Science X Newsletter Thursday, Dec 4

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for December 4, 2014:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Observing galactic 'blow out': Stellar growth spurts stunt future growth
- Electric eels deliver Taser-like shocks
- Geophysicists challenge traditional theory underlying the origin of mid-plate volcanoes
- Moon's molten, churning core likely once generated a dynamo
- New study suggests US fracking boom may not last as long as predicted
- Pufferfish myth busted—they do so breathe when puffed up
- Astronomers detect atomic hydrogen emission in galaxies at record breaking distances
- Origin of the Eukaryotic cell: Part I - How to train your endosymbiont
- Scientists use 'smallest possible diamonds' to form ultra-thin nanothreads
- Superconductivity without cooling
- Making light do the work of intricarene synthesis
- Greenhouse gases linked to African rainfall
- The finer details of rust
- Technology breakthrough reveals cellular transcription process
- Antarctic seawater temperatures rising

Astronomy & Space news

	Observing galactic 'blow out': Stellar growth spurts stunt future growth (Phys.org)—For the first time, an international team of astronomers, led by Dr James Geach from the University of Hertfordshire, has revealed the dramatic 'blow out' phase of galactic evolution.
	Astronomers detect atomic hydrogen emission in galaxies at record breaking distances (Phys.org)—Using the world's largest radio telescope, two astronomers from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia have detected the faint signal emitted by atomic hydrogen gas in galaxies three billion light years from Earth, breaking the previous record distance by 500 million light years. Their results appear in a paper published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	Moon's molten, churning core likely once generated a dynamo When the Apollo astronauts returned to Earth, they brought with them some souvenirs: rocks, pebbles, and dust from the moon's surface. These lunar samples have since been analyzed for clues to the moon's past. One outstanding question has been whether the moon was once a complex, layered, and differentiated body, like the Earth is today, or an unheated relic of the early solar system, like most asteroids.
	NASA scrubs Orion launch; will try again Friday (Update) Wind gusts and sticky fuel valves conspired to keep NASA's new Orion spacecraft on the launch pad Thursday, delaying a crucial test flight meant to revitalize human exploration.
	Researchers report on data analysis from Planck spacecraft (Phys.org)—A team of researchers analyzing data from a telescope aboard the European Space Agency's Planck spacecraft gave a presentation at Planck 2014 recently—a meeting held in a palace in Italy—to outline findings based on data from the spacecraft and also to discuss the implications of what has been found.
	Finding infant earths and potential life just got easier Among the billions and billions of stars in the sky, where should astronomers look for infant Earths where life might develop? New research from Cornell University's Institute for Pale Blue Dots shows where - and when - infant Earths are most likely to be found. The paper by research associate Ramses M. Ramirez and director Lisa Kaltenegger, "The Habitable Zones of Pre-Main-Sequence Stars" will be published in the Jan. 1, 2015, issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.
	NASA counts down to Orion's first step to Mars The Orion spacecraft, designed to carry humans farther in deep space than ever before, is poised to blast off Thursday in what NASA hailed as a first step in mankind's journey to Mars.
	Monitoring the stability of historical architecture using space technology Lovers of architecture and history can rest easy: the stability of historical buildings can now be monitored in real time by a new technique with its roots in space.
	Predicting daily space weather will help keep your GPS on target It's well known that severe space weather events – which are quite rare – can have a negative impact on our use of Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled devices. But our research, published in Geophysical Research Letters, shows that another form of space weather – which occurs on a daily basis – can cause problems for GPS too.
	10 facts about the Milky Way The Milky Way Galaxy is an immense and very interesting place. Not only does it measure some 100,000–120,000 light-years in diameter, it is home to planet Earth, the birthplace of humanity. Our Solar System resides roughly 27,000 light-years away from the Galactic Center, on the inner edge of one of the spiral-shaped concentrations of gas and dust particles called the Orion Arm.
	Pulsars with black holes could hold the 'holy grail' of gravity The intermittent light emitted by pulsars, the most precise timekeepers in the universe, allows scientists to verify Einstein's theory of relativity, especially when these objects are paired up with another neutron star or white dwarf that interferes with their gravity. However, this theory could be analysed much more effectively if a pulsar with a black hole were found, except in two particular cases, according to researchers from Spain and India.
	Green light for E-ELT construction The E-ELT will be a 39-metre aperture optical and infrared telescope sited on Cerro Armazones in the Chilean Atacama Desert, 20 kilometres from ESO's Very Large Telescope on Cerro Paranal. It will be the world's largest "eye on the sky".
	After Orion launch, big steps lie ahead for Mars trip, NASA says If creating the new Orion space capsule or developing a new deep-space rocket are complex and critical breakthroughs, NASA's remaining challenges to send humans to Mars are no less daunting, officials said Tuesday.
	CU-Boulder instrument on New Horizons readies for encounter with Pluto, Kuiper Belt When NASA's napping New Horizon's spacecraft awakens later this week in preparation for its July 2015 encounter with Pluto, a University of Colorado Boulder student instrument onboard already will have been up for years.
	Sun emits mid-level flare on Dec. 4, 2014 On Dec. 4, 2014, the sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:25 p.m. EST.
	International Space Station enables interplanetary space exploration If necessity is the mother of invention, then survival in space breeds many "children." These children are the research and technologies demonstrated aboard the International Space Station. For 16 years, the station has provided researchers a platform in microgravity where they perform experiments and test technologies to allow humans to travel farther into the solar system than ever before. From life support systems to growing plants in space, the space station continues to drive human exploration for missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

Technology news

	Google updates hair-pulling CAPTCHA with tick box Google's reCAPTCHA is a free anti-abuse service to protect users' websites from spam and abuse. The good news is that the CAPTCHA test can be tossed for many users, replaced with a simple one-box tick saying you're human, not a robot. No mangled text; no frustrating fails because you can't tell if it's a g or a q or if that m is supposed to be two letters instead. Easy. A single checkbox next to the statement "I'm not a robot." Gets you where you want to go.
