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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for March 5, 2020:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Organic molecules discovered by Curiosity Rover consistent with early life on Mars: studyOrganic compounds called thiophenes are found on Earth in coal, crude oil and oddly enough, in white truffles, the mushroom beloved by epicureans and wild pigs. |
 | Research investigates internal kinematics of the galaxy Mkn 938Using the 6-meter telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SAO RAS), astronomers have conducted a detailed study of the central part of the galaxy Mkn 938. Results of the research shed more light on internal kinematics of this galaxy. The study was presented in a paper published February 25 on the arXiv pre-print server. |
 | OSIRIS-REx swoops over sample site NightingaleNASA's first asteroid-sampling spacecraft just got its best look yet at asteroid Bennu. Yesterday, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft executed a very low pass over sample site Nightingale, taking observations from an altitude of 820 feet (250 m), which is the closest that OSIRIS-REx has flown over the asteroid so far. Nightingale, OSIRIS-REx's primary sample collection site, is located within a crater in Bennu's northern hemisphere. |
 | ALMA spots metamorphosing aged starAn international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) captured the very moment when an old star first starts to alter its environment. The star has ejected high-speed bipolar gas jets which are now colliding with the surrounding material; the age of the observed jet is estimated to be less than 60 years. These are key features to understand how the complex shapes of planetary nebulae are formed. |
 | Study reveals life in the universe could be common, but not in our neighborhoodTo help answer one of the great existential questions—how did life begin?—a new study combines biological and cosmological models. Professor Tomonori Totani from the Department of Astronomy looked at how life's building blocks could spontaneously form in the universe—a process known as abiogenesis. |
 | Meet Perseverance: Mars rover gets name ahead of July launchNASA's next Mars rover finally has a name. Perseverance, a six-wheeled robotic explorer, will blast off this summer to collect Martian samples for eventual return to Earth. |
 | Voyager 2 unable to receive commands during NASA's 70-meter-wide radio antenna upgradesStarting in early March, NASA's Voyager 2 will quietly coast through interstellar space without receiving commands from Earth. That's because the Voyager's primary means of communication, the Deep Space Network's 70-meter-wide (230-feet-wide) radio antenna in Canberra, Australia, will be undergoing critical upgrades for about 11 months. During this time, the Voyager team will still be able to receive science data from Voyager 2 on its mission to explore the outermost edge of the Sun's domain and beyond. |
 | New ESO study evaluates impact of satellite constellations on astronomical observationsAstronomers have recently raised concerns about the impact of satellite mega-constellations on scientific research. To better understand the effect these constellations could have on astronomical observations, ESO commissioned a scientific study of their impact, focusing on observations with ESO telescopes in the visible and infrared but also considering other observatories. The study, which considers a total of 18 representative satellite constellations under development by SpaceX, Amazon, OneWeb and others, together amounting to over 26 thousand satellites, has now been accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. |
Technology news
 | Computer model of face processing could reveal how the brain produces richly detailed visual representations so quicklyWhen we open our eyes, we immediately see our surroundings in great detail. How the brain is able to form these richly detailed representations of the world so quickly is one of the biggest unsolved puzzles in the study of vision. |
 | Researchers one step closer to creating organic batteriesYork University researchers have discovered a way to make Lithium-powered batteries more environmentally friendly while retaining performance, stability and storage capacity. |
 | Robots on the march to walking like humansA psychological theory could kickstart improvements in the way robots are able to walk, thanks to a University of Manchester study. |
 | Google Assistant to read web pages aloud on some devices"Hey Google, read this page." |
 | In-sensor computing to speed up machine visionBy applying in-sensor computing of analog data, a team of researchers at Vienna University of Technology's Institute of Photonics has developed a way to speed up machine vision. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes their design and how well it performed during testing. Yang Chai with Hong Kong Polytechnic University has published a News & Views piece in the same journal issue describing the work by the team. |
 | Goodyear's biodegradable concept tire regenerates its treadGoodyear recently unveiled a tire concept that could revolutionize the auto industry. Dubbed reCharge, this concept tire would never require replacements or rotations because it regenerates its tread as needed. |
 | The Moral Machine reexamined: Forced-choice testing does not reveal true wishesA pair of researchers at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is challenging the findings of the team that published a paper called "The Moral Machine experiment" two years ago. Yochanan Bigman and Kurt Gray claim the results of the experiment were flawed because they did not allow test-takers the option of choosing to treat potential victims equally. |
 | Layered solar cell technology boosts efficiency, affordabilityThe future's getting brighter for solar power. Researchers from CU Boulder have created a low-cost solar cell with one of the highest power-conversion efficiencies to date, by layering cells and using a unique combination of elements. |
 | Cathay Pacific fined by UK watchdog over massive data breachHong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific has been fined HK$5 million by Britain's privacy watchdog over a huge data leak of more than nine million customers including passport numbers and credit card details. |
 | Facebook spies on us but not by recording our calls. Here's how the social network knows everythingIt's a given that Facebook is listening in on our conversations, right? |
 | New approach to sustainable building takes shape in BostonA new building about to take shape in Boston's Roxbury area could, its designers hope, herald a new way of building residential structures in cities. |
 | With a speaker and four microphones, drones can echolocate like batsSimilarly to how bats use echolocation to orient themselves with their surroundings, mathematicians have found that the same can be done with microphones and a speaker on a drone with the help of algebra and geometry. |
 | Study: Modern electric grid needs smarter modeling for improved resiliencePower systems and communication networks are increasingly interdependent, which can affect the response and recovery times when problems occur. |
 | More wind, less hot airPredictions about how much wind power will be in place by the year 2040 have been too conservative according to research published in the International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy. |
 | World's smelliest fruit could charge your mobile phoneImagine if we could use naturally-grown products, like plants and fruit, to store electricity that charges commonly used electronics like mobile phones, tablets, laptops or even electric cars? |
 | FDA says pacemakers, glucose monitors and other devices could be vulnerable to hackersFederal agencies warned patients and manufacturers Tuesday that a recently discovered problem with Bluetooth Low Energy communications may allow computer hackers to remotely disable or access pacemakers, glucose monitors, ultrasound devices and other medical systems. |
