Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 14, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Europe heads for Mars in search of lifeThirteen years after its first, failed attempt to place a rover on Mars, Europe reaches a crucial stage Sunday in a fresh quest to scour the Red Planet for signs of life, this time with Russia. |
 | Image: Spinning stationOn 10 October, ESA's deep-space radio dish in Cebreros, Spain, transmitted an 866 sec interstellar message towards the North Star as part of the international "A Simple Response" project. |
 | Ready for the Red PlanetNext week, ESA's ExoMars has just a single chance to get captured by Mars' gravity. The spacecraft and the mission controllers who will make it so are ready for arrival. |
 | How astronomy paved the way for terra nullius, and helped to get rid of it tooIf you take a walk in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, about 50km from central Sydney, you will come across an engraving of a large emu in the tessellated sandstone overlooking the surrounding countryside. On a clear night, this site gives a panoramic view of the heavens with its twinkling stars and the bright streak of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. |
 | Why 'Asgardia' is more likely to be a pie in the sky than a nation in spaceI have become citizen number 62 of Asgardia, a new space nation dedicated to expanding peaceful exploration of space for the benefit of humanity. It is led by Igor Ashurbeyli, chairman of UNESCO's Science of Space Committee and founder of the Aerospace International Research Centre in Vienna. At first glance, it's an amazing concept and surely one that every space scientist should welcome. |
Technology news
 | Bendable electronic paper displays whole color rangeLess than a micrometre thin, bendable and giving all the colours that a regular LED display does, it still needs ten times less energy than a Kindle tablet. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed the basis for a new electronic "paper". Their results were recently published in the high impact journal Advanced Materials. |
 | Computer 'brains' solving mysteries of human behaviourComputer science can help us understand why humans struggle with the complex dilemmas life throws at us – and why a better understanding of human problem-solving could help make computer 'thinking' more human-like, according to a new study out of the Brain, Minds and Markets Laboratory at the University of Melbourne. |
 | Dartmouth-led team develops WristWhirl, a smartwatch prototype using wrist as a joystickChecking email, tracking fitness, and listening to music, are just a few things that a smartwatch can do but what if your hands aren't free (i.e. carrying groceries or holding a bus handle)? A Dartmouth-led team has come up with a solution by developing WristWhirl— a smartwatch prototype that uses the wrist wearing the watch as an always-available joystick to perform common touch screen gestures with one-handed continuous input. |
 | Amazon and VMware form alliance in the cloudCloud computing rivals VMware and Amazon Web Services have announced an alliance that will let them play off each other's strengths. |
 | Samsung Note 7 recall to cost at least $5.3 billionSamsung Electronics said Friday that the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 would cost the company about $3 billion during the current and next quarters, bringing the total cost of the recall to at least $5.3 billion. |
Fractional order modeling may reduce electric car drivers' battery charge anxietyWith rapidly diminishing fossil fuels, it's not impossible to imagine a future of battery-powered cars. But to get there, scientists and engineers will have to solve a very important problem that affects drivers' peace of mind as well as their safety: Knowing just how much charge is left on their battery while driving. A branch of mathematics known as fractional order calculus may hold the answer. By suppressing the errors normally observed in methods for estimating charge, fractional order models could ultimately spell the difference between getting home safely and being stranded on the road. | |
India's Infosys cuts forecast over 'uncertain' futureIndian software giant Infosys cut its annual earnings outlook for the second time in just three months Friday, sending shares down almost three percent, as cautious clients rein in spending. | |
Medical delivery drones take flight over Rwanda"Three, two, one, launch!" And with that, catapulted from a ramp, the small fixed-wing drone buzzes into the air towards its pre-programmed destination, the Kabgayi hospital two kilometres away. | |
Scientists simplify model for human behavior in automationHuman unpredictability is a problem in the automated human-machine systems people use every day. Scientists from Nanjing Institute of Technology's School of Automation in China and the University of California, Merced's School of Engineering partnered to find a programming solution for erratic human behavior. | |
 | Expert warns of big data's dark side in 'Weapons of Math Destruction'Whether we know it or not, complex algorithms make decisions that affect nearly every aspect of our lives, determining whether we can borrow money or get hired, how much we pay for goods online, our TV and music choices, and how closely our neighborhood is policed. |
