Science X Newsletter Monday, Sep 7

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 7, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Study: Are we shifting to fewer, weaker Atlantic hurricanes?
- Scientists create world's largest protein map to reveal which proteins work together in a cell
- Researchers use laser to levitate, glowing nanodiamonds in vacuum
- Best of Last Week–Littlest quark found, cause of Earth's first extinction and short sleepers more likely to catch colds
- Paper tubes make stiff origami structures
- Hummingbirds find protection building nests under hawks
- Researchers begin unraveling the signaling mechanism of a devastating crop parasite
- Cyclobutane derivatives made from [2+2] cycloaddition of feedstock alkenes and an iron-based catalyst
- Surprising giant ring-like structure in the universe
- Did grandmas make people pair up? Human longevity from grandmothering tied to human coupling
- Team develops new way to study nanoparticles
- Image: The Magellanic Clouds and an interstellar filament
- Mathematical 'Gingko trees' reveal mutations in single cells that characterize diseases
- Synthetic proteins help solve structure of the fluoride ion channel
- Team traces elevated mercury levels in coastal seawater to hair shed by elephant seals in annual molt

Astronomy & Space news

	Surprising giant ring-like structure in the universe (Phys.org)—Five billion light years is a distance almost inconceivable, even on a cosmic scale. To better illustrate the extent of this physical quantity, it's enough to say that 35,000 galaxies the size of our Milky Way are needed to cover that distance. Thanks to a surprising discovery made by a Hungarian-U.S. team of astronomers, now we know that a structure this big really exists in the observable universe.
	New Horizons spacecraft begins intensive data downlink phase If you liked the first historic images of Pluto from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, you'll love what's to come.
	Image: Hubble peers into the heart of a galactic maelstrom This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows Messier 96, a spiral galaxy just over 35 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo (The Lion). It is of about the same mass and size as the Milky Way. It was first discovered by astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1781, and added to Charles Messier's famous catalogue of astronomical objects just four days later.
	Volunteer black hole hunters as good as the experts Trained volunteers are as good as professional astronomers at finding jets shooting from massive black holes and matching them to their host galaxies, research suggests.
	Image: The Magellanic Clouds and an interstellar filament Portrayed in this image from ESA's Planck satellite are the two Magellanic Clouds, among the nearest companions of our Milky Way galaxy. The Large Magellanic Cloud, about 160 000 light-years away, is the large red and orange blob close to the centre of the image. The Small Magellanic Cloud, some 200 000 light-years from us, is the vaguely triangular-shaped object to the lower left.
	Sentinel-2 catches eye of algal storm The Sentinel-2A satellite has been in orbit for only a matter of weeks, but new images of an algal bloom in the Baltic Sea show that it is already exceeding expectations. Built essentially as a land monitoring mission, Sentinel-2 will also certainly find its way into marine applications.
	Mission team ready for Galileo launch When the next pair of Galileo satellites is boosted into orbit next Friday, a team of mission control experts in Darmstadt, Germany, will spring into action, working around the clock to bring the duo through their critical first days in space.
	Five myths about gravitational waves The scientists behind the BICEP2 (Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization) telescope, last year made an extraordinary claim that they had detected gravitational waves, which are ripples in space-time. Initially hailed as the most groundbreaking discovery of the century, it later proved a false alarm: the signal was merely galactic dust.
	Meteor lights up Thai skies and social media Thais were left stunned Monday after a suspected meteor streaked through the daytime skies in a phenomena that also quickly lit up social media.
	Designing a way to keep increasingly crowded airspace safe According to a recent report by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), airports across the country are seeing record passenger numbers. Along with that comes congestion at airport terminals and runways, causing delays and other problems—including accidents. The FAA report said if nothing is done to curb congestion by 2030, the busiest US airports will see problems rise dramatically. While infrastructure such as terminals and runways can be expanded or enhanced there's one piece of the airport real estate that can't be expanded: airspace.

