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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for August 19, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
US astronauts prepare spacewalk to install new docking portWith more private spaceship traffic expected at the International Space Station in the coming years, two US astronauts are set to embark on a spacewalk Friday to install a special parking spot for them. | |
 | What do aliens look like? The clue is in evolutionSpeculating about what aliens look like has kept children, film producers and scientists amused for decades. If they exist, will extra terrestrials turn out to look similar to us, or might they take a form beyond our wildest imaginings? The answer to this question really depends on how we think evolution works at the deepest level. |
'New port of call' installed at space stationWith more private spaceship traffic expected at the International Space Station in the coming years, two spacewalking US astronauts installed a special parking spot for them on Friday. | |
 | A new Goldilocks for habitable planetsThe search for habitable, alien worlds needs to make room for a second "Goldilocks," according to a Yale University researcher. |
 | Most distant catch for ESA stationAn ESA tracking station has acquired signals from the international Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn, across more than 1.4 billion km of space. |
 | IMAGE: The longest callOn 10 August 2016, ESA's tracking station at New Norcia, Western Australia, hosting a 35 m-diameter, 630-tonne deep-space antenna, received signals transmitted by NASA's Cassini orbiter at Saturn, through 1.44 billion km of space. |
 | Factories in space: how extra-terrestrial industry could keep humans aliveScience fiction truly turned into reality in October 1957 when Sputnik was launched – humankind's first step beyond the Earth. Since then, progress has been rapid. A significant number of men and women have now travelled to space to explore it and do research. |
Technology news
 | Powerful new metric quickly reveals network structure at multiple scalesWhat does a network look like? It typically depends on what scale you're analyzing. |
 | For DIYers, a device to use to see into wallsDIY home renovators, construction workers, plumbers: There is a product designed for you, and it is called Walabot DIY. It is a device with companion app that allows you to look inside your walls. You can detect things such as wires and pipes. |
 | Experts use drift modeling to define new MH370 search zoneExperts hunting for the missing Malaysian airliner are attempting to define a new search area by studying where in the Indian Ocean the first piece of wreckage recovered from the lost Boeing 777—a wing flap—most likely drifted from after the disaster that claimed 239 lives, the new leader of the search said. |
 | It's only rock 'n' roll – and sometimes it's better in monoWhile music lovers continue to argue about the relative merits of digital audio and the analogue vinyl disc, another debate is going on about the renaissance of an audio format that most people thought had long since disappeared: mono. Apparently banished during the second half of the 20th century by the advent of two-channel stereo, single-channel monophonic audio is making a reappearance. |
 | People favour expressive, communicative robots over efficient and effective onesMaking an assistive robot partner expressive and communicative is likely to make it more satisfying to work with and lead to users trusting it more, even if it makes mistakes, a new study suggests. |
 | Twitter unveils features to filter tweets, notificationsTwitter has announced two new settings that will allow users to control what they see in their feeds and what notifications they receive. |
 | Super stair-climbersThe Balgrist campus is bustling with activity. After ten months and countless technical changes, the revised wheelchair from the Scewo team is ready for its first test drive. With one eye on the regulations and another on the wheelchair, Pascal Buholzer accompanies Scewo driver Josep Ballester through the obstacle course. While the wheelchair effortlessly tackles the stairs, its manoeuvrability when opening doors and its stability on uneven ground leave something to be desired. |
Ohio Turnpike may soon see self-driving testingOhio's toll road, a heavily traveled connector between the East Coast and Chicago, is moving closer to allowing the testing of self-driving vehicles. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Twins, especially male identical twins, live longerTwins not only have a bestie from birth—they also live longer than singletons. And those two factors may be related, according to new University of Washington research. |
 | Study shows circadian rhythm does a lot more than keep timeA new study from University of Alberta geneticists shows that our circadian rhythm has a much more important role than previously thought. It was well established that our internal clock regulates our eating and sleeping schedules, but these surprising new results demonstrate that circadian rhythms are also essential for the normal development of an organism. |
 | Revolutionary method to map the brain at single-neuron resolution is successfully demonstratedNeuroscientists today publish in Neuron details of a revolutionary new way of mapping the brain at the resolution of individual neurons, which they have successfully demonstrated in the mouse brain. |
 | Proton pump found to regulate blood pH in stingraysResearchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego have discovered the same enzyme used by "boneworms" to dissolve whale carcasses, and that helps promote photosynthesis in corals, also regulates blood pH in stingrays. The study could help scientists better understand the enzyme's function in human kidneys to regulate blood and urine functions. |
