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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 20, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Sun glitter reveals coastal wavesSentinel-2A is demonstrating how it can be used to help forecast ocean waves around our coasts: sunlight reflected from the water surface reveals complex waves as they encounter the coastline and seafloor off the tip of Dorre Island, Western Australia. |
 | First stellar occultations shed additional light on Pluto's atmosphereScientists on NASA's New Horizons team say the spacecraft succeeded in observing the first occultations of Pluto's atmosphere by ultraviolet stars, an important goal of the mission's Pluto encounter. These data, stored on New Horizons' digital recorders since last summer's encounter and recently transmitted to Earth, confirm several major findings about Pluto's atmosphere. |
 | Orbital ATK proposes man-tended lunar-orbit outpost by 2020 for link up with NASA's OrionOrbital ATK has unveiled a practical new proposal to build a near term man-tended outpost in lunar orbit that could launch by 2020 and be operational in time for a lunar link-up with NASA's Orion crew module during its maiden mission, when American astronauts finally return to the moon's vicinity in 2021 – thus advancing America's next giant leap in human exploration of deep space. |
 | Sentinel-1A spots potential oil slick from missing EgyptAir planeThe Sentinel-1A radar satellite has detected a potential oil slick in the eastern Mediterranean Sea – in the same area where EgyptAir flight MS804 disappeared early yesterday morning on its way from Paris to Cairo. |
Aerospace giants are taking aim at emerging upstartsLanding rocket boosters on an open-ocean platform has been a massive engineering hurdle for SpaceX. | |
Technology news
 | New technology allows smartphones and wearable devices to share power (w/ Video)(Tech Xplore)—A team of researchers working at the University of Bristol in the U.K. has developed a new type of technology that could allow smartphones to trade power with wearable and other mobile devices. As noted in Livescience, the development team was one of those presenting their ideas at ACM CHI 2016, in San Jose last week. |
 | Google patent talk: How a sticky situation may protect a pedestrianWhat if? That is the nagging question surrounding self-driving cars which may be caught up in an accident and which may even take a pedestrian's life. |
Looking beyond conventional networks can lead to better predictionsZebra mussels, a ship-borne invasive species, are such a problem in American waters that they cost the U.S. power industry alone $3.1 billion in economic losses in 1993-1999, mainly by blocking pipes that deliver water to cooling plants. Researchers looking for a way to predict where they might end up next, so that preventive measures can be taken, have relied on network science, a way to identify patterns and meaningful connections in fields ranging from invasive species to international terrorism and social networks to infectious diseases. | |
 | Increasing the efficiency of fuel cells could lead to more widespread use of zero-emissions vehiclesOn an average weekday, the air in Beijing can be so choked with smog that entire buildings disappear from view. Emissions from heavy industry and coal power plants are largely to blame, but so too are the nearly 5 million cars and trucks that clog the city's streets each morning, throwing a fog of toxic particulates into the atmosphere. Vehicle emissions like these are a growing public health problem in China and other developing nations, and it's unlikely to improve any time soon. |
 | Airbus unit unveils 3D-printed electric motorcycleWhat weighs 77 pounds, goes 50 mph (80 kph) and looks like a Swiss cheese on wheels? |
 | Blocking 'fake engagement' to keep the count honestWhen you see that a YouTube video has "16,685 views," take that with a grain of salt. Not all of those views may have been by human beings. |
 | Researchers reveal inconsistent borders in online mapsWe all look at the world subjectively, from our own point of view. Mapmakers, we assume, do the opposite: They portray the world objectively, as it actually is. |
 | The improved Savonius wind turbine captures wind in the citiesA Finnish invention, a vertical axis Savonius wind turbine, can be further improved, according to a new study from the University of Vaasa. |
Power up when the temperature is downTransporting power sources in the coldest places may be easier with a new re-chargeable, non-metallic battery from Japan. This "eco battery" could provide portable sources of power in environments like refrigerated factories or extreme winter environments. | |
 | SWIFT banking system frauds shows that even trusted financial institutions are vulnerable to attackA series of bank frauds using the SWIFT banking messaging service has revealed how even supposedly highly-secure financial institutions are vulnerable to attack through their computerised systems. An attack through SWIFT on Bangladesh Bank and a second on another un-named bank have been made public, but, as other reports of frauds linked to the SWIFT messaging system emerge in the US, Ecuador, Vietnam and Belgium, there is rising concern over the trustworthiness of financial transactions. Some have said that SWIFT is not fit for purpose. |
Coinbase CEO thinks Bitcoin offers much more promise than perilBrian Armstrong is a Bitcoin believer. | |
Is Kelly Slater's artificial wave the future of surfing?Surfers had never seen a spot like it: head-high waves unfurling like wrapping paper in pristine, tapering cylinders for more than a quarter-mile, with not a soul out to catch them. | |
