Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Oct 15

Dear Reader ,

Be an ACS Industry Insider: https://connect.acspubs.org/Insider?LS=SciX

Sign-up and get free, monthly access to articles that cover exciting, cutting edge discoveries in Energy, Environmental Science and Agriculture.

---

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 15, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Floating magnetic microrobots for fiber functionalization

A new approach to enhance robot navigation in indoor environments

Stretched photons recover lost interference

Handwashing robot helps schoolkids make a clean break with bad habits

Fire blankets can protect buildings from wildfires

Genetic differences in the immune system shape the microbiome

Learning motor skills requires the 'feeling' part of the brain

Last year's extreme snowfall wiped out breeding of Arctic animals and plants

The lunar cycle drives the nightjar's migration

Spy chip planting said to be easy to do and tough to spot

Weight-loss surgery cuts risk of birth defects

Opening up the black box of heterogeneous catalysis

Traffic noise affects normal stress reactions in zebra finches and delays offspring growth

Mussels harbor strains of bacteria in their gills, keeping them prepared for environmental changes

Young children have intuitions of great teachers

Astronomy & Space news

	Going against the flow around a supermassive black hole At the center of a galaxy called NGC 1068, a supermassive black hole hides within a thick doughnut-shaped cloud of dust and gas. When astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to study this cloud in more detail, they made an unexpected discovery that could explain why supermassive black holes grew so rapidly in the early Universe.
	Heron survey fishes out detail in ghostly galaxy outskirts Astronomers have completed the largest survey to date of the faint outskirts of nearby galaxies, successfully testing a low-cost system for exploring these local stellar systems. R. Michael Rich of the University of California, Los Angeles led an international team carrying out a survey for the Haloes and Environments of Nearby Galaxies (HERON) collaboration, published in a paper in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The team find that the diameters of the galactic outskirts—the haloes—appear to correlate with the brightness and type of galaxy.
	Analysis of Galileo's Jupiter entry probe reveals gaps in heat shield modeling The entry probe of the Galileo mission to Jupiter entered the planet's atmosphere in 1995 in fiery fashion. As the probe descended from Mach 50 to Mach 1 and generated enough heat to cause plasma reactions on its surface, it relayed data about the burning of its heat shield that differed from the effects predicted in fluid dynamics models. New work examines what might have caused such a discrepancy.
	Russia bids farewell to first man who walked in space Hundreds of people including Russian and US astronauts and top officials bid farewell Tuesday to Alexei Leonov, a legendary Soviet cosmonaut who was the first man to perform a spacewalk.
	Image: Foreground asteroid passing the Crab Nebula When astronomers use the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to study the deep sky, asteroids from our solar system can leave their marks on the captured pictures of far-away galaxies or nebulae. But rather than be annoyed at the imprinted trails in Hubble images, astronomers realised they could use them to find out more about the asteroids themselves.
	ExoMars parachute progress Positive steps towards solving the problems discovered with the ExoMars mission parachutes have been taken in the last month to keep on track for the July-August 2020 launch window.
	Soil on moon and Mars likely to support crops Researchers at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands have produced crops in Mars and Moon soil simulant developed by NASA. The research supports the idea that it would not only be possible to grow food on Mars and the Moon to feed future settlers, but also to obtain viable seed from crops grown there.
	NASA moves up 1st all-female spacewalk to fix power unit NASA is moving up the first all-female spacewalk to this week because of a power system failure at the International Space Station.

