Fwd: Science X Newsletter Sunday, Aug 9

HOT!

'Spectacular' meteor showers to light up the sky

RESPEKT!

Statistical technique helps cancer researchers understand tumor makeup, personalize care

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 10, 2015 at 3:22 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Sunday, Aug 9
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 9, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Astronomers discover a tenth transiting "Tatooine"
- Kids in mall. Run, robot, run (for your life)
- Mysterious fungus killing snakes in at least nine states
- Scans show brainwaves of those with epilepsy appear to synchronize with music
- Near-infrared light tech supports vein access procedures
- Turning cow poo into power is profitable for US farm
- Tesla courts hackers to defend high-tech cars
- How 16th Century observations paved the way for Darwin's landmark study
- 'Spectacular' meteor showers to light up the sky
- Tesla prototype is snakelike arm, guides itself into port to charge
- NASA simulation indicates ancient flood volcanoes could have altered climate
- Computer cursors are going 3-D

Earth news

	NASA simulation indicates ancient flood volcanoes could have altered climate In June, 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines exploded, blasting millions of tons of ash and gas over 20 miles high - deep into the stratosphere, a stable layer of our atmosphere above most of the clouds and weather. Certain gases in the massive plume from this volcano acted like a sunshield by scattering some of the sun's light, preventing it from reaching the surface and causing average surface temperatures to drop worldwide by an estimated 0.5 degrees Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit).
	Typhoon threatens China after 10 dead or missing in Taiwan Typhoon Soudelor barreled toward mainland China on Saturday after downing trees, traffic lights and power lines in Taiwan, where at least six people were killed, four left missing and dozens injured.
	Hong Kong swelters on hottest day in history Hong Kong on Saturday recorded its hottest day since authorities began taking temperature readings 130 years ago, due to the influence of a nearby typhoon.
	Typhoon weakens over China after leaving 22 dead, missing A typhoon that lashed Taiwan dumped heavy rain and winds on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, leaving a total of 22 people dead or missing, collapsing homes and trees and cutting power to more than a million homes.
	Satellite data shows wind shear socking Guillermo near Hawaii Satellite data revealed that Tropical Depression Guillermo doesn't have much punch left in it as a result of strong, persistent vertical wind shear that continues to pound away at the storm's structure.
	NASA sees a wider-eyed Typhoon Soudelor near Taiwan Clouds in Typhoon Soudelor's western quadrant were already spreading over Taiwan early on August 7 when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead. Soudelor is expected to make landfall and cross central Taiwan today and make a second landfall in eastern China. NASA satellite imagery revealed that Soudelor's eye "opened" five more miles since August 4.

Astronomy & Space news

Astronomers discover a tenth transiting "Tatooine" Astronomers at the 29th International Astronomical Union General Assembly will announce on August 14 the discovery of a new transiting "circumbinary" planet, bringing the number of such known planets into double digits. A circumbinary planet orbits two stars, and like the fictional planet "Tatooine" from Star Wars, this planet has two suns in its sky. The discovery marks an important milestone and comes only four years after the first Kepler circumbinary planet was detected. Once thought to be rare or even impossible, these ten discoveries confirm that such planets are common in our galaxy. The research was recently published in the Astrophysical Journal.

'Spectacular' meteor showers to light up the sky The Perseid meteor shower—an annual display of natural fireworks—should be particularly spectacular this year, with extra-dark skies expected to create optimal stargazing conditions, astronomers said Friday.

