Science X Newsletter Monday, Dec 5

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 5, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

The case for co-decaying dark matter

Rotary molecular motor controls self-assembly and handedness of double-stranded helicates

New dwarf satellite galaxy of Messier 83 found

Best of Last Week–Using quantum physics to factor numbers, the Earth's technosphere and brain activation by spiritualism

Study shows regular sex improves the memory of young women

'Spooky' sightings in crystal point to extremely rare quantum spin liquid

Researchers may have found first polluted river from before Bronze Age

Virgin Galactic spaceship makes first glide flight

Apple reveals autonomous vehicle ambitions

Supersonic jet travel: Just hopping continents

Exotic insulator may hold clue to key mystery of modern physics

Physicists confirm the precision of magnetic fields in the most advanced stellarator in the world

A handful of nuts a day cuts the risk of a wide range of diseases

Detective work across dingo fence reveals new factor in woody shrub invasion

Cars without drivers scoot around Nissan plant, towing cars

Astronomy & Space news

	New dwarf satellite galaxy of Messier 83 found (Phys.org)—Astronomers have found a new dwarf satellite of Messier 83 (M83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy) located some 85,000 light years from its host. This satellite galaxy was designated dw1335-29 and could be an irregular or a transition dwarf. The findings were presented in a paper published Nov. 30 on arXiv.org.
	Virgin Galactic spaceship makes first glide flight Virgin Galactic's new spaceship has made a successful first glide flight, a key step after a deadly crash of its predecessor two years ago, the spaceflight company said on Saturday.
	Image: Hubble spotlight on irregular galaxy IC 3583 This delicate blue group of stars—actually an irregular galaxy named IC 3583—sits some 30 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo (The Virgin).
	ALMA measures size of seeds of planets Researchers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), have for the first time, achieved a precise size measurement of small dust particles around a young star through radio-wave polarization. ALMA's high sensitivity for detecting polarized radio waves made possible this important step in tracing the formation of planets around young stars.
	Colliding galaxy clusters Galaxy clusters contain a few to thousands of galaxies and are the largest bound structures in the universe. Most galaxies are members of a cluster. Our Milky Way, for example, is a member of the "Local Group," a set of about fifty galaxies whose other large member is the Andromeda galaxy. The closest large cluster of galaxies to us, about fifty million light-years away, is the Virgo Cluster, with about 2000 members.
	Buzz Aldrin gets visit from NASA after polar evacuation Buzz Aldrin had an unexpected bedside visit from NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman on Saturday as he continued to recover in a New Zealand hospital from his medical evacuation from the South Pole.
	Buzz Aldrin: Altitude sickness forced South Pole evacuation Buzz Aldrin said he was evacuated from the South Pole last week because he became short of breath and began showing signs of altitude sickness.
	Russian authorities inspecting crashed spacecraft debris (Update) Authorities in Russia's Siberian region of Tuva on Monday were examining several pieces of the Progress cargo spaceship found after it crashed last week having failed to reach orbit.
	Student tests HoloLens for NASA, gets closer look at Mars surface Every day, Rachel Kronyak walks around the surface of the planet Mars, examining a rock or getting a closer look at a butte framing the horizon.
	Decades of attempts show how hard it is to land on Mars – here's how we plan to succeed in 2021 Europe has been trying to land on Mars since 2003, but none of the attempts have gone exactly according to plan. A couple of months ago, the ExoMars Schiaparelli landing demonstrator crashed onto the planet's surface, losing contact with its mothership. However, the mission was partially successful, providing information that will enable Europe and Russia to land its ExoMars rover on the Red Planet in 2021.
	Image: Saturn's great storm of 2011 These colourful swirls depict an unprecedented storm that played out in the northern hemisphere of the gas giant Saturn from December 2010 until June 2011.
	What is the weather like on Venus? Venus is often called Earth's "Sister Planet" because of all the things they have in common. They are comparable in size, have similar compositions, and both orbit within the Sun's habitable zone. But beyond that, there are some notable differences that makes Venus a molten hellhole, and about the last place anyone would want to visit!
	It's been a turbulent start, but Juno is now delivering spectacular insights into Jupiter There was much excitement when the Juno spacecraft successfully arrived at Jupiter in July, after a five-year journey through the solar system. A perfect engine firing placed the solar-powered spacecraft into just the right orbit around the gas giant, with the promise of great discoveries to come.

