Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Dec 13

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 13, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Physicists show feasibility of building a trapped Rydberg ion quantum computer

Bright areas on Ceres suggest geologic activity

Engineers create plants that glow

East Antarctic Ice Sheet has history of instability

Electricity, eel-style: Soft power cells could run tomorrow's implantables

Chemical tipping point of magma determines explosive potential of volcanoes

New type of smart windows use liquid to switch from clear to reflective

Giant storms cause palpitations in Saturn's atmospheric heartbeat

Immune cells turn back time to achieve memory

Fossil orphans reunited with their parents after half a billion years

Borrowing a leaf from biology to preserve threatened languages

Gecko adhesion technology moves closer to industrial uses

Mosquito sex protein could provide key to controlling disease

Stellar nursery blooms into view

Nanotexturing creates bacteria-killing spikes on stainless steel surfaces

Astronomy & Space news

	Bright areas on Ceres suggest geologic activity If you could fly aboard NASA's Dawn spacecraft, the surface of dwarf planet Ceres would generally look quite dark, but with notable exceptions. These exceptions are the hundreds of bright areas that stand out in images Dawn has returned. Now, scientists have a better sense of how these reflective areas formed and changed over time—processes indicative of an active, evolving world.
	Giant storms cause palpitations in Saturn's atmospheric heartbeat Immense northern storms on Saturn can disturb atmospheric patterns at the planet's equator, finds the international Cassini mission in a study led by Dr Leigh Fletcher from the University of Leicester.
	Stellar nursery blooms into view The OmegaCAM camera on ESO's VLT Survey Telescope has captured this glittering view of the stellar nursery called Sharpless 29. Many astronomical phenomena can be seen in this giant image, including cosmic dust and gas clouds that reflect, absorb, and re-emit the light of hot young stars within the nebula.
	Oh my stars! Stage set for 'spectacular' meteor show A thin, waning moon should allow for uninterrupted views Wednesday night of the annual Geminid shooting star show, set to be "spectacular" this year, astronomers say.
	Major space mystery solved using data from student satellite A 60-year-old mystery regarding the source of some energetic and potentially damaging particles in Earth's radiation belts is now solved using data from a shoebox-sized satellite built and operated by University of Colorado Boulder students.
	Spanning disciplines in the search for life beyond Earth The search for life beyond Earth is riding a surge of creativity and innovation. Following a gold rush of exoplanet discovery over the past two decades, it is time to tackle the next step: determining which of the known exoplanets are proper candidates for life.
	Mars mission sheds light on habitability of distant planets How long might a rocky, Mars-like planet be habitable if it were orbiting a red dwarf star? It's a complex question but one that NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission can help answer.
	New Zealand space launch scrubbed from remote launch site A space launch was scrubbed Tuesday from a remote launch site in New Zealand after an engine glitch caused engineers to abort the flight.
	New island offers clues in search for life on Mars: NASA The world's newest island—formed during a volcanic eruption in the remote Pacific three years ago—may offer clues to how life potentially developed on Mars, NASA said Wednesday.
	NASA biology experiments are space station-bound Several bioscience experiments developed at NASA's Ames Research Center, in California's Silicon Valley are about to launch to the International Space Station on SpaceX's 13th commercial resupply services mission for NASA
	How crashing neutron stars killed off some of our best ideas about what 'dark energy' is There was much excitement when scientists witnessed the violent collision of two ultra-dense, massive stars more than 100m light years from the Earth earlier this year. Not only did they catch the resulting gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of spacetime – they also saw a practically instantaneous flash of light. This is exciting in itself and was the first direct evidence for a merger of neutron stars.
	'Mannequin Skywalker' rides Blue Origin's new crew capsule (Update) Blue Origin's 'Mannequin Skywalker' has rocketed almost all the way to space, just in time for the new Star Wars movie.
ANU astronomers create best map of the southern sky Astronomers at ANU have created the most comprehensive map of the southern sky that can be viewed online by anyone around the world.
	MWA radio telescope expansion complete—Exploration of the universe's first stars begins When and how were the first stars in the universe born? The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope in the desert of Western Australia, one of the largest of its kind, was constructed to clarify this and many other mysteries. The MWA is an international radio-astronomy project conducted by seven countries including Japan and Australia. In Japan, Kumamoto University (main), Nagoya University, Kagoshima University, University of Tokyo, Tohoku University, and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan are participating in the effort. Construction to increase the sensitivity of the MWA began in 2016, and was completed in October of this year (2017). The antennas were doubled in number to 4,096 over a 5 km2 area, which greatly improved the sensitivity of the telescope. The upgraded MWA will seek answers to mysteries of the universe that began 13.7 billion years ago.
	Image: 3-D-printed satellite imager design Weirdly organic in appearance, this prototype is the first outcome of an ESA project to develop, manufacture and demonstrate an optical instrument for space with 3D printing.