As venture capital dries up, tech startups discover frugalityTech startup Appthority's office has plush conference rooms, soundproof phone booths, an enormous kitchen and a view of San Francisco Bay. It has ping-pong and foosball tables, beer on tap and 11 types of tea. | |
 | Beware of ransomware, the latest cybercrime epidemicA computer scam making the rounds could cost you hundreds of dollars or the ability to access your most precious pictures and sensitive files. |
App-makers draw a bead on adult coloring booksSince she got in on the adult coloring book craze two years ago, Cheri Brown has spent more than $400 on 50 books holding intricate sketches that she embellishes with Sharpies, colored pencils and gel pens. | |
Analytics firm helps clients keep up with consumersAs consumers' lives become more and more focused on their phones, laptops and tablets, companies are looking for new ways to use the information from those machines to understand them. | |
Fitbit acquires wearable payment assets from Silicon Valley firm CoinFitbit Inc. has acquired the wearable payments platform of Silicon Valley financial tech company Coin, setting its sights on the future of payment options. | |
New California Gold Rush beckons wind developers off coastWhen turbines start spinning at the first U.S. offshore wind farm near Rhode Island later this year, some energy developers will already be eyeing a bigger prize. | |
Fukushima nuclear accident is 'wake-up call' for US to improve monitoring of spent fuel poolsThe 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident should serve as a wake-up call to nuclear plant operators and regulators on the critical importance of measuring, maintaining, and restoring cooling in spent fuel pools during severe accidents and terrorist attacks, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. This report is the second and final phase of a congressionally mandated study on what lessons can be learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. The report from Phase 1 of this study was released in July 2014. The Phase 2 report provides findings and recommendations for improving U.S. nuclear plant security and spent fuel storage as well as re-evaluates conclusions from previous Academies studies on spent fuel storage safety and security. | |
Mirrors blamed for fire at world's largest solar plantA small fire shut down a generating tower Thursday at the world's largest solar power plant, leaving the sprawling facility on the California-Nevada border operating at only a third of its capacity, authorities said. | |
 | New tools and methods to protect Europe's Critical InfrastructureThe EU CIPRNET project has contributed to the maintenance of European safety and security, through enhanced protection of its essential infrastructure. |
 | Could Hollywood technology help your health?The same technology used by the entertainment industry to animate characters such as Gollum in The Lord of The Rings films, will be used to help train elite athletes, for medical diagnosis and even to help improve prosthetic limb development, in a new research centre at the University of Bath launched today (Friday 20 May). |
Medicine & Health news
 | Taking control of key protein stifles cancer spread in miceFor cancer to spread, the cells that take off into the bloodstream must find a tissue that will permit them to thrive. They don't just go looking, though. Instead, they actively prepare the tissue, in one case by co-opting a protein that suppresses defenses the body would otherwise mount. In a new study, scientists report that by wresting back control of that protein, they could restore multiple defenses in the lungs of mice, staving off cancer's spread there. |
 | Immune cell discovery explains inappropriate inflammatory responsesScientists at the University of Bristol have identified the trigger for immune cells' inflammatory response – a discovery that may pave the way for new treatments for many human diseases. |
Cancer can be combated with reprogrammed macrophage cellsResearchers at Karolinska Institutet have generated antibodies that reprogramme a type of macrophage cell in the tumour, making the immune system better able to recognise and kill tumour cells. The study, which is published in the journal Cell Reports, could lead to a new therapy and provide a potentially important diagnostic tool for breast cancer and malignant melanoma. | |
 | Skin regeneration is product of two types of stem cellsStem cells are essential for tissue regeneration and, in a recent study, Cornell researchers have challenged a long-standing model regarding epidermal stem cells and their role in skin repair. |
 | Scientist identify first steps in muscle regenerationScientists from Monash University's Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute ARMI have found the first real evidence of how muscles may be triggered to regenerate or heal when damaged. The research could open the way to improving the lives of the elderly, those with the progressive muscle wasting disease muscular dystrophy, and even enhance muscle recovery in athletes. |
 | Real-time imaging of embryo development could pave the way for more effective human reproduction therapiesResearchers at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have developed advanced microscopy technologies to monitor embryo development in real time, revealing how mammalian cells differentiate during the earliest stages of embryonic life. These findings, coupled with the novel imaging technique, hold great potential in shaping how assisted reproduction procedures such as In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) are performed, and making these procedures more effective. |