 | Germany warns Facebook of penalties over online hate speechA senior German politician said Friday that social media giants like Facebook should face penalties if they fail to tackle hate speech, after a surge in xenophobic comments linked to the migrant influx. |
 | Google adds fact-checking to news articlesGoogle is adding "fact check" tags to its news articles, introducing the feature amid a US presidential race roiled by heated disputes over the accuracy of information. |
 | Image: A laser-sharp view of blended wing body plane designEngineers at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, used lasers inside the 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel to map how air flows over a Boeing Blended Wing Body (BWB) model – a greener, quieter airplane design under development. |
 | Newly launched sensor system could turn every locomotive into a track monitorRailway experts at the University of Huddersfield Institute of Railway Research (IRR) are working with engineering giant Siemens to develop an inexpensive and easily-fitted sensor that could turn virtually every rail vehicle into a track monitor, detecting and transmitting vital information about the condition of rails and rail bed throughout the network. |
 | Top Twitter suitor walks away: reportTwitter shares nose-dived on Friday after the Financial Times reported a top suitor walked away, making it likely the one-to-many messaging service will be left to fly solo. |
US bans Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones from airlinersThe Transportation Department is issuing an emergency order banning passengers and flight crews from bringing Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphones on airline flights in response to reports of the phones catching fire. | |
SoftBank eyes $100 bn for new tech fund with SaudisJapanese mobile carrier SoftBank said Friday it hoped to raise as much as $100 billion for a new technology investment fund it has set up in partnership with Saudi Arabia. | |
Yahoo restores automatic email forwarding after brief outageYahoo says it has restored automatic email forwarding after a brief outage sent a flutter of indignation across the internet. | |
VW fix for some cheating diesels could be approved soonRepairs that would fix about 15 percent of Volkswagen's cheating 2-liter diesel engines could be approved by regulators in the next few weeks. | |
Anyone can chat with the White House... through a botIt's now easy to chat on Facebook Messenger with the White House— or more accurately through the presidential "bot" released by the Obama administration on Friday. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Chronobiology—internal clocks in synchLudwig II of Bavaria is a particularly striking example of how differently people's internal clocks can tick. Historical sources tell us that the monarch usually carried out his government business at night and slept during the day. Whether the "Fairy Tale King" had a disorder that disrupted his sleep-wake rhythm is a matter even Gregor Eichele can only speculate about. Nevertheless, Eichele and his team at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen have gained many new insights into how our body's natural timekeepers work. |
 | Infant nose, lung cells possess remarkably similar RNA patternsCells from an infant's nose are remarkably similar to those found in the lungs, a discovery that could lead to much more precise diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other infant lung diseases, according to new research from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). |
 | Spinning semen provides a measurement of fertilityThe maths of collective behavior has provided a new technique for selecting the best semen for artificial insemination in livestock. |
 | An accidental shooting kills a child every other dayHours earlier, he was a happy 4-year-old who loved Ironman and the Hulk and all the Avengers. Now, as Bryson Mees-Hernandez approached death in a Houston hospital room, his brain swelling through the bullet hole in his face, his mother assured the boy it was OK to die. |
China's recent two-child policy unlikely to lead to short-term population boom, according to new predictionsChina's recently introduced universal two-child policy is predicted to have a relatively small effect on population growth, with a likely peak of 1.45 billion in 2029, compared to 1.4 billion in 2023 if the one-child policy had continued, according to academics writing in The Lancet. By 2050, the population is predicted to be 1.42 billion under the two-child policy, compared to 1.27 billion under the one-child policy. | |
Factors of metabolic dysfunction are associated with increased risk for liver cancerBottom Line: High body mass index (BMI), increased waist circumference, and type 2 diabetes mellitus were associated with increased risk for liver cancer in a large prospective cohort study. | |
Myanmar warned against unhealthy lifestyles as hypertension and high cholesterol riseMyanmar's leading heart doctors have warned against unhealthy lifestyles as nearly one in three citizens are reported to have hypertension and half have high cholesterol. The call comes as the ASEAN Federation of Cardiology Congress 2016 (AFCC 2016) is held in the nation's capital of Yangon from 14 to 16 October. | |
