Od: Andrzej Antoni Czerwinski <andrzej.czerwinski22@gmail.com>
Date: śr., 28 gru 2022, 08:13
Subject: Fwd: Science X Newsletter Tue, Dec 27
To: <filip.czerwinski@hotmail.com>
Od: Newsletter Science X <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: śr., 28 gru 2022, 02:04
Subject: Science X Newsletter Tue, Dec 27
To: Andrzej Antoni Czerwinski <andrzej.czerwinski22@gmail.com>
Dear Andrzej Antoni Czerwinski,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 27, 2022:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Physics news
 | Giant laser from 'Star Trek' to be tested in fusion breakthroughThe breakthrough came in an impossibly small slice of time, less than it takes a beam of light to move an inch. In that tiny moment, nuclear fusion as an energy source went from far-away dream to reality. The world is now grappling with the implications of the historic milestone. For Arthur Pak and the countless other scientists who've spent decades getting to this point, the work is just beginning. |
 | Study lays foundation for producing germanium-68/gallium-68 generatorResearchers at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have conducted a study on the separation route of germanium-68 and successfully prepared a germanium-68/gallium-68 generator. |
 | New platform integrates THz photonics with planarized low-loss polymersIntegrated photonics extensively uses on-chip optical elements such as sources, splitters, modulators, and high-confinement waveguides embedded in a planar platform to efficiently process and route optical signals. There is a growing interest in integrated Mid-IR and THz photonics for telecommunications and sensing. In the THz frequency range, a prominent candidate for source integration is the THz quantum cascade laser. |
Earth news
 | Bering Land Bridge formed surprisingly late during last ice age, study findsA new study that reconstructs the history of sea level at the Bering Strait shows that the Bering Land Bridge connecting Asia to North America did not emerge until around 35,700 years ago, less than 10,000 years before the height of the last ice age (known as the Last Glacial Maximum). |
 | Far-flung forces caused the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, say researchersAn extreme heat wave struck the Pacific Northwest in June 2021. Temperatures soared above 40°C (104°F) across Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, sometimes even approaching 50°C (122°F). Experts estimate that at least several hundred people died as a result. |
 | Deep learning can predict tsunami impacts in less than a secondDetailed predictions about how an approaching tsunami will impact the northeastern coastline in Japan can be made in fractions of a second rather than half an hour or so—buying precious time for people to take appropriate action. This potentially life-saving technology exploits the power of machine learning. |
 | Real-time rip current identification tool uses AI and deep learningBeachgoers could be safer thanks to a new technology with the potential to give real-time updates of rip currents. |
 | Depletion of groundwater is accelerating in California's Central Valley, study findsScientists have discovered that the pace of groundwater depletion in California's Central Valley has accelerated dramatically during the drought as heavy agricultural pumping has drawn down aquifer levels to new lows and now threatens to devastate the underground water reserves. |
 | 'Epic' winter storm wallops US, leaving 1 mn without powerMore than a million US power customers were in the dark Friday as a "bomb cyclone" winter storm walloped the country, closing highways, grounding flights and causing misery for Christmas travelers. |
 | Deadly winter blizzard leaves US in pre-Christmas deep freezeA fearsome winter storm that pummelled the United States with blinding snow and powerful Arctic winds left over half a million customers without power Saturday as thousands of cancelled flights stranded travelers making last-minute dashes for Christmas. |
 | Savage US blizzard leaves 32 dead, power outages, travel snarlsA brutal winter storm that brought Christmas chaos to millions of Americans will be slow to dissipate, the US National Weather Service said Monday, after intense snow and frigid cold caused power outages, travel delays and at least 32 deaths across the eastern part of the country. |
 | 'Blizzard of the century' leaves nearly 50 dead across USTemperatures were expected to moderate across the eastern and midwest United States on Tuesday, after days of freezing weather from "the blizzard of the century" left at least 49 dead and caused Christmas travel chaos. |
 | Model analysis of atmospheric observations reveals methane leakage in North ChinaNatural gas is a relatively clean burning fossil fuel, that causes less air pollution than coal and is widely used in the world. Recent studies have shown that the natural gas leaks from production, supply chain, and end-use facilities are a large source of atmospheric methane (CH4), and the leaking budget is underestimated in many places by bottom-up inventories. |