 | The unfoldable bridgeThere are many different methods for erecting bridges—but the new technique developed by TU Wien, the balanced lowering method, is quite spectacular: the bridge is not built horizontally, as would normally be case, but erected in a vertical position and then rotated into the horizontal position. The first large scale tests were carried out in 2010; since then, the method has been refined and tuned until finally finding its first application by the ASFINAG for two bridges of the Fürstenfeld Motorway S7. With the erection process successfully completed for the Lahnbach Bridge, the 116 m long bridge over the Lafnitz was "unfolded" on the 27th of February 2020. With no scaffolding needed, this new bridge construction method not only saves time but also money and resources. |
 | Discovery of accurate and far more efficient algorithm for point set registration problemsA point set registration problem is a task using two shapes, each consisting of a set of points, to estimate the relationship of individual points between the two shapes. Here, a "shape" is like a human body or face, which is similar to another body or face but exhibits morphological diversity. Taking the face as an example: the center position of the pupil of an eye varies depending on individuals but can be thought to have a correspondence with that of another person. Such a correspondence can be estimated by gradually deforming one shape to be superimposable on the other. Estimation of the correspondence of a point on one shape to a point on another is the point set registration problem. Since the number of points of one shape could be millions, estimation of correspondence is calculated by a computer. Nonetheless, up to now, even when the fastest conventional method was used, it took a lot of time for calculation for registration of ca. 100,000 points. Thus, algorithms that could find a solution far faster without affecting accuracy have been sought. Furthermore, preliminary registration before automated estimation was a prerequisite for the conventional calculation method, so algorithms that do not need preliminary registration are desirable. |
 | Drones can now scan terrain and excavations without human interventionDrone pilots may become superfluous in the future. New research from Aarhus University has allowed artificial intelligence to take over control of drones scanning and measuring terrain. |
 | Twitter CEO Dorsey to 'reconsider' Africa plansTwitter chief executive Jack Dorsey said Thursday he is rethinking plans to spend as long as six months in Africa, partly due to concerns over the new-coronavirus epidemic. |
 | 'Written in blood': bereaved engineer calls for reform after MAX deathsAfter his sister died in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX one year ago, Javier de Luis, an engineer who once designed software for space stations, became a crusader. |
 | Whither Boeing? Tough times persist one year after crashOne year after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX that killed 157 people and triggered the worst crisis in Boeing's history, the aviation giant is at a crossroads. |
 | Los Angeles port, country's biggest, hit hard by coronavirusThe Port of Los Angeles, the biggest in the United States, has been significantly impacted by the new coronavirus outbreak and is forecasting a 15 to 17 percent drop in activity in the first quarter of the year, officials said Wednesday. |
 | US lawmakers told of security risks from China-owned TikTokUS officials on Wednesday stepped up warnings about the potential security risks from the fast-growing, Chinese-owned TikTok as a lawmaker unveiled legislation to ban the social media app from government devices. |
 | Industry group: Virus outbreak could cost airlines $113BThe International Air Transport Association says the virus outbreak that began in China could cost airlines as much as $113 billion in lost revenue due to the collapse of air travel. |
 | Struggling Abu Dhabi's Etihad posts fourth year of lossesAbu Dhabi's struggling carrier Etihad on Thursday posted a $870 million loss for 2019, its fourth year in the red, and said its restructuring plan still has "some way to go". |
 | Google cancels major I/O developer conference amid COVID-19 concernsThe coronavirus has claimed yet another major tech conference. |
 | Self-driving car trajectory tracking gets closer to human-driver idealHave you taken an Uber ride and disagreed with the "fastest" route that the GPS app suggested because you—or the driver—know a "better" way? |
TAP Air Portugal cancels 1,000 flightsPortugese airline TAP said Thursday it would cut roughly 1,000 flights in March and April as it seeks to adjust to a drop in demand due to the spread of the new coronavirus. | |
 | Team develops new laser defense system against autonomous dronesA Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researcher has developed a laser-based defense system to defend against the next generation of autonomous attack drones in a wide range of homeland security settings. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Third-hand smoke is no joke, can convey hazardous chemicalsPeople can carry hazardous compounds from cigarette smoke that cling to their bodies and clothes and then release those compounds into non-smoking environments—exposing people nearby to cigarettes' adverse effects, a new study shows. |
 | Study shows low carb diet may prevent, reverse age-related effects within the brainA study using neuroimaging led by Stony Brook University professor and lead author Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, Ph.D., and published in PNAS, reveals that neurobiological changes associated with aging can be seen at a much younger age than would be expected, in the late 40s. However, the study also suggests that this process may be prevented or reversed based on dietary changes that involve minimizing the consumption of simple carbohydrates. |
 | Researchers discover a new diet-associated gut-microbe metabolite linked to cardiovascular diseaseCleveland Clinic researchers have identified a gut microbe generated byproduct—phenylacetylglutamine (PAG) - that is linked to development of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke and death. The study was published in Cell today. |
 | The harmful effects of stress during pregnancy can last a lifetime, study in mice findsMice exposed to stress in the womb and soon after birth can expect a lifetime of immune system deficiencies that hinder the ability to ward off infections and cancer, Yale University researchers report March 5 in the journal Cell. |
 | Drug that keeps surface receptors on cancer cells makes them more visible to immune cellsA drug that is already clinically available for the treatment of nausea and psychosis, called prochlorperazine (PCZ), inhibits the internalization of receptors on the surface of tumor cells, thereby increasing the ability of anticancer antibodies to bind to the receptors and mount more effective immune responses. PCZ enhanced the ability of anticancer antibodies to reduce tumor growth in mice, by temporarily increasing the clustering of a receptor targeted by anticancer antibodies on the surface of tumor cells. Temporary treatment of cancer patients with PCZ similarly resulted in receptor clustering on tumor cells inside of patients. The work appears March 5 in the journal Cell. |
 | Genetic study offers comprehensive and diverse view of recent US population historyResearchers have assembled one of the most comprehensive studies of population genetics ever conducted in the United States, bringing together large-scale genetics data from more than 32,000 participants in the National Geographic Genographic Project. This new view on the US, appearing March 5 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, reveals a remarkable degree of complexity. Beyond offering an intriguing view of the nation's recent history, the findings also have important implications for health and medicine, the researchers say. |
 | New delivery method could transform vaccine distribution to remote, developing areasAccess to vaccines around the world could get easier thanks to scientists in the College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin who have developed an inexpensive and innovative vaccine delivery method that preserves live viruses, bacteria, antibodies and enzymes without refrigeration. |
 | New system will streamline development of tuberculosis vaccinesScientists from James Cook University's Australian Institute of Tropical Health and medicine (AITHM) have developed a system to improve the development of tuberculosis (TB) vaccines. |
 | Study: Learning influenced by visualizing an action just before performing itWe've all heard the saying: "Practice makes perfect." |