Technology news

	Electricity, eel-style: Soft power cells could run tomorrow's implantables Inspired by the electric eel, a flexible, transparent electrical device could lead to body-friendly power sources for implanted health monitors and medication dispensers, augmented-reality contact lenses and countless other applications.
	Microsoft launches preview of its Quantum Development Kit (Tech Xplore)—Microsoft has officially released a free preview of its Quantum Development Kit (QDK)—a collection of tools that will allow users to create, compile and run programs written in the Q# (pronounced Q sharp, as in music) programming language. Included in the kit will be a tool for creating Q# programs, access to a quantum simulator and other resources such as documentation, sample programs and libraries of code.
	Humans can feel molecular differences between nearly identical surfaces How sensitive is the human sense of touch? Sensitive enough to feel the difference between surfaces that differ by just a single layer of molecules, a team of researchers at the University of California San Diego has shown.
	A lithium-ion battery inspired by safety glass Researchers in the United States have modified the design of lithium-ion batteries to include slits along the electrodes, a feature which may mitigate the risk of battery failure during automobile accidents. The prototype, presented December 13 in the journal Joule, could allow manufacturers to scale down the housing materials that commonly protect batteries in electric cars from mechanical damage, improving the overall energy density and cost.
	Climate conditions affect solar cell performance more than expected Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers can now predict how much energy solar cells will produce at any location worldwide. Surprisingly, they identified that two types of solar cells (silicon and cadmium telluride) can vary in energy output by 5% or more in tropical regions, where most of the emerging solar cell markets are located. This gap occurs because solar energy can shift depending on local temperature and water in the atmosphere. Their work, appearing December 13 in the journal Joule and developed into an open-source tool, emphasizes that solar products may behave differently depending on their environment.
	Microbes help turn Greek yogurt waste into fuel Consumers across the world enjoy Greek yogurt for its taste, texture, and protein-packed punch. Reaching that perfect formula, however, generates large volumes of food waste in the form of liquid whey. Now researchers in the United States and Germany have found a way to use bacteria to turn the leftover sugars and acids from Greek yogurt into molecules that could be used in biofuels or safe feedstock additives. Their work appears December 13 in the journal Joule.
	Photos can be traced to individual smartphones, opening up new ways to prevent identity theft Not comfortable with Face ID and other biometrics? This cybersecurity advancement may be for you. A University at Buffalo-led team of researchers has discovered how to identify smartphones by examining just one photo taken by the device. The advancement opens the possibility of using smartphones—instead of body parts—as a form of identification to deter cybercrime.
	Micro-grippers may be able to navigate unstructured environments Micro-grippers may be able to navigate unstructured environments and could help reduce risk during surgeries, according to a study published December 13, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Federico Ongaro from the University of Twente, The Netherlands and colleagues.
	Researchers use WWII code-breaking techniques to interpret brain data Cracking the German Enigma code is considered to be one of the decisive factors that hastened Allied victory in World War II. Starting with clues derived from espionage, computer scientists were able to work out the rules that turned a string of gibberish characters into plain German, providing life-saving and war-shortening intelligence.
	Monkey selfies, eclipse, bitcoin, Lauer top Google in 2017 Matt Lauer. Bitcoin. DACA. Monkey selfies. Jeremy Lin's hair. Do-it-yourself eclipse glasses. Tom Petty's death. National anthem protests in the NFL. And "Cash Me Outside."
	In tax shift, Facebook to declare ad revenues locally Facebook, in a bow to transparency, has announced it plans to declare certain ad revenues in the country where they are made and not in Ireland, where it has a greater tax advantage.
	Toshiba, Western Digital make peace on sale of chip unit Toshiba Corp. and its joint venture partner Western Digital have made peace over the embattled Japanese electronics giant's plan to sell its flash memory unit to raise cash to stay afloat.
	Questions and answers on 'net neutrality' US regulators are set to vote Thursday on a plan overhauling rules for internet services providers. The action by the Federal Communications Commission is likely to end so-called "net neutrality." Here are some questions and answers:
Google opens AI centre in China as competition heats up (Update) Google announced Wednesday that it will open a new artificial intelligence research centre in Beijing, tapping China's talent pool in the promising technology despite the US search giant's exclusion from the country's internet.
	Engineers, philosophers and sociologists release ethical design guidelines for future technology If kids spend hours a day speaking to digital personal assistant Alexa, how will this affect the way they connect to real people? When a self-driving car runs over a pedestrian, who do you take to court? Is it okay to manipulate people's emotions if it's making them happier?
	Researchers are exploring on the p-bit trail (Tech Xplore)—Welcome to the heady world of finding new ways of computing.
	New NIST forensic tests to ensure high-quality copies of digital evidence Data found on a suspect's computer, cell phone or tablet can prove to be crucial evidence in a legal case. A new set of software tools developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) aims to make sure this digital evidence will hold up in court.
	Young workers are most likely to use their phones while driving – here's how we can change that Distracted driving is a significant contributor to road accidents and fatalities. Mobile phone use while driving is a particularly important form of driver distraction. It can increase the risk of traffic accidents by up to four times.
	How to get more electric vehicles on the road Despite the hype and excitement, not to mention the fanciful visions put forth by Tesla's Elon Musk, electric vehicles (EVs) are not yet winning over the transportation sector.
	What the robots of Star Wars tell us about automation, and the future of human work Millions of fans all over the world are eagerly anticipating this week's release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the eighth in the series. At last we will get some answers to questions that have been vexing us since 2015's The Force Awakens.
	Apple has its investment shoes on this week Apple has made its second notable investment this week, the latest into the facial recognition technology company, Finisar.
	Vehicles could get 'nerves' that sense damage with new research Helicopters, tanks and other vehicles could someday be made of "smart material" that senses damage, similar to how nerves tell the body it has been injured, with the help of new research based at Clemson University and funded by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.
T-Mobile unveils plans for US pay TV service US wireless carrier T-Mobile said Wednesday it would launch a pay TV service in 2018, aiming to disrupt the dominant cable and satellite providers.
	Uber: No evidence hackers took rider credit card numbers (Update) An outside cyber security firm hired by Uber after a massive data theft found no evidence that rider credit card, bank account or Social Security numbers were downloaded by two hackers, the company said in a response to demands for information from U.S. senators.
	Alexa, can I do my holiday shopping through you? It was a few weeks before Christmas and time to put my voice assistant to the test: Could I just shout out the gifts I needed to buy without having to get on a smartphone or computer?
Three plead guilty in Mirai botnet attacks US officials unveiled criminal charges Wednesday against a former university student and two others in the Mirai botnet attacks which shut down parts of the internet in several countries starting in mid-2016.
Target buys same-day delivery service for $550 mn Target said Wednesday it was acquiring same-day grocery delivery service Shipt for $550 million, helping the US retail titan step up its challenge to Amazon and its recently acquired Whole Foods supermarket chain.
Justice Department confirms criminal probe in Uber case A recent letter from the U.S. Attorney's office confirms the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation connected to allegations that a former Uber executive stole self-driving car technology from a Google spin-off to help the ride-hailing service build robotic vehicles.
Greek court backs extraditing Russian bitcoin suspect to US (Update) Greece's Supreme Court has ruled in favor extraditing a Russian cybercrime suspect to the United States to stand trial for allegedly laundering billions of dollars using the virtual currency bitcoin.
	Russian nuclear plant says it emits leaked nuclear isotope A senior executive at the Russian nuclear processing plant suspected of being behind a spike of radioactivity over Europe this fall admitted Wednesday that the isotope recorded does emerge as part of the plant's production cycle but said its levels are negligible.
	Venezuelans seeing bitcoin boom as survival, not speculation In the last month, John Villar has bought two plane tickets to Colombia, purchased his wife's medication and paid the employees of his startup business in Venezuela—all in bitcoin.
Facebook accused of inaction over Russian ads in Brexit vote A senior British MP on Wednesday accused Facebook of failing to seriously investigate possible Russian influence in the Brexit vote, after it found just three adverts linked to a known propaganda group.
Trending searches: hurricane, bitcoin and sex scandal Hurricane Irma, bitcoin, sex scandal and royal romance made up some of the hot topics explored this year at internet giant Google.

