Science X Newsletter Thursday, Apr 5

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for April 5, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Oldest magnetic record in the solar system discovered in a meteorite

New 'Pan-Cancer' analysis reveals the common roots of different cancers

New source of global nitrogen discovered

Determining the timing of methanogen evolution

Paucity of phosphorus hints at precarious path for extraterrestrial life

Prehistoric reptile pregnant with octuplets

Zipline's delivery drone system redesign boosts capabilities

Macular degeneration linked to aging immune cells

'Squadbox' uses 'friendsourcing' to better support targets of cyberbullying

New camera inspired by butterfly eyes improves image-guided cancer surgery

Lessons from lemurs: To make friends, show off your smarts

Targeting neuraminidase—the 'N' in H1N1—could help prevent the flu and limit severity

Connections between two brain regions linked with financial risk tolerance

Older adults grow just as many new brain cells as young people: study

Study reveals how unicellular organism repairs itself

Astronomy & Space news

	Paucity of phosphorus hints at precarious path for extraterrestrial life Work by Cardiff University astronomers suggests there may be a cosmic lack of a chemical element essential to life. Dr. Jane Greaves and Dr. Phil Cigan will present their results at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science in Liverpool.
	What's happening in Orion's Horsehead Nebula? Two research teams used a map from NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, to uncover new findings about stars forming in Orion's iconic Horsehead Nebula. The map reveals vital details for getting a complete understanding of the dust and gas involved in star formation.
	Dead star circled by light New images from ESO's Very Large Telescope and other telescopes reveal a rich landscape of stars and glowing clouds of gas in one of our closest neighboring galaxies, the Small Magellanic Cloud. The pictures have allowed astronomers to identify an elusive stellar corpse left behind by a 2,000-year-old supernova explosion. The MUSE instrument was used to establish where this object is hiding, and Chandra X-ray Observatory data confirmed its identity as an isolated neutron star.
	Look up – it's a satellite! I saw my first artificial satellite with my naked eyes during the summer of 1994. I was watching pieces of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact Jupiter from a small observatory with a college astronomy club when someone pointed up – away from the telescope – and said, "Look, it's a satellite!"
Virgin Galactic conducts first powered flight of new spaceship Virgin Galactic has conducted the first powered test flight of its new space tourism rocket.
	Cosmic magnetic fields with astonishing order Turbulent processes in galaxies generate vast magnetic fields that often present a regular structure on a large scale. These are the findings of a study conducted by astronomers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum under the auspices of Prof Dr. Ralf-Jürgen Dettmar, which have been gathered following the analysis of data compiled with state-of-the-art radio telescopes. The Ruhr-Universität's science magazine Rubin published a report on the research project.

Technology news

	Zipline's delivery drone system redesign boosts capabilities A delivery drone company that has helped Africans in dire need of emergency blood supplies is widening its vision. The California-based company is Zipline and its autonomous planes are making news closer to its home in the United States.
	'Squadbox' uses 'friendsourcing' to better support targets of cyberbullying Harassment has become ubiquitous on social media and in the online world- Twitter has been under fire for how it handles harassment, YouTube's trending algorithm has occasionally promoted offensive videos, and reporting abuse on Instagram is still quite difficult.
	Computer system transcribes words users 'speak silently' MIT researchers have developed a computer interface that can transcribe words that the user verbalizes internally but does not actually speak aloud.
	What makes a faster typist? The largest-ever dataset on typing speeds and styles, based on 136 million keystrokes from 168,000 volunteers, finds that the fastest typists not only make fewer errors, but they often type the next key before the previous one has been released.
	1.5 bn sensitive documents on open internet: researchers Some 1.5 billion sensitive online files, from pay stubs to medical scans to patent applications, are visible on the open internet, security researchers said Thursday.
	Congress' dilemma: tame Facebook or just accept its apology? Facebook isn't just a company. It's a behemoth, with 2.1 billion monthly users, $40 billion in revenue and more than 25,000 employees worldwide.
Broadcom moves back to the US Semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom, which recently failed in a bid to buy US rival Qualcomm, has transferred its headquarters from Singapore to the US as promised.
	Sodium-ion battery packs a punch A new sodium-ion battery chemistry that shows superior performance to existing state-of-the-art sodium-based batteries could be the catalyst to enabling mass-production of the emerging technology for large-scale energy storage, such as in applications including storing solar power for industrial sites.
	'Far Cry 5' record sales buoy gamemaker Ubisoft's shares French videogame powerhouse Ubisoft saw its share price surge over six percent on the Paris CAC stock exchange Thursday, buoyed by record global sales of its "Far Cry 5" shooting game.
	Training computers to recognize dynamic events A person watching videos that show things opening—a door, a book, curtains, a blooming flower, a yawning dog—easily understands the same type of action is depicted in each clip.