Researchers transfer 65 terabytes of data in under just 100 minutes A team of researchers from Argonne National Laboratory and DataDirect Networks (DDN) moved 65 terabytes of data in under just 100 minutes at a recent supercomputing conference. Typically, two days are needed to move this volume of data between sites with a 10 Gbps connection.
	Smaller lidars could allow UAVs to conduct underwater scans Bathymetric lidars – devices that employ powerful lasers to scan beneath the water's surface – are used today primarily to map coastal waters. At nearly 600 pounds, the systems are large and heavy, and they require costly, piloted aircraft to carry them.
	TV viewing support for color-blind emerges with Eyeteq UK-based Spectral Edge has made its technology available for set-top TV boxes so that viewers who are color-blind can differentiate shades alongside viewers who are not color-blind. Eyeteq is the name of their "mathematical image processing technology," designed to enhance color-rendering so that color-blind people see more color. The technology uses mathematical perception models to modify image colors; it is suitable for both still and moving images. The tech works by enhancing certain colors in an image.
	Experts see Korean parallels in Sony hack Some cybersecurity experts say they've found striking similarities between the code used in the hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment and attacks blamed on North Korea which targeted South Korean companies and government agencies last year.
Japan's Softbank invests $250 million in GrabTaxi Japanese telecommunications and Internet company Softbank Corp. has invested $250 million in GrabTaxi, one of Southeast Asia's top taxi hailing apps.
Uber sets up mobile development team in Amsterdam (Update) Uber, the San Francisco-based ride sharing company, has set up a mobile phone software development team in Amsterdam, its international headquarters.
US tech firm Intel plans $1.6 bn investment in China US microprocessor maker Intel plans to invest $1.6 billion over the next 15 years to upgrade an existing facility in China's western city of Chengdu, the company said in a statement provided to AFP on Thursday.
	Engineer uses robot theory to improve prosthetics A University of Texas at Dallas professor applied robot control theory to enable powered prosthetics to dynamically respond to the wearer's environment and help amputees walk.
	Is Stephen Hawking right? Could AI lead to the end of humankind? The famous theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, has revived the debate on whether our search for improved artificial intelligence will one day lead to thinking machines that will take over from us.
New type of semiconductor could change face of consumer electronics Materials first developed at Oregon State University more than a decade ago with an eye toward making "transparent" transistors may be about to shake up the field of consumer electronics – and the first uses are not even based on the transparent capability of the materials.
	3 Qs: Are we entering a golden age of natural gas trade? Until recently, most natural gas trade has been limited to the regional scale due to the challenges of transporting gas over long distances. Over the last decade, liquefied latural gas (LNG)—an option that reduces the volume of gas about 600 times allowing for transportation by ship—has created an opportunity for expansion of the international market for natural gas.
	Ultrasound cuts costs in producing aluminium alloys Scientists at Brunel University London have confirmed that treating molten metal with ultrasound is a cleaner, greener and more efficient route to produce high quality castings.
	Research could improve nuclear power plant safety – and stop your kettle furring up Taking inspiration from nature, researchers have created a versatile model to predict how stalagmite-like structures form in nuclear processing plants – as well as how lime scale builds up in kettles.
	Barnes & Noble, Microsoft end Nook deal Bookseller Barnes & Noble said Thursday it is ending its commercial agreement with Microsoft for its Nook e-book reader ahead of its planned Nook spinoff.
	Mickey and math? Disney launches education apps The Walt Disney Co. is launching a new line of learning tools designed to help parents encourage kids 3 to 8 to learn outside of school. Disney Imagicademy begins with a series of mobile apps but will later expand into other products such as books and interactive toys. Over time, the target age will also grow to include older kids.
	Online freedom declines, amid NSA effect Internet freedom suffered this year as a growing number of countries stepped up efforts to spy on users and censor online postings, a global survey showed Thursday.
	In twenty years, PlayStation's grey box changes gaming forever Twenty years ago, a small grey box of electronic tricks made its debut in Japan, heralding the birth of the global gaming phenomenon that changed the entertainment landscape, launching titles that now outstrip sales from Hollywood's biggest franchises.
Beacons pop up in stores ahead of holidays From American Eagle to Apple Stores, beacons are popping up everywhere. Are they a shopper's best friend or another pesky Big Brother monitoring our every move?
	Uber now valued at $40 bn Popular but controversial US ride-sharing startup Uber is now valued at $40 billion, it said Thursday, twice what it was worth six months ago, after raising a fresh $1.2 billion in funding.
Study finds obstacles with social media data Seas of social media posts uncovering the opinions, habits and purchases of billions of people would seem to be a fantasy come true for data researchers, social scientists and businesses. However, finding valuable insights through so-called big data isn't as simple as sifting through a few million Twitter posts.
New Emerson products aim for home energy efficiency as Google, Apple move on market With Silicon Valley tech companies moving in on home energy management with chic devices and user-friendly apps, multinational manufacturer Emerson is pivoting to defend its turf.
More holiday wish lists go digital Holly Riefke's two small children still write letters to Santa Claus. Or rather, they print their names on letters Riefke has written on their behalf, and together they drop them into a festive red Macy's mailbox designated for North Pole correspondence.
	Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick doesn't match Chromecast, Apple TV or Roku Amazon is determined to be a player in the market for digital media devices, gadgets that allow users to stream movies, television shows and music from the Internet to their televisions and living room entertainment centers.
Peers unveils products for workers in the sharing economy What's often known as the "sharing economy" - represented by legions of Airbnb hosts, drivers for Lyft and Uber and countless other micro-entrepreneurs - has increasingly gone mainstream, creating thousands of jobs and new business models in the process.
Hollywood is giving tech startups the star treatment Japanese technology entrepreneur Ken Fukazawa was in San Francisco in March when his geeky friends told him about something awesome coming up in Los Angeles.
Huawei Technologies has big plans, faces big questions Many Americans may not be familiar with Huawei Technologies, but the Shenzhen, China-based company has become one of the largest telecommunications and networking suppliers in the world, competing against the likes of Cisco and Ericsson, as well as Samsung and Apple in smartphone sales.
