Science X Newsletter Friday, Jul 31

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for July 31, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Air-quality sensors on cars at heart of Aclima-Google partnership
- Researchers find it is possible to use cyanate as an energy source for nitrifiers
- Vatican sceptical about close encounters of the third kind
- Trending science: Vitamin B3 may have been delivered from space
- Transparent, electrically conductive network of encapsulated silver nanowires
- Brain-controlled prosthesis nearly as good as one-finger typing
- Starvation effects handed down for generations
- Improved memory thanks to irregular sleep-wake patterns
- Exoplanets 20/20: Looking back to the future
- Earth flyby of 'space peanut' captured in new video
- Image: Hubble sees a dying star's final moments
- Crystal clear images uncover secrets of hormone receptors
- Quantum matter stuck in unrest
- Researchers find tumor suppressor p53 controls signaling-mediated phagocytosis of apoptotic cells through DD1α
- Science on the surface of a comet

Astronomy & Space news

	Vatican sceptical about close encounters of the third kind The recent discovery of an Earth twin has boosted chances there is intelligent life on other planets. But while Pope Francis's telescope scans the starlit skies, the Vatican is sceptical of ever meeting Mr. Spock.
	Science on the surface of a comet Complex molecules that could be key building blocks of life, the daily rise and fall of temperature, and an assessment of the surface properties and internal structure of the comet are just some of the highlights of the first scientific analysis of the data returned by Rosetta's lander Philae last November.
	New Milky Way map reveals stars in our galaxy move far from home Scientists with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III (SDSS) have created a new map of the Milky Way that provides the first clear evidence of migration of stars throughout our galaxy. The study, which determined that 30 percent of stars have traveled across the galaxy, is bringing a new understanding of how stars are formed and travel throughout the Milky Way.
	Nearing 3000 comets: SOHO solar observatory greatest comet hunter of all time In 1995, a new solar observatory was launched. A joint project of ESA and NASA, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory – SOHO – has been sending home images of our dynamic sun ever since. SOHO was planned to open up a new era of solar observations, dramatically extending our understanding of the star we live with. . . and it delivered.
	Here's why scientists haven't invented an impossible space engine – despite what you may have read What if I told you that recent experiments have revealed a revolutionary new method of propulsion that threatens to overthrow the laws of physics as we know them? That its inventor claims it could allow us to travel to the Moon in four hours without the use of fuel? What if I then told you we cannot explain exactly how it works and, in fact, there are some very good reasons why it shouldn't work at all?
	Building blocks of life found among organic compounds on Comet 67P – what Philae discoveries mean Scientists analysing the latest data from Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko have discovered molecules that can form sugars and amino acids, which are the building blocks of life as we know it. While this is a long, long way from finding life itself, the data shows that the organic compounds that eventually translated into organisms here on Earth existed in the early solar system.
	Binary star system precisely timed with pulsar's gamma-rays Pulsars are rapidly rotating compact remnants born in the explosions of massive stars. They can be observed through their lighthouse-like beams of radio waves and gamma-rays. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI) in Hannover, Germany, now have precisely measured the properties of a binary star system with a gamma-ray millisecond pulsar. Using new methods, the researchers analyzed archival data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope more precisely than possible before. They discovered variations in the orbital period of the interacting binary system that can be explained by magnetic activity cycles of the companion star.
	Trending science: Vitamin B3 may have been delivered from space The results of laboratory experiments involving Vitamin B3 by a team of NASA researchers support a theory that the origin of life may have been assisted by a supply of 'biologically important molecules produced in space and brought to Earth by comet and meteor impacts'.
	Exoplanets 20/20: Looking back to the future Geoff Marcy remembers the hair standing up on the back of his neck. Paul Butler remembers being dead tired. The two men had just made history: the first confirmation of a planet orbiting another star.
	Earth flyby of 'space peanut' captured in new video NASA scientists have used two giant, Earth-based radio telescopes to bounce radar signals off a passing asteroid and produce images of the peanut-shaped body as it approached close to Earth this past weekend.
	Image: Hubble sees a dying star's final moments A dying star's final moments are captured in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The death throes of this star may only last mere moments on a cosmological timescale, but this star's demise is still quite lengthy by our standards, lasting tens of thousands of years!