Technology news

	Apple reveals autonomous vehicle ambitions Apple has revealed it is investing heavily in autonomous vehicles in a letter asking the government to make it easier to develop self-driving cars.
	Supersonic jet travel: Just hopping continents (Tech Xplore)—So can we ever expect to see not only commercial supersonic travel, but affordable supersonic travel?
	Cars without drivers scoot around Nissan plant, towing cars Nissan Motor Co. is testing self-driving cars at one of its plants in Japan that can tow vehicles on a trailer to the wharf for loading on transport ships.
	Researchers teach computer to read the internet Teaching computers to read is one thing. But by designing an algorithm that examined nearly 2 million posts from two popular parenting websites, a multidisciplinary team of UCLA researchers has built an elegant computational model that reflects how humans think and communicate, thereby teaching computers to understand structured narratives within the flow of posts on the internet.
	Panel urges better cybersecurity to President-elect Trump (Update) A presidential commission on Friday made 16 urgent recommendations to improve the nation's cybersecurity, including creating a nutritional-type label to help consumers shop wisely and appointing a new international ambassador on the subject—weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
	WTO seeks trade deal on 'green' products The heavyweights of world trade, including the United States, China and Japan, meet in Geneva this weekend to establish a list of environmentally friendly products for which tariffs can be eliminated or reduced.
	Big data helped Trump even after he scorned it Donald Trump derided the use of data and technology tools for his presidential campaign—but those techniques might well have propelled him to victory.
	Robotic store greeter assists customers In January 2015, Fraunhofer IPA presented a prototype of the "Care-O-bot 4" service robot. The charming helper is now proving its worth in the real world. "Paul" the robot has been greeting customer in Saturn-Markt Ingolstadt since the end of October 2016 and directing them towards their desired products.
	Measuring an aviation system's safety performance PhD candidate and Safety Manager at NATO's Airlift Management Programme, Ilias Panagopoulos, has collaborated with Professor Chris Atkin and Dr Ivan Sikora, senior academics in the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics at City, University of London, for his doctoral research in aviation safety performance.
	Three ways Facebook could reduce fake news without resorting to censorship The public gets a lot of its news and information from Facebook. Some of it is fake. That presents a problem for the site's users, and for the company itself.
	The filter bubble isn't just Facebook's fault—it's yours Following the shock results of Brexit and the Trump victory, a lot of attention has focused on the role that Facebook might have played in creating online political ghettos in which false news can easily spread. Facebook now has serious political influence thanks to its development from a social networking tool into a primary source of news and opinions. And for many, the way it manages this influence is in need of greater scrutiny. But to put the blame solely on the company is to overlook how people use the site, and how they themselves create a filter bubble effect through their actions.
	Plug in for renewable energy A new study shows a huge US market for plug and play solar energy, with billions of dollars in retail sales and energy savings. So what's holding up widespread use?
	A handful of photos yields a mouthful of (digital) teeth A Disney Research team has developed a model-based method of realistically reconstructing teeth for digital actors and for medical applications using just a few, non-invasive photos or a short smartphone video of the mouth.
New VW firm to focus on mobility services like ride sharing Volkswagen is launching a new company dedicated to car sharing and other "mobility services" in which people may need a ride but don't necessarily want to own the car.
	Ultrathin protective layer brings quite a bit more stability to perovskite solar cell The addition of a few nanometers of a thin layer of aluminum oxide protects a perovskite solar cell against humidity - still a major stumbling block to the commercial application of this new type of solar cell. A surprising bonus is a yield boost of 3 percent. These are the findings of researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and research institute ECN, part of the Solliance collective, published today in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.
	3-D solutions to energy savings in silicon power transistors In electronics, lower power consumption leads to operation cost savings, environmental benefits and the convenience advantages from longer running devices. While progress in energy efficiencies has been reported with alternative materials such as SiC and GaN, energy-savings in the standard inexpensive and widely used silicon devices are still keenly sought. K Tsutsui at Tokyo Institute of Technology and colleagues in Japan have now shown that by scaling down size parameters in all three dimensions their device they can achieve significant energy savings.
	Safer, less vulnerable software is the goal of new NIST computer publication We can create software with 100 times fewer vulnerabilities than we do today, according to computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). To get there, they recommend that coders adopt the approaches they have compiled in a new publication.
	Feds: Business lost $387,500 in world cybercrime operation A Pennsylvania business lost more than $387,000 in an international cybercrime operation disabled by federal authorities and the European Union last week.
	Amazon testing cashier-free retail store Amazon on Monday unveiled a new kind of retail store, with no cashiers.
Trust issues: Users more gullible when they customize their technology Technology may have helped turn users into their own information gatekeepers, but they may not necessarily make better, more informed decisions with that data, according to researchers.
	Uber steps up efforts on artificial intelligence Uber announced Monday it was buying the artificial intelligence group Geometric Intelligence, to form the core of the ride-sharing giant's own research center.
	New 'printone' tool allows users to create 3-D printed wind instruments in any shape or form A research team from Autodesk and Dartmouth College has developed a new interactive design tool called "Printone," which provides users with the ability to create functional 3-D printed wind instruments in any shape or form using interactive sound simulation feedback. The team designed 16 free-form wind instruments to play different melodies, including: a star that can play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," a bunny that can play "Little Peter Rabbit;" a snowman that can play "Jingle Bells;" and a dragon that can play "Puff the Magic Dragon." The team's research will be presented this week at the 9th ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Asia.
Prosecutor's office paid bitcoin ransom in cyberattack A state prosecutor's office in Pennsylvania was among hundreds of thousands of victims of a now-shuttered international cybercrime operation, paying nearly $1,400 in a bitcoin ransom to free up its infected computer network, authorities disclosed Monday.
China appeals to US to stop disrupting acquisitions China urged Washington on Monday to stop disrupting its foreign corporate acquisitions after President Barack Obama blocked the purchase of a German maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment as a security risk.
	The promise of greener power generation The characterization of compounds produced in combustion could lead to cleaner, more efficient power stations.
	In-memory de-duplication technology to accelerate response for large-scale storage Fujitsu Laboratories today announced the development of a high-speed in-memory data deduplication technology for all-flash arrays, which are large-scale, high-speed storage systems and use multiple flash devices such as solid-state drives. This technology enables the production of storage systems with up to twice the response speed when writing data, compared to previous methods. In recent years, all-flash arrays have incorporated deduplication technology that consolidates duplicate data into one to write to a flash device, in order to utilize the limited capacity of flash devices. However, as the system connects to multiple flash devices through a network in order to search for duplicate data each time it writes data, and storage devices grow in capacity and increase in speed, a problem of lowered response speed during write operations arises.
	Baby robots help humans understand infant development To understand the world, human beings fabricate and experiment. To understand ourselves and how we come to be the way we are, researchers are currently building baby robots with mechanisms that model aspects of the infant brain and body. Such robots will help investigators explore the complexity of development and grasp the complicated dynamics of a child's mind and behavior.
	Lufthansa, GE invest in aircraft engine plant in Poland Lufthansa and General Electric will jointly invest some 250 million euros ($270 million) in Poland to build a plant that will service aircraft engines starting in 2018, authorities said Monday.
	Open source planning tool for the energy turnaround: platform for electric power grids How much electricity flows through the grid? When and where? Where are the bottlenecks? What happens when wind turbines and solar cells feed in additional energy? The answer to these questions are essential for the global energy turnaround. However, for a valid planning, one first needs a solid understanding of the infrastructure. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are now collecting information via an open source platform accessible to everyone.
Pennsylvania district attorney's office is hit by cybercrime A Pennsylvania prosecutor's office and two businesses were among hundreds of thousands of victims of an international cybercrime operation disabled by federal authorities and the European Union last week.
	Tech companies move to target terrorist propaganda online Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube are joining forces to more quickly identify the worst terrorist propaganda and prevent it from spreading online.

