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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 28, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | How planets like Jupiter formYoung giant planets are born from gas and dust. Researchers of ETH Zürich and the Universities of Zürich and Bern simulated different scenarios relying on the computing power of the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) to find out how they exactly form and evolve. They compared their results with observations and were able to show amongst others a big difference between the postulated formation mechanisms. |
 | New Horizons returns last bits of 2015 flyby data to EarthNASA's New Horizons mission reached a major milestone this week when the last bits of science data from the Pluto flyby – stored on the spacecraft's digital recorders since July 2015 – arrived safely on Earth. |
 | More than 15,000 near-Earth objects and countingThe international effort to find, confirm and catalogue the multitude of asteroids that pose a threat to our planet has reached a milestone: 15 000 discovered – with many more to go. |
 | Relax, the expansion of the universe is still acceleratingThere's been a whirlwind of commentary of late speculating that the acceleration of the expanding universe might not be real after all. |
 | Gaia spies two temporarily magnified starsWhile scanning the sky to measure the position of over one billion stars in our Galaxy, ESA's Gaia satellite has detected two rare instances of stars whose light was temporarily boosted by other celestial objects passing across their lines of sight. One of these stars is expected to brighten again soon. Gaia's measurements will be instrumental to learn more about the nature of these 'cosmic magnifying glasses'. |
 | Keep an automatic eye on seismic zonesThe Copernicus Sentinel-1 twin radar satellites combined with cloud computing are monitoring Europe's earthquake zones by searching for ground shifts as small as a millimetre. |
 | Launch of three astronauts to ISS postponedThe launch next month of a Soyuz spacecraft carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station has been postponed by 48 hours, Russia's space agency said Friday, reportedly to ensure better docking conditions. |
 | Spacecraft sends back last bit of data from 2015 Pluto flybyNASA's New Horizons spacecraft has sent back the last bit of data from its 2015 flyby of Pluto. |
SpaceX closer to understanding rocket explosion at padSpaceX is closer to understanding last month's rocket explosion at its launch pad. | |
 | Image: Proba-1 view of Lena River DeltaAn icy close-up view of part of Russia's Lena River Delta acquired by ESA's veteran Proba-1 microsatellite, celebrating 15 years in orbit. |
 | Image: First pass of Echo 1 satellite over the Goldstone Tracking StationThis photograph shows the first pass of Echo 1, America's first communications satellite, over the Goldstone Tracking Station managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, California, in the early morning of Aug. 12, 1960. The movement of the antenna, star trails (shorter streaks), and Echo 1 (the long streak in the middle) are visible in this image. |
 | Image: Further clues to fate of Mars lander, seen from orbitThe most powerful telescope orbiting Mars is providing new details of the scene near the Martian equator where Europe's Schiaparelli test lander hit the surface last week. |
Technology news
 | Israel firm wants super-efficient engine to power car revolutionAn Israeli firm says a super-efficient engine it has created could drastically reduce fuel consumption and help power an auto industry revolution as manufacturers search for environmentally sound alternatives. |
 | Technique reveals the basis for machine-learning systems' decisionsIn recent years, the best-performing systems in artificial-intelligence research have come courtesy of neural networks, which look for patterns in training data that yield useful predictions or classifications. A neural net might, for instance, be trained to recognize certain objects in digital images or to infer the topics of texts. |
 | Making energy-harvesting computers reliableA revolutionary and emerging class of energy-harvesting computer systems require neither a battery nor a power outlet to operate, instead operating by harvesting energy from their environment. While radio waves, solar energy, heat, and vibrations have the ability to power devices, harvested energy sources are weak leading to an "intermittent execution", with periodic power failures and unreliable behavior. |
 | As music streaming booms, TuneCore eyes global growthStreaming has rapidly shaken up the music business but for many first-time artists, an underlying presumption has remained that they need the backing of a record label. |
New rules on warrants for online devices divide officialsThe Justice Department is citing last week's internet outages caused by widespread cyberattacks to support allowing U.S. agents to search online devices in faraway locations with approval from a single judge. Lawmakers are expressing renewed reservations about a change some see as expanding the FBI's authority to hack devices. | |
Uber lays out vision for flying commuter transitUber on Thursday laid out a vision for on-demand aircraft that can whisk commuters to home or work in a fraction of the time it would take on the road. | |
