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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 30, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | New study investigates properties of the Melotte 105 clusterA new study recently conducted by astronomers has investigated the Melotte 105 open cluster with the aim on uncovering its fundamental properties. The research, presented in a paper published December 18 on arXiv.org, provides more accurate measurements of the cluster's distance, age and metallicity. |
 | Mars 2020 rover to seek ancient life, prepare human missionsThe Mars 2020 rover, which sets off for the Red Planet next year, will not only search for traces of ancient life, but pave the way for future human missions, NASA scientists said Friday as they unveiled the vehicle. |
US astronaut sets record for longest spaceflight by a womanA U.S. astronaut set a record Saturday for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, breaking the old mark of 288 days with about two months left in her mission. | |
Technology news
 | See that blue car in D8? A robot is charging itOK, this is the future and it is just a normal day at a parking garage where the new norm is the electric vehicle. A little blue car pulls in and ambles over to the lane space of D8. |
 | Intel at CES to spring laptop cooling news?What does Intel have up its sleeve for CES 2020? One of the surprises, say a bunch of recent articles, might well be a thermal module solution for laptops. The new design could allow vendors to create fanless notebooks and can further shrink their thickness, said DigiTimes. |
 | Spotify says will skip political ads in 2020Online music giant Spotify said Friday it would suspend political advertising in early 2020, becoming the latest digital giant to act on concerns over disinformation ahead of the US election. |
UAE denies developing popular Mideast app as spy toolThe United Arab Emirates on Saturday denied reports that a popular mobile application developed in the country was used for government spying. | |
 | Why you're receiving all those privacy update emailsYou knew that every time you went online and typed away, companies took every one of your inputs to study, market and share with others. |
 | Calif. vastly expands digital privacy. Will people use it?Forty million Californians will soon obtain sweeping digital privacy rights stronger than any seen before in the U.S.—rights that could pose a significant challenge to Big Tech and the data economy it created. |
 | Musk sees people-moving Las Vegas tunnel opening in 2020A nearly mile-long tunnel in Las Vegas meant to showcase a "traffic busting" alternative for overcrowded cities should be completed next year, innovative entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Twitter. |
 | As robots take over warehousing, workers pushed to adaptGuess who's getting used to working with robots in their everyday lives? The very same warehouse workers once predicted to be losing their jobs to mechanical replacements. |
 | Tesla delivers first batch of China-made carsTesla delivered its first batch of China-made cars on Monday, less than a year after the electric vehicle company broke ground on its first plant outside the United States. |
 | Coming for iPhone 11 from Anker: An Apple-approved external flash to light up your photosThe Chinese electronics company Anker is reportedly planning to release an Apple-approved external flash for smartphones, so the iPhone 11 you got for Christmas can be used more like a camera. |
Homeowners in North Carolina called 911 to report an intruder. It turned out to be a rogue RoombaSeveral police officers stormed into a home in North Carolina after the startled homeowners called to report an intruder in the middle of the night. The suspected burglar turned out to be a rogue robot vacuum cleaner. | |
 | NYU doctor Joseph Wiesel claims Apple used his patented heartbeat-monitoring tech without permission in lawsuitOver the past year, Apple Watches have been credited with detecting heart complications and saving lives on multiple occasions. |
 | Swiss minister says Facebook's Libra has 'failed' in current formThe Swiss president and finance minister has delivered the latest blow to Facebook's planned Libra cryptocurrency, saying it has "failed in its current form," Swiss network SRF reported Friday. |
 | UN backs Russia on internet convention, alarming rights advocatesThe United Nations on Friday approved a Russian-led bid that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime, alarming rights groups and Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom. |
 | States charge more for electric cars as new laws take effectThe new year will bring new charges for some owners of electric vehicles, as an increasing number of states seek to plug in to fresh revenue sources to offset forgone gas taxes. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Short or long sleep associated with Pulmonary FibrosisScientists have discovered that people who regularly sleep for more than 11 hours or less than 4 hours are 2-3 times more likely to have the incurable disease, pulmonary fibrosis, compared to those that sleep for 7 hours in a day. They attribute this association to the body clock. |
 | Scientists link La Niña climate cycle to increased diarrheaA study in Botswana by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health scientists finds that spikes in cases of life-threatening diarrhea in young children are associated with La Niña climate conditions. The findings published in the journal Nature Communications could provide the basis for an early-warning system that would allow public health officials to prepare for periods of increased diarrhea cases as long as seven months ahead of time. |
 | Combining neurologic and blood pressure drugs reduces breast tumor development in miceAdding a medication used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder and migraines to a blood pressure medicine reversed some aspects of breast cancer in the offspring of mice at high risk of the disease because of the high fat diet fed to their mothers during pregnancy. Conversely, this treatment combination increased breast cancer development in the offspring whose mothers had not been fed a high fat diet during pregnancy. The study by Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers appeared December 30, 2019, in Scientific Reports. |