	NASA selects proposals to study neutron stars, black holes and more SA has selected five proposals submitted to its Explorers Program to conduct focused scientific investigations and develop instruments that fill the scientific gaps between the agency's larger missions.
	Image: Frosty gullies on the northern plains of Mars Seasonal frost commonly forms at middle and high latitudes on Mars, much like winter snow on Earth. However, on Mars most frost is carbon dioxide (dry ice) rather than water ice. This frost appears to cause surface activity, including flows in gullies.
	With so much vested in satellites, solar storms could bring life to a standstill Satellites are essential to modern life. So essential, in fact, that plans have been drawn up on how to cope with a situation in which we could no longer rely on them. A UK government document entitled the Space Weather Preparedness Strategy may sound strange, but when so much of modern communications, transport and the financial system relies on satellites, you can imagine why one would want a Plan B in place.
Japanese firm to mature whisky in space Japanese whisky will be sent into space next month to test how time in a zero-gravity environment affects its flavour, one of the country's biggest drinks makers said Friday.
	Cassiopeia's hidden gem: the closest rocky, transiting planet Skygazers at northern latitudes are familiar with the W-shaped star pattern of Cassiopeia the Queen. This circumpolar constellation is visible year-round near the North Star. Tucked next to one leg of the W lies a modest 5th-magnitude star named HD 219134 that has been hiding a secret.
	Could we make artificial gravity? It's a staple of scifi, and a requirement if we're going to travel long-term in space. Will we ever develop artificial gravity?
	Third spaceflight for astronaut Paolo Nespoli ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli will be heading for space a third time, as part of Expeditions 52 and 53 to the International Space Station. He will be launched on a Soyuz vehicle in May 2017 on a five-month mission.
	Astronomers gather in Hawaii amid telescope tensions Thousands of astronomers from around the world are meeting in Honolulu at a time when telescope construction is a sensitive issue in the state.

Technology news

Butterflies heat up the field of solar research The humble butterfly could hold the key to unlocking new techniques to make solar energy cheaper and more efficient, pioneering new research has shown.
	Researchers announce another 5G breakthrough 'This breakthrough is very exciting for us. In just six months we have developed a truly unique demonstration which is able to use standard IP end-points and translate the IP flow into an IP-over-ICN abstraction (publish/subscribe model), where a single hop within the ICN network used SDN switches with pre-installed forwarding rules for the ICN flows,' says Dirk Trossen, Principal Scientist at InterDigital and POINT's Technical Manager. The POINT project kicked off in January 2015 and is supported by the EU to the tune of EUR 3.5 million.
Research explores future energy security of China China needs to reduce its dependence on coal and improve the range of fuels it uses if it is to have long term energy security, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
From Hiroshima and Nagasaki to Fukushima: Long-term psychological impact of nuclear disasters On the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a three-part Series published in The Lancet looks at the enduring radiological and psychological impact of nuclear disasters, including the most recent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan in 2011. The Series provides vital information for the public health planning of future disasters to protect the millions of people who live in areas surrounding the 437 nuclear power plants that are in operation worldwide.
	Windows 10 entices millions in first day Some 14 million people installed the Windows 10 operating system in the first 24 hours following its release, Microsoft said, calling the response "overwhelmingly positive."
	Young drivers under the lens: could recording driver behaviour reduce road trauma? Mark Stevenson, Professor of Urban Transport and Public Health at the Melbourne School of Design, has been awarded an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant of $530,000 to study young drivers aged 18-25 across Victoria in a program set to revolutionise the car insurance industry in Australia.
Ex-Fukushima execs to be charged over nuclear accident A trio of former executives from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant will be indicted over the 2011 accident, a judicial review panel decided Friday, paving the way for the first criminal trial linked to the disaster.
Start-ups in spotlight at new Hong Kong tech meet Tech entrepreneurs gathered in Hong Kong Friday showing everything from next-generation wearables to "smart" sex toys as investors seek to tap into the Asian market, seen as a breeding ground for start-ups.
	Online viewers won't miss Super Bowl ads shown on TV Next year, you won't have to worry about missing the buzziest commercials of the Super Bowl if you can't get to a TV.
FBI lags in filling cybersecurity jobs: auditor The FBI is having trouble filling jobs for its cybersecurity programs because of comparatively low pay and rigorous background checks, an auditor's report says.
