Fwd: Science X Newsletter Sunday, Apr 17

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 3:30 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Sunday, Apr 17
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for April 17, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- SLAC researchers recreate the extreme universe in the lab
- The Flyboard Air hoverboard
- Transmission of digital communication signals through meat
- Archaeologist sees Bosnia stone sphere as the most massive in Europe
- Pluto just the beginning for New Horizons Kuiper Belt journey
- Symposium envisions golden age of space travel

Physics news

SLAC researchers recreate the extreme universe in the lab Conditions in the vast universe can be quite extreme: Violent collisions scar the surfaces of planets. Nuclear reactions in bright stars generate tremendous amounts of energy. Gigantic explosions catapult matter far out into space. But how exactly do processes like these unfold? What do they tell us about the universe? And could their power be harnessed for the benefit of humankind?

Earth news

Maryland scientists to conduct Chesapeake Bay oyster harvest study Scientists say they have only a vague idea of how many oysters cover the reefs in the Chesapeake Bay, and can't say how many can be harvested safely each year without threatening the future of an already decimated population.
	Japan quakes kill at least 29; rescuers rush to free trapped Two powerful earthquakes a day apart shook southwestern Japan, killing at least 29 people and injuring 1,500, as thousands of army troops and other rescuers on Saturday rushed to save scores of trapped residents before the weather turns bad.
Hurricane forecast pioneer Bill Gray dead at age 86 Bill Gray, a pioneer in hurricane forecasting, died Saturday in Fort Collins, according to his longtime assistant. He was 86.
	Storms leave three million without water in Chile capital Three million people in the Chilean capital were without drinking water on Saturday after heavy rain caused landslides that fouled the rivers supplying the city, officials said.
	Kayakers protest Balkans 'dam tsunami' in lake paddle More than 60 kayakers took to Slovenia's Lake Bohinj Saturday to kick off a 35-day environmental protest over plans to build dams on rivers in six Balkan countries.

Astronomy & Space news

	Pluto just the beginning for New Horizons Kuiper Belt journey NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is far from done making waves in cosmic discoveries. Up next: Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69 a billion miles beyond Pluto.
	Symposium envisions golden age of space travel A symposium on space this past week was abuzz with talk of a new golden age of space travel.
	Kepler remains stable as health check continues The Kepler spacecraft remains stable as the process of returning it to science continues. The cause of the anomaly, first reported on April 8, remains under investigation.

Technology news

	The Flyboard Air hoverboard When you post video of your new jet powered hoverboard, and half the world thinks it has to be fake, you know you've got something good. But Frank Zapata's Flyboard Air is no hoax, it's the real deal. How does one know? All you gotta do is ask him.
	Transmission of digital communication signals through meat Eye rubbing time—New Scientist had the headline "Wireless signal sent through meat fast enough to watch Netflix" and there were no typos. They meant what they said. RT explained further that "researchers have developed a wireless signal so strong that it could transmit high-definition video through your flesh."
	Apple defends stand in Brooklyn case on iPhone access Apple urged a federal court Friday to reject efforts to force the company to help break into an iPhone as part of a New York drug investigation.
	Royal Navy uses pilotless aircraft to navigate through ice A tiny pilotless aircraft, built by the University of Southampton, has launched from the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship HMS Protector for the first time to assist with navigating through the Antarctic.
India's TCS to appeal $940 million US court damages India's biggest IT outsourcing firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) says it will challenge $940 million in damages imposed by a US court in an intellectual property theft case.
As Facebook plans for the future, VR looms large When Google wanted people to know it was serious about virtual reality two years ago, it sent software developers attending its I/O conference home with Google Cardboard - a cheap, build-it-yourself VR headset that developers could use with Samsung Galaxy smartphones. If they owned one.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba connects rural residents to online shopping Last fall, 30-year-old Luo Rong quit his $30,000-a-year engineering job in Shanghai, moved back to his mountaintop village of Jade Peak with his wife and newborn baby and opened a shop with a big orange and green sign out front.
	Review: Apple's newer, smaller iPad Pro a terrific tablet When Apple launched its first iPad Pro last fall, I was skeptical of the jumbo-sized device.
Will Napster co-founder Sean Parker's Screening Room disrupt the film industry? Sean Parker stood in front of a whiteboard at Napster's dingy offices in San Mateo, Calif., and mapped out a hoped-for future for the besieged music file-sharing service.
	Review: Neato Botvac Connected vacuum expensive, efficient My mom loves to vacuum. She shops for vacuums like most people shop for cars. She does her research and takes a test drive before she buys. Mom even had a Roomba robot vacuum for a while, but I haven't seen her use it in a few years. I suspect she doesn't think it does a good enough job.
Take that, A.I.: Video-gamers solve quantum physics mystery using human intuition Computers may trounce humans at games like chess and Go, but there's one game we've still got a lock on: quantum physics. Scientists who had people play an online video game that mimicked a troublesome quantum mechanical problem found that the gamers were far better than the computers at working out viable solutions.
British Airways flight believed to hit drone on approach Police say a British Airways flight from Geneva hit an object believed to be a drone while on approach to London's Heathrow Airport.
	Poll: Vast majority of Americans don't trust the news media Trust in the news media is being eroded by perceptions of inaccuracy and bias, fueled in part by Americans' skepticism about what they read on social media.

Biology news

California campus is one big laboratory to fight tree-killing beetle When the first few sycamores began dying in Aldrich Park at the at the University of California, Irvine, in late 2014, the victims numbered in the dozens. But over the next several months, hundreds of cottonwood, native willow, golden rain and coral trees met the same fate.

