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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 11, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Cosmic whistle packs a surprisingly energetic punchPenn State University astronomers have discovered that the mysterious "cosmic whistles" known as fast radio bursts can pack a serious punch, in some cases releasing a billion times more energy in gamma-rays than they do in radio waves and rivaling the stellar cataclysms known as supernovae in their explosive power. The discovery, the first-ever finding of non-radio emission from any fast radio burst, drastically raises the stakes for models of fast radio bursts and is expected to further energize efforts by astronomers to chase down and identify long-lived counterparts to fast radio bursts using X-ray, optical, and radio telescopes. |
 | Researchers use novel analysis technique to help solve Beagle 2 mysteryScientists in Leicester have moved one step closer to understanding exactly what happened to the ill-fated Mars Lander Beagle 2, thanks to an innovative research technique. |
 | Meteorites reveal lasting drought on MarsThe lack of liquid water on the surface of Mars today has been demonstrated by new evidence in the form of meteorites on the Red Planet examined by an international team of planetary scientists. |
 | Image: Hubble steals a look at NGC 1222NGC 1222, seen in this image taken with the Wide Field Camera 3 on board the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is a galaxy with a rather eventful story to tell. NGC 1222 has been described as a peculiar example of a type of galaxy known as a lenticular galaxy. |
 | A hydrogen-rich, passive galaxyCold gas in the form of neutral hydrogen atoms provides the reservoir for star formation in galaxies from the distant to the nearby Universe. Understanding how it accretes onto galaxies is of crucial importance because fresh supplies of gas fuel the ongoing star-forming. In the most popular version, accretion onto the galaxy occurs along cosmic filaments, and at least in more massive galaxies is heated by shocks in the process; in smaller galaxies the infalling material stays relatively cool. Since galaxies in the early universe are smaller, it is thought that this cold process of growth is more typical for them as well. |
 | Was physics really violated by EM drive in 'leaked' NASA paper?Ever since NASA announced that they had created a prototype of the controversial Radio Frequency Resonant Cavity Thruster (aka. the EM Drive), any and all reported results have been the subject of controversy. And with most of the announcements taking the form of "leaks" and rumors, all reported developments have been naturally treated with skepticism. |
 | Discovery of a nearby super-Earth with only five times our massRed dwarf stars have proven to be a treasure trove for exoplanet hunters in recent years. In addition to multiple exoplanets candidates being detected around stars like TRAPPIST-1, Gliese 581, Gliese 667C, and Kepler 296, there was also the ESO's recent discovery of a planet orbiting within the habitable zone of our sun's closest neighbor – Proxima Centauri. |
 | High-res commercial satellite launches from California coastA commercial satellite capable of taking high-resolution images from space was launched Friday from a military base along the California coast. |
 | NASA's earliest and greatest astronauts star in new exhibitNASA's earliest and greatest astronauts gathered at Kennedy Space Center on Friday to mark the grand opening of a new space exhibit in which they're the stars. |
Technology news
 | First supercapacitor that can be charged by human body heatDr. Choongho Yu, Gulf Oil/Thomas A. Dietz Career Development Professor II in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, and his graduate student group has developed a new concept of electrical energy storage: Thermally Chargeable Solid-state Supercapacitor. |
 | Infineon chip has its day in the sun with Rubik's Cube solved in 0.637(Tech Xplore)—A robot can solve a Rubik's Cube in 637 milliseconds. The robot, named "Sub1 Reloaded," pulled off the feat with the help of (1) microchips from Infineon and (2) microcontroller Aurix. The latter is described as one of the world's most powerful minicomputers. |
 | Nintendo ending Japan sales of Wii U, shifting to SwitchNintendo Co. is ending sales in Japan of its Wii U home console "soon," although it's not saying exactly when, and similar announcements are expected in other regions. |
 | Why batteries have started catching fire so oftenAll our lives we have relied on batteries in everything from mobile phones and cars to hand torches, but confidence in the technology has deteriorated of late. Many airline passengers have had to surrender their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones in recent weeks because their batteries are considered a fire risk, while those left in baggage holds have delayed aircraft and caused angst to travellers. |
 | Remote sensing tech sees positive response from federal agenciesIn the wake of natural disasters, being able to quickly and accurately assess the damage to roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure can save lives. That fact is one of the driving forces for a University of New Mexico research team making big strides in the field of remote sensing. |
 | New cybersecurity framework profile to ensure safe transfer of hazardous liquids at portsThe U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) oversees approximately 800 waterfront facilities that, among other activities, transfer hazardous liquids between marine vessels and land-based pipelines, tanks or vehicles. These "maritime bulk liquid transfers" increasingly rely on computers to operate valves and pumps, monitor sensors and perform many other vital safety and security functions. This makes the whole system more vulnerable to cybersecurity issues ranging from malware to human error, and is the reason behind a new voluntary cybersecurity guide for the industry. |