Technology news

	Paper tubes make stiff origami structures From shipping and construction to outer space, origami could put a folded twist on structural engineering.
	Chrome 45 is no memory hog and quickens browsing Chrome can now load faster and use up less memory.
	Apple event expected to focus on iPhones, TV Apple is expected to unveil updated iPhones Wednesday along with an Apple TV revamp that may signal a push into online television streaming dominated by Netflix.
	'Safe' screens touted for those who just can't look away As it gets harder to tear our eyes away from smartphones, televisions, tablets or computers, concerns are growing over a blue light emitted by their screens, blamed for harming the retina and causing interrupted sleep.
Federal appeals court set to hear Microsoft 'cloud' case Microsoft Corp. gets a second chance to prove it's entitled to keep data stored overseas out of the hands of U.S. investigators when its lawyers appear before a federal appeals court Wednesday, but the computer software giant is already hedging its bets, calling on Congress to clarify the law.
	Researcher to address car sensor safety at Black Hat Europe Scientists and engineers continue trying to make sense out of what needs to be done to ensure safety in self-driving cars.
	A humanoid robot to liaise between space station crews A team of French researchers from the Institut cellule souche et cerveau (Inserm/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), led by CNRS senior researcher Peter Ford Dominey, has developed "an autobiographical memory" for the robot Nao, which enables it to pass on knowledge learnt from humans to other, less knowledgable humans. This technological progress could notably be used for operations on the International Space Station, where the robot, which is the only permanent member, would liaise between the different crews that change every six months in order to pass on information.
	Apply Magic Sauce: What you like is fleshed out The Psychometrics Center of the University of Cambridge has a message: A Prediction API by Apply Magic Sauce. It can translate a digital footprint into a detailed psychological profile. The AMS could be used to predict psycho-demographic traits of a user based on digital footprints. Translation: You can be explained based on what you like on Facebook. "It's not magic, and it's not psychic," said The Washington Post. It's a tool that researchers can use and it is built from personality tests and social media profiles.
	Indianapolis car sharing service launches amid questions An electric car sharing program that's launched in Indianapolis faces lingering questions about its city subsidies and complaints about the charging stations tying up parking spaces.
Google may return to China with Android app shop: report Google is talking with Chinese authorities and smartphone makers about opening an online shop in China stocked with applications for Android-powered mobile devices, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Latvian man pleads guilty in worldwide computer virus case A Latvian computer code writer who helped create a virus that spread to more than a million computers worldwide and corrupted some at NASA may be returning home soon after pleading guilty to a federal charge on Friday.
	Opportunity found in lack of diversity in US tech sector Too many white men and too few women, blacks and Latinos: While fueling debate, the lack of diversity in Silicon Valley is also inspiring startups focused on improving the mix.
	Faces of diversity at US Internet giants White or Asian men are the typical employees in major US technology firms, and this has changed little since the first wave of "diversity reporting" last year.
	Canon develops CMOS sensor with approximately 250 megapixels, the world's highest pixel count for its size Canon Inc. announced today that it has developed an APS-H-size (approx. 29.2 x 20.2 mm) CMOS sensor incorporating approximately 250 million pixels (19,580 x 12,600 pixels), the world's highest number of pixels for a CMOS sensor smaller than the size of a 35 mm full-frame sensor.
Japan loos flush with success after toilet design contest Japan's luckiest lavatories have received a government award for their spotless appearance in a hard-fought contest among the nation's prettiest and most practical loos.
	Shedding light on the era of 'dark silicon' Researchers at Lancaster University are racing against time to find smart solutions to the rapidly advancing era of 'dark silicon'.
	Technology that uses machine learning to quickly generate predictive models from massive datasets Fujitsu Laboratories today announced the development of a machine-learning technology that can generate highly accurate predictive models from datasets of more than 50 million records in a matter of hours.

Medicine & Health news

	Study suggests that local anesthetic may affect the development of children's teeth A study led by Dr. Bing Hu at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and involving other researchers from China and Switzerland, suggests for the first time that the use of local anaesthetic may affect tooth cell growth and the development of children's teeth.