 | Novel combination of antibodies leads to significant improvement in cancer immunotherapyThe simultaneous use of antibodies based on two differing mechanisms of action leads to a more effective destruction of tumors. This has been demonstrated by a study in animal models by medical oncologists and scientists at the University of Basel that has been published in the scientific journal PNAS. Patients who do not respond to current immunotherapy options could benefit most from this new treatment. |
 | Goodbye, stressful diets? Intermittent fasting offers health benefits, study says. But it's not for everybodyTrading holiday feasts for intermittent fasting could yield health benefits from lower cholesterol to reduced stress, according to a new study. |
 | A final plunge for man who boosted ALS ice bucket challengeSupporters of Pete Frates are taking one last chilly plunge for the former college baseball player whose battle with Lou Gehrig's disease helped spread the ALS ice bucket challenge. |
 | Legal marijuana sales may spark Midwest interstate tensionRetailers legally selling marijuana for the past month in Michigan say they have drawn customers from surrounding Midwestern states where the drug remains illegal and, as Illinois prepares to joins the recreational market on Wednesday, officials are renewing warnings to consumers against carrying such products over state lines. |
 | Birth control pill use is declining as women question mental health side effectsWhen Sophia DuRose was 19, her primary physician prescribed her a birth control pill to help regulate her periods. |
 | China convicts 3 researchers involved in gene-edited babiesA Chinese scientist who set off an ethical debate with claims that he had made the world's first genetically edited babies was sentenced Monday to three years in prison because of his research, state media said. |
On nitroglycerin, cardiovascular homeostasis and...bam, migraine!A clinical investigation recently published in the journal Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society, suggests that migraine patients may exhibit a systemic pathophysiological alteration. The study, entitled "Abnormal cardiovascular response to nitroglycerin in migraine", was conducted by Dr. Willebrordus PJ van Oosterhout, from Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Neurology, Leiden, The Netherlands. | |
 | When automotive assembly plants close, deaths from opioid overdoses riseClosing of local automotive assembly plants may lead to increases in deaths from opioid overdose, according to a study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts General Hospital. The findings highlight fading economic opportunity as a driving factor in the ongoing national opioid epidemic, and build on previous research that links declining participation in the labor force to increased opioid use in the U.S. The findings are published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. |
Persistent organic pollutants in mother's blood linked to smaller fetal sizePregnant women exposed to persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, had slightly smaller fetuses than women who haven't been exposed to these chemicals, according to an analysis of ultrasound scans by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. The researchers also found that the women in their study had lower levels of POPs than women in the 2003-2004 U.S. Health and Nutrition Survey, the most recent comprehensive study of these compounds in U.S. pregnant women. The latest findings suggest that the chemicals, which are no longer produced in the United States but persist in the environment, may have lasting health effects even at low levels. | |
 | Study: Children who drank whole milk had lower risk of being overweight or obeseA systematic review and meta-analysis led by St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto found children who drank whole milk had 40 per cent lower odds of being overweight or obese compared with children who consumed reduced-fat milk. |
 | Individualized physical therapy reduces incontinence, pain in men after prostate surgeryFor decades, therapy to strengthen pelvic muscles has been the standard treatment for men dealing with urinary incontinence after prostate surgery. But a new study from UT Southwestern's Departments of Urology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation suggests that may not be the best approach. |
 | Intervention cuts preoperative anxiety in young children(HealthDay)—Among children undergoing elective day surgery, a brief, targeted Child Life preparation (CLP) intervention reduces preoperative anxiety prior to intravenous induction of anesthesia, according to a study published online Dec. 23 in Pediatric Anesthesia. |
 | Inflammation linked to thyroid dysfunction in psoriasis patients(HealthDay)—While the rate of thyroid dysfunction among patients with psoriasis generally is not higher than expected, psoriasis in patients with thyroid dysfunction is more clinically severe and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are higher, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in the Journal of Dermatology. |
 | Cases of flu continue to mount across america(HealthDay)—Flu continues to spread throughout the United States and has reached elevated levels in nearly every state. |
 | Vaping, opioids and 'Anti-vaxxers' top health stories of 2019(HealthDay)—The scourge of addiction among Americans young and old made big headlines in 2019, as did one big change in heart health guidelines. |
 | Americans need to tackle youth obesity: US task force(HealthDay)—Childhood obesity is such a crisis in America that officials have been updating recommendations for how early intervention should begin. |
 | Better choices for a fast, healthy lunch(HealthDay)—Rushed for lunch? Yes, that nearby fast-food chain is convenient, but by tweaking your choices you can cut unwanted salt, fat and calories. |
 | Some solid advice on new year's resolutions that might stick(HealthDay)—If you plan to make a New Year's resolution about improving your health, the American Medical Association (AMA) has some good suggestions. |
