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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 5, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | From points of light to worlds: UA explores the solar systemA determined bunch of scientists set out to map the moon in preparation of the Apollo landings, but that was only the beginning. A new field of science blossomed, and UA scientists have been involved in nearly every U.S. space mission since. |
 | NUS quantum satellite combines art with scienceA satellite built by the National University of Singapore (NUS) entered orbit in June carrying both a high-tech quantum device from the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) and a quotation from a play written for the NUS Arts Festival. |
 | Slow progress: NASA's still trying to get inSight's Mole working againThe InSight lander has been on Mars for 213 Sols on its mission to understand the interior of the red planet. It's armed with a seismometer, a temperature and wind sensor, and other instruments. But it's primary instrument, arguably, is the Mole, or the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3.) And the Mole has been stuck for a while now. |
Technology news
 | How the Avengers assemble: Ecology-based metrics model effective cast sizes for Marvel moviesIn a recent study, researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS) in Adelaide have tried to use ecology-related concepts to model effective cast sizes for movies, focusing on characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Their research, outlined in a paper pre-published on arXiv, gathered interesting findings that could shed light on some factors associated with the success of Marvel movies. |
 | Companies spell out guiding principles for autonomous cars to be safe"Safety First for Automated Driving" has been compiled by 11 authors representing automotive and mobility industry thought leadership. |
 | Samsung Electronics flags 56% fall in Q2 operating profitSamsung Electronics said Friday it expects operating profit to tumble 56 percent for the second quarter of this year in the face of a weakening chip market. |
 | E-scooter market charges ahead but faces bumpy roadThe E-scooter market has exploded over the past two years but operators are by no means assured of finding a long-term niche in the urban transport sector. |
 | E-scooters: a transport 'tsunami' flooding cities worldwideThey appeared in June last year as Paris was waking up from its annual all-night Festival of Music: hundreds of green-and-black electric scooters dotting the pavements of the capital. |
Tel Aviv takes a ride to scooter 'paradise'Matan Ben Ari was among the many taking to one of Tel Aviv's main streets on a recent day—not with a car or public transport, but with an electric scooter. | |
 | Jaguar Land Rover set to build electric cars in UKCar manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has decided to produce a range of electric vehicles at its central England factory, it announced Friday, securing thousands of jobs in a major boost to post-Brexit Britain. |
 | Facebook Libra digital currency will carry hidden costsWhen Facebook announced its intention last month to get into the money business with its own digital currency, we were left wondering what would be next. Its own court system? Its own standing army? |
 | When convenience meets surveillance: AI at the corner storeJacksons Food Store customer Denise Diharce was surprised to learn that the Tacoma location she frequents for odds and ends is testing a high-tech system that, prior to entry, will compare her to images of previous crime suspects. |
Facing fury over 'fake websites,' Grubhub says restaurants have it wrongIt looked like yet another example of Big Tech's overreach, a David-and-Goliath story pitting a massive internet platform against powerless individuals. | |
 | UK investigation of Amazon investment shows tougher approachThe U.K. competition watchdog on Friday launched an investigation into Amazon's purchase of a large stake in food delivery service Deliveroo, a move that suggests authorities are taking a harder line on the expansion of Big Tech. |
 | 'Eyes' for the autopilot: Successful automatic landing with vision assisted navigationAutomatic landings have long been standard procedure for commercial aircraft. While major airports have the infrastructure necessary to ensure the safe navigation of the aircraft, this is usually not the case at smaller airports. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and TU Braunschweig have now demonstrated a completely automatic landing with vision assisted navigation that functions properly without the need for ground-based systems. |
 | New approach to energy strategy accounts for uncertaintyMany countries—including Switzerland—are developing an energy strategy to meet various objectives such as reducing reliance on fossil fuels, cutting CO2 emissions and promoting the energy transition. That means governments have to make important decisions about which power sources to prioritize in the future and what technologies to invest in, in order to strike the right balance between keeping public spending under control and promoting clean energy. |