 | Homes that survived Boulder County fire hid another disaster inside: Research details this urban wildfire health riskOn Dec. 30, 2021, one of the most destructive wildfires on record in Colorado swept through neighborhoods just a few miles from our offices at the University of Colorado Boulder. The flames destroyed over 1,000 buildings, yet when we drove through the affected neighborhoods, some houses were still completely intact right next to homes where nothing was left to burn. |
 | 22 dead as savage US blizzard cuts power, snarls travelMore than 200,000 Americans woke up without power on Christmas morning as a days-long winter megastorm that hammered several eastern US states Sunday left more than 20 people dead. |
 | Philippines floods force tens of thousands to flee homesChristmas Day floods in the Philippines forced the evacuation of nearly 46,000 people from their homes, civil defence officials said Monday. |
 | 2022 was a historic year for climate change policies. What's next for 2023?2022 was a landmark year for climate change action—and repercussions. |
 | Viewpoint: 3 reasons local climate activism is more powerful than people realizeGlobal warming has increased the number of extreme weather events around the world by 400% since the 1980s. Countries know how to stop the damage from worsening: stop burning fossil fuels and shift to renewable energy, electrify transportation and industry, and reduce the carbon intensity of agriculture. |
 | Pressure mounts on Biden administration for decision on giant Willow oil field project in AlaskaA major oil prospect on federal land in Alaska is hanging in the balance as pressure mounts on the Biden administration for a final decision to approve, or reject, the project. |
 | Another above-average wildfire season for 2022. How climate change is making fires harder to predict and fight.Harlene Schwander didn't need a second warning from firefighters as a blaze burned toward her home in Klamath River, California, in July. |
Astronomy and Space news
 | Research investigates the latest outburst of pulsar SAX J1808.4−3658Using the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) onboard the International Space Station (ISS), an international team of astronomers has inspected the recent outburst of an accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar known as SAX J1808.4−3658. Results of the study, published December 19 on the preprint server arXiv, shed more light on the nature of this source. |
 | Precise FAST observations reveal circular polarization in active repeating fast radio burstsA research team led by Prof. Li Di from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) has revealed circular polarization in active repeating fast radio bursts based on precise observations of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST). |
 | Planetary interiors in TRAPPIST-1 system could be affected by solar flaresIn a recent study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, an international team of researchers led by the University of Cologne in Germany examined how solar flares erupted by the TRAPPIST-1 star could affect the interior heating of its orbiting exoplanets. |
 | Planet spiralling into star may offer glimpse into Earth's endFor the first time astronomers have identified a planet that is spiralling towards a cataclysmic collision with its ageing sun, potentially offering a glimpse into how Earth could end one day. |
 | Five space exploration missions to look out for in 2023It's been an eventful year for space exploration, with successes including the completion of Nasa's Artemis 1 mission (finally), the inauguration of the James Webb Space Telescope, and the completion of China's Tiangong space station. |
 | Is the Milky Way normal?Studying the large-scale structure of our galaxy isn't easy. We don't have a clear view of the Milky Way's shape and features like we do of other galaxies, largely because we live within it. But we do have some advantages. From within, we're able to carry out close-up surveys of the Milky Way's stellar population and its chemical compositions. That gives researchers the tools they need to compare our own galaxy to the many millions of others in the universe. |
 | Is mining in space socially acceptable?Traditional mining has been subject to a negative stigma for some time. People, especially in developed countries, have a relatively negative view of this necessary economic activity. Primarily that is due to its environmental impacts—greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction are some of the effects that give the industry its negative image. |
 | NASA makes asteroid defense a priority, moving its NEO surveyor mission into the development phaseThere's an old adage in the engineering field—what gets funded gets built. So it's sure to be a happy time over at the Planetary Society, as NEO Surveyor, the project the organization has primarily supported over the past few years, has made it through NASA's grueling budgetary process to reach the "development" stage, with an eye for a launch of the system in 2028. |
Technology news
 | Using an ethylene carbonate solvent with a sodium iodide salt to create a new kind of refrigeratorA pair of researchers at Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory used a commonly known, naturally occurring phenomenon to build a new kind of environmentally safe refrigerator. |