 | $12.9B, 4.5 acres: Navy's next-generation aircraft carrierThe Navy refers to its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, as "4.5 acres of sovereign U.S. territory." The $12.9 billion warship—the first of the Navy's next generation of aircraft carriers—is in the final stages of construction after cost overruns and a delay of more than one year. |
 | Crowd workers help robot keep conversation freshPeople can find a hundred ways to say the same thing, which poses a challenge to robots that are expected to keep up their end of conversations. A Disney Research team's solution is to devise an automated method of crowdsourcing multiple lines of dialogue. After all, "hello" is a perfectly fine greeting, but not every time you see someone. |
Computer outage briefly grounds flights on several airlinesTravelers on several airlines had trouble checking in for flights and waited out delays Friday after a computer outage at a company that runs airline technology systems. | |
 | Facebook glitch made it appear some users had diedSome Facebook users received an unsettling shock Friday, when an unexplained glitch caused the social networking service to post a notice that implied they were dead. |
 | 'Big data' questioned in wake of Trump's surprising victoryFor an American public that relies on data for everything from where to find the best taco to the likely victor in a baseball game, Election Day offered a jarring wake-up: The data was wrong. |
 | New NIST guide helps small businesses improve cybersecuritySmall-business owners may think that they are too small to be victims of cyber hackers, but Pat Toth knows otherwise. Toth leads outreach efforts to small businesses on cybersecurity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and understands the challenges these businesses face in protecting their data and systems. |
Grubhub CEO backtracks after asking Trump supporters to quitThe co-founder of food delivery service Grubhub sent an email to all his employees suggesting that supporters of President-elect Donald Trump should resign, then issued a statement saying he welcomes all employees, regardless of their political beliefs. | |
 | Zuckerberg: 'Crazy' to say Facebook influenced election (Update)Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the idea that fake news spread on Facebook influenced the outcome of the U.S. election is "crazy." |
Energy storage system of tomorrowInvention by Horst Schmidt-Böcking and Gerhard Luther basis for a novel marine pumped storage system developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) / Tested for the first time in Lake Constance. | |
 | Facebook tweaks race-based ad targeting policyFacebook says it will no longer allow advertisers to use ethnicity as a filter when it comes to targeting or hiding ads offering housing, employment or credit. |
Medicine & Health news
 | New research reveals most pain-sensing nerves in the body specialized to respond to specific sensationsMany pain-sensing nerves in the body are thought to respond to all types of 'painful events', but new UCL research in mice reveals that in fact most are specialised to respond to specific types such as heat, cold or mechanical pain. |
 | Why are we ticklish?A new study from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin has found how "ticklishness" is represented in the rat brain. The study has been published on 11th November 2016 in Science |
 | Pain-initiating function of glial cells identified for the first timeThe sensation of pain occurs when neural pathways conduct excitation generated by tissue damage to the spinal cord, where the nociceptive information is extensively pre-processed. From there, the information is transmitted to the human brain, where the sensation of "pain" is finally created. This is the general belief. However, researchers from the Division of Neurophysiology at MedUni Vienna's Center for Brain Research have now discovered that pain is not just a matter of nerves but that non-neuronal cells, the glial cells, are also involved in clinically relevant pain models and their activation is sufficient to amplify pain. The study has now been published in the leading journal Science. |
 | Deviations from expectations: detecting moving objectsPawel Zmarz and Georg Keller at the FMI have identified neurons in the visual cortex that enable the detection of moving objects as we move along. These neurons integrate visual and motor-related input and signal a mismatch when there is a deviation between actual and predicted visual flow. In addition, these neurons cover clearly defined areas of the visual field, conveying highly specific local information. |
 | Link between DNA and chronic widespread joint painScientists at King's College London, funded by the charity Arthritis Research UK, have found a link between changes in marks on the outside of DNA (epigenetics) and chronic widespread joint pain, one of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a common long-term chronic condition that causes fatigue and widespread pain in muscles and bones. |
 | Molecular structure in Zika virus leads to potentially disease-causing RNAsResearchers, led by scientists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, have found basic molecular processes used by the Zika virus to "hijack" the cells that it infects and potentially how it makes molecules that are directly linked to disease. |
 | Traumatic stress changes brains of boys, girls differently, study findsTraumatic stress affects the brains of adolescent boys and girls differently, according to a new brain-scanning study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. |