 | Automated method allows rapid analysis of disaster damage to structuresResearchers are harnessing "deep learning" algorithms and powerful computer vision technology to dramatically reduce the time it takes for engineers to assess damage to buildings after disasters. |
 | Startup commercializing virtual reality sickness solutions, helps move virtual reality mainstreamVirtual reality sickness has become a major challenge in the virtual reality space, hindering product launches and mainstream adoption. Despite such challenges, 2016 is being called "the year of virtual reality." |
 | Breakthrough in harvesting energy from automotive shock absorbersBoosting the fuel efficiency of motor vehicles by "harvesting" the energy generated by their shock absorbers and feeding it back into batteries or electrical systems such as air conditioning has become a major goal in automotive engineering. Now, a University of Huddersfield researcher has made a breakthrough by designing a new system and constructing a prototype that is ready for real-world testing. |
 | US man gets 18 months in 'Celebgate' nude photo hackA US man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for hacking the accounts of Hollywood stars, which led to the online release of private nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and other celebrities. |
 | Apple raises prices in Britain due to pound's dropApple has raised the prices of its Mac computer range in the U.K. amid the dramatic drop in the value of the pound against the dollar following Britain's vote to leave the European Union. |
Swiss rail service to sell Bitcoin at ticket machinesSwitzerland's national rail service (SBB) said Friday it was set to launch a new service selling the digital currency Bitcoin at all ticket machines across the country. | |
 | Apple Watch a fine running companion, with or without NikeApple isn't the first to add GPS functionality to a smartwatch, but it's the first to make something that feels like a running watch. |
From photos to realistic video games, in the blink of an eyeCompanies willing to stand out in today's video game industry need three core assets: an original concept and scenario, an intuitive gameplay, and photo-realistic game environments. As vibrant as it may be, the European video game industry is caught up in this race, and small companies can hardly win without tremendous budgets being invested into their 3-D environments. Technology developed under the CR-PLAY project—which enables the creation of realistic gaming environments based on photos and videos—may increase their chances. | |
French lawmakers want higher taxes on Airbnb rentersFrench lawmakers backed on Friday a proposal to increase taxes on people renting their homes, cars and other goods on the internet when their earnings exceed a certain amount. | |
 | UK Uber drivers win case to get paid vacation, minimum wageUber's claim that its drivers are contractors—and not employees entitled to vacations—was rejected Friday by a British tribunal, in a ruling that may have implications for a range of companies that rely on self-employed workers. |
 | 'Invisible': A rousing all-round thriller in virtual realityHere's a series that aims to break rules in every direction. |
 | Collaboration yields open source technology for computational scienceThe gap between the computational science and open source software communities just got smaller - thanks to an international collaboration among national laboratories, universities and industry. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Activation of two genes linked to development of atherosclerosisResearchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital have found two new potential drug targets for treating arterial diseases such as atherosclerosis. By using proteomics to screen a vast number of molecules, the researchers identified PARP9 and PARP14 - two members of the PARP family of proteins - as regulators of macrophage activation, which has been linked to arterial disease by systems biology. |
 | Autism spectrum disorder linked to mutations in some mitochondrial DNAChildren diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have greater numbers of harmful mutations in their mitochondrial DNA than family members, report Zhenglong Gu of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and colleagues, in a study published October 28th, 2016 in PLOS Genetics. |
 | Study shows how newborn neurons associated with new experiences are integrated into existing networks(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with the Fundación Instituto Leloir in Argentina has found that newborn neurons in the brains of mice become more complex if they are exposed to richer experiences than do those in the brains of mice kept in simple cages. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes experiments they conducted on mouse brains and what they learned about the development of dentate gyrus neurons. |