Where to put the first electric car charge station in the Sunshine State If you build them they will come – in this case if you build electric car charging points then you increase the chance of people opting to buy electric cars.
	If at first you don't succeed, try again: Windows 10 and Google Glass This was a week where old technology reappeared, refreshed for another try at getting it right this time around.
	Uber valuation tops $50 bn with latest funding: report Global ridesharing startup Uber has closed a deal raising nearly $1 billion in fresh capital, pushing its valuation to more than $50 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
NY village makes ransom payments to keep computers running A village in central New York made ransom payments of $300 and $500 last year to keep its computers running after two official-looking emails released malware throughout its system, state auditors said.
Lawsuit accuses CVS of overcharging for generic drugs CVS Health Corp. deliberately overcharged some pharmacy customers for generic drugs by submitting claims to their insurance companies at inflated prices, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in San Francisco.
	Hardware from old nuclear weapons systems becomes valuable teaching resource Sandia National Laboratories is preserving the history of nuclear weapons in hardware developed since the start of the nuclear era as a way to connect new generations of weapons engineers to the engineering work of past generations.
	Tough week for social media stocks—no one is spared It hasn't been an easy week in social media, despite double-digit revenue growth from Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Investors are looking beyond headline numbers and finding reasons to sell.
	Half of the most popular news on Twitter is not covered by traditional news media sources The study, carried out by researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, the IMDEA Networks Institute and NEC Laboratories, has just been published in the journal PLOS ONE. The analysis focuses on the "trending topics" of Twitter because they share some of the same characteristics as news, dealing with subjects that attract the attention of a large number of people. "They are events that a large number of users are interested in and, in this regard, we can say that they are news items selected democratically by Twitter users in a country," the researchers noted.
Regulators close case questioning California reactor repairs Federal regulators have closed a case that questioned whether Southern California Edison violated government rules when it installed faulty equipment at the now-closed San Onofre nuclear power plant.

Medicine & Health news

	Researchers find tumor suppressor p53 controls signaling-mediated phagocytosis of apoptotic cells through DD1α A team of researchers with affiliations to a number of research centers in the U.S. has found that the protein p53 serves as a controlling mechanism for apoptotic (naturally dying) cells through the immunoglobulin Death Domain 1α (DD1α). The group outlines their research efforts and results in the journal Science. French medical researchers Laurence Zitvogel and Guido Kroemer offer a PERSPECTIVE piece on the work done by the team in the same journal edition.
	Brain-controlled prosthesis nearly as good as one-finger typing When we type or perform other precise tasks, our brains and muscles usually work together effortlessly.
Improved memory thanks to irregular sleep-wake patterns If you've had a good night's sleep, you are mentally more alert and your memory works more reliably. During sleep, a part of our forebrain called the prefrontal cortex remains active. It ensures that memories and learned information are transferred to our long-term memory. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine in Göttingen and Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich have now decoupled the production of growth factor IGF2 from the sleep-wake rhythm and found that it improved long-term memory in mice. This could also have been due to a disturbed sleep-wake rhythm. However, older mice exhibited abnormal behaviour. High levels of IGF2 and a permanently disrupted sleep rhythm evidently damage the brain over the long term. This finding is medically significant because IGF2 is a candidate substance for improving memory impairment in Alzheimer patients.
	Crystal clear images uncover secrets of hormone receptors Many hormones and neurotransmitters work by binding to receptors on a cell's exterior surface. This activates receptors causing them to twist, turn and spark chemical reactions inside cells. NIH scientists used atomic level images to show how the neuropeptide hormone neurotensin might activate its receptors. Their description is the first of its kind for a neuropeptide-binding G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), a class of receptors involved in a wide range of disorders and the target of many drugs.
	Get up for your heart health and move for your waistline More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood and cholesterol levels, according to a new study published today (Friday) in the European Heart Journal. The study also shows that replacing time spent sitting with time walking could have additional benefits for your waistline and body mass index (BMI).
Cancer patients lose faith in healthcare system if referred late by GP If it takes more than three trips to the GP to be referred for cancer tests, patients are more likely to be dissatisfied with their overall care, eroding confidence in the doctors and nurses who go on to treat and monitor them.
Exercise during adolescence linked to lowered risk of death later Understanding the long-term impact of modifiable lifestyle factors such as exercise in adolescence is of critical importance and can have substantial public health implications for disease prevention over the course of life, Nechuta explained.