	How smart is your city? The proportion of the world's population that lives in cities is growing quickly. This means that we need to develop strategies for infrastructure, water supply, habitation, and climate adaptation, in all cities around the globe.
	Online privacy must improve after the Facebook data uproar I, like millions of others, have willingly given up some of my privacy to Facebook to achieve a sense of connection across cultures, time zones and generations. But revelations of the alleged sale and misuse of Facebook data by Cambridge Analytica has left me feeling betrayed.
	Samantha's suffering—why sex machines should have rights too Late in 2017 at a tech fair in Austria, a sex robot was "molested" repeatedly and left in a "filthy" state. The robot, named Samantha, received a barrage of male attention, which resulted in her sustaining two broken fingers. This incident confirms worries that the possibility of fully functioning sex robots raises both tantalising possibilities for human desire (by mirroring human/sex-worker relationships), as well as serious ethical questions.
	World added far more solar than fossil fuel power generating capacity in 2017 Solar energy dominated global investment in new power generation like never before in 2017.
Green technologies environmentally and profit friendly Companies looking to reduce their environmental impact without negatively affecting profits may want to consider increasing their investment in green technology and other sustainable IT solutions, according to a new study on information technology and sustainability published in Production and Operations Management.
	Twitter: 1 million accounts suspended for 'terrorism promotion' Twitter said Thursday it has suspended over one million accounts for "promotion of terrorism" since 2015, claiming its efforts have begun to make the platform "an undesirable place" to call for violence.
Footsteps to preventing falls One of four elderly persons falls every year in the United States. With more than 37 million hospitalizations every year, roughly one million falls occur in hospitals and can lead to serious injury and even death. Patients often fall while trying to get out of bed or when they walk for longer than they are able. Nurses can't constantly monitor individual patients because of the number of patients they attend to. Sensors can continuously monitor patients, but many only detect the fall as it happens without leaving enough time for a nurse to intervene.
	French court condemns lastminute.com for 'parasitism' of Ryanair website The Paris commercial court has ordered online travel agent lastminute.com to stop selling Ryanair tickets without the consent of the Irish low-cost airline, slamming the practice as "parasitism".
	Australia privacy chief to probe Facebook over data breach Australia is investigating Facebook over alleged privacy breaches, authorities said Thursday, after the firm admitted the personal data of thousands of local users was improperly shared with a British political consultancy.
	Automated prep of MS-sensitive fluorescently labeled N-Glycans with a pipetting robot A new original research report available ahead-of-print at SLAS Technology demonstrates the semi-automation of a GlycoWorks RapiFluor-MS (RFMS) Kit using a pipetting robot to improve life sciences research productivity. This robotic platform uses standard manual pipettors and an optically guided arm to facilitate the automation of manual procedures, reducing the time researchers spend at the lab bench, and mimicking, as closely as possible, the results obtained when using the manual GlycoWorks RFMS protocol.
	Uber scales back Greek operations after law clampdown Ride-hailing service Uber on Thursday said it would suspend one of its two services in Greece after the approval of tighter sector rules.
	Quality assurance for autonomous systems Cyber-physical systems combine electronics, software and mechanics. They are highly complex, and in addition to many application possibilities, raises a whole range of issues. They are dependent on error-free software, and the issue of proven quality assurance thus becomes increasingly urgent. Using the example of autonomous vehicles, a team from TU Graz's Institute of Software Engineering together with AVL List GmbH will develop methodologies for quality assurance in such systems in the framework of the "Christian Doppler Laboratory for Quality Assurance Methodologies for Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems." The official starting shot for this currently seventh active CD lab of TU Graz sounded in the Assembly Hall of TU Graz yesterday, 3rd April 2018.
Understanding Facebook's data crisis—5 essential reads Most of Facebook's 2 billion users have likely had their data collected by third parties, the company revealed April 4. That follows reports that 87 million users' data were used to target online political advertising in the run-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
	New underwater geolocation technique takes cues from nature Marine animals such as mantis shrimp and squid have inspired a new mode of underwater navigation that allows for greater accuracy.
	UK car sales slide for 12th month: industry body New car sales in Britain fell for a 12th month in March, as demand for diesel vehicles slumped further, this time by more than one third, industry data showed Thursday.
	HSBC leaker Falciani freed on bail in Spain A Spanish judge on Thursday released on bail Herve Falciani, a former HSBC computer analyst detained in Madrid at the request of Switzerland for leaking documents alleging widespread tax evasion.
	Daniel Ek, Spotify's tenacious and taciturn CEO Spotify's billionaire CEO Daniel Ek, who revolutionised on demand music listening for millions of people, is a resilient entrepreneur from a Swedish working-class suburb whose no-nonsense attitude has drawn investors and staff alike.
	UK regulator investigating Facebook over political campaigning Britain's data privacy regulator said Thursday it was investigating 30 organisations including Facebook over their use of personal data and analytics in political campaigning.