Technology news

	A new approach to enhance robot navigation in indoor environments To effectively navigate their surroundings, robots typically plan paths based on pre-designed maps of the environment they are operating in and observations gathered by their sensors. While this type of navigation strategy can be useful in simple and static environments, it is far from ideal in more complex and unpredictable ones, such as the ones found in the real world.
	Handwashing robot helps schoolkids make a clean break with bad habits A robot which encourages kids to wash their hands has helped pupils at a remote Indian primary school take a fresh approach to hygiene.
	Fire blankets can protect buildings from wildfires Wrapping a building in a fire-protective blanket is a viable way of protecting it against wildfires, finds the first study to scientifically assesses this method of defense.
	Spy chip planting said to be easy to do and tough to spot Much too easy: Planting a two-dollar spy chip on hardware with a technique that can be pulled off on a less than $200 budget? Yet that was the work of a proof in concept investigation by a security researcher and tech-watching sites were discussing the story on Monday.
	Researchers build a soft robot with neurologic capabilities In work that combines a deep understanding of the biology of soft-bodied animals such as earthworms with advances in materials and electronic technologies, researchers from the United States and China have developed a robotic device containing a stretchable transistor that allows neurological function.
	Google in smartphone push with motion-sensing Pixel 4 Google stepped up its smartphone ambitions Tuesday with updated Pixel handsets, touting a move toward computing with a simple hand wave or spoken command.
	Group behind Facebook's Libra coin announces 21 founding members The Libra Association, created by Facebook to launch its new cryptocurrency, has announced its 21 founding members after defections by previous supporters including Visa and Mastercard.
	Will 737 MAX crisis take down Boeing CEO? The crisis over the 737 MAX that has tarnished Boeing's image has finally cost Dennis Muilenburg his title as chairman.
	China wants centralised digital currency after bitcoin crackdown As Facebook readies to launch its answer to bitcoin, China is set to introduce its own digital currency—one that could allow the government and the central bank to see what people spend their money on, according to analysts.
	Harley-Davidson suspends production of electric motorcycle Harley-Davidson announced on Monday that it had suspended production and delivery of its LiveWire electric motorcycle, which the brand had rolled out as part of a diversification push.
	Google to show off new phone, devices at New York event Google is expected to unveil a new Pixel phone with an updated camera and an emphasis on artificial intelligence features.
	Amazon eating Google online search ad share: eMarketer Amazon is eating into Google's giant slice of online search advertising in the US as businesses target the online retail platform's shoppers, according to an eMarketer forecast released on Tuesday.
	Portal vs. Nest Hub Max and Echo Show 8: The video display competition is set to heat up at the holidays On Tuesday, Facebook will release its second-generation Portal, one of three new entrants into the "Video Display" wars to compete for your shopping dollar during the holidays.
	Chilled electricity It should be possible to generate electricity and refrigerate simultaneously using low-grade waste heat from industry, according to research published in Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal. The key is a system based on an ammonia-water mixture.
	Use of social media is taking place both online and offline Social media has changed how people interact. However, social media use is neither static or specifically linked to certain platforms. Emerging technical capabilities, changes in lifestyle and time management as well as the increasing possibilities to engage in online and offline interaction simultaneously affect our use of social media. Those are some of the results from a new doctoral thesis on Instagram and social media from University of Gothenburg.
	Less chat leads to more work for machine learning By deconstructing and analyzing the tried-and-tested methods used in massively parallel computations, a KAUST-led collaboration has developed a groundbreaking framework for efficient parallel computations at scale. The framework has particular relevance for the types of processing needed for optimization in machine learning.
	How the US census kickstarted America's computing industry The U.S. Constitution requires that a population count be conducted at the beginning of every decade.
	Calcium batteries: New electrolytes, enhanced properties Calcium-based batteries promise to reach a high energy density at low manufacturing costs. This lab-scale technology has the potential for replacing lithium-ion technology in future energy storage systems. Using the electrolytes available, however, it has been impossible so far to charge calcium batteries at room temperature. In the Energy & Environmental Science journal, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) now present a promising electrolyte class, with which this will be possible.
	Team creates interactive, multisensory VR game A team of researchers and developers from the Keio-NUS CUTE (Connective Ubiquitous Technology for Embodiments) Center at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a novel mixed virtual reality game to bring about a unique multisensory interaction and experience for players. Four sensory streams are fused together simultaneously in a virtual reality (VR) game to achieve remarkable realism.
Putting the power of a film director in an autonomous drone Commercial drone products can tackle some automated tasks, but one thing those systems don't address is filming artistically. A team led by Carnegie Mellon University researchers has proposed a complete system for aerial cinematography that learns humans' visual preferences. The fully autonomous system does not require scripted scenes, GPS tags to localize targets or prior maps of the environment.
	German 5G rules avoid Huawei ban; US warns on intel sharing Germany released draft security guidelines on Tuesday for next generation wireless networks that stopped short of banning Huawei, as the U.S. warned again it would reconsider intelligence sharing with allies that use the Chinese company's equipment.
	Internet game Fortnite back with a new chapter Fans of internet gaming sensation Fortnite rejoiced Tuesday as a new chapter began, freeing them from staring at a black hole that marked the end of the last one.
	Google streaming game service Stadia launches Nov 19 Google on Tuesday said it will launch its Stadia streaming game service on November 19, hoping to launch console-quality play into the cloud.
	Who needs an implanted microchip when there's an app for that? Forget about having to get chipped in today's workplace.
After a decade, 'League of Legends' remains at the top of its game When it comes to video games, "League of Legends" is in a league of its own.
	Facebook's new Portal makes good video calls but still has issues A year ago, Facebook surprised a lot of people in tech (and elsewhere) by releasing a video chat device for the home.
	Facebook chief hosts conservative guests amid bias debate Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Monday confirmed reports that he had hosted a series of dinners with right-wing figures, as the social media platform stands accused of stifling conservative voices.
	UK Oscar-winning special effects firm mulls London IPO British special effects firm DNEG, winner of five Oscars for work on blockbusters including "Blade Runner 2049" and "Inception", said Tuesday that it planned launching on the London stock market.
	Researchers design a solution for traffic management that helps reduce jams and pollution in cities A team of researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Université Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III (France) have developed a system that is capable of managing all traffic in a city, which will help to prevent traffic jams while reducing the driving times of vehicles and pollution levels. The system has been designed for autonomous vehicles and includes a route provider service capable of forecasting the present and future density of traffic in the city. It also takes that information into account when choosing new routes. The work has been published in Electronics.
	Mathematicians prove that flash-memory 'fingerprints' of electronic devices are truly unique Experts in applied mathematics at RUDN University have experimentally proven that it is possible to accurately identify electronic devices by defects in flash memory cells. It turns out that the distribution and nature of these defects are unique, and they can play the role of "fingerprints" for memory chips. The new method will improve protection against hacker attacks, as it would create electronic flash keys that cannot be faked. The results of the study are published in the journal IEEE Access.
	Huawei lashes out at Estonia for 'unfounded' security claims Chinese telecom company Huawei on Tuesday criticized the Estonian government and media for spreading what it says are "arbitrary and unfounded" allegations about cybersecurity risks related to the company's mobile phones.