 | Understanding how the brain predicts could make treating autism easierOur brains make our lives easier by predicting what will happen next based on previous experiences. But what happens when those predictive powers don't work like they should? |
 | Researchers publish digital atlas of all human brain proteinsAn international team of scientists led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has launched a comprehensive overview of all proteins expressed in the brain, published today in the journal Science. The open-access database offers medical researchers an unprecedented resource to deepen their understanding of neurobiology and develop new, more effective therapies and diagnostics targeting psychiatric and neurological diseases. |
 | Study suggests our brains use distinct firing patterns to store and replay memoriesIn a study of epilepsy patients, researchers at the National Institutes of Health monitored the electrical activity of thousands of individual brain cells, called neurons, as patients took memory tests. They found that the firing patterns of the cells that occurred when patients learned a word pair were replayed fractions of a second before they successfully remembered the pair. The study was part of an NIH Clinical Center trial for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy whose seizures cannot be controlled with drugs. |
 | Connecting interferon, neuroinflammation and synapse loss in Alzheimer's diseaseWhen immunologist Dr. Wei Cao joined Baylor College of Medicine three-and-a-half years ago, her first project was to investigate how inflammation contributes to Alzheimer's disease. |
 | New sleep method strengthens brain's ability to retain memoriesA new joint study by Tel Aviv University (TAU) and Weizmann Institute of Science researchers has yielded an innovative method for bolstering memory processes in the brain during sleep. |
 | Tuberculosis bacteria trigger cough, facilitating spreadThe bacteria that cause the deadly lung disease tuberculosis appear to facilitate their own spread by producing a molecule that triggers cough, a new study led by UTSW researchers shows. The findings, published online March 5, 2020, in Cell, could lead to new ways to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, which is responsible for the death of more than 1.5 million people per year worldwide. |
 | Moderate egg intake not associated with cardiovascular disease risk: studyA new study published by The BMJ today adds to evidence that moderate egg consumption (up to 1 egg per day) is not associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. |
 | Is it time to nationalize the drug industry?Critics of the pharmaceutical industry say it is misaligned with public interest. So is it time to nationalise the sector? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ today. |
 | Science Says: How risky is that virus? Your mind may misleadAnna Alexander, a property manager in Virginia Beach, Virginia, started the day Monday thinking that she might avoid shaking hands because of the coronavirus outbreak. Then somebody stuck out a hand to shake. |
 | Colorectal cancer burden shifting to younger individualsThe burden of colorectal cancer is swiftly shifting to younger individuals as incidence increases in young adults and declines in older age groups, according to the latest edition of Colorectal Cancer Statistics 2020, a publication of the American Cancer Society. A sign of the shift: the median age of diagnosis has dropped from age 72 in the late 1980s to 66 during 2015-2016; in other words, half of all new diagnoses are now in people 66 or younger. |
 | New next-generation sequencing technique dramatically shortens diagnosis of sepsisA report in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, published by Elsevier, describes a new technique that uses real-time next-generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze tiny amounts of microbial cell-free DNA in the plasma of patients with sepsis, offering the possibility of accurate diagnosis of sepsis-causing agents within a few hours of drawing blood. Current diagnostic tests are neither fast nor specific enough to provide timely, critically important information. |
 | App, AI work together to provide rapid at-home assessment of coronavirus riskA coronavirus app coupled with machine intelligence will soon enable an individual to get an at-home risk assessment based on how they feel and where they've been in about a minute, and direct those deemed at risk to the nearest definitive testing facility, investigators say. |
Platinum-based agents not superior to standard chemotherapyCommonly known as the breast cancer genes, the BRCA gene family plays a role in repairing damaged DNA. Inherited mutations in the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 raise the risk of developing breast, ovarian, prostate and other cancers. Led by clinician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), a first-of-its-kind study provided new evidence about the optimal way to treat patients who carry BRCA mutations—also known as BRCA carriers—who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The new data come from the INFORM trial, the results of which appeared in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. | |
Automated CT biomarkers predict cardiovascular events better than current practiceResearchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Wisconsin have demonstrated that using artificial intelligence to analyze CT scans can produce more accurate risk assessment for major cardiovascular events than current, standard methods such as the Framingham risk score (FRS) and body-mass index (BMI). | |
 | Dogs, cats can't pass on coronavirus, but can test positivePet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners. |
 | California virus crisis as cruise ship held, funding deal struckCalifornia declared a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus Wednesday as a cruise ship was held off the coast over fears of a new outbreak. |
 | South Korea virus total reaches 6,000South Korea's total number of novel coronavirus cases—the largest outside China, where the disease first emerged—passed 6,000 on Thursday as authorities announced a ban on face mask exports and other moves to try to ensure broader supply. |
 | Panic buying follows coronavirus across the globeShelves are being stripped bare of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser and surgical masks everywhere from Japan to France to the United States as panic buying criss-crosses the globe with the coronavirus, defying repeated calls for calm and disrupting supply chains. |
 | Wuhan doctor recounts fears and hope at virus frontlineOne month after makeshift hospitals opened to chaos and confusion at the epicentre of China's coronavirus epidemic, frontline doctor Ma Yonggang is finally seeing more empty beds as fewer patients arrive. |
Study finds that Community Treatment Orders do not reduce hospital readmission rates or staysIn the first large, observational study with a control group in England and Wales, research funded by the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre has found that Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) are associated with an increased risk of readmission as well as increased time spent in psychiatric hospitals, contrary to results from previous uncontrolled studies. Researchers suggest that these findings should be considered in future reforms to the UK Mental Health Act. | |
 | Heart attack patients who follow more guidelines live longerPatients who followed more medical advice after a heart attack were more likely to survive years after their heart attack. Their prospects improved with every additional recommendation they followed, according to new research from Kaiser Permanente published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. |
 | World girds for months of trouble as virus pushes westPeople around the world girded for months of disruptions from the new virus Thursday as its unrelenting spread brought ballooning infections, economic fallout and sweeping containment measures. |
 | Researchers question reliability of common autistic personality testPsychologists at the University of Bath, King's College London, and Cardiff have found that a common test used by doctors and researchers to measure autistic personality traits lacks reliability and might not be capturing the right signs of autism. |