 | Immune cells may facilitate tumor growth by forming primitive vascular channelsA new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) suggests there may be a way to limit tumor growth by targeting immune system cells called macrophages. |
Keeping our balance—a tale of two systems: Our vestibular system reflects evolution from sea to landThe transition from being sea creatures to living on land, even if it happened over 300 million years ago, seems to have left its traces on the way we keep our balance today. | |
 | Skipping breakfast and not enough sleep can make children overweightMothers smoking in pregnancy, children skipping breakfast and not having a regular bedtime or sufficient sleep all appear to be important factors in predicting whether a child will become overweight or obese, according to new research led by UCL. |
 | New findings show promise for treatment of Graves' disease and other ocular disordersA new class of therapies may be on the horizon for thyroid eye disease (TED) and other destructive scarring conditions. At least 50% of patients with Graves' disease, an autoimmune disease that primarily attacks the thyroid gland, develop eye problems including inflammation, discomfort, scarring, and bulging eyes. Abnormal over-production and activation of collagen-producing myofibroblasts underlie many of these conditions. A new study published in The American Journal of Pathology found that activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway by its ligands blocks collagen production and myofibroblast proliferation in TED. |
Bulk of world's child deaths in just 10 countries: studySixty percent of the 5.9 million children under five who died last year were in just 10 countries in Africa and Asia, an evaluation of global infant health revealed Friday. | |
Many doctors still don't know facts about penicillin allergyIf you think you're allergic to penicillin, but have never been tested, ask for a referral to an allergist to confirm the allergy. Many physicians whose patients have "penicillin allergy" in their charts don't know that frequently, a penicillin allergy diagnosis is given to a child as the result of a rash, but without any follow up testing. | |
School staff know more than they think they do about treating anaphylaxisA study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting found only 18 percent of non-nurse school staff surveyed felt very confident in their ability to recognize anaphylaxis symptoms. | |
When and how to introduce peanut-containing foods to reduce allergy riskParents may be confused with how and when to introduce peanut-containing foods to their infants. Presentations at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting will offer guidance, based on soon to be released guidelines, on how to approach this topic without going "nuts." | |
Odds of having asthma 53 percent higher in food desertsLiving in a food desert - an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food - means you're at increased risk to have asthma. Children who were studied who did not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables had higher rates of asthma than children who did have access. | |
Access to asthma meds, plus flu vaccines, keep kids with asthma healthyKids need flu shots to prevent asthma flares, and medications available in school to keep 86 percent in class, according to two studies being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting. | |
 | Still fighting: Vietnam vets seek help for rare cancerMike Baughman considered himself one of the lucky ones, returning from Vietnam without any major injuries or psychological scars. But after falling ill nearly a half-century later, he found out he did not escape the war after all. |
 | Vitamin D deficiency is widely overestimated, doctors warnDoctors are warning about vitamin D again, and it's not the "we need more" news you might expect. Instead, they say there's too much needless testing and too many people taking too many pills for a problem that few people truly have. |
 | Pneumonia rates linked to hospital ventilators have not droppedContrary to data published by the Centers for Disease Control, ventilator-associated pneumonia rates in hospital intensive care units have not declined significantly since 2005, according to a new study out of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. |
Pesticide exposures can cause changes in oral microbiomePesticide exposure in farmworkers from agricultural communities is associated with changes in the oral microbiome. This is the first study to demonstrate such a correlation in humans. The research is published November 11th in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. | |
 | Despite progress, hundreds of children still die of measles every dayA United Nations-backed report issued today has revealed that despite a 79 per cent worldwide decrease in measles deaths between 2000 and 2015, nearly 400 children still die from the disease every day. |
New study links obesity, starting at adolescence, to endometrial cancer among women not using hormone therapyWhile it is well established that obesity is closely linked to endometrial cancer risk, most past findings have only looked at risk in relation to one measure of body size at a time. In this study led by the Cancer Prevention Institute of California, e-published on November 3, 2016 in the journal Cancer Causes and Control, researchers evaluated changes in obesity, beginning at adolescence, to identify lifetime risk factors that may lead to endometrial cancer. | |
 | Stem cells provide sound in vitro models for deafnessA collaboration, including researchers from Juntendo University, demonstrates differentiation from stem cells into specialised cells thought to be the most important therapeutic target for the treatment of hereditary deafness. |