	Early warning gene signature for Alzheimer's A 'gene signature' that could be used to predict the onset of diseases, such as Alzheimer's, years in advance has been developed in research published in the open access journal Genome Biology.
	Men and women with autism have 'extreme male' scores on the 'eyes test' of mindreading Scientists at the University of Cambridge University have published new results in the journal PLoS ONE from the largest ever study of people with autism taking the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' test. Whilst typical adults showed the predicted and now well-established sex difference on this test, with women on average scoring higher than men, in adults with autism this typical sex difference was conspicuously absent. Instead, both men and women with autism showed an extreme of the typical male pattern on the test, providing strong support for the 'extreme male brain' theory of autism.
	Mathematical 'Gingko trees' reveal mutations in single cells that characterize diseases Seemingly similar cells often have significantly different genomes. This is often true of cancer cells, for example, which may differ one from another even within a small tumor sample, as genetic mutations within the cells spread in staccato-like bursts. Detailed knowledge of these mutations, called copy number variations, in individual cells can point to specific treatment regimens.
	Mobile phone records may predict epidemics of mosquito-borne dengue virus A new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health finds that mobile phone records can be used to predict the geographical spread and timing of dengue epidemics. More people around the world are becoming vulnerable to this deadly virus as climate change expands the range of the mosquito that transmits dengue and infected travelers spread the disease across borders. Utilizing the largest data set of mobile phone records ever analyzed to estimate human mobility, the researchers developed an innovative model that can predict epidemics and provide critical early warning to policy makers.
Philippine monkeys infected with Ebola not lethal to humans Several monkeys at a research and breeding facility in the Philippines have been infected with an Ebola virus strain that is non-lethal to humans, health officials said Saturday.
Higher risk of death for patients admitted to NHS hospitals at the weekend Patients admitted to hospital at the weekend are more likely to be sicker and have a higher risk of death, compared with those admitted during the week, finds an analysis published in The BMJ this week.The analysis was carried out as a collaboration between University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trusts and University College London, and included Sir Bruce Keogh, National Medical Director of NHS England. It examined the effect of hospital admission day on death rates across NHS England hospitals for 2013-2014.
	Sports medicine docs offer safety tips for young athletes (HealthDay)—Kids are back to school and back to sports, which inevitably leads to bumps and scrapes and possibly even more serious sports-related injuries.
	Social distress ID'd in minority of colorectal cancer survivors (HealthDay)—A minority of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors experience social distress (SD), and having multiple long-term conditions is the strongest predictor, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Handholding, speaking to patients reduces anxiety (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing percutaneous vertebroplasty under local anesthesia, handholding and providing spoken information correlate with reduced patient anxiety, according to a study published online Sept. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
	CHADS2 best predictor of postoperative mortality risk (HealthDay)—The CHADS2 atrial fibrillation (AF) risk score is the best predictor of postoperative stroke or death regardless of type of surgery, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
	Quit-smoking drug not linked to heart disease or depression A highly effective drug that helps smokers to quit does not increase their risk of heart attack and depression as was previously thought, research suggests.
More kids kept safe from household medicines, ER trend says New research suggests parents are doing a better job of keeping household medicines out of the hands of young children.
	Doctors Without Borders: snakebite treatment running out Doctors Without Borders says the world will run out of one of the most effective treatments for snakebites next year, putting the lives of tens of thousands of people at risk, mostly in developing countries.
	Infants' whooping cough source likely siblings, study finds Infants are more likely to catch whooping cough from their siblings than their moms, says a study with implications for how to protect them.
Vitamin C—the exercise replacement? Overweight and obese adults are advised to exercise to improve their health, but more than 50 percent do not do so. New research to be presented at the 14th International Conference on Endothelin: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Therapeutics suggests that taking vitamin C supplements daily can have similar cardiovascular benefits as regular exercise in these adults.