After early successes, Apple Pay will soon confront holiday shopping bonanza Apple Pay hasn't made the wallet obsolete just yet. But since launching its mobile payments system, Apple has deftly sidestepped problems that flummoxed other tech giants, delivering a smooth experience at the register and steadily grabbing more territory in the mall, analysts say. That'll come in handy in the coming weeks as Apple Pay confronts the retail industry's greatest test: the holiday shopping bonanza.
New technology allows hockey fans to feel the smash San Jose Sharks fans now can feel the bone-crunching action in the rink - from the comfort of their couches.
	Technique captures unique eye traits to produce more realistic faces The eyes are arguably the most important features of an individual's face, if not a window to the soul, so the use of generic eye models when creating digital faces can have disappointing results. Scientists at Disney Research Zurich, noting the significant variation in eyes between individuals, have devised methods for faithfully capturing those features.
	Tone mapping technique creates 'hyper-real' look A new image processing technique developed by Disney Research Zurich could make high dynamic range (HDR) video look better when shown on consumer-quality displays by preserving much of the rich visual detail while eliminating "ghosting" and other unwanted visual artifacts.
	Australian retail giants pull Grand Theft Auto V after protest (Update) Australian retail giants Target and Kmart said Thursday they will stop selling controversial crime-themed blockbuster video game "Grand Theft Auto V" over concerns that it glamorises violence against women.
Analysts: 'Giving Tuesday' raised $46M for charity The U.S. fundraising drive known as "Giving Tuesday" is having a growing impact for nonprofit groups, with nearly $46 million raised for charity over a 24-hour period, according to initial numbers released Wednesday.
	Industrial robots moving to sectors beyond the automotive industry Having conquered automotive manufacturing, the latest industrial robots are about to capture other industrial sectors that, to date, have remained undeveloped. Opportunities are huge. Even in those countries where the application of robotics is at its greatest (Japan, Germany and the USA), the density of robots in the automotive sector is seven times greater than in all other industrial areas. So says the 2014 World Robot Statistics, by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
	EU companies must boost R&D investment to stay globally competitive Investment in research and development by companies based in the EU grew by 2.6% in 2013, despite the unfavourable economic environment. However, this growth has slowed in comparison to the previous year's 6.8%. It is also below the 2013 world average (4.9%), and lags behind companies based in the US (5%) and Japan (5.5%).
	Amazon takes on other retailers with own diaper line Online retailing giant Amazon launched its own brand of diapers Thursday, opening a new front in retail battles with a direct challenge to name-brand vendors already selling on its website.
AOL buys start-up Vidible to bolster video efforts AOL Inc. made a new investment in video Monday, acquiring a San Francisco startup that's built technology to simplify the process of syndicating online video.

Medicine & Health news

	Gene discovery shows how stem cells can be activated to help immune system fight infection (Medical Xpress)—In a study led by Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research member Dr. Julian Martinez-Agosto, UCLA scientists have shown that two genes not previously known to be involved with the immune system play a crucial role in how progenitor stem cells are activated to fight infection.
	Don't worry, be happy: Just go to bed earlier When you go to bed, and how long you sleep at a time, might actually make it difficult for you to stop worrying. So say Jacob Nota and Meredith Coles of Binghamton University in the US, who found that people who sleep for shorter periods of time and go to bed very late at night are often overwhelmed with more negative thoughts than those who keep more regular sleeping hours. The findings appear in Springer's journal Cognitive Therapy and Research.
	'Satiety hormone' leptin links obesity to high blood pressure Leptin, a hormone that regulates the amount of fat stored in the body, also drives the increase in blood pressure that occurs with weight gain, according to researchers from Monash University and the University of Cambridge.
	Typhoid Mary, not typhoid mouse: Lack of enzyme explains why typhoid fever is a human-specific disease The bacterium Salmonella Typhi causes typhoid fever in humans, but leaves other mammals unaffected. Researchers at University of California, San Diego and Yale University Schools of Medicine now offer one explanation—CMAH, an enzyme that humans lack. Without this enzyme, a toxin deployed by the bacteria is much better able to bind and enter human cells, making us sick. The study is published in the Dec. 4 issue of Cell.
	Wireless brain sensor could unchain neuroscience from cables In a study in the journal Neuron, scientists describe a new high data-rate, low-power wireless brain sensor. The technology is designed to enable neuroscience research that cannot be accomplished with current sensors that tether subjects with cabled connections.
	Smoking and higher mortality in men: New association between smoking, loss of the Y chromosome and cancer In a new study, published in Science, researchers at Uppsala University demonstrate an association between smoking and loss of the Y chromosome in blood cells. The researchers have previously shown that loss of the Y chromosome is linked to cancer. Since only men have the Y chromosome, these results might explain why smoking is a greater risk factor for cancer among men and, in the broader perspective, also why men in general have a shorter life expectancy.
The innate immune system condemns weak cells to their death In cell competition the strong eliminate the weak, thereby ensuring optimal tissue fitness. Molecular biologists at the University of Zurich and Columbia University have now demonstrated that the innate immune system plays a key role in this important mechanism. However, cancer cells also make use of this: they can cause cells that are important for healthy tissue to die.
	Study suggests potential therapy for second most common form of dementia (Medical Xpress)—Drugs that boost the function of a specific type of neurotransmitter receptor may provide benefit to patients with the second most common type of dementia, according to research by scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Cancer from asbestos caused by more than one cell mutation It has been a long held belief that tumors arising from exposure to asbestos are caused by mutations in one cell, which then produces multiple clones. This hypothesis is challenged by new research published in the open access Journal of Translational Medicine, which suggests it is caused by mutations in multiple cells.
Medications for patients with first episode psychosis may not meet guidelines Many patients with first-episode psychosis receive medications that do not comply with recommended guidelines for first-episode treatment, researchers have found. Current guidelines emphasize low doses of antipsychotic drugs and strategies for minimizing the side effects that might contribute to patients stopping their medication. A study finds that almost 40 percent of people with first-episode psychosis in community mental health clinics across the country might benefit from medication treatment changes.
Preliminary study suggests Parkinson's drugs safe for the heart Non-ergot derived dopamine agonists used to treat Parkinson's disease may be safe for the heart, according to preliminary research presented at EuroEcho-Imaging 2014 by Dr Hilal Erken Pamukcu, cardiologist at Ankara Diskapi Education and Research Hospital in Turkey.