 | N-acetyl cysteine improves efficacy of adoptive T cell immunotherapy for melanomaA collaborative team of investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Loyola University have demonstrated for the first time that culturing T cells in N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) before they are infused as immunotherapy improves effectiveness and outcomes in a preclinical model of melanoma. These findings were reported in the October 15, 2016 issue of Cancer Research. |
 | New study links neuropilin 2 deficiency to inflammation-induced edema and lymphedemaFluid accumulation and swelling (edema) may result from the malfunctioning of regulatory processes controlling vessel permeability in the body. Edema frequently occurs in chronic inflammatory diseases including psoriasis and eczema. Capillaries in the lymphatic system usually drain the excess fluid but their dysfunction can lead to another serious condition: lymphedema. A new study published in The American Journal of Pathology found that deficiency in neuropilin 2 (Nrp2) receptors in vascular endothelial cells results in excessive and prolonged fluid build-up after inflammation. This discovery may guide investigators toward new pharmacological therapies for edema and lymphedema. |
A healthy Brexit: UK leads EU fruit and veg consumptionBritain leads the way in consuming the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, EU figures showed Friday, while Romania and Bulgaria are the worst. | |
 | Study identifies new mechanism for antibacterial immunityThe innate immune system serves as a first-line defense, responding to infections almost immediately after a pathogen makes its way into the body. This response is carried out in two major ways: the cell can amplify the message that the body has been invaded, triggering an inflammatory response to recruit other cells to help fight off the pathogen, or the cell can undergo programmed cell death in order to stop the spread of infection and perhaps even release signaling molecules that alert neighboring cells to the presence of an invader. |
Coronary artery disease tests prompt patients toward healthier habitsUCLA researchers have found that undergoing a computer tomographic angiography was a better motivator to get people with suspected coronary artery disease to adopt healthier lifestyle practices than an exercise electrocardiography and stress test. A higher percentage of people who underwent the CTA test adopted healthier practices, including taking preventive medication, eating better and losing weight, while those who underwent the other tests did so at a lower rate. | |
 | Want to optimize those 10,000 (or fewer) steps? Walk faster, sit lessThat popular daily target of 10,000 steps is a worthwhile goal, but a new study at Oregon State University suggests that if you find that unattainable, don't despair - a smaller number, especially at moderate or greater intensity, can lead to health benefits too. |
 | Substance with the potential to postpone agingThe coenzyme NAD+ plays a main role in aging processes. In mice and roundworm adding the substance can both extend life and postpone the onset of aging processes. New research conducted at the Center for Healthy Aging and the American National Institute of Health shows that this new knowledge will eventually be able to help patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. |
 | Team questions safety, efficacy of selenium and colorectal cancer riskA 12-year study led by a team of University of Arizona Cancer Center researchers is bringing into question the safety and efficacy of selenium, a popular nutritional supplement touted to combat and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. |
Researchers find two distinct genetic subtypes in Crohn's disease patientsCrohn's disease, a common inflammatory disorder of the intestinal tract, can have devastating consequences for a patient's quality of life and is notoriously hard to treat successfully, in part because its course and severity vary so much from one case to the next. Now, UNC School of Medicine scientists have made a discovery that could explain why Crohn's is so variable: the disease appears to have at least two distinct subtypes, each with its own pattern of gene expression and mix of clinical features. | |
 | GPs need better training to help children affected by domestic violenceAlthough doctors and nurses are becoming more aware of patients experiencing domestic violence, the needs of children are often ignored, according to new research published today that reveals a lack of training about how to identify and support children exposed to domestic violence. |
 | Scientists develop inflammation test that may predict cardiovascular diseaseAn assessment blending several measures of immune-cell responsiveness predicted cardiovascular problems in individuals who likely would have slipped under the radar. |
 | Cocoa compound linked to some cardiovascular biomarker improvementsTo the tantalizing delight of chocolate lovers everywhere, a number of recent studies employing various methods have suggested that compounds in cocoa called flavanols could benefit cardiovascular health. Now a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of cocoa consumption reveals some further pieces of supporting evidence. |