 | Researchers launch first clinical trial for Wolfram syndrome drug treatmentResearchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are launching a new clinical trial to assess the safety of a drug treatment for patients with the rare disease Wolfram syndrome. |
 | Online offerings can facilitate psychological improvement in suicidal peopleNumerous offerings are available on the Internet for suicidal people desperately seeking advice. These can be divided into professional offerings run by crisis centres and those operated by non-professionals. Even the latter can help to improve the subjective situation, so long as they are so-called "anti-suicide forums." |
Depression screening questions seem to miss menWomen may be more likely to be diagnosed and treated for anxiety and depression not because they are, but because they're more willing than men to honestly answer the questions used to diagnose mental health problems, a new Duke study finds. | |
 | War on Ebola—knowledge is power in the fight to control epidemicsIt was a December day like any other in the village of Meliandou: a remote outcrop in the densely forested region of southern Guinea. A young boy named Emile Ouamouno was playing by a tree filled with fruit bats. |
Children with feeding tubes benefit most from multidisciplinary careA new study finds positive outcomes associated with intensive multidisciplinary treatment for children with pediatric feeding disorder who may require a feeding tube to support growth and development. The results are reported in the early edition of The Journal of Pediatrics, from researchers at the Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine. | |
 | Development of a wearable medical device for type 2 diabetesAlthough effective for the treatment of diabetes, exercise is sometimes difficult for overweight or elderly people. A new wearable medical device developed by Kumamoto University has been found to effect visceral fat loss and improve blood glucose (sugar). The current study reports clinical trial results for optimal use frequency. |
Arthritis drug boosts effectiveness of antidepressant medication, study findsGiving severely depressed patients the arthritis drug celecoxib (Celebrex) dramatically boosted the effectiveness of their antidepressant medication, a Loyola study has found. | |
Victims of childhood bullying more likely to be overweight as young adultsChildren who are bullied in primary and secondary school are nearly twice as likely to be overweight at the age of 18 than non-bullied children, according to a new study by researchers from King's College London. | |
 | Smartphone app for early autism detection being developedWhat if someone invented a smartphone app that could help detect autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children as young as 2 years old? Could it lead to earlier detection and therefore better treatment? |
 | Protozoan parasite increases risk of colitis, study revealsResearchers from the University of Toronto have discovered that mice infected with the common gut parasite Tritrichomonas muris are at an increased risk of developing inflammatory colitis. Their findings, which have been published online in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, expand the type of gut-resident microorganism that can affect the health of their host and suggest that related parasites may cause gastrointestinal disease in humans. |
 | Fun, comfort with exercise helps young people with conditions like autism and ADHD remain activeThe best way to help young people with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder get more exercise is to make it fun, according to a small international sampling of adults living with them. |
 | New discovery paves way for pancreatic cancer treatmentPancreatic cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, is projected to be the second by the year 2030, according to a study in the journal of Cancer Research. The five-year survival rate is only 8 percent, making it the only major cancer with a survival rate in the single digits. Despite rising mortality rates, pancreatic cancer is under-researched and underfunded, and there are few Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments to combat the disease. |
Pfizer lowers cost of Prevnar vaccine for some charity useDrugmaker Pfizer says it's reducing what it charges humanitarian groups for its blockbuster vaccine against pneumonia, ear and blood infections. | |
Scientists develop tissue-engineered model of human lung and tracheaScientists at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have developed a tissue-engineered model of lung and trachea which contains the diverse cell types present in the human respiratory tract. The study, led by principal investigator Tracy Grikscheit, MD, a pediatric surgeon and scientist at The Saban Research Institute of CHLA, was published this week in the online version of the journal Tissue Engineering. | |
 | Before a cure, a crusade to stop lung cancer from spreadingThe American Cancer Society has reported that lung cancer, which kills more Americans than any other type of cancer, is expected result in an estimated 158,080 deaths in 2016. |
 | Researchers study the ideal physical, mental states for focusing attention and exercising self-controlResearchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are studying the ideal physical and mental states to help children and adults pay attention and practice self-control, by combining computer-game testing with a simultaneous ongoing analysis of heart-rate and skin activity. |
 | Tropical bedbugs creeping back to Florida(HealthDay)—There's more reason for Floridians to check their sofas and mattresses: Tropical bedbugs have been confirmed in the state for the first time in at least 60 years, scientists report. |