Medicine & Health news

	Immune cells turn back time to achieve memory Memory T cells earn their name by embodying the memory of the immune system - they help the body remember what infections or vaccines someone has been exposed to. But to become memory T cells, the cells go backwards in time, relinquishing their status as immune foot soldiers.
	Scientists rewrite our understanding of how arteries mend Scientists from The University of Manchester have discovered how the severity of trauma to arterial blood vessels governs how the body repairs itself.
	Anti-stress compound reduces obesity and diabetes For the first time, scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich could prove that a stress protein found in muscle has a diabetes promoting effect. This finding could pave the way to a completely new treatment approach.
	Aging impairs innate immune response to flu Aging impairs the immune system's response to the flu virus in multiple ways, weakening resistance in older adults, according to a Yale study. The research reveals why older people are at increased risk of illness and death from flu, the researchers said.
	Activating MSc glutamatergic neurons found to cause mice to eat less (Medical Xpress)—A trio of researchers working at the State University of New York has found that artificially stimulating neurons that exist in the medial septal complex in mouse brains caused test mice to eat less. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Patrick Sweeney, Changhong Li and Yunlei Yang describe experiments they carried out with mice and what their findings may represent for future studies aimed at controlling overeating in humans.
	Study links health risks to electromagnetic field exposure A study of real-world exposure to non-ionizing radiation from magnetic fields in pregnant women found a significantly higher rate of miscarriage, providing new evidence regarding their potential health risks. The Kaiser Permanente study was published today in the journal Scientific Reports.
Steroid study sheds light on long term side effects of medicines Fresh insights into key hormones found in commonly prescribed medicines have been discovered, providing further understanding of the medicines' side effects.
	Autism therapy: Brain stimulation restores social behavior in mice Scientists are examining the feasibility of treating autistic children with neuromodulation after a new study showed social impairments can be corrected by brain stimulation.
	'Human chronobiome' study informs timing of drug delivery, precision medicine approaches Symptoms and efficacy of medications—and indeed, many aspects of the human body itself—vary by time of day. Physicians tell patients to take their statins at bedtime because the related liver enzymes are more active during sleep. Studies have also identified that most heart attacks occur in the early morning as the body jolts awake. Often, studies on the 24-hour rhythms of human physiology focus on many patients, but few parameters.
	Searching for a link between achy joints and rainy weather in a flood of data, researchers come up dry Rainy weather has long been blamed for achy joints. Unjustly so, according to new research from Harvard Medical School. The analysis, published Dec. 13 in BMJ, found no relationship between rainfall and joint or back pain.
	Lactic acid bacteria can protect against Influenza A virus, study finds Lactic acid bacteria, commonly used as probiotics to improve digestive health, can offer protection against different subtypes of influenza A virus, resulting in reduced weight loss after virus infection and lower amounts of virus replication in the lungs, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
	Spinal cord injury affects the heart Spinal cord injury affects the heart, that's what research published in Experimental Physiology and carried out by researchers from University of British Columbia, Canada has found.
Alcohol taxes are too low, have not kept up with inflation State alcohol excise taxes are typically only a few cents per drink and have not kept pace with inflation, according to a new study in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Raising those taxes, according to the authors, represents an opportunity for states to increase revenues while simultaneously improving public health outcomes and costs related to excessive alcohol consumption.
Winter months most likely to lead to tragedy for men who disappear on a night out Men are more likely to go missing on a night out and be found dead in December than at any other time of the year, according to a sobering new report from the University of Portsmouth.
Video game improves doctors' recognition and triage of severe trauma patients Playing an adventure video game featuring a fictitious, young emergency physician treating severe trauma patients was better than text-based learning at priming real doctors to quickly recognize the patients who needed higher levels of care, according to a new trial led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
	Immune diseases inflict identical twins differently Any parent with identical twins knows their two children are actually remarkably different. Identical twins are genetically identical, but they are not identical in gene expressions, a difference attributable to epigenetics. Epigenetics also makes twins different in their susceptibility to disease. A new study by researchers at the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine reports which epigenetic factors in certain chromosomes make twins more or less at risk for autoimmune thyroid diseases. The study was published in Thyroid.
	Closing in on advanced prostate cancer In most cases, prostate cancer is cured by surgery and/or radiotherapy. However, 20 percent of patients will need treatment to remove tumour cells but this treatment ceases to be effective after two or three years and the cancer recurs. Once this stage of the disease is reached, there is no cure. A team headed by Xavier Salvatella, ICREA researcher at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), has discovered a new avenue through which to attack prostrate cancer cells that have developed drug resistance. Published in the journal Structure, the study opens up new therapeutic avenues against a disease that causes 75,000 deaths a year in Europe alone.
New study shows patients need help understanding online test results Although patients increasingly use online portals to access their test results, do they really understand what the results mean for their health and what steps they should take next? To help explore this question, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine conducted a study to explore patients' experiences and preferences when accessing their test results delivered to them via online portals. The study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
New findings show what develops in body cells during type 2 diabetes onset Researchers at Dublin City University and their project partners in the EU FP7 funded DEXLIFE project have found fresh evidence to explain the processes that occur in the body's cells leading to the onset of type2 diabetes.
	Dreading conflict during the holidays? Let it go, let it go, let it go Every holiday season, families and friends convene to share affection, kindness and experience. In the ideal holiday atmosphere, one often depicted in commercials and media, such get-togethers are places of warmth, appreciation and general happiness.
	Encouraging risk-taking in children may reduce the prevalence of childhood anxiety A new international study suggests that parents who employ challenging parent behavioural (CPB) methods – active physical and verbal behaviours that encourage children to push their limits – are likely protecting their children from developing childhood anxiety disorders.
	LLNL-developed microelectrodes enable automated sorting of neural signals Thin-film microelectrode arrays produced at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have enabled development of an automated system to sort brain activity by individual neurons, a technology that could open the door to recording and analyzing unprecedented amounts of neural signals over time, and, ultimately, provide scientists with new clues about how the brain learns and communicates.
	Parents modeling healthy behaviors leads to markedly better outcomes for children When trying to help children lose weight, involving a parent in the treatment makes the entire family healthier, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown.
	175 years on, study finds where you live still determines your life expectancy Research led by the University of Liverpool has revisited a study carried out 175 years ago which compared the health and life expectancy of people in different parts of the country, including Liverpool, to see if its findings still held true.