	Researchers discover immune system's 'Trojan Horse' Oxford University researchers have found that human cells use viruses as Trojan horses, transporting a messenger that encourages the immune system to fight the very virus that carries it. The discovery could have implications for the design of new vaccines.
	Social Security's support for people with disabilities faces challenges, economist says Stanford economist Mark Duggan suggests that the Social Security Disability Insurance program could benefit from new reforms. His research shows that inconsistencies exist in how the program determines if a person is sufficiently disabled to qualify for benefits.
Juvenile arthritis: why genetic risk is not in the genes Scientists have been finding that genetic risk for many diseases lies primarily in noncoding parts of the genome, which used to be called "junk DNA," and not in the genes themselves. But that finding naturally begs more questions about what these noncoding regions do to cause a disease and how.
	How does this grab you? Grip strength may tell whether you have diabetes, high blood pressure Whether you grasp it right away or not, your grip strength may indicate whether or not you have undetected diabetes and high blood pressure, University of Florida researchers say.
	Free fitness iPhone apps fail to meet American College of Sports Medicine exercise guidelines Are you planning on ramping up your exercise regimen this summer? There may not be an app for that—at least not a reliable one.
High-resolution 3D images reveal the muscle mitochondrial power grid A new study overturns longstanding scientific ideas regarding how energy is distributed within muscles for powering movement. Scientists are reporting the first clear evidence that muscle cells distribute energy primarily by the rapid conduction of electrical charges through a vast, interconnected network of mitochondria—the cell's "powerhouse"—in a way that resembles the wire grid that distributes power throughout a city. The study offers an unprecedented, detailed look at the distribution system that rapidly provides energy throughout the cell where it is needed for muscle contraction.
	Brain's ability to dispose of key Alzheimer's protein drops dramatically with age The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is advancing age. After 65, the risk doubles every five years, and 40 percent or more of people 85 and older are estimated to be living with the devastating condition.
	Designing a better clinical trial A new study co-authored by a Department of Engineering researcher recommends an approach to clinical trials that includes tracking the influence of patients' behaviour on a treatment's benefits.
Correcting the myths about missing drug trials Not all drug trials get published. This is a problem because doctors, journalists, and others look to published data for the fullest picture of whether and how a drug works, and in whom.
Sugar antigen lost its resistance Immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies is a promising treatment strategy, and it might now be within reach: American scientists have successfully prepared an oligosaccharide enterobacterial antigen for which a monoclonal antibody has been developed. The study is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
Possible path toward first anti-MERS drugs If you haven't heard of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, thank geography, NGOs, and government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) for keeping the new disease in check. In camels, which act as a reservoir for the causative coronavirus, the illness causes a runny nose; in humans, it causes a cough, fever, and, in 36 percent of cases, death, according to the WHO.
Marriage can lead to dramatic reduction in heavy drinking in young adults Research on alcohol-use disorders consistently shows problem drinking decreases as we age. Also called, "maturing out," these changes generally begin during young adulthood and are partially caused by the roles we take on as we become adults. Now, researchers collaborating between the University of Missouri and Arizona State University have found evidence that marriage can cause dramatic drinking reductions even among people with severe drinking problems. Scientists believe findings could help improve clinical efforts to help these people, inform public health policy changes and lead to more targeted interventions for young adult problem drinkers.
	Research says 'play value' gap exists between playgrounds in affluent and nonaffluent communities The play value of parks, playgrounds and open play spaces is higher in affluent communities than in nonaffluent communities, according to research from occupational therapy students in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions.
Invention paves the way to better ovarian cancer diagnosis (w/ Video) Overseen by her thesis supervisor and in collaboration with B.C. Cancer Agency scientists, a Simon Fraser University doctoral student is developing a faster, more reliable way to diagnose ovarian cancer.
	New drug effectively lowers levels of triglycerides (HealthDay)—An experimental drug, ISIS 304801, can lower triglyceride levels by as much as 71 percent, according to study results published in the July 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Parents inclined to misjudge child happiness based on personal feelings Parents' estimations of their children's happiness differ significantly from the child's own assessment of their feelings, a study has shown.