Medicine & Health news

	Genetic differences in the immune system shape the microbiome Genetic differences in the immune system shape the collections of bacteria that colonize the digestive system, according to new research by scientists at the University of Chicago.
	Learning motor skills requires the 'feeling' part of the brain Contrary to previous research, a new study by Neeraj Kumar and David Ostry at McGill University shows that somatosensory cortex is involved in retaining new motor skills. Published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology on October 15 the authors report that retention of motor memories is disrupted when the somatosensory region of the brain, but not the motor cortex, is inhibited after learning.
	Weight-loss surgery cuts risk of birth defects Children born to women who underwent gastric bypass surgery before becoming pregnant had a lower risk of major birth defects than children born to women who had severe obesity at the start of their pregnancy. That's according to a matched cohort study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Örebro University published in the scientific journal JAMA. The findings indicate that weight-loss and improved blood sugar control could reduce the risk of major birth defects and ought to lessen longstanding concerns that weight-loss surgery could increase this risk.
	Researchers unravel the early makings of an exhausted T cell The immune system struggles to defeat cancer or chronic infections because many of the T cells that leap into action end up "exhausted," rendering them ineffective against disease. That path to exhaustion and what triggers it is a crucial one that researchers aim to better understand so they can stop or divert more T cells from heading down this path. Now, a new Penn Medicine study published in the journal Immunity, paints a clearer picture of the molecular mechanisms of newly formed, or "precursor," T cells driving the transformation. It's a discovery that could inform current treatments and the development of more powerful immunotherapies, cancer drugs, or both.
	Drug shows promise as immune therapy for cancer A therapy developed by Yale researchers stimulates immune cells to shrink or kill tumors in mice, according to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The therapy is effective alone or in combination with existing cancer immunotherapies, and it appears to have lasting effects, the researchers said.
	Researchers reduce heart-attack-caused cardiac tissue damage by 30% in mice Each year, heart attacks kill almost 10 million people around the world, and more than 6 million die from stroke. A heart attack is caused by clots that block arterial blood flow. Tissues are deprived from blood-borne oxygen. Under these conditions, the affected tissues undergo a rapid necrosis. But why? Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, the University of Lyon and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), France, have discovered that the synthesis of a lipid called deoxydihydroceramide provokes necrosis. This lipid accumulates in the absence of oxygen and blocks cellular functions. By inhibiting its synthesis in a mouse suffering a heart attack, the biologists were able to reduce the tissue damage by 30 percent. These results, published in Nature Metabolism, suggest a new model of treatment for victims of heart attack or stroke.
	Brain networks more stable in individuals with higher cognitive abilities The interconnections and communication between different regions of the human brain influence behavior in many ways. This is also true for individual differences in higher cognitive abilities. The brains of more intelligent individuals are characterized by temporally more stable interactions in neural networks. This is the result of a recent study conducted by Dr. Kirsten Hilger and Professor Christian Fiebach from the Department of Psychology and Brain Imaging Center of Goethe University Frankfurt in collaboration with Dr. Makoto Fukushima and Professor Olaf Sporns from Indiana University Bloomington, U.S. The study was published online in the scientific journal Human Brain Mapping on 6th October.
	Research on cell division provides new clues to how a common cancer treatment works When chemotherapy was first invented, its premise seemed relatively simple: to curb the growth of tumors by stopping their cells from proliferating. Today, many of these drugs are known to act through different mechanisms, and have turned out to be useful only in certain tumor types and patients.
	Prolonged oxygen exposure causes long-term deficits on hippocampal mitochondrial function in newborns Findings recently published in Nature Scientific Reports by the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Manimaran Ramani, M.D., indicate that in a rodent model prolonged oxygen exposure during the critical developmental period permanently impairs long-term hippocampal mitochondrial function.
	Researchers retract paper that suggested Chinese CRISPR twins might die early A pair of researchers from the University of California has retracted a paper they had published in the journal Nature Medicine in which they claimed to have found evidence that the Chinese CRISPR twins might die early. In their retraction, Xinzhu Wei and Rasmus Nielsen report that the reason for the retraction was genotyping bias in UK Biobank data that they used to conduct their research.
	THC use during rat pregnancy found to result in harm to brain of male offspring A large team of researchers from Italy, Hungary and the U.S. has found that administering THC to pregnant rats resulted in damage to the brains of male offspring. In their paper published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the group describes their experiments with rats and THC and what they found.
	New treatment combination could work against broader array of cancer cells, study finds In continuing efforts to find novel ways to kill cancer cells, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have identified a new pathway that leads to the destruction of cancer cells. The new finding, published this week in the journal PNAS, could pave the way for the broader use of a class of anticancer drugs already on the market. These drugs, known as PARP inhibitors, are currently approved by the FDA to treat only a limited group of breast and ovarian cancers associated with BRCA gene mutations.
	DNA fracturing rewires gene control in cancer Understanding the mechanisms that mediate widespread DNA damage in the cancer genome is of great interest to cancer physicians and scientists because it may lead to improved treatments and diagnosis. In this study, a multi-institutional team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has brought attention to genomic structural variation as a previously unappreciated mechanism involved in altering DNA methylation, a form of gene control, in human cancers.
	Novel technique helps explain why bright light keeps us awake In recent decades, scientists have learned a great deal about how different neurons connect and send signals to each other. But it's been difficult to trace the activity of individual nerve fibers known as axons, some of which can extend from the tip of the toe to the head. Understanding these connections is important for figuring out how the brain receives and responds to signals from other parts of the body.
	New DNA 'clock' could help measure development in young children Scientists have developed a molecular "clock" that could reshape how pediatricians measure and monitor childhood growth and potentially allow for an earlier diagnosis of life-altering development disorders.
	Polyamorous families face stigma during pregnancy and birth Polyamorous families experience marginalization during pregnancy and birth, but with open, nonjudgmental attitudes from health care providers and changes to hospital policies, this can be reduced, found new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
	Sleep apnea linked to blinding eye disease in people with diabetes New research from Taiwan shows that severe sleep apnea is a risk factor for developing diabetic macular edema, a complication of diabetes that can cause vision loss or blindness. Diabetic macular edema was also more difficult to treat in patients with severe sleep apnea. While earlier research showed a weak connection between the two conditions, evidence is mounting that sleep apnea exacerbates underlying eye disease. The researchers present their study today at AAO 2019, the 123rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
	High on ease, low on nutrition: instant-noodle diet harms Asian kids A diet heavy on cheap, modern food like instant noodles that fills bellies but lacks key nutrients has left millions of children unhealthily thin or overweight in southeast Asia, experts say.
	School lunches keep Japan's kids topping nutrition lists Japan manages a rare feat for a developed country when it comes to feeding its children—high scores for nutrition but very low obesity rates. One major key? School lunches.
	1-in-3 young children undernourished or overweight: UNICEF A third of the world's nearly 700 million children under five years old are undernourished or overweight and face lifelong health problems as a consequence, according to a grim UN assessment of childhood nutrition released Tuesday.
	New evidence that steroid injections of hip and knee may damage joints Corticosteroid injections used to treat osteoarthritis pain in the hip and knee may be more dangerous than previously thought, according to a special report published in the journal Radiology. Researchers suggested that injection-associated risks like rapid progressive osteoarthritis, which eventually may lead to joint collapse, should be integrated into consent forms so that patients are aware of the potential risks associated with these treatments.