 | Lifestyle affects women's life expectancy and quality-of-lifeWomen living in Austria today have a statistical life expectancy of 84 years, so that, on average, they live 4.7 years longer than men. However, when it comes to years of good health, they are on a par with men and the increased prevalence of diabetes will slow down the increase in life expectancy. "Obesity and diabetes are the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the commonest cause of death in women," says gender-medicine expert Alexandra Kautzky-Willer from MedUni Vienna, speaking in anticipation of International Women's Day on 08 March. Moreover, although women live longer than men, they do not necessarily do so with fewer health problems. |
 | Caffeine boosts problem-solving ability but not creativity, study indicatesCaffeine increases the ability to focus and problem solve, but a new study by a University of Arkansas researcher indicates it doesn't stimulate creativity. |
 | Instagram makes it easier to exerciseExercising can be a chore. We know it's good for us, and we may do it, but it's not always fun. |
 | How to keep coronavirus away: 4 questions answered by a public health professionalThe World Health Organization has declared that COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has a higher fatality rate than the flu. As of March 4, 2020, nine deaths have been reported in the U.S. Brian Labus, a professor of public health, provides essential safety information for you, from disinfectants to storing food and supplies. |
 | Device helps deliver electronic cigarette vapors for researchThe increased use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products has increased the need to better understand how and if addiction to these products is different than in traditional cigarettes. One way to objectively measure addictive potential is through changes in the brain, but researchers say a limited number of methods currently exist to deliver the vapor (called aerosol) during magnetic resonance imaging, commonly called MRI. |
 | Report: Screen older MS patients for cognitive decline and age-associated neurological conditionsstudy calls for screening of older MS patients for cognitive decline and age-associated neurological conditions |
 | Parents' social isolation linked to their children's healthParents' social isolation was linked to self-reported poorer health not only for themselves but also for their adolescent children, finds a study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. |
 | Triglycerides control neurons in the reward circuitEnergy-dense food, obesity and compulsive food intake bordering addiction: The scientific literature has been pointing to connections between these for years. Scientists at the CNRS and Université de Paris have just shown for the first time how fatty nutrients act on the brain in the reward circuit. Published in Cell Metabolism on 5 March 2020, these results shed new light on the connection between food and eating disorders. |
 | Study shows LGBTQ+ individuals with autism have greater health disparities than peersIndividuals with disabilities or who identify as LGBTQ+ often encounter difficulties in navigating the American health care system. A new study from the University of Kansas has found that people with autism spectrum disorder who identify as LGBTQ+ have greater health disparities than their peers, including being denied service or being told by doctors they couldn't be transgender because autism would prevent them from understanding their own sexuality. |
 | Curcumin is the spice of life when delivered via tiny nanoparticlesFor years, curry lovers have sworn by the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, but its active compound, curcumin, has long frustrated scientists hoping to validate these claims with clinical studies. |
 | Why losing weight isn't the right reason to adopt a healthier lifestyleCan't seem to keep that weight off? You're not alone, say University of Alberta health experts who suggest weight loss shouldn't be the primary motivation behind healthy lifestyle changes. |
 | Intuitive eating during teenage years linked to better mental health and eating behaviors in adulthoodSome researchers suspect that encouraging people to practice intuitive eating, defined as consuming food based on feelings of hunger and fullness rather than following a restrictive diet, could lead to greater psychological well-being. Researchers with the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) recently took a closer look at this relationship and found that people who ate intuitively as teens were less likely to experience depression, disordered eating, and other related issues as adults. |
 | Coronavirus mutations 'no cause for alarm'Mutations discovered in the first Brazilian case of coronavirus are no cause for alarm, a leading virologist says, as the virus seems to be remaining stable enough for a single vaccine to work. |
 | Vaccines without needles: New shelf-stable film could revolutionize how medicines are distributed worldwideThe race is on to identify an effective vaccine for the COVID-19 virus. Once discovered, the next challenge will be manufacturing and distributing it around the world. |
 | New treatments for migraines show promiseMany people think migraines are just bad headaches. But they're so much more. In some people, they cause nausea or vomiting. In others, they enhance sensitivity to light, sounds and smell. Sometimes they cause vision distortion, numbness in an extremity or slurred speech. |
 | Following blood stem cells in the body could yield better, safer treatmentsBlood stem cells make all the different kinds of blood and immune cells in our body. Scientists have long been trying to make these cells in the lab and use them to make different blood cell types on demand. Mastering these feats could help make bone marrow transplants more efficient and less toxic, and could lead to better treatments for anemias, immune deficiencies, and other blood disorders. But blood stem cells' origins and workings still remain somewhat mysterious. |
 | The search for a biological link between reactivated HSV and neurological diseaseWithout even knowing it, most of us carry around latent Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) in our nervous system—a simple result of being born and living together with others carrying the virus. |
 | Walking, gardening, swimming, dancing may prevent brain shrinkage in older adultsOlder people who regularly walk, garden, swim or dance may have bigger brains than their inactive peers, according to a preliminary study to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 72nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, April 25 to May 1, 2020. The effect of exercise was equal to four fewer years of brain aging. |
 | Chemotherapy after surgery halves risk of rare kidney cancer coming backChemotherapy halves the risk of a rare form of kidney cancer coming back after surgery, the largest ever trial conducted in the disease worldwide has found. |
 | More steps-per-day linked to significant reductions in diabetes and high blood pressureMiddle-aged people who walked the most steps-per-day over an average of 9 years had a 43% lower risk of diabetes and a 31% lower risk of high blood pressure, compared to those with the fewest steps, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2020. |
 | Consuming more olive oil associated with less heart disease in AmericansConsuming more olive oil was associated with less risk of heart attack among Americans, especially when it replaced mayonnaise, margarine or butter, according to preliminary research presented today at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2020. |
 | Eating more plant protein and dairy instead of red meat may improve heart healthEating more protein from plant sources or dairy while reducing red meat consumption could help people live longer, according to two preliminary studies presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2020. |
 | For older adults, more physical activity could mean longer, healthier livesTwo studies demonstrate that older adults may be able to live longer, healthier lives by increasing physical activity that doesn't have to be strenuous to be effective, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2020. |