 | Improving the operational stability of perovskite solar cellsHybrid perovskites are materials made from metal halide frameworks interspersed with organic cations. They have attracted a lot of interest in the field of solar energy because of their light-harvesting capacity combined with a low cost of manufacturing, making perovskite solar cells (PSCs) prime candidates for replacing current silicon-based devices. Perovskites also show great potential in a range of applications that include LED lights, lasers, and photodetectors. |
 | Rapamycin in the context of Pascal's wager: Collaborating with ChatGPT to write a research perspective pieceLarge language models utilizing transformer neural networks and other deep learning architectures demonstrated unprecedented results in many tasks previously accessible only to human intelligence. In a new paper, Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov from Insilico Medicine used the ChatGPT Generative Pre-trained Transformer by OpenAI to discuss the use of rapamycin for anti-aging through the philosophical framework of Pascal's wager. |
 | EXPLAINER: 2023 tax credits for EVs will boost their appealStarting Jan. 1, many Americans will qualify for a tax credit of up to $7,500 for buying an electric vehicle. The credit, part of changes enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act, is designed to spur EV sales and reduce greenhouse emissions. |
 | Cryptocurrency upheaval could be a blessing in disguise for the future of blockchain technologyEvery cloud has a silver lining. So whether or not the sun sets on cryptocurrencies, its underlying technology, blockchain, has a bright future beyond just coins. |
 | Elon Musk removed suicide prevention feature from Twitter, report saysA Twitter feature designed to redirect people contemplating suicide has been discontinued by Elon Musk, according to a report. |
 | Silicon Valley debate over Twitter divides county leaders in the heart of itThe thorny national debate about Twitter's future skidded into Silicon Valley's largest local government this month as Santa Clara County grappled over whether it should abandon the increasingly contentious social media platform or ride it out with new owner Elon Musk. |
Chemistry news
 | Highly sensitive infrared polarizer based on sulfur waste createdPolarimetric images can provide information such as shading and surface morphologies by using polarizers that selectively reflect the transverse electric (TE) field and transmit the transverse magnetic (TM) field of unpolarized incident light. However, current IR polarizers are mainly based on expensive and brittle ceramics (such as semiconductors and chalcogenides) with nano-gratings usually fabricated by time- and cost-consuming interference lithography. |
 | Functional analyses of RNA-related enzymes using a next-generation DNA sequencerGenetic information encoded in genomic DNA is transcribed to mRNAs and then the codons on mRNA are decoded by transfer RNAs (tRNAs) during protein synthesis. tRNAs deliver amino acids to ribosomes and proteins are synthesized from the amino acids on the ribosomes according to the decoded genetic information. Therefore, tRNA plays a key role during the translation of genetic information. |
 | Time to strike antifreeze off your list of usable poisons?Ethylene glycol is the most common ingredient in automotive antifreeze. But for years, it was used in deadly poisonings. |
 | Enhancing the conversion efficiency of powdered photocatalysts that generate hydrogen from water under visible lightIn 2019, Shinshu University Special Contract Professor Domen Kazunari and colleagues developed the powdered oxysulfide photocatalyst Y2Ti2O5S2 that absorbs sunlight of wavelengths below 650 nm and splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. |
 | Revealing intermolecular hydrogen bond's important role in separation, purification of structurally similar compoundsCoal tar, once considered waste, has become a huge treasure trove because hundreds of compounds can be isolated from it. Most of these compounds tend to be aromatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heterocyclic compounds. |
Biology news
 | Despite ban, small turtle online pet trade in the US found to be flourishingA team of researchers at the University of Rhode Island, working with a colleague at the University of Richmond, has found that despite laws banning the sale of hatchling turtles, there is a thriving online market for them in the U.S. In their paper published in the open-access journal PLOS One, the group describes their survey of online sites selling turtles and whether such sites were adhering to federal regulations. |
 | Brown algae removes carbon dioxide from the air and stores it in slimeBrown algae take up large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air and release parts of the carbon contained therein back into the environment in mucous form. This mucus is hard to break down for other ocean inhabitants, thus the carbon is removed from the atmosphere for a long time, as researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen now show. |
