Science X Newsletter Sunday, Jul 12

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 12, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- New Image of Pluto: 'Houston, We Have Geology'
- Scientists get their last look at Pluto's mysterious dark spots
- Boeing patent puts focus on laser-powered propulsion system (Update)
- WALDIO mode to improve smartphone life explained at USENIX
- Research shows hope for personalized genome sequencing
- US South getting its first big wind farm soon
- It's showtime for Pluto; prepare to be amazed by NASA flyby
- Astronomer's ashes nearing icy world he discovered: Pluto
- NASA craft discovers heart shape on Pluto as flyby nears
- Solar Impulse grounded in Hawaii for repairs
- Tomorrow's farmers may take more fruitful dives for crops
- What happens when cosmic giants meet galactic dwarfs?

Astronomy & Space news

	New Image of Pluto: 'Houston, We Have Geology' It began as a point of light. Then, it evolved into a fuzzy orb. Now – in its latest portrait from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft – Pluto is being revealed as an intriguing new world with distinct surface features, including an immense dark band known as the "whale."
	Scientists get their last look at Pluto's mysterious dark spots The closer the New Horizons spacecraft gets to Pluto, the more puzzling the dwarf planet becomes.
	NASA craft discovers heart shape on Pluto as flyby nears There's a near-perfect heart shape on Pluto's rusty red surface which scientists are seeing for the first time as a piano-sized NASA spacecraft, New Horizons, hurtles toward the distant body on its way toward a historic flyby on July 14.
	Astronomer's ashes nearing icy world he discovered: Pluto Come Tuesday, Clyde Tombaugh will pass within 7,800 miles (12,550 kilometers) of the icy world he discovered 85 years ago.
	It's showtime for Pluto; prepare to be amazed by NASA flyby Pluto, reveal thyself, and Earthlings, enjoy the show. On Tuesday, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will sweep past Pluto and present the previously unexplored world in all its icy glory.
	What happens when cosmic giants meet galactic dwarfs? When two different sized galaxies smash together, the larger galaxy stops the smaller one making new stars, according to a study of more than 20,000 merging galaxies.
	NASA's new commercial crew astronauts: Each wants to fly first For now, just call them the Commercial Crew Cadre.

Technology news

	Boeing patent puts focus on laser-powered propulsion system (Update) Boeing has patented a laser powered propulsion system for airplanes. A number of sites reported on the patent, with eye-rubbing headlines that told the story. The BusinessInsider headline read, "Boeing just patented a jet engine powered by lasers and nuclear explosions." Benjamin Zhang said the US Patent and Trademark Office approved Boeing's application for a laser and nuclear-driven airplane engine.
	WALDIO mode to improve smartphone life explained at USENIX Researchers from South Korea's Hanyang University and the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have got together to resolve the journaling of journal anomaly in the Android IO stack. Translation: They have worked out a way to improve life with a smartphone.
	Tomorrow's farmers may take more fruitful dives for crops We raise crops on land. Could we do the same underwater? Use the oceans to provide alternative sources of plant production where land is not as kind? Why not? asked Fast Company. "The temperature doesn't fluctuate, so there's no frost. Aphids can't get anywhere near the plants, the pumped-in atmosphere is CO2-rich. And the plants—apparently—love it."
	Solar Impulse grounded in Hawaii for repairs The sun-powered Solar Impulse 2 aircraft has been grounded in Hawaii, its crew said Saturday, after a grueling five-day, fuel-less flight across the Pacific Ocean overheated its batteries.
	US South getting its first big wind farm soon On a vast tract of old North Carolina farmland, crews are getting ready to build something the U.S. South has never seen: a commercial-scale wind energy farm.
	Reddit interim CEO Pao resigns; Huffman regains CEO title Reddit said Friday that interim CEO Ellen Pao resigned from the company, and co-founder Steve Huffman is back as its CEO.
	Music industry begins global Friday release of new albums Big record stores, streaming services and hit charts adjusted longtime practices as the music industry Friday began a coordinated global release for new albums.
	Silicon Valley company starts to take court disputes online Imagine working out a divorce without hiring an attorney or stepping into court or disputing the tax assessment on your home completely online.
Phoning home? Ily reimagines the landline as smarter and easier to use Ilan Abehassera had a communication problem. A frequent traveler with three young children at home, it was hard for him to stay in touch with his family.
Virtual reality technology expands to a blitz of uses, including football You slip a smartphone into a pair of clunky goggles and place them on your head. The room around you dissolves and you're standing on a grassy field behind a lineup of football players. You hear the crowd's cheers.
PC sales slow before launch of new Windows software Desktop, laptop and tablet sales across the globe have hit a speed bump but could pick up by the end of the year, according to technology analysts.
Uber pushing to take the 'class' out of its class-action lawsuit If Uber gets its way, the class-action lawsuit it faces in San Francisco over worker classification could become a run-of-the-mill lawsuit with only three plaintiffs.
Review: What can your car tell you? Automatic streams driving data to your phone In late 2013, I reviewed a gadget called the Automatic smart driving monitor, which is a small dongle you attach to the diagnostic port under your car's dashboard.
	Online reviews shine light on life behind bars The Rappahannock Regional Jail in Virginia needs a facelift. The "decor was quite dated and it was in desperate need of a refreshing paint job," said Shane S following his recent incarceration.