Medicine & Health news

	New 'Pan-Cancer' analysis reveals the common roots of different cancers Typically cancers are classified by where they originate in the body—think breast cancer, stomach cancer, and so on. But a collaboration called the Pan-Cancer Initiative, launched in 2012 at a meeting in Santa Cruz, California, sought to study cancers from a new angle—a molecular one. Preliminary analyses showed cancers that start in different organs actually share commonalities at the molecular level, whereas cancers that originate from the same tissue can have very different genomic profiles.
	Macular degeneration linked to aging immune cells As people age, their immune systems age, too. And new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that aging immune cells increase the risk for age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness in the United States.
	Targeting neuraminidase—the 'N' in H1N1—could help prevent the flu and limit severity Vaccines designed to protect people from the influenza virus tend to concentrate on hemagglutinin, one of the two prominently displayed proteins on the surface of the virus and the primary target for influenza prevention.
	Connections between two brain regions linked with financial risk tolerance Researchers have known that connections between two areas of the brain, the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), have been implicated in the development of affective disorders like depression and anxiety. But new research suggests that this same brain system plays a role in a person's ability to tolerate economic risk.
	Older adults grow just as many new brain cells as young people: study Researchers show for the first time that healthy older men and women can generate just as many new brain cells as younger people.
	Here is how a cat can hinder children learning new words Say you are shown an apple, a banana and a fruit you have never seen before. Then you are asked to pick the "pifo." Which fruit would you choose?
	Overestimated mutation rate At the start of the epidemic in West Africa, the Ebola virus did not change as rapidly as thought at the time. ETH researchers explain why scientists misjudged it at the time.
	7-year follow-up shows lasting cognitive gains from meditation Gains in the ability to sustain attention developed through intensive meditation training are maintained up to seven years later, according to a new study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement. The study is based on the Shamatha Project, a major investigation of the cognitive, psychological and biological effects of meditation led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, Center for Mind and Brain.
	Animal study suggests common diabetes drug may also help with nicotine withdrawal In a mouse study, a drug that has helped millions of people around the world manage their diabetes might also help people ready to kick their nicotine habits.
	A heavy working memory load may sink brainwave 'synch' Everyday experience makes it obvious - sometimes frustratingly so - that our working memory capacity is limited. We can only keep so many things consciously in mind at once. The results of a new study may explain why: They suggest that the "coupling," or synchrony, of brain waves among three key regions breaks down in specific ways when visual working memory load becomes too much to handle.
	Attention deficit disorders could stem from impaired brain coordination Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and colleagues have discovered how two brain regions work together to maintain attention, and how discordance between the regions could lead to attention deficit disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression.
	X-linked genes help explain why boys of all ages face higher respiratory risk Human airways already demonstrate gender-based differences in DNA methylation signatures at birth, providing an early hint of which infants may be predisposed to develop respiratory disorders like asthma later in life, a research team reports in a paper published online April 3, 2018, in Scientific Reports.
	Regular stretching shown to improve muscles in elderly Daily muscle stretching could bring health benefits to elderly people with reduced mobility, according to new research published today in the Journal of Physiology.
Women who believe their sex drive changes can better cope with low libido Women who believe that their sex drive will change over time are better able to handle difficulties with sexual desire, according to a study from the University of Waterloo.
Outpatient treatment for cancer condition offers effective new approach for patients A novel approach to treating fluid build-up around the lungs of cancer patients could deliver a more effective home-based treatment for thousands of people who might be approaching the end of their lives, according to a new study led by the University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust.
Opioid addiction costs employers $2.6B a year for care A new report shows large employers spent $2.6 billion to treat opioid addiction and overdoses in 2016, an eightfold increase since 2004. More than half went to treat employees' children.
	Europe's silent opioid epidemic As opiate addiction continues to grip the United States – killing more than 100 people per day in 2016 – researchers are trying to get a handle on the scale of the problem in Europe.
Making headway in infant leukemia research Around 600 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with leukaemia each year in Germany. The effects are especially dramatic if this severe illness develops at birth or shortly afterwards. Research carried out at the Division of Genetics at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has now revealed another molecular cause for a particularly aggressive type of leukaemia in infants. The results have been published in the renowned journal Blood.
	How does HIV escape cellular booby traps? HIV is believed to have evolved from a simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV, that originated in chimpanzees. How SIV made the species jump has remained a mystery, since humans possess a defense mechanism that should prevent such infections. Tetherin, a crucial protein for this protection, acts as a sticky pad on the surface of infected cells, preventing them from releasing nascent virus particles.
	How live vaccines enhance the body's immune response Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin's university hospital, have discovered a new mechanism by which live vaccines induce immunity. Molecules produced exclusively by live microorganisms are recognized by specialized receptors of the immune system, subsequently triggering a protective immune response. The new findings may improve the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Results from this study have been published in the journal Nature Immunology.
	An international study is the first large survey on epilepsy An international research consortium used neuroimaging techniques to analyze the brains of more than 3,800 volunteers in different countries. It's the largest study of its kind ever conducted, and set out to investigate anatomical similarities and differences in the brains of individuals with different types of epilepsy and to seek markers that could help with prognosis and treatment.
The relevance of GABA for diabetes highlighted in two new studies Dynamic interactions between the nervous system, hormones and the immune system are normally ongoing, but in diabetes the balance is disturbed. Two studies published in EBioMedicine by an international research team from Uppsala University highlight the importance of the neurotransmitter beta-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Tolerating yourself: A novel pathway to regulate B cell activity and prevent autoimmunity The immune system is responsible for protecting the host from foreign pathogens; however, there are many diseases—known as autoimmune diseases—that result from the immune system attacking the host. The immune system has several strategies to prevent this, known as tolerance, and researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have identified a novel checkpoint of peripheral tolerance, specifically in B cells.
	Major milestone reached in effort to ID cancers' genetic roots Researchers nationwide have reached a major milestone in describing the genetic landscape of cancer. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and other institutions have completed the genetic sequencing and analyses of more than 11,000 tumors from patients, spanning 33 types of cancer—all part of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project, funded by the National Cancer Institute and National Human Genome Research Institute.