Medicine & Health news

	Study shows regular sex improves the memory of young women (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with McGill University in Canada has found evidence that suggests that young women who engage in frequent sex experience memory improvements. In their paper published in Archives of Sexual Behavior, the researchers outline their study, which included asking young female volunteers to fill out surveys regarding their sex lives and taking memory tests.
	A handful of nuts a day cuts the risk of a wide range of diseases A large analysis of current research shows that people who eat at least 20g of nuts a day have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
	For the first time, researchers reveal a causal link between RNA splicing and aging Aging is a key risk factor for a variety of devastating, chronic diseases, yet the biological factors that influence when and how rapidly cells deteriorate over time remain largely unknown. Now, for the first time, a research team led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has linked the function of a core component of cells' machinery—which cuts and rejoins RNA molecules in a process known as "RNA splicing"—with longevity in the roundworm. The finding sheds light on the biological role of splicing in lifespan and suggests that manipulating specific splicing factors in humans might help promote healthy aging.
Research suggests that chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a prion disease A shared biological mechanism may drive the progression of both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative condition associated with repeated concussions and brain trauma, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco scientists.
	New, more effective strategy for producing flu vaccines A team of researchers led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, professor of pathobiological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, has developed technology that could improve the production of vaccines that protect people from influenza B.
	Scientists publish evidence for world-first therapeutic dental vaccine A world-first vaccine developed by Melbourne scientists, which could eliminate or at least reduce the need for surgery and antibiotics for severe gum disease, has been validated by research published this weekend in a leading international journal.
	'Shock and kill' strategy for curing HIV may endanger patients' brains Combination drug treatments have become successful at long-term control of HIV infection, but the goal of totally wiping out the virus and curing patients has so far been stymied by HIV's ability to hide out in cells and become dormant for long periods of time. Now a new study on HIV's close cousin, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), in macaques finds that a proposed curative strategy could backfire and make things worse if the virus is in fact lurking in the brain.
	Map of drugs reveals uncharted waters in search for new treatments Scientists have created a map of all 1,578 licensed drugs and their mechanisms of action - as a means of identifying 'uncharted waters' in the search for future treatments.
	Hearing deficits in schizophrenia tied to specific brain receptor The inability to hear subtle changes in pitch, a common and debilitating problem for people with schizophrenia, is due to dysfunctional N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) brain receptors, according to a study by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers. The study also shows that this hearing issue can be improved by combining auditory training exercises with a drug that targets NMDA receptors.
	A traditional Japanese art inspires a futuristic innovation: Brain 'organoids' The ancient Japanese art of flower arranging was the inspiration for a groundbreaking technique to create tiny "artificial brains" that could be used to develop personalized cancer treatments.
	New mechanism to control human viral infections discovered A team of researchers, co-led by a University of California, Riverside professor, has found a long-sought-after mechanism in human cells that creates immunity to influenza A virus, which causes annual seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics.
	Re-emergence of syphilis traced to pandemic strain cluster Over the last few decades, an age-old infectious disease has been re-emerging globally: syphilis. Using techniques to analyze low levels of DNA, an international research team headed by the University of Zurich has now shown that all syphilis strains from modern patient samples share a common ancestor from the 1700s. Furthermore, their research demonstrates that strains dominating infections today originate from a pandemic cluster that emerged after 1950, and these strains share a worrying trait: resistance to the second-line antibiotic azithromycin.
	Research points to Orb2 as a physical substrate for memory strength, retention How do you remember what happened today in the weeks and months that follow? Researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have answered a piece of that question in a recent study.
	Visual biases near the hands help us perform specific actions Using your hands to perform tasks in specific ways can change the way you see things near your hands, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research shows that learning to grasp an object with the backs of the hands made participants more sensitive to motion near their hands, while learning a to pick up an object with their fingertips enhanced participants' perception of spatial detail near their hands.
	New compound targets TB bacterium's defense against the immune system Part of the reason tuberculosis-causing bacteria are so good at colonizing the human body is that they have defenses against the body's immune system. A research team led by a Brown University chemist has developed a new compound that can take down one of those defenses in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The researchers are hopeful that the compound could be part of a new drug strategy for treating tuberculosis.
	Scientists find that for stem cells to be healthy, telomere length has to be just right Ever since researchers connected the shortening of telomeres—the protective structures on the ends of chromosomes—to aging and disease, the race has been on to understand the factors that govern telomere length. Now, scientists at the Salk Institute have found that a balance of elongation and trimming in stem cells results in telomeres that are, as Goldilocks would say, not too short and not too long, but just right.
	Babies' first words can be predicted based on visual attention, study finds Indiana University psychologists have shown that a baby's most likely first words are based upon their visual experience, laying the foundation for a new theory of infant language learning.
	Brains of people with autism spectrum disorder share similar molecular abnormalities Autism spectrum disorder is caused by a variety of factors, both genetic and environmental. But a new study led by UCLA scientists provides further evidence that the brains of people with the disorder tend to have the same "signature" of abnormalities at the molecular level.
	Meds don't cut trastuzumab-tied left ventricular remodeling (HealthDay)—For patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-overexpressing (HER2-positive) early breast cancer, perindopril and bisoprolol do not prevent trastuzumab-mediated left ventricular remodeling, according to a study published online Nov. 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	CSF RT-QuIC has high diagnostic specificity, sensitivity for prions (HealthDay)—Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) has high diagnostic specificity and sensitivity for prion diseases, according to a study published online Nov. 28 in the Annals of Neurology.
	Mice may be key to kids' asthma attacks at school (HealthDay)—Research investigating schoolchildren's asthma attacks has pointed to a tiny foe: mice.
	'Halo' effect common after lasik eye surgery (HealthDay)—Nine out of 10 Lasik laser eye surgery patients report satisfaction afterwards. But a sizable percentage experience new visual disturbances—like seeing halos around lights—up to six months after the procedure, a new study finds.
	Another Miami neighborhood now zika-free (HealthDay)—The Little River section of Miami is no longer an area where local Zika infection is active, Florida health officials reported Friday.
	Incidence of hospitalization for hypoglycemia decreasing (HealthDay)—For patients with type 1 diabetes, the incidence of hospitalization for hypoglycemia (HH) decreased over time in Denmark, with an 8.4 percent annual decrease, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in Diabetes Care.
	Psychotherapy for depression offers teens long-term benefits (HealthDay)—For teens with depression, many could reap long-term benefits from psychological counseling, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Study estimates global cancer cases, deaths in 2015 In 2015, there were an estimated 17.5 million cancer cases around the globe and 8.7 million deaths, according to a new report from the Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration published online by JAMA Oncology.
CD19-targeting CAR T-cell immunotherapy yields high responses in treatment-resistant CLL In a small, early phase trial, a high percentage of patients who had exhausted most traditional treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia saw their tumors shrink or even disappear after an infusion of a highly targeted, experimental CAR T-cell immunotherapy developed at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
After gene therapy, hemophilia B patients maintain near-normal levels of clotting factor Researchers are reporting the highest and most sustained levels to date of the essential blood-clotting factor IX in patients with the inherited bleeding disorder hemophilia B. After receiving a single dose of an experimental gene therapy in a clinical trial, patients with hemophilia produced near-normal levels of clotting factor IX, allowing them to stop clotting factor infusions and to pursue normal activities of daily life without disabling bleeding episodes.