Current guidelines not clear on which children most at risk of severe flu complications Children born prematurely are at an increased risk of flu-related complications, despite not being identified as an "at risk" group in UK, USA, or WHO guidelines, and should be a priority group for the seasonal flu vaccination, new research published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine suggests.
US panel fails to make recommendation on gay blood donors A panel of experts convened by US health regulators failed Wednesday to recommend whether a lifetime ban should be lifted on gay men donating blood, following two days of heated deliberations.
Are the benefits of breast milk stimulant worth the risk? Most women can make all the milk their baby needs, but some mothers turn to medications to help increase their supply. While some specialists encourage the off-label use of domperidone to stimulate breast milk production, some studies have suggested it may be related to negative side effects, including irregular heartbeat and sudden cardiac death. In a new article out today, researchers concluded that although domperidone can increase breast milk production, and there is no known risk to the babies who drink the milk, risks to women are still worrying.
Mini chromosomes that strengthen tumors Cancers are due to genetic aberrations in certain cells that gain the ability to divide indefinitely. This proliferation of sick cells generates tumors, which gradually invade healthy tissue. Therefore, current therapies essentially seek to destroy cancer cells to stop their proliferation. Through high-throughput genetic sequencing of glioblastoma cells, one of the most deadly brain tumors, a team of geneticists from the University of Geneva's (UNIGE) Faculty of Medicine discovered that some of these mutations are caused by supplemental extrachromosomal DNA fragments, called double minutes, which enable cancer cells to better adapt to their environment and therefore better resist to treatments meant to destroy them. The research details are published today in Nature Communications.
	Brain stimulation offers hope for depression, but don't try it at home Around 350 million people worldwide have depression. Antidepressant medications are often prescribed to treat the condition, alongside talking therapies and lifestyle changes such as regular exercise.
	Lymphedema home treatment improves outcomes, reduces costs, researchers find Home therapy helps control symptoms and save on the costs of treating lymphedema, a painful, often debilitating side effect of life-saving cancer treatments, a new study has found.
	Men's violent reactions to women's rejection University of Queensland researchers have found evidence to suggest that men who react adversely to romantic rejection and act violently towards women are more likely to be socially dominant.
	Professors weigh effectiveness of tax on soda and other sweetened drinks Several states and cities have and continue to propose a tax on soft drinks in an effort to curb obesity. In November, voters in Berkeley, California, were the first to approve such a tax. But Iowa State University researchers question whether it will have the desired effect.
	Daily "technoference" hurting relationships, study finds New research finds that the seemingly small, everyday interruptions that come with smart phones and other devices are interfering with romantic relationships.
	Helping autistic kids read, write and communicate The boy is delighted. You can see it in his eyes—his enthusiasm for the task, his pride in his ability. Indeed, Max has good reason to be proud: At age three, he is reading. And at this precise moment, he is reading a story about the Disney character Elsa with his speech-language pathologist, Jessica Caron, a Penn State graduate student in communication sciences and disorders.
	Smartphone game helps children to improve asthma inhaler technique Researchers at The University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have developed a new interactive smartphone game can help children use a key asthma inhaler ('a spacer') far more effectively, allowing them to breathe more easily.
	Natural substance in red wine has an anti-inflammatory effect in cardiovascular diseases A natural substance present in red wine, resveratrol, inhibits the formation of inflammatory factors that trigger cardiovascular diseases. This has been established by a research team at the Department of Pharmacology of the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (JGU) working in collaboration with researchers of the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena and the University of Vienna. Their results have recently been published in the scientific journal Nucleic Acids Research.
	Even those who know better find junk food irresistible People who know that certain foods are bad for them still respond positively when confronted by a picture of a burger, fries and soda, according to a University of California, Davis, study.
	Even the perceived risk of disease prompts intention to act With so much focus on risk factors for disease, we are living in an era of surveillance medicine, in which the emphasis on risk blurs the lines between health and illness, argue researchers at Yale and Syracuse universities in a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
Low body confidence thwarts girls' and women's work and education aspirations, says new report New report by Centre for Appearance Research and AnyBody reveals low body confidence is thwarting girls' and women's confidence and aspirations in education and the workplace.
	Early lung infections extend cystic fibrosis woes A study involving infants and school age children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) has found early lung infections can lead to long-term issues such as poorer lung function at school age.
	Urban parks and trails are cost-effective ways to promote exercise A new systematic review in the American Journal of Health Promotion finds that providing public parks and walking and biking trails is the most cost-effective strategy to increase physical activity among large populations in urban areas.
	Adding heft to anti-bullying campaigns While high-profile cases of bullying have spurred a national dialogue in schools and communities in recent years, one of the most common forms of bullying is rarely discussed, let alone addressed, according to a UConn researcher who is working to draw attention to this important social issue.
More evidence for impact of lung cancer targeted therapy from practice-changing trial An international study involving Manchester researchers has found that for previously untreated lung cancer patients with a particular genetic change, a new targeted therapy is better than standard chemotherapy.
Medical schools have ethical obligation to accept undocumented immigrants Medical schools have an ethical obligation to change admission policies in order to accept applications from undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, according to an article in the December, 2014 issue of the journal Academic Medicine.
	Friendly bacteria are protective against malaria In a breakthrough study to be published on the December 4th issue of the prestigious scientific journal Cell, a research team led by Miguel Soares at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC; Portugal) discovered that specific bacterial components in the human gut microbiota can trigger a natural defense mechanism that is highly protective against malaria transmission.
	Approved breast cancer drug offers hope for the treatment of blood disorders Blood cancers are more common in men than in women, but it has not been clear why this is the case. A study published by Cell Press December 4th in Cell Stem Cell provides an explanation, revealing that female sex hormones called estrogens regulate the survival, proliferation, and self-renewal of stem cells that give rise to blood cancers. Moreover, findings in mice with blood neoplasms—the excessive production of certain blood cells—suggest that a drug called tamoxifen, which targets estrogen receptors and is approved for the treatment of breast cancer, may also be a valuable strategy for blocking the development of blood neoplasms in humans.