 | A checkerboard pattern of inner ear cells enables us to hearA Japanese research group has become the first to reveal that the checkerboard-like arrangement of cells in the inner ear's organ of Corti is vital for hearing. The discovery gives new insight into how hearing works from the perspective of cell self-organization and will also enable various hearing loss disorders to be better understood. |
 | Unraveling the selective transport of sugar and a hormone that underlies male fertility in plantsResearchers at Nagoya University, Japan, have discovered a mechanism for the selective transportation of sugar and hormones in plants. The results also clarify that sugar transportation is necessary for male fertility in plants, which means pollen production. The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
 | Eating viruses can power microorganism's growth and reproductionOver a single day, in the placid waters of a single pond, a million virus particles might enter a single-celled organism known for the minuscule hairs, or cilia, that propel it through those waters. |
 | Mystery Nevada fossil site could be ancient maternity wardScientists have uncovered new clues about a curious fossil site in Nevada, a graveyard for dozens of giant marine reptiles. Instead of the site of a massive die-off as suspected, it might have been an ancient maternity ward where the creatures came to give birth. |
 | En garde! Wasps use penis spikes to ward off predatorsAn accidental sting has helped Japanese scientists prove some male wasps have a rather unusual predator defence weapon: penis spikes. |
 | Glass act: Scientists reveal secrets of frog transparencyNow you see them, now you don't. |
 | Dinosaurs were in their prime, not in decline, when fateful asteroid hitPaleontologists agree that a massive asteroid strike triggered the end of the dinosaurs, but a debate has persisted over the reptiles' overall state at the time of the fateful collision. |
 | Deaths of 3 endangered Cambodian dolphins raise alarmThree endangered freshwater dolphins have died within 10 days of each other, alarming conservationists in Cambodia. |
 | Fly away home: rare Eastern Sarus cranes released in ThailandAs the sun came up, 13 Thai Eastern Sarus cranes were released over a rippling reservoir in northeast Thailand, the latest effort to revive the almost-extinct species in the kingdom. |
 | Ethereal color variant of mysterious plant is actually new speciesGreen leaves and photosynthesis were once considered essential characteristics of plants. However, some plants have stopped performing photosynthesis and take the nutrients they need from other organisms instead. One such mycoheterotrophic plant is the ghostly-looking Monotropastrum humile, which is widely found across East and Southeast Asia. It often grows in woodlands where there is little sunlight, obtaining the nutrients it needs by feeding off the hyphae of fungi. |
 | Study reveals inconsistent effect of ramet connection in homogeneous environmentsPhysiological or clonal integration is a key ecological benefit where stolon or rhizome connections between ramets allow for translocation of resources from source-sites to sink-sites (in patchy or heterogeneous environments) within the clone. However, negative effects of ramet connection have also been found in previous studies. |
 | Researchers build cell atlas using scattered single-cell datasetsImagine a virtual human body, rich in complexity and detail, that enables scientists to simulate experiments that can't be conducted in vivo or in vitro. A team of Chinese researchers brought this vision closer to reality by developing a framework for seamless cell-centric data assembly and built the human Ensemble Cell Atlas (hECA) using data collected from scattered public datasets. |
 | Producers getting better at making alcohol-free beer and wine: Here's how it's doneDrinking alcohol has been part of Australian culture for at least 240 years, and perhaps millennia prior. |
 | Climate change is forcing cities to rethink their tree mixCities need to plant more trees. But not just any trees. |
 | First total ear canal removal surgery performed on pigDoctors at Oregon State University's veterinary hospital performed the first known total ear canal ablation surgery on a pig last week, in consultation with a human ear doctor who previously operated on the lead veterinary surgeon's ear. |
 | Four creepy crawlies Australians will see more of this wet summer—and one iconic beetle they'll probably missFor Australians, memories of childhood Christmas often include gifts, prawns and shooing uninvited buzzing guests away from the pavlova. |
Medicine and Health news
 | A top-down study of isogenic human non-metastatic and metastatic colorectal cancer cell linesA team of researchers from Michigan State University, Indiana University, The Ohio State University and Tulane University, has conducted a top-down proteomics study of isogenic human non-metastatic and metastatic colorectal cancer cell lines. |
