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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 22, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | From gamma rays to X-rays: New method pinpoints previously unnoticed pulsar emissionBased on a new theoretical model, a team of scientists explored the rich data archive of ESA's XMM-Newton and NASA's Chandra space observatories to find pulsating X-ray emission from three sources. The discovery, relying on previous gamma-ray observations of the pulsars, provides a novel tool to investigate the mysterious mechanisms of pulsar emission, which will be important to understand these fascinating objects and use them for space navigation in the future. |
 | NASA's Lucy in the sky with … asteroids?A little over 4 billion years ago, the planets in our solar system coexisted with vast numbers of small rocky or icy objects orbiting the Sun. These were the last remnants of the planetesimals – the primitive building blocks that formed the planets. Most of these leftover objects were then lost, as shifts in the orbits of the giant planets scattered them to the distant outer reaches of the solar system or beyond. But some were captured in two less-distant regions, near points where the gravitational influence of Jupiter and the Sun balance, and have remained trapped there, mostly untouched, for billions of years. |
 | Big test coming up for tiny satellites trailing Mars landerA pair of tiny experimental satellites trailing NASA's InSight spacecraft all the way to Mars face their biggest test yet. |
 | ALMA's highest frequency receiver produces its first scientific result on massive star formationThe Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has tuned in another new channel for signals from space. Using its highest frequency receivers yet, researchers obtained 695 radio signatures for various molecules, including simple sugar, in the direction of a massive star forming region. These first scientific results from the ALMA Band 10 receivers developed in Japan ensure a promising future for high frequency observations. |
 | NASA InSight team on course for Mars touchdownNASA's Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) spacecraft is on track for a soft touchdown on the surface of the Red Planet on Nov. 26, the Monday after Thanksgiving. But it's not going to be a relaxing weekend of turkey leftovers, football and shopping for the InSight mission team. Engineers will be keeping a close eye on the stream of data indicating InSight's health and trajectory, and monitoring Martian weather reports to figure out if the team needs to make any final adjustments in preparation for landing, only five days away. |
 | NASA InSight landing on Mars: MilestonesOn Nov. 26, NASA's InSight spacecraft will blaze through the Martian atmosphere and attempt to set a lander gently on the surface of the Red Planet in less time than it takes to hard-boil an egg. InSight's entry, descent and landing (EDL) team, based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, along with another part of the team at Lockheed Martin Space in Denver, have pre-programmed the spacecraft to perform a specific sequence of activities to make this possible. |
 | NASA to launch new refueling mission, helping spacecraft live longer and journey fartherNASA will lay the foundation for spacecraft life extension and long duration space exploration with the upcoming launch of Robotic Refueling Mission 3 (RRM3), a mission that will pioneer techniques for storing and replenishing cryogenic spacecraft fuel. |
 | Nailing it: Caltech engineers help show that InSight lander probe can hammer itself into martian soilOn November 26, NASA's InSight lander will complete its six-and-a-half month journey to Mars, touching down at Elysium Planitia, a broad plain near the Martian equator that is home to the second largest volcanic region on the planet. |
 | Will we ever see a black hole?In the shadowy regions of black holes two fundamental theories describing our world collide. Can these problems be resolved and do black holes really exist? First, we may have to see one and scientists are trying to do just this. |
Technology news
 | Exploring the resurrection of digital consciousness using AIResearchers at Shree Devi Institute of Technology, in India, have recently carried out a study investigating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to communicate with deceased loved ones. Like in the chilling sci-fi fantasy foreshadowed by popular television series Black Mirror, AI tools could soon allow people to connect with virtual versions of deceased dear ones. |
 | Google's shoe idea teases moonwalks in the VR zone"Try walking forwards and the magic quickly falls apart—either when you walk into a wall, or are yanked back by the cable attaching your headset to a computer." That is Alistair Charlton in GearBrain. He was—you guessed it— ruefully calling out the one thing about virtual reality that does not feel new-world magical. "The problem with virtual reality is how you can only walk a few steps forward before the illusion is shattered." |
 | Artificial intelligence improves highway safety in Las VegasArtificial intelligence is helping improve safety along a stretch of Las Vegas' busiest highway. |
 | Outgoing Facebook exec takes fall for hiring opposition firmFacebook's outgoing head of communications is taking the blame for hiring Definers, the public relations firm doing opposition research on the company's critics, including billionaire philanthropist George Soros. |
 | Broadband researcher believes lack of access offers opportunityAs a yearlong effort to study broadband access in Pennsylvania nears its conclusion, the Penn State faculty member leading the effort sees numerous opportunities. The overwhelming amount of data documenting that relatively few residents of the Commonwealth have access to even the FCC-mandated minimum for measuring internet availability and speed, opens up options for accessing grants to bridge the digital divide. |
