Science X Newsletter Monday, Nov 26

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 26, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Using photoplethysmography signal for mathematical modeling of arterial blood pressure

The hippocampus is crucial for forming non-hippocampal long-term memory during sleep

Simulations suggest graphene can stretch to be a tunable ion filter

Astronomers investigate unusually bright single pulses from a millisecond pulsar

Best of Last Week – Plane with no moving parts, total body scanner and benefits of eating oranges, greens and berries

Engineers developing a HAL 9000-type AI system for monitoring planetary base stations

Effort clarifies major branch of insect tree of life

'Flawless': NASA craft lands on Mars after perilous journey

Disordered materials could be hardest, most heat-tolerant carbides

New lander will add to humans' long fascination with Mars

Huge quake edges New Zealand islands closer together

Drone standards get a first set and lasting nod as helpful guide

ARM-flavored Chrome for Windows is tasty effort for Microsoft, Google, Qualcomm

Weight likely cause for one-fourth of asthma cases in kids with obesity

Anxiety abounds at NASA as Mars landing day arrives

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers investigate unusually bright single pulses from a millisecond pulsar Astronomers have conducted a study of unusually bright single pulses (BSPs) from the millisecond pulsar PSR B1744−24A. The new research, which determined properties of these pulses, could contribute to understanding the nature of BSPs. The study is presented in a paper published November 5 on arXiv.org.
	'Flawless': NASA craft lands on Mars after perilous journey A NASA spacecraft designed to drill down into Mars' interior landed on the planet Monday after a perilous, supersonic plunge through its red skies, setting off jubilation among scientists who had waited in white-knuckle suspense for confirmation to arrive across 100 million miles of space.
	New lander will add to humans' long fascination with Mars In our solar system family, Mars is Earth's next-of-kin, the next-door relative that has captivated humans for millennia. The attraction is sure to grow with Monday's arrival of a NASA lander named InSight.
	Anxiety abounds at NASA as Mars landing day arrives A NASA spacecraft's six-month journey to Mars neared its dramatic grand finale Monday in what scientists and engineers hoped would be a soft precision landing on flat red plains.
	Exoplanet mission launch slot announced The Characterising Exoplanet Satellite, Cheops, will target 15 October to 14 November 2019 for launch.
	The hunt for (potentially) life-giving water beneath Mars Ground-penetrating radar has already helped scientists discover liquid water under Mars' surface. It might also be the key to discovering if life exists on our cosmic neighbour.
	Looking for rocket science in unexpected places You don't have to leave Australia to be a rocket scientist. In fact, you might not even have to leave your job.
	Mars awaits At just before 9pm Central European Time on 26 November, Mars will receive a new visitor: NASA's InSight lander.
	Focus on Vega developments Vega is proving its reliability. Based on this heritage, ESA and European industry are building new elements that will increase Vega's performance, capabilities and flexibility from mid-2019.
	Globular clusters could offer clues on formation and evolution of inner Milky Way Brazilian astronomer Denilso Camargo has recently discovered five new globular clusters in the Milky Way's bulge that could offer essential clues on the formation and evolution of our galaxy's innermost regions. The newly identified clusters, which are old and metal-poor, have also the potential to improve our understanding of the structure as well as kinematics of the galactic bulge.
	Searching for the weakest detectable magnetic fields in white dwarfs Magnetic fields are present in a large variety of stars across the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, during all evolutionary stages from pre-main sequence stars, to main sequence stars and evolved stars, up to the final stages when the star explodes as a supernova.
	NASA's Mars InSight has traveled 300 million miles. The last one will be the most critical On Sunday, about a dozen engineers and scientists gathered in the mission control room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They listened intently through headsets while training their eyes on a curving wall of monitors to follow the progress of the InSight spacecraft as it made its final approach to Mars.
	Anxiety abounds at NASA as Mars landing day arrives A NASA spacecraft's six-month journey to Mars neared its dramatic grand finale Monday in what scientists and engineers hoped would be a soft precision landing on flat red plains.
	What goes up doesn't come down: Tracking space junk from WA Space. The very word speaks of emptiness and isolation. But since we discovered how useful it is to put things up there, space has been getting a little bit crowded.