	Biomarker may predict which formerly treated cancer patients will develop highly fatal form of leukemia Patients successfully treated for breast, colon and other cancers can go on to develop an often-fatal form of leukemia, sometimes years after completion of treatment, due to a genetic mutation leading to secondary malignancies known as therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs).
Research shows patients ineligible for studies may benefit from trial participation Patients who potentially could benefit most from participation in clinical trials due to poor prognoses often are not included based on eligibility criteria, such as existing medical illnesses. A novel study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed some patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), who traditionally could not be considered for clinical trials, responded well and were safely treated in this setting.
Scotland bans smoking in cars with children A new law comes into force in Scotland on Monday banning smoking in cars when children are present, as part of the government's plans for a "tobacco-free generation".
	Women with dementia receive less medical attention Women with dementia have fewer visits to the GP, receive less health monitoring and take more potentially harmful medication than men with dementia, new UCL (University College London) research reveals.
	Yo-yo dieting might cause extra weight gain Repeated dieting may lead to weight gain because the brain interprets the diets as short famines and urges the person to store more fat for future shortages, new research by the universities of Exeter and Bristol suggests.
Geophagy—"soil-eating" as an addictive behaviour Between 30 and 80 percent of people in Africa, especially women, regularly eat clayey soil – this habit is known as geophagy. They often consume between 100 and 400 g per day. "Pregnant and breast-feeding women, in particular, nearly always have some soil to eat. This is cheap to buy in the marketplace," explains Ruth Kutalek of MedUni Vienna's Center for Public Health (Institute of Social Medicine). The reason behind this habit, which was previously also widespread in Europe and Asia, is still unclear and is largely unresearched. A study conducted at MedUni Vienna has now been able to show that it is a craving.
	No safe level of smoking: Even low-intensity smokers are at increased risk of earlier death People who consistently smoked an average of less than one cigarette per day over their lifetime had a 64 percent higher risk of earlier death than never smokers, and those who smoked between one and 10 cigarettes a day had an 87 percent higher risk of earlier death than never smokers, according to a new study from researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Risks were lower among former low-intensity smokers compared to those who were still smokers, and risk fell with earlier age at quitting. The results of the study were reported December 5, 2016, in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Association between steps, functional decline in older hospitalized patients Is walking fewer than 900 steps per day associated with functional decline in older hospitalized patients? A new research letter published online by JAMA Internal Medicine suggests it is.
	Clinic readings may underestimate blood pressure during daily activities Around the clock monitoring during daily activity revealed masked, or undetected, high blood pressure among otherwise healthy adults who had normal readings in the clinic, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
	Few older Americans have dental insurance Only 12 percent of older Americans have some form of dental insurance and fewer than half visited a dentist in the previous year, suggests new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research on Medicare beneficiaries.
How human NK cells destroy diseased cells and minimize damage to bystanders When NK cells encounter cancer or virally infected cells, they adhere to them and quickly congregate their destructive granules on the area of contact with the diseased cell. The granules, which contain molecules that can destroy a cell, are then released onto the target cell to kill it. Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Rice University, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and the Karolinska Institute have discovered that congregating the granules before releasing them onto the target cell improves the efficiency of the NK cell attack on diseased cells and minimizes the killing of healthy bystander cells. The results appear in the Journal of Cell Biology.
	What are the health effects of legalizing marijuana? Robert MacCoun, a professor of law and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, relays the potential risks and benefits of legalizing marijuana. His research focuses on drug policy, and he has written extensively about the effects of marijuana from a legal and health perspective.
	Researcher making headway in fighting migraines A study by a UT Dallas researcher has revealed new information about a potential chemical causing pain hypersensitivity in migraines, which is the third most common disease in the world.
	New research could take hopelessness out of depression People with depression can't even imagine what it feels like to not be depressed.
Experts provide tips for staying on track this holiday season The last of the leaves are falling, the Halloween candy is gone, and most Americans are turning their attention toward the holiday season.
	Research raises concerns about the health of the oncology profession Workforce changes, work intensification and workload stress within the oncology profession are taking their toll on staff, with implications for patient care, UNSW research has found.
	Why the health and agriculture sectors need to work together to stop antibiotic resistance The Australian federal government recently announced a national plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance with an approach encompassing the health and agriculture sectors.
Addressing dementia's identity crisis Dementia should be understood more as a disability, rather than a disease, with a greater emphasis placed on supporting those who care for people with the condition, according to a new report from the Social Care Workforce Research Unit, part of the Policy Institute, King's College London.
	Your smartphone knows a lot about you, but what about your mental health? Smartphones come with an assortment of sensors that can track behaviours such as our internet search and browse history, where we go, what music we listen to, who we speak to, just to name a few.
	Researchers uncover protein-based 'cancer signature' A research team at the University of Basel's Biozentrum has investigated the expression of ribosomal proteins in a wide range of human tissues including tumors and discovered a cancer type specific signature. As the researchers report in Genome Biology, this "cancer signature" could potentially be used to predict the progression of the disease.
	CBD oil may reduce frequency and severity of epileptic seizures Cannabidiol oil, also known as CBD oil, reduces the frequency and severity of seizures in children and adults with severe, intractable epilepsy, according to findings presented by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham at the American Epilepsy Society 70th Annual Meeting.
	Opinion: Inquiry into Lyme-like illness calls for more research and better treatment For the past 20 years, a debate about the presence of Lyme disease caused by ticks transmitting a specific group of bacteria has resulted in often intense and confused media attention in Australia. While some claim the organism (known as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato) exists, to date there has been no conclusive scientific evidence to support this.
	Picture book could help people with learning disabilities and epilepsy A severe lack of understanding and research into the needs of people with learning disabilities and epilepsy is placing them at risk say experts from the University of Hertfordshire.
Study examines aspects of family relationships that may affect children's disruptive behaviour A new study has examined the interaction between coparenting and coercive parenting in predicting children's disruptive behaviour.
Test used to diagnose asthma may not be accurate A new study urges caution in the use of the mannitol challenge test for asthma in non-clinical settings. The test is considered widely applicable to detect asthma, but its accuracy outside of patients referred for specialized respiratory has not been thoroughly explored before.
	A genetic marker indicates a desire for salty foods but people can still control 'salt-tooth' A sprinkle over a baked potato or a teaspoon to flavor a pot of chili might seem innocent to the average dieter, but salt is a major culprit of cardiovascular disease in America.
Drug/catheter combo for labor induction could save 2.4 million hours of labor annually, study shows Labor induction is one of the most common medical procedures in the world, with nearly one-quarter of women who deliver in the U.S. undergoing the procedure each year (totaling roughly 1 million). Despite its widespread use, labor induction is costly and still has no widely accepted "best practice." Now, new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is showing what may be the best available method for inducing labor, which may be necessary under circumstances including medical conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or other health risks to the mom or baby.
Research uses mobile technology to help people quit smoking What if a smartphone app could help you avoid relapsing back to smoking even before you knew you were at risk? A researcher from the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center at the Stephenson Cancer Center is developing smartphone-based technology to help people receive real-time tobacco cessation treatment when they are most at risk.
	Advanced imaging of intact brains during ischemic stroke reveals a new role for pericytes Pericytes are the primary locus of matrix-mellaproteinase-9-dependent (MMP-9) capillary damage and blood leakage during ischemia, according to preclinical findings reported by Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) investigators in an article published online on November 14, 2016 by The Journal of Neuroscience. In vivo two-photon microscopy revealed MMP-9 activity and plasma leakage disproportionately occurred at locations where pericyte somata were attached to the endothelium. These results suggest that pericytes, normally essential for blood-brain barrier (BBB) function, contribute to capillary damage during stroke.