Climate change concerns have largely ignored role of access to effective contraception Climate change concerns have largely ignored the importance of universal access to effective contraception, despite the impact of population growth on greenhouse gas emissions, argue experts in the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health.
	Study confirms Australians better prepared to care for animals than babies in emergencies Western Sydney University research has revealed that Australian emergency plans need to do more to factor babies into current emergency strategies.
	A new way to fight deadly fungal infections Only a small fraction of the more than one million species of fungi can cause infectious disease in humans. But for the growing population of people with weakened immune systems in the United States and around the world, a fungal infection can be serious, even deadly, as evidenced by recent outbreaks in health care facilities.
	Heart attack registry: Unprecedented insight into STEMI occurrence, treatment in North India A new study published in Clinical Cardiology introduces the North Indian (NORIN) ST‐Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Registry and provides preliminary data collected since its start in January of this year. The prospective cohort study's first author, Sameer Arora, MD, UNC School of Medicine cardiology fellow and preventive medicine resident, says researchers will follow approximately 3,500 patients admitted for STEMI treatment to two government-funded medical centers in New Delhi, India.
	Casting cancer as a 'war' or 'battle' may harm health, study finds Cancer is often cast as a "battle" or a "war" that should be fought and won to motivate patients to overcome the disease, or encourage people to make healthy choices that could prevent it.
	What you should know about meningitis Getting the news your child, teenager or even their classmate or friend has meningitis can be an alarming experience. However, knowing more about the disease can help parents recognize the signs and symptoms as well as help differentiate between types of the disease.
	Heated suit simulates exercise benefits for people unable to take part in physical activity Scientists are testing a heated suit which replicates some benefits of exercise without the need for physical activity.
	Breaking the stroma barrier: Study shows a new way to hit cancer with radiation Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer‑related deaths worldwide. Patients with pancreatic cancer often receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which are not always effective and can have toxic side effects. In a collaborative research between Osaka University and the University of Heidelberg, researchers are exploring a new method of treatment that brings powerful yet targeted radiation therapy directly to cancer tissue. The method may offer an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer with fewer side effects in surrounding organs.
	Oxygen in hyperbaric chamber provides relief after radiotherapy Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can relieve self-reported symptoms and side-effects of radiotherapy against cancer in the pelvic region, a study shows. After 30–40 sessions in a hyperbaric chamber, many patients experienced reductions in bleeding, urinary incontinence, and pain alike.
	We used smartphones to screen young children for vision and hearing loss Healthy hearing and vision in early childhood are the foundation for success at school. Hearing and vision difficulties are the most common developmental disabilities in children younger than 5 years, with more than 40 million affected globally. But more than 90% of children with hearing or vision loss live in low and middle-income countries where services to detect problems early are unavailable.
	Women using heroin in Kenya: Why it's important to intervene early in life Heroin is the main drug taken by injection in Kenya. Mostly found and used in Kenya's big cities—Mombasa and Nairobi—it's hard to know just how widespread heroin use is. But estimates range between 18 000 and 33 000 people.
	Why we need to treat wildfire as a public health issue in California Deadly fires across California over the past several years have shown how wildfire has become a serious public health and safety issue. Health effects from fires close to or in populated areas range from smoke exposure to drinking water contaminated by chemicals like benzene to limited options for the medically vulnerable. These kinds of threats are becoming major, statewide concerns.
	Changing the terminology to 'people with obesity' won't reduce stigma against fat people The British Psychological Society is calling for changes for how we talk about fatness, suggesting we should no longer use the phrase "obese people," but instead, "people with obesity" or "people living with obesity."
	Frontotemporal dementia is associated with alterations in immune system function Recent research from the University of Eastern Finland revealed increased inflammatory activity in a subgroup of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Increased inflammation was associated with parkinsonism symptoms and more rapid disease progression. In addition, the results showed that cancer is rare in FTD, whereas some autoimmune diseases may be more common among FTD patients. These findings may indicate an overactive immune system in FTD.
	Weak immune system linked to serious bacterial infection in children A new study has found a bacterial infection that can lead to pneumonia or meningitis is linked to weakened immune systems in children.
	Mindfulness may reduce opioid cravings, study finds People suffering from opioid addiction and chronic pain may have fewer cravings and less pain if they use both mindfulness techniques and medication for opioid dependence, according to Rutgers and other researchers.
	Taking vitamin D by oral spray just as effective as taking a capsule Researchers from the University of Sheffield partnered with industry to test the efficacy of vitamin D oral sprays.
	Suitable marker for retina morphology across species Outer retinal band (ORB) integrity and outer retinal thickness as they appear on OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) have been studied extensively due to their diagnostic value. They are predictive of visual outcome in many retinal diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, or retinal degeneration. Despite the common use of various animal species in preclinical ophthalmic research involving OCT, no consensus exists regarding the nomenclature of ORBs as imaged by OCT in different species. On the contrary, the identification/nomenclature of ORB and the definition of the retinal/choroidal junction on OCT in various species in the scientific literature are contradictory.
	High numbers of young people experimenting with gambling, study shows Two fifths (41 percent) of young people aged 11 to 16 report having engaged in gambling in the past year, a study shows.
	Most genetic studies use only white participants – this will lead to greater health inequality Few areas of science have seen such a dramatic development in the last decade as genomics. It is now possible to read the genomes of millions of people in so-called genome-wide association studies. These studies have identified thousands of small differences in our genome that are linked to diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and mental health.
	Some people benefit from being naturally mentally tough, but it can be taught to those who aren't The saying that "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is simplistic, disingenuous, and potentially destructive. While it's true that some who experience horrible events are stronger for surviving them, this is probably only true if they were strong to begin with. In the face of horrible events, others are more likely to be traumatized and suffer for years or decades after.
	No difference in suicide rates between refugees and migrants Refugees who fled to Sweden were no more likely to die by suicide than migrants who moved to the country on their own terms, according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and UCL in the U.K. However, the risk of suicide for both groups increased the longer they stayed in Sweden and was after 20 years almost on par with that of the native population. The study is published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
	Cell family trees tracked to discover their role in tissue scarring and liver disease Researchers have discovered that a key cell type involved in liver injury and cancer consists of two cellular families with different origins and functions.
	Telescope technology used to take first accurate images of glaucoma-related eye structure Using methods originally developed by astronomers to view stars more clearly through Earth's atmosphere, optometry researchers at Indiana University have taken the first undistorted microscopic images of a part of the eye involved in glaucoma.
	Gene mutation in the chloride channel triggers hyperaldosteronism Hyperaldosteronism is a disease primarily affecting the adrenal glands that leads to high blood pressure due to overproduction of the hormone aldosterone and that may also damage the kidneys. It has only recently emerged that several patients with this condition harbor a mutation in the gene for the ClC-2 chloride channel. Researchers from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) in Berlin now generated a new in-vivo mouse model to show how mutations in this channel cause the disease. In addition to deciphering the disease mechanism step by step, the researchers have paved the way for further research into the complex clinical picture. Their results have just been published in the journal Nature Communications.