 | Electronic health records use up in residential care communitiesFrom 2012 to 2016, there was an increase in electronic health record (EHR) use among residential care communities, according to a study published online March 3 in the National Health Statistics Reports, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
 | The difference between physical and psychosocial stressA sports stress test and psychosocial stress produce similar stress hormone increases. And yet, the first one is perceived as positive, the second one as negative. Researchers attempt to find out why. |
 | App helps reduce osteoarthritis painBy performing a few simple physical exercises daily, and receiving information about their disease regularly, 500 osteoarthritis patients were able to on average halve their pain in 6 months—and improve their physical function. The participants in the study from Lund University in Sweden used a newly developed mobile app to help them keep track. |
 | Americans still trust doctors and scientists during a public health crisisThe coronavirus epidemic is a health crisis that threatens Americans' quality of life. Who do Americans trust to lead them through it? |
 | Engineered bone marrow cells slow growth of prostate and pancreatic cancer cellsIn experiments with mice, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have slowed the growth of transplanted human prostate and pancreatic cancer cells by introducing bone marrow cells with a specific gene deletion to induce a novel immune response. |
 | Q&A: Adults up to age 45 and at risk for HPV infection can get vaccineDEAR MAYO CLINIC: Why is the HPV vaccine now offered to adults and adolescents? I was surprised to hear that it's recommended up to age 45. Will the vaccine do any good for adults who already have HPV? |
 | How a Pennsylvania doctor stopped a virus outbreak in 1934—with bloodIn January 1934, officials at the Hill School learned a student had been exposed to measles over winter break and confined him to the infirmary. |
 | Q&A: Effective treatment available for stress incontinenceDEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was always led to believe that leaking urine while sneezing or exercising is part of life for women after menopause, but my health care provider tells me that isn't necessarily true. I've tried Kegel exercises, but those don't seem to help. Would pelvic floor therapy be a good next step? What does that involve? |
 | Scientists develop free computer program to map blood flow 'landscape' in tumorsJohns Hopkins Medicine researchers have created a computer program for scientists at no charge that lets users readily quantify the structural and functional changes in the blood flow networks feeding tumors. |
 | Study shows best practices protect healthcare workers from COVID-19Health systems can protect healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak when best practices for infection control are diligently applied along with lessons learned from recent outbreaks, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. |
 | Home remedies: Herbal supplements may not mix with heart medicinesHerbal supplements are natural, so they must be safe, right? Not necessarily. |
 | Long-acting cabotegravir, rilpivirine noninferior in HIV-1(HealthDay)—For patients with HIV-1 suppression, long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine is noninferior to oral therapy with dolutegravir-abacavir-lamivudine and standard oral therapy, according to two studies published online March 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | CDC: Rates of VBAC increasing, reached 13.3 percent in 2018(HealthDay)—From 2016 to 2018, there were increases in the rates of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC), reaching 13.3 percent in 2018, according to a March data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics. |
 | Artificial intelligence to improve the precision of mammogramsArtificial intelligence (AI) techniques, used in combination with the evaluation of expert radiologists, improve the accuracy in detecting cancer using mammograms. This is one of the main conclusions of an international study conducted, among others, by researchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the University of Valencia (UV), and which has been published in one of the world's largest medical journals in the field, the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study is based on the results obtained in the Digital Mammography (DM) DREAM Challenge, an international competition led by IBM where researchers from the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC, CSIC-UV) have participated along with scientists from the UPV's Institute of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM). |
 | Social isolation can cause physical inflammationSocial isolation could be associated with increased inflammation in the body, new research from the University of Surrey and Brunel University London has found. |
 | Children with food protein-induced enterocolitis more likely to have other allergiesResearchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found that children with a rare food allergy known as food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, or FPIES, have a significantly higher chance of being diagnosed with other allergic conditions, including eczema, traditional food allergy and asthma. But the researchers also found that FPIES did not directly cause those other allergies. |
 | Novel sepsis treatment enhances bacterial capture by neutrophil 'traps'Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a novel treatment for sepsis—one of the leading causes of hospital death—that enhances the body's bacteria-capturing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) so that they more effectively capture infectious bacteria, resist degradation, and improve sepsis outcomes and survival. |
 | New genetic signatures in childhood leukemia create paths for precision medicineResearchers with Nemours Children's Health System utilized Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to more precisely identify genomic characteristics of leukemias in children, the most common childhood cancer. The study, published today in BMC Medical Genomics, identified new genetic structural variants that could be used to assess the presence of minimal residual disease during the course of chemotherapy and help determine response to various therapies. |
 | Intestinal microbes reprogram genetic activity of gut mucosaScientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem demonstrated in mice that intestinal bacteria reprogram DNA activity in cells of the gut mucosa and thus have a considerable impact on the development of the healthy gut. Acute intestinal inflammation induced under experimental conditions led to a huge increase in the activity of inflammation-related and cancer-promoting genes in the mucous membrane cells of microbe-colonized animals. |
 | Preventing spread of SARS coronavirus-2 in humansSeveral coronaviruses circulate worldwide and constantly infect humans, which normally causes only mild respiratory disease. Currently, however, we are witnessing a worldwide spread of a new coronavirus with more than 90,000 confirmed cases and over 3,000 deaths. The new virus has been named SARS coronavirus-2 and has been transmitted from animals to humans. It causes a respiratory disease called COVID-19 that may take a severe course. The SARS coronavirus-2 has been spreading since December 2019 and is closely related to the SARS coronavirus that caused the SARS pandemic in 2002/2003. No vaccines or drugs are currently available to combat these viruses. |
 | Pesticides increase the risk of schistosomiasis, a tropical diseaseSchistosomiasis is a severe infectious disease caused by parasitic worms. As an intermediate host, freshwater snails play a central role in the life cycle of the parasite. In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in cooperation with the Kenya-based International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) succeeded in proving that snail populations in waterbodies contaminated with pesticides were significantly larger than in uncontaminated waterbodies. The pesticides used in agriculture may well be an outright driver for the risk of infection with schistosomiasis, the researchers warn. |