	High-sugar diet in fathers can lead to obese offspring A new study shows that increasing sugar in the diet of male fruit flies for just 1 or 2 days before mating can cause obesity in their offspring through alterations that affect gene expression in the embryo. There is also evidence that a similar system regulates obesity susceptibility in mice and humans. The research, which is published online December 4 in the Cell Press journal Cell, provides insights into how certain metabolic traits are inherited and may help investigators determine whether they can be altered.
	Team constructs model of receptor protein linked to human growth A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals the role of a receptor protein derived from a gene that has been linked to human growth. Co-author Stefano Costanzi, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biochemistry at American University, developed the three-dimensional computer model of the receptor that appears in the study.
	Two in 10 adults seriously considered suicide in 2013, survey shows Results from an ongoing survey conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) show that 2.2 per cent of adults —or over 230,000 people in Ontario, Canada—seriously contemplated suicide in the last year. The 2013 edition of the CAMH Monitor, released today, included questions about suicidal ideation for the first time in the survey's history.
Genome sequencing for newborns: What do new parents think? A study published this week in Genetics in Medicine is the first to explore new parents' attitudes toward newborn genomic testing. The findings suggest that if newborn genomic testing becomes available, there would be robust interest among new parents, regardless of their demographic background.
NFL athletes are seeking unproven stem cell treatments Some National Football League (NFL) players have been seeking out unproven stem cell therapies to help accelerate recoveries from injuries, according to a new paper from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. While most players seem to receive treatment within the United States, several have traveled abroad for therapies unavailable domestically and may be unaware of the risks involved, the paper found.
	Study links running to lower Alzheimer's death risk (HealthDay)—Running more than 15 miles a week may reduce the risk of dying from Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
	New US kidney transplant rules take effect (HealthDay)—New rules intended to create a more level playing field for those awaiting kidney transplants in the United States go into effect Thursday.
	Endocrine disruptors alter thyroid levels in pregnancy, may affect fetal brain development A new study led by biologist R. Thomas Zoeller of the University of Massachusetts Amherst provides "the strongest evidence to date" that endocrine disrupting chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) found in flame retardant cloth, paint, adhesives and electrical transformers, can interfere with thyroid hormone action in pregnant women and may travel across the placenta to affect the fetus.
Rice could make cholera treatment more effective Cholera is caused when the bacterium Vibrio cholerae infects the small intestine, resulting in severe diarrhea and vomiting, which can result in dehydration and death. The main treatment involves oral rehydration therapy, where the patient drinks water mixed with salts and glucose. But although proven to be enormously effective, there are concerns that the glucose content might actually worsen the disease. EPFL scientists have now shown that this is indeed the case, as glucose increases the toxicity of the cholera bacterium, whereas replacing glucose with starch can reduce its toxicity by almost 75%. Their work is published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
	Researchers find more smartphone play equals less fun during leisure Today's smartphones are designed to entertain and are increasingly marketed to young adults as leisure devices. Not surprisingly, research suggests that young adults most often use their phones for entertainment purposes rather than for school or work.
How strong do you think you are? British studies shine light on how strength changes across life Researchers from the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (MRC LEU), University of Southampton have shed new light on how grip strength changes across the lifespan. Previous work has shown that people with weaker grip strength in midlife and early old age are more likely to develop problems, such as loss of independence and to have shorter life expectancy. However, there is little information on what might be considered a normal grip strength at different ages.
	Study reveals effects on body mass index of gene linked to heavy smoking A genetic variant which causes smokers to smoke more heavily has been shown to be associated with increased body mass index (BMI) - but only in those who have never smoked, according to new research led by the University of Bristol, UK and published today in PLOS Genetics.
A novel role for Ranbp9 in regulating alternative splicing in spermatogenic cells Highly expressed in the testis, a gene named Ranbp9 has been found to play a critical role in male fertility by controlling the correct expression of thousands of genes required for successful sperm production. A group of researchers led by Professor Wei Yan, at the University of Nevada School of Medicine has discovered that a loss of function of Ranbp9 leads to severely reduced male fertility due to disruptions in sperm development. A paper reporting this finding was published in PLOS Genetics on December 4, 2014.
The social brain: Does guessing others' intentions make a difference when we learn? People regularly engage in sophisticated 'mentalizing' (i.e. guessing the intentions or beliefs of others) whenever they convince, teach, deceive, and so on. Research published this week in PLOS Computational Biology demonstrates the laws that govern these intuitions and how efficient they are for anticipating the behaviour of other people.
	Blood pressure build-up from white blood cells may cause cerebral malaria death Intracranial hypertension—increased blood pressure inside the head—can predict a child's risk of death from malaria. A study published on December 4th in PLOS Pathogens reports that accumulation of white blood cells impairs the blood flow out of the brain and causes blood pressure increases in mice with experimentally induced cerebral malaria.
	Images of brain after mild stroke predict future risk A CT scan of the brain within 24 hours of a mild, non-disabling stroke can predict when patients will be at the highest risk of another stroke or when symptoms may worsen, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
Teleophthalmology for screening, recurrence of age-related macular degeneration No relevant delay between referral and treatment was found when teleophthalmology was used to screen for suspected age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and, while teleophthalmology monitoring for recurrence of AMD did result in an average longer wait time for treatment reinitiation, it did not result in worse visual outcomes, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology.
Coordinated care beneficial to kids with complex respiratory, gastrointestinal disorders Coordinated care by specialists for children with complex respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders helped lower hospital charges by reducing clinic visits and anesthesia-related procedures in a small single-center study, according to a report published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Cons of regular low dose aspirin to stave off serious illness in women outweigh pros The pros of giving healthy women regular low dose aspirin to stave off serious illness, such as cancer and heart disease, are outweighed by the cons, suggests a large study published online in the journal Heart.
	Flu shot may offer less protection this winter: CDC (HealthDay)—This flu season looks like it could be worse than usual, due to an aggressive strain of influenza virus that might flout the protection provided by this year's vaccine, U.S. health officials warned Thursday.