	Researchers decipher assembly of glutamate receptors and its importance for memory formation Rapid communication of neurons in the brain, as well as the ability to learn, fundamentally rely on neurotransmitter receptors located in the contact sites of neurons, the synapses. The most important receptors in the mammalian brain are glutamate receptors of the AMPA-type (AMPAR) that generate the electrical signal required for fast communication between neurons. The number of AMPARs is modulated by the degree of a synapse's activity: As it learns, the number of AMPARs increases, thus making synaptic signal transduction more reliable and driving synaptic plasticity that promotes memory formation. Fundamental requirement for this synaptic plasticity is the efficient assembly of AMPARs from different protein subunits in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of nerve cells, for which little or no information has been available so far.
	How babies integrate new events into their knowledge Babies seek to understand the world around them and learn many new things every day. Unexpected events—for example when a ball falls through a table—provide researchers with the unique opportunity to understand infants' learning processes. What happens in their brains as they learn and integrate new information? Miriam Langeloh from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Moritz Köster from the Freie Universität Berlin, and Stefanie Höhl from the University of Vienna address that question in a new study with nine-month-old babies.
	Six components of healthy family meals Turning the TV off, taking time to eat, not arguing at the table: Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the University of Mannheim have evaluated studies examining the quality of family meals. Their findings can serve as guidelines for parents and guardians wanting to help their children establish healthy eating habits.
	Drug reduces risk of pneumonia in newborn mice The underdeveloped lungs and immune systems of premature babies put them at high risk of potentially deadly pneumonia. Now, a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found, in mice, that an inhaled drug promotes the development of lung immunity and reduces the risk of pneumonia.
	Are you eating more calories than you think? (HealthDay)—You've worked hard to curb mindless eating by not watching TV with a bag of chips in your lap, and you log everything you do eat in your smartphone app. But you could still be taking in more calories than you realize.
	Happy spouse, healthy you (HealthDay)—Many studies have shown that a stable and happy marriage is good for the health of both partners, increasing longevity. But did you know that there's also a link between one spouse's happiness and the health of the other?
	Repeated febrile convulsions linked to epilepsy and psychiatric disorders The risk of febrile convulsions increases with a child's fever, and approximately four per cent of Danish children suffer from febrile convulsions. A study from the Danish National Centre for Register-based Research and the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital now shows an association between repeated febrile convulsions and the risk of epilepsy and psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression.
	New window into brain cell communication debuts The Allen Institute today released its first—and the world's largest—dataset of electrical brain activity gathered using Neuropixels, a new high-resolution silicon probe that can read out activity from hundreds of neurons simultaneously. These data capture billions of lightning-fast spikes of electrical communication sparked from nearly 100,000 neurons as laboratory mice see and respond to images and short movies.
	Using AI to screen for diabetic eye disease feasible in the real world New research shows that an automated, artificial intelligence (AI) screening system accurately detects diabetic retinopathy 95.5 percent of the time. The system doesn't require the input of an expert ophthalmologist and it can provide a reading in 60 seconds, making real-time screening possible for primary care practices and diabetes centers. Accurate, automated screening is an important development for millions of patients living with diabetes who need to be screened yearly for vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy. The researchers present their study today at AAO 2019, the 123rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Women get half the number of heart attack treatments as men Women receive poorer heart attack treatment than men, even when rates of diagnosis are the same, according to new research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Predicting Ebola outbreaks by understanding how ecosystems influence human health The next Ebola outbreak could be predicted using a new UCL-developed model that tracks how changes to ecosystems and human societies combine to affect the spread of the deadly infectious disease.
	Subunit contribution to NMDA receptor hypofunction, redox sensitivity of hippocampal synaptic transmission during aging Researchers examined the contribution of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits in the redox-mediated decline in NMDAR function during aging.
	Study suggests a protein could play key role in neurodegenerative diseases Research led by Queen Mary University of London and the University of Seville around one protein's role in regulating brain inflammation could improve our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.
	Doctor uses virtual reality to accelerate availability of new treatment A UVA Health interventional radiologist has harnessed the power of virtual reality to increase the availability of a less-invasive treatment option for thyroid patients.
	New study debunks myth that only children are more narcissistic than kids with siblings The stereotype for only children is that they are selfish, or more self-centered than those with siblings. This stereotype is sometimes used as an argument for having more than one child, but researchers from Germany find there's no evidence for the claim that only children are more narcissistic than children with siblings.
	Drug discovery platform may provide new options for treating mental health illnesses An estimated 46.6 million U.S. adults struggle with mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. About half of millennials and 75% of Gen-Zers report having quit jobs for mental health reasons.
	New class of drugs could stop cancers developing treatment resistance Scientists at Massey University in New Zealand have taken the first step towards a new class of drug that could stop cancer from becoming resistant to treatment. Treatment resistance is a serious problem to the successful treatment of cancer patients because it leads to cancer returning and becoming harder to treat.
	To reduce gun violence, lift roadblocks to firearm data While gun violence in America kills more than 35,000 people a year and as calls for policies to stem the crisis grow, University of Washington researchers point out in a new analysis that barriers to data stand in the way of advancing solutions.
Global trial is first clear evidence that widely available drug reduces head injury deaths A low cost and widely available drug could reduce deaths in traumatic brain injury patients by as much as 20%, depending on the severity of injury, according to a major study published in The Lancet. The researchers say that tranexamic acid (TXA), a drug that prevents bleeding into the brain by inhibiting blood clot breakdown, has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives.
	Drug-light combo could offer control over CAR T-cell therapy Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego are a step closer to making CAR T-cell therapy safer, more precise and easy to control. They developed a system that allows them to select where and when CAR T cells get turned on so that they destroy cancer cells without harming normal cells.
	Monkeys can also thank their body for vocal development, not only their brain Normally we think about the brain as an all-controlling organ that guides the development of all bodily organs and functions. But according to the authors of a new paper in Nature Communications, this is not solely the case.
	New study may have the reason why heart medication gives muscle pain A study from McMaster University has found a potential mechanism explaining why some people who take drugs to lower their cholesterol develop sore, aching muscles.
	Sleep apnea treatment associated with lower health care costs Treating patients with moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is associated with reduced acute care visits and health care expenditures, according to a recent study.
	Team finds PTSD nearly doubles infection risk First-of-its-kind study finds people with PTSD were 1.8 times as likely to have any infection as those without PTSD, ranging from being 1.3 times as likely to have meningitis, to 1.7 times as likely to have influenza, to 2.7 times as likely to have viral hepatitis.