 | Majority of parents support HPV vaccination requirements for school, but with opt-outsRequiring students to get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, to enter school could prevent many cancers linked to the virus, but University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers found that many parents only support such requirements with opt-out provisions that could make the laws less effective. |
Ethnicity of women undergoing fertility treatment can affect outcomes, study findsThe ethnicity of women undergoing fertility treatments like IVF can affect the rate of successful live births, according to new research by experts at The University of Nottingham and the Royal Derby Hospital's Fertility Unit. | |
Local Zika cases spread to Miami Beach: reportsMiami Beach now has cases of Zika infection that appear to have been locally transmitted, US media reported on Thursday, suggesting that the mosquito-borne virus is spreading in Florida. | |
 | A pregnant woman's immune response could lead to brain disorders in her kidsPregnant women, like everyone, get sick. And like everyone else, their bodies try to fight infection and, importantly, keep it from reaching the growing fetus. |
 | Video games – a moral game changer?With 98 per cent of Australian households with children having at least one form of video game, it not only seems logical but indeed ethical that we discuss the moral content of videogames. |
Need kids to sleep more during the school year? Start with parents' sleep habitsChildren are missing out on sleep, and to change that, parents should consider adjusting their personal schedules as well, says a Purdue University expert. | |
 | Fussy infants find food more rewarding, putting them at higher risk for obesityBabies that seem to get upset more easily and take longer to calm down may be at higher risk for obesity while babies that exhibit more "cuddliness" and calm down easily are less likely at risk, according to a University at Buffalo study. |
 | Uncovering a new pathway to halting metastasisMetastasis, the process by which cancer cells leave the primary tumor and spread to other sites in the body, is responsible for more than 90 percent of cancer deaths. Thus, there is a significant need to improve the therapeutic options for patients who suffer from metastatic disease. New research from the laboratory of Zachary T. Schafer, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Coleman Foundation Collegiate Chair of Cancer Biology and researcher in the Harper Cancer Research Institute at the University of Notre Dame, could lead to these new therapies. |
 | Study looks to share rural shelter expertiseWestern Health Sciences researchers are drawing attention to the challenges of – and hoping to find solutions for – women who experience violence using shelters in rural Ontario settings. |
CVD-targeted screening for the "silent killer" AAA shows promiseTargeted screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) based on patients' cardiovascular health shows promise for improving detection and treatment of this potentially deadly condition, new University of Otago research suggests. | |
Wearable sensors could improve treatment for motor-skill impairmentsEvery year in the United States almost 800,000 people suffer a stroke, an affliction which results in blood flow being cut off from the brain. | |
Analyzing a worm's sleepElephants, cats, flies, and even worms sleep. It is a natural part of many animals' lives. New research from Caltech takes a deeper look at sleep in the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans, finding three chemicals that collectively work together to induce sleep. The study also shows that these chemicals—small proteins called neuropeptides that regulate neural activity—each control a different sleep behavior, such as the suppression of feeding or movement. | |
New research sheds light on the real experience of calling the GP surgeryA new study by Loughborough University has examined – for the first time – how receptionists interact with patients over the telephone. | |
'Born to be bad' or 'born to be benign'—testing cells for esophageal cancer riskGenetically analysing lesions in the food pipe could provide an early and accurate test for oesophageal cancer, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam and Arizona State University. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that some cells that are 'born to be bad' could be identified early on, preventing the need for repeated endoscopies. | |
Brain more robust than previously thoughtThe brain is well capable of coping with the erratic way individual brain cells transmit information. This robustness is quite useful because variation in signal transmission doesn't merely concern noise, but also contains valuable information. This is the finding of research conducted by neuroscientists from the University of Amsterdam. Their results are published in the current issue of Cell Reports. | |
How safe are our tattoos and permanent makeup?Tattoos are becoming ever more popular. In the EU, the number of people with tattoos has increased from 5% in 2003 to 12% in 2016 (60 million people in the EU-28), with at least half of them having more than one tattoo. A new JRC report explores the safety and regulation of the inks used for tattoos and permanent makeup. | |
Vaping may lead to fewer respiratory infections for ex-smokersThe majority of smokers who successfully switch to vaping say they have fewer respiratory infections, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). | |
Maternal language shapes infants' cry melodiesThe very first cry of neonates is marked by their maternal language. This seems to be especially apparent in tonal languages, where pitch and pitch fluctuation determine the meaning of words. Chinese and German scientists under leadership of the University of Würzburg have demonstrated this phenomenon for the first time by with newborn babies from China and Cameroon. | |