	Genomic analysis of thousands of tumors supports new cancer classification University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers are reporting the concluding findings from a major analysis of nearly 10,000 different tumor samples that focused on identifying similarities between cancers based on changes in their genes, and the way their genes are expressed. The study by researchers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Network, the largest of its kind to-date, supports an additional classification for human tumors.
Lassa fever kills 142 in Nigeria since January: official Lassa fever has killed 142 people in Nigeria since the start of the year, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Thursday, reporting a rise of 32 fatalities in a month.
	New health benefits discovered in berry pigment Naturally occurring pigments in berries, also known as anthocyanins, increase the function of the sirtuin 6 enzyme in cancer cells, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. The regulation of this enzyme could open up new avenues for cancer treatment. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.
	The effects of alcohol in real-life social interactions Alcohol use in social settings can have both desirable and undesirable effects – ranging from better mood and less anxiety to verbal and physical aggression, including violence. These outcomes often reflect the interplay of factors that are both internal and external to an individual. Intra-individual differences in alcohol reactions contribute to the various internal responses to drinking that a person may have; for example, alcohol can induce both positive and negative effects in the same person at different times. However, how that person acts upon impulses that he or she may have can depend on inter-individual differences, such as the individual's frequency or intensity of drinking in comparison to others. This study examined the influence of inter-individual differences in alcohol use on intra-individual perceptions of drinking during real-world social interactions.
Scientists map the genetic evolution of childhood leukaemia The key genetic events responsible for initiating the early stages of a type of childhood leukaemia have been identified by scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London. Insights into the 'founder' genetic mutation for this type of leukaemia, present in all the cancer cells, could be used in the development of new targeted drugs. The research, which was funded by the blood cancer research charity Bloodwise, is published in the journal Leukemia.
	A new insight of the protective role of estrogens in diabetes Epidemiological data indicate an explosion of type 2 diabetes cases for women after menopause. What is responsible for that? The surprisingly protective role of oestrogens, highlighted by the fact that a woman undergoing hormone replacement therapy has up to 35 percent less risk of developing type 2 diabetes than a woman without treatment. By elucidating how oestrogen affects two of the hormones involved in glucose homeostasis, glucagon and GLP1, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, and at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) proved the value of oestrogen supplementation from the onset of menopause.
	Genetic variants linked to type 2 diabetes identified in Chinese populations Researchers investigated genomes from diverse Chinese populations to identify new and known genetic variants that contribute to a person's blood sugar level and risk of Type 2 diabetes. Karen Mohlke at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wei Huang at the Chinese National Human Genome Center and Shanghai Industrial Technology Institute, and their colleagues report these findings in a new study published April 5th, 2018 in PLOS Genetics.
	Cysticercosis epidemiology in Spain: What's new? Cysticercosis, an infection caused by larval cysts of a pork tapeworm, is a leading cause of seizures and epilepsy in many parts of the world. Now, researchers writing in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have for the first time assessed the impact of cysticercosis hospitalizations in Spain.
	Human drug trials are compromised by poor reporting of animal research Poor animal study design and reporting thwarts the ethical review of proposed human drug trials, according to a study led by researchers at Hannover Medical School, Germany, in cooperation with researchers from McGill University, Canada. The study, publishing 5 April in the open access journal PLOS Biology, analyzed the descriptions of animal studies found in "investigator brochures" - the documents used by regulatory authorities and ethics committees to assess the potential efficacy of drugs that are being tested in patients for the first time.
	New research finds thirst is not the best indicator of hydration level When it comes to staying hydrated, "just drink when you're thirsty" has been a rule of thumb for years. Yet a recent study by University of Arkansas researchers may prove that thirst alone is not a reliable indicator of proper hydration levels.
	Nicotine-imbibing teenage rats show an increased risk for drinking alcohol as adults Rats that were dosed with nicotine during their adolescence grew up to drink more alcohol than those that weren't exposed to nicotine or were only exposed to it during adulthood, found researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Exposure to nicotine at a young age changes the neuronal circuitry in the brain's reward pathways, according to a study in Cell Reports this week led by John Dani, Ph.D., chair of Neuroscience.
	Young black men more susceptible to blood pressure spikes even at rest Young, healthy black men exhibit greater increases in blood pressure than white males following spontaneous changes in nervous system activity when at rest, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington's College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
Researchers find unique genetic patterns for sub-types of bowel cancer A University of Otago, Christchurch, researcher has for the first time identified unique genetic patterns for four different sub-types of colorectal cancer – which respond differently to a variety of cancer treatments.
	Research shows child welfare social workers lack consistency when helping at-risk children Differing perceptions of risk among child welfare social workers is leading to inconsistent outcomes for children in need, a University of Otago-led study reveals.
	Dance aids healthier ageing Queensland Ballet and QUT today released the results of a joint project examining the health and wellbeing benefits of ballet for older Australians.
	Paper filter helps make new cancer drug 1000 times cheaper Making drugs cheaper doesn't always require pricey investments. A joint initiative by researchers from TU Eindhoven, the Dutch company Syncom BV and the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital proves just that. What started out as a Bachelor project at TU/e laid the foundation for a much cheaper production of the promising cancer drug Z-endoxifen.
	Drug to treat skin lesions in rare tuberous sclerosis complex approved Scientists at Osaka University developed a new drug treating skin lesions in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a rare intractable disease, a world first. Following the physician-led clinical studies I and II by Osaka University, Phase III clinical trials by a pharmaceutical company, the drug was approved within 6 months of the drug application by the SAKIGAKE Designation System, an early approval system led by the Japanese government, on March 23, 2018 and was then commercialized.
Is it possible to evaluate specific effects of psychotherapy in mild depression using a network approach? An analysis that was released in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics explores the specific effects on symptoms of psychotherapy in mild depression using a network approach, which conceptualizes depression as a system of associated symptoms
Maternity care for pregnant women with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes must improve, researchers say Maternity care for pregnant women with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes "must improve," researchers say.
	Five things to consider before ordering an online DNA test You might be intrigued by what your genes could tell you about your ancestry or the health risks hidden in your DNA. If so, you're not alone.