	CAR T cell immunotherapy continues to yield complete responses in leukemia A highly innovative, personalized cell-based treatment for a high-risk form of the most common childhood cancer continues to move through clinical trials. Pediatric oncologists from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) today reported new results using T cell immunotherapy against relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
	'Baby boomers' on dope: Recreational marijuana use is on the rise among adults over 50 The recent legalization of recreational marijuana (cannabis) use in California, Colorado, and Washington reflect the sweeping changes in the attitudes and perceptions towards marijuana use in the United States. Eight states have voted in favor of legal recreational marijuana and 26 states in total allow medicinal marijuana.
Children with Down syndrome and ALL fare as well as others treated on DFCI ALL protocols Despite an elevated risk of toxicity from chemotherapy, children with Down syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) did not experience higher rates of relapse or treatment-related mortality compared with other children treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium Protocols, according to research presented at the 58th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, December 5, 2016.
CPX-351 improves survival following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant in acute myeloid leukemia patients Acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It occurs most often in older populations and progresses rapidly, interfering with the production of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Treatments include chemotherapy, drug therapy and stem-cell transplants.
Study shows improved response rates in myelodysplastic syndromes patients treated with lenalidomide and epoetin alpha Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) suffer from a reduction in the number of different types of blood cells, including red blood cells leading to the development of anemia. Many patients with lower-risk MDS benefit from treatment with recombinant-erythropoietin (rHuEPO), which stimulates blood cell production. However, patients who become refractory to rHuEPO have few effective treatment options.
	Filling need for fast and accurate assessment of blood's ability to clot Case Western Reserve University researchers have developed a portable sensor that can assess the clotting ability of a person's blood 95 times faster than current methods—using only a single drop of blood.
	Double whammy for triple negative breast cancer A promising new combination therapy for a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer has been identified by Weizmann Institute scientists, as was recently reported in Cancer Research. The potential dual-acting therapeutic strategy not only inhibits tumor growth and survival but also circumvents the problem of drug-induced resistance.
Researchers identify stress-hormone differences among gay men Cortisol is a life sustaining adrenal hormone essential to maintaining the natural balance of the body. It is often referred to as "the stress hormone," as cortisol influences, regulates, and modulates many of the changes that occur in the body in response to stress.
	Genetic factors control regenerative properties of blood-forming stem cells Researchers from the UCLA Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology and the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have published two studies that define how key genetic factors affect blood-forming stem cells by either accelerating or hindering the cells' regenerative properties. The findings could one day lead to improved treatments for people undergoing common therapies for cancer such as chemotherapy and radiation.
Drug combination yields results in patients with forms of leukemia or lymphoma A combination of two targeted agents - one approved by the Food and Drug Administration and one undergoing testing - has demonstrated safety as well as encouraging signs of effectiveness in a phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed or hard-to-treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers will report the findings at the 58th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
	Leukemia drug combo is encouraging in early Phase I clinical trial Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian reported that 8 out of 12 patients with relapsed and/or chemotherapy refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or other blood cancers responded to a regimen including the chemotherapy drugs thioguanine and decitabine. Results from this small phase I study were reported at the American Society of Hematology's annual conference.
	Researchers uncover how hippocampus influences future thinking Over the past decade, researchers have learned that the hippocampus—historically known for its role in forming memories—is involved in much more than just remembering the past; it plays an important role in imagining events in the future. Yet, scientists still do not know precisely how the hippocampus contributes to episodic imagining—until now. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have determined the role of the hippocampus in future imaging lies in the process of constructing a scene in one's mind.
	Can't buy love? Drug price hikes put sex beyond reach Imagine not being able to afford one of life's great pleasures—sex.
Kids with lower vocabularies using e-books learn more with adult than pre-recorded voice A study by researchers at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto shows that four-year-olds with average and lower vocabulary skills learn more effectively with an adult reading an eBook to them versus relying solely on the eBook's voiceover.
	Genetic memory of starvation may curtail lifespan of men New Tel Aviv University research suggests that periods of fasting or starvation may significantly shorten the lifespans of both children and their male descendants.
Kids' restaurant menu items often include excess calories Most kids' menu items offered by the nation's top 200 restaurant chains exceed the calorie counts recommended by nutrition experts, a new RAND Corporation study has found.
Past misdeeds haunt relationships when they feel recent, study finds If a partner's past transgression feels like it happened yesterday, even if it didn't, you are more likely to remember it during new, unrelated arguments, according to a new study.
Avoiding spiritual struggles and existential questions is linked with poorer mental health Fear of confronting the tensions and conflicts brought on by existential concerns—the "big questions" of life—is linked with poorer mental health, including higher levels of depression, anxiety and difficulty regulating emotions, according to a new Case Western Reserve University study.
Parenting classes benefit all, especially lower-income families Parenting education can improve the skills of every mom and dad and the behavior of all children, and it particularly benefits families from low-income or otherwise underserved populations, a new study from Oregon State University suggests.
	Protecting babies from eczema with low-cost Vaseline What if it was possible to prevent your child from getting eczema—a costly, inflammatory skin disorder—just by applying something as inexpensive as petroleum jelly every day for the first six months of his or her life?
An eye on young specialists' success Graduates from several medical and surgical specialties are having difficulty securing practice opportunities, especially in specialties dependent upon limited resources, according to new research from Queen's ophthalmologist Robert Campbell.
	Goals missed on obesity, food poisoning, despite gov't push Progress in the U.S. against obesity, food poisoning, and infections spread in hospitals has been uneven and disappointing, despite dedicated efforts to fight these health threats by the nation's top public health agency.
	Scientists discover more clues to stuttering (HealthDay)—A blend of brain circuits are altered in people who stutter, new research indicates.
	Another step closer to artificial blood (HealthDay)—Artificial blood stored as a powder could one day revolutionize emergency medicine and provide trauma victims a better chance of survival.
	Study sheds light on safety of driving with epilepsy (HealthDay)—People with epilepsy who experienced longer seizures during a simulated driving test may face an increased risk for crashes while on the road, a new study suggests.
	DASH diet reduces serum uric acid in prehypertension (HealthDay)—Among adults with prehypertension or stage I hypertension, following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet lowers serum uric acid (UA), according to a study published online Nov. 28 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
	Review: methodological limitations for OSCC biomarkers (HealthDay)—Methodological concerns have limited the analysis of saliva-based biomarkers for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), according to a review published online Nov. 29 in Head and Neck.
	Study explores factors linked to successful peanut OFC (HealthDay)—Early peanut introduction is associated with increased probability of a successful oral food challenge (OFC), with higher odds for introduction between 6 to 11 versus 4 to 6 months, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in Allergy.
	Strategies ID'd for integration of nurse practitioners into ICUs (HealthDay)—Key strategies for successful integration of nurse practitioners into intensive care units (ICUs) include defining their role and providing orientation options, as well as support and training, according to an article published in the December issue of Critical Care Nurse.
	Many with postconcussion syndrome don't recover (HealthDay)—A minority of patients with postconcussion syndrome (PCS) recover, with two-thirds of those who recover doing so within one year, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