 | Kids react differently when a beloved pet dies(HealthDay)—Losing a pet isn't easy—no matter what your age. But, children respond to the death of a pet in a number of different ways, research shows. |
 | Sexual pain for women with cancer should not be overlooked: report(HealthDay)—Painful sex is common, though often treatable, in women with cancer, yet doctors often overlook it, researchers say. |
 | Modeling IDs amount, type of data to predict heart failure(HealthDay)—Modeling has identified the amount and type of data needed to detect prediagnostic heart failure, according to research published online Nov. 8 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. |
 | Women with GDM have elevated risk of future cardiac events(HealthDay)—The risk of cardiovascular outcomes is elevated for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), even in the absence of subsequent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published online Nov. 7 in Diabetes Care. |
Anxious, stressed post-election? Limit social mediaGot the post-election blues? Want to celebrate your candidate's win without someone bringing you down? You know you could stay off your social-media accounts to keep your pulse low, but if you're like many of us, you can't cut the cord completely. | |
Cochlear implants for advanced hearing lossDear Mayo Clinic: I'm 72 and have worn hearing aids for about a decade. Over the past several years, my hearing seems to be getting worse. Although I've tried several different kinds of hearing aids, I can't hear well with them anymore. A friend suggested I ask my doctor about a cochlear implant. I thought those were just for people who are deaf. Could a cochlear implant help someone like me? How does it work? | |
It's sometimes called 'the winter blues'With winter in the northern hemisphere approaching, it's not uncommon for people to feel sluggish or moody. Those symptoms can be typical of someone experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that typically occurs during the winter. | |
Medicare premium to rise modestly for most beneficiariesMedicare has announced the "Part B" premium for 2017, and for most beneficiaries it's a modest increase. | |
Teens with asthma almost twice as likely to smoke as their healthy counterpartsCuriosity is a driving factor in why most kids start smoking, and the same is true for kids with asthma. A study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting found adolescents with asthma were twice as likely to smoke as kids without asthma. And they continue to smoke well into their teen years, even though they know smoking is particularly bad for their lungs. | |
College students with food allergies find big challenges in staying safeA study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting found most colleges don't have integrated systems in place to support food-allergic students. | |
 | Talking to your kids about election outcomeIf adults are feeling anxious, depressed or angry about the presidential election results, their children might be feeling the same. |
Treatment for rare complication of wisdom tooth removalWhen a patient has their wisdom teeth extracted, surgeons provide information about what to expect post-operatively, as well as potential complications that may occur from the surgery. For most patients, following the guidelines for proper care keeps these issues from arising. Unfortunately, that's not true for all patients; it certainly wasn't for Davina Leedy. | |
Anesthesia changes neuronal choreographyEven under deep anesthesia, nerve cells remain highly active. A study conducted by researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin has shown by high-resolution cellular imaging that local neuronal networks remain active even when the brain is unconscious. Under anesthesia, the nerve cells change their mode of operation by firing more synchronously, and by becoming surprisingly reactive to environmental stimuli. Results from this research have been published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. | |
Surgery for back pain reduces problems with sex life-related painFor patients with degenerative spinal disease, surgery is more effective in reducing pain that interferes with sexual activity, compared to nonsurgical treatment, reports a study in the November 15 issue of Spine. | |
Pneumonitis from ingesting fuel: Doctors treating refugees notice severe illnessPeople fleeing across the Mediterranean by boat face many dangers. In a paper now published in the renowned medical journal Lancet, researchers working at the Technical University of Munich (TUM)'s Klinikum rechts der Isar, Städtisches Klinikum München GmbH, and Jamaica Hospital, New York, report for the first time on acute and sometimes fatal cases of pneumonitis resulting from the ingestion of fuel. The publication is intended to raise awareness of this illness among doctors treating refugees. | |
 | Trump victory won't derail Obamacare open enrollment for 2017(HealthDay)—Although President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration says it will forge ahead with health insurance sign-ups for 2017. |
Trump doesn't rule out 'amended' Obamacare: WSJUS President-elect Donald Trump has said he will consider an "amended" version of Barack Obama's signature health care law—a sign of a shift in position after repeatedly vowing on the campaign trail that he would repeal the measure. | |
Guinea launches infectious disease centre to fight EbolaGuinea launched a new infectious disease centre Friday designed to safeguard the west African nation against a new resurgence in the Ebola virus, almost three years after the epidemic broke out. | |
Biology news