	How compassion can triumph over toxic childhood trauma In a recent piece on the television show 60 Minutes, Oprah Winfrey discussed childhood trauma —shining a public spotlight on the lasting effects of abuse and adversity in childhood. Oprah herself is a survivor of childhood abuse.
	How NAFTA will make Canadians fat if the U.S. has its way Canada's health went under a trade-related microscope recently in two parallel developments.
	'Super gonorrhoea' raises the stakes in the war against superbugs There has been a lot of news over the past few weeks about the rise of superbugs and antibiotic overuse, including a nasty sexually transmitted infection in the United Kingdom. A British man is the first in the world to be diagnosed with a strain of gonorrhoea resistant to all strains of antibiotics used to treat the infection.
	Thermo-chemotherapy combo eradicates primary and metastatic tumors in mice Bioengineers at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) have developed a smart anti-cancer nanoparticle with precisely targeted tumor-killing activity superior to previous technologies.
	Immunotherapy—cancer's new frontier Your immune system never sleeps. Every moment of the day, immune cells monitor your body for disease, calling for backup when they detect a threat. It's a system that works elegantly—most of the time. It's not foolproof; if it were, we would never get cancer in the first place.
Increasing public support for mental health services without stigmatizing mental illness In public-health campaigns to boost support for improvements in the mental health system, messages that link mental illness to violence may be counterproductive, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
	How prescription creativity can improve mental and physical health The idea of arts on prescription and social prescribing may seem like a new one, but it is actually more than 10 years since UK government policy first referenced linking patients with non-medical support in the community.
	Best way to avoid back pain? Lift heavy things Most people think that the human spine is one of evolution's great flaws. After all, around 80% of adults suffer from lower-back pain. What more evidence do you need? The truth is, the spine is a robust structure. We're just using it incorrectly.
How an uproar over aid and sexual exploitation ignored women's actual experiences The recent "Oxfam sex scandal" – during which some aid workers were accused of paying for sex with young women in vulnerable conditions – has focused almost exclusively on the aid workers and aid organisations involved. But the perspectives and motivations of the young women who were paid for sex with money or material goods have hardly been discussed at all, and the contexts in which they live have been misrepresented and misunderstood.
	Reducing the likelihood of developing cancer There are many factors that determine your likelihood of developing cancer, including age, genetic predisposition and lifestyle.
	Alcohol narrows field of vision Alcohol can make a person engrossed in an activity oblivious to what's going on around them, no matter how bizarre or unexpected that might be.
	Efficient genetic modification of immune cells A new method enables genes in living T-cells in mice to be modified quickly and efficiently. It makes use of plasmids, a tried-and-tested method of genetic engineering. Researchers from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel reported these findings in the Journal of Immunology.
New point-of-care test quickly detects Lyme neuroborreliosis A new research-based point-of-care test has been developed in Finland for detecting the Lyme neuroborreliosis spread by ticks. The test makes rapid initiation of antibiotic treatment possible for patients with borreliosis, which reduces the post-treatment symptoms related to the disease. At the same time, unnecessary antibiotic treatments can be avoided.
	New actors identified in atherosclerosis Stroke and heart attack are the leading cause of death in the Western world. Würzburg scientists have used a special technique to get a clearer picture of the cells involved and their activity.
	Don't forget the 'epi' in genetics research, scientist says In a review article published April 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientist Andrew Feinberg, M.D., calls for more integration between two fields of DNA-based research: genetics and epigenetics.
Class clowns: Playful boys viewed more negatively than playful girls, study finds New research shows that playful boys are viewed as rebellious and disruptive by their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade teachers whereas playful girls are not. As a result of observing teachers' attempts to discourage the expression of playfulness, the boys' classmates changed their view of these "class clowns" from initially positive to increasingly negative. The playful boys also developed more negative perceptions of themselves over time. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, indicates that teachers' negative perceptions of playful boys in their early school years may forebode a longer-term negative trajectory for the boys as they continue through their formal school years.
Common drugs affect biomarkers for heart disease, cancer, inflammation Commonly used medications for high blood pressure and high blood lipids have substantial effects on protein biomarkers for cardiovascular disease, cancer and various inflammatory markers. This effect is evident also after taking genetics, lifestyle variables, age and sex into account. The study was conducted at Uppsala University and was recently published in Scientific Reports.
	Keeping the spark alive in long-term relationships It's a well-known fact that sexual desire ebbs and flows throughout the life of a long-term relationship for a number of reasons. Questions like "What factors increase and decrease desire?" and "How can couples work through those factors?" have long been topics of interest for researchers and clinicians, but dozens of studies respond to those questions with different answers.
	Sleep apnea patient finds rest with UK dentistry When Danville native Linda Pike was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea in 2010, she was relieved to finally discover a name for the condition that had kept her from getting a good night's rest for years. Her troubles were far from over though, as she had a tough time adjusting to conventional treatments. However, thanks to help from UK Dentistry, Pike is now finding it much easier to get a good night's rest.
	When kids' autistic brains can't calm down One-third of children who have autism spectrum disorder also have epilepsy. It's related to a major autism risk gene, which is mutated in patients with autism. But scientists didn't now why the mutation, catnap2, caused seizures.
	Household air pollution linked to cardiovascular disease risk Exposure to household air pollution from using wood or coal for cooking and heating is associated with higher risk of death from heart attack and stroke, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
	Vitamin D blood test may one day speed bipolar diagnosis in kids A blood test may have the potential to speed accurate diagnosis - and proper treatment - of bipolar disorder in children, new research suggests.
	Tracking Aedes mosquito invasions in Panama According to new research in the journal PLOS ONE by scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and Panama's government research institute, INDICASAT, mosquitoes in the genus Aedes, which carry a group of dangerous viruses causing yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika, invaded the crossroads of the Americas multiple times, by land and by sea.
Negative fateful life events and the brains of middle-aged men Conflict, a death in the family, financial hardship and serious medical crises are all associated with accelerated physical aging. In a new study, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that such negative fateful life events—or FLEs—appear to also specifically accelerate aging in the brain.
	Study finds brain differences in athletes playing contact vs. noncontact sports A study from researchers at Indiana University in the journal NeuroImage: Clinical has found differences in the brains of athletes who participate in contact sports compared to those who participate in noncontact sports.