	California infants hit hard by whooping cough epidemic: report (HealthDay)—A new analysis of the whooping cough epidemic in California finds that infants have been hit the hardest, and it calls for increased efforts to vaccinate pregnant women so their babies are protected.
	Racial disparity seen with congenital heart surgery (HealthDay)—There are poorer medical outcomes in black and Hispanic patients undergoing surgical intervention for congenital heart disease, although mortality is not increased, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
	Low testosterone linked to adverse outcomes in T2DM (HealthDay)—For men with type 2 diabetes, low serum testosterone seems to be implicated in adverse clinical outcomes, according to a review published online Nov. 3 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
	Kids who were preemies more vulnerable to flu complications: study (HealthDay)—Children who were born prematurely are twice as likely to develop pneumonia and other flu-related complications, so they should be first in line for flu shots every year, researchers suggest.
	Activity decreases bleeding risk from anticoagulation meds (HealthDay)—For elderly patients on anticoagulant therapy, a high level of physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of major bleeding, according to a study published online Nov. 18 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
	Treatment recommendations developed for nail psoriasis (HealthDay)—Treatment recommendations have been developed for patients with nail psoriasis. The recommendations were published online Dec. 3 in JAMA Dermatology.
ER docs can treat pediatric pain without a needle Children in emergency departments can safely be treated for pain from limb injuries using intranasal ketamine, a drug more typically used for sedation, according to the results of the first randomized, controlled trial comparing intranasal analgesics in children in the emergency department. The study was published online last month in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("The PICHFORK (Pain in Children Fentanyl OR Ketamine) Trial: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Intranasal Ketamine and Fentanyl for the Relief of Moderate to Severe Pain in Children with Limb Injuries").
Sexually active teens should get IUDs, doctors group says With "Sesame Street" characters gracing the walls and building blocks on the floor, the pediatrician's office may seem like an unlikely place to discuss birth control.
Distrust of police is top reason latinos don't call 911 for cardiac arrest Fear of police, language barriers, lack of knowledge of cardiac arrest symptoms and financial concerns prevent Latinos - particularly those of lower socioeconomic status - from seeking emergency medical help and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to a study published online yesterday in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Modern monitoring systems contribute to alarm fatigue in hospitals Jessica Zègre-Hemsey, a cardiac monitoring expert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her colleagues at the University of California San Francisco, revealed more than 2.5 million alarms were triggered on bedside monitors in a single month - the first figure ever reported from a real-world hospital setting.
Predicting the storm: Can computer models improve stem cell transplantation? Is the human immune system similar to the weather, a seemingly random yet dynamical system that can be modeled based on past conditions to predict future states? Scientists at VCU Massey Cancer Center's award-winning Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program believe it is, and they recently published several studies that support the possibility of using next-generation DNA sequencing and mathematical modeling to not only understand the variability observed in clinical outcomes of stem cell transplantation, but also to provide a theoretical framework to make transplantation a possibility for more patients who do not have a related donor.
Dallas officials say Ebola response cost $155,000 Officials say the emergency response to the Ebola crisis in Dallas cost the city about $155,000, including nearly $27,000 to care for the dog of a nurse infected with the virus.
10 Pakistani children get HIV from blood transfusions Ten Pakistani children have been infected with HIV after receiving tainted blood transfusions, officials said Thursday, in a "shocking" case highlighting the abysmal state of blood screening in the country.
UK court finds drinking while pregnant is not a crime A British court on Thursday ruled that heavy drinking during pregnancy should not be considered a "crime of violence" against the child in a case that had raised concerns about criminalising mothers.
S. Korea reports fresh foot-and-mouth case South Korea said Thursday it had confirmed a fresh case of foot-and-mouth disease in a pig farm, nearly four months after the last case was reported.
Researchers assess risks regarding Ebola and pets The likelihood of a domestic dog or cat being exposed to the Ebola virus through contact with infected persons in Europe is very low, as affected persons are typically isolated promptly.
	3-D food printing to the rescue of gastronomy for seniors with chewing or swallowing problems In Europe, the population is ageing. In 2010, about 17% of the population were 65 or older. This number is projected to increase to 30% of the population by 2060. New services are already available to meet their needs. These range from technologies enabling elderly people to live independently to medications, or even diets, adapted to this age group. As part of the EU-funded project PERFORMANCE, due to be completed in 2015, a research consortium is now developing an industrial process for producing personalised food for frail, elderly people, to improve their quality of life.
	Universal prescription drug coverage improves seniors' health outcomes Universal prescription drug coverage would ensure better access, equity and efficiency for seniors, says a study by UBC researchers.
Supportive high schools help sexual minority males Supportive high school environments can make a difference to the mental health of male sexual minority students, according to a new study from the University of Auckland.
Public pressure needed to counter child obesity About one-third of children are now overweight or obese in New Zealand and public pressure is needed to change food and health policies to counter this, according to researchers at the University of Auckland.
Dissecting the social and civil liberties issues of the Ebola outbreak As medical volunteers return to the United States after treating Ebola patients in Africa, confusion about the disease and how it is transmitted has raised public anxiety levels and public health questions. Michael Willrich, the Leff Families Professor of History and author of the award-winning book "Pox: An American History," which chronicles the smallpox outbreak at the turn of the 20th century, says the public's reaction to Ebola isn't unexpected.
Gambia censures Guinea for silence over Ebola grant The Gambia rebuked Guinea on Thursday over its "bizarre attitude" to diplomacy, accusing its near neighbour of refusing to say thank you for a $500,000 donation to its Ebola response.
Mining for clues: New DNA mapping project to discover the causes of MND launched in Ireland The Irish arm of a new worldwide project which will dig deep into thousands of DNA profiles in order to discover the genetic causes of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) has been launched in Ireland by Professor Orla Hardiman's team of neurologists and geneticists in Trinity College Dublin.
	How to create and sustain clinical-research partnerships Pragmatic clinical trials—real-life tests done in real-world settings—are increasingly important for answering pressing questions about how best to deliver health care. But these pragmatic trials require close collaboration between two professional groups who often have contrasting styles. One group is researchers, who follow structure like classical musicians. The other is and health care providers and administrators, who may need to improvise like jazz musicians. How in the world can such disparate players make beautiful music together?