Molecular dissection of bile duct cancer reveals subtypes with different origins and varying potential treatments Researchers have discovered that cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a form of liver cancer also known as bile duct cancer, consists of several molecular subtypes with distinct potential therapies and prognoses.
EU Parliament votes against banning key kebab additive The European Parliament narrowly defeated plans to ban an additive that is considered key in industrial meats for the popular doner kebab.
Understanding how a fly modulates its feeding behavior could help fight obesity Turning various neural circuits on and off in the brain of the vinegar fly could help A*STAR researchers develop new treatments for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Cellular self-digestion process triggers autoimmune disease Autophagy refers to a fundamental recycling process of cells that occurs in yeast, fungi, plants, as well as animals and humans. This process allows cells to degrade their own components and thus activate energy resources to be able to adapt to nutritional needs. In addition, autophagy plays a central role in steering an organism's immune response. Autoimmune diseases arise from an abnormal immune response to a normal body part such as the central nervous system in patients with multiple sclerosis.
	Why vagina cleaning fads are unnecessary and harmful A staggering variety of so-called feminine hygiene products seek to help with "vaginal odour" and discharge, and "keep you fresh". From deodorants to cucumber cleanses, scented "panty liners", and the newest fad "vaginal steaming". These products actively promote the view that women's vaginas should be discharge-free and either have no smell at all or exude the whiff of rose petals or vanilla pods.
	Is your child's school an obesity risk? Child obesity rates are skyrocketing globally. Young children spend the lion's share of their time in school, consuming a large portion of their daily calories there and developing lifelong eating habits and food preferences with their peers.
	Reporting a few cases of negative side effects from long-acting contraceptives is alarmist and damaging Last night ABC's 7.30 featured a report on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) that was unbalanced and alarmist. This could have a long-lasting detrimental impact on women's reproductive health in Australia.
	Medical marijuana laws reduced alcohol consumption Medical marijuana laws caused alcohol sales to tumble in many states, according to a new paper co-authored by Georgia State University Economics Professor Alberto Chong.
	Research could signal safer generation of mesh implants Research into the use of collagen in tissue engineering could signal a new generation of safer mesh implants for women.
	New strategy for unleashing cancer-fighting power of p53 gene Tumor protein p53 is one of the most critical determinants of the fate of cancer cells, as it can determine whether a cell lives or dies in response to stress. In a new study published today in the journal Nature Communications, a research team from the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute reports their discovery of a major mechanism by which cells regulate this important and multifunctional tumor suppressor, opening up new avenues for cancer research and treatment.
Targeted oral therapy combo safe, effective for chronic lymphocytic leukemia Acalabrutinib is a second-generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, a newer class of drugs shown to improve the survival of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Researchers believe that combining BTK inhibitors with an engineered CD20 antibody drug, such as obinutuzumab, could help increase the rapidity and depth of treatment response by further sensitizing cancer cells to respond to treatment with acalabrutinib.
Second generation BTK inhibitor highly effective as solo therapy in adult leukemia Updated data on the first 134 chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients treated with single-agent acalabrutinib shows that the drug was well-tolerated in the majority of patients treated and responses were durable over time, according to researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
Triple drug treatment combo shows promise in adult leukemia A triple-drug targeted therapy approach could offer an effective new treatment option for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that reduces the risk for the long-term side effects experienced with chemotherapy and is given for a limited time, not as a daily lifetime drug therapy.
	Modulating immune responses The protein Roquin plays a key role in the regulation of immune reactions. LMU researchers have now uncovered details of the mechanism by which it controls the function of regulatory T cells in the adaptive arm of the immune system.
	A single workout could save your life There is plenty of evidence that being physically active can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, but when do the benefits of exercise start to pay off? You might think that it's after a few weeks – or even months – once you've lost some weight and your cholesterol levels have come down. But our latest review provides strong evidence that a single workout protects your heart immediately.
	Voices and emotions: the forehead is the key Gestures and facial expressions betray our emotional state but what about our voices? How does simple intonation allow us to decode emotions – on the telephone, for example? By observing neuronal activity in the brain, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have been able to map the cerebral regions we use to interpret and categorise vocal emotional representations. The results, which are presented in the journal Scientific Reports, underline the essential role played by the frontal regions in interpreting emotions communicated orally. When the process does not function correctly – following a brain injury, for instance – an individual will lack the ability to interpret another person's emotions and intentions properly. The researchers also noted the intense network of connections that links this area to the amygdala, the key organ for processing emotions.
	Does Chagas disease present a health risk to Canadians? Believe it or not, a tropical blood parasite native to Latin America could be harmful to Canadians. Infectious diseases like malaria or Zika may have dominated recent headlines but Chagas - the "Kissing Bug" disease - is in the spotlight following the publication of a new case study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Tropical and laboratory medicine experts from Winnipeg and Montreal warn natives of specific Central and South American nations and their offspring are at risk of contracting Chagas disease - even after they have moved to Canada. The study reports on a family case of transmissions from mother to unborn children, raising questions over prevention and diagnosis of Chagas disease in Canada, where thousands of individuals live with potentially undetected infection.
	Father's rejection may increase child's social anxiety, loneliness Healthy relationships with their parents are vital for adolescents' development and well-being, according to Penn State researchers who say rejection from fathers may lead to increases in social anxiety and loneliness.
	Researchers work to help children with a rare form of autism Dylan started life as a typical baby, meeting his milestones for walking, talking, and other markers of normal development. In a home video from when Dylan was about 3, he climbs, bursting with energy, on the couch and pretends to read aloud from a picture book. His conversation is animated as he talks about the book with his father, who is recording, and he speaks in full sentences. In kindergarten, his parents noticed some language delays, and Dylan received special education support, but his mother, Kim Covell, saw him as "just a quirky kid."
	Scientists discover blood sample detection method for multiple sclerosis A method for quickly detecting signs of multiple sclerosis has been developed by a University of Huddersfield research team.
Specially designed protein fights several species of bacteria As resistance to existing antibiotics increases, new approaches to serious bacterial infections are needed. Now researchers at Lund University in Sweden, together with colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) in the US, have investigated one such alternative.
Doctor re-examines evidence on UTIs in patients with spinal cord injury People with spinal cord injuries rely on catheters to empty their bladder. When a well-respected publication concluded that catheters could be reused without an increased risk of infection, it didn't sit right with a Vancouver clinician and researcher. He had spoken to wheelchair athletes about this very issue while working at the Summer Paralympics in London.