Medicine & Health news

	Research shows hope for personalized genome sequencing Imagine if you could carry a credit card-size record of all the 3 billion A's, T's C's, and G's that make up the alphabet soup of your genome. A simple swipe of the card could inform your physician right away if a drug being considered will help you - or even hurt you.
	'Fat grafting' widely used during facelift surgery (HealthDay)—Most U.S. plastic surgeons use a procedure called "fat grafting" to enhance the effects of facelifts, a new study reports.
	Marijuana study counters 'gateway' theory (HealthDay)—Marijuana may not be the "gateway drug" some believe it to be, a new study contends.
	Alcohol, pot combo impairs driving more than either alone (HealthDay)—Drinking alcohol and smoking pot at the same time hampers driving skills more than consuming one alone does, a new study shows.
	Straight talk about poison ivy (HealthDay)—Reports that poison ivy has gotten bigger, stronger or more prevalent are misleading, one dermatologist says.
	CDC: Too few Americans eating enough fruits, vegetables (HealthDay)—Most Americans are not consuming the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, according to a new report published in the July 10 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Caution: handle TCA with care to avoid chemical burns (HealthDay)—Gynecologists should be aware that accidental exposure to trichloroacetic acid, which is used in routine procedures, may lead to serious chemical burns, according to a case report published in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Zinc levels may predict worse outcomes with alopecia (HealthDay)—Lower serum zinc levels are associated with worse outcomes in patients with alopecia areata, according to a study published online July 3 in the International Journal of Dermatology.
	Vitamin D shows no impact on interferon response in SLE (HealthDay)—For patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), vitamin D3 supplementation does not affect interferon (IFN) signature, according to a study published in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
	$1,000-per-pill drug overtaken by pricier successor The $1,000 pill for a liver-wasting viral infection that made headlines last year is no longer the favorite of patients and doctors in the U.S.
	Experts offer diving safety tips (HealthDay)—It's tempting to dive into pools, lakes and other bodies of water when you're trying to cool off on a hot summer day, but it can be dangerous if you don't take proper safety precautions, experts warn.
	Work restriction notes should be carefully written (HealthDay)—Writing an effective work restriction note is important for protecting pregnant women's jobs, according to a commentary published in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Faster results with combined therapy for striae distensae (HealthDay)—Combination therapy with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and microdermabrasion is an effective treatment for striae distensae, according to research published online July 6 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
	Training can improve patients' fluid, salt intake in hemodialysis (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing hemodialysis, a controlled fluid and salt intake training process can decrease consumption of both salt and fluid, according to a study published online June 28 in the Journal of Renal Care.
	Weekend discharge not linked to increased readmission (HealthDay)—For patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia, weekend discharge is not associated with 30-day readmission, according to a study published online June 30 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Study finds donor funds fall short for key global health functions As experts debate the slow response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and call for better international coordination, a new analysis estimates that $22 billion was spent on global health aid in 2013, yet only a fifth of this went toward such global imperatives as research on diseases that disproportionally affect the poor, outbreak preparedness and global health leadership.
US seeks to block sales of Iowa firm's dietary supplements An Iowa company has been selling potentially unsafe dietary supplements and falsely advertising them as treatments for diseases ranging from colds to cancer, the federal government alleged Friday.
Older athletes able to return to sport after rotator cuff repair Outcomes following the arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears in older athletes appears to be successful a majority of the time, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Surgery a better treatment option for some hamstring injuries Patients treated surgically for a hamstring rupture demonstrated better results than those treated only with therapy, according to a study presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL.
Documentation of hospital patients' malnutrition helps maximize care and reimbursement Nutrition support professionals who are well-versed in proper documentation of malnutrition diagnoses in hospital patients can help ensure that hospitals receive maximum funding for patient care according to a new review.
Surgeries before college athletics may result in more injuries during college play Athletes who've had lower extremity surgeries before going on to play in college, might be at a higher risk for another surgery independent of gender and sport, say researchers presenting their work today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL.
Tommy John surgeries increasing for youth athletes Surgeries related to overuse elbow injuries, i.e. Tommy John Surgery, are more common among youth athletes than previously believed, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Biology news

Battle against destructive beetles hits hurdle Guam's war against the coconut rhinoceros beetles, which have ravaged many coconut trees, has become more challenging, an expert said.
	As habitats vanish, migratory birds flock to N. Korea shores To the untrained eye, it's just a lot of birds on an otherwise deserted stretch of muddy, flat coastline. But for ornithologists, North Korea's west coast is a little piece of paradise each spring—and both the birds and a dedicated group of birdwatchers travel a long way to get there.
	10,000 fish die in delayed Brazil aquarium project More than 10,000 fish died in temporary holding tanks in Brazil during construction of what is being touted as the world's largest freshwater aquarium, local media reported.
	10 lions, hundreds of dead animals in India floods: report Ten endangered Asiatic lions, 1670 blue bulls and 87 spotted deer were amongst hundreds of wild animals killed in the recent floods to hit west India's Gujarat, a government report said Sunday.

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