Early detection method hopes to prevent psychosisMental health researchers have made a promising breakthrough in the early detection of the risk of psychosis, with the eventual hope that patients could be given appropriate treatments earlier to prevent psychotic episodes from occurring. | |
New formulation of ibuprofen may be superior for pain relief than the current versionMove over aspirin, a new formulation of ibuprofen might prove to be a "wonder drug." In a research report published online in The FASEB Journal, scientists used mice and rats to show that ibuprofen arginate may allow people to take higher doses without the cardiovascular side effects that are associated with current formulations found in over the counter products. In addition to being better tolerated, ibuprofen arginate also is released into the bloodstream more rapidly than the current formulations, likely providing faster pain relief. | |
High cholesterol triggers mitochondrial oxidative stress leading to osteoarthritisHigh cholesterol might harm more than our cardiovascular systems. New research using animal models, published online in The FASEB Journal, suggests that high cholesterol levels trigger mitochondrial oxidative stress on cartilage cells, causing them to die, and ultimately leading to the development of osteoarthritis. This research tested the potential therapeutic role of mitochondria targeting antioxidants in high-cholesterol-induced osteoarthritis and provided proof-of-concept for the use of mitochondrial targeting antioxidants to treat osteoarthritis. | |
Soy protein early in life may help prevent bone loss in adulthoodMove over milk, soy protein early in life might be what's needed for strong, healthy bones in adulthood. New research, published online in The FASEB Journal, reports that early dietary nutrition heavy in soy protein isolate can protect against serious bone loss during adulthood. This also is the first time that scientists have used an animal model to show concrete evidence of a protective effect of an early-life soy protein isolate diet on adult bone loss. | |
 | Imaging with new biomarker tracks tumor progression, response to brain cancer treatmentOctober 13, 2016 - UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have developed an MRI-based method that can track the state and progression of a common type of genetically mutated brain cancer. |
 | Study of malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Uganda assesses scalability, identifies supply chain challengesThe World Health Organization estimates that nearly half of the world's population is at risk for malaria, a life-threatening, but ultimately curable and preventable disease spread by mosquitos. |
 | Fat or thin—can the bacteria in our gut affect our eating habits and weight?When we can't lose weight, we tend to want to blame something outside our control. Could it be related to the microbiota – the bacteria and other organisms – that colonise your gut? |
Does sad music help with depression?Depression and suicide are major concerns in the 21st century. The World Health Organisation estimates that over 800,000 people die by suicide each year, with the 15-29 age group particularly affected. | |
How to avoid burnout among health care providers and improve self-care and wellness routinesEmotional and physical burnout among physicians and other health care professionals is on the rise in recent years, according to studies which point to time pressures, exhaustion and heavy workload among the reasons. That's why enhancing wellness and resilience for health care providers and patients is the focus of the annual Urban Mental Health 2016 conference on Nov. 4 at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Rutgers Today talks with Rashi Aggarwal, associate professor and associate director of residency training and a consultation liaison psychiatrist in NJMS' Department of Psychiatry, about the signs of burnout and some practical strategies to avoid fatigue and boost wellness. | |
 | We could prevent millions of cancer deaths each year with knowledge we already haveVice President Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel has released 10 recommendations to accelerate a new national effort "to end cancer as we know it." These initiatives, focused mainly on the U.S., will almost certainly extend the lives of some cancer patients in the future. |
 | Gleaning meaning in studies of human health and behaviorTwo teenagers try cigarettes at a party. A few years later, one has become a pack-a-day smoker. The other smokes now and then. Why is one addicted to nicotine, while the other can take it or leave it? |
Diagnostic tests for sinus infections leave much to be desired, study saysMany patients who see physicians for sinus infections expect to be prescribed an antibiotic, but for the majority of them, that course of treatment won't be effective because their infections aren't caused by bacteria. Unfortunately, there aren't great tools to determine which patients will or won't benefit from antibiotics, and the University of Georgia's Dr. Mark Ebell is determined to change that. | |
 | Perceived obesity causes lower body satisfaction for women than men'Owning' an obese body produces significantly lower body satisfaction for females than males, scientists have found. |