 | How the brain tracks actions to match physical effort to changes in environmentAnimals on the move must adjust their physical exertion as changes in the environment or their own bodies—muscle fatigue or a strong headwind, for example—alter how efficiently they walk, swim, or fly. Scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus have now monitored neural activity in fish as they adapt their swimming to shifting currents, and discovered that the cells responsible for this kind of motor learning are clustered within a major mood-regulating center of the brain. |
 | Protein supplement may cut risk of heart disease and strokePeople could reduce their risk factors of heart disease and stroke by drinking protein supplements normally favoured by bodybuilders, scientists at the University of Reading have found. |
 | Ancient strain of cholera likely present in Haiti since colonial eraA non-virulent variant of the deadly Vibrio cholerae O1 strain has likely been present in Haitian aquatic environments for several hundred years, with the potential to become virulent through gene transfer with the toxigenic strain introduced by UN peacekeepers, according to research published today by scientists at the University of Florida's Emerging Pathogens Institute. |
 | Structure of toxic tau aggregates determines type of dementia, rate of progressionThe distinct structures of toxic protein aggregates that form in degenerating brains determine which type of dementia will occur, which regions of brain will be affected, and how quickly the disease will spread, according to a study from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute. |
Could minority-serving hospitals be unfairly penalized by CMS for readmissions?A new probe into why colorectal surgery patients end up back in the hospital after surgery suggests that it has less to do with the hospital or treatment received but rather more determined by patient factors such as race, income, and insurance status. | |
 | Novel approach in primary care setting may help identify patients with COPDWith five simple questions and an inexpensive peak expiratory flow (PEF) meter, primary care clinicians may be able to diagnose many more patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Follow-up studies will help establish if earlier identification and treatment of people with COPD improves quality of life and health outcomes. |
 | Could DNA from a virus millions of years old hold the key to new neuro tumor therapies?Dr Sylwia Ammoun, Senior Research Fellow at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, has received backing from children's charity Action Medical Research, to investigate new drug treatments for neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) - and the secret may lie in sequences of DNA from viruses that are millions of years old. |
Myanmar detects first Zika infectionMyanmar's government said Friday that a pregnant foreign woman has been diagnosed with the country's first case of Zika, a mosquito-borne virus linked to birth defects. | |
German hospital uses therapy to 'treat' paedophilesA man looks with interest at the child sitting in front of him in the metro, as a voice asks off-screen: "Do you like children in ways that you shouldn't?" | |
 | Procedure feared to 'suck brain from skull' safe for malaria patientsA Michigan State University researcher is challenging a widely held African belief that a spinal tap, a procedure safely used to treat other diseases, could suck the brain from the base of the skull and cause death in malaria patients. |
Research showing cardiac risk for HIV drug results in FDA warningA newly published study has shown that an antiviral drug commonly used to treat HIV can cause heart abnormalities in people who have a genetic mutation in the enzyme that metabolizes the medication, potentially leading to sudden cardiac death. | |
 | Biomedical engineers design and test an improved method for healing burnsFull thickness skin grafts are the golden standard for treating burn wounds. But most skin grafts for severe burns require a donor, and for large or complicated injury sites, a full thickness skin graft is hard to come by. Split thickness skin grafts that use tissue from the patient may be a solution—but not by themselves. |
 | Study finds no weekend effect in England's major trauma centresPatients admitted to NHS major trauma centres at the weekend have near identical outcomes to those admitted during the week, according to a new study of more than 49,000 patients published in the Emergency Medicine Journal. |
Topical therapy for radiation-induced skin damage shows promising resultsA team of University of Pittsburgh researchers has demonstrated that a newly developed topical therapy applied before or after radiation exposure prevents skin damage in both animal and human models. | |
Lactate measurement improves treatment during labourLabour dystocia, or the failure of the uterus to contract properly during labour, is a serious problem in obstetrics. A new study from Karolinska Institutet demonstrates a simple method that can make it easier for doctors to assess and treat the condition. The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE and was part-financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. | |
 | The nose knows – even newborns get virusesAlmost one in five babies has a respiratory virus in their first month of life, research shows, but many do not exhibit signs of illness. |