Scientists develop new artificial ovary prototype Belgian researchers have taken important steps towards creating transplantable artificial ovaries. Once successful, these could be of value to women struggling with infertility or cancer patients who cannot conceive after undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. The research team has identified a protein formulation that closely resembles the structure and rigidity of the natural tissue lining a woman's ovaries, says Marie-Madeleine Dolmans of the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium, in an article in Springer's Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.
	Racial minorities less likely to see a doctor for psoriasis Despite the fact that their disease may be more severe, a new study shows minorities are less likely than white Americans to see a doctor for psoriasis treatment. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that black, Asian, and other non-Hispanic minorities are about 40 percent less likely to see a dermatologist for psoriasis than whites. Additionally, whites averaged about double the number of doctor's appointments for psoriasis overall compared with non-Hispanic minorities. Rates were similar between white and Hispanic individuals. Researchers published their findings this week in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Study explores use of ADHD medications during pregnancy and risk of birth defects Adults, including women of reproductive age, are increasingly being prescribed medications to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) but little evidence has been available about whether exposure to these drugs during early pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects. A new study conducted by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in collaboration with investigators in the five Nordic countries leverages data from multiple large cohorts to define and quantify what, if any, increased risk may be posed by taking the most commonly used ADHD medications. The team found that one medication, methylphenidate, increased risk of heart defects by a small amount while another medication, amphetamines, did not. Their findings are published this week in JAMA Psychiatry.
	Increased air pollution linked to bad teenage behavior A new study linking higher levels of air pollution to increased teenage delinquency is a reminder of the importance of clean air and the need for more foliage in urban spaces, a Keck School of Medicine of USC researcher said.
	Pictures in your head—the secret of beautiful poems A new study by New York University and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics shows that vivid pictorial language has the greatest influence on the aesthetic appeal of poetry. The results improve our understanding of aesthetic preferences in general.
	Baby's heart placed back inside her chest in rare surgeries British officials say a baby born with an extremely rare condition has survived three surgeries to place her heart inside her chest.
	Exposure to terror may increase risk of migraine, other headaches Survivors of a terror attack have an increased risk of frequent migraine and tension headaches after the attack, according to a study published in the December 13, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
	Recommendations for genetic counseling and genetic testing for hereditary prostate cancer To date, there have been few recommendations to guide physicians about when to offer men genetic consultation for prostate cancer risk. Now, an international and inter-specialty panel of experts convened at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) at Thomas Jefferson University have developed a comprehensive set of recommendations. This consensus statement, published December 13th in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, will help physicians and stakeholders make sense of a rapidly evolving field of practice.
	Study finds that male virgins can still acquire HPV Men who have never engaged in sexual intercourse are still at risk for acquiring HPV, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Infectious Diseases by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health.
	PrEP could make US easily hit its 2020 HIV prevention goal, study finds If just a quarter of men who have same-sex intercourse and are at a high risk for HIV used daily preventive medicine, three out of every 10 HIV infections could be averted, according to a new Drexel University study.
	The fear of losing control and its role in anxiety disorders Did you lock the front door? Did you double-check? Are you sure?
EU support for new plan to regulate endocrine disruptors The European Commission won support on Wednesday for a new plan to regulate chemicals which can potentially disrupt the body's hormones, expressing hope it can take effect next year.
	One in five young colon cancer patients have genetic link As doctors grapple with increasing rates of colorectal cancers in young people, new research from the University of Michigan may offer some insight into how the disease developed and how to prevent further cancers. Researchers found that 20 percent of young people diagnosed with colorectal cancer have an inherited genetic abnormality that predisposes to its development - a percentage exponentially higher than those diagnosed over age 50. More than half of them do not have clinical or family histories that would typically indicate the need for genetic testing.
	Immunotherapy, gene editing advances extend to Type 1 Diabetes Advances in engineering T cells to treat cancer are paving the way for new immunotherapies targeted at autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. Now, researchers are also investigating therapies that reprogram T cells to "turn down" an immune response, which may hold promise for curing type 1 diabetes, as well as a number of diseases where overactive T cells attack a person's healthy cells and organs.
Genomic blood test predicts survival rates after surgery for advanced heart failure An experimental blood test developed at UCLA that uses gene activity data from immune cells was 93 percent accurate in predicting survival rates for people with advanced heart failure who had surgery to implant mechanical circulatory support devices.
Unique sensory responses to the pediatric HIV medication Kaletra Bad taste can lead to rejection of life-saving medicines by infants and young children, who require liquid formulations because they are unable to swallow pills yet lack the language to explain why something does not taste good. Seeking to understand why some infants strongly reject Kaletra, a medication commonly administered as part of the first-line treatment for HIV, while others readily accept it, a recent study from the Monell Center and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia used a trained adult sensory panel to examine individual differences in the sensory response to the medication. The findings documented a wide range of individual differences in the taste of Kaletra and identified genetic sources of the taste variation.
	Lyme bacteria survive 28-day course of antibiotics months after infection Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the US, today announced results of two papers published in the peer-reviewed journals PLOS ONE and American Journal of Pathology, that seem to support claims of lingering symptoms reported by many patients who have already received antibiotic treatment for the disease.
	How well will the flu vaccine work this winter? The most effective way of preventing seasonal influenza is to be vaccinated each autumn. The reason that people are encouraged to get vaccinated annually is because flu virus can cause severe disease. One of the problems is that there are many different flu viruses circulating around the world and which ones circulate changes over time.
	Monkeys infected by mosquito bites further Zika virus research Monkeys who catch Zika virus through bites from infected mosquitoes develop infections that look like human Zika cases, and may help researchers understand the many ways Zika can be transmitted.
	Firefighters may face higher odds for skin cancer (HealthDay)—Exposure to firefighting chemicals may be one reason why Florida firefighters have a higher-than-normal rate of skin cancer, a new study suggests.
	Drug may help surgical patients stop opioids sooner (HealthDay)—Opioid painkillers after surgery can be the first step toward addiction for some patients. But a common drug might cut the amount of narcotics that patients need, a new study finds.