	A call to end early starts in education A study by researchers from the University of Oxford, Harvard Medical School and the University of Nevada has found that current school and university start times are damaging the learning and health of students.
Early flu treatment reduces hospitalization time, disability risk in older people Early treatment of flu-hospitalized people 65 and older with flu antiviral medications cuts the duration of their hospital stay and reduces their risk of needing extended care after discharge, a new CDC study finds. The study is the first to look at the benefits of early antiviral treatment on preventing the need for extended care in community-dwelling flu-hospitalized people 65 and older.
	Study shows clear link to worse learning outcomes in child snorers A comprehensive University of Otago-led study of data from 12 countries has found that children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including snoring, are clearly associated with poorer academic performance.
	Tests to diagnose cancer underfunded and staff overstretched NHS services for diagnosing cancer are underfunded, understaffed, and key waiting time targets are being missed, according to two new reports from Cancer Research UK.
Are consumers getting the message from alcohol warning labels? Australia's current alcohol warning labels are failing to effectively convey health messages to the public, according to a new study from Deakin University.
	Definition of acute kidney injury may misclassify patients Yale researchers found that the current definition of acute kidney injury may be causing patients without the condition to be misclassified.
Endothelin B receptor drug reduces memory loss, oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease An estimated 5.3 million people in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD)—the most common form of dementia—and roughly 473,000 people will develop the disease in 2015. There are currently five medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat AD. However, these drugs only help mask the symptoms and do not stop the disease from progressing or treat the underlying disease. In a new study presented at the 14th International Conference on Endothelin: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Therapeutics, researchers used IRL-1620, a chemical that binds to endothelin B receptors, to treat AD in rats.
	New research finds ozone in smog may cause asthma It's completely invisible, but the distinctive smell of electrical discharge after photocopying is a tell-tale sign of ozone in the air. Ozone is a component of what we refer to as 'smog' and on hot sunny days, in cities with high traffic volumes, more ozone is formed.
	Using humor to help toddlers learn We all know that laughter is the best medicine, but a team of French scientists has discovered that using humor also appears to help toddlers learn new tasks, reports a new study in the journal Cognition and Emotion.
Researcher on a new study that found controlling parents 'harm future mental health' Dr Claire Hill, clinical psychologist specialising in parenting and child anxiety, says study shows role of fathers should not be ignored when assessing psychological problems in children.
	Exploring health and humanity in the history of facial hair Despite reaching 'peak beard' last year, their ubiquity shows no sign of abating; facial hair remains the defining look for a generation of modern men. Now, coinciding with World Beard Day (September 5 2015), a University of Exeter expert will take a look back at beards throughout history, in a major three-year project funded by the Wellcome Trust.
	Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) capable of combating even highly resistant 'superbugs' The World Health Organisation has warned that a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries can kill is far from an 'apocalyptic fantasy' but is a very real possibility in the 21st Century.
Opt-in approach best for donating biospecimens Cancer patients consenting to donate their removed tumour tissue following surgery, considered the act 'no big deal' when compared to dealing with the diagnosis of cancer, a recent study has found.
	Malnutrition, stunting and the importance of a child's first 1000 days The first 1000 days of a child's life - from the time they are conceived until they turn two - is an important period for the development of both the fetus and the infant. It sets up the foundation for the child's growth, brain development and general health.
	Are some people more at risk from air pollution? I'm driving in rush hour traffic, waiting for the slow crawl of cars to reach the speed I would be moving had I biked home. My heart rate rises slightly; it's a beautiful summer day and I'm thinking of the many things I'd rather be doing than sitting in traffic.
New molecular test reveals biological age and could help detect Alzheimer's A collaborative research team involving scientists at King's College London, and funded in part by Alzheimer's Research UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC), has discovered a panel of molecular markers that may be able to identify how well a person is ageing.
	Teens using e-cigarettes to 'vape' pot, survey finds (HealthDay)—There's new reason for parents to be concerned about e-cigarettes: nearly one in five kids who uses e-cigarettes may be using the devices to get high, a study finds.