	Mindfulness meditation training alters how we process fearful memories Participating in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program appears to alter how the brain processes fear memories. In a study that will appear in the November 1st print issue of Biological Psychiatry, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that mindfulness meditation appears to help extinguish fearful associations.
	Acceptance and commitment therapy may ease fear of recurrence in cancer survivors Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) shows promise for treating fear of cancer recurrence in women who have survived breast cancer. The first of its kind study by researchers from Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University, Butler University and West Virginia University School of Medicine, published in Cancer, found that cancer survivors who received ACT showed significantly larger improvements when compared to the other treatment approaches in the study.
	Glowing particles in the blood may help diagnose and monitor brain cancer A chemical that has improved surgeries for brain cancer by making tumor cells fluorescent may also help doctors safely diagnose the disease and monitor its response to treatment, according to a new study led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
	AI could offer warnings about serious side effects of drug-drug interactions The more medications a patient takes, the greater the likelihood that interactions between those drugs could trigger negative side effects, including long-term organ damage and even death. Now, researchers at Penn State have developed a machine learning system that may be able to warn doctors and patients about possible negative side effects that might occur when drugs are mixed.
	Improving research with more effective antibodies A new study points to the need for better antibody validation, and outlines a process that other labs can use to make sure the antibodies they work with function properly.
	Ancestry launches DNA health service that will compete with 23andMe Ancestry has long appealed to people eager to learn about their family roots. Now the company known for its popular DNA kits is diving into a new area of discovery—health.
	Nonsurgical treatment options effective for sinus issues For sufferers of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), surgery is often the only treatment option due to the severity of their condition.
	CDC releases clinical guidance on e-cigarette lung injury (HealthDay)—In an early-release Oct. 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC presents interim guidance to help clinicians assess, evaluate, manage, and follow patients with electronic cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI).
	Black patients with diabetes have higher 30-day readmission rates (HealthDay)—Black patients with diabetes have a significantly higher risk for 30-day readmission compared with other racial/ethnic groups, according to a study published online Oct. 11 in JAMA Network Open.
	Study compares anticoagulants for antiphospholipid syndrome (HealthDay)—In thrombotic antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), rivaroxaban is not noninferior to dose-adjusted vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), according to a study published online Oct. 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Bipolar disorder may increase risk for developing Parkinson disease (HealthDay)—Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) seem to have an increased risk for developing Parkinson disease (PD), according to a review published online Oct. 14 in JAMA Neurology.
	2009-2015 saw breastfeeding up for most races/ethnicities (HealthDay)—From 2009 to 2015, there was improvement in breastfeeding rates in most race/ethnicity groups, although disparities between black and white infants widened, according to a study published online Oct. 14 in JAMA Pediatrics.
	Good news, bad news on concussions in high school sports (HealthDay)—New research on concussions reports mixed news for kids playing high school sports.
	The road to better exercise might be in your playlist Music may be just what you need to stick with an exercise program—and picking the right tunes could even improve performance.
	Reconstructive surgery international trips are cost effective and sustainable (HealthDay)—International trips for specialty plastic surgeries can be cost-effective or very cost-effective for several conditions, according to a study published in the September issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
	Likelihood of transplant lower at profit-driven dialysis facilities (HealthDay)—Patients with end-stage kidney disease who undergo dialysis at for-profit institutions are less likely to receive a kidney transplant, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	Pulmonary embolism risk elevated for more than six weeks postop (HealthDay)—The postoperative risk for pulmonary embolism extends more than six weeks for six types of surgery, according to a study published online Oct. 9 in JAMA Surgery.
	CMAJ practice article: E-cigarettes: Five things to know A practice article about e-cigarettes provides a quick reference on the use of these electronic nicotine delivery systems published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal):
	Scientists aim for new weapons in fight against superbugs New weapons are needed to fight drug-resistant bacteria, one of the biggest threats to global health. By working on new antibiotics or finding ways to revive existing ones in our medical arsenal, scientists aim to avoid a return to a world where even everyday infections may mean death.
	Bioelectronic implant could prevent opioid deaths Researchers are developing a novel, implantable device that can sense the effects of a potentially fatal level of ingested opioids and then automatically and immediately deliver a life-saving dose of naloxone.
	New findings about how a human egg matures may help prevent infertility and birth defects Decoding how the human egg matures and how this process can go wrong could lead to ways of preventing genetic errors leading to infertility, birth defects or pregnancy loss.
	France OKs bill legalizing IVF for lesbians, single women (Update) France's lower house of parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill that aims to give single women and lesbian couples legal access to in vitro fertilization, egg freezing and fertility medication.
	Mayo Clinic Minute: What is molecular breast imaging and who needs it? Mammography screening for breast cancer saves lives. But another test may be better for women with dense breasts. Dr. Deborah Rhodes, an internal medicine specialist from the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic, says that data from a study being done at Mayo Clinic and other centers across the country suggest that molecular breast imaging may also be better than 3-D mammography.
	How to enable light to switch on and off therapeutic antibodies When antigens such as a virus or bacteria invade our body, the immune system springs into action: it creates antibodies that stick to the antigens so that they can identify and destroy the intruders. Did you know that these Y-shaped proteins, AKA antibodies, have been revolutionizing the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disease and autoimmune disease, and many others?
	New approach to slowing nearsightedness in children shows promise Combining two different treatment methods to slow the progression of myopia may deliver better results than either can achieve on their own. A new, two-year study shows that treating children with eye drops and contact lenses was 28 percent to 38 percent more effective in slowing myopia. The researchers present their results today at AAO 2019, the 123rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
	Both Democrat and Republican likely voters strongly support sex education in schools Democrats and Republicans disagree on many policies but not on sex education for teenagers, a Rutgers-led national survey finds.
	Detection of tyrosine kinase inhibitors-induced COX-2 expression in bladder cancer by fluorocoxib A Cyclooxygenase-2 is overexpressed in bladder cancer cells, making it an attractive molecular target for the detection and treatment of cancer.
	The Physiological Society urges government step change to meet its own Ageing Society target The UK government is at risk of missing its target to increase healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035, according to a new report, "Growing Older, Better," published by The Physiological Society on Tuesday 15 October.
	'I predict your words': That is how we understand what others say to us We are at a fun but noisy party: how can we understand the words someone is saying to us despite the background music and voices? Thanks to the hard work of our brain and a special trick, it is capable of using: "predicting" the words that are said. Based on the first sounds that arrive at it directly, the brain makes a prediction, "suggesting" a solution. On this, a new study by SISSA, in association with the universities of Liverpool and Cambridge, has just been published in the journal eNeuro.
	Judge blocks Michigan's ban on flavored e-cigarettes A Michigan judge on Tuesday blocked the state's weeks-old ban on flavored e-cigarettes, citing evidence that adults could return to smoking more harmful than tobacco products.
	Frailty: The rising global health burden for an aging society Despite the evidence on risk factors for frailty, and the substantial progress that has been made in frailty awareness, the biological mechanisms underlying its development are still far from understood and translation from research to clinical practice remains a challenge, according to a new series on Frailty just published by The Lancet.