 | Q&A: For most people, drinking plain water is the best way to stay hydratedQ: I've heard that alkaline water is better at rehydrating your body than nonalkaline, or plain, water. Is this true? |
 | Black teens who experience daily racial discrimination show depressive symptoms, study findsBlack teens experience several forms of racial discrimination every day, which leads to increased short-term depressive symptoms, according to a study by researchers at Rutgers University. |
 | What comes first, beta-amyloid plaques or thinking and memory problems?The scientific community has long believed that beta-amyloid, a protein that can clump together and form sticky plaques in the brain, is the first sign of Alzheimer's disease. Beta-amyloid then leads to other brain changes including neurodegeneration and eventually to thinking and memory problems. But a new study challenges that theory. The study suggests that subtle thinking and memory differences may come before, or happen alongside, the development of amyloid plaques that can be detected in the brain. The study is published in the December 30, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. |
MIV-711 not associated with pain reduction, but may reduce disease progression in osteoarthritisMIV-711, a novel selective cathepsin K inhibitor, was not more effective than placebo for reducing pain related to knee osteoarthritis. However, MIV-711 significantly reduced bone and cartilage progression. Findings from a randomized, placebo-controlled study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. | |
 | Pharmacies leave customers hanging when it comes to disposing of antibiotics and opioidsProper disposal of leftover medication, particularly antibiotics and opioids, can help reduce antibiotic resistance, prevent children from being poisoned and stop the misuse of addiction-forming drugs. |
 | Sick woman campaigns for medically assisted suicide in PeruAlmost completely paralyzed by a terminal illness, 42-year-old Peruvian Ana Estrada says she is a "prisoner in her own body" and yearns to be legally allowed to end her own life. |
DR Congo Ebola death toll 2,231 to date—monitoring agencyA total of 2,231 people have died out of 3,373 declared cases of Ebola in the current epidemic in the DR Congo, according to the agency overseeing the response, health officials said Sunday. | |
 | Bangladesh closes breast milk bank after Islamist protestsA Bangladesh hospital has suspended plans to give donated breast milk to babies after a backlash by Muslim clerics who said the scheme violated Islamic law. |
Biology news
 | The mysterious case of the ornamented coot chicks has a surprising explanationThe American coot is a somewhat drab water bird with gray and black feathers and a white beak, common in wetlands throughout North America. Coot chicks, however, sport outrageously bright orange and red feathers, skin, and beaks. A new study explains how the bright coloring of coot chicks fits in with the reproductive strategy of their less colorful parents. |
 | Learning from the bearsGrizzly bears spend many months in hibernation, but their muscles do not suffer from the lack of movement. In the journal Scientific Reports, a team led by Michael Gotthardt reports on how they manage to do this. The grizzly bears' strategy could help prevent muscle atrophy in humans as well. |
 | Better anchor roots help crops grow in poor soilsA metabolite in plants that regulates the growth of anchor roots—vital for sustaining water and nutrient uptake in plants—has been identified and may have useful applications in agriculture. |
 | How cells learn to 'count'One of the wonders of cell biology is its symmetry. Mammalian cells have one nucleus and one cell membrane, and most humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Trillions of mammalian cells achieve this uniformity—but some consistently break this mold to fulfill unique functions. Now, a team of Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have found how these outliers take shape. |
 | Long-dormant disease becomes most dominant foliar disease in New York onion cropsNew York is the fifth largest producer of onion bulbs in the United States, producing over 110,000 metric tons from over 2,800 hectares. Most of these onions are grown on high organic matter soils, where foliar disease management is crucial to productivity and profitability. These foliar diseases include Botrytis leaf blight, purple blotch, downy mildew, and Stemphylium leaf blight. |
 | How do conifers survive droughts? Study points to existing roots, not new growthAs the world warms, a new study is helping scientists understand how cone-bearing trees like pines and junipers may respond to drought. |
 | The growing Tibetan Plateau shaped modern biodiversityHolding particular biological resources, the Tibetan Plateau is a unique geologic-geographic-biotic interactive unit and hence plays an important role in the global biodiversity domain. The Tibetan Plateau has undergone vigorous environmental changes since the Cenozoic, and played roles as switching from "a paradise of tropical animals and plants" to "the cradle of Ice Age mammalian fauna." |
 | How bacteria control their cell cycleResearchers at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have demonstrated how bacteria coordinate cell division with the replication of their genetic material. In an interdisciplinary study they explain why the current concept of the bacterial cell cycle has to be rewritten. The results were published in eLife. |
 | First study to compare citrus varieties with combination of metabolomics and microbiomeCitrus greening disease, or Huanglongbing (HLB), is deadly, incurable, and the most significant threat to the citrus industry. Most HLB research focuses on the tree canopy, but scientists in California studied the impact of HLB on root systems. They recently published the first study to report on the response of two different varieties of citrus to the causal bacterium, 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' using metabolomics and microbiome technologies. |
 | Alligators are wearing little 'hats' in South Carolina. It's all part of a studyGadgets that resemble little black hats are showing up on the heads of alligators in South Carolina. |
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