Scientists create computational tool for greater understanding of metabolic networkScientists at UMass Medical School have created a computational network model that will enable the unraveling of the mechanisms by which different macro- and micronutrients contribute to the physiology of the nematode C. elegans, which is a primary model for understanding human physiology and disease. The purpose of the new network, called iCEL1273, is to provide a framework to gain a broader understanding of the interactions between the animal and its bacterial diet. | |
 | Immune cells help reverse chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancerInside each ovarian tumor, there are good cells and bad cells. A new paper explains their roles: |
Bereaved parents should be given full details about how to reduce sudden infant death syndrome riskA new study indicates that health professionals should tell bereaved parents about what they could have done to reduce the risk of the sudden death of their baby. | |
Growth spurts lower teenage boys' coordinationA sudden growth spurt during adolescence can lower teenage boys' coordination and affect their gait, according to research published in the open access journal Biomedical Engineering OnLine. This study investigates the cause behind the loss of coordination in growing adolescent boys, suggesting that as teenagers they may begin to walk clumsily because their brain requires some time to adjust to a rapid height increase. | |
Mouse studies hold promise for a simple treatment for an aggressive gastric tumorPatients with aggressive neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) have limited treatment options and there are few oncologists who are specialised in this relatively rare disease. Normally a total gastrectomy (removal of the stomach) is employed in these cases, with a subsequent dramatic reduction in the quality of life for patients. Now researchers have identified a mutation in the human ATP4a gene that is involved in the gastric acid secretion regulation and has been identified as responsible of an aggressive form of inherited, early-onset gastric NET. | |
 | Strategies can help streamline revenue-related processes(HealthDay)—Strategies can be employed to maximize the amount of time available for patient care by streamlining revenue-related processes, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). |
 | ASCO: Side of colon tumor develops on affects CRC survival(HealthDay)—Survival odds for colorectal cancer may depend on which side of the colon the primary tumor develops, according to a study released Wednesday during a media briefing that previewed some of the research to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. |
 | ASCO: Early palliative care beneficial for caregivers(HealthDay)—Palliative care that's offered soon after a terminal cancer diagnosis can also help caregivers, according to a study released Wednesday during a media briefing that previewed some of the research to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 3 to 7 in Chicago. |
 | Detection of four major phenotypes could modulate prediabetes riskPrediabetes is associated with increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia and cancer. However, the disease risk varies considerably among subjects. In a study reported in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, DZD scientists have summarized information from the literature and provided novel data indicating that the future determination of the four major phenotypes— fatty liver, visceral obesity and impaired production and action of insulin—may improve prediction and prevention of cardiometabolic risk in prediabetes. |
 | Study aims to find anti-depressants that work faster for patientsA new method to find anti-depressant treatments that work for individual patients is about to be tested at GP surgeries across Europe. Researchers at the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry, in collaboration with the Oxfordshire based company P1vital Products Ltd, are conducting the PReDicT (Predicting Response to Depression Treatment) study. |
ESC Guidelines on acute and chronic heart failure launched todayEuropean Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure are published today in European Heart Journal and the European Journal of Heart Failure, and presented at Heart Failure 2016 and the 3rd World Congress on Acute Heart Failure. | |
 | New tool to support public health decisions on Zika virusA study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases presents a cost-effectiveness tool that can help guide decisions regarding resource allocation to fund interventions targeted at curtailing the ongoing Zika virus outbreak. Analyses using the tool suggest that proposed funds to combat Zika in the US and other countries would be cost-effective, based on quantification of the serious health conditions associated with Zika infection. The tool, freely available at http://zika.cidma.us/, can be used to interrogate a range of scenarios, and can be adjusted as we learn more about how the virus causes disease and the effectiveness of ways to prevent and treat infections. |
 | An implant to catch metastatic cancer cells before they grow into tumors"Cure" is a word that's dominated the rhetoric in the war on cancer for decades. But it's a word that medical professionals tend to avoid. While the American Cancer Society reports that cancer treatment has improved markedly over the decades and the five-year survival rate is impressively high for many cancers, oncologists still refrain from declaring their cancer-free patients cured. Why? |
 | Psychologist collaborates on pill-free protocol for treating chronic painChronic pain has emerged as one of the most onerous health problems facing Americans—leading to depression, loss of livelihood and, in many cases, addiction to prescription pain killers. |