	New guidelines call for kids, health care workers to get flu shots (HealthDay)—All eligible children and health care workers should get flu shots, according to new policy statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
	Obese smokers tend to put on more weight after quitting (HealthDay)—Heavy smokers and those who are obese gain more weight after quitting smoking, a new study finds.
Egg shortage won't affect flu vaccine supply An egg shortage has driven up prices at the supermarket, caused in part by an outbreak of avian flu in the Midwest. But health officials say there is no need to worry about the supply of certain eggs outside the kitchen: the ones used to grow and incubate flu vaccine for humans.
	New medical coding system aims to help track quality of care If things are a bit tense in your doctor's office come Oct. 1, some behind-the-scenes red tape could be to blame.
Polio case detected in Mali, country on 'high alert': WHO Mali is on high alert after a baby was found to have the highly contagious, crippling polio virus, the World Health Organization said Monday, blaming low vaccination coverage.
	Across much of US, a serious shortage of psychiatrists It is an irony that troubles health care providers and policymakers nationwide: Even as public awareness of mental illness increases, a shortage of psychiatrists worsens.
San Diego firm recalls cucumbers after salmonella outbreak A California company is recalling its cucumbers after a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 285 people in 27 states and killed a San Diego woman.
New Ebola case in Sierra Leone quarantine village: president Another woman has tested positive for Ebola in a village in northern Sierra Leone already under quarantine after the death of a 67-year-old woman a week ago, President Ernest Bai Koroma said on Sunday.

Biology news

	Researchers begin unraveling the signaling mechanism of a devastating crop parasite (Phys.org)—In sub-Saharan Africa, few agricultural parasites are as devastating to a wide variety of crops as Striga hermonthica, commonly known as witchweed. It chokes out such staple crops as sorghum, millet and rice, which show symptoms similar to those of drought or soil nutrient deficiency.
	Hummingbirds find protection building nests under hawks (Phys.org)—An international team of researchers working in a part of Arizona has found evidence of a hummingbird species benefiting by building nests in trees beneath hawk hunting grounds. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the team describes the study they carried out and just how much safer the hummingbirds appeared to be when living in close proximity to hawks.
	Scientists create world's largest protein map to reveal which proteins work together in a cell A multinational team of scientists have sifted through cells of vastly different organisms, from amoebae to worms to mice to humans, to reveal how proteins fit together to build different cells and bodies.
	Researchers observe bacteria behaving badly A University of Alberta research team has made an important discovery about how medical devices like heart stents and catheters can become clogged by bacteria.
	The molecules that tell you how to grow a backbone Growing the right number of vertebrae in the right places is an important job – and scientists have found the molecules that act like 'theatre directors' for vertebrae genes in mice: telling them how much or how little to express themselves.
	Molecular bodyguards for immature membrane proteins During their formation within the cells, many proteins rely on the assistance of molecular protectors, so-called chaperones. They help the proteins to fold correctly and thus ensure the right final structure. The roles of chaperones in membrane protein folding have long remained unclear. Researchers at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, and at ETH Zurich have now shown how chaperones stabilize an immature bacterial membrane protein and guide it in the right folding direction, thus protecting it from misfolding.
	Dually noted: New CRISPR-Cas9 strategy edits genes two ways The CRISPR-Cas9 system has been in the limelight mainly as a revolutionary genome engineering tool used to modify specific gene sequences within the vast sea of an organism's DNA. Cas9, a naturally occurring protein in the immune system of certain bacteria, acts like a pair of molecular scissors to precisely cut or edit specific sections of DNA. More recently, however, scientists have also begun to use CRISPR-Cas9 variants as gene regulation tools to reversibly turn genes on or off at whim.
	'Clever adaptation' allows yeast infection fungus to evade immune system attack Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say they have discovered a new way that the most prevalent disease-causing fungus can thwart immune system attacks.
