question looms large: Why do some people face a higher risk than others for alcoholism and drug abuse? A researcher at the OU College of Medicine, William R. Lovallo, Ph.D., recently published one of the field's few studies focused on how a person's genes contribute to addiction. Lovallo's research showed that a tiny genetic mutation can put people at higher risk for alcohol or drug addiction. His research was published in the world's leading journal on alcoholism, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
	Researchers refine guidelines for pediatric brain injuries When a child suffers a head trauma, medical professionals are in high gear to prevent further damage to a developing brain. Measuring and regulating the child's level of carbon dioxide is critical to ensuring the brain is getting enough blood oxygen to prevent a secondary brain injury. High carbon dioxide can increase intracranial pressure, while a low level is associated with poor brain circulation.
	Fast food: Tips for choosing healthier options Does following a weight-loss or healthy diet mean you must swear off fast food? Not necessarily.
Dietary supplements: How to avoid fake products You probably have bought some type of supplement—maybe vitamins, herbs or probiotics—online or at a store. Maybe the doctor recommended it or maybe you heard that it's good for you.
	Keeping your bones strong at every age Falling may be painful, especially if the landing is less than graceful. Even a few steps out the front door can carry with them the risk of falling.
Global study investigates the cause of stuttering Researchers need 3,000 Australian stutterers for an international study that is searching for the genes in human DNA which cause stuttering.
	Guidelines for managing severe traumatic brain injury continue to evolve New evidence continues to drive the evolution of guideline recommendations for the medical management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). A comprehensive look at how the four editions of the Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines for managing severe TBI have become a global standard for treating patients and key challenges and goals for the future are featured in an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma.

Biology news

	Discovery of a bottleneck relief in photosynthesis may have a major impact on food crops Scientists have found how to relieve a bottleneck in the process by which plants transform sunlight into food, which may lead to an increase in crop production. They discovered that producing more of a protein that controls the rate in which electrons flow during photosynthesis, accelerates the whole process.
	Could biological clocks in plants set the time for crop spraying? Dr. Antony Dodd, Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences and senior author of the paper, said: "This proof of concept research suggests that, in future, we might be able to refine the use of some chemicals that are used in agriculture by taking advantage of the biological clock in plants. Approaches of this type, combining biotechnology with precision agriculture, can provide economic and environmental benefits."
	Research offers new insight into bacterial infections found in the noses of healthy cattle New research led by academics at the University of Bristol Veterinary and Medical Schools used the 'One Health' approach to study three bacterial species in the noses of young cattle and found the carriage of the bacteria was surprisingly different. The findings which combined ideas and methods from both animal and human health research could help prevent and control respiratory diseases.
	Discovery provides path to pathogen-targeted antibiotics "Take with food" is a common warning for people using antibiotics, but a discovery announced this week in the scientific journal Nature may create a path to more targeted drugs.
	E. coli's secret weapon for causing the worst possible infection A pair of University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have revealed how E. coli seeks out the most oxygen-free crevices of your colon to cause the worst infection possible.
	Study describes the Trans-Saharan Seaway in Mali, Africa, 50 to 100 million years ago Leif Tapanila, Idaho State University geosciences professor and director of the Idaho Museum of Natural History, is a co-author on a scientific paper published this summer in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History that describes the Trans-Saharan Seaway in Mali, Africa, and the strange creatures that existed there 50 to 100 million years ago.
	Genetic study suggests humans, not Ice Age, killed off European cave bears A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions across Europe has found evidence that suggests humans were responsible for the extinction of cave bears thousands of years ago, not the climate effects of the last Ice Age. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the group describes their mitochondrial DNA study of cave bear remains and what they learned from it.
	Lizards from cold climates may face rapid extinctions in next 60 years, study shows Lizards that produce live young are significantly more likely to be driven to extinction through climate change than those that lay eggs, new research suggests.
	Gentle giraffes threatened with 'silent extinction' For most of his life as a Samburu warrior, Lesaiton Lengoloni thought nothing of hunting giraffes, the graceful giants so common a feature of the Kenyan plains where he roamed.
	App allows citizen scientists to contribute to monarch butterfly research  When spotting a butterfly, a common reaction may be to whip out a phone and snap a photo. A team of University of Maine researchers is hoping another response could be to use the phone to log details about areas where butterflies are likely to be found.
	How plants can tell time even without a brain Anyone who has traveled across multiple time zones and suffered jet lag will understand just how powerful our biological clocks are. In fact, every cell in the human body has its own molecular clock, which is capable of generating a daily rise and fall in the number of many proteins the body produces over a 24-hour cycle. The brain contains a master clock that keeps the rest of the body in sync, using light signals from the eyes to keep in time with environment.
	Indigenous knowledge offers new approach to help forests adapt to new conditions When Jaime Yazzie began planning her research for her forestry thesis, her adviser asked her what species of trees she wanted to save. They would use a computer simulation to measure the effects of a warming, drying environment, and she needed to select which trees to preserve.
	Fungus fights oxygen-sucking water weed In parts of the South, there are stories about an invasive floating weed, which forms such a dense mass that it enables small animals to walk across water.
	Lobster fertility under the microscope in Scotland Marine scientists in Scotland have successfully trialled a new method for investigating the fertility of the European lobster, one of the country's most valuable catches.
	Toxic pond algae is killing dogs—how to protect your pooch Your dog bounds heedlessly into a local lake or pond, playfully splashing in the water.
	South Sudan: Latest images reveal a global hotspot for biodiversity In 1979 the government of the Democratic Republic of Sudan and the government of Italy began working together to survey the incredible wildlife in the forests of Sudan's Southern National Park in preparation for drawing up what they called a "Master Plan" for protecting the park.
	Seismic lines helped butterflies survive Fort McMurray wildfire, study shows Even as Alberta's fierce wildfire raged in and around Fort McMurray in 2016, plants and butterflies were surviving in narrow strips of forest that remained green and undamaged.
	Cannibalism is common in the animal kingdom, but for humans it's the ultimate taboo Vulnerable spadefoot tadpoles eat their smaller competitors to speed towards toadhood as quickly as possible. Gulls and pelicans are among bird species that eat hatchlings for food or to prevent the spread of disease. In insect species such as the praying mantis or the Australian redback spider, males offer their bodies as a final gift to females after mating.
	Gay penguins adopt egg after trying to hatch stone A pair of gay penguins in Germany who tried earnestly to hatch a stone now have the chance to become real parents.
	Global meet to mull trade rules to protect endangered species Specialists will meet in Geneva from Saturday to try to tighten rules on trade in elephant ivory, rhino horns and other endangered animal and plant species amid growing alarm over accelerating extinctions.
	Damage found in the bit area of most Finnish trotting horses In a Finnish study, damage was found in the part of the mouth affected by the bit in more than 80 percent of trotters examined after a race. However, such damage is easily overlooked due to being out of sight.

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