BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's science news from the past week:
FIRST BLACK HOLE IMAGE
-- Chinese astronomers have made contributions to a global effort to capture the first-ever image of a supermassive black hole at the heart of the distant galaxy M87.
The image of the black hole, based on observations through the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a planet-scale array of eight ground-based radio telescopes forged through international collaboration, was unveiled in coordinated press conferences across the globe at around 9:00 p.m. (Beijing time) Wednesday.
LUNAR ROVER
-- The lander and the rover of the Chang'e-4 probe switched to dormant mode for the lunar night Friday, with the rover traveling an accumulated 178.9 meters on the far side of the moon.
The rover Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, is expected to awaken again on April 28, and the lander to awaken the following day, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration.
WATER SAVING IRRIGATION
-- Chinese researchers have disclosed that over 94 percent of the country's rice fields are suitable for water saving irrigation (WSI).
Soil structure deterioration and low soil fertility made 5.81 percent of the rice fields unsuitable for WSI.
BREAST CANCER DEVELOPMENT
-- Chinese researchers have revealed the mechanism of how chronic stress promotes breast cancer development, shedding light on future clinical treatment for cancer.
PLANT IMMUNE SYSTEMS
-- Chinese researchers have discovered a "death switch" in plant immunes system that can activate cell death to limit the spreading of microbial pathogens and provide plants with resistance.
DRINKING INCREASES RISK
-- Moderate drinking has been associated with reduced cardiovascular risk in many studies, however, new research has shown that even moderate alcohol consumption increases the chances of having a stroke.