	Estrogen, shrubbery, and the sex ratio of suburban frogs Green frogs in the suburbs are seeing a gender revolution.
Under certain circumstances evolution can be highly predictable, study shows Researchers at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have shown that under certain circumstances evolution can be highly predictable, especially in terms of how creatures become resistant to dangerous toxins.
Third problem bear from same mom's littler euthanized at Tahoe Are some bears just born to be bad? Or do they learn from other bears that raid garbage cans, break into cars and homes and eventually have to be killed because they've lost their fear of humans?
	Scientists estimate 10,000 species of moth live in Madidi National Park WCS has released a stunning gallery of images of some of the moths uncovered by the groundbreaking Bolivian scientific expedition, Identidad Madidi. A staggering 10,000 species of moths may live in Madidi National Park – considered the most biodiverse protected area on the planet. The moths were found in the montane savannas and gallery forests of the Apolo region.
	Genetic manipulation for algal biofuel production Studies of the genes involved in oil synthesis in microalgae allow scientists to use a gene promoter to increase algal production of triacylglycerols, which in turn enhances potential biofuel yields
	Invasion of non-native species exposed by environmental DNA A research group, headed by Dr. MINAMOTO Toshifumi (Project Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University), Dr. UCHII Kimiko (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University), and Dr. DOI Hideyuki (Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo), have used environmental DNA (eDNA) to quantify the proportion of Japanese native common carp to non-native strains from the Eurasian continent. Their method is based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and it is hoped that this novel approach will facilitate the detection of non-native genotypes in various species. The findings were published in Molecular Ecology Resources on August 27.
	Explaining sea lion decline The southern sea lion population of the Falkland Islands witnessed a dramatic decline during the last century with numbers falling by 65 per cent between the 1930s and 1960s. It was thought commercial hunting was the main cause for this but now researchers working at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and other institutions have identified another factor.
	Healthier and more sustainable olive oil A team of researchers that includes UPM have confirmed that the benefits of virgin olive oil are partly due to minority compounds that can be increased with sustainable irrigation strategies.
	Coral reef flattening leads to drastic decline in species Species risk being lost if the ongoing degradation of coral reefs in the Caribbean goes beyond a certain critical point, scientists say.
Landowners managing habitat to help Canada lynx in Maine The kind of clear-cutting that made the woods of Maine an ideal hunting ground for Canada lynx is a thing of the past, but wildlife experts are trying to recreate enough of that habitat to secure the thick-furred cat's future.
From icky bugs to good grubs: Americans show interest in alternative, sustainable protein Gillian Spence plunges her hand into a shallow tray of 10,000 writhing mealworms. She comes up with a handful of the inch-long, beige-colored grubs, which squirm over and between her fingers.
Sea turtles set new nesting records in US Sea turtle experts along the southeastern U.S. coast say new nesting numbers reinforce their belief that loggerhead sea turtles are making a comeback after 37 years of protection as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.
	Success combating multi-resistant bacteria in stables Multi-resistant bacteria represent a major problem not only in hospitals but also in animal husbandry. A study of the University Bonn describes how a farmer successfully eliminated these pathogens entirely from his pig stable. However, the radical hygiene measures taken in this case can only be applied in individual cases. Nevertheless, the work has yielded a number of recommendations – not only for farms but also for hospitals. The study appeared in the Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
	Rwanda names 24 baby mountain gorillas in annual tradition Youths wearing gorilla costumes and rubber boots grunted and scampered in front of Rwanda's president on Saturday during the ceremonial naming of 24 baby mountain gorillas in the African country, where the critically endangered animals live in volcano-studded forests that are visited by increasing numbers of foreign tourists.
	Search resumes for tangled blue whale off California coast Whale watch boats and the Coast Guard are resuming their search off Southern California for a blue whale entangled in hundreds of feet of fishing line.
Ensuring healthy bees for farms and trees The University of Adelaide and State Government today announced a $600,000 pilot program to help build South Australia's bee populations to help protect native plants and production from orchards and crops that rely on bee pollination.

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