 | Spontaneous baby movements are important for development of coordinated sensorimotor systemSpontaneous, random baby movements aid development of their sensorimotor system, according to new research led by the University of Tokyo. Detailed motion capture of newborns and infants was combined with a musculoskeletal computer model to enable researchers to analyze communication among muscles and sensation across the whole body. |
 | Females on average perform better than males on a 'theory of mind' test across 57 countriesFemales, on average, are better than males at putting themselves in others' shoes and imagining what the other person is thinking or feeling, suggests a new study of over 300,000 people in 57 countries. |
 | New bacterial therapy approach to treat lung cancerLung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States and around the world. Many of the currently available therapies have been ineffective, leaving patients with very few options. A promising new strategy to treat cancer has been bacterial therapy, but while this treatment modality has quickly progressed from laboratory experiments to clinical trials in the last five years, the most effective treatment for certain types of cancers may be in combination with other drugs. |
 | AI-powered technology sees big improvements in UK stroke treatment: analysisArtificial intelligence technology has tripled the number of UK stroke patients recovering to a point where they can perform daily activities, according to new research released on Tuesday. |
 | Dressing 'revolution' seeks artificial skin for burn victimsFar from the humble sticking plaster, medical firms and researchers are seeking to create the "ultimate dressing"—artificial skin they hope will revolutionize the treatment of severe burns. |
 | Researchers map activity of inherited gene variants linked to prostate cancerUT Southwestern researchers have identified the molecular function of 87 inherited genetic variants that affect the risk of prostate cancer, and the majority appear to control the activity of genes located far away from the risk variants themselves. The findings, published in Cancer Discovery, could lead to better ways to assess cancer risk and new targets for anti-cancer drugs, the study authors say. |
 | Health care is increasingly unaffordable for people with employer-sponsored health insurance—especially women: AnalysisHealth care is growing less affordable for U.S. adults—particularly women—with employer-sponsored health insurance, according to an analysis by researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). |
 | Researchers study pain-relieving neural mechanisms by activation of the motor cortexThe motor cortex controls the voluntary movement of muscles. It remains largely unclear why its electrical or magnetic stimulation can alleviate therapy-resistant chronic pain—albeit unreliably. An interdisciplinary research group at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg (MFHD) has now tracked down the underlying mechanisms and nerve pathways in mice. |
 | New method predicts the right treatment for breast cancer patientsResearchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a method that should be able to predict whether a patient with breast cancer will benefit from a particular treatment or not. The cell-based method has been tested on patients with promising results, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
 | Some guts are better than others at harvesting energy, study showsNew research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that a portion of the Danish population has a composition of gut microbes that, on average, extracts more energy from food than do the microbes in the guts of their fellow Danes. The research is a step towards understanding why some people gain more weight than others, even when they eat the same. |
 | Investigators develop new therapy for autism subtypeA team of Northwestern investigators led by Peter Penzes, Ph.D., the Ruth and Evelyn Dunbar Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, has developed a new therapy that could treat Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a subtype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to findings published in Molecular Psychiatry. |
 | Sepsis is one of the most expensive medical conditions in the world: Research clarifies how it can lead to cell deathSepsis is a life-threatening condition arising from the body's overreactive response against an infection, leading it to injure its own tissues and organs. The first known reference to "sepsis" dates back more than 2,700 years, when the Greek poet Homer used it as a derivative of the word "sepo," meaning "I rot." |
 | Targeting tau, the other protein behind Alzheimer's diseaseIn November, researchers reported the drug lecanemab slowed the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The effect was modest, but it has generated tremendous excitement because it was the first time a drug had been shown to be able to affect the course of this relentless, incurable disease. |
 | Researchers develop new software for unlocking cancer's ancestryCould knowing where your ancestors came from be the key to better cancer treatments? Maybe, but where would that key fit? How can we trace cancer's ancestral roots to modern-day solutions? For Cold Spring Harbor Laborator |
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