Scientists propose neuroscience framework for diagnosing addictionsScientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, propose using an assessment tool to diagnose addictive disorders that considers addiction-related behaviors, brain imaging, and genetic data. According to a new review article, the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) would facilitate future understanding of the origin of addiction at a biological level, and could ultimately lead to more effective individualized treatments for addictions. The review appears online in the journal Biological Psychiatry . | |
Examining the effects of regulating tobacco salesState actions to regulate retail sales of tobacco nearly doubled between 2012 and 2014, according to new research from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, but much of that activity involved e-cigarettes, perhaps the least harmful tobacco product. | |
 | Researchers find key to stroke survivalThe number of trained nurses available to treat patients immediately after a stroke is the most reliable health services predictor of survival according to research from the University of Aberdeen and University of East Anglia. |
 | Regenerating muscle from stem cellsA microscopic image of a mouse leg that has been reconstructed with a stem cell transplant shows what may one day help patients regrow new muscle after a major surgery. |
 | Breakthrough in the production of dopamine neurons for Parkinson's diseaseThe first transplantation of stem cells in patients with Parkinson's disease is almost within reach. However, it remains a challenge for researchers to control stem cells accurately in the lab in order to achieve successful and functional stem cell therapies for patients. |
 | Customized bikes to improve physical performance and prevent injuriesResearchers from the University of Granada (UGR) have developed a new comprehensive method to create customized bikes or adapt old ones. The customized bikes adapt to the characteristics and needs of each person, thus improving their athletic performance and preventing injuries. |
Fish intake may protect children from allergiesEating oily fish while pregnant or breastfeeding may protect your child from allergies. Likewise, kids who eat fish, eggs and flour early in life have less allergies, according to new findings from the division of Food and Nutrition Science at Chalmers. | |
New research paves way for anti-cancer treatmentResearchers at the University of Huddersfield have developed a new lab technique that may aid the development and success rate of an important anti-cancer treatment. | |
 | The real reason clowns scare usThis Halloween may be the scariest in a long time. Facing the usual huge crowds of zombies, witches and vampires, deep down, many of us most fear running into one of the "killer clowns" that have been spotted in creepy places across the world over the past few months. |
 | New discovery in understanding chemotherapy resistance could prevent cancer cells fighting backScientists have made an important breakthrough in understanding why some cancer cells become resistant to chemotherapy. |
 | New trials offer hope for TB treatmentResearchers at the University of St Andrews are one step closer to finding a shorter, more effective treatment for TB, according to a new paper published by The Lancet Infectious Diseases. |
Expectations may not match reality among cancer patients in some early phase clinical trialsIn a study of cancer patients considering whether they should participate in phase I clinical trials, a high percentage were willing to participate after discussions with clinical staff, but nearly half thought that their tumors would shrink, which is much higher than what is realistically achieved. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings demonstrate the challenges facing patients and healthcare professionals during their interactions in phase I studies. | |
New drug benefits patients with multi-drug resistant HIVA new biologic medication - the first for HIV - is showing promise in treating patients with multidrug resistance, according to phase 3 research being presented at IDWeek 2016. | |
 | New study: Children with autism may be over-diagnosed with ADHDA well-established screening tool used to assess children for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be less accurate when a child has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Pediatric researchers report that children with ASD may mistakenly be diagnosed with ADHD because they have autism-related social impairments rather than problems with attention. This is important for understanding what are the right services and treatments for a child. |
Can we put a price on healthcare innovation in cancer?Most media attention is awarded to cancer's success stories - new treatment breakthroughs are celebrated as researchers (and journalists) search for an exciting new "cure" for cancer. But what happens after these innovations hit the news? And who is going to buy them? | |
 | Study finds that sleep apnea therapy has positive impact on hypertensive patientsA new study shows that positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy for sleep apnea may have a positive impact on sleep-related functional outcomes among patients who also suffer from hypertension. The findings suggest that untreated sleep apnea may explain the quality of life impairments reported by many patients with high blood pressure. |