Chronic kidney disease as common as type 2 diabetesAround six per cent of Stockholmers are thought to have chronic kidney disease, roughly as many as those suffering from type 2 diabetes. There is, however, a major difference between the two: chronic kidney disease is in many ways invisible, and most sufferers are unaware of the fact they have it. This according to researchers from Karolinska Institutet, who have studied the incidence of the disease amongst 1.3 million patients in Stockholm. The study is published in Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation. | |
 | Smartphones alone not the smart choice for teen weight control, study findsTeens use smartphones successfully to do almost anything: learn new skills, communicate with friends, do research and catch Pokémon. But a new study finds smartphones aren't as useful for helping teens maintain weight loss. |
 | Scientists develop a new method to measure radiation dose in cancer patientsLawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and collaborators have developed a new technique to measure radiation dose levels using gene expression analysis of whole blood from cancer patients receiving targeted radiation therapy. |
 | Toddlers' food fussiness is heavily influenced by genesToddlers' fussy eating habits are mainly the result of genetic influences rather than the result of poor parenting, according to new research led by scientists at UCL. |
Older adults gain weight when spouse is stressed outStress isn't good for your waist line. For older married couples, the added pounds may be caused by a spouse's long-term stress levels. | |
 | Findings may offer new clues to development of heart diseaseAucklander Cathy McGregor grew up knowing she was "some kind of a miracle baby". When her mother, Robyn, was pregnant with her, her specialist had told her not to expect a live baby. Robyn had been diagnosed with rhesus disease, in which antibodies in the mother's blood attack her baby's red blood cells, causing potentially fatal fetal anaemia. Robyn had the highest recorded level of antibodies at that time, in 1977. |
Low-cost method for examining single leukemia cells could transform treatmentLeukemia is a disease in which each cell can exhibit different genetic traits, and now Swedish researchers have found a cheap way to examine the individual cells. Reported in Nature Communications, the breakthrough could transform leukemia treatment. | |
 | Smart specs to treat facial palsy, monitor mood and steer wheelchairsSmart specs that know when you are smiling are being developed by researchers to help rehabilitate people with facial palsy. |
 | 'FOMO' a vicious circle for social media usersThe 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) phenomenon – a feeling that friends and connections are leading more interesting lives – is having a negative impact on the psychological wellbeing of social media users, a new study suggests. |
 | People infected by hepatitis C in Canada have limited access to direct-acting antiviralsA pill a day for 12 weeks. The new direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are effective in curing the hepatitis C virus infection, a potentially fatal disease that attacks the liver. But they are expensive—approximately $60,000 per patient. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, and the Canadian Network on Hepatitis C (CanHepC) shows that nearly everywhere in Canada, provinces and territories impose obstacles to the reimbursement of these medications by the public system because of their cost. |
 | Delayed pushing linked to longer second stage of labor(HealthDay)—For nulliparous women, delayed pushing is associated with longer second stage duration and increased odds of cesarean delivery and postpartum hemorrhage, according to a study published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. |
 | Obesity ups risk for secondary primary cancers in men(HealthDay)—Obesity before a cancer diagnosis is associated with an increased risk for overall and individual secondary primary cancers (SPCs) in males, according to a study published online Oct. 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. |
 | CDC: possible contamination of open-heart surgery devices(HealthDay)—Some LivaNova PLC (formerly Sorin Group Deutschland GmbH) Stockert 3T heater-cooler devices might have been contaminated with Mycobacterium chimaera during manufacturing, according to a press release from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
 | DEA halts move to ban controversial herbal kratom(HealthDay)—Bowing to public pressure, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has halted a move to ban a plant called kratom, which experts say could help battle the nation's opioid epidemic. |
 | Wonder wrap: New ways to protect injured limbsThe moments after a traumatic limb injury resulting from an explosive blast are critical. Blood is lost, tissue begins to dry and deteriorate, and dirt and harmful bacteria may enter the wound—increasing the risk of infection, limb loss or even death. |
Sedative may prevent delirium after an operationA mild sedative could greatly reduce the risk of people experiencing delirium after an operation, according to new research. | |
New library of human stem cells with the Brazilian genetic admixtureMost lines of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) reported worldwide are derived from people or embryos with European or East Asian ancestries. An article published on October, 6, at the journal Scientific Reports - from the Nature group - announces 23 new lines of hPSC with different levels of admixed European, African and Native American genomic ancestry. The library can be expanded to 1.877 cell lines and was established by the researchers of the National Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cells (LaNCE), from the Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. | |