Biology news

	Last year's extreme snowfall wiped out breeding of Arctic animals and plants In 2018, vast amounts of snow were spread across most of the Arctic region and did not melt fully until late summer, if at all. Publishing on October 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, researchers documented the consequences of this extreme weather event at Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland by extensively monitoring all components of the local ecosystem for more than 20 years, allowing them to compare life in the extreme year of 2018 to other, more "normal," years.
	The lunar cycle drives the nightjar's migration GPS tracking data reveals that the foraging activity of the European nightjar more than doubles during moon-lit nights, and the birds then migrate simultaneously about 10 days after the full moon, according to a study published October 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Gabriel Norevik and Anders Hedenström of Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues.
	Traffic noise affects normal stress reactions in zebra finches and delays offspring growth Noise pollution is one of the leading environmental health risks in humans. In zebra finches, noise affects their health and the growth of their offspring: Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen found that traffic noise suppresses normal glucocorticoid profiles in the blood, probably to prevent negative effects of chronically elevated levels on the organism. In addition, the young chicks of noise-exposed parents were smaller than chicks from quiet nests.
	Mussels harbor strains of bacteria in their gills, keeping them prepared for environmental changes Deep-sea mussels, which rely on cooperative symbiotic bacteria for their food, harbor a surprisingly high diversity of these bacterial "cooks": Up to 16 different bacterial strains live in the mussel's gills, each with its own abilities and strengths. Thanks to this diversity of symbiotic bacterial partners, the mussel is prepared for all eventualities. The mussel bundles up an all-round carefree package.
	Insect or virus? How plants know Most plants have plenty of enemies, from insects and other grazing creatures to various diseases, droughts and many other stressors.
	Mitochondria work much like Tesla battery packs, study finds For years, scientists assumed that mitochondria—the energy-generating centers of living cells—worked much like household batteries, generating energy from a chemical reaction inside a single chamber or cell. Now, UCLA researchers have shown that mitochondria are instead made up of many individual bioelectric units that generate energy in an array, similar to a Tesla electric car battery that packs thousands of battery cells to manage energy safely and provide fast access to very high current.
	Synthetic cells make long-distance calls The search for effective biological tools is a marathon, not a sprint, even when the distances are on the microscale. A discovery at Rice University on how engineered communities of cells communicate is a long step in the right direction.
	Changes in the brain occurred independently of braincase evolution The human brain is about three times the size of the brains of great apes. This has to do, among other things, with the evolution of novel brain structures that enabled complex behaviors such as language and tool production. A study by anthropologists at the University of Zurich now shows that changes in the brain occurred independent of evolutionary rearrangements of the braincase.
	New study on human-clam relationships informs modern marine resource management A new study on the long-term relationship between humans and clams in B.C."s Salish Sea is helping to inform modern marine resource management.
	Achieving a safe and just future for the ocean economy The economic potential of the oceans is expected to double from US$1.5 trillion in 2010 to US$3 trillion by 2030. Yet managing this growth should be undertaken in a safe and just manner caution a team of international researchers.
	Monkeys outperform humans when it comes to cognitive flexibility, study finds When it comes to being willing to explore more efficient options to solving a problem, monkeys exhibit more cognitive flexibility than humans, according to a study by Georgia State University psychology researchers.
	Researchers solve puzzle about link between genetic mutations, mating in fruit flies More than a century ago, early geneticists showed that the inheritance of a single mutation by fruit flies can change the insect's body color and simultaneously disrupt its mating behavior.
	Did early mammals turn to night life to protect their sperm? Humans are diurnal—we are active in the day and sleep at night. But diurnalism is by far the exception rather the rule in mammals. About 250-230 million years ago, the mammalian ancestors, called the therapsids, became exclusively nocturnal, and stayed so until the demise of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. All of our mammal ancestors lived in the dark for about 200 years, and the majority still do to this day. Humans are, essentially, nocturnal animals that have reverted back to living in the sun.
	Study 'cures' oldest case of deafness in human evolution An international team of researchers including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has published a new study examining a 430,000-year-old cranium of a human ancestor that was previously described as deaf, representing the oldest case of deafness in human prehistory.
	Tiny droplets allow bacteria to survive daytime dryness on leaves Microscopic droplets on the surface of leaves give refuge to bacteria that otherwise may not survive during the dry daytime, according to a new study published today in eLife.
	How status sticks to genes Those at the bottom of the social ladder are known to live shorter and sicker lives than those at the top. And the stress of life at the bottom may have long-term health effects that even upward mobility can't undo, according to new research in monkeys.
	Piranha fish swap old teeth for new simultaneously Piranha fish have a powerful bite. Their teeth help them shred through the flesh of their prey or even scrape plants off rocks to supplement their diet.
	Startled fish escape using several distinct neuronal circuits A fast knee-jerk "ballistic" escape response and a more considered "delayed" escape response are mediated by distinct and parallel neuronal pathways in zebrafish, according to a study published October 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Harold Burgess of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and colleagues.
	Rare 'itinerant breeding' behavior revealed in California bird Reproduction and migration are the two most demanding tasks in a bird's life, and the vast majority of species separate them into different times of the year. Only two bird species have been shown to undertake what scientists call "itinerant breeding": nesting in one area, migrating to another region, and nesting again there within the same year, to take advantage of shifting food resources. New research just published in The Auk: Ornithological Advances provides strong evidence that a third bird species takes on this unusual challenge—the Phainopepla, a unique bird found in the southwestern U.S. and the northernmost member of an otherwise tropical family.
	US owl-killing experiment raises thorny questions As he stood amid the thick old-growth forests in the coastal range of Oregon, Dave Wiens was nervous. Before he trained to shoot his first barred owl, he had never fired a gun.
	Taming the wild cheese fungus The flavors of fermented foods are heavily shaped by the fungi that grow on them, but the evolutionary origins of those fungi aren't well understood. Experimental findings published this week in mBio offer microbiologists a new view on how those molds evolve from wild strains into the domesticated ones used in food production.