 | Report: More Americans getting health care under Obamacare(HealthDay)—Even as double-digit hikes in the cost of health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) loom for many Americans, a new federal study finds that gaps in access to medical care have been shrinking since the landmark law was passed. |
 | Join the teal pumpkin project on Halloween(HealthDay)—Halloween can be ver-r-r-r-y frightful for kids with food allergies, but the Teal Pumpkin Project aims to make their trick-or-treating safer and more fun. |
 | Poorer heart attack victims, especially women, fare worse: study(HealthDay)—Younger heart attack survivors who struggle to afford health care and medications have worse outcomes than those who don't, a new study finds. |
 | Socioeconomic status in children tied to MetS in adulthood(HealthDay)—Family socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood is associated with the risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and glucose abnormalities in adulthood, according to a study published online Oct. 18 in Diabetes Care. |
 | Same-day CT imaging cuts unnecessary bronchoscopy(HealthDay)—Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the chest on the same day as a scheduled bronchoscopic procedure can identify partial or total resolution of some lung nodules and reduce unnecessary procedures, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. |
 | Subconjunctival gentamicin can cause macular necrosis(HealthDay)—Subconjunctival gentamicin can cause macular necrosis in the eye, according to a letter to the editor published online Oct. 20 in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology. |
 | Quality improvement methods improve asthma care(HealthDay)—Implementation of quality improvement (QI) methods can improve timely administration of short-acting β-agonists (SABAs) for acute asthma in a pediatric emergency department, according to a study published online Oct. 26 in Pediatrics. |
 | Mohs effective for melanoma in situ of trunk, extremities(HealthDay)—Mohs micrographic surgery is efficacious for melanoma in situ (MIS) on the trunk and proximal extremities, with a margin of 9 mm needed to excise 97 percent of MIS, according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. |
 | Study identifies potential combination therapy for ovarian cancerA new study has identified an effective combination therapy for treating ovarian cancer cells. |
Always-deadly measles complication more common than believedA complication of measles that kills children years after they have the infection is more common than thought, according to a study being presented at IDWeek 2016. The research underscores the vital importance of herd immunity by vaccination: All who are eligible should be vaccinated to protect those who can't be immunized, including infants. | |
Prevalence of immunosuppression among US adultsIn a study published online by JAMA, Rafael Harpaz, M.D., M.P.H., of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS; an annual health survey conducted via household interviews) to estimate the prevalence of self-reported immunosuppressed adults in the United States. The study is being released to coincide with its presentation at IDWeek 2016. | |
 | Does baby powder cause cancer? Another jury says yes.For the third time, Johnson & Johnson has been hit with a multimillion-dollar jury verdict over whether the talc in its iconic baby powder causes ovarian cancer when applied regularly for feminine hygiene. |
Cognitive behavioral therapy effective for older people with insomniaInsomnia is the most common sleep problem in adults—as many as 30 percent to 50 percent of people report having trouble sleeping. For older adults, insomnia can often be chronic and is linked to other serious health conditions. Older adults who have difficulty sleeping are also at higher risk for depression, falls, stroke, and trouble with memory and thinking. They also may experience a poorer quality of life. | |
 | Research targets medications for those with depression"The antidepressant bupropion is a negative allosteric modulator of serotonin type 3A receptors," was published in the September issue of the journal Neuropharmacology. |
Treadmill running with heavier shoes tied to slower race timesIt makes sense that running with heavier shoes on will cause you to exert more energy than running with lighter shoes. That was proven several decades ago. | |
 | Scientists discover way to make milk chocolate have dark chocolate health benefitsDark chocolate can be a source of antioxidants in the diet, but many consumers dislike the bitter flavor. The taste of milk chocolate is more appealing to a greater number of consumers, but it doesn't have the same antioxidants properties as dark chocolate. In a recent Journal of Food Science study, researchers found a way to use peanut skin extracts to make milk chocolate that has even more nutritional benefits of dark chocolate without affecting the taste. |
 | Talc verdict winner: Money can't make up for lost healthWhen Deborah Giannecchini was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer four years ago, it didn't make sense. She had no family history, nor did she seem a high risk. |