	Risk of type 1 diabetes climbs when one population of T cells falls In autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, some of the immune system's T cells mistakenly attack the body's own cells, while protective T regulatory cells try to defend against that attack. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have shown in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes that animals with fewer of a poorly studied type of T regulatory cells are much more likely to develop the disease.
Fentanyl overdose survivors require little if any hospital treatment Most fentanyl overdose survivors, if given the antidote promptly, don't need prolonged hospital treatment, according to a study by University of British Columbia physicians.
New guidance for safe opioid prescribing for hospitalized patients with acute pain For hospitalized patients, pain is an all-too-common part of the experience. Even among U.S. patients who have not undergone surgery, more than half receive at least one dose of an opioid for acute pain during their stay. Even as current research demonstrates that hospitalized patients' exposure to opioids has contributed to the nationwide addiction epidemic, there is little guidance on the safe prescribing of these pain killers in the inpatient, non-operative setting.
Genetic link to IBS identified in women New research coordinated by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden links certain DNA variants to increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in women. The findings, published in the scientific journal Gastroenterology, might help explain why IBS is more common in women than in men.
US surgeon general urges Americans to carry opioid antidote The top US doctor on Thursday urged more Americans to carry naloxone, an antidote to opioid overdose, as the nation grapples with a surge in deaths due to potent prescription painkillers and heroin.
	Organoids created from patients' bladder cancers could guide treatment Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and NewYork-Presbyterian researchers have created patient-specific bladder cancer organoids that mimic many of the characteristics of actual tumors. The use of organoids, tiny 3-D spheres derived from a patient's own tumor, may be useful in the future to guide treatment of patients.
Primary care doctors may be unsure when kids' bad moods are serious or not All children have moments of moodiness, but family medicine doctors and pediatricians may doubt their abilities to tell the difference between normal irritability and possibly bigger issues, according to Penn State researchers.
Findings from breast and gynecological cancer study may have potential for future clinical applications Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found a startling amount of new information about molecular features of tumors as well as identified previously unknown cancer subtypes based on a comprehensive analysis of 2,579 tumors from breast and four different types of gynecologic cancers. These new findings potentially could serve as a launching pad for future therapeutic studies.
	Review of Vitamin D research identifies ethical issues in placebo use Since World War II, medical ethics in research studies involving human subjects have shifted significantly. Despite this important growth, ethical issues remain. Nutrition supplementation research does not have guidelines around the use of placebo groups in clinical trials, posing ethical issues.
	Injecting gene cocktail into mouse pancreas leads to humanlike tumors Novel technology developed at UT Health San Antonio gives rise to mouse pancreatic tumors that have the same traits as human pancreatic cancer. A U.S. patent is pending on the invention.
At least 70 children dead in Venezuela measles outbreak: NGO At least 70 children from an indigenous tribe have died from an outbreak of measles in a remote jungle region of eastern Venezuela, a human rights group said Thursday.
Research predicts likelihood of HIV testing based on race, sex/gender and sexual orientation A new study has identified factors that lead to increased HIV testing among young adults, specifically how a person's race, sex/gender, and sexual orientation is connected to their likelihood of getting tested for HIV.
	Can statins help prevent brain aneurysms from rupturing? People who learn they have an unruptured brain aneurysm typically have two options: surgery or watch and wait. Researchers hope to add a third alternative—drugs to lower the odds of the aneurysm rupturing.
	Here's how to pack protein into your diet (HealthDay)—Whether you want to lose weight, maintain your weight or just eat healthily, you need to know about protein.
	Lactation lowers risk of T2DM after gestational diabetes (HealthDay)—For women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), lactation is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), although there is no benefit for long-term lactation, according to a review and meta-analysis published online March 25 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
	Mood disorders up for children of consanguineous parents (HealthDay)—Children of first-cousin consanguineous parents are more likely to be in receipt of antidepressant or anxiolytic medications and antipsychotic medications, according to a study published online April 4 in JAMA Psychiatry.
	mRNA assay less sensitive than DNA assay for latent HPV (HealthDay)—The human papillomavirus (HPV) mRNA assays are less sensitive than HPV DNA assays for detection of latent HPV infection, according to a study published online March 8 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	More dairy associated with higher bone density and greater spine strength in men over 50 Researchers from Hebrew SeniorLife's Institute for Aging Research (IFAR), Wageningen University, Tilburg University, University of Reading, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have discovered that higher intake of dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, is associated with higher volumetric bone mineral density and vertebral strength at the spine in men. Dairy intake seems to be most beneficial for men over age 50, and continued to have positive associations irrespective of serum vitamin D status.
More Americans aware of growing problem of opioid addiction A new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals the number of Americans who see opioid addiction as a significant issue for their community today is up significantly over just two years ago. Forty-three percent of Americans now say the misuse of prescription drugs is a serious problem, compared with 33 percent in 2016.
	Tobacco products promoted on Facebook despite policies, researchers find Tobacco products are marketed and sold through unpaid content on Facebook—in some cases, without regard for the age of potential buyers—despite policies from the social media company that restrict or prohibit the promotion of such items, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine have found.
	New immunotherapy for lung cancer shows promise of success In a groundbreaking development, results from a recent clinical trial to treat lung cancer show that a novel immunotherapy combination is surprisingly effective at controlling the disease's progression. The study, published April 4 in the journal The Lancet Oncology, focused on non-small cell lung cancer, which is the most common form of lung cancer.
	Why do children tattle? When young children see a peer cause harm, they often tattle to a caregiver. But why do children tattle? A new Social Development study reveals that even when children cannot be blamed for a transgression, they tattle about it nonetheless, likely because tattling may be a way for children to enforce norms on others and thus help maintain cooperation.
Analysis challenges link between pain medications and inflammatory bowel disease Contrary to generally accepted belief, a recent review and analysis of published studies did not reveal a consistent association between the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen and exacerbation of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Nevertheless, when the analysis was limited to studies with a low risk of bias, three was a link between NSAIDs use and exacerbation of Crohn's disease but not ulcerative colitis.
Certain medications for chronic inflammatory diseases appear safe during pregnancy Anti-tumor necrosis factor medications (anti-TNFs) are effective in controlling chronic inflammatory diseases, but some physicians recommend that their patients discontinue them during pregnancy. In an Arthritis & Rheumatology analysis of 528 pregnancies of women exposed to certolizumab pegol (CZP), an anti-TNF approved for treatment of rheumatic diseases and/or Crohn's disease, 85% of pregnancies resulted in live births, and the rate of major congenital malformations (2%) was similar to those reported for the general population in the United States and Europe.