 | Here's how hackers are making your Tesla, GM and Chrysler less vulnerable to attackIn March, a Tesla Model 3 was hacked. |
 | Google backs down after New Zealand murder case gaffeGoogle agreed Friday to change how it publishes New Zealand news after top officials in Wellington lashed the US tech giant for breaching court suppression orders in a high-profile murder case. |
 | You're on vacation and you've run out of phone storage—what to do?You're taking that killer selfie in front of a national monument and you get that dreaded notice on your phone—you've run out of storage. |
Tech jobs soar to all-time record heights in Bay AreaThe Bay Area's technology boom is so robust that it has reached record highs, but the remarkable surge has also reduced Santa Clara County's share of tech employment in the nine-county region as the San Francisco-San Mateo area has gained a bigger piece of the pie. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Computing hubs in the hippocampus and cortexNeural computation occurs in large neural networks within dynamic brain states, yet it remains poorly understood if the functions are performed by a specific subset of neurons or if they occurred in specific, dynamic regions. In a recent study, Wesley Clawson and co-workers at the Institute of Neuroscience Systems in France, used high density recordings in the hippocampus, medial entorhinal and medial prefrontal cortex of the rat. Using the animal model, they identified computing substates where specific computing hub neurons performed well-defined operations on storage and sharing in a brain state-dependent manner. |
 | Surgery restores arm function in some paralysed patients: studySurgeons in Australia have managed to restore arm function in paralysed patients, allowing them to feed themselves, use tools and handle electronic devices, according to the results of a groundbreaking study released Friday. |
 | Discovery reveals prolific ability of Schwann cells to generate myelinScientists have discovered that a special type of cell is much more prolific in generating a protective sheath covering nerve fibers than previously believed. |
 | How the brain remembers where you're goingResearchers have made new discoveries about how certain brainwaves aid navigation. They hope that the methods may benefit patients suffering from neurodegenerative disorders one day. |
 | Hyperactivated 'garbage disposal systems': Revolutionary discovery in leukemia researchLeukemia affects over 6,000 Canadians per year. A team of researchers used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to discover a new way to kill leukemia cancer cells. When the scientists hyperactivated the "garbage disposal systems" of leukemia cells, it caused the cancer to die. |
 | Dementia tied to hormone-blocking prostate cancer treatmentAlzheimer's disease may be a risk for older prostate cancer patients given hormone-blocking treatment, a large, U.S. government-funded analysis found. |
 | Strain of common cold virus could revolutionize treatment of bladder cancerA strain of the common cold virus has been found to potentially target, infect and destroy cancer cells in patients with bladder cancer, a new study in the medical journal Clinical Cancer Research reports. No trace of the cancer was found in one patient following treatment with the virus. |
 | Scientists discover origin of cell mask that hides stomach cancerA layer of cells that look like normal stomach lining on top of sites of stomach cancer can make it difficult to spot after removal of a Helicobacter pylori infection. In a recent study, researchers from Hiroshima University have uncovered the origin of this layer of cells: it is produced by the cancer tissue itself. |
 | Researchers elucidate mechanism between exercise and improved motor learningMuscle memory—it's not just a saying. Repetitive exercise induces improved learning for motor skills, and researchers have now identified the molecular pathway underpinning the process. |
 | Discovered: The mechanism that makes infants more likely than adults to die from sepsisAn immune mechanism that makes babies more likely than adults to die from sepsis has been identified by scientists affiliated with the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CRID in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State (Brazil). The study is published) in Critical Care. |
 | Researchers use AI to establish molecular tumor classification and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancerTreating physicians need information about the molecular subtype of the tumor if they are to provide targeted therapy for colorectal carcinoma. A research team from University Hospital Zurich and the University of Oxford have now developed a method to predict the molecular classification of colorectal cancer from digital pathology slides. |
 | How protect against short- and long-term sun damage(HealthDay)—Don't invite skin cancer to your holiday weekend. |