 | Jury awards more than $70M to woman in baby powder lawsuitA St. Louis jury on Thursday awarded a California woman more than $70 million in her lawsuit alleging that years of using Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused her cancer, the latest case raising concerns about the health ramifications of extended talcum powder use. |
Novo Nordisk cuts profit forecast amid US challengesShares in the world's largest maker of diabetes treatments, Novo Nordisk, fell by more than 19 percent on Friday after it cut its profit forecast, reflecting tough competition in the US market. | |
 | WADA cites near collapse of anti-doping program at Rio GamesThe World Anti-Doping Agency has detailed serious failings of doping control management at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, saying the system was only saved from collapsing by the "enormous resourcefulness and goodwill" of some key staff. |
For Syrian women under siege, a special struggle: periodsLike many women, Huda dreads her menstrual period every month. But it isn't simply inconvenient or painful: She lives under siege near Syria's Damascus, without sanitary pads or even clean water. | |
In low- to middle-income countries, barriers to cleft lip and palate surgery persistCharitable organizations perform more than 80 percent of cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries in Vietnam—reflecting the complex and persistent barriers to surgical care in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), according to a study in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). | |
What's the best way to match the implant to the breast? Evidence on implant size selection systems reviewedHow should plastic surgeons choose the best implant type and size for women undergoing breast augmentation surgery? Implant size selection systems based on breast tissue measurements may provide better outcomes, suggests a research review in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). | |
What's the best treatment for positional plagiocephaly in infants? CNS publishes new guidelinesPhysical therapy—with helmet therapy if needed—is the recommended treatment for most infants with position-related flattening of the skull (plagiocephaly), according to a new set of clinical guidelines in the November issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer. | |
High-frequency spinal cord stimulation provides better results in chronic back and leg painFor patients with severe, chronic back and leg pain, a new high-frequency spinal cord stimulation (SCS) technique provides superior clinical outcomes, compared to conventional low-frequency SCS, reports a clinical trial in the November issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. | |
 | Is prolactin inducible protein (PIP) protective against breast cancer?Researchers describe the first evidence linking prolactin inducible protein (PIP) to the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy foreign cells, such as tumor cells. New research in PIP-deficient mice that demonstrates the role of PIP in cell-mediated immunity and suggests that this immune regulatory function may be protective against breast cancer is presented in DNA and Cell Biology. |
 | Haitians struggle for clean water weeks after hurricaneIt's been nearly a month since Hurricane Matthew tore through southern Haiti and people like Kettley Rosier and many of her neighbors still have to spend their meager savings for water to drink. |
Puerto Rico: First baby born with microcephaly due to ZikaPuerto Rico on Friday reported its first case of a baby born with microcephaly as a result of a Zika infection, raising concerns because officials said the medical condition wasn't identified until the mother was nearly eight months pregnant. | |
Biology news
 | How Frankenstein saved humankind from probable extinctionFrankenstein as we know him, the grotesque monster that was created through a weird science experiment, is actually a nameless Creature created by scientist Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, "Frankenstein." Widely considered the first work of science fiction for exploring the destructive consequences of scientific and moral transgressions, a new study published in BioScience argues that the horror of Mary Shelley's gothic novel is rooted in a fundamental principle of biology. |
 | Computer model is 'crystal ball' for E. coli bacteriaIt's difficult to make predictions, especially about the future, and even more so when they involve the reactions of living cells—huge numbers of genes, proteins and enzymes, embedded in complex pathways and feedback loops. Yet researchers at the University of California, Davis, Genome Center and Department of Computer Science are attempting just that, building a computer model that predicts the behavior of a single cell of the bacterium Escherichia coli. |
 | Closer look reveals tubule structure of endoplasmic reticulum(Phys.org)—A team of researchers from the U.S. and the U.K. has used high-resolution imaging techniques to get a closer look at the endoplasmic reticulum (ET), a cellular organelle, and in so doing, has found that its structure is not made of tiny sheets of materials, as was thought, but is instead composed of tubule structures. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes their research and their theories on why the organelles have such a dynamic structure. Mark Terasaki with the University of Connecticut Health Center offers a Perspective piece providing a short history of such research and outlining the work done by the team in the same journal issue. |