Breast cancer detected in transmen undergoing mastectomy The number of transmen seeking gender-confirming surgery has risen in the past decade. In a paper published in the British Journal of Surgery analysing breast tissue from 344 transmen undergoing mastectomy, breast lesions—either benign or malignant—were present in 166 individuals (48.3%).
Web-based decision aid may help with breast reconstruction decisions following mastectomy A new Psycho-Oncology study indicates that a free web-based decision aid that helps women with breast cancer make decisions regarding reconstruction surgery after mastectomy is likely cost-effective.
Study examines how social support affects mental health after a natural disaster A new Journal of Traumatic Stress study found that social support may have helped alleviate depressive symptoms for displaced and nondisplaced residents who survived Hurricane Katrina. Also, social support appeared to only moderate the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for nondisplaced residents, indicating that displaced individuals may require more formal supports for reducing PTSD symptoms following a natural disaster.
	Web-based program may help address underage drinking A new study supports the use of a brief, web-based program alone and in combination with a parent campaign for preventing alcohol consumption among adolescents transitioning from middle school to high school.
Urinary incontinence may have negative effects on sexual health In a new BJU International study, women with urinary incontinence reported declines in sexual activity and arousal over the last year, and they expressed increased concern about their frequency of sexual activity and ability to become sexually aroused. Men with urinary incontinence reported declines in sexual desire, increased erectile and orgasm difficulties, and concern about these sexual functions.
Nemours study highlights psychological and social barriers to treating childhood obesity Children whose families have elevated psychological and social risks, including child behavior problems, parent mental health issues, and family financial difficulties, were more likely to drop out of weight management treatment and less likely to have an improvement in weight status, according to a study published online today by the Journal of Pediatrics. The study, a collaboration between researchers at the Nemours Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Nemours Division of Weight Management, supports the need for psychosocial screening early in the treatment of childhood obesity.
	Lagging decades behind on autism care, France plays catch-up When Gaspard Bigand was 3 years old, his pre-school teachers labeled him "different." But his parents got zero advice from the French education or health care systems, and it took two years for him to be diagnosed with autism.
Research team develops new genetic tool to expand library of fruit flies and accelerate biomedical discovery For more than 100 years, the humble fruit fly has been used to understand fundamental biological processes and has been a crucial tool for rapid preclinical gene discovery for myriads of human diseases. Now, an exciting study published in eLife reports on the development of a large versatile library of fruit flies that can be used to perform efficient and elegant in vivo gene-specific manipulations using the new protocol and gene-specific integration vector CRIMIC (CRISPR-Mediated Integrated Cassette).
	Artificial Intelligence helps early detection of dementia Through pioneering algorithmic analysis, the Eurostars project BRAINIQ has developed software that uses artificial intelligence to detect the signs and progression of dementia in a patient's MRI scans.
	Researchers identify area of the amygdala involved in taste aversion Researchers from the University of Granada, together with scientists from the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), have identified the area of the brain that is directly involved in the aversion to toxic, spoiled or poisonous foods. The results, obtained from experiments on laboratory rats, lay the foundations for new studies on the development of taste and eating behaviours. Moreover, the study opens the door to potential therapeutic applications for the treatment of alterations that commonly occur after chemotherapy, as well as other therapies for eating disorders such as anorexia and obesity.
	NTU Singapore and SERI invent new scope to diagnose glaucoma Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), with clinicians from the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), have invented a new 'pen camera' that makes it easier for doctors to diagnose patients with glaucoma.
	Fewer Americans are fixing their noses Americans love cosmetic surgery.
In Europe, CHMP missed an opportunity for osteoporosis patients at high risk of fracture Experts from the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) regret the recent decision by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) to reject the marketing application for abaloparatide, a potential new treatment option for postmenopausal women at high risk of fragility fracture.
	PDX finder—Free global portal for cancer models The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) have jointly developed the first open cancer research portal for Patient Derived Xenograft (PDX) models. The freely available PDX Finder is hosted by EMBL-EBI and catalogues PDX models from numerous global repositories. The PDX Finder web portal offers significant potential for collaborative research, as well as time savings for researchers, who now only have to search one central catalogue instead of going through a range of individual and distributed resources.
Patients with medicaid have limited access to physical therapy in Massachusetts after ACL surgery Patients with Medicaid in Massachusetts have limited access to reimbursable physical therapy (PT) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery, according to a new study. Researchers at Boston Medical Center found that only slightly more than half of PT clinics in the metropolitan Boston area accept Medicaid, and patients with Medicaid insurance have to wait longer for their initial PT appointments compared to those with private insurance. The authors note the importance of providers working with their patients with Medicaid earlier on in the process to establish a postoperative treatment plan to avoid PT treatment delays.
	Charting an underexplored landscape: The genitourinary microbiome More sensitive cultivation methods and precise 16S rRNA gene sequencing techniques have revealed that the human bladder hosts a significant microbiome and those diverse bacteria inside the bladder impact pediatric urologic diseases.
Chronic illnesses, functional limitations a risk in older adults with heart failure Heart failure affects more than 6 million people in the U.S.—most of whom are older adults. Roughly half the older adults who have heart failure also live with five or more other chronic health conditions. This group of people may have difficulty performing daily activities, such as walking, bathing, and eating. And older adults who have multiple chronic illnesses plus heart failure generally require more frequent health care, including more visits to healthcare providers and hospitalizations.
MRI analysis with machine learning predicts impairment after spinal injury, study shows A test of machine-learning algorithms shows promise for computer-aided prognosis of acute spinal cord injury, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2018 Annual Meeting, set for April 22-27 in Washington, DC.
Parents struggle to discuss sex with LGBTQ teens It's hard enough for parents to have "the talk" about sexual health with their kids, but parents of LGBTQ children feel especially uncomfortable and unequipped when they try to educate them about sex and dating, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Study reveals large drop in infection-related deaths following kidney transplantation Since the 1990s, the risk of dying from infections after kidney transplantation has dropped by half, according to a recent analysis. The analysis, which appears in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), also found that common bacterial infections remain the most frequent cause of infection-related death among transplant recipients.