 | Exercising when you have high blood pressure(HealthDay)—High blood pressure is a serious risk factor for heart disease, stroke and other life-threatening medical conditions. While many people need medication and dietary changes to control their blood pressure, exercise is a key component of nearly every management plan. |
 | How to create a diet that lowers your cholesterol(HealthDay)—Watching your cholesterol intake has gotten easier. |
Flesh-eating bacteria in Florida waters: Three things you need to knowAfter two more cases of flesh-eating bacteria infections were reported from Florida waters recently, Tampa Bay area physicians are warning residents and visitors to be careful swimming in brackish water or eating uncooked seafood. | |
 | Mayo Clinic Q&A: Do you need a bone density test?Dear Mayo Clinic: I've never had a fracture or bone health issues. Should I still get a bone density test? |
 | DR Congo Ebola death toll exceeds 1,600 markDeaths from an 11-month-old epidemic of Ebola in eastern DR Congo have crossed the 1,600 mark and a new fatality has been reported near the border with Uganda, the health ministry said on Friday. |
Biology news
 | Hundreds of sharks and rays tangled in plasticHundreds of sharks and rays have become tangled in plastic waste in the world's oceans, new research shows. |
 | Tracking evolution through teeth: The small-fry ancestor of the great white sharkMackerel sharks (Lamniformes) are a group consisting of some of the most iconic sharks we know, including the mako shark (the fastest shark in the world), the infamous great white shark, and Megalodon, the biggest predatory shark that has ever roamed the world's oceans. An international team of researchers around Patrick L. Jambura from the University of Vienna found a unique feature in the teeth of these apex predators, which allowed them to trace back the origin of this group to a small benthic shark from the Middle Jurassic (165 mya). Their study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. |
 | Hell in high water: Braving the monsoon to save India's rhinosThe monsoon may bring respite from the scorching heat, but for the rangers and animals at Kaziranga National Park it also brings danger as poachers take advantage of greater camouflage and flooding. |
Surge in sick, hungry sea lions off California coast puzzles marine biologistsA rise in the number of ailing and malnourished sea lions along the California coastline has marine experts somewhat puzzled, KNTV reports. | |
 | Altered gene expression may trigger collapse of symbiotic relationshipResearchers in Japan have identified the potential genes responsible for coral bleaching caused by temperature elevation. |
 | Researchers find a core cow microbiome dictates dairy cow productivity and emissionsAn international team of researchers has found that a core cow microbiome dictates dairy cow productivity and methane emissions. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes DNA testing they did on rumen microbes in cattle in several European countries and what they found. |
 | New dairy cattle breeding method increases genetic selection efficiencyBrazilian scientists at São Paulo State University (UNESP) collaborating with colleagues at the University of Maryland and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed a dairy cattle breeding method that adds a new parameter to genetic selection and conserves or even improves a population's genetic diversity. |
 | Effect of insecticides on damselflies greater than expectedThe latest research from the Leiden outdoor laboratory "Living Lab' shows that the insecticide thiacloprid strongly influences even the most common and robust dragonfly species in the Netherlands. The study was published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. |
 | Programmed cell death: The roles of caspase-1 and gasdermin D in apoptosis and pyroptosisCaspase-1 triggers programmed necrosis called pyroptosis by gasdermin-D (GSDMD) cleavage. GSDMD-deficient cells are, however, susceptible to caspase-1-mediated cell death. Researchers at Kanazawa University and others discovered that caspase-1 proteolytically activates Bid and initiates apoptosis in GSDMD-deficient cells. Furthermore, cortical neurons and mast cells, exhibiting little GSDMD expression, undergo apoptosis after appropriate stimulation in a caspase-1- and Bid-dependent manner. This study clarifies molecular mechanisms and biological roles of caspase-1-induced apoptosis in GSDMD-low/null cells. |
A deadly fungus is killing millions of bats in the U.S. Now it's in CaliforniaA mysterious fungus that has killed millions of bats in the eastern United States and left caves littered with their tiny carcasses has arrived in Northern California and appears poised to spread throughout the state, according to officials. | |
 | Elephants: the jumbo surprise outside Nigeria's megacityThe jungle was so thick that Emmanuel Olabode only found the elephants he was tracking when the great matriarch's sniffing trunk reached out close enough to almost touch. |
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