 | Startup PlateJoy sends users personalized meal plans to help them achieve health goalsAs a busy undergraduate at MIT, Christina Bognet decided she wanted to start eating a healthier diet. She began checking the nutritional content of her food and considering portion sizes. She created grocery lists to minimize food waste and cost, sifting through hundreds of recipes to find ones that were both healthy and delicious. Then she had to figure out how to make the meals she selected. |
 | Ion drive space engine used on aircraft for first timeImagine an aircraft engine that has no moving parts, produces no harmful exhaust and makes no noise. That's what researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have created by adapting a technology previously only used in spacecraft so it can power flight over the Earth. |
 | A decade after the invention of the smartphone, we're about to find out how we use our timeMuch has changed since 2006 about the way we use our time. |
 | Text visualization: researchers develop system for medical recordsNicole Sultanum says one of the fastest ways to understand information is by sight. |
 | UD invention aims to improve battery performanceImagine a world where cell phones and laptops can be charged in a matter of minutes instead of hours, rolled up and stored in your pocket, or dropped without sustaining any damage. It is possible, according to University of Delaware Professor Thomas H. Epps, III, but the materials are not there yet. |
 | Google tightens political ad rules ahead of Europe electionsGoogle said Thursday it's expanding stricter political advertising requirements to the European Union as part of efforts to curb misinformation and increase transparency ahead of the bloc's elections next year. |
 | A holiday miracle? Stores try to cut down on long linesRetailers will once again offer big deals and early hours to lure shoppers into their stores for the start of the holiday season. But they'll also try to get shoppers out of their stores faster than ever by minimizing the thing they hate most: long lines. |
 | Amazon opens US store for Aussie shoppers again: reportsGlobal online retail giant Amazon will allow users in Australia to shop in its US store again, reports said Thursday, reversing an earlier, unpopular move to block access over local tax laws. |
 | Meet Michael, the supercomputer designed to accelerate UK research for EV batteriesA new supercomputer designed to speed up research on two of the UK's most important battery research projects has been installed at University College London (UCL). Named Michael, after the UK's most famous battery scientist, Michael Faraday, the supercomputer will reach 265 teraflops at peak performance. |
 | Facebook to pay 100m in Italian fiscal accordSocial media giant Facebook has agreed to pay more than 100 million euros ($114 million) to end a fiscal fraud dispute, Italian tax authorities said Thursday. |
Medicine & Health news
 | First mapping of cells in the early human placenta to advance research on problem pregnanciesTo treat and prevent pregnancy-related disorders, researchers must understand not only what can go wrong, but when. Complications, such as preeclampsia and pre-term birth, often occur in the second or third trimester, and most research to date has focused on those later stages of pregnancy. But the biological events that lead to these problems could start much earlier. |
 | 35 kidney genes linked to chronic kidney disease riskAn international study lead by University of Manchester scientists has discovered the identity of genes that predispose people to chronic kidney disease. |
 | Poorest dying nearly 10 years younger than the rich in 'deeply worrying' trend for UKThe gap between the life expectancy of the richest and poorest sectors of society in England is increasing, according to new research from Imperial College London. |
 | Sweetened drinks pose greater diabetes risk than other sugary foodsSweetened drinks pose a greater risk of type 2 diabetes than most other foods containing fructose, a naturally occurring sugar, finds an evidence review published by The BMJ today. |
 | Smoking during pregnancy increases the likelihood of your baby becoming obeseSmoking during pregnancy increases the chance that your baby will become obese. New research published in Experimental Physiology examined potential reasons for this phenomenon, using tissue which is normally discarded following birth. |
 | FDA warns two companies about bogus opioid addiction treatment(HealthDay)—Warning letters about products illegally marketed as treatments for opioid addiction, pain, and anxiety have been sent to two companies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday. |
 | FDA approves drug for treatment of travelers' diarrhea(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced it has approved Aemcolo (rifamycin), an antibacterial drug indicated for treating adult patients with travelers' diarrhea caused by noninvasive strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) without fever or blood in the stool. |
 | FDA approves drug to treat rare immune disease(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Gamifant (emapalumab-lzsg) for the treatment of primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in pediatric (as young as newborn) and adult patients who have refractory, recurrent, or progressive disease or intolerance with conventional HLH treatment. |
 | Here's how you can 'feel better, think better, and sleep better'Studies show that sitting too much can raise your risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. |
Heart surgery, counselling may reduce infection-related deaths among drug usersIn London, 55 per cent of people who experience heart-valve infections are injection drug users. They are particularly vulnerable to the disease and on-third of them die as a result of this infection. | |
Alcohol use may increase among Hispanic Americans as they become more 'Americanized'Higher rates of alcohol use and drinking consequences are found among Hispanic American adolescents and adults who are more "Americanized," according to a new study authored by Southern Methodist University (SMU) professor Priscilla Lui and her colleague, Byron Zamboanga, at Smith College. | |
True burden of rheumatic fever in NZ currently underestimated, new research revealsThe true burden of rheumatic fever in New Zealand may be underestimated because serology cut-off guidelines are too high resulting in undercounting about 16 cases annually, new collaborative research has found. | |