 | Deal struck for world's biggest marine reserve in AntarcticaThe world's largest marine reserve aimed at protecting the pristine wilderness of Antarctica will be created after a "momentous" agreement was finally reached Friday, with Russia dropping its long-held opposition. |
 | Adorable but shy, pygmy anteaters are VIPs at Peru zooPaulina struggles to open her eyes, sees strange people in her space and raises her tiny claws in warning. |
 | Identifying the brain mechanisms behind changes in feeding habitsFruit flies deprived of specific essential nutrients alter their food choices—and even the way they search for food. A team of neuroscientists, led by researchers from the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal, "dissected" these behaviors, a first step toward identifying the brain mechanisms that are behind these changes in feeding habits. |
 | Expanded genetic information about the migratory locustResearchers from the University of Granada (UGR) have expanded the knowledge of genetic information about the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), an orthopteron responsible for devastating plagues in Africa due to its high mobility, capable of flying at high speed with the wind (up to 20 kilometers per hour). |
When animals share, conservation is affordableGrizzly bears in the Rocky Mountains are probably a bit lonely. They live mostly in two protected areas of federal, state and tribal lands: The Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem in northwestern Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in southwestern Montana and parts of Wyoming and Idaho. | |
 | Changes to Australia's marine reserves leave our oceans unprotectedOcean health relies on a strong backbone of protection and management. Marine reserves can be part of the solution, but only if they're constructed in the right way. Recent recommendations on Australia's marine reserves would leave more ocean unprotected. |
 | Dispersal key for understanding marine biodiversityDispersal plays a key role to connect populations, and contrastingly, its moderate limitation is one of the main processes to maintain species coexistence and promote regional biodiversity. A study recently published in Scientific Reports has explored whether neutral theory predictions with respect to marine biological connectivity are correct or not. |
 | When fat cells change their colorIn mammals, three types of adipose tissues exist. White adipocytes are mainly located in the abdominal and subcutaneous areas of the body and highly adapted to store excess energy. Conversely, beige and brown adipocytes are highly energy-expending by generating heat. A team with the Freiburg researchers Prof. Dr. Roland Schuele and Dr. Delphine Duteil has now shown that the epigenetic enzyme lysine-specific demethylase 1 (Lsd1) plays a key role in maintaining the metabolic properties of brown fat. |
Scientist: Breach dams to save orcas off Washington stateResearchers who track the endangered population of orcas that frequent Washington state waters say three whales are believed dead or missing since summer. | |
 | Five facts about Antarctic sanctuariesAgreement was reached Friday to create a vast US and New Zealand-backed Antarctic marine sanctuary in the Ross Sea—the world's largest—at a meeting of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart. |
 | Q&A: Fish and politics behind Antarctic marine reserve dealNations from around the world on Friday reached an historic agreement to preserve an area of ocean near Antarctica that's about twice the size of Texas. Here are some questions and answers about the deal: |
Video: Modeling animal tradeoffs shaped by landscape complexityThe Lemhi Valley is a high desert sagebrush steppe environment in eastern Idaho, along the border with Montana. It's a critical habitat and a gorgeous piece of intact sagebrush landscape, according to University of Idaho mammalian ecologist Janet Rachlow. It also happens to be home to the pygmy rabbit, which is the reason Rachlow and her colleague, Washington State University foraging ecologist Lisa Shipley, are here with a group of research students. | |
 | Video of world's 'saddest polar bear' in China sparks outrageA global campaign to free the world's "saddest polar bear" from a Chinese shopping centre has gathered one million signatures, rights groups said, as a new video of the wretched-looking creature sparked fresh outrage. |
 | Whaling watchdog concludes discordant meetingThe world's whaling watchdog concluded a typically discordant meeting Friday with defeats for both the pro- and anti-whaling camps, and the organisation's very purpose called into question. |
 | Whaling: The hunters and the huntedThirty years into a moratorium on commercial whaling, hundreds of the marine mammals, some endangered, are killed every year—some in open defiance of the ban, others in the name of scientific research. |
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