Nalmefene for alcohol dependence: Added benefit not proven Nalmefene (trade name Selincro) has been approved since February 2013 for people with alcohol dependence who currently drink a lot of alcohol, but who do not have physical withdrawal symptoms and who do not require immediate detoxification. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether the drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy in this patient group.
	Recommendations against mother-infant bedsharing interfere with breastfeeding Recommendations by physician groups to avoid bedsharing among mothers and their babies are intended to reduce sleep-related infant deaths. But evidence suggests that the risks of bedsharing have been over-emphasized, advice never to bedshare is unrealistic, and avoiding bedsharing may interfere with breastfeeding, according to an article in Breastfeeding Medicine.
People with mental illness more likely to be tested for HIV, study finds People with mental illness are more likely to have been tested for HIV than those without mental illness, according to a new study from a team of researchers at Penn Medicine and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published online this week in AIDS Patient Care and STDs. The researchers also found that the most seriously ill - those with schizophrenia and bipolar disease - had the highest rate of HIV testing.
	Polish toddler found in freezing cold recovering A Polish toddler found unconscious in sub-freezing temperatures hugged a teddy bear and called for his parents after only four days of treatment, his mother said Thursday, while his doctor described the boy's recovery as "a miracle."
Ugandan doctor cured of Ebola in German hospital A Ugandan doctor who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone has been cured and released from a German hospital after seven weeks of intensive treatment, the clinic in Frankfurt said Thursday.
HealthCare.gov average premiums going up in 2015 Obama administration officials are acknowledging that HealthCare.gov premiums, on average, will go up next year.
	Dangerous practices spread Ebola in Sierra Leone Dr. Michael Mawanda saw some disturbing behaviors when he was in Sierra Leone helping fight the Ebola epidemic, including relatives removing patients from the hospital where he worked.
Coordinating care of older adults moving across treatment still a problem In what is believed to be the first interview-style qualitative study of its kind among health care providers in the trenches, a team led by a Johns Hopkins geriatrician has further documented barriers to better care of older adults as they are transferred from hospital to rehabilitation center to home, and too often back again.
Low levels of circulating protein linked with heart problems in mice with kidney disease Decreased blood levels of a kidney-derived protein called Klotho increases the risk of heart disease in mice with kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). If the findings are confirmed in humans, Klotho replacement therapy may help protect the heart health of patients with poor kidney function.
Simple model predicts progression of kidney disease among socially disadvantaged patients Among socially disadvantaged patients with moderate or advanced chronic kidney disease, a simple 5-variable model accurately predicts most cases of kidney failure that develop within 5 years. The model, which is described in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), can help predict who will and will not progress to kidney failure and may help guide approaches to reduce socioeconomic disparities in kidney disease.
	Response to viral infections depends on the entry route of the virus Insects can transmit viral diseases to humans. Therefore, understanding how insects cope with viral infection, and what immune mechanisms are triggered, can be important to stop diseases transmission. In a study published in this week's issue of the scientific journal PLOS Pathogens, researchers from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC; Portugal) now show that the entry route of the virus changes how the insect host responds to it. Using the fruit flies as a model of study, they discovered an immune mechanism that is specifically effective when flies are infected through feeding.
Jakafi approved for chronic bone marrow disease (HealthDay)—Jakafi (ruxolitinib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat polycythemia vera, a chronic disease of the bone marrow.
Oregon hospital: Medication error killed patient An Oregon hospital says it administered the wrong medication to a patient, causing her death.
	British drugmaker cutting hundreds of US jobs Hundreds of British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline's 17,000 U.S.-based employees will lose their jobs by the end of next year under the pharmaceutical industry's latest restructuring.
Obama to get most of $6.2B request to fight Ebola President Barack Obama will be awarded the bulk of his $6.2 billion request to fight Ebola in Africa, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee said Thursday.
Mali receives first mobile lab for testing Ebola Mali has received its first mobile Ebola lab, which can be deployed to remote hotspots if needed.

Biology news

	Origin of the Eukaryotic cell: Part I - How to train your endosymbiont (Phys.org)—"The origin and evolution of eukaryotes" is a tale that has yet to be told. At this point in time, it exists only as the title of a fascinating new compendium that has just been produced by the Cold Spring Harbor Press. While this volume is some 400 pages long, there is a palpable feeling among its authors that if they could somehow just compact it into a few pages, a figure, and perhaps even a token energy equation, then what is now just a diffuse description would become the explanation we seek—maybe even without any new discoveries or information.
	Pufferfish myth busted—they do so breathe when puffed up A pair of researchers, one with James Cook University the other the Australian Institute of Marine Science has shown that the common myth that pufferfish don't breathe when puffed up, is completely wrong. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, marine scientists Georgia McGee and Timothy Clark describe their study of the quirky fish and how they disproved the myth.
	Electric eels deliver Taser-like shocks The electric eel - the scaleless Amazonian fish that can deliver an electrical jolt strong enough to knock down a full-grown horse - possesses an electroshock system uncannily similar to a Taser.
Technology breakthrough reveals cellular transcription process A new technology that reveals cellular gene transcription in greater detail has been developed by Dr. Daniel Kaufmann of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) and the research team he directed. "This new research tool offers us a more profound view of the immune responses that are involved in a range of diseases, such as HIV infection. At the level of gene transcription, this had been difficult, complex and costly to do with current technologies, such as microscopy," explained the University of Montreal professor.
	Living African group discovered to be the most populous humans over the last 150,000 years New genetic research reveals that a small group of hunter-gatherers now living in Southern Africa once was so large that it comprised the majority of living humans during most of the past 150,000 years. Only during the last 22,000 years have the other African ethnicities, including the ones giving rise to Europeans and Asians, become vastly most numerous. Now the Khoisan (who sometimes call themselves Bushmen) number about 100,000 individuals, while the rest of humanity numbers 7 billion. Their lives and ways have remained unaltered for hundreds of generations, with only recent events endangering their hunter-gatherer lifestyles. The study's findings will be published in the journal Nature Communications on 4 December 2014.