 | PET imaging offers new insights into post-transplant care for heart patientsMyocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) have been identified as accurate indicators for graft failure after cardiac transplantation, according to a new study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Utilizing positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging to quantify MBF and MRF, researchers were able to successfully detect patients with cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), the most serious condition facing transplant patients late after their surgery. In addition, researchers found that MFR had a significantly higher accuracy when predicting the overall prognosis for cardiac transplant patients. |
 | Italy reports 41 new coronavirus deaths, bringing toll to 148Italy on Thursday reported 41 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, its highest single-day total to date, bringing the number of fatalities in Europe's most affected country to 148. |
 | Coronavirus mortality rate 1 percent or less: USA top US health official on Thursday said the overall mortality rate for the novel coronavirus was estimated at one percent or less, lower than previously thought, basing the new figure on a high number of unreported cases. |
 | 'Long list' of countries not doing enough against virus: WHOThe World Health Organization warned Thursday that too many countries were not taking all the steps needed to fight the spread of the deadly new coronavirus. |
 | Neurofibromatosis gene provides new insight into breast cancer resistance to hormone therapyAn international team of researchers led by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine has new insights into the function of neurofibromin, a tumor suppressor produced by the NF1 gene. It is well known that neurofibromin keeps cancer growth in check by repressing the activity of a cancer driver called Ras. The new research reveals a previously unknown function of neurofibromin—directly repressing gene expression controlled by the estrogen receptor-α (ER). Thus, when neurofibromin is lost, Ras and ER functions are both activated, causing treatment resistance and metastasis for ER+ breast cancer. |
 | Many lyme disease cases go unreported; A new model could help change thatThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention receives reports of about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease each year. The real number, according to the agency, is closer to 300,000. |
 | Wuhan CT scans reliable for coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis, limited for differentiationAn article by radiologists from Wuhan, China—published open-access and ahead-of-print in the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR)—concluded that chest CT had a low rate of misdiagnosis of COVID-19 (3.9%, 2/51) and could help standardize imaging features and rules of transformation for rapid diagnosis; however, CT remains limited for the identification of specific viruses and distinguishing between viruses. |
 | Researchers discover new stem cells that can generate new boneA population of stem cells with the ability to generate new bone has been newly discovered by a group of researchers at the UConn School of Dental Medicine. |
 | Ultra-wide field retinal imaging techniques cannot be used interchangeablyDiabetic retinopathy can be diagnosed and graded with the use of a newer scanning technology called ultra-wide field (UWF) imaging, a system that generates high-quality pictures showing most of the retina. Research from the Joslin Diabetes Center's Beetham Eye Institute has now shown that one technique, UFW fluorescein angiography, detects over three times more microaneurysms than UWF color imaging, suggesting that the two modalities should not be used interchangeably when evaluating and treating this vision-threatening condition. The research is published this month in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. |
 | US announces $8.3bn in coronavirus funding as cases surgeUS lawmakers passed an emergency $8.3 billion spending bill to combat the coronavirus on Thursday as the number of cases surged in the country's northwest and deaths reached 11. |
 | Millions out of school as WHO calls for stronger virus responseAlmost 300 million students worldwide faced weeks at home with Italy and India the latest to shut schools over the deadly new coronavirus, as health officials warned many countries were not doing enough to fight the outbreak. |
 | 290 million students out of school as global virus battle intensifiesAlmost 300 million students worldwide faced weeks at home with Italy and India the latest to shut schools over the deadly new coronavirus, as the IMF urged an all-out global offensive against the epidemic. |
Japan to quarantine visitors from China, South Korea over virusJapan will quarantine people coming from China and South Korea for two weeks on arrival to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the country's prime minister said Thursday. | |
 | 'Very homesick' Wuhan residents trickle back to stricken cityThe young couple stepped from a Chinese bullet train onto the deserted platform of Wuhan Station and into the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic, home at last after more than 40 days in limbo. |
 | Thousands held on cruise ship off California over coronavirus fearsThousands were stranded on a cruise ship off the California coast Wednesday over fears of the new coronavirus after passengers and crew members on board developed symptoms. |
US Supreme Court hears case that could set future of abortionThe US Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a major abortion case for the first time since President Donald Trump appointed two new conservative justices—with the future of the procedure potentially at stake. | |
 | China's factories try to shield workers as output revivesTo keep his 40 employees indoors and away from China's virus outbreak, the manager of an electronics factory in Dongguan, near Hong Kong, says he hired a cook and arranged dormitories for them. |
| Switzerland reports first coronavirus deathA 74-year-old woman suffering from the new coronavirus has died in Switzerland, marking the country's first death in the outbreak that has claimed more than 3,200 lives globally, police said on Thursday. |
Bosnia reports first two coronavirus casesBosnia reported on Thursday its first confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, in a man who recently travelled to Italy and his child. | |
 | Airline hub UAE tells residents not to travel over virusThe United Arab Emirates on Thursday warned its citizens and its foreign residents not to travel anywhere abroad amid the ongoing worldwide coronavirus outbreak, a stark warning for a country home to two major long-haul airlines. |
Greece closes schools, bars gatherings in three regionsGreece on Thursday closed schools and universities while cancelling sports events and other public gatherings in three western regions as infections from the new coronavirus rose to ten. | |
 | Iran says 15 new coronavirus deaths raise toll to 107Iran on Thursday reported 15 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, raising the national toll to 107, and said it would keep schools and universities closed until early April. |
 | Heart disease risk profiles differ widely among African-Americans, blacks from the Caribbean and AfricaAfrican immigrants have significantly lower rates of risk factors for heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases compared to blacks from the Caribbean and African Americans, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2020. The EPI Scientific Sessions is a premier global exchange of the latest advances in population based cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians. |
 | U.S. workers need paid sick leave to stop the spread of coronavirusThe United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that almost one-third of Americans do not have access to paid sick leave and 69 percent of part-time workers do not have access. Only the U.S. and Japan do not mandate a national sick leave benefit. Currently, seven states in the U.S. mandate that employers provide paid sick leave benefits. |
 | Coronavirus concerns: People working out at home to avoid contact at the gymObi Mora's New Year's resolution was to be more physically active. |
 | Washing your hands a lot? These 10 creams revive your skinBetween the flu season and the coronavirus outbreak, the best advice to avoid getting sick is to wash your hands well—for a minimum of 20 seconds—and often. But all that soaping up, as well as dry air, can lead to ultra-dry skin. These 10 popular hand creams can restore lost moisture and make your hands baby-soft once more. |