	Watching a tumor grow in real-time The ability to visualize and characterize the composition of a tumour in detail during its development can provide valuable insights in order to target appropriate therapeutics. The polymer chemist Prof. Dr. Prasad Shastri and the pharmacist Jon Christensen, in collaboration with the biomedical researcher Dr. Daniel Vonwil, from the University of Freiburg have visualized and quantified the growth and composition of breast tumours over time in a living animal. The researchers published their findings in a paper in the journal PLOS ONE.
Perfectionism linked to burnout at work, school and sports, research finds Concerns about perfectionism can sabotage success at work, school or on the playing field, leading to stress, burnout and potential health problems, according to new research published by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Researchers identify new cancer marker and possible therapeutic target for breast cancer A new way to detect - and perhaps treat - one of the deadliest types of breast cancer has been found. Led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), the study appears online in Breast Cancer Research.
Findings in research on photoaging could reverse negative impact of ultraviolet radiation While all human organs undergo normal, chronological aging, human skin undergoes an additional type of aging because of its direct contact with the environment. The environmental factor that ages human skin more than any other is UV radiation (UVR) from the sun, a process is called photoaging. Unlike chronological aging, which occurs exclusively with the passage of time, photoaging occurs when skin is repeatedly exposed to UV radiation from the sun.
Are we ready for a test that could 'pre-diagnose' autism in babies? For children with autism, early intervention is critical. Therapies and education – especially in the first two years of life – can facilitate a child's social development, reduce familial stress and ultimately improve quality of life.
Researchers develop tool to help child welfare providers analyze data University of Kansas researchers have developed a web-based tool that will help child welfare agencies across the country meet periodic federal case level reviews and collect other qualitative data that will help improve services to children and families.
	UK study finds diaphragm pacing not beneficial to MND patients A pioneering trial investigating the safety and efficacy of diaphragm pacing used to alleviate breathing difficulties for people with motor neurone disease (MND), has revealed the intervention is not generally beneficial to patients.
	Gene therapy for botulism Gene therapy could be more effective than existing treatments for botulism, a rare paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, according to an infectious disease researcher at Cummings School.
	Even educated fleas do it ... but is animal sex spicier than we thought? There's an idea circulating that humans are the only animal to experience sexual pleasure; that we approach sex in a way that is distinct from others. As with many questions about sex, this exposes some interesting facts about the way we discuss the subject.
	Using modern human genetics to study ancient phenomena We humans are obsessed with determining our origins, hoping to reveal a little of "who we are" in the process. It is relatively simple to trace one's genealogy back a few generations, and there are many companies and products offering such services. But what if we wanted to trace our origins further on an evolutionary timescale and study human evolution itself? In this case, there are no written records and censuses. Instead, the study of human evolution has so far relied heavily on fossil specimens and archaeological finds. Now, genetic tools and approaches are frequently used to answer evolutionary questions and reveal patterns of divergence that reflect different selective pressures and geographical movement. This is particularly true for studies of human migrations out of Africa, global population divergence, and its consequences for human health.
Gout medications might be useful in treating alcohol-induced liver disease New research in mice shows that two commonly used gout medications, which target uric acid and adenosine triphosphate, may offer protection from alcohol-induced liver disease and inflammation. These findings suggest that clinical trials in humans with alcoholic liver disease should be considered. The report appears in the August 2015 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.
70,000 Liberian births unrecorded in Ebola crisis: UNICEF More than 70,000 Liberian babies were born without being registered as the deadly Ebola epidemic ravaged the impoverished west African nation, leaving them without healthcare and vulnerable to trafficking, UNICEF said Friday.
	Can having role models help keep teens in shape? Adolescents and teens who have positive role models and who participate in after-school clubs tend to be more physically active and are less likely to be overweight, according to a study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
	Young adults with autism show improved social function following UCLA skills program Researchers at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA have found that a social skills program for high-functioning young adults with autism spectrum disorder significantly improved the participants' ability to engage with their peers.
On-chip processor: first step in point-of-care asthma & tuberculosis diagnostics A device to mix liquids using ultrasonics is the first and most difficult component in a miniaturized system for low-cost analysis of sputum from patients with pulmonary diseases such as tuberculosis and asthma. The device, developed by engineers at Penn State in collaboration with researchers at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Washington University School of Medicine, will benefit patients in the U.S., where 12 percent of the population, or around 19 million people, have asthma, and in undeveloped regions where TB is still a widespread and often deadly contagion.