Technology news

	Kids in mall. Run, robot, run (for your life) When is human-likeness a good thing and when is it too much of a good thing? Interesting thought: If a child delights in pulling hair off her dolls' heads, disturbing the cat and jabbing her sister to tears, what will she do to the little space robot with eyes carefully designed in some studio to melt hearts or, as advertisers say, "engage?"
	Tesla prototype is snakelike arm, guides itself into port to charge Tesla Motors has revealed a new charger for its vehicles—a robotic-arm, snakelike car charger. A video shows it at work and it is quite easy to watch more than once as it rises and makes its way into the car. Bill Howard in ExtremeTech saw it as a "multi-segmented" robotic arm, which "rises up and slithers snake-like" toward the left rear quarter panel of the Tesla toward the charging port, aligns itself, and connects.
	Near-infrared light tech supports vein access procedures For a patient who is always jittery about holding out an arm for a needle, VeinViewer is a product that projects the image of veins on the person's arm, to help medical workers know where to put the needle.
	Tesla courts hackers to defend high-tech cars Hackers swarmed a Tesla sedan in a 'hacking village' at the infamous Def Con conference on Saturday as the high-tech electric car maker recruited talent to protect against cyber attacks.
	Turning cow poo into power is profitable for US farm For most farms, manure is a pungent problem. At Homestead Dairy, it smells like money.
	Computer cursors are going 3-D Researchers at the University of Montreal have developed techniques that enable computer cursors to interact in 3D in single or multiuser, local or remote collaboration scenarios. The system, unveiled today at the SIGGRAPH 2015 Conference in Los Angeles, is not so much about turning Word into an IMAX experience as offering designers an opportunity to navigate through and modify their creations manipulating 3D objects with 3D interactions.
	Rush to put death records online lets anyone be 'killed' Hackers at an infamous annual Def Con gathering in Las Vegas got schooled in how to be online killers.
TV industry sees digital threats rising Is it time for big television to start worrying about digital?
Hackers broadcast porn on TV screens at Brazil bus depot Hackers infiltrated the travel information video screens at a Brazilian bus station and replaced arrival and departure times with hard-core porn.
	Uneasy detente between Def Con hackers, 'feds' There was some bridge-building, but a real rift remained on Saturday between US spy agencies and the world's most infamous hacker gathering.
	Mobile makeover for Britain's scandal-hit banks With reputations tarnished by the financial crisis and a string of scandals, Britain's top banks are trying to adapt and move ahead by embracing mobile technology.
	Heists go Hollywood with DefCon hacks Hollywood-style heists took on real-world potential as hackers at a Def Con gathering showed how to crack safes in full view of security cameras without ever being seen.
'Sharing economy' surge creates labor conundrum They drive for Uber, deliver groceries for Instacart, run errands for TaskRabbit, and rent spare rooms on Airbnb.
	Former F1 champion Villeneuve goes electric Former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve is coming out of retirement to compete in the Formula E championship next season.
	Coveted hacker badges go radioactive The Uber badge awarded to champion hackers at Def Con here in Las Vegas has a certain glow.
	FX boss: There's 'too much television' with decline ahead A roundup of news Friday from the Television Critics Association summer meeting, at which TV networks and streaming services are presenting details on upcoming programs:
Vice digital editorial staffers join union Vice Media's digital editorial staff are joining a union—the latest in a wave of digital staffers voting to unionize.

Biology news

	How 16th Century observations paved the way for Darwin's landmark study Close but no cigar: How 16th Century observations paved the way for Darwin's landmark study
Mysterious fungus killing snakes in at least nine states Hidden on hillsides in a remote part of western Vermont, a small number of venomous timber rattlesnakes slither among the rocks, but their isolation can't protect them from a mysterious fungus spreading across the eastern half of the country that threatens to wipe them out.
Scientists move a step closer to understanding species distributions in the face of climate change A team of international researchers, led by the University of Sheffield, has moved one step closer to discovering how physiological attributes allow some plants to thrive in a variety of conditions - something that could be the key to future food sustainability.
	Scotland to ban GM crops Scotland is set to ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops, officials announced Sunday.