	Sleep disturbance linked to esophageal hypersensitivity (HealthDay)—For patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep disturbance is associated with enhanced heartburn perception to capsaicin infusion, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Functionally ID'd variants in HNF1A linked to diabetes risk (HealthDay)—Functionally characterized variants in hepatocyte nuclear factor-1a (HNF1A) genes, which are associated with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY3), are strongly associated with diabetes, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in Diabetes.
	New drug might reduce sickle cell pain crises (HealthDay)—An experimental drug may help reduce episodes of pain associated with sickle cell disease, a new study finds.
	11 percent of stroke survivors struggle with epilepsy (HealthDay)—More than one in 10 stroke survivors develop epilepsy, and the greater the brain damage caused by stroke, the higher the risk of seizures, a new study reports.
Nivolumab with chemotherapy improves response, survival in AML study patients The immunotherapy drug nivolumab in combination with standard chemotherapy more than doubled response rates and improved overall survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to preliminary findings by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Field position may impact blood pressure in football players Football at the college-level is associated with increased blood pressure and changes in size, shape, structure and function of the heart, especially among linemen, according to a new study published today in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
Even moderate, habitual alcohol consumption can cause irregular heartbeat Often people who binge drink experience an irregular heartbeat or a heart "flutter," sometimes referred to as "holiday heart syndrome." However, people who drink smaller amounts of alcohol on a regular basis are also at higher risk of irregular heartbeat, according to a review published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Irregular heartbeat, also known as atrial fibrillation, not only directly affects the heart itself, but is a leading cause of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
Simple steps lengthen lives of high-risk AML patients New research shows that quickly identifying patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and speeding the process to find them a stem cell donor and performing the transplant earlier, can significantly improve their chances of surviving for at least two years after diagnosis without a relapse.
How one minute could prevent unnecessary hospitalization, tests for patients with low-risk chest pai Using a shared decision-making aid to involve patients more in their own care decisions can prevent unnecessary hospitalization or advanced cardiac tests for patients reporting low-risk chest pain—for the cost of about 1 minute of time. So says a study from Mayo Clinic researchers, published online today in The BMJ.
Lack of appropriate clothing can hinder people with disabilities There are many important events in a person's life, including weddings, graduations, school dances and job interviews. The clothing industry has long profited from these events and the special clothing they require. However, according to new research from the University of Missouri, approximately 30 million Americans living with mobility challenges and impairments lack the appropriate clothing required for social engagements, work and exercise. Following this new study researchers suggest that apparel manufacturers could play a vital role in helping people navigate social barriers by providing more accessible clothing options.
	A missed app-ortunity: Study finds few mobile health apps help patients who need them most The smartphones that nearly all Americans carry could transform how people manage their health, especially for the tens of millions who have chronic conditions or complex health needs.
Researchers identify new genetic links to body fat distribution Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified seven new areas of the genome linked to body fat distribution—a finding that could offer new insights into the biologic mechanisms that influence a person's risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
	Early treatment may prevent progression to multiple myeloma Early intervention with an immunotherapy-based drug combination may prevent progression of high-risk "smoldering" multiple myeloma to the full-blown disease, according to researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Patients who choose doctors with low office visit prices save hundreds of dollars per year Patients who choose primary care doctors with low office visit prices can rack up considerable savings on overall health care costs, according to new research from Harvard Medical School.
Many smartphone health apps don't flag danger, says review Don't count on smartphone health apps in an emergency: A review shows many don't warn when you're in danger.
NY tweaks medical pot law but still no talk of legalization New York is loosening restrictions in its nearly year-old medical marijuana law but, to the dismay of some pot advocates, there is no sign the state is in any hurry to join eight other states in embracing full legalization.
	New gene therapy for pseudarthrosis trialed at Kazan University A team headed by Professor Albert Rizvanov, director of the Gene and Cell Technologies Open Lab, has created a gene therapy drug that encodes growth factors for the stimulation of blood vessel and bone formation. The combination was highly effective in a patient admitted to the Republican Clinical Hospital in Kazan, Russia. The treatment was approved by the ethical committee, supported by the Ministry of Healthcare of Tatarstan and published in BioNanoScience.
	Advocacy and community health care models complement research and clinical care Global lung cancer researchers and patient advocates today emphasized that new models of delivering care and communicating about cancer care play an important role in the fight against lung cancer. Their remarks come on the first day of the IASLC 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Vienna, Austria.
	Potential target for restoring ejaculation in men with spinal cord injuries or ejaculatory disorders New research provides insights on how to restore the ability to ejaculate in men who are not able to do so.
Study shows promising clinical activity Immune cellular therapy is a promising new area of cancer treatment. Anti-cancer therapeutics, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cells, can be engineered to target tumor-associated antigens to attack and kill cancer cells. This allows for an improved precision medicine approach to treating cancer. Moffitt Cancer Center physician-scientist Fredrick L. Locke, M.D., will present interim results from cohort 2 of the phase 2 portion of the ZUMA-1 study, which uses CAR-T therapy for patients with refractory primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma and transformed follicular lymphoma, during the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in San Diego.
	How will electronic medical records and patient portals change patient care Judy Faulkner, CEO of Epic Systems, the dominant U.S. provider of electronic medical records (EMRs) has a bird's-eye view of the impact EMRs is having on doctors, patients, and healthcare delivery, and she shares her perspectives on the future of data-driven, patient-centered medicine in an interview published in the new peer-reviewed, open access journalzine Healthcare Transformations.
	Global public health advocates open new fronts in war on tobacco Efforts to control tobacco as a public health threat have escalated as clinicians and public health advocates have coalesced to beat back threats from tobacco companies through public advocacy, public health, and pension reform. Today, public health advocates from Brazil, Malaysia, Ireland, Australia, and Uruguay presented different strategies that have effectively reigned in the global threat of tobacco companies at a press briefing held at IASLC 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).
	New study to investigate role of sleep in chronic pain Washington State University will lead a study to understand the relationship between sleep and chronic pain, part of a nationwide effort to address the rising abuse of opioid pain relievers and expand the arsenal of non-drug treatment options.
Clinicians should address needs of family caregivers of persons with dementia More than 15 million family members and other unpaid caregivers provide care to persons living with dementia in the United States. Yet the current healthcare environment and reimbursement models emphasize obligations toward individual patients, preventing clinicians from reaching out to these caregivers to assess their needs and provide care.
Poor anti-VEGF responses linked to genetic variation in immune regulation Anti-VEGF therapies are commonly used to stabilize deteriorating vision in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, is a signaling molecule that helps maintain blood vessels in the eye and other organs, but its overabundance in wet AMD patients can lead to overgrowth of vessels that causes vision loss. Though reducing VEGF signaling with anti-VEGF therapies has positive effects in many patients, some individuals continue to experience vision deterioration during treatment.
	3-D printed kidney phantoms aid nuclear medicine dosing calibration In nuclear medicine, the goal is to keep radiation exposure at a minimum, while obtaining quality images. Optimal dosing for individual patients can be difficult to determine. That's where 3D-printed organ models of varying size and shape could be of great use.
	Senate votes to move bill speeding federal drug OKs The Senate moved Monday toward removing the last hurdles to legislation bolstering disease research and simplifying the government's pathway for pharmaceutical and medical device approvals as a Congress marked by frequent battles with President Barack Obama prepared to close out its business with a bipartisan accord.
Mutations in lymphoma patients undergoing transplants raise risk of second cancers A significant percentage of lymphoma patients undergoing transplants with their own blood stem cells carry acquired genetic mutations that increase their risks of developing second hematologic cancers and dying from other causes, according to a study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Biology news