Study finds knowingly taking placebo pills eases painConventional medical wisdom has long held that placebo effects depend on patients' belief they are getting pharmacologically active medication. A paper published today in the journal Pain is the first to demonstrate that patients who knowingly took a placebo in conjunction with traditional treatment for lower back pain saw more improvement than those given traditional treatment alone. | |
 | Medicare unveils far-reaching overhaul of doctors' payChanging the way it does business, Medicare on Friday unveiled a far-reaching overhaul of how it pays doctors and other clinicians. |
 | Limits on gun research hamper efforts to combat gun deathsIt's the kind of information you might expect from long-range government research: On average, one American child or teenager is killed or injured every day in an accidental shooting. The most common victims are ages 3 or 16. And the shootings happen most frequently in their own homes. |
 | Faster and better healing of infected wounds using negative pressure techniqueShorter wound healing time, fewer dressing changes and the opportunity for earlier discharge from the hospital. These are some of the benefits of negative pressure wound therapy to treat wound infections in connection with vascular surgery at the groin. The method, which has become increasingly common, is also cost-effective. This is shown in a thesis from Lund University in Sweden in which the method has undergone its first major scientific evaluation in deep perivascular groin infections after vascular surgery. |
New molecule may help fight obesity by converting 'bad' fat to 'good' fatNew research, published online in The FASEB Journal, suggests that activation of a chemical called Beta-LGND2 by the estrogen receptor Beta (ER-Beta) reduces obesity and metabolic diseases in mice by converting bad fat (white fat) to good fat (brown fat). This is significant as brown fat increases metabolism and may facilitate weight loss. | |
Why private health insurers are losing money on the Affordable Care ActThe choice of young people to forgo health insurance combined with the high cost of providing care for the sickest Americans are together generating big losses for insurers participating in the Affordable Care Act's state insurance marketplaces. | |
Long-term experience supports efficacy and safety of PRRT for treating neuroendocrine tumorsMore than ten years of published clinical data and personal experience using PRRT-based targeted therapy of neuroendocrine tumors supports the effectiveness of this novel treatment approach and the ability to minimize and manage potential toxic side effects. A comprehensive review of somatostatin analog peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is published in Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals. | |
Minnesota nurses' strike to end after new contract ratifiedNurses at five Allina Health hospitals in Minnesota have voted to approve a labor contract, ending a strike that has dragged on for more than a month. | |
Research examining the effect of complications and errors on surgeonsA survey is being launched today [Friday 14 October 2016] to help understand the psychological impact on surgeons of errors or complications which arise as a result of surgical procedures. | |
Researchers use breakthrough technology to detect glaucoma progressionIn a first of its kind study, Mount Sinai researchers are using optimal coherence tomography (OCT) angiography to look at the earliest stages of glaucoma and identify characteristic patterns of different forms of glaucoma based on their vascular patterns. The research could lead doctors to diagnose glaucoma cases earlier than ever before and potentially slow down the progression of vision loss. | |
Experimental drug, implanted in eye, could fight glaucomaAn experimental drug, consisting of cells manufactured and implanted in the eye to stimulate optic nerve growth and activity, could be an entirely new way of fighting glaucoma, according to BrightFocus Foundation. | |
Investigating connection between ACL surgery and osteoarthritisEvery year, about 250,000 people in the U.S. sustain injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and about half of these individuals end up having reconstructive surgery. | |
Doctors successfully separate twin boys joined at the headForty medical experts at a New York hospital Friday successfully separated conjoined twins attached at the head after a 20-hour procedure. | |
Biology news
 | New technique offers glimpse at human evolution in actionIn research published in Science, a Stanford-led international team used a new analytic technique to map recent evolution. The technique relies exclusively on the DNA sequences of modern humans, yet it can reveal rapid changes in the prevalence of different gene variants over the last 2,000 to 3,000 years. |
 | Human transport has unpredictable genetic and evolutionary consequences for marine speciesNew research, led by the University of Southampton, has found that human activities such as shipping are having a noticeable impact on marine species and their native habitats. |