Exercise on dialysis: staying active to stay healthy Deakin researchers have launched an Australian-first exercise program to help fight the debilitating physical side-effects suffered by patients undergoing dialysis treatment.
Texas uninsured remains predominantly Hispanic, middle-aged, undereducated and poor Texas' uninsured population remains primarily Hispanic, middle-aged, with low incomes and no college degree, according to a new report from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and Episcopal Health Foundation.
Are adventurous eaters healthier? When it comes to food, I'll try anything at least once. As I documented before, I've dined on tarantula, frog, crickets, snake, raw clams, red ants, and durian fruit – and that was just on a single trip through Asia! When back on home turf, I enjoy oysters, sashimi, tripe soup, beef and salmon tartare, foie gras, and other acquired tastes. For the record, I wasn't always this adventurous with food; as a kid, I consumed a relatively narrow range of foods – mostly of the eastern European and Greek variety. But sometime in my early adulthood curiosity got the best of me – frequent travel has provided ample opportunities for additional experimentation. And today, I'd say I'm reasonably adventurous; at least willing to give anything a try.
	Exciting new drugs for Alzheimer's disease? Nah. So, exciting new drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease, right?
Ebola vaccine shows 'promising' results: WHO Preliminary results of tests on an Ebola vaccine to be published later Friday in British science magazine The Lancet have shown "promising" results, World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan said.
Ebola: The epidemic's timeline Key dates in the latest Ebola epidemic, the worst ever outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever which first surfaced in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tool helps public health agencies prioritize health risks Public health agencies across the globe are challenged with preventing the spread of chronic diseases while dealing with limited funds and devastating budget cuts. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri has applied the Public Health Index (PHI) model, a tool he designed that has been adopted by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, to help the Brazilian government identify and prioritize health risks affecting its population. Researcher Eduardo Simoes says if more public health agencies adopted this tool to identify top health risks associated with chronic diseases among their specific populations, limited funding for prevention efforts could be proportionately allocated.

Biology news

	Heating and cooling with light leads to ultrafast DNA diagnostics New technology developed by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, promises to make a workhorse lab tool cheaper, more portable and many times faster by accelerating the heating and cooling of genetic samples with the switch of a light.
	Out of the lamplight The human body is governed by complex biochemical circuits. Chemical inputs spur chain reactions that generate new outputs. Understanding how these circuits work—how their components interact to enable life—is critical both to advancing basic biology and to identifying new treatments to disease, which arises when these circuits misfire. But getting to that understanding is no trivial task.
	New insights into the production of antibiotics by bacteria Bacteria use antibiotics as a weapon and even produce more antibiotics if there are competing strains nearby. This is a fundamental insight that can help find new antibiotics. Leiden scientists Daniel Rozen and Gilles van Wezel published their research results in the authoritative Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA on 28 July 2015.
	Starvation effects handed down for generations Starvation early in life can alter an organism for generations to come, according to a new study in roundworms.
	How bees naturally vaccinate their babies When it comes to vaccinating their babies, bees don't have a choice—they naturally immunize their offspring against specific diseases found in their environments. And now for the first time, scientists have discovered how they do it.
More than just Cecil; big troubles for king of the jungle The circle of life is closing in on the king of the jungle. When Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer killed Cecil the lion, the Internet exploded with outrage. But scientists who have studied lions say the big cats have been in big trouble for years.
	Florida's giant snails prove to be a slippery foe Florida plant detectives are on the trail of a slippery foe, an invasive African land snail that is wily, potentially infectious, and can grow as big as a tennis shoe.
Researchers uncover key to barley domestication An international team of researchers including the University of Adelaide have unlocked the genetic key in barley that led to the start of cropping in human agriculture.
	From twitching lizards to noisy frogs, adaptation is often survival of the weird To paraphrase Hunter S. Thompson, when the going gets weird, the weird turn adaptive.
	Plant scientists investigate genetics, nutritional needs of cold-climate grapes The French have spent centuries developing grapes with the unique flavor and character of Burgundy region wines. Cold-climate grape producers are counting on science to help shorten that process.
	Second phase of dama gazelle study will focus on social interactions In a second phase of research, scientists from Second Ark Foundation and Texas A&M AgriLife Research are again collaborating—this time to find out more about the social interactions of dama gazelles.