	Detective work across dingo fence reveals new factor in woody shrub invasion Extermination of dingoes and the consequent loss of small mammals - not just overgrazing by livestock - have led to a rapid spread of woody shrubs across semi-arid Australia, a new study shows.
	Researchers characterize Ssb chaperone protein for the first time For 20 years, researchers have tried to find out why the chaperone Ssb is the only member of the widespread Hsp70-chaperone family that is able to bind directly to the ribosome. This question has now been answered at the University of Konstanz. The researchers identified two regions within the Ssb chaperone that mediate direct contact with the ribosome and thus support the function of Ssb. "We can demonstrate that Ssb interacts with the ribosome mainly via positively charged amino acids", says Professor Elke Deuerling, whose team discovered the binding sites of Ssb. The results were published on 5 December 2016 in Nature Communications.
	How plants manage excess solar energy Life on earth largely depends on the conversion of light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis by plants. However, absorption of excess sunlight can damage the complex machinery responsible for this process. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have discovered how Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a mobile single-cell alga, activates the protection of its photosynthetic machinery. Their study, published in the journal PNAS, indicates that the receptors (UVR8) that detect ultraviolet rays induce the activation of a safety valve that allows dissipation of excess energy as heat. A second protective role is thus attributed to these receptors, whose ability to induce the production of an anti-UV 'sunscreen' had already been shown by the Geneva team.
	Small but mighty: Tiny proteins with big roles in biology (Update) We all know how hard it is to find something small like a dropped contact lens that blends into the background. It's similarly tough for biologists to find tiny proteins against the complex background of the cell. But, increasingly, scientists are learning that such microproteins, which are overlooked by traditional detection methods, also have important biological roles to play.
	How do creatures like sea urchins take up the calcium they need to build hard structures? Some sea creatures cover themselves with hard shells and spines, while vertebrates build skeletons out of the same minerals. How do these animals get the calcium they need to build these strong mineral structures? Professors Lia Addadi and Steve Weiner of the Weizmann Institute of Science's Structural Biology Department asked this question about sea urchins, which need to extract quite a few calcium ions from sea water to build their spines. The answer surprised them, and it could change the way scientists think about the process of biomineralization.
	Researchers uncover possible source of genetic error causing multiple diseases Tufts University researchers have discovered a possible explanation for the occurrence of a genetic error that causes over a dozen neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease, myotonic dystrophy and forms of spinocerebellar ataxia.
	Gene editing yields tomatoes that flower and ripen weeks earlier Using a simple and powerful genetic method to tweak genes native to two popular varieties of tomato plants, a team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has devised a rapid method to make them flower and produce ripe fruit more than 2 weeks faster than commercial breeders are currently able to do.
	Ribosome recycling as a drug target Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich researchers have elucidated a mechanism that recycles bacterial ribosomes stalled on messenger RNAs that lack termination codons. The protein involved provides a potential target for future antibiotics.
	Experimental insecticide explodes mosquitoes, not honeybees In a new study, Vanderbilt pharmacologist Jerod Denton, Ph.D., Ohio State entomologist Peter Piermarini, Ph.D., and colleagues report an experimental molecule that inhibits kidney function in mosquitoes and thus might provide a new way to control the deadliest animal on Earth.
	New study of water-saving plants advances efforts to develop drought-resistant crops As part of an effort to develop drought-resistant food and bioenergy crops, scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have uncovered the genetic and metabolic mechanisms that allow certain plants to conserve water and thrive in semi-arid climates.
	Female lemurs with color vision provide advantages for their group Female lemurs with normal color vision, as well as their cohabitating colorblind group members, may have selective advantage over lemur groups whose members are all colorblind, according to anthropologists at The University of Texas at Austin.
	Plant 'chemical factory' could produce variety of commercial products A 'chemical factory' on the surface of plant leaves could help produce more commercially useful products, researchers at the University of York have found.
	Designer switches of cell fate could streamline stem cell biology Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a novel strategy to reprogram cells from one type to another in a more efficient and less biased manner than previous methods.
	Powerful new technique reveals the mechanical environment of cells in their natural habitat, the living embryo Whether building organs or maintaining healthy adult tissues, cells use biochemical and mechanical cues from their environment to make important decisions, such as becoming a neuron, a skin cell or a heart cell. Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have developed a powerful new technique that reveals for the first time the mechanical environment that cells perceive in living tissues—their natural, unaltered three-dimensional habitat.
	Birds flying through laser light reveal faults in flight research The protective goggles are tight, the chin strap secure. Conditions are calm and the lasers are ready; the air is infused with tiny aerosol particles that are primed to scatter and track at the slightest disruption. Wait for the signal.The researcher points. The bird flies!
	Oldest zoo gorilla doing well after biopsy before birthday The oldest known gorilla living in a zoo is doing well after a surgical biopsy ahead of her 60th birthday on Dec. 22.
The snake-catching tribe saving lives in India A small scythe, a crowbar and a bundle of canvas bags are all that Kali and Vedan carry when they venture into the fields of southern India to catch some of the world's deadliest snakes.
Vine pest in Austria is genetically variable Exactly 14 different variants of a very specific bacterium that damages grapevines can be found in Austria. This is one of the key results of a project supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, which looked at the damage caused to vines by phytoplasmas.
	Researcher charts advances in marine mammal genetic sequencing Answers to evolutionary and ecological mysteries about marine mammal species may be closer at hand, thanks to advances in genetic sequencing techniques for so-called nonmodel organisms.