Technology news

	Using photoplethysmography signal for mathematical modeling of arterial blood pressure A team of researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Texas Southwestern have recently developed a new method to estimate systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean (MBP) blood pressure waveforms from photoplethysmography (PPG) signals. PPG is a simple, low-cost, and non-invasive optical technique that detects volumetric changes in the blood within the peripheral circulation. PPG is widely used within clinical settings, both for physiological measurement and monitoring.
	Engineers developing a HAL 9000-type AI system for monitoring planetary base stations A team of engineers at TRACLabs Inc. in the U.S. is making inroads toward the creation of a planetary base station monitoring system similar in some respects to Hal 9000—the infamous AI system in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. In this case, it is called cognitive architecture for space agents (CASE) and is outlined in a Focus piece by Pete Bonasso, the primary engineer working on the project, in the journal Science Robotics.
	Drone standards get a first set and lasting nod as helpful guide From taking pictures of crops, to delivering food and medical supplies to monitoring natural disasters, drones are becoming an increasingly important feature of daily lives, helping to transform businesses and industries.
	ARM-flavored Chrome for Windows is tasty effort for Microsoft, Google, Qualcomm Chrome for Windows 10 on ARM computers: This is a recipe being improved on from Microsoft and Google. Google Chrome could be coming to Windows 10 on ARM soon with help from Microsoft, said OnMSFT.
	Coordinated development could help wind farms be better neighbors As onshore and offshore wind energy farms have proliferated globally in recent years, new research led by the University of Colorado Boulder highlights a previously underexplored consequence: a wake effect from upwind wind farms that can reduce the energy production of their downwind neighbors.
	Video gaming fiends with an itch hit Twitch Seven years on from the rebranding of its original incarnation Justin.tv, video game live-streaming platform Twitch boasts more than a million people tuned in at any moment and interest is rising.
	'Green fuel': Bananas to help wean Angola off oil Boxes of still-green bananas were shifted one-by-one from a towering stack of crates into a refrigerated shipping container.
	From parcel delivery to security, Singapore bets big on drones Hi-tech Singapore is planning to roll out a swarm of drones for tasks that include delivering parcels, inspecting buildings and providing security, but safety and privacy concerns mean the initiative may hit turbulence.
	Mitsubishi Motors: Scandal-hit 'third wheel' in Ghosn's alliance Mitsubishi Motors is sometimes the forgotten partner in the three-way alliance with Nissan and Renault that dominates the global auto industry, but the Japanese firm has a colourful—and scandal-hit—history.
	GM to close Canadian factory, putting 3000 jobs at risk: report General Motors is expected to announce on Monday the closure of a factory in the Canadian city of Oshawa, putting almost 3,000 jobs at risk, Canadian channel CTV reported.
	Justices to hear antitrust case over sale of iPhone apps Apple is at the Supreme Court to defend the way it sells apps for iPhones against claims by consumers that the company has unfairly monopolized the market.
	Smarter AI—machine learning without negative data A research team from the RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP) has successfully developed a new method for machine learning that allows an AI to make classifications without what is known as "negative data," a finding which could lead to wider application to a variety of classification tasks.
	Why regulating facial recognition technology is so problematic—and necessary The use of automated facial recognition technology (FRT) is becoming more commonplace globally, in particular in China, the UK and now Australia.
	Startups, old-line automakers aim to take bite out of Tesla In a renovated old cash register factory in suburban Detroit, 300 engineers are toiling away on an all-electric pickup truck and an SUV that they hope can take on Tesla.
	The hidden price of Iceland's green energy The recent IPCC report has made it clear that we need to change our energy supply from fossils to renewable energy if we want to avoid catastrophic climate change. This transition has to happen now and it has to happen fast.
	What skills does a cybersecurity professional need? Cyber crime is a threat to every organisation that operates internet-connected devices. It's highly profitable, highly disruptive, and hard to police due to the transnational nature of cyberspace.
	Microchip implants are threatening workers' rights It's not often trades unions and employers are equally worried about an issue threatening workers' rights. But recently, the UK's Trades Union Congress and the main body that represents British businesses, the CBI, have both voiced concerns about the budding practice of implanting employees with microchips.