	Some great holiday foods for weight loss (HealthDay)—Many of the foods most associated with holiday meals can actually be good for you and, because they're filling, leave you feeling satisfied with small servings.
	Low oxytocin tied to impaired social-emotional function (HealthDay)—Low oxytocin levels are related to a lack of emotional awareness in women with a history of anorexia nervosa (AN), according to a study published recently in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
	No link between pre-op cholesterol, post-op pain (HealthDay)—Preoperative levels of serum total cholesterol (TC) do not correlate with postoperative pain following laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer, according to research published online Nov. 23 in PAIN Practice.
	Measuring quality of life important with diabetes Tx (HealthDay)—Patients with diabetes report worse quality of life (QoL) with more intensified treatment, according to a study published in online Nov. 28 in Diabetes Care.
	C. difficile + kidney injury admissions are up (HealthDay)—Hospital admissions of patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and accompanying acute kidney injury (AKI) are increasing, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Urinary tract injury incidence low in gynecologic laparoscopy (HealthDay)—The incidence of lower urinary tract injuries is 0.33 percent for patients undergoing gynecologic laparoscopy for benign indications, according to a review published online Dec. 4 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Hydroquinidine cuts serious arrhythmic events in SQTS (HealthDay)—Treatment with hydroquinidine (HQ) prolongs the QT interval in patients with short QT syndrome (SQTS) and reduces the occurrence of life-threatening arrhythmic events (LAE), according to a study published in the Dec. 19 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Disrupted sleep linked to increased amyloid-beta production (HealthDay)—Disrupted sleep is associated with increased amyloid-β production in adults, according to a study published online Dec. 8 in the Annals of Neurology.
	Amount of opioids prescribed after hospital discharge varies (HealthDay)—For postoperative patients there is considerable variation in the amount of opioids prescribed at hospital discharge, according to research published online Dec. 13 in JAMA Surgery.
	How the kidneys produce concentrated urine When we drink little, we produce less urine. But how is this process regulated? An international team of scientists led by Prof. Kai Schmidt-Ott of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) has now shed light on how the kidneys concentrate urine.
	Deadly heart rhythm halted by noninvasive radiation therapy Radiation therapy often is used to treat cancer patients. Now, doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that radiation therapy—aimed directly at the heart—can be used to treat patients with a life-threatening heart rhythm. They treated five patients who had irregular heart rhythms, called ventricular tachycardia, at the School of Medicine.
Checklist and coaching program in India markedly improved childbirth care but did not reduce death rate A checklist and coaching intervention to improve facility-based childbirth care and reduce deaths of women and newborns in India achieved significant gains in the quality of care during labor and delivery, but the improvements were insufficient to reduce death rates, according to a new study.
	Mental health care worries linger 5 years after Sandy Hook Anguished mothers with mentally ill children have sought out Liza Long for help ever since she wrote an essay, "I am Adam Lanza's Mother," comparing experiences with her son to the emotionally troubled 20-year-old who carried out the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
	HIV-1 regulation via protective human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes Twenty percent of the Japanese population have a group of genes inherited from a single parent (haplotype) that, while connected to ulcerative colitis and Takayasu arteritis, is known to be protective against HIV-1.
	Fold formation of the cerebral cortex requires FGF signaling in the mammalian brain The cerebral cortex is particularly important in higher brain functions. The cerebral cortex of higher animals, including humans, has many folds, called the gyrus (Figure 1). Because of the gyrus, higher animals have a large number of neurons, and thus great development of brain functions. On the other hand, the mouse, a widely used model animal, has a brain without gyri. This has made it very difficult to do research on the gyrus using the mouse as a model animal; therefore, research on the gyrus has been much retarded.
	A drug to treat retinal diseases with drops instead of injections The Spanish firm Sylentis has developed a compound to treat diseases of the retina including age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The treatment is administered by ophthalmic drops instead of intraocular injections and has been tested in animals. It is a small interfering RNA capable of penetrating the cells of the retina and blocking the formation of new blood vessels.
New discovery may enhance chemotherapy's efficiency against leukaemia In patients with acute myeloid leukaemia, cancer cells resist the effects of chemotherapy, many times resulting in disease recurrence and ultimately death. Researchers from Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) João Lobo Antunes have found a mechanism through which certain types of leukaemia resist chemotherapy, thus revealing novel molecular targets that may be used to improve the efficiency of this type of treatment.
New NHS app will help people spend less time waiting for health services A new free app which shows how busy local NHS services are will help people to spend less time waiting for treatment.
	Global health needs demand new approach to drug discovery Pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) is one of the best examples of human ingenuity. It attracts vast amounts of funding, employs brilliant minds, and deploys the most advanced technologies. Over the past century, it has enabled unprecedented advances for human health.
Social stigma obstacle to successful treatment of children with HIV in Ethiopia The social stigma surrounding HIV is still strong in many parts of the world. Children living with HIV in Ethiopia are at high risk of receiving inadequate treatment – or no treatment at all – on account of deeply rooted prejudice. The most considerable risk can be found among very small children, who do not receive proper treatment right away.
	Genetic study defies 'one-size-fits-all' approach to prescribing opioids for chronic pain It impacts 100 million Americans, it is the number one reason that people go to see the doctor, and it is now a national crisis. The problem: chronic pain and prescription opioids. The dilemma: how to provide the most effective pain treatment for 80 percent of pain patients who are at least risk for addiction while causing the least harm to the remaining 20 percent who are at most risk. The solution: it's very complicated, but it may be possible to address both problems without adversely affecting either.
Noise sens­it­iv­ity vis­ible in brain struc­tures Recent functional studies conducted at the University of Helsinki and Aarhus University suggest that noise sensitivity, a trait describing attitudes towards noise and predicting noise annoyance, is associated with altered processing in the central auditory system. Now, the researchers have found that noise sensitivity is associated with the grey matter volume in selected brain structures previously linked to auditory perceptual, emotional and interoceptive processing.
NHS could save GBP200m a year and improve patient satisfaction, new research reveals New research by academics at the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests that NHS Trusts in England could save more than £200 million a year by managing staff well.
	New MRI tech could help doctors detect heart disease with better accuracy Doctors might be able to better detect any disease or disorder that involves inflammation thanks to a new MRI imaging technology co-developed by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Even smokers may benefit from targeted lung cancer treatments Smokers are less likely than non-smokers to have lung cancers caused by targetable genetic changes. But a study published this week in the journal Clinical Cancer Research shows that when they do, smokers benefit just as much as non-smokers from targeted treatments.
Small increases in complications when knee replacement done as outpatient procedure Some complications are more common when total knee replacement surgery is done as an outpatient or same-day procedure, reports a study in the December 6, 2017 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Biology news

