New method reveals how well tuberculosis antibiotics reach their targets

Scientists have developed a new technique that enables them to visualise how well antibiotics against tuberculosis (TB) reach their pathogenic targets inside human hosts. The findings, published in the journal Science, boost our understanding of how antibiotics work and could help guide the development of new antibiotics, which are much-needed in the battle against drug-resistance.

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Immediate, science-based community action can stop insect decline

This year, German environmentalists collected 1.75 million signatures for a 'save the bees' law requiring an immediate transition toward organic farming. But to create healthy ecosystems worldwide, people in communities across the globe will need to take similar action based on empathy for insects—and not only for bees and butterflies—according to entomologists Yves Basset from the Smith-sonian Tropical Research Institute and Greg Lamarre from the University of South Bohemia, writing in Science. The authors present immediate, science-based actions to mitigate insect decline.

* This article was originally published here

Hacker used Raspberry Pi computer to steal restricted NASA data

A hacker used a tiny Raspberry Pi computer to infiltrate NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory network, stealing sensitive data and forcing the temporary disconnection of space-flight systems, the agency has revealed.

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Spanish court rules Deliveroo riders are employees

A Spanish court ruled Thursday that online food delivery group Deliveroo wrongly hired 97 riders as self-employed contractors instead of as regular workers, which costs less for the firm.

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Seven-country study reveals viruses as new leading cause of global childhood pneumonia

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other viruses now appear to be the main causes of severe childhood pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting the need for vaccines against these pathogens, according to a study from a consortium of scientists from around the world, led by a team at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

* This article was originally published here

Computational tool predicts how gut microbiome changes over time

A new computational modeling method uses snapshots of which types of microbes are found in a person's gut to predict how the microbial community will change over time. The tool, developed by Liat Shenhav, Leah Briscoe and Mike Thompson from the Halperin lab, University of California Los Angeles, and colleagues at the Mizrahi lab at Ben-Gurion University, Israel, is presented in PLOS Computational Biology.

* This article was originally published here

Facebook enlists plain English to clarify how it makes money

Facebook is updating its terms and services guidelines to clarify how it makes money from the personal information of its users. The changes reflect its ongoing attempts to satisfy regulators in the U.S. and Europe, which have urged the company to make sure users know what they are signing up for.

* This article was originally published here

Video: The chemistry behind black powder

Old-school gunpowder is really called "black powder," and it was so crucial to the Revolutionary War effort that early Americans went to great (and gross) lengths to make it.

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Too many antioxidants may cause lung cancer spread

A new study explains why lung cancer spreads faster in patients with certain genetic changes, and suggests that taking vitamin E, long thought of as preventive, may cause the same spread.

* This article was originally published here

Natural biodiversity protects rural farmers' incomes from tropical weather shocks

A big data study covering more than 7,500 households across 23 tropical countries shows that natural biodiversity could be effective insurance for rural farmers against drought and other weather-related shocks.

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Which climates are best for passive cooling technologies?

A group of University of California, San Diego researchers set out to gain a better understanding of the thermal balance of power plants and surfaces, like heliostat mirrors or solar panels, when exposed to both solar (shortwave) and atmospheric (longwave) radiation. They quickly realized that they would first need to determine what roles cloud cover and relative humidity play in the transparency of the atmosphere to radiation at temperatures common on Earth.

* This article was originally published here

Delaware insurer says 95K people's data could've been taken

Delaware's insurance department says social security numbers and other personal data of almost 100,000 people may have been comprised over nearly a decade due to a breach at a large vision and dental insurer.

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Camera joins Apple band in patent for smartwatch

Camera at the end of a smartwatch strap, anyone? It is being suggested as a way to overcome some hurdles in smartwatch picture-taking.

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Genetically modified virus combats prostate cancer

Researchers at the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP) in Brazil have used a genetically manipulated virus to destroy tumor cells upon injection into mice with prostate cancer. The virus also made tumor cells more sensitive to chemotherapy drugs, halting tumor progression and almost eliminating tumors in some cases.

* This article was originally published here

Selfies and the self: what they say about us and society

The selfie craze speaks volumes about the era in which we live: how images race around the globe and can dominate public discourse, eliciting strong emotions and even blurring the lines of reality.

* This article was originally published here

Tech giants face questions on hate speech going into debates

Executives of Facebook, Google and Twitter faced questioning by a House panel Wednesday on their efforts to stanch terrorist content and viral misinformation on their social media platforms.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers reach milestone in use of nanoparticles to kill cancer with heat

Researchers at Oregon State University have developed an improved technique for using magnetic nanoclusters to kill hard-to-reach tumors.

* This article was originally published here