Medicine & Health news

	Scans show brainwaves of those with epilepsy appear to synchronize with music The brains of people with epilepsy appear to react to music differently from the brains of those who do not have the disorder, a finding that could lead to new therapies to prevent seizures, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association's 123rd Annual Convention.
	Over 80 percent of survey respondents report sexting within the past year The practice of sexting may be more common than generally thought among adults. More than eight out of 10 people surveyed online admitted to sexting in the prior year, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association's 123rd Annual Convention.
	Moderate intensity exercise delays development of hypertension through beneficial effects at functional, cellular level Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Recently, hypertension (high blood pressure) has been recognized as a major prevalent cardiovascular risk factor by WHO and American Heart Association. Unfortunately, less than 45% of the patients respond favorably to currently available anti-hypertensive medications. There is an urgent need to find more effective medicines for hypertensive patients.
	Pre-referral workup for GI, liver conditions can be optimized (HealthDay)—Pre-referral workup for gastroenterology and hepatology conditions can be optimized using Delphi methodology, according to research published online July 30 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
	Photodynamic Tx viable for paget's disease on scalp (HealthDay)—Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) on the scalp can be successfully treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT), according to a case report published online July 31 in the International Journal of Dermatology.
	Limited resection generally not equivalent in stage IA NSCLC (HealthDay)—For older patients with invasive, stage IA non-small-cell lung cancer, limited resection is generally not equivalent to lobectomy, according to a study published online Aug. 3 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Researchers developing soft robotic glove for post-stroke hand rehabilitation Initial rehabilitation therapy for many stroke victims may focus on regaining the ability to walk. But when hands also are affected, therapy focused only on the legs can leave hand muscles contracted, a condition that can be difficult to overcome.
Sierra Leone eases restrictions as Ebola danger 'recedes' Sierra Leoneans can go to sporting events and nightclubs for the first time in more than a year, after health officials declared there had been progress in rolling back a deadly epidemic of Ebola.
State deploys teams in NYC to test for Legionella bacteria State officials are deploying 150 trained workers to test cooling towers in the borough of the Bronx for traces of Legionnaires' disease amid the largest outbreak in New York City's history.
Record 108 contract Legionnaires disease in New York The number of people diagnosed with Legionnaires disease has risen to 108 as America's largest city suffers from a record outbreak of the form of pneumonia, authorities said Saturday.
	Frances Kelsey, doctor who opposed thalidomide, dies at 101 Frances Kelsey, a Canadian doctor known for her tenacity in keeping a dangerous drug given to pregnant women off the U.S. market, has died at age 101.
Facing rising dental costs, seniors head to Mexico Mark Bolzern traveled 3,700 miles to go to the dentist. The 56-year-old Anchorage, Alaska, native left home this spring, made a pit stop in Las Vegas to pick up a friend, and kept heading south, all the way to Los Algodones, Mexico, a small border town teeming with dental offices.

Other Sciences news

	Mexican museum puts on exhibit for 'artistic' Aztec god In the pantheon of Mexico's pre-Hispanic gods, most Aztec deities are depicted as brutal, blood-thirsty beings only appeased by human sacrifices.
Statistical technique helps cancer researchers understand tumor makeup, personalize care A new statistical method for analyzing next-generation sequencing (NGS) data that helps researchers study the genome of various organisms such as human tumors and could help bring about personalized cancer treatments was presented today at a session of the 2015 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM 2015) in Seattle.
Linking survey and administrative data better gauges impact of federal anitpovery efforts Linking survey data with administrative records will enable the federal government to better gauge the effectiveness of social welfare programs such as food stamps and federal housing assistance, as well as the overall reach of federal antipoverty initiatives, Bruce D. Meyer today told a session audience at the 2015 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM 2015) in Seattle.
	Analysis of men's and women's tennis performance finds differences from match format Quantitative analysis of the performance of men and women professional tennis players over the past five completed seasons shows for the first time that evidence of inconsistency in women's play is likely attributable to match format (e.g., best of three or five sets), not gender, Stephanie Kovalchik—an associate statistician with the RAND Corporation—today revealed at a session focused on analytics of women's sports at the 2015 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM 2015) in Seattle.

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