	Mosquito sex protein could provide key to controlling disease If you thought the sex lives of humans were complicated, consider the case of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, bringer of Zika, dengue, and yellow fever: She mates but once, in seconds and on the wing, with one lucky male; spurns all further advances from other potential suitors; and stores enough sperm from that single encounter to lay more than 500 eggs, which she nourishes with the blood of human hosts.
	Defence at almost any price Even bacteria have enemies – in water, for example, single-celled ciliates preferably feed on microbes. The microbes protect themselves against predators by employing a variety of tricks, which the ciliates, in turn, attempt to overcome. There ensues an evolutionary competition for the best attack and defence mechanisms. According to scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, prey such as bacteria have, in the long run, no choice but to maintain protection mechanisms, even if the effort involved is so high that they can barely produce offspring.
	Study on redback spiders finds seemingly abhorrent mating strategy appears to benefit both males and females A mating strategy among redback spiders where males seek out immature females appears to benefit both sexes, a new University of Toronto study has found.
	Even wild mammals have regional dialects Researchers from Cardiff University's Otter Project have discovered that genetically distinct populations of wild otters from across the UK have their own regional odours for communicating vital information to each other. The findings could have implications for wild mammal conservation efforts.
	Monkey study shows a path to monitoring endangered species A Brazilian-American research group has just published an unusual study outlining data needs for monitoring the survival of monkeys called muriquis that live in patches of forest in Brazil.
	House mice may modulate their vocalizations depending on the sex of the receiver Wild-derived house mice call at higher rates and frequencies during interactions with the opposite sex than with the same sex, according to a study published December 13, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Sarah Zala from Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Austria, and colleagues.
	Chimpanzee deaths in Uganda pinned on human cold virus In the wild, chimpanzees face any number of dire threats, ranging from poachers to predators to deforestation.
	Researchers trace the potato's origins, learn about its untapped potential The comfort food we know and love today as the potato was domesticated between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago from a wild species native to the Andes Mountains in southern Peru. During the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors are believed to have transported the rugged root-like vegetable across the Atlantic.
	The toxic sugar tree: Mapping the evolutionary history of a cancerous sugar gene Around two million years ago, a genetic change occurred that differentiated humans from most other primates that both protected humans from diseases, yet made red meat a health risk.
	Urban Cooper's hawks outcompete their rural neighbors Depending on whether a species flourishes in a city environment, urban wildlife populations can be "sources" or "sinks," either reproducing so quickly that individuals leave to colonize the surrounding area or needing constant immigration from outside to stay viable. A new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications examines the population dynamics of Cooper's Hawks in urban Albuquerque, New Mexico, and finds that city-born birds aren't just thriving—they're actually forcing their rural neighbors out of their nest sites.
	Does eclipse equal night in plant life? Researchers test plant rhythms during solar eclipse On August 21, 2017, about 215 million American adults watched one of nature's most dramatic events: a total solar eclipse. However, most of the country could only see a partial eclipse. The path of the total eclipse was a strip just 70 miles wide, arcing across the country from Oregon to South Carolina.
	Shark-spotting drones on patrol at Australian beaches High-tech shark-spotting drones are patrolling dozens of Australian beaches this summer to quickly identify underwater predators and deliver safety devices to swimmers and surfers faster than traditional lifesavers.
	'Blade runner' legs give maimed Thai dog new lease on life Just over a year after he was maimed for gnawing on someone's shoes, Cola is romping across a beach on new sleek paws: curved "blade runner" prosthetics modelled on those used by Paralympian sprinters.
	How fires are changing the tundra's face Climate change takes a heavy toll on the tundra, increasing the probability of extreme droughts. As a result, the frequency of fires in forests, bogs and even wetlands continues to rise. In addition, the northern areas of the tundra have also become more accessible and negatively impacted by human activities in recent years.
New species of fish displays striking color difference between males and females A new species of freshwater fish in the family Characidae, called Hyphessobrycon myrmex, exhibits an intriguing sexual dichromatism: Adult males are a deep reddish-orange, while females and juveniles are pale yellow. The species has been described in an article published in the Journal of Fish Biology. H. myrmex is approximately 2 cm long and lives in the waters of the Formiga River, a tributary of the Juruena River in Serra dos Parecis, Mato Grosso State. The Formiga is part of the Tapajós Basin.
	Clathrin assembly defines the onset and geometry of cortical patterning Researchers from the Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore (MBI) at the National University of Singapore, report that endocytosis, which was previously thought to be a random process, actually occurs in a coordinated manner through collective dynamics. The work, led by Assistant Professor Wu Min, showed how a major endocytic pathway mediated by the protein clathrin, was found to commence with periodic traveling waves of clathrin, which were coupled temporally and spatially to downstream cortical actin waves. Clathrin endocytic waves were identified here as the upstream initiator of cortical actin waves. This work was published in Developmental Cell on 20 November 2017.
	Biological age explains variation of responses to stress Do the flight or fight mechanisms triggered by responses to stress, diminish with age? And if so, is there a difference between biological and chronological ageing? Questions new research is answering.
	Scientists discover proteins keeping stem cells in their undifferentiated state A special cluster of proteins that helps unwind DNA during cell division plays a key role in keeping stem cells in their immature state, according to a new study by UNC School of Medicine researchers.
	Drug blocks Zika and dengue viruses in study A small-molecule inhibitor tested by researchers at Yale and Stanford may be the answer to blocking the spread of harmful mosquito-borne pathogens, including Zika and dengue viruses, according to a new study published in Cell Reports.