Atomic view of bacterial enzymes that help human digestion A group of researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada has reached deep into the human gut, plucked out a couple enzymes produced by bacteria residing there and determined their biological activities and molecular structures—details that should shed new light on how we digest many of the foods we eat.
	Tracking project reveals roaming tiger sharks THE sight of a shark's dorsal fin sticking out of the water usually strikes fear into the hearts of swimmers but for a group of WA researchers every time a tagged tiger shark's (Galeocerdo cuvier) dorsal fin stuck out of the water represented another opportunity to gather more information.
	Analysis of horse pathogen sheds light on persistent infections Analysis of an ancient pathogen of horses shows that it went through a major population replacement during the global conflicts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and has shed light on the genetics of low diversity and persistent infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis.
	Protein machines make fluctuating flows unconsciously An international research group has demonstrated that protein machines, regardless of their specific functions, can collectively induce fluctuating hydrodynamic flows and substantially enhance the diffusive motions of particles in the cell.
RNA-binding protein influences key mediator of cellular inflammation and stress responses Messenger (mRNA) molecules are a key component of protein biosynthesis. They are first transcribed as a "working copy" of the DNA and then translated into protein molecules. RNA-binding proteins such as RC3H1 (also known as ROQUIN) regulate the degradation of the mRNA molecules and thus prevent the production of specific proteins. Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) have now shown that ROQUIN binds several thousand mRNA molecules. They demonstrated that ROQUIN also influences the gene regulator NF-kappaB, a key mediator of cellular inflammation and stress responses (Nature Communications, Article number: 7367).
	Birds, bugs and blanket bogs—Scientists warn an entire eco-system is under threat Several rare upland bird species are being put at risk together with other ecosystem functions by the effects of climate change on the UK's blanket bogs, ecologists at the University of York have discovered.
Researchers surprise mouth fungus with sugary 'Trojan horse' that hides medicine Scientists from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine will borrow a famous strategy from Greek warfare - the Trojan horse - to fight a fungus that exists in the mouths and skin of nearly half of the world's population.
	E. coli gets a boost from lettuce disease Escherichia coli O157:H7, a bacterium that causes foodborne illness in humans, is more likely to contaminate lettuce when downy mildew is already present, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.
	Scientist studies emergent corn disease that could slash yields across the state A plant pathologist at Iowa State University is studying an emergent corn disease capable of reducing the yields of affected crops to near zero.
	Parkway perilous for at-risk species Queen's research finds more than 16,000 wildlife deaths in a seven-month period on the 1000 Islands Parkway.
	Getting to the bottom of ageing The question of why we age is one of the most fascinating questions for humankind, but nothing close to a satisfactory answer has been found to date. Scientists at the Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie in Berlin have now taken one step closer to providing an answer. They have conducted a study in which, for the first time, they have shown that a certain area of the cell, the so-called endoplasmic reticulum, loses its oxidative power in advanced age. If this elixir of life is lost, many proteins can no longer mature properly. At the same time, oxidative damage accumulates in another area of the cell, the cytosol. This interplay was previously unknown and now opens up a new understanding of ageing, but also of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
	Understanding images: A genetic framework in legumes controls infection of nodules The soil environment harbors a diverse range of bacteria, many of which could potentially be detrimental if they are able to gain entry to plant tissues. We are interested in determining how the host plant selects which bacteria are able to colonize its tissues and to identify important endophyte factors that allow them to be accommodated by the host plant. In this issue of PLOS Genetics we investigate the genetic components and molecular signals that allow the endophyte Rhizobium mesosinicum strain KAW12 (KAW12) to colonize symbiotically induced nodules on the model legume Lotus japonicus. We have used different symbiotic and endophytic strains and performed mixed inoculations of wild-type or symbiotic L. japonicus mutants in order to identify the respective contributions of the different interacting partners – legume host, symbiont and endophyte.
	NASA Goddard technology helps fight forest pests Northeastern forests in the United States cover more than 165 million acres, an area almost as big as Texas. Soon, millions of pine and ash trees in those forests could be wiped out, thanks in part to two types of voracious insects—each smaller than a penny.
New study: How happy are Aussies to eat insects? Would you fancy a crunchy cricket salad? Or perhaps a mealworm omelette? What about a cockroach sandwich?

---

This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
https://sciencex.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com