Science X Newsletter Week 18

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 18:

	Sex drug 'effective' as heart failure treatment A drug used to treat erectile dysfunction has been found by University of Manchester scientists to slow or even reverse the progression of heart failure in sheep.
	Dark matter exists: Observations disprove alternate explanations As fascinating as it is mysterious, dark matter is one of the greatest enigmas of astrophysics and cosmology. It is thought to account for 90 percent of the matter in the universe, but its existence has been demonstrated only indirectly, and has recently been called into question. New research conducted by SISSA removes the recent doubts on the presence of dark matter within galaxies, disproving the empirical relations in support of alternative theories. The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal, also offers new insights into understanding the nature of dark matter and its relationship with ordinary matter.
	New reading of Mesha Stele could have far-reaching consequences for biblical history The biblical King Balak may have been a historical figure, according to a new reading of the Mesha Stele, an inscribed stone dating from the second half of the 9th century BCE.
	Put down the protein shake: Variety of protein better for health Amino acids have long been touted by the fitness and bodybuilding communities for their muscle building benefits. From ultra-bulk protein powders to lean mass-promoting snack bars, there's no shortage of products available for those seeking a muscle boost.
	Two neutron stars collided near the solar system billions of years ago Astrophysicists Szabolcs Marka at Columbia University and Imre Bartos at the University of Florida, have identified a violent collision of two neutron stars 4.6 billion years ago as the likely source of some of the most coveted matter on Earth.
	Deadly box jellyfish antidote discovered using CRISPR genome editing Researchers at the University of Sydney have discovered an antidote to the deadly sting delivered by the most venomous creature on earth—the Australian box jellyfish.
	Computer model suggests earthquakes are triggered well beyond fluid injection zones Using data from field experiments and modeling of ground faults, researchers at Tufts University have discovered that the practice of subsurface fluid injection used in 'fracking' and wastewater disposal for oil and gas exploration could cause significant, rapidly spreading earthquake activity beyond the fluid diffusion zone. Deep fluid injections—greater than one kilometer deep—are known to be associated with enhanced seismic activity—often thought to be limited to the areas of fluid diffusion. Yet the study, published today in the journal Science, tests and strongly supports the hypothesis that fluid injections are causing potentially damaging earthquakes further afield by the slow slip of pre-existing fault fracture networks, in domino-like fashion.
	Alzheimer's disease is a 'double-prion disorder,' study shows Two proteins central to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease act as prions—misshapen proteins that spread through tissue like an infection by forcing normal proteins to adopt the same misfolded shape—according to new UC San Francisco research.
	Scientists connect quantum bits with sound over record distances Scientists with the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago have made two breakthroughs in the quest to develop quantum technology. In one study, they entangled two quantum bits using sound for the first time; in another, they built the highest-quality long-range link between two qubits to date. The work brings us closer to harnessing quantum technology to make more powerful computers, ultra-sensitive sensors and secure transmissions.
	Researchers propose air conditioners as climate-change remedy Scientists have an idea that could make you feel more like a green citizen than hedonist if you buy an air conditioner for your living quarters. There is a way that could use the units to fight climate change. OK, let us review the question posed by a Fast Company: What if every air conditioner was stopping climate change as it kept you cool?"
	Study shows skin microbiome imbalance likely behind eczema flareups A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions across the U.S. has found a connection between a skin microbiome imbalance and eczema flareups. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes their study of the skin microbiome and the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which has been associated with eczema.
	A quantum leap in particle simulation A group of scientists at the Department of Energy's Fermilab has figured out how to use quantum computing to simulate the fundamental interactions that hold together our universe.
	The space rock that hit the moon at 61,000 kilometers an hour Observers watching January's total eclipse of the Moon saw a rare event, a short-lived flash as a meteorite hit the lunar surface. Spanish astronomers now think the space rock collided with the Moon at 61,000 kilometres an hour, excavating a crater 10 to 15 metres across. Prof Jose Maria Madiedo of the University of Huelva, and Dr. Jose L. Ortiz of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, publish their results in a new paper in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	New study finds river wildlife contain cocaine, pharmaceuticals and pesticides For the first time, researchers at King's College London, in collaboration with the University of Suffolk, have found a diverse array of chemicals, including illicit drugs and pesticides in UK river wildlife. The study published today in Environment International, looked at the exposure of wildlife, such as the freshwater shrimp Gammarus pulex, to different micropollutants (chemicals found at exceptionally low levels) and the levels of these compounds in the animals.
	How the bumble bee got its stripes Researchers have discovered a gene that drives color differences within a species of bumble bees. This discovery helps to explain the highly diverse color patterns among bumble bee species as well as how mimicry—individuals in an area adopting similar color patterns—evolves. A study describing the gene, which occurs in a highly conserved region of the genome that provides blueprints for segmentation, was led by researchers at Penn State and appears April 29, 2019, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Killer asteroid flattens New York in simulation exercise After devastating the French Riviera in 2013, destroying Dhaka in 2015 and saving Tokyo in 2017, an international asteroid impact simulation ended Friday with its latest disaster—New York in ruins.
	Spinning black hole sprays light-speed plasma clouds into space Astronomers have discovered rapidly swinging jets coming from a black hole almost 8000 light-years from Earth.
	Circadian rhythm disruption tips the cell-cycle balance toward tumor growth Disrupting normal circadian rhythms promotes tumor growth and suppresses the effects of a tumor-fighting drug, according to a new study publishing April 30 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Yool Lee, Amita Sehgal, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania. The results provide mechanistic support for "chronotherapy," the delivery of cancer drugs timed to the endogenous circadian rhythm.
	Machine set to see if lithium can help bring fusion to Earth Lithium, the light silvery metal used in everything from pharmaceutical applications to batteries that power your smart phone or electric car, could also help harness on Earth the fusion energy that lights the sun and stars. Lithium can maintain the heat and protect the walls inside doughnut-shaped tokamaks that house fusion reactions, and will be used to produce tritium, the hydrogen isotope that will combine with its cousin deuterium to fuel fusion in future reactors.
	A novel technique that uses quantum light to measure temperature at the nanoscale Being able to measure, and monitor, temperatures and temperature changes at miniscule scales—inside a cell or in micro and nano-electronic components—has the potential to impact many areas of research from disease detection to a major challenge of modern computation and communication technologies, how to measure scalability and performance in electronic components.

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