UVB radiation influences behavior of sticklebacks Fish cannot see ultraviolet B rays, but still change their behavior when they grow up under increased UVB intensity. According to studies by biologists at the University of Bonn on three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), increased UVB leads to a smaller body size and more risk-seeking behavior when faced with predators. Climate change is likely to increase UVB intensity, possibly with consequences for ecosystems and fish farming. The results are now being published in Biology Letters.
	Geoscientists compare micro-organisms in the polar regions Although the Arctic and Antarctic regions are at opposite ends of the earth, they have a similar diversity of bacteria and other microscopic life. These are the findings of an international team of researchers headed by the University of Tübingen, the EMBL Heidelberg and the University of Konstanz. In their study, the team collated data from numerous studies and locations in order to make a direct comparison of the microbial diversity in these two distant regions for the first time. Their results have been published in the open access journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
	The flight speed of birds is more complex than previously thought The flight speed of birds is more complex than research has previously managed to show. In a new study from Lund University in Sweden, researchers have found that birds use multiple – each one simple yet effective—methods to control their speed in the air and compensate for tailwind, headwind and sidewind.
	Reprogramming bacteria instead of killing them could be the answer to antibiotic resistance Changing someone's genetic programming is easier than you might think. While techniques for altering DNA at the molecular level are becoming more widely used, it's also possible to simply turn genes on or off without permanently changing the underlying genetic material. That means we can affect the genetic instructions that get sent to an organism's body by changing its environment or with drugs.
	New sniffer dog research could save lives A team of scientists has provided the first evidence that dogs can learn to categorise odours and apply this to scents they have never encountered before.
Fish and ships: Vessel traffic reduces communication ranges for Atlantic cod, haddock NOAA scientists studying sounds made by Atlantic cod and haddock at spawning sites in the Gulf of Maine have found that vessel traffic noise is reducing the distance over which these animals can communicate with each other. As a result, daily behavior, feeding, mating, and socializing during critical biological periods for these commercially and ecologically important fish may be altered, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
	EU agrees to catch more fish sustainably in 2018 European Union nations have agreed to set quota levels that ensure more sustainable fishing in the northeastern Atlantic and the North Sea, but environmentalists insist the bloc is behind in its schedule to end overfishing by 2020.
	Study finds links between deforestation and fisheries yields in the Amazon The conversion of tropical forests to crop and pastureland has long been a concern for scientists, as forest loss can lead to decreased rainfall, increased droughts, and degraded freshwater ecosystems. A new study points to another unexpected consequence: changes in fish production.
	Every grain of sand is a metropolis for bacteria Just imagine, you are sitting on a sunny beach, contentedly letting the warm sand trickle through your fingers. Millions of sand grains. What you probably can't imagine: at the same time, billions upon billions of bacteria are also trickling through your fingers. Between 10,000 and 100,000 microorganisms live on each single grain of sand, as revealed in a study by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen. This means that an individual grain of sand can have twice as many residents as, say, the city of Fairbanks, Alaska!
	Habitat counts when predators lurk Take it from the lowly snail: If you're on a beach and threatened by predators, run for that nearby forest. Your chance of survival will rise, if only a little bit.
	Three papers help to crack the code of coenzyme Q biosynthesis Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a vital cog in the body's energy-producing machinery, a kind of chemical gateway in the conversion of food into cellular fuel. But six decades removed from its discovery, scientists still can't describe exactly how and when it is made.
	Want to save tigers? Better have your numbers straight A new book co-edited by tiger biologist Dr. Ullas Karanth of (WCS) Wildlife Conservation Society and Dr. James Nichols, an Emeritus statistical ecologist from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), provides an authoritative text on monitoring tigers, their prey, and many other similarly endangered species.
Using drones to estimate crop damage by wild boar Growing populations of wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) are causing more and more damage to agricultural land in Europe, requiring hundreds of thousands of Euros in compensation. A new drone-based method allows estimating crop damage in a fast, standardised and objective manner.
Show me your leaves—Health check for urban trees Trees are known to provide a whole range of benefits to people living in cities. For instance, they reduce air pollution and provide cooling through respiration and shade. When trees become unhealthy, these benefits decline and disease-ridden, unstable trees can even become dangerous to people. However, the traditional field inventories to check on trees are labour-intensive and expensive.
Thailand hides big numbers when it comes to its fish catches in neighbouring waters Fish catches by Thailand's distant-water fleet fishing throughout the Indo-Pacific are almost seven times higher than what the country reports to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a new study by the Sea Around Us reveals.
Researchers report findings about the control of cell division Experts from the University of Seville and the Andalusian Centre for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (Cabimer) have published a new study on the mechanisms that regulate cell division and guarantee the correct distribution of chromosomes. In particular, they especially highlight the fundamental role that an organelle, the nucleolus, plays in the coordination of these processes.
	Project to give public access to high-resolution 3-D models of vertebrate anatomy A new endeavor among 16 research institutions will create high-resolution, digital three-dimensional images of internal anatomy across a host of vertebrate biodiversity, making the data freely available to researchers and the public. Using the images, educators, scientists and anyone with a 3-D printer will be able to generate highly accurate models for teaching, research or any reason.
	Scientists call for improved technologies to save imperiled California salmon Scientists working to protect California's most endangered salmon say in a new report that key improvements in tracking Sacramento River winter-run Chinook through California's complex water delivery system would help recover the species while the water continues to flow.

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