Biology news

	Lessons from lemurs: To make friends, show off your smarts Do smart kids make more friends? If others see their cleverness paying off, then yes—at least, that seems to be true for our primate cousins, ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), report a team of Princeton University researchers.
	Study reveals how unicellular organism repairs itself In a new study, published in Current Biology this week, a research team from Uppsala University in Sweden reports new insights into the regenerative capabilities of Stentor, a single celled model organism for regeneration biology. The study used novel gene expression methods that allowed the researchers to identify over one thousand genes that are involved in the regeneration process of individual stentor cells.
	Genome sequencing shows baleen whales intermingled more than thought A team of researchers with members from Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, and Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and the University of Lund, in Sweden has found that genetic ties between baleen whales are far more complicated than previously thought. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, the group describes their study of the whales using genome sequencing and what they found by doing so.
	Gene loss can prove to be an advantage During evolution, genes can be created, get mutated or duplicated, and even can get lost. To investigate to what extent gene losses can contribute to different adaptations, scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden developed a computational method to identify gene losses and systematically searched the genomes of 62 mammals to analyze which genes are lost in which species. Their findings highlight a number of previously unknown gene losses that may have occurred as a consequence of a previous, existing adaptation, or – and more interesting – that may have played a direct role in the evolution of a new adaptation.
	Researchers identify the cells that trigger flowering How do plants "know" it is time to flower? A new study uncovers exactly where a key protein forms before it triggers the flowering process in plants.
	New discovery explains why cells with identical genes perform unique jobs Scientists have made a significant discovery that explains how and why the billions of different cells in our bodies look and act so differently despite containing identical genes. The discovery, made by a team from the Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity College Dublin, applies to all complex animals, including humans.
	'Sleeping' stem cells could aid brain repair Scientists at the Wellcome Trust/ Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, have identified a new type of stem cell in the brain which they say has a high potential for repair following brain injury or disease.
	New genomic tool searches wheat's wild past to improve crops of the future A new genetic directory launched today will enable researchers and breeders to scan the genomes of wild relatives of modern wheat to find disease-fighting properties lost to domestication.
	Lizards, mice, bats and other vertebrates are important pollinators too Bees are not the only animals that carry pollen from flower to flower. Species with backbones, among them bats, birds, mice, and even lizards, also serve as pollinators. Although less familiar as flower visitors than insect pollinators, vertebrate pollinators are more likely to have co-evolved tight relationships of high value to the plants they service, supplying essential reproductive aid for which few or no other species may substitute.
	Avoid south-facing birdhouses—for the nestlings' sake Ten-day-old baby birds are able to maintain their regular body temperature despite nest box temperatures of 50 degrees C or above. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden now report that nestlings pay a high price for regulating their body temperature—they grow less. Therefore, the recommendation when putting up a nest box should be to avoid hot, south-facing locations and choosing a spot in the shade.
	Eating less enables lemurs to live longer Chronic caloric restriction consists of eating a reduced but balanced diet from early adult life onward. Previous research, into macaques in particular (which have an average lifespan of forty years), had already demonstrated its beneficial effect on the incidence of age-related pathologies. However, its positive effect on the lifespan of primates remained controversial. To study this question, the researchers focused on the grey mouse lemur, a small primate whose lifespan (around 12 years) makes it a very good model for the study of aging. Moreover, this small lemurid has many physiological similarities with humans.
	Combining X-ray techniques for powerful insights into hyperaccumulator plants The complementary power of combining multiple X-ray techniques to understand the unusual properties of hyperaccumulator plants has been highlighted in a new cover article just published in New Phytologist.
	New trap better at snaring stable flies A new stable fly trap, now on the market, catches more flies than the standard trap, according to a recent Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study.
Researchers engineer new proteins to help solve global problems Researchers from Victoria University of Wellington's Ferrier Research Institute have made significant progress in the science of protein engineering, achieving a breakthrough which has implications for tackling global problems from diseases to climate change.
Using spent barley grain to lower the sugar content of certain foods EPFL spin-off Embion Technologies has developed a soluble fiber powder made from barley residue from the beer-making process that can be used to reduce the sucrose content of a wide range of foods. This by-product also appears to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
	A view from 50,000 feet (and higher)—scientists seek new ways to monitor crop health A University of Virginia environmental scientist and colleagues at the University of Illinois are working to evaluate crop conditions and forecast crop yields in real time.
	Stunning new species of sea slugs discovered A small team of scientists at The University of Western Australia, the Western Australian Museum, and the California Academy of Sciences has identified 18 new species of sea slugs, including some only found in WA.
	Why we are measuring the health of Australian vegetation poorly Many of Australia's ecosystems are in a much worse condition than we think. This is because officials are measuring the health of ecosystems such as forests and woodlands by their size, instead of how damaged they are by disturbances.
	Protecting the Bornean banteng New research has found that preserving large forest areas is essential in protecting the most endangered large mammal in Sabah.
The ban of the cave bear At 3.5 meters long and with a shoulder height of 1.7 meters, the cave bear was one of the giants of the Ice Age. Yet few appear to have survived until the last glacial maximum 24,000 to 19,000 years ago. Researchers from Germany, Italy and Canada have conducted analyses to find out what likely caused the extinction of these large herbivores. It is believed that the renewed cooling of the climate and hunting by humans ‒ added to the bears' purely vegetarian diet ‒ increased the pressure on this megafauna species. Professor Hervé Bocherens of the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen took part in the study, which examined cave bear bones using the latest methods. The results of the study have been published in Historical Biology.
	Pesticides having negative impacts on bees Scientists from the University of Würzburg have investigated the impact of a new pesticide on the honeybee. In high doses, it has a negative impact on the insects' taste and cognition ability.
	A vaccine for edible plants? A new plant protection method on the horizon Novel technologies are being sought to replace the traditional pesticides used to protect plants, particularly edible plants such as cereals. A new collaborative project between the University of Helsinki and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) is shedding light on the efficacy of environmentally friendly RNA-based vaccines that protect plants from diseases and pests.
	Freezing breakthrough offers hope for African wild dogs James Cook University researchers in Australia have helped develop a new way to save endangered African wild dogs.
	Like human societies, whales value culture and family ties It might seem like a "whale of tale," but groundbreaking research from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is the first to demonstrate that just like human societies, beluga whales appear to value culture as well as their ancestral roots and family ties.
	Bonobos share and share alike Bonobos are willing to share meat with animals outside their own family groups. This behaviour was observed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is documented in a new study in Springer's journal Human Nature. Even though bonobo apes have been studied for years, animal behaviourists have only realised in the past 25 years that these primates do not only eat plants, but similar to the common chimpanzee, also hunt and share their catch among members of their own social group. This study is the first observation of sharing behaviour across community borders and was led by Barbara Fruth of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK and the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp in Belgium, and Gottfried Hohmann of the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany.
	New butterfly species discovered nearly 60 years after it was first collected In 1959, a then-teenage lepidopterist Thomas Emmel collected 13 fawn-colored butterflies in the highlands of Mexico.
	Genes' interplay gives clues to how new cell types could evolve Developmental biologists at the University of Bath have gained insights into how a family of essential genes interact differently between different parts of the body and between species, which could offer clues about how new types of cells come to evolve.
	Raccoons' bizarre behavior gets locals' attention in US Raccoons are normally shy, nocturnal creatures. But they've been acting out in the US state of Ohio, where police report strange and menacing raccoon behavior in broad daylight.
	Researchers provide potential explanation for declines in brown bear populations Animals may fall into what are called evolutionary and ecological traps when they make poor decisions using seemingly reliable environmental cues. For example, animals may select habitats to occupy based on food availability, but mortality may be highest in habitats with the highest food availability. A new Mammal Review article examines how the brown (grizzly) bear can fall into such traps in human-modified landscapes, which may contribute to decreases in brown bear populations.
	Experts propose method to monitor ocean health It's important to closely monitor how climate change and our increasing use of the oceans are affecting important marine resources and ecosystems. A new Global Change Biology paper identifies "biological essential ocean variables" that can be measured to provide key information to help effectively mitigate or manage the detrimental effects we may be having.
	Enhanced therapeutic vaccine platform achieves 2 proof-of-concepts in veterinary medical use Chronic allergic diseases of dogs and horses can now be treated with a new therapeutic vaccine technology based on enhanced virus-like nanoparticle conjugates. It was developed by an international research team led by he University of Bern and in cooperation with the University of Zurich, together with private enterprise companies. The findings obtained in horses and dogs could lead to similar therapeutic vaccines for humans.
	Early stimulation improves performance of bioengineered human heart cells Researchers are now able to use induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to form a model of human adult-like cardiac muscle by introducing electric and mechanical stimulation at an early stage. Since this muscle is similar to the adult heart, it could serve as a better model for testing the effects of drugs and toxic substances than current tissue-engineered heart models. The study, performed by scientists at Columbia University, New York City, and funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published today in Nature.

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