	'Non-echolocating' fruit bats actually do echolocate, with wing clicks In a discovery that overturns conventional wisdom about bats, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on December 4 have found that Old World fruit bats—long classified as "non-echolocating"—actually do use a rudimentary form of echolocation. Perhaps most surprisingly, the clicks they emit to produce the echoes that guide them through the darkness aren't vocalizations at all. They are instead produced by the bats' wings, although scientists don't yet know exactly how the bats do it.
	Why tool-wielding crows are left- or right-beaked New Caledonian crows—well known for their impressive stick-wielding abilities—show preferences when it comes to holding their tools on the left or the right sides of their beaks, in much the same way that people are left- or right-handed. Now researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on December 4 suggest that those bill preferences allow each bird to keep the tip of its tool in view of the eye on the opposite side of its head. Crows aren't so much left- or right-beaked as they are left- or right-eyed.
	New single-cell analysis reveals complex variations in stem cells Stem cells offer great potential in biomedical engineering due to their pluripotency, which is the ability to multiply indefinitely and also to differentiate and develop into any kind of the hundreds of different cells and bodily tissues. But the precise complexity of how stem cell development is regulated throughout states of cellular change has been difficult to pinpoint until now.
Reduction of germ cells yields more zebrafish males Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Hokkaido University and Ehime University are pleased to announce that their researchers have discovered that the reduction of gonadal stem cells will yield more male zebrafish. The article reporting this finding has been published online in Stem Cell Reports today.
Temperature effects on the Chinese giant salamander Currently, there are over 3,000 animal species on the verge of extinction worldwide. Hunting, land development, and habitat relocation have contributed to a rapid decline in the number of most of these species.
	Scientists have bred and released colorful new varieties of potato America's favorite vegetable is almost fat free and a good source of potassium, iron, and vitamin C. It has 3 grams each of protein and fiber, low sodium, and no cholesterol, and costs a quarter per serving at the produce aisle.
	Milk bottle-raiding birds pass on thieving ways to their flock Great tits are opportunistic copycats. Entire populations can be found performing the same arbitrary behaviour simply because birds copy one another, following a fashion. And it's this behaviour, reported in a paper published in Nature, that explains the great milk bottle raids that baffled milk drinkers in Britain almost a century ago.
	Rare orchids keep quiet on pollination process Orchids located throughout the south-west continued to excite and amaze locals during the recent wildflower season as conservationists work to secure the endangered specimens.
	Wind turbine warning for wildlife Careful planning measures must be put into place to ensure small wind turbine developments do not cause bat and bird population decline, according to new University of Stirling research.
	Thirty new spider species found in one of China's richest biodiversity hotspots Scientists from the Institute of Zoology with the Chinese Academy of Sciences have devoted years of their careers to study the astounding diversity hidden in the depths of the Xishuangbanna tropical rain forests. In a recent paper published in the open access journal ZooKeys Prof. Shuqiang Li and his team reveal 30 new spider species, which constitutes a minor share of what is yet to be found in this biodiversity hotspot.
	Insecticides foster 'toxic' slugs, reduce crop yields Insecticides aimed at controlling early-season crop pests, such as soil-dwelling grubs and maggots, can increase slug populations, thus reducing crop yields, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of South Florida.
	EU makes move to let member states block GM crops The European Union is taking a big step toward giving EU member states the power to ban the cultivation of genetically modified crops even if they have been approved by the food safety authority of the 28-nation bloc.
Current tools for Asian Carp eDNA monitoring fall short, study shows Since 2010, detections of Asian Carp environmental DNA or "eDNA" have warned scientists, policymakers, and the public that these high-flying invaders are knocking on the Great Lakes' door. Scientists capture tiny DNA-containing bits from water and use genetic analysis to determine if any Asian Carp DNA is present. New research published by Notre Dame scientists shows that the tools currently used for Asian Carp eDNA monitoring often fail to detect the fish. By comparison, the new eDNA methods described in this study capture and detect Asian Carp eDNA more effectively.
	Mice discriminate partial sounds just as humans do with partial words Micheal L. Dent, a University at Buffalo psychologist, listens to what is inaudible to others. And what she's hearing might one day help us better understand human hearing loss.
	Chimps not entitled to rights of people: NY court Chimpanzees are not entitled to the same rights as people, a New York state appeals court ruled Thursday, thwarting an advocacy group's attempt to get primates freed from captivity.
	Horse trots into hospital: It's therapy, no joke (Update) Two miniature horses trotted into a hospital. Doctors and patients did double-takes when the equine visitors ambled down long corridors in the pediatric unit at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center.
	Researchers seek better brucellosis control through vaccine development, vaccination practices College of Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists at the University of Wyoming hope their brucellosis studies may produce a better vaccine for livestock and are studying whether a change in vaccination procedures could offer better control.
	To reduce rhino poaching, take demand for horns seriously Poaching rhinos for their horns is one of the most publicized conservation issues worldwide. From global trade bans and surveillance drones, to the involvement of celebrities such as British royal Prince Charles and NBA star Yao Ming, it seems no effort has been spared to win the so-called "rhino wars." Yet, 2014 was another record-breaking year for rhinoceros poaching, with 1,020 animals killed so far, just in South Africa, where most of the world's 29,000 rhinos live. What are we missing?
Research on adaptation, evolution should consider life-history trade-offs alongside organism performance capacities For nearly 40 years, one of the cornerstones of the study of adaptation has been the examination of "whole-organism performance capacities"—essentially, measures of the dynamic things animals do: how fast they can run; how hard they can bite; how far, fast, and high they can jump; and so on. Together, these functional attributes determine the performance of a species' ecology: the types of food one can eat; the ability to capture or locate prey; the ability to avoid predation; the ability of males to intimidate or, in some cases, prevent rival males from invading a territory; and many more.
A little rest from grazing improves native grasslands Just like us, grasslands need rest to improve their health. A study just published by Point Blue Conservation Science in the journal Ecological Restoration shows a 72 percent increase in where native perennial grasses were found on a coastal California ranch when cattle grazing was changed to give the land more time to rest.

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