From pollution to caffeine intake - Imperial researcher reveals dementia risksDementia strikes one in 14 people in the UK over 65, and 47 million people worldwide. Yet scientists are still urgently trying to find why the disease affects some but not others. | |
Miami Beach official: No confirmation of Zika spreadingA Miami Beach official says there's been no confirmation that mosquitoes have spread the Zika virus in the tourism-dependent city. | |
Researchers innovate brain preservation techniqueBy figuring out how to preserve specimens in the remote locations in which they are found - locations almost completely opposite those of a controlled laboratory or 21st century urban area - researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso have given science one more way to study a wide range of creatures, particularly those threatened by global climate change. | |
Study shows swimming is an effective part of the treatment for fibromyalgiaA study performed by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) shows swimming is as effective as walking to relieve pain and improve quality of life for patients with fibromyalgia. | |
 | 'Business diet' a bad deal for the heart(HealthDay)—The typical "social business diet"—heavy on red meats, sweet drinks, processed snacks and booze—takes a toll on the heart, a new study finds. |
 | Full med adherence reduces costs for patients with CVD(HealthDay)—Full adherence to guideline-recommended therapies is associated with a reduced rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and cost savings, according to a study published in the Aug. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
 | Legal issues impact delivery of telehealth(HealthDay)—Telehealth technologies can allow delivery of high-quality care at a lower cost, especially in underserved areas, but there is currently no uniform legal approach to telehealth, hampering its provision, according to a Health Policy Brief published online Aug. 15 in Health Affairs. |
 | Diabetes linked to increased CVD, cancer, other mortality(HealthDay)—Diabetes is associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and noncardiovascular noncancer causes, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in Diabetes Care. |
 | Chinese researchers reveal redox sensor protein role in pathogenic mycobacteriaAs one of the most successful intracellular pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes 8 million cases of tuberculosis and 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually. During the course of infection, Mtb is exposed to diverse redox stresses that trigger metabolic and physiological changes. |
 | First 3-D map of cell-building protein linked to cancerWalter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have revealed for the first time the three-dimensional molecular 'map' of a protein that has been pinpointed as a driver of many types of cancers. |
Vertebroplasty helps reduce acute pain among patients with spinal fracturesVertebroplasty is a safe and effective procedure to reduce acute pain and disability in patients who have experienced spinal fractures within a 6-week period, according to a new study published this week in The Lancet. In this procedure, a special cement is injected in the fractured vertebra to stabilize the fracture and relieve patients of pressure. | |
 | Babies' painkiller problemYou're in hospital and you need to have a blood test: What do you think would reduce your pain? Sucrose (sugar water)? Painkillers? You probably went with option 2. But in babies option 1 is often prescribed. |
 | Do Pokémon Go and augmented reality games offer real health benefits?The combination of augmented reality technology, geocaching, and other novel techniques to create innovative active video games (AVGs) has potential personal and public health implications, as discussed in the Editorial "Pokémon Go, Go, Go, Gone?" published in Games for Health. |
Hidden plan exclusions may leave gaps in women's care, study findsBuried in the fine print of many marketplace health plan documents is language that allows them to refuse to cover a range of services, many of which disproportionately affect women, a recent study found. | |
 | Flesh-eating infections in rheumatoid arthritis patients spur new discoveryRheumatoid arthritis patients taking medications that inhibit interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), a molecule that stimulates the immune system, are 300 times more likely to experience invasive Group A Streptococcal infections than patients not on the drug, according to University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers. Their study, published August 19 in Science Immunology, also uncovers a critical new role for IL-1beta as the body's independent early warning system for bacterial infections. |
Increased eye cancer risk linked to pigmentation genes that dictate eye colorNew research links specific inherited genetic differences (alterations) to an increased risk for eye (uveal) melanoma, a rare form of melanoma that arises from pigment cells that determine eye color. | |
MRI technology quantifies liver response in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patientsResearchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that a form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that non-invasively measures fat density in the liver corresponds with histological (microscopic tissue analyses) responses in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). | |
Sick throng Indian capital's new, high-tech clinicsFor asthma sufferer Mohan Lal, regular visits to the Indian capital's hospitals were a nightmare of waiting in endless queues in sweltering corridors that swarm with mosquitoes. | |
FDA tests confirm hepatitis A in scallops from PhilippinesU.S. Food and Drug Administration tests found hepatitis A in scallops from the Philippines, which have been identified as the likely source of an outbreak of the virus in Hawaii. | |
Tap water bacteria found in New Zealand woman who diedTests in New Zealand confirmed an elderly woman who died last week was suffering from the type of bacteria that tainted local tap water and sickened thousands of people in a small North Island town, officials said Friday. | |
 | US appeals court upholds UN immunity from Haiti cholera suitA U.S. federal appeals court has upheld the United Nations' immunity from a damage claim filed on behalf of 5,000 cholera victims who blame the U.N. for an epidemic of the deadly disease in Haiti. |
Government's childhood obesity plan flawedThe Government's childhood obesity plan is based on outdated evidence, shows the Government values corporate profit over public good and is unlikely to solve the New Zealand obesity crisis, according to a new critique. | |
Study to explore the scale of physical activity and nutritional health messaging at major sporting eventsLoughborough University is part of an international consortium examining how physical activity and nutritional health messages are promoted in the run up to and during large-scale sporting events. | |
Puerto Rico reports 1st death from paralysis linked to ZikaPuerto Rico is reporting its first death from a paralysis condition that developed from a Zika infection. | |
UN promises 'material' aid to cholera victims in HaitiThe United Nations will give "material" aid to cholera victims in Haiti and their families, the secretary general's spokesman said Friday, citing the international body's "moral responsibility." | |
Biology news
 | Researchers design and partially assemble a synthetic Escherichia coli genomeAn international team of researchers working in a lab at Harvard University has taken a bold step towards the development of a bacteria with a completely rewritten genome. They describe their work in a paper published in the journal Science and the reasons they believe the ultimate results will be safe for use in the real world. Science correspondent John Bohannon offers an In Depth piece on the work done by the team in the same issue and further discusses safety concerns tied to the new technology. |
 | Scientists revise a decades-old model of how proteins move in cellsWhen things are going right in your body, it's because long strings of brand-new proteins are being folded up into just the right tangles and being delivered to just the right place within the cell at just the right time. Conversely, many human diseases – cancer and neurodegenerative diseases among them – occur because some aspect of this process goes awry. |
 | Fruit flies help explain differences between males and femalesTrust the French to compose poetry from banality. And yet the biological explanation for the many physical differences between males and females remains incomplete. |
 | Warbler genomes look to be 99.97 percent alikeFor decades, conservationists have considered blue-winged warblers to be a threat to golden-winged warblers, a species being considered for federal Endangered Species protection. Blue-winged warbler populations have declined 66 percent since 1968, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. |
 | 'Ecosystem canaries' provide early warning signs of catastrophic changes to ecosystemsNew research, led by the University of Southampton, demonstrates that 'ecosystem canaries' can provide early warning signals of large, potentially catastrophic, changes or tipping points in ecosystems. |
 | To future-proof our crops from drought, look to the Australian desertsIt was in the mid-20th century when the American agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug showed us how to make wheat and rice stems shorter, to increase their yield. He's often referred to as the Father of the Green Revolution and his breakthrough meant food was suddenly more abundant across much of the world. |
 | Hawaiian fruit flies had multiple ancestorsA team from Hokkaido University and Ehime University has discovered that Hawaiian drosophilids (fruit flies) had plural ancestors that hailed from continents, refuting the "single Hawaiian origin" hypothesis. |
 | Undersea surprise: Big-eyed squid looks more toy than animalA team of scientists and technicians scanning the rocky ocean floor off Southern California couldn't contain their excitement when they spotted a bright-purple, googly-eyed stubby squid. |
 | The first stage of the cascadeG proteins are molecular switches on the insides of cell membranes. They convey important signals to the inner workings of the cells. The associated receptors are targeted by all kinds of medications. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are now shedding light on precisely how the individual amino acids of the G protein move during the switching process. The discovered mechanism signposts new approaches to the design of new active agents. |
 | PNNL helping make hydropower cheaper, more fish-friendlyEnabling fish to migrate past dams could cost a fraction of conventional fish ladders with the help of a new study of the so-called Salmon Cannon, which transports fish through a flexible tube that works by creating a small difference in pressure across fish. The pressure difference helps gently move fish through the tube. |
Humane effective feral horse control essential for KosciuszkoA Deakin University ecologist has led a team of 41 Australian scientists to write to New South Wales Premier Mike Baird to urge his Government to protect the Kosciuszko National Park through humane and effective feral horse control. | |
 | Popular Yellowstone River closes after thousands of fish dieMontana wildlife officials closed a 183-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River on Friday to fishing, rafting and other activities to prevent the spread of a parasite that is believed to have killed tens of thousands of fish. |
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