	Development of a rapid method to knockout genes in Arabidopsis thaliana A pair of plant biologists at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM) of Nagoya University, has reported in the journal Plant and Cell Physiology, on the development of a new vector (a carrier to transfer genetic information) to knockout the target genes in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, in a highly efficient and inheritable manner.
	Role of molecular modification in determining physical activity levels revealed Researchers show modification of a gene product results in greater physical activity and reduced body weight in mice, thus boosting understanding of how physical activity is regulated at the cellular level in the nervous system.
	Bandicoot and bilby review finds gaps in current knowledge The evolutionary history of a group of native Australasian marsupials that look like a cross between a rabbit and a rat require further research to fill in knowledge gaps, a review by Perth academics suggests.
Why the flounder is flat Flatfish are some of the most unusual vertebrate animals on our planet. They start out their life fully symmetrical, like any other fish, but undergo a spectacular metamorphosis where the symmetric larva is transformed into an asymmetric juvenile whose eyes end up on one side of the head.
Guppies: Study sorts the maths whizzes from the dunces Some guppies have a better sense of maths than others. It allows some to find the biggest shoal possible in which to be protected against predators, while others are better at choosing fruitful foraging ground. This is according to research conducted by Tyrone Lucon-Xiccato and Marco Dadda of the University of Padova in Italy in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
	Rapid validation for genome assemblies? Introducing KAT: K-mer Analysis Toolkit Genome assembly projects are costly in both time and money; where identifying problems with your data post-assembly can be a real setback. With the K-mer Analysis Toolkit (KAT), researchers can access and confirm their results at every stage.
	Wise plant analysis Here's a reason not to peel tomatoes: A new method of plant analysis, developed at the Weizmann Institute of Science, has identified healthful antioxidants in tomato skins. In fact, as reported recently in Nature Communications, the new method reveals that biologically active plant substances typically associated with particular plant species - including those providing health benefits - are much more prevalent across the plant kingdom than was previously thought.
	Efficiency of insect biodiversity monitoring via Malaise trap samples and DNA barcoding The massive decline of over 75% insect biomass reported from Germany between 1989 and 2013 by expert citizen scientists proves the urgent need for new methods and standards for fast and wide-scale biodiversity assessments. If we cannot understand species composition, as well as their diversity patterns and reasons behind them, we will fail not only to predict changes, but also to take timely and adequate measures before species go extinct.
	Fast evolution affects everyone, everywhere Rapid evolution of other species happens all around us all the time - and many of the most extreme examples are associated with human influences.
	Over half of Med's shark and ray species 'at risk of extinction' Over half of the Mediterranean's shark and ray species are at risk of extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said Monday, blaming overfishing for plummeting numbers.
	Rare weasel species makes a comeback in Washington state The elusive weasel-like mammal poked its head out of the wooden crate, glanced around and quickly darted into the thick forest of Mount Rainier National Park—returning to a landscape where it had been missing for seven decades.
	Novel genetic tools for bioassessment of European aquatic ecosystems, COST grant proposal Often referred to as "the blue planet", the majority of the Earth consists of aquatic ecosystems. Human land-use change, over-exploitation and pollution have severely impacted aquatic ecosystems over the past decades.
	Sea Shepherd ships leave to battle Japanese whaling fleet Two ships have left Australia bound for the freezing Southern Ocean to confront the Japanese whaling fleet in an annual high-seas battle, environmental activist group Sea Shepherd said Monday.
	Plant scientists propose new classification system for european vegetation Experts have presented a new classification system for vegetation in Europe that aims to standardize classifications across the continent and aid the European Union Nature Information System, which brings together data for nature resource management and conservation, land planning, education, and environmental policy implementation.
Three new ASCB celldance video awards take you inside living cells Riding a wave of powerful new imaging technologies, three ASCB member labs will take you inside the world of living cells with the release, December 5, of three short 2016 Celldance videos at the ASCB Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Scientists, students, and the public can follow a dendritic immune cell as it races to heal a wound or get up close as cells divide or explore the native environment of secretory cells pushing out vital enzymes.
	Availability of human food shortens and disrupts bears' hibernation With winter approaching, bears all over the world are getting ready to hibernate. New research suggests that not all bears will spend entire winter in their dens, however, especially where baiting and other kinds of bear feeding is performed for hunting purposes and diversion from human settlements.
Study examines the impact of climate change on freshwater species How might climate change affect the distribution of freshwater species living in rivers, ponds, and lakes? Investigators examined the capacity of species to shift their distributions in response to climate change using modeled projections of 527 freshwater species in New South Wales, Australia.
	Researchers stress the need for research on Ebola virus disease in great apes Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a threat to human health, but it also threatens the survival of African great apes. A new review examines the current knowledge about EVD in great apes and documents the link between outbreaks in apes and in humans, mainly via bushmeat consumption.
	Flowers use physics to attract pollinators A new review indicates that flowers may be able to manipulate the laws of physics, by playing with light, using mechanical tricks, and harnessing electrostatic forces to attract pollinators.
Cell Atlas launched at ASCB 2016 Meeting After the completion of the human genome in 2001, another major milestone was reached with the launch of the Cell Atlas at the 2016 American Society of Cell Biology Meeting in San Francisco. An open-access interactive database with unparalleled high-resolution images, the Cell Atlas visualizes for the first time the location of more than 12,000 proteins in cells—opening the way for "spatial proteomics", an exciting new discipline which is expected to lead to a fundamental expansion in our understanding of human health and disease.
	New LED display lights help improve taste of milk, researchers find New LED lights that are being installed in milk display cases across the country do more than just reduce energy bills—they also help milk taste better, Virginia Tech researchers have found.

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