	Robot carers could help lonely seniors—they're cheering humans up already The film Robot and Frank imagined a near-future where robots could do almost everything humans could. The elderly title character was given a "robot butler" to help him continue living on his own. The robot was capable of everything from cooking and cleaning to socialising (and, it turned out, burglary).
	Biodiesel by-product helps fuel come clean A compound made from the glycerol by-product of biodiesel production could promote cleaner burning in vehicle engines.
	Dead fish to power Norwegian cruise liners Norwegian cruise operator Hurtigruten plans to use dead fish to power some of its ships, it said on Monday, as it seeks to reduce its pollution and climate change impact.
	General Motors shuttering plants, cutting 15% of workforce In a massive restructuring, US auto giant General Motors announced Monday it will cut 15 percent of its workforce to save $6 billion and adapt to "changing market conditions."
	Supreme Court could allow suit over Apple iPhone apps' sales The Supreme Court seemed ready Monday to allow an antitrust lawsuit to go forward that claims Apple has unfairly monopolized the market for the sale of iPhone apps.
	Meet Lindsey: She'll be your guide today A 5ft 2ins tall magenta robot, equipped with sensors and cameras, will guide visitors through exhibitions at a Lincoln museum from today.
	Early US data show big jump in online holiday shopping Early sales data released Monday and over the weekend suggested a strong start to the US holiday shopping season but analysts said it was too soon to declare victory overall.
	Microsoft briefly tops Apple as most valuable company Microsoft briefly overtook Apple on Monday as the world's most valuable company by market capitalization before slipping back into second place.
	The future of flight is now Many experts agree the future of flight will rely on zero-emission and/or renewable energy technology. That is, aircraft will be propelled by ions—electrically charged molecules—that create thrust in their wake.
	Facebook election 'war room' goes quiet—for now Facebook said on Monday a "war room" set up to defend the social network from abuses aimed at influencing elections in Brazil and the US has gone quiet.
	Apple to tutor women in tech in bid to diversify industry Apple is launching a new program designed to address the technology industry's scarcity of women in executive and computer programming jobs.
	Swiss voters back insurance company spying Swiss voters on Sunday approved a law that gives insurance companies broad leeway to spy on suspected welfare cheats despite concerns raised about right to privacy.
	Ex-Nissan chief Ghosn denies allegations: media Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn has denied allegations of financial misconduct, claiming he had no intention of making false reports, Japanese media said Sunday.
	Europe's eyes in the sky are helping to solve energy, land-use problems in Africa Scientists have created a solar atlas of Egypt, revealing where the sun's rays shine most brilliantly and where dust storms obstruct its light. And in Niger, forecasters are guiding pastoralists towards grazing areas and water sources – and away from conflict with sedentary farmers.
	Ghosn: the allegations and the rumours One of the world's best-known tycoons, car titan Carlos Ghosn's arrest for alleged financial misconduct stunned the auto sector and the wider business world.
	Scalable forecasts for IoT in the cloud This week at the International Conference on Data Mining, IBM Research-Ireland scientist Francesco Fusco demonstrated IBM Research Castor, a system for managing time series data and models at scale and on the cloud. Businesses of today run on forecasts. Whether a hunch of what we think is going to happen or the product of carefully honed analysis, we have a picture of what's going to happen and we act accordingly. IBM Research Castor is for IoT-driven businesses needing hundreds or thousands of different forecasts for time series. Although the model for an individual forecast may be small, keeping up with the provenance and performance of this number of models can be a challenge. In contrast to AI-driven cases using a small number of big models for image processing or natural language, this work aims at the IoT applications needing a large number of smaller models.
Start-up meets Wakanda? Disney innovation hub aims to advance technology for filmmakers Inside Walt Disney Studios' original animation building, where artists once drew "Dumbo" and "Cinderella" by hand, a 15-person team of innovators is trying to create a moviemaking Tomorrowland.
Spain says Ryanair violated right to strike: unions Spain has found Ryanair guilty of violating cabin crews' right to strike and work safety regulations as well as obstructing labour inspections, threatening to fine the low-frills airline for 16 infractions, unions said Monday.
	Canadian workers slam GM plant closure as 'slap in face' Canadian auto workers walked off the job in protest Monday as General Motors said it would shutter a plant that has been a fixture of Oshawa, Ontario since 1953—drawing protests from union bosses and the country's prime minister.