 | Researchers find worrying link between problem gambling and video game loot boxesA major new study has provided the first evidence of a potentially dangerous link between problem gambling and video game loot boxes. |
 | When you're grateful, your brain becomes more charitable'Tis the season when the conversation shifts to what you're thankful for. Gathered with family and friends around a holiday feast, for instance, people may recount some of the biggies – like their health or their children – or smaller things that enhance everyday life – like happening upon a great movie while channel-surfing or enjoying a favorite seasonal food. |
 | We have weaker bones than our hunter-gatherer ancestors – this is what you can do about itTechnology is continuously advancing to make our lives "easier", more efficient and often more sedentary. All of this has an impact on our body and, specifically, our bones. |
 | It's hard to think about, but frail older women in nursing homes get sexually abused tooWe don't often think of older women being victims of sexual assault, but such assaults occur in many settings and circumstances, including in nursing homes. Our research, published this week in the journal Legal Medicine, analysed 28 forensic medical examinations of female nursing home residents who had allegedly been victims of sexual assault in Victoria over a 15-year period. |
 | Hope for cannabis as treatment for opioid addictionCanada currently finds itself at the intersection of two historic social phenomena with massive implications for public health. |
 | Canada: What will it take to end physical punishment of children?Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement recommending that parents not spank, hit or slap their children. |
 | Investment needed to save thousands of lives through post bite rabies vaccinesRabies, contracted through dog bites, currently kills an estimated 60,000 people each year, mostly in Africa and Asia with approximately 10% of deaths among children under the age of five. |
 | U of Maryland student dies of adenovirus-related illness(HealthDay)—An 18-year-old University of Maryland student has died from an adenovirus-related illness, and there have been reports of five other cases among students. |
 | CDC: U.S. abortion rate declined 24 percent from 2006 to 2015(HealthDay)—The abortion rate in the United States fell 24 percent between 2006 and 2015, according to research published in the Nov. 23 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | Brain and body both linked to cardiovascular healthThe slow, precise demands of research can be frustrating – but there are times the work becomes personal, and then it takes on a greater urgency. |
Biology news
 | For ants, unity is strength—and healthWhen a pathogen enters their colony, ants change their behavior to avoid the outbreak of disease. In this way, they protect the queen, brood and young workers from becoming ill. These results, from a study carried out in collaboration between the groups of Sylvia Cremer at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) and of Laurent Keller at the University of Lausanne, are published today in the journal Science. |
 | The origins of asymmetry: A protein that makes you do the twistAsymmetry plays a major role in biology at every scale: think of DNA spirals, the fact that the human heart is positioned on the left, our preference to use our left or right hand ... A team from the Institute of biology Valrose (CNRS/Inserm/Université Côte d'Azur), in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania, has shown how a single protein induces a spiral motion in another molecule. Through a domino effect, this causes cells, organs, and indeed the entire body to twist, triggering lateralized behaviour. This research is published in the journal Science on November 23, 2018. |
 | Fish genes hold key to repairing damaged heartsThe Mexican tetra fish can repair its heart after damage — something researchers have been striving to achieve in humans for years. |
 | Corals and their microbiomes evolved together, new research showsCorals and the microbes they host evolved together, new research by Oregon State University shows. |
 | Detecting dengue, Zika, and chikangunya within minutesAn MIT Tata Center funded research team led by MIT Professor Lee Gehrke and collaborator Irene Bosch has developed a paper-based diagnostic test to detect Zika, dengue, chikungunya and other related viruses within minutes. To commercialize the venture, they recently formed life sciences startup, E25Bio, to not only change the way mosquito-borne illnesses are diagnosed, but also enable governments to effectively prevent an outbreak from turning into a public health crisis, especially in high-risk, resource-poor areas across the developing world. |
It looks like an anchovy fillet but this ancient creature helps us understand how DNA worksToday a large international consortium of researchers published a complex but important study looking at how DNA works in animals. The research focused on a marine organism, a creature called amphioxus (also known as "the lancelet"), to explore some of the steps that took place as animals evolved from invertebrates (animals without a backbone) to more complex back-boned vertebrates, including us humans. | |
First steps to tackling South Africa's abalone poachingSouth Africa faces the possible collapse of several inshore fisheries, particularly certain species of linefish, abalone and West Coast Rock Lobster. If nothing is done, not only will the ecology be poorer and change in many unexpected ways, but sea-derived livelihoods will collapse. The social structures that have maintained communities and relationships with the sea will follow. | |
 | China's legalisation of rhino horn trade: disaster or opportunity?The Chinese government will be reopening the nation's domestic rhino horn trade, overturning a ban that has stood since 1993. An outcry since the announcement has led to the postponement of the lifting of the ban, which currently remains in place. |
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