Tough neighborhoods linked to teen obesity and cognitive delaysThe real estate maxim about the importance of location is true for teenagers too. Their intellectual and physical health depends on location, location, location. | |
End-of-life talks aid in Latino advance care planningCommunication about end-of-life care can improve how likely Latino patients with terminal cancer are to sign a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, helping to close the gap with white patients, according to research by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists. | |
Can white kids grow up to be black? Some preschoolers think soWhite preschoolers often believe a person's race can change over time. In fact, these 5- to 6-year-olds may think they can grow up to become a black adult, according to a new University of Michigan study. | |
 | How children experience trauma, what parents can do to support them and when it's time to get professional helpNatural disasters like the wildfire in Fort McMurray can have lingering psychological effects on anyone who experiences them, including children, who may have difficulty articulating their fear and anxiety in the aftermath. We asked Sophie Yohani, a registered psychologist and professor in the University of Alberta's Department of Educational Psychology who researches trauma and resilience, about how children experience trauma, how they can be supported in working through their feelings, and when it's time to seek professional help. |
 | Can 'mindfulness' help people manage their diabetes?A study to explore whether a technique similar to meditation can be used to help adults struggling to manage their Type 1 diabetes improve their diabetes control and their emotional wellbeing is under way at the University of Aberdeen. |
Plain cigarette packs become law in UK, France (Update)The days of branded cigarette packets in Britain and France are numbered as new plain packaging laws came into effect on Friday, hailed by anti-smoking campaigners despite resistance from tobacco firms. | |
 | Development of portable device to detect arrhythmias in real timeResearchers at the Technological Institute of Morelia (ITM) in Mexico created a portable device for detecting cardiac arrhythmias in real time using electrodes placed on the chest of the patient or as part of clothing. It also alerts medical personnel of any irregularity in the heartbeat. |
 | How video games help successful agingSitting quietly in the corner, we watch a daily family ritual: in the living room awash with soft afternoon light, a six-year-old boy is sitting on the floor, controller in hand, eyes firmly on the television screen. His fingers expertly guide the colorful character in Skylanders, from time to time glancing over his shoulder and grinning at the figure on the sofa, his 68-year-old grandmother. |
 | Virtual farm game to help young cancer patients deal with treatmentA virtual reality game that helps youths deal with cancer treatment —created by two Simon Fraser University students who spent time in hospital as youths, one as a cancer patient—is the latest pain management tool being developed in SFU's Pain Studies Lab. |
 | To operate or not to operate: A serious question with no clear answersWhat goes into a surgeon's decision to operate or recommend an alternative treatment option? |
 | Walk your way to better healthWe've heard it before: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Such a cliche, right? |
 | Researchers reveal how a new class of drugs kills cancer cellsA team of Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers has worked out how a new class of anti-cancer drugs kills cancer cells, a finding that helps explain how cancer cells may become resistant to treatment. |
 | A global early warning system for infectious diseasesIn the recent issue of EMBO Reports, Barbara Han of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and John Drake of the University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology call for the creation of a global early warning system for infectious diseases. Such a system would use computer models to tap into environmental, epidemiological and molecular data, gathering the intelligence needed to forecast where disease risk is high and what actions could prevent outbreaks or contain epidemics. |
 | Zika strain from Americas outbreak spreads in Africa for first time: WHO (Update)The Zika virus strain linked to surging cases of neurological disorders and birth defects in Latin America has for the first time been found in Africa, the World Health Organization said Friday. |
 | Researchers solve the structure of the Zika virus helicaseA team led by researchers from Tianjin University (P.R. China) has solved the structure of the Zika virus helicase, which is a key target for antiviral development. The research is published in Springer's journal Protein & Cell. |
 | Chemists develop simple new platform for development of macrolide antibioticsHarvard researchers have created a new, greatly simplified, platform for antibiotic discovery that may go a long way to solving the crisis of antibiotic resistance. |
 | Pregnant women in US with Zika spikes on new counting method (Update)The number of pregnant women in the United States infected with Zika virus is suddenly tripling, due to a change in how the government is reporting cases. |
In obese prostate cancer patients, robotic surgery reduces risk of blood lossIn obese prostate cancer patients, robotic-assisted surgery to remove the prostate reduces the risk of blood loss and prolonged hospital stays, a Loyola Medicine study has found. | |