 | Researchers discover a previously unappreciated neurotransmitter system in the brainNeurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit signals between neurons or from neurons to other cells. They interact with specific receptors found in the brain of humans and animals, controlling a variety of biological processes, e.g. fear, anger, pleasure, memory, energy, appetite and sleep. Today, scientists know various types of neurotransmitter systems: dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, histamine, glutamate, and many others. A large number of clinically used drugs for many brain disorders is based on the action on these systems. |
 | Health officials tell Donald Trump that coronavirus vaccine is at least a year awayWhile President Donald Trump urges government scientists and drug companies to speed up development of a coronavirus vaccine, officials told him Tuesday it will still take at least a year. |
 | COVID-19: Terms to knowTerms like epidemic, pandemic, quarantine and incubation period have been used in relation to COVID-19. Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, offers an explanation of terms that you may hear in the news as COVID-19 information evolves: |
 | COVID-19: Information on symptoms, transmissionInformation about the spread of COVID-19 continues to evolve. |
 | Public health leaders call for coordinated communication response to COVID-19On Thursday in the National Academy of Medicine's Perspectives, public health leaders including CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy Distinguished Lecturer Scott Ratzan, MD called for informed and active public policy leadership to employ strategically coordinated health communication and outreach on COVID-19 and other emerging global health threats. |
 | Starbucks bans personal cups over new coronavirusReusable cups are in vogue for reducing waste but are no longer welcome at Starbucks cafes over fears of the coronavirus, the coffee chain announced. |
| GI symptoms and potential fecal transmission in coronavirus patientsThe world is bracing for the impact of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, which has now spread to over 30 countries, infecting more than 80,000 people with over 2,600 deaths globally. A better understanding of how this virus is transmitted is key to preventing its spread. |
LGBT health improves when friends are just like themIndividuals in the LGBT community face stressors that have dire consequences on their health. Researchers from Michigan State University are the first to pinpoint social factors that can reduce these stressors and improve health for LGBT people. | |
| Macron warns over virus epidemic as death toll risesFrance is inexorably heading towards a coronavirus epidemic, President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday as the health ministry reported three more deaths from the disease, bringing the country's toll to seven. |
First UK death confirmed in coronavirus outbreakBritain on Thursday announced its first death from coronavirus within the country, as the total number of confirmed cases jumped to 115. | |
Biology news
 | Even fake illness affects relationships among vampire batsAs Italy urges tourists not to cancel their plans in the face of the coronavirus outbreak and a National Basketball Association memo reportedly encourages teammates to avoid hi-fives, a new study conducted at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama takes a look at how social bonds change in response to illness in another highly social animal: the vampire bat. In these bats, just as in humans, strong family bonds were less affected by the appearance of disease than were weaker social relationships. |
 | Synthetic biologists redesign the way bacteria 'talk' to each otherBioengineers at the University of California San Diego have redesigned how harmless E. coli bacteria "talk" to each other. The new genetic circuit could become a useful new tool for synthetic biologists who, as a field, are looking for ways to better control the bacteria they engineer to perform all sorts of tasks, including drug delivery, bioproduction of valuable compounds, and environmental sensing. |
 | Unexpected ways animals influence firesAnimals eating plants might seem like an obvious way to suppress fire, and humans are already using the enormous appetites of goats, deer, and cows to reduce the fuel available for potential wildfires. But other animals such as birds, termites, and elephants can also double as ecosystem engineers, naturally reducing or enhancing the chances, spread, or severity of wildfires as they go about their day-to-day grass-chewing, track-making, or nest-building. Researchers in Australia describe these and more surprising activities in a Review published March 5 in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution. |
 | Same genes, same conditions, different transportThe bacterium Lactococcus lactis, which plays an important role in the dairy industry, is unable to produce the amino acid methionine and has to rely on uptake from the environment. To do this, the bacteria have two systems with high and low affinity. University of Groningen microbiologists discovered that cells growing in a clonal population can differ in the uptake system they use. Furthermore, the choice for either system is maintained over many generations. It is the first time that such stable heterogeneity is observed in an amino acid uptake pathway. The results were published in the journal Nature Communications on 5 March. |
 | Surprising prevalence of endangered European eel in Hong Kong's food supplyImagine purchasing products from your local grocer, only to find out that those products consist of critically endangered species. That's what a team from the University of Hong Kong, Division of Ecology and Biodiversity recently discovered on Hong Kong supermarket shelves. A team led by Dr. David Baker from the University's Conservation Forensics laboratory recently published the results from an investigation into European eel products on sale in Hong Kong supermarkets. |
 | Mitochondrial distress signaling pathway revealed in new studyMitochondria cannot autonomously cope with stress and must instead call on the cell for help. Molecular geneticists at LMU have identified the long-sought signaling pathway which enables the organelles to do so. |
 | Genetic diversity improves yield in hybrid crop varietiesResearchers from The University of Western Australia's Institute of Agriculture and University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute have discovered that high levels of genetic diversity and dominant genes in grain crops such as wheat, barley or rice leads to the production of greater yields in hybrid varieties. |
 | Rats avoid hurting other ratsMost humans feel bad about hurting others. This so-called "harm aversion" is key to normal moral development and is reduced in violent antisocial individuals. Unfortunately, little is known about what makes people harm-averse, and medical practitioners lack effective pharmacological treatments for violence in psychopathic criminals characterized by a lack of harm aversion. |
 | Condensins mutually interact to fold DNA into a zigzag structureDNA in a cell is comparable to tangled spaghetti strands on a plate. To be able to divide DNA neatly between the two daughter cells during cell division, the cell organises this tangle into tightly packed chromosomes. A protein complex called condensin has been known to play a key role in this process, but biologists had no idea exactly how this worked, until February 2018, when scientists from the Kavli Institute at Delft University of Technology, together with colleagues from EMBL Heidelberg, showed in real time that a condensin protein extrudes a loop in the DNA. Now, follow-up research by the same research groups shows that this is by no means the only way condensin packs up DNA. The researchers discovered an entirely new loop structure, which they call the Z loop. They have published this finding in Nature, where they show, for the first time, that condensins mutually interact to fold DNA into a zigzag structure. |