Medicine & Health news

Heart attack patients more depressed but get less antidepressants Heart attack patients are more depressed but are less often prescribed antidepressants than people who have not had a heart attack, according to research presented today at EuroHeartCare 2016 by Dr Barbro Kjellström, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.1
	New study challenges the concept of treatment failure in hepatitis C Data presented today demonstrate that choosing a different combination of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for Hepatitis C can eradicate the virus at four weeks in patients who had already failed on previous medication regimens.
	Public health concern as data reveals high prevalence of hepatitis B among refugees in Germany A new study presented today demonstrates the potential challenge posed to public health systems across Europe as a result of the prevalence of Hepatitis B among new refugee populations. The study was presented at The International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.
Potential first-in-class treatment is well-tolerated in patients with chronic hepatitis B New data presented today confirms that a novel first-in-class treatment for Hepatitis B, called NVR 3-778, is well-tolerated and can reduce levels of the virus' genetic material in the body when combined with pegylated interferon after four weeks of treatment. The updated Phase 1b trial results were presented today at The International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.
Sarcopenia, which affects up to 20 percent of European seniors, may increase 63 percent by 2045 Today, at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases. researchers from the University of Liège, Belgium presented a study that reveals the enormous and growing burden of sarcopenia in Europe.
Peru reports first sexually transmitted Zika case Peru has suffered its first case of sexually transmitted, locally contracted Zika virus, authorities said Saturday.
Long views, deep pockets: Danish foundations keep pharma groups healthy Denmark's biopharmaceutical sector, led by insulin giant Novo Nordisk, is experiencing a golden age as researchers reap the rewards of a unique ownership structure: deep-pocketed, non-profit foundations.
South Africans sweet on sugary drinks despite fat tax South Africa plans a new "fat tax" on sugary drinks to combat an obesity epidemic—but sweet-toothed consumers say its chances are slim of making them cut down.
Health official: Zika not worry now for pregnant women in US A top public health official says there's been no local transmission of the Zika (ZEE'-kuh) virus in the United States, so any talk about women in the country delaying pregnancy "is not even an issue for discussion at this point."
More babies, fewer multiple births, are resulting from assisted reproduction More babies than ever got their start in the petri dish of a fertility clinic in the United States in 2014. In its yearly review, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology reported a total of 65,175 live births resulting from a variety of procedures - up from 63,286 in 2013.
Waist not weight—the key to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease A new study presented today demonstrates that a build-up of fat around the waist can cause more serious complications than obesity in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The study was presented at The International Liver CongressTM 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.
Investigational treatment provides hope for some chronic liver disease sufferers A new study presented today provides hope for a new treatment in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare condition characterised by inflammation and scarring in the bile ducts of the liver and for which there are currently no medicines.
Low-cost generic direct-acting antiviral treatment for hep C is equivalent to branded formulations Data presented today demonstrates that generic direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are as effective and safe as branded treatments to cure Hepatitis C.
Disappointing data for diabetes drug in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease New data presented today at The International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, demonstrates that the drug sitagliptin - more commonly used to treat diabetes - was no more effective than placebo for reducing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
New study demonstrates efficacy of all-oral treatment regimens in adolescents with hepatitis C virus Adolescents with Hepatitis C (HCV) could benefit from a combination of direct-acting antivirals, according to new data presented today at The International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. The study demonstrated that adolescent patients with HCV genotype 1 aged 12 to 18 years who were treated for 12 weeks with a fixed dose combination of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir attained high sustained virologic response (SVR) rates.
Scientists find a way to cure hepatitis C with 6 weeks of treatment A pilot study presented today found that all patients with acute HCV who were treated with a direct-acting antiviral treatment over a 'short-duration' of six weeks had undetectable HCV after a 12 week follow-up. The investigator-initiated study, presented at The International Liver Congress in Barcelona, Spain, demonstrated that the combination of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir for only six weeks is sufficient to treat patients with acute HCV.
Phase 2 data show treatment efficacy in 'difficult-to-cure' hepatitis C patients A Hepatitis C (HCV) drug currently under investigation, ABT-493 and ABT-530, which is an all-oral once-daily antiviral treatment, helped HCV genotype 3 patients with heavily scarred livers and no previous treatment history to achieve a 100% sustained virologic response after receiving the treatment for 12 weeks (SVR12).
Study supports cardiovascular safety of calcium and vitamin D supplementation UK researchers have presented a new study that supports the cardiovascular safety of calcium and vitamin D supplementation. The study was based on analysis of the UK Biobank, a very large study comprising 502,664 men and women aged 40-69 years.
Study shows hip fracture risk rises in the 10 years after total knee replacement Researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy in Molndal, Sweden have published preliminary results of a fracture risk study, which was based on analysis of medical records from 1987 to 2002 covering the entire Swedish population born between 1902 and 1952.
Farmers are not just the backbone of a nation, they may have stronger hips too A team of UK and Swedish researchers has released the findings of a new study which assessed the hip fracture risk of farmers in Sweden.
Risk of second major osteoporotic fracture is greatest immediately after first fracture Today, at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, an international research team presented the preliminary results of a new study which aimed to determine whether the predictive value of a past major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) for future MOF changed with time.
German healthcare 'losing billion euros a year to fraud' Germany's healthcare system is losing as much as a billion euros a year to scammers, some of whom are linked to the Russian mafia, according to a media report Sunday.
	Pennsylvania launches 24th US medical marijuana program Pennsylvania has become the 24th state to legalize a comprehensive medical marijuana program.

Other Sciences news

	Archaeologist sees Bosnia stone sphere as the most massive in Europe An archaeologist is looking at a rock with great interest, a sphere unearthed in a forest, believed to be part of ancient civilization. Or is it just a very big rock?
Canada PM lights up Internet explaining quantum computing He has impressed world leaders, has a growing army of fans—many female—and is even credited with driving up tourism to Canada.

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