Rural, low-income moms rely on nature activities for family health but don't always have accessResearch shows that spending just 20 minutes in nature can promote health and well-being. Although the assumption may be that living in rural areas provides ample opportunities for recreation in nature, many rural, low-income mothers, who rely on outdoor activities to promote health and well-being for themselves and their families, face obstacles in accessing publicly available outdoor recreation resources. | |
 | Fixed-dose combinations of drugs versus single-drug formulations for treating pulmonary tuberculosisA research team from Spain has prepared a Cochrane systematic review that explores the efficacy, safety, and adherence to fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of drugs versus single-drug formulations to treat people who are newly diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). |
 | Flawed data behind regulation of high-risk women's health devicesSome high-risk medical devices used in obstetrics and gynecology were approved by the FDA based on flawed data, according to a recent study from Northwestern Medicine. |
 | Inhibiting membrane enzyme may make some cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapyThe mistaken activation of certain cell-surface receptors contributes to a variety of human cancers. Knowing more about the activation process has led researchers to be able to induce greater vulnerability by cancer cells to an existing first-line treatment for cancers (mainly lung) driven by a receptor called EGFR. The team, led by Eric Witze, PhD, an assistant professor of Cancer Biology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, published their findings this month in Molecular Cell. |
 | Frozen food recall covers hundreds of items from many storesAmid a massive frozen foods recall involving millions of packages of fruits and vegetables that were shipped to all 50 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico, authorities who want to stem the listeria-linked illnesses and deaths worry it'll be difficult to get consumers to dig through their freezers and check for products they may have bought as far back as 2014. |
Ten dead from haemorrhagic fever outbreak in South Sudan: WHOAt least 10 people have died and 40 were suffering from an outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in South Sudan, the latest calamity in the war-torn country, the World Health Organization said. | |
 | Makeover coming for food nutrition labelsNutrition facts labels on food packages are getting a long-awaited makeover, with calories listed in bigger, bolder type and a new line for added sugars. |
 | Health enthusiast goes 'all in' to create GMO-free energy barNortheastern University student Josh Eichel has harnessed his passion for health and wellness to create his own line of all-natural energy bars, the flagship product of his company All In Nutrition. |
Only 11 of 28 EU nations meet anti-smoking reform deadlineThe European Union says that only 11 of 28 nations have fully adopted tough anti-smoking rules that were approved two years ago and have a Friday deadline. | |
 | Understanding the mechanics of the urinary bladderDr. S. Roccabianca and Dr. T.R. Bush, researchers from Michigan State University compiled an extensive review of the key contributions to understanding the mechanics of the bladder ranging from work conducted in the 1970s through the present time with a focus on material testing and theoretical modeling. The review appears in a forthcoming issue of the journal Technology. |
 | Zika hackathon fights disease with big dataMore than 50 data scientists, engineers, and UT Austin students gathered on Sunday, May 15, 2016 to use Big Data to fight the spread of Zika for the "Austin Zika Hackathon" at the Cloudera offices downtown. |
Research behind global switch to new polio vaccine strategy released in the LancetA groundbreaking study released today shows that a single injectable dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) along with bivalent oral polio vaccine could protect up to 90 percent of children from polio and strengthen community protection against the disease. The research, published in the latest edition of The Lancet, provides the evidence behind the worldwide switch to a new polio vaccine strategy by demonstrating that new schedules of the injectable vaccine with the bivalent oral vaccine protect kids much faster and is safer than using the oral vaccine alone. | |
States ban kratom supplement over abuse worriesA little-known plant-based substance often sold as an herbal supplement to address chronic pain is raising alarm bells in states concerned that it could be as addictive as heroin. | |
First Zika virus death in France's Martinique: authoritiesThe French Caribbean island of Martinique has suffered its first Zika virus-related death, the regional health agency said Friday. | |
A spherical brain mapping of MR images for the detection of Alzheimer's diseaseDiagnosis, treatment and care of dementia is one of the major concerns in neurology research and associated healthcare programs. Dementia affects older age groups with a greater frequency, and as our population ages, the burden of dementia on public health is rapidly increasing. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease (AD), which accounts for 60 to 80 per cent of total cases. Much effort has been put into understanding its causes since, although still incurable, an early diagnosis can slow the progression of the disease, improving the quality of life of patients and their families. | |
Biology news