 | Researchers discover previously unknown response within gut microbiotaThe gut microbiome, which is a collection of numerous beneficial bacteria species, is key to our overall well-being and good health. Recent studies have linked the gut microbiome with several beneficial properties, such as aiding in the development of our immune system and warding off pathogen infections. |
 | New species of gecko has been hiding in plain sightSix new species of gecko that have essentially been hiding in plain sight have been described by Queensland Museum scientists. |
 | Genome editing strategy could improve rice, other cropsScientists at UC Davis have used CRISPR technology to genetically engineer rice with high levels of beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. The technique they used provides a promising strategy for genetically improving rice and other crops. The study was published today in the journal Nature Communications. |
 | Microcensus in bacteria: Bacillus subtilis can determine proportions of different groups within a mixed populationBacteria have a sense of their own number. They release and sense signaling molecules that accumulate with increasing cell numbers, which allows them to change their behavior when a certain group size is reached. A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and Heidelberg University has now been able to show that bacteria might be capable of even more: they could perceive the proportions of different groups of bacteria in their environment. |
 | Scientists create model to predict multipathogen epidemicsDiseases often pile on, coinfecting people, animals and other organisms that are already fighting an infection. In one of the first studies of its kind, bioscientists from Rice University and the University of Michigan have shown that interactions between pathogens in individual hosts can predict the severity of multipathogen epidemics. |
 | Satellite data boosts understanding of climate change's effects on kelpTapping into 35 years of satellite imagery, researchers at Oregon State University have dramatically enlarged the database regarding how climate change is affecting kelps, near-shore seaweeds that provide food and shelter for fish and protect coastlines from wave damage. |
 | Microbiome species interactions reveal how bacteria collaborate to cheat deathAntibiotics can make easy work of infections. But how do they affect the complex ecosystems of friendly bacteria that make up our microbiome? |
 | Researchers investigate neural mechanisms that coordinate complex motor sequences in fruit fliesOur day-to-day lives can be seen as a series of complex motor sequences: morning routines, work or school tasks, actions we take around mealtimes, the rituals and habits woven through our evenings and weekends. They seem almost automatic, with little conscious thought behind them. |
Team finds citizen scientists make excellent resourcesFrom tracking the amount of rain in their backyards to monitoring the water quality in local streams, citizen scientists have collected data for as long as there has been curiosity. And, it turns out, their data can be just as valid as that collected by professionals. | |
 | Anxieties and problematic behaviors may be common in pet dogsAnxieties and behaviour problems may be common across dog breeds, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The findings suggest that noise sensitivity is the most common anxiety trait, followed by fear. |
 | Research: Structural and functional studies of corticotropin-releasing factor receptorsCRF1R and CRF2R, two members of class B G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems and activated by the corticoliberin family of peptide hormones that include CRF and urocortins 1-3 (UCN1-UCN3). The active receptors function as a key mediator of endocrine, autonomic, behavioral, and immune responses to stress by coupling to G protein (Gs). |
 | Genetics reveal behavioral and physical barriers between urban and rural red foxes in and around berlinResearchers from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and the Luxembourg National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) analyzed genetic material of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) inhabiting Berlin and its surroundings. They identified two genetically distinct, adjacent "urban" and "rural" fox populations and revealed that physical barriers such as rivers or man-made structures reduce the exchange between these populations but also differences in human activity in these landscapes play a major role. The researchers suggest that avoidance of sites of human activity may drive foxes into costly trade-offs as they prefer to disperse along potentially dangerous transportation infrastructures. The study was recently published in the scientific journal Molecular Ecology. |
 | Unexpected discovery: Blue-green algae produce oilCyanobacteria—colloquially called blue-green algae—can produce oil from water and carbon dioxide with the help of light. This is shown by a recent study by the University of Bonn. The result is unexpected: Until now, it was believed that this ability was reserved for plants. It is possible that blue-green algae will now also become interesting as suppliers of feed or fuel, especially since they do not require arable land. The results have now been published in the journal PNAS. |
 | Deep-sea fish community structure strongly affected by oxygen and temperatureUnderstanding the impacts of climate change on fish communities is an important piece of navigating the future, but it's difficult to tease out the individual factors at play in natural systems. This makes it hard for researchers to fully understand how climate change will affect the diversity and abundance of fishes in the future. |
 | Scientists seed local seas with imperiled fish. Can giant sea bass make a comeback?A team of scuba-diving biologists has released nearly 200 baby giant sea bass into the murky depths of Santa Monica Bay where the critically endangered fish will grow to be the size of Volkswagen Beetles. |
 | New software tool fosters quality control of genome-scale models of metabolismThe application areas of genome-scale metabolic models are widespread, ranging from designing cell factories and investigating cancer metabolism, to analysing how microbes interact within our guts. Hence, the number of publications of manually and automatically generated models has been growing every year. This could be considered solely as a positive matter, but a lot of the data are very difficult for others to reproduce and reuse in different contexts. |
 | Balancing bushmeat trade and conservation vital to ensure livelihoods not threatenedLocal communities in the Congo rainforest have been working with researchers from the University of York in a bid to balance the bushmeat trade with conservation. |
 | Veterinarians: Dogs, too, can experience hearing lossJust like humans, dogs are sometimes born with impaired hearing or experience hearing loss as a result of disease, inflammation, aging or exposure to noise. Dog owners and K-9 handlers ought to keep this in mind when adopting or caring for dogs, and when bringing them into noisy environments, says Dr. Kari Foss, a veterinary neurologist and professor of veterinary clinical medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
 | Chlamydia build their own entrance into human cellsChlamydia, a type of pathogenic bacteria, need to penetrate human cells in order to multiply. Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf (HHU) have now identified the bacterial protein SemC, which is secreted into the cell and restructures the cell membrane at the entry site. SemC forces the cell's own protein SNX9 to assist it in this process. |
 | Food scientists slice time off salmonella identification processResearchers from Cornell University, the Mars Global Food Safety Center in Beijing, and the University of Georgia have developed a method for completing whole-genome sequencing to determine salmonella serotypes in just two hours and the whole identification process within eight hours. |
 | Fighting the rise of antibiotic resistanceNew research is helping to detect early warning signs of drug-resistant bacteria to prevent antibiotic resistance. |
 | Mexican poachers attack conservationists over threatened porpoiseA group of poachers have attacked two vessels carrying marine conservationists in protected waters in Mexico's Gulf of California, the Sea Shepherd conservation group said on Wednesday. |
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