 | Woodland destruction by beetles is facilitated by their unique geneticsThe feeding habits responsible for the ecological success of the Asian long-horned beetle have been pinned down to their unique genes, according to new research published by the open access journal Genome Biology. |
 | Researchers shed new light on RNA's journey out of a cell's nucleusCells secure DNA within their nuclei like a secret code stashed in a vault. However, the tightly controlled borders of the nucleus create a challenge: In order for the cell to produce essential proteins, messages derived from DNA must somehow escape the nucleus in the form of RNA molecules. |
 | Skin bacteria could protect against diseaseThere are more and more examples of the ways in which we can benefit from our bacteria. According to researcher Rolf Lood from Lund University in Sweden, this is true for the skin as well. He has shown that the most common bacteria on human skin secrete a protein which protects us from the reactive oxygen species thought to contribute to several skin diseases. The protein has an equally strong effect on dangerous oxygen species as known antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. |
 | Plants modulate accumulation of metabolites at organ levelScientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, illuminated the diversity and different accumulation of chemical substances in the tissues of the ecological model plant Nicotiana attenuata. For their results, they used computational metabolomics and information theory. This approach was specifically designed for this study and enabled the researchers to study plant metabolism at the level of single organs. This new method allows for a more efficient access to the diversity of plant metabolites and for a more rapid identification of the genes which regulate their biosynthesis. |
 | Newly discovered genetic code controls bacterial survival during infectionsThe genetic code that allows cells to store the information necessary for life is well-known. Four nucleotides, abbreviated A, C, G, and T, spell out DNA sequences that code for all of the proteins cells need. |
Production of seedless fruits an underestimated tool for improving food securityProduction of seedless fruits an under-estimated tool for improving food security, research shows | |
 | American chestnut restoration effort getting a boost from molecular geneticistsEfforts to restore American chestnut trees to their rightful place in the North American forest ecosystem are progressing, although progress has come at a slower pace than once expected, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, who explain they have reached a pivotal point. |
 | Measuring protection of the world's riversTo what extent are the world's rivers protected? |
 | DNA match-making for endangered animals in captivityResearchers at Flinders University have created SWINGER, computer software with an algorithm that uses information from DNA to match-make endangered animals for captive breeding. |
 | New findings about the deformed wing virus, a major factor in honey bee colony mortalityIn recent years, massive losses of honey bee colonies have occurred during winter in Europe and North America. It could be shown that the Varroa mite and the deformed wing virus are the main factors responsible for the alarming bee mortality. Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have succeeded for the first time in simulating the course of disease using artificial genetic material of the virus. The symptoms of the so-called mite disease were reproduced in the laboratory without mites by the injection of synthetic RNA. This enabled the prudent development of new strategies in order to protect the bee population in the future. The results were published in the journal PLOS ONE. |
Which chemicals are hazardous to reproduction?Regulatory authorities around the world can in future instruct manufacturers of chemicals and drugs to check their products for harmful effects on reproduction by means of a new test with molluscs. After over 10 years of funding by the German Environment Agency in Dessau, a project coordinated by Goethe University Frankfurt has now resulted in an OECD guideline (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) for global chemical testing. The test analyses in the laboratory the long-term effects of chemicals on reproduction in freshwater mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum). | |
Primitive reward-driven behaviors may bias the information people choose to sampleThe way people make decisions often seems irrational. One explanation for this behavior is that they seek evidence that confirms what they already believe, a phenomenon called 'confirmation bias'. But new research in open-access journal PLOS Biology suggests that confirmation bias may not be the only factor that influences how people sample information. The tendency to choose items associated with rewards—known as 'Pavlovian approach' —can also bias the information people choose to sample, according to Laurence Hunt from University College London, United Kingdom, and his colleagues. | |
 | How molluscs build their shells in the sub-zero waters of AntarcticaA new study on how molluscs build their shells in the sub-zero waters of Antarctica is published today (Friday 11 November) in the journal Scientific Reports. |
Brain development: How a 'molecular compass' regulates proper cell divisionResearchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna have unravelled how a tiny microRNA molecule controls growth and differentiation of brain cells. | |
 | Pest control: Wicked weeds may be agricultural angelsFarmers looking to reduce reliance on pesticides, herbicides and other pest management tools may want to heed the advice of Cornell agricultural scientists: Let nature be nature - to a degree. |
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