 | CLIP-170 microtuble found to bind tightly to formins to accelerate actin filament elongation(Phys.org)—A team of researchers at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, has found that the CLIP-170 microtuble found in cells, which had been known to be important in cytoskeleton development, binds tightly to formins to accelerate actin filament elongation. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes their experiments with adding a fluorescent protein to the microtubule to better understand the roll CLIP-170 plays in actin flament assembly. In a Perspective piece on the work done by the team, Klemens Rottner with Universität Braunschweig in Germany also explains the role played by microtubules and actin filaments in the development of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton (the material that holds the shape of cells.) |
 | Liquid order: Fluid self-organizes into structure that controls cell growth and healthAlthough known since the 1830s as a round, dark spot in a cell's nucleus, only recently has the nucleolus gotten its full due. Scientists have learned that besides building a cell's protein factories, this specialized subunit, or organelle, serves more broadly as a control center for cellular growth and health. |
 | Too much sex causes genitals to change shape, beetle study showsSexual conflict between males and females can lead to changes in the shape of their genitals, according to research on burying beetles by scientists at the University of Exeter. |
 | Lingcod meet rockfish: Catching one improves chances for the otherAlong the West Coast, lingcod fish are top predators—voracious eaters that aren't picky about where their next meal comes from. |
 | Bacteria in branches naturally fertilize treesThe bacteria in and on our bodies have been shown to be vital for human health, influencing nutrition, obesity and protection from diseases. |
 | Hawaii shark study aims to understand why they biteNew research released Thursday shows tiger sharks naturally favor waters near Maui that are close to some of Hawaii's most popular beaches for humans. |
 | Scientific discovery could revolutionize one of world's most important cropsConservation geneticist wants to arm Ethiopian and Indian farmers with revolutionary new varieties of chickpea. |
 | Saltworks provide unlikely rest stop for migrating shorebirdsIndustrial saltworks in the Pilbara and an unusual saltwater lake in the Gascoyne have been identified as unlikely but important pit stops and feeding grounds for migrating shorebirds. |
 | First signalling pathway of the digestive lineage in planarians is describedA scientific study describes for the first time the function of a signalling pathway –particularly, the pathway of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) - in the differentiation of the planarian digestive lineage. EGFR pathway, evolutionarily preserved, has a fundamental role when regulating the cell differentiation and proliferation in lots of organisms (such as mammals' neural stem cells) and it is over-activated in most of human cancers. |
Enzyme pair play crucial role in maintaining balance of cellular processesResearchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have uncovered how two enzymes, ULK1 and ULK2, which are best known for their role in the degradation and recycling of proteins, control the trafficking of specific proteins. The control of the movement of these molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus is essential for maintaining the correct balance of cellular processes. The results are described online in the journal Molecular Cell and in time may help researchers understand how certain neurodegenerative diseases arise. | |
 | Modified microalgae converts sunlight into valuable medicineA special type of microalgae can soon produce valuable chemicals such as cancer treatment drugs and much more just by harnessing energy from the sun. The team of scientists from Copenhagen Plant Science Centre at University of Copenhagen has published an article about the discovery in the scientific journal Metabolic Engineering. |
Probiotic bacteria could provide some protection against cadmium poisoningOral administration of certain probiotics reduced uptake of the heavy metal, cadmium, in the intestines of mice, and in a laboratory experiment using human intestinal cells. The research, which might ultimately be applied to improving public health in areas of heavy metal contamination, is published ahead of print May 20 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. | |
Temperature influences gene expression, life cycle in vibrio choleraeVibrio cholerae infects roughly four million people annually, worldwide, causing severe diarrheal disease, and killing an estimated 140,000 people. Its success as a pathogen belies the challenges this bacterium faces. The waters this bacterium inhabits when it's not infecting H. sapiens can be 40 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than our normal body temperature. Now a team of investigators from the University of California, Santa Cruz provides new insights into how different temperatures in the bacterium's environment control expression of genes required for life at those temperatures. The research is published ahead of print May 20, 2016 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. | |
 | Researchers find that Earth may be home to one trillion speciesEarth could contain nearly 1 trillion species, with only one-thousandth of 1 percent now identified, according to the results of a new study. |
 | Researchers develop nutrient-rich purple potatoPurple potatoes might not be the first thing that comes to mind when trying to increase vitamin, mineral and antioxidant intake. However, a group of researchers from Colorado State University have recently developed potato varieties that satisfy these nutritional needs and could act as a preventive measure to several diseases. |
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