	Animal Study Registry could improve data quality and reduce wasted lives The irreproducibility of preclinical data is impeding scientific progress and the development of effective new medical therapies. The Animal Study Registry was launched in January 2019 as a response to the reproducibility crisis and the scientific community's quest for greater transparency in animal research in order to enhance both the knowledge gained from animal studies and the reproducibility of results. The same calls that led to the pre-registration of clinical trials led to the Animal Study Registry, which pre-registers and documents details of animal studies. This free registry was designed for exploratory and confirmatory studies within applied science as well as basic and preclinical research to increase the transparency and reproducibility of bioscience research and to promote animal welfare.
	EU cuts 2020 cod quotas for the Baltic EU quotas for cod in the Baltic will be cut next year to try to shore up dangerously dwindling stocks, according to an agreement by fishing ministers published Tuesday.
	What does the future of plastic look like? Plastic waste is a growing problem around the world, despite efforts to recycle or reduce plastic use. In order to really transform the recycling process, more attention needs to be paid to the composition of plastic, according to a new research article from Lund University in Sweden. The paper presents strategies on how to improve recyclability through the smarter design of polymers—and how biobased polymers could shift to carbon neutral alternatives.
	Researchers develop tool to incorporate social, cultural concerns in resource management For years, fisheries managers have struggled to find a delicate balance between competing financial and ecological needs. Now, a team of researchers led by a Florida State University faculty member is working toward integrating a third factor—the social and cultural needs of different groups of people.
	Animals are disappearing from forests, with grave consequences for the fight against climate breakdown – new research It's tempting to think that our forests would be fine if we could simply stop trees being felled or burnt. But forests—particularly tropical ones—are more than just trees. They're also the animals that skulk and swoop among them.
	Wily tuberculosis bacteria can vary its diet to infect you longer Worldwide, approximately one in four people is infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and while overall New Zealand has relatively low rates of TB, Māori and Pacific people are eight times more likely to be affected than Pākehā.
	Tasmanian little penguin study casts light on foraging behavior A study of little penguins in southeastern Tasmania has shed light on how the marine predators adapt to subtle changes in environmental conditions to find food.
	New study shows coral reef fish do not mind 3-D-printed corals Natural disasters such as hurricanes often leave devastation in their wake. Residents living in affected areas are sometimes displaced or require temporary shelter while their homes—or even neighborhoods—are repaired or rebuilt.
	Peeping into the black box of AI to discover how collective behaviors emerge How do the stunningly intricate patterns created by schools of fish emerge? For many scientists, this question presents an irresistible mathematical puzzle involving a substantial number of variables describing the relative speed and position of each individual fish and its many neighbors.
	AAV vector integration into CRISPR-induced DNA breaks To design safe clinical trials, it is crucial to better understand and predict gene editing outcomes in preclinical studies. Bence György and collaborators have shown that adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) can stably integrate into CRISPR-Cas9-induced double-strand breaks, in up to almost half of the therapeutically targeted cells, in vitro and in vivo in mice. The team also showed that CRISPR did not cause an increase in genome-wide integration of AAV, but only at the CRISPR-cut site.
	Understanding how human cell types develop, vary between individuals, and fail in disease We are in the midst of a fascinating journey to understand the cellular phenotypes that compose human bodies and how the human genome is used to build and maintain each cell. "To catalog our human cell types, to understand how they develop, how they vary between individuals, and how they fail in disease can revolutionize the effort to understand human cell phenotypes," says Gray Camp, Head of the Human Retina and Organoid Development Group at IOB, and co-author of a review in Science.
	Researchers release a new genome sequence of the date palm Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi's Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (NYUAD CGSB) and the UAEU Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (KCGEB), working with other institutions, have developed an improved assembly of the genome for the date palm using long-read sequencing technology. This improvement over the current versions of the genome will help advance further research, and also inform the propagation practices of this essential MENA region food source.
	Protein that triggers plant defences to light stress identified A newly discovered protein turns on plants' cellular defence to excessive light and other stress factors caused by a changing climate, according to a new study published in eLife.
	Natural loss of foot muscle in rodents shares mechanisms often associated with disease and injury New insight on how the natural loss of foot muscles occurred in rodents and other species during their evolution has been published today in the open-access journal eLife.
	Two new porcelain crab species discovered Two new porcelain crab species have been described in the ZooKeys journal by scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the Institut fur Tierokologie und Spezielle Zoologie der Justus-Liebig-Universitat Giessen. One of the new species, Polyonyx socialis, was discovered in the South China Sea of Vietnam. The other, Petrolisthes virgilius, has a new identity, after initially being taken for a similar-looking species—Petrolisthes tonsorius—four decades ago in the Colombian Caribbean.
	Four-metre king cobra wrestled from sewer in Thailand A feisty four-metre (13-foot) king cobra was pulled from a sewer in southern Thailand in an hour-long operation, a rescue foundation said Tuesday, describing the reptile as one of the largest they had ever captured.
	Method to protect carp from the harmful effects of ammonia Veterinarians from RUDN University have developed a way to increase the resistance of carp, the most common fish in fish farms, to the harmful effects of ammonia, which is found in almost all water bodies. The researchers found that the amino acid arginine added to fish food can be helpful. The results are published in the journal Aquaculture.
	Tulips from Amsterdam? Not so much says new probe Tourists are being ripped off at Amsterdam's famous flower market, with just one percent of all bulbs sold at the floating bazaar ever producing a blossom, investigators said Tuesday.
	New research to boost global date fruit production Today on World Food Day, a team of Plant Scientists from King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) has begun a major project to improve global date palm production and protection.
	New survey confirms muscadine grapes are affected by parasitic nematodes Native to the Southeastern United States, muscadine grapes are a superfruit. With high levels of resveratrol, phenols and antioxidants, they are known to help fight cardiovascular disease and cancer-causing agents. Muscadines are also favored by small industries making juices, pies, jams, and wine. With combined sales of $5.2 million, these grapes are economically important in Georgia and North Carolina.
Conservationists seek protection of California Joshua trees A conservation organization has petitioned for protection of the western Joshua tree under the California Endangered Species Act due to the effects of climate change and habitat destruction.

---

This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, please unsubscribe here.
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com. You may manage your subscription options from your Science X profile