 | In creation of cellular protein factories, less is sometimes moreRibosomes are the cellular machines that make proteins, the molecules that carry out the majority of life's functions. To make ribosomes, cells need to make an abundance of amino acids (the raw material of proteins) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP, the energy currency required to run the ribosome). However, the assembly of functional ribosomes also requires magnesium. |
 | Female chimpanzees don't fight for 'queen bee' statusFor wild chimpanzees, social status is more than just a matter of pride. High-ranking chimpanzees of both sexes usually have better access to food and mates, boosting chances of survival for themselves and their offspring. |
 | Genetic diversity crucial to Florida scrub-jay's survivalIthaca, NY-Legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold once advised: "To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering." For the Endangered Florida Scrub-Jay, new research shows that saving every last grouping among its small and scattered remnant populations is vital to preserving genetic diversity—and the long-term survival of the species. |
With designer lignin, biofuels researchers reproduced evolutionary pathWhen scientists reported in 2014 that they had successfully engineered a poplar plant "designed for deconstruction," the finding made international news. The highly degradable poplar, the first of its kind, could substantially reduce the energy use and cost of converting biomass to a number of products, including biofuels, pulp and paper. | |
 | Guinea struggles to reel in foreign boats' illegal fishingIdrissa Kallo's expert eyes dart across the waters off Guinea's port capital, Conakry, looking for fish that always seem fewer and far between his nets. |
 | Plants actively direct their seeds via wind or water towards suitable sitesPlants cannot move to find new places to live in, but they can actively direct their seeds to new suitable places for plant development. This 'directed dispersal' had previously been shown only for plants with seeds that are transported by animals. Researchers have now shown that plants can also actively send their seeds towards suitable sites by way of wind or water. The results from the study, led by Utrecht University biologist Merel Soons, is published Early Online in Functional Ecology on 14 October. |
 | Research to help develop next-generation food cropsResearch led by The Australian National University (ANU) is helping to develop food crops with bigger yields and greater ability to cope with drought compared with today's plants. |
 | People's tribunal accuses Monsanto of 'ecocide'Global activists Friday launched a people's tribunal, accusing giant US seeds firm Monsanto of violating human rights and committing the crime of "ecocide", by posing a "major threat" to the environment. |
For targeted proteomics, a plugin for browsing public mass spectrometry dataBiologists often envision their hypotheses within a set of protein interactions, networks, and pathways. In turn, their experiments may focus on measuring an explicit subset of these proteins, corresponding to a targeted proteomics experiment. To date, however, designing a targeted proteomics experiment is very time-consuming, and is typically done only by mass spectrometry specialists. | |
 | Hungary's anti-migrant fence disrupts wildlife habitatsHungary's razor-wire border fence aims to keep refugees from entering the country—but it's also blocking the natural migratory patterns of thousands of deer and other wild animals. |
 | Veterinarian identifies a genetically novel virus associated with polio-like symptoms in pigsA veterinary researcher at Iowa State University has discovered a novel virus in the central nervous tissues of young pigs with polio-like weakness in their hind legs. |
 | How a genetic mutation from one bull caused the loss of a half-million calves worldwidePawnee Farm Arlinda Chief was one of the most prolific bulls in the history of Holstein cattle breeding—but he also introduced a lethal gene into the population, responsible for an estimated half million spontaneous abortions worldwide. Now researchers have identified the mutation responsible, enabling ranchers to test for and avoid it. |
 | A fungal infection that could help researchers to understand some allergiesResearchers from UPM have revealed how mold from humidity caused by rotting fruits and vegetables unfolds a surprising strategy to infect plants. |
 | Plant discovered that neither photosynthesizes nor bloomsProject Associate Professor Kenji Suetsugu (Kobe University Graduate School of Science) has discovered a new species of plant on the subtropical Japanese island of Kuroshima (located off the southern coast of Kyushu in Kagoshima prefecture) and named it Gastrodia kuroshimensis. This research was published on October 14 in the Phytotaxa. |
Pregnant manatee rescued off Cape Cod to be moved to FloridaA manatee that was rescued off the coast of Cape Cod and later found to be pregnant will be moved from Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium to SeaWorld Orlando. | |
This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
https://sciencex.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment