Science X Newsletter Thursday, Jun 2

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for June 2, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Experimental test verifies Heisenberg's measurement uncertainty principle

Hubble finds universe may be expanding faster than expected

Dogs were domesticated not once, but twice... in different parts of the world, research shows

New radio map of Jupiter reveals what's beneath colorful clouds

Meta-lens works in the visible spectrum, sees smaller than a wavelength of light

How to organize a cell: Novel insight from a fungus

Astronomers smash cosmic records to see hydrogen in distant galaxy

Believe the hype? How virtual reality could change your life

Scientists gain supervolcano insights from Wyoming granite

Mice on wheels show scientists how exercise benefits their brains

Europe's comet orbiter back after 'dramatic' silence

Tutankhamun dagger likely made from meteoric iron: study

Hormone causes decline in cognition after social stress

Social robot 'Jackrabbot' seeks to understand pedestrian behavior (w/ video)

Graphene device puts fuel-efficient cars in pole position

Astronomy & Space news

	Hubble finds universe may be expanding faster than expected Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the universe is expanding 5 percent to 9 percent faster than expected.
	New radio map of Jupiter reveals what's beneath colorful clouds Astronomers using the upgraded Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico have produced the most detailed radio map yet of the atmosphere of Jupiter, revealing the massive movement of ammonia gas that underlies the colorful bands, spots and whirling clouds visible to the naked eye.
	Astronomers smash cosmic records to see hydrogen in distant galaxy An international team of scientists has pushed the limits of radio astronomy to detect a faint signal emitted by hydrogen gas in a galaxy more than five billion light years away—almost double the previous record.
	Europe's comet orbiter back after 'dramatic' silence Europe's trailblazing spacecraft Rosetta has resumed its exploration of a comet hurtling through the Solar System after a "dramatic weekend" in which contact with Earth was lost for nearly 24 hours, mission control said Thursday.
	Making bricks from regolith (because there's no Home Depot on Mars) Moses and Aaron, the Old Testament tells us, had to make bricks without straw before their people could leave Egypt and begin the journey to the Promised Land.
	Moon plays lead role in new astronomical technique A University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) professor and astrophysicist has detected the first high-energy astrophysical source from the moon.
	SpaceX chief Elon Musk predicts people on Mars in 9 years SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says if things go according to plan people will be on Mars just nine years from now.
	First European Data Relay System laser image ESA today unveiled the first Sentinel-1 satellite images sent via the European Data Relay System's world-leading laser technology in high orbit.
	How to capture an asteroid – and why we should go to such trouble Asteroids were once viewed as the vermin of the sky, disrupting astronomical observations by leaving streaks on long-exposure photographic plates used to take pictures of the stars. How times have changed. These remnants of the early solar system are now seen as key targets for space science and, just possibly, for future space commerce.
	Scientists reconstruct the history of asteroid collisions An international study, in which Spain's National Research Council (CSIC) participates, reveals that asteroids have endured a multitude of impact strikes since their formation 4,565 million years ago. Scientists have reconstructed a timeline of these collisions using a physics-based model which reproduces the process through time, comparing its results with present-day information about chondrite meteorites. The work appears in the Astrophysical Journal.
Flash of light, loud boom over Phoenix skies likely a meteor An expert in meteorites says a bright flashing light and loud boom over the skies in metro Phoenix looks like a single meteor burning up as it entered the Earth's atmosphere at thousands of miles per hour.

Technology news

	Believe the hype? How virtual reality could change your life Reducing errors made during surgery, bringing school books to life, enabling us to browse shops from the comfort of home—virtual reality is not just about gaming, it will change our lives, according to some tech leaders.
	Social robot 'Jackrabbot' seeks to understand pedestrian behavior (w/ video) In order for robots to circulate on sidewalks and mingle with humans in other crowded places, they'll have to understand the unwritten rules of pedestrian behavior. Stanford researchers have created a short, non-humanoid prototype of just such a moving, self-navigating machine.
	Urban planning tools synthesize and collect data to improve the quality of city life Imagine your city as it might be in the not-so-distant future.
	Facebook introduces DeepText, text understanding engine (Tech Xplore)—Facebook has announced via blog post, technology that it has been working on for some time, called DeepText—its purpose is to read every word posted on Facebook, including comments, make sense of them, and then offer some sort of "assistance" base on what it finds. Facebook plans to also use this new technology on its messaging system.
	Bionic leaf turns sunlight into liquid fuel The days of drilling into the ground in the search for fuel may be numbered, because if Daniel Nocera has his way, it'll just be a matter of looking for sunny skies.
	Driverless cars bound to frustrate motorists When self-driving cars start appearing on your commute, they're not likely to remind you of the swift Lexus vehicles in Minority Report.
	Automated robot that scans library shelves using laser mapping and radio tags can ensure no book is misplaced again Being able to access and download information in an instant is a hallmark of the digital age. But much of the world's knowledge remains between the pages of printed books. Tracking these volumes in libraries is a tedious, labor-intensive process, but improved access to these invaluable resources is now possible thanks to robot technology developed at A*STAR.
	There must be smarter security than a ban on 'dumb' passwords In cyberspace we are facing password fatigue, caused by having to recall (seemingly) endless streams of (apparently) unrelated numbers and letters at odd times.
	Military needs a more realistic approach to virtual reality The worlds of warfare and virtual reality are an appealing combination. Millions of fans of Call of Duty would no doubt jump from their sofas at the chance to immerse themselves in a 3D version of the game, given the right kit.
High-purity metals recovered from battery waste Researchers at Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) have succeeded in recovering important metals – lithium, cobalt and nickel – from battery waste with nearly 100 percent purity. Recovered metals will be needed increasingly in the manufacture of batteries, and in the future especially in batteries of electric vehicles.
	Beyond Asimov: how to plan for ethical robots As robots become integrated into society more widely, we need to be sure they'll behave well among us. In 1942, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov attempted to lay out a philosophical and moral framework for ensuring robots serve humanity, and guarding against their becoming destructive overlords. This effort resulted in what became known as Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics:
	Oracle shares sink as lawsuit alleges sales were hyped Shares in Silicon Valley titan Oracle fell more than four percent Thursday after a former accountant alleged in a whistle-blower lawsuit that she was pressed to exaggerate cloud-computing sales data.
	EU warns against curbing 'sharing economy' firms like Uber The EU on Thursday warned member states against banning "sharing economy" services such as Uber and Airbnb, especially if only to protect existing businesses from competition.
	Dubai to build 1,000-megawatt solar power plant Dubai on Thursday announced plans to build a 1,000-megawatt solar power plant by 2030, the year it aims to turn to renewable energies for 25 percent of electricity needs.
	'The Sims' removes gender barriers in video game The creators of "The Sims" are opening up gender customization options for the first time in the long-running history of the popular life simulation video game.
	EU, US sign data protection deal (Update) The European Union and the United States on Thursday signed a deal to protect personal data transferred across the Atlantic in a bid to fight crime and terrorism.
Hitachi develops basic artificial intelligence technology that enables logical dialogue in Japanese Hitachi today announced that it has developed a basic artificial intelligence (AI) technology that analyzes huge volumes of Japanese text data on issues that are subject to debate, and presents in Japanese both affirmative and negative opinions on those issues together with reasons and grounds. In this research, Hitachi applied deep learning to the process of distinguishing sentences representing reasons and grounds for opinions, eliminating the need for a dedicated program to be prepared for each language and thus enabling the creation of a general-purpose system analyzing text data in any language. Previously, Hitachi developed a basic AI technology which analyzed huge volumes of English text data and presented opinions in English. This time, Hitachi incorporated this technology into a new AI technology for the Japanese language to meet the needs of Japanese enterprises.
	New Epson robot force sensors enable automation of difficult tasks Seiko Epson Corporation today announced the development of its S250 series of high-precision force sensors. The S250 series, which will be rolled out worldwide from early June, will be available as an option for the company's six-axis and SCARA robots. Employing Epson's proprietary piezoelectric quartz sensing technology, the new force sensors are durable and sensitive, allowing them to accurately and consistently sense minimal amounts of force in six directions. This will allow customers to automate complex manufacturing tasks and will improve productivity. Epson also provides robot operation commands with the sensor, allowing customers to easily introduce the system.
Prosthetic limb LegBank receives $1m Google grant Prosthetic limbs made with technology developed at the University of Strathclyde are to become more readily available through a $1 million grant from Google.org.
	When 'smart' apps become smart for real How can a smart application recognise and reason about a human's purposeful activities in order to be able to coach in a purposeful way? Esteban Guerrero at Umeå University in Sweden presents new computer-based methods for this that are based on activity-centric and argument-based theories.
Ex-Oracle employee accuses company of accounting chicanery A former employee in Oracle's finance department is accusing the business software maker of trying to pressure her into cooking the books in an effort to boost the company's stock price.

Medicine & Health news

	Mice on wheels show scientists how exercise benefits their brains The relentless desire by mice to run on cage "exercise" wheels has helped explain at a molecular level how exercise benefits a mammal's brain.
	Hormone causes decline in cognition after social stress How does stress influence our cognitive performance? This is an issue scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich have been dealing with. For the first time, they have identified a brain mechanism that explains why the cognitive performance of mice is reduced after being exposed to social stress. This finding will help to improve our understanding and treatment of disorders involving cognitive decline in humans.
A macaque model of HIV infection Researchers have taken a major step toward developing a better animal model of human AIDS. Such a model could greatly improve researchers' ability to evaluate potential strategies for preventing and treating the disease.
	Brainwaves could be the next health vital sign Simon Fraser University researchers hope that a brain vital-sign test becomes as routine during a doctor's check-up as taking a blood pressure or heart rate measurement.
	Novel compound shows promise against breast cancer A promising new compound appears to impede a process that fuels breast cancer in mice, a discovery that could have implications in the treatment of a host of cancers.
	Gut microbes' metabolite dampens proliferation of intestinal stem cells Intestinal stem cells are among the most rapidly dividing cells in the body, busily creating new cells to replace the ones that are constantly being sloughed off. But unlike stem cells elsewhere in the body, those in the intestine are hidden away, and for good reason, it turns out.
	Declining dopamine may explain why older people take fewer risks Older people are less willing to take risks for potential rewards and this may be due to declining levels of dopamine in the brain, finds a new UCL study of over 25,000 people funded by Wellcome.
	Scientists discover a new protein crucial to normal forgetting When Elvis released his first number-one country hit "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" in 1955, the song was more correct scientifically than he could have imagined. Humans need to forget as part of the brain's system for the management of memories acquired across a lifetime.
	Researchers convert cirrhosis-causing cells to healthy liver cells in mice Advances in stem cell research have made it possible to convert patients' skin cells into heart cells, kidney cells, liver cells and more in the lab dish, giving researchers hope that one day such cells could replace organ transplantation for patients with organ failure. But successfully grafting these cells into patients' failing organs remains a major clinical challenge.
	High-throughput, sensitive approach helps reveal what's 'real' in genome-wide association data Tackling one of the key challenges facing current human genetics, a pair of multi-institutional research teams have demonstrated a tool that should help untangle which genetic variants actually create risk for heart disease, diabetes and a host of other diseases.
	Neuroscience researchers identify a gene critical for human brain development and unravel how it works Compared to other mammals, humans have the largest cerebral cortex. A sheet of brain cells that folds in on itself multiple times in order to fit inside the skull, the cortex is the seat of higher functions. It is what enables us to process everything we see and hear and think.
	Brain study suggests new ways to protect against neurodegeneration A study led by biomedical researchers at Indiana University has found evidence that an enzyme known as NMNAT2 may help protect against the debilitating effects of certain degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer's.
	Researchers uncover how 'silent' genetic changes drive cancer At any given moment, the human genome spells out thousands of genetic words telling our cells which proteins to make. Each word is read by a molecule known as a tRNA.
	Scientists propose project that includes making human DNA Scientists are proposing a long-term project that involves creating DNA blueprints for making human beings, a prospect some observers find troubling.
	Scientists create mice with hyper-long telomeres without altering the genes The Telomeres and Telomerase Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), in collaboration with the Centre's Transgenic Mice Core Unit, has succeeded in creating mice in the laboratory with hyper-long telomeres and with reduced molecular ageing, avoiding the use of what to date has been the standard method: genetic manipulation. This new technique based on epigenetic changes that is described today in the pages of Nature Communications, avoids the manipulation of genes in order to delay molecular ageing. The study also underlines the importance of this new strategy in generating embryonic stem cells and iPS cells with long telomeres for use in regenerative medicine.
	Teen births fall again, another drop in decades of decline Teen pregnancies fell again last year, to another historic low, a government report shows.
	Two-drug immunotherapy deemed safe for lung cancer patients, study shows Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) represents approximately 14 percent of all types of lung cancer. Many patients with SCLC respond to initial chemotherapy; however, they eventually relapse and develop progressive disease that has no effective treatment options. A new Moffitt Cancer Center study being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago and published in The Lancet Oncology shows that utilizing the immunotherapeutic agents nivolumab and ipilimumab could lead to more effective treatment options for SCLC patients who fail initial therapy.
Lack of diagnosis creates added risks for those with dementia A Johns Hopkins study on data from more than 7,000 older Americans has found that those who show signs of probable dementia but are not yet formally diagnosed are nearly twice as likely as those with such a diagnosis to engage in potentially unsafe activities, such as driving, cooking, and managing finances and medications.
Florida drug database and 'Pill Mill' reg curbed state's top opioid prescribers In the first year that two Florida laws aimed at curbing opioid prescriptions were in effect, the state's top opioid prescribers wrote significantly fewer prescriptions of this type of pain medication, a new analysis led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds.
	Telehealth interventions provide limited health benefits, concludes study There is considerable optimism amongst policy-makers that greater use of digital health technologies ('telehealth') in combination with new ways of working could transform health care delivery, helping the NHS to be sustainable in the face of rising demand.
	Regulation of semiochemicals in inflammation Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a central signalling substance of the immune system and involved in many inflammatory processes. Blocking this molecule is the foundation of modern treatment against inflammatory diseases such as rheumatism, psoriasis or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. The molecular mechanism on which the release and therefore activation of TNF-α is based was first clarified by a working group from the Cluster of Excellence "Inflammation at Interfaces" at the Faculty of Medicine at Kiel University. The team, led by cell biologist Professor Karina Reiß, therefore achieved a pioneering success. This is because the principle discovered is of fundamental significance and opens up a completely new area of research in cell biology. Apart from this, the study which was recently published in Nature Communications identifies new starting points for the development of anti-inflammatory treatments.
	Bacteriophage cocktail shows significant promise for Clostridium difficile infections A new University of Leicester study has confirmed the therapeutic potential of bacteriophage combinations to treat highly infectious bacteria C. difficile infections (CDI) while retaining a healthy gut.
	Unexpected similarities between male and female brains The male and female brains have more in common than media reports often suggest, argues Julia Gottwald, a third year PhD student at the Department of Psychiatry. She explains what we understand about the similarities and differences in our brains and why this is an important area of research.
	New model of Alzheimer's patient emotions can help guide health care A recent study published in The Gerontologist says understanding the emotional reactions of individuals diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) will provide health care professionals with important information needed to develop suitable treatments.
	Chemotherapy and exercise—the right dose of workout helps side effects Researchers at the University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute discovered something simple and inexpensive to reduce neuropathy in hands and feet due to chemotherapy—exercise.
	The strongest bones on the planet hold important clues "Unbreakable," M. Night Shyamalan's 2000 film, dwells on the theme of human fragility and the search for a human being impervious to injuries that would kill the rest of us. It turns out that this quest is not quite so fanciful as it might first seem. Scientists have identified a small number of people whose skeletons are extraordinarily break-resistant, offering hints on how to make the bones of ordinary people stronger. For a radiologist like me, who looks at broken bones all day, this is an exciting discovery.
	Surviving cancer can bring new challenges Millions of adults and children across the U.S. identify as cancer survivors. Beating cancer can transform someone's life and lead to a new sense of gratitude—but it can also usher in a range of physical and emotional challenges.
	Researchers looking to step up mosquito surveillance Mosquitoes are taking flight across Iowa, and it's likely only a matter of time before they appear in a backyard near you.
Eating diet high in polyunsaturated fats can protect against effects of 'splurge' meals, study finds A diet that includes higher amounts of polyunsaturated fats, found in foods like walnuts and salmon, can help offset the detrimental effects of the occasional meal high in saturated fats, University of Georgia researchers have shown in a small clinical study.
	Babies with Down syndrome have healthier hearts Compared with the early 1990s, babies born with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) have a lower risk of developing serous heart problems, according to a new registry study from Karolinska Institutet published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The reason for this improvement is not known, but the researchers believe there to be a likely connection with fetal diagnostics.
	Call for national approach on expensive new drugs Experts are calling for a national register of cost-effective drugs for public hospitals as medical advances push up the cost of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
	Culture affects the way we learn In the wake of winning the first match of this year's State of Origin series, Queensland rugby league maestro Johnathan Thurston advised students from Cape York to prioritise their education.
Researchers find six new fungus species associated with bat evolution A fungal infection associated with a high percentage of deaths among HIV and other immune-compromised patients is more diverse than previously known and likely spread around the world by bats.
	Researchers put brains together for clearer picture of Alzheimer's cause It's an unfortunate fact that the Alzheimer's brain gives up most of its chemical secrets only after the patient has died.
	Veterans who don't meet all PTSD criteria still at risk for depression, suicide and substance abuse At least one in five U.S. military veterans who have experienced trauma are at greatly elevated risk for depression, suicide, or substance abuse even though they do not meet all criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new Yale-led study.
	Researchers to import Zika virus for research and development of vaccine The Hawai'i State Board of Agriculture has voted to approve an application by the University of Hawai'i to import live Zika virus so research into finding a vaccine can get under way in Honolulu.
	New cancer vaccine one step closer A team led by Monash University and the University of Queensland has developed a new approach to harnessing the body's immune system to fight disease that could pave the way for a new class of cancer vaccine.
	A cell imaging-based screening approach predicts toxic effects of chemicals on the human kidney Thousands of new drug candidates and compounds must be tested every year to ensure their safety for humans, and toxicity is one of the main reasons for their failure. Animal models are widely used for this purpose, but they offer low efficiency. A*STAR researchers have now combined cell biology and computational expertise to find alternative, animal-free, toxicity testing methods.
	To understand the brain, it helps to make a computer model of one One of the greatest challenges of engineering, science and medicine is to understand the brain, which is the most complex organ and system known to humans.
Topical skin creams effective to treat superficial basal cell carcinoma Investigators report on three-year follow-up of superficial BCC patients treated topically with non-surgical, noninvasive therapies in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology
Cancer cells become more aggressive from fat storage It has been established that not all cancer cells are equally aggressive – most can be neutralised with radiation and chemotherapy. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now discovered that some cancer cells can accumulate fat droplets, which appear to make them more aggressive and increase their ability to spread.
	The rules of the game for children with ADHD Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often display behaviours that are inappropriate for the situation in which they are in. They might move around in the classroom during a lesson, or talk non-stop and interrupt others' conversations. ADHD is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects about 5% of children. Despite a considerable amount of research over many years, the causes of ADHD are still debated. A team of researchers from Japan and New Zealand has published a paper in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry that may help to explain the difficulties children with ADHD experience in adapting their behaviour to given situations.
	Health concerns about global baby formula boom A new study from ANU has found a global boom in the sale of infant and baby formula, especially in China and Southeast Asia, raising concerns about the health of millions of mothers and their babies.
	Virtual reality app offers unique glimpse into life with dementia An innovative virtual reality smartphone app – "A Walk Through Dementia" – will launch at a three-day public installation at St Pancras International Station from 2 June.
	Unusual combo reduces health risk from atypical antipsychotic Atypical antipsychotics, though effective for treating disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, gives patients a heightened risk of developing new-onset diabetes. A new data mining study, however, has found a way to relieve this side effect. The study, published in Scientific Reports, shows that taking vitamin D ameliorates the risk of developing new-onset diabetes from atypical antipsychotics like quetiapine.
	New review investigates the health benefit of contact with the natural environment A team of Cochrane authors based in the UK and led by an academic from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, has carried out a review investigating the health benefit of contact with the natural environment.
	Inflammation of the placenta interferes with fetal development Preeclampsia is one of the most common complications to occur during pregnancy, yet its causes are still unknown. A new study involving patients, cell cultures and animal experiments has now shown that those affected by the disease have lower quantities of the placenta's immune protein CD74, and that certain inflammatory factors are higher. These factors disrupt the formation of the placenta and leave the fetus undernourished.
How the Great Recession weighed on children Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers have found that increases in unemployment in California during the Great Recession were associated with an increased risk for weight gain among the state's 1.7 million public school students, suggesting that economic troubles could have long-term health consequences for children.
Capita forms exclusive partnership with BMJ to enhance patient care Capita Healthcare Decisions and global knowledge provider, BMJ have agreed an exclusive partnership to combine clinical decision support tool, BMJ Best Practice, with Capita's internationally renowned clinical decision support software and triage solutions.
	Dietary supplement may prevent and reverse severe damage to aging brain, research suggests A dietary supplement containing a blend of thirty vitamins and minerals—all natural ingredients widely available in health food stores—has shown remarkable anti-aging properties that can prevent and even reverse massive brain cell loss, according to new research from McMaster University.
Commercial weight-loss programs: Evidence of benefits for diabetics still too scarce Johns Hopkins scientists who indirectly investigated the blood sugar effects of 10 (out of 32 selected) commercial weight loss programs say a few show promise of benefit for diabetic patients, but far more rigorous research is needed before doctors can wholeheartedly recommend them.
Cancer survivors: A growing population There were more than 15.5 million Americans with a history of cancer as of January 1, 2016, a number that is projected to reach more than 20 million by 2026. That's according to Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Statistics, 2016, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, and its companion publication for consumers, Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures, 2016-2017. The report was released ahead of National Cancer Survivors Day, Sunday June 5, 2016.
Finely tuned electrical fields give wound healing a jolt A new research report appearing in the June 2016 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, opens up the possibility that small electrical currents might activate certain immune cells to jumpstart or speed wound healing. This discovery, made by a team of scientists from the United Kingdom, may be of particular interest to those with illnesses that may cause wounds to heal slowly or not at all.
Frailty among young bone marrow transplant survivors increases risk of death The prevalence of frailty in young bone marrow transplant survivors is similar to that seen in the elderly population and frailty is associated with an increased risk of subsequent death, according to a new study published online by JAMA Oncology.
	Study finds that higher BMI and waist circumference are associated with increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer A study of almost 150,000 men from 8 European countries, presented at this year's European Obesity Summit (Gothenburg, 1-4 June) shows that higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference are associated with an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer. This analysis of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is by Dr Aurora Perez-Cornago, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues.
	Differences in how ALS affects eye and limb muscles act as clue In an effort to better understand what happens during Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have compared the impact of ALS on the eye and limb muscles. They have focused on specific proteins that are important for muscle-nerve contacts. The eye muscles appear to be better equipped to maintain their muscle-nerve contacts and are thereby less affected.
Cell insights shed light on how muscle-wasting disease takes hold Fresh insights into how our cells control muscle development could aid understanding of muscular dystrophy and other inherited diseases.
	Novel immunotherapy approach shows promise in blood cancers A protein known as STING plays a crucial role in the immune system's ability to "sense" cancer by recognizing and responding to DNA from tumor cells. Injection of compounds that activate the STING pathway directly into solid tumors in mice has been shown in prior studies to result in very potent anti-tumor immune responses.
	Scientists monitor conversation between sensory perception and behavior in mouse brain Sensory information enters the brain at the primary sensory cortex, where they are processed by different layers of cells in ways that ultimately influence an animal's perception and behavioral response. Scientists have now watched the flow of information between the different layers of the cortex for the first time in awake, active mice. Their work provides new insights into links between sensory stimuli and behavior.
	Rare eye disease that struck Oliver Sacks gives rise to new cancer treatment strategy Eye cancer took the life of author and neurologist Oliver Sacks last year, bringing attention to the rare and deadly disease. Scientists have tried to develop precision treatments against cancers like this one, but the mutations that cause them have proven difficult to block with drugs.
Use of neighborhood environment can help overweight adolescents increase physical activity A program encouraging overweight or obese adolescents to increase their physical activity through use of their everyday environment, rather than organized classes or sports programs, produced significant increases in participants' daily physical activity that were sustained for at least three to four months. A report on a pilot study conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) health center in Revere, Mass., is being published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Study provides new clues to leukemia resurgence after chemotherapy For the first time, researchers have discovered that some leukemia cells harvest energy resources from normal cells during chemotherapy, helping the cancer cells not only to survive, but actually thrive, after treatment.
Prevention may be essential to reducing racial disparities in stroke Blacks between the ages of 45 and 54 die of strokes at a rate that is three times greater than their white counterparts, according to the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, which looked at stroke incidence and mortality of nearly 30,000 participants over the age of 45 from an ethnically and demographically diverse sample of the U.S. population. The findings suggest that the higher risk of death from strokes in blacks is due mostly to the higher incidence in this population, and not to worse outcomes following stroke.
	Patient trial confirms Wearable Artificial Kidney proof of concept The results of an exploratory clinical trial indicate that a wearable artificial kidney could be developed as a viable, new dialysis technology. Some redesigns would be required to overcome device-related, technical problems observed during the testing.
Stem cells shown safe, beneficial for chronic stroke patients, clinical trial finds Injecting modified, human, adult stem cells directly into the brains of chronic stroke patients proved not only safe but effective in restoring motor function, according to the findings of a small clinical trial led by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators.
	Men who have sex with men in small cities less likely to be tested for HIV Men who live outside major Canadian cities and have sex with other men are less likely to get an HIV test than their metropolitan counterparts, a UBC study shows.
	Ageing in harmony—why the third act of life should be musical It's never too late to pick up a musical instrument. In fact there are many reasons why it's a great idea, particularly in old age.
	Better heart research to combat number one killer With Heart Week shining a spotlight on Australia's heart health ealier this month leading cardiologist Professor Peter Thompson calls for urgent heart research to help understand the cause of heart disease better.
Pulmonary artery stiffening is an early driver of pulmonary hypertension Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormal elevation of pressure in the pulmonary circulation that results in stress on the heart and remodeling of blood vessels in the lung. Pulmonary hypertension is caused by a variety of factors, and patient prognosis often depends on the underlying cause. Increased stiffness of pulmonary arteries has been linked to increased mortality in patients with pulmonary hypertension, but it is not clear how stiffness develops or drives worsening of disease.
Detecting an early biomarker for pancreatic cancer in blood Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive and deadliest forms of cancer. Treatment options are limited because symptoms typically do not appear until the disease is advanced and complete surgical resection of tumors is not possible.
Renal dopamine signaling prevents kidney injury and improves blood pressure in mice Dopamine signaling in the kidneys plays a critical role in blood pressure regulation and is responsible for nearly half of the salt and water excretion that occurs in response to increased dietary salt intake. Notably, genetic deletion of any of the 5 dopamine receptors expressed in the kidney causes hypertension in mice. Additionally, genetic polymorphisms in specific dopamine receptor subtypes are associated with susceptibility to kidney injury in humans.
Repurposing an old drug to treat cystic fibrosis airway disease The lungs contain a thin layer of fluid known as the airway surface liquid (ASL), which helps protect against pathogens. The appropriate ASL volume, pH, and ionic composition are required for optimal airway defense. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by expression of a dysfunctional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which acidifies the ASL and renders CF patients more susceptible to lung infections.
International trial changing standard of care for advanced breast cancer Surgery to remove the primary tumor in women diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, followed by the standard combination of therapies, adds months to the patients' lives, compared with standard therapy alone, an international clinical trial led by a University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) professor revealed.
Americans need easier access, more affordable options for hearing health care: new report Hearing loss is a significant public health concern, and efforts should be made to provide adults with easier access to and more affordable options for hearing health care, especially for those in underserved and vulnerable populations, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Advisers urge easier access to treatment for hearing loss Hearing loss is a growing public health problem that can leave older adults socially isolated and even increase their risk for dementia—yet getting treated is a pricey hassle, declares a prestigious government advisory group that's calling for change.
	Ditching the tampon: Some women seeking reusable period care The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Watch your step—blur affects stepping accuracy in older adults Visual blurring—like that produced by bifocals or multifocal lenses—may cause errors in foot position when walking. And that could contribute to the risk of tripping and falling in older adults, suggests a study in the June issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.
Genetic variant may help predict risk of kidney damage after heart surgery Testing for a common genetic variant may help reveal which patients face an increased risk of developing kidney damage following heart surgery. The findings, which come from a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), may help investigators develop therapeutic strategies to mitigate this damage.

Biology news

How to organize a cell: Novel insight from a fungus University of Exeter researchers have found novel insight into the ways cells organise themselves. Their work, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and published this week in Nature Communications, uses an interdisciplinary approach to show, for the first time, that random distribution of organelles is a consequence of energy-dependent activity in a fungus and mammalian cell line.
	Researchers one step closer to developing non-allergenic 'super' peanuts Scientists from The University of Western Australia have joined a global research team that have identified genes in peanuts that when altered will be able to prevent an allergic response in humans.
	Sound-like bubbles whizzing around in DNA are essential to life Scientists have shown the weird world of quantum mechanics operating in the molecule of life, DNA.
	Orca cultural groups found to be genetically distinct (Phys.org)—An international team of researchers has found that killer whale cultural groups have evolved to become genetically distinct from one another. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the team describes how they obtained tissue samples from individual orcas from groups spanning the globe, sequenced the genomes of 50 different individuals and then outline what they found in comparing the results of one group to another.
	Scientists discover oldest plant root stem cells Scientists at Oxford University have discovered the oldest known population of plant root stem cells in a 320 million-year-old fossil.
	Pick me! Pick me! How genes are selected to create diverse immune cell receptors Use of a new technique developed at the Babraham Institute has allowed researchers to take an in-depth look at the gene shuffling process that is responsible for our body's ability to recognise a vast range of foreign agents such as disease-causing microorganisms (pathogens). Failure in this process lies at the heart of a variety of immunodeficiency diseases and is also relevant to the decline in immune function observed with age.
	Scientists identify mutation that causes muffs and beards to grow on chickens The growth of long facial feathers, creating the appearance of muffs and beards on chickens, is caused by a chromosomal rearrangement affecting a gene involved in feather development, report Xiaoxiang Hu of the China Agricultural University in Beijing and colleagues, in a new study published on June 2 in PLOS Genetics.
	Researchers unlock new CRISPR system for targeting RNA Researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the National Institutes of Health, Rutgers University- New Brunswick and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology have characterized a new CRISPR system that targets RNA, rather than DNA.
	Researchers develop technique allowing them to map important regulatory DNA regions For a long time dismissed as "junk DNA", we now know that also the regions between the genes fulfil vital functions. Mutations in those DNA regions can severely impair development in humans and may lead to serious diseases later in life. Until now, however, regulatory DNA regions have been hard to find. Scientists around Prof. Julien Gagneur, Professor for Computational Biology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Prof. Patrick Cramer at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen have now developed a method to find regulatory DNA regions which are active and controlling genes.
Street lighting disrupts pollinating moths Street lights change the natural behaviour of moths and disrupt nocturnal pollination, new research has shown.
	Chinese panda gives birth in Belgium A giant panda on loan to Belgium from China has given birth to a cub, a rare event for the endangered species, the Pairi Daiza zoo said Thursday.
	How other primates self-medicate – and what they could teach us Despite our advances in technology and medicine, we seem to be fighting a never-ending battle against a number of diseases and ailments. As viruses become more complex and bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, it seems that the lab-made drugs we have become so dependent on may no longer provide the cures we need. Perhaps this is why we are now turning to nature in the hope that there may be a remedy tucked away somewhere in a remote tropical rain forest.
	Discovering how cyanobacteria form patterns for nitrogen fixation Scientists at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have analyzed the process of nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria, creating a mathematical model that reveals the patterns they form. In these patterns, approximately one out of 10 cells in cyanobacteria filaments fixes nitrogen, while the remaining nine carry out photosynthesis. These microorganisms are fundamental to life on Earth because they produce much of the planet's oxygen and convert nitrogen into chemical forms that can be used by any life form.
	The potato disease that changed the world Michael David Martin specializes in analyzing genetic material. He works surrounded by envelopes with plants and pictures of speckled leaves that he is studying at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) University Museum in the Department of Natural History.
	Tracking exotic plants' invading strategies in new territories Growing up and dying, in constant and repeated cycles, is a key strategy for the success of the plant Carpobrotus edulis, an exotic and invasive species around the world, which invades new territories without leaving any other vegetal plants left.
Seagulls head to big city not for better homes, but more abundant food Being bothered by gulls while eating our chips is a problem most city-dwellers have encountered. Now, scientists have reported in the journal Bird Study that concentrating on making food supplies less accessible may prove more effective at countering these 'nuisance events' than removing rooftop nesting.
	Asexual succession strategy of termites A study led by the Laboratory Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of the Université libre de Bruxelles shows that the humivorous French Guianan termite Cavitermes tuberosus routinely practice asexual queen succession (parthenogenesis).
	The 'Houdini' honey badger and other surprisingly clever animals "What's that, Lassie? Timmy has fallen down the well?" Lassie was the clever dog that always used to save the day, but stories of clever pets such as skateboarding dogs are well known. It is also widely acknowledged that animals such as monkeys, apes, whales and dolphins are extremely intelligent, but how do we actually define "clever"?
	Timing, resistance help decrease incidence of wheat streak mosaic virus When it comes to viruses in South Dakota wheat, the chief culprit is wheat streak mosaic virus.
	Scientists need your help to spot ladybirds Scientists are calling on people who are out in their garden this summer to take part in The Ladybird Challenge and help discover how far an alien ladybird species in the UK is affecting other insects, including a wasp parasite.
	Finding the real treasure of the Incas: Two new frog species from an unexplored region Inaccessibility and mysticism surrounding the mist-veiled mountains of the central Andes make this region promising to hide treasures. With an area of 2197 km2, most of the Llanganates National Park, Ecuador, is nearly unreachable and is traversed only by foot. However, fieldwork conducted by researchers from the Museo de Zoología at Catholic University of Ecuador resulted in the discovery of a more real and tangible gem: biodiversity.
	Singing in the rain: A new species of rain frog from Manu National Park, Amazonian Peru A new rain frog species has been described from Amazonian Peru and the Amazonian foothills of the Andes. The frog, given the name Pristimantis pluvialis, was found by researchers from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the University of Michigan, and the National University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco in Peru. The discovery is published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
Mayo Clinic uncovers how one gene, protein suppresses tumor formation Pten (short for phosphatase and tensin homolog) is a tumor suppressor that is defective in about 20-25 percent of all patients with cancers. Mayo Clinic researchers now have discovered that Pten safeguards against tumor formation by keeping chromosome numbers intact when a cell splits into two daughter cells. In this study, the last three amino acids of the Pten protein, which are often missing in human cancers, were found to be critical for forming an intact mitotic spindle, a structure required for accurate chromosome segregation. The findings appear in the online issue of Nature Cell Biology.
	Genetic code of red blood cells discovered Eight days. That's how long it takes for skin cells to reprogram into red blood cells. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden, together with colleagues at Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona, have successfully identified the four genetic keys that unlock the genetic code of skin cells and reprogram them to start producing red blood cells instead.
	A new energy source within the cells All our cells require the small molecule, ATP, generated in the mitochondria to cover the energy required for cell metabolism, dynamics and growth. To a lower extent and particularly in cancer cells, ATP can also be generated in the cytoplasm from the energy gained during degradation of glucose. These sources of ATP are sufficient to cover the energetic needs of cells in normal conditions. However, in response to stress-inducing external signals or to extensive DNA damage, the cells need to globally reprogram their gene expression pattern, a process that requires extensive remodelling of chromatin to gain access to the regulatory information encoded in DNA.
	We've got tapeworms and scabies! And reproducible research Two new research papers on scabies and tapeworms published today in the Open Access journal GigaScience also include a collaboration with protocols.io. This collaboration showcases a new way to share scientific methods that allows scientists to better repeat and build on these complicated studies on difficult-to-study parasites. It also highlights a new means of writing all research papers with citable methods that can be updated over time. Keeping work clear, consistent, and current.
	Critically endangered Sumatran elephant gives birth A critically endangered Sumatran elephant has given birth to her third calf in Indonesia, an official said Thursday.
Scientist develops early warning system for garden pests A computer scientist from the University of York will play a key role in developing an app and email alert system for gardeners as part of the Big Bug Hunt – a global citizen science project that warns gardeners of pests.
	Restoring what was lost—semi-natural grassland habitat restoration in Sweden Human domination of earth's ecosystems is well documented. Past work has estimated that 20-100% of the land's surface has been affected by humans in some way. Humans build cities, burn rainforests, cultivate massive amounts of grain and livestock, mine ore, and manipulate waterways. Human influence over the natural landscape has earned this geological epoch the title of "the anthropocene." A geological epoch singularly defined by the influence of humans. This massive manipulation of the landscape likely comes with consequences for humans as well. Man-made climate change and land use change are both affecting biodiversity and the ecosystem services that it provides. Ecological recognition of these problems has led to management practices aimed at restoring habitats, often to more closely mimic those from ~200 years ago (pre human influence), and usually focused on the preservation of local biodiversity. Research published this month in PLoS One highlights the importance of defining clear comparison benchmarks for such work, and the inevitability that biodiversity restoration may sometimes be impossible.

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