Medicine & Health news

	The hippocampus is crucial for forming non-hippocampal long-term memory during sleep A longstanding division exists between hippocampus-dependent and non-hippocampus dependent memory since only the latter can be acquired and retrieved in the absence of normal hippocampal functions. In agreement with the familiar concept of "sleeping on a problem," hippocampal-dependent memory consolidation is strongly supported by sleep. In a new study conducted by Anuck Sawangjit and colleagues, formation of long-term representation in a rat model of non-hippocampal memory was shown to depend on sleep and on the activation of hippocampus-dependent mechanisms during sleep.
	Weight likely cause for one-fourth of asthma cases in kids with obesity A study including health data for more than 500,000 children in the U.S. suggests obesity might be to blame for about a quarter (23 to 27 percent) of asthma in children who are obese.
	First gene-edited babies claimed in China A Chinese researcher claims that he helped make the world's first genetically edited babies—twin girls born this month whose DNA he said he altered with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life.
	Breakthrough as molecules shown to 'air-kiss' when brain neurons attract each other All brain cells 'air-kiss' before they come together to form a final synaptic relationship, new research by University scientists has revealed.
	Can personality be measured? An international team of researchers has developed a new method to assess the intelligence and personality by analyzing neurophysiological data of the human brain. Researchers with Universidad Politécnica de Madrid are among the international team.
	Scientists unveil promising new HIV vaccine strategy A new candidate HIV vaccine from Scripps Research surmounts technical hurdles that stymied previous vaccine efforts, and stimulates a powerful anti-HIV antibody response in animal tests.
	Study in mice suggests drug to turn fat 'brown' could help fight obesity Our bodies contain two types of fat: white fat and brown fat. While white fat stores calories, brown fat burns energy and could help us lose weight. Now, scientists at the University of Cambridge have found a way of making the white fat 'browner' and increasing the efficiency of brown fat.
	Researchers discover neural code that predicts behavior Scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have found that neurons in the superior colliculus, an ancient midbrain structure found in all vertebrates, are key players in allowing us to detect visual objects and events. This structure doesn't help us recognize what the specific object or event is; instead, it's the part of the brain that decides something is there at all. By comparing brain activity recorded from the right and left superior colliculi at the same time, the researchers were able to predict whether an animal was seeing an event. The findings were published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health.
	Alcohol dependence, psychiatric disorders share genetic links In the largest study of genetic factors linked to alcohol dependence, an international team of researchers identified a gene known to affect risk, and they determined that many other genes also contribute to risk for alcohol dependence to a lesser degree. In addition, the study linked genetic factors associated with alcohol dependence to other psychiatric disorders, such as depression, and showed that genetic factors associated with typical drinking sometimes are different from those associated with alcohol dependence.
	Parents learn, babies talk: How coaching moms and dads improves infants' language skills When it comes to helping infants learn to talk, it's not just how much parents say, but how they say it.
	Mutations boost immunity: Toward a cancer vaccine Despite significant advances in cancer research, the disease continues to exact a devastating toll. Because cancer is a disease of the body's own cells, which mutate and develop under evolutionary pressure, conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often leave behind a residue of resistant cells that go on to expand and wreak havoc.
	Targeting MC1R in metastatic melanoma In 1960, scientists described the "Philadelphia chromosome" that causes chronic myeloid leukemia, and in 2001 the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug imatinib to disable the action of this cancer-causing genetic change. It was the dawn of genetically-targeted treatments against cancer and it seemed as if many cancers would fall to a similar strategy: Find a genetic difference between cancer cells and healthy cells, and then develop a drug to target this difference. Of course, rarely has it proved that easy. It's difficult to find a genetic difference common to all cells within a single cancer, and many of these differences are impossible to target with existing drug strategies. Often this seemingly simple gene/drug pairing doesn't work.
	Citrate-based biomaterial fuels bone healing with less rejection A material based on a natural product of bones and citrus fruit, called citrate, provides the extra energy that stem cells need to form new bone tissue, according to a team of Penn State bioengineers. Their new understanding of the mechanism that allows citrate to aid in bone regeneration will help the researchers develop slow-release, biodegradable, citrate-releasing scaffolds to act as bone-growth templates to speed up healing in the body.
	Study identifies a genetic driver of deadly prostate cancer A new study has identified a novel molecular driver of lethal prostate cancer, along with a molecule that could be used to attack it. The findings were made in laboratory mice. If confirmed in humans, they could lead to more effective ways to control certain aggressive types of prostate cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death for men in the U.S.
	Brain responses to language in toddlers with autism linked to altered gene expression An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of Cyprus and University of California San Diego School of Medicine, have identified a previously unknown, large-scale association between molecular gene expression activity in blood leukocyte cells and altered neural responses to speech in toddlers with autism as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
	Do you have a healthy personality? Researchers think they can tell you What are the most psychologically healthy personality traits? Scholars have been interested in characterizing the healthy personality as long as they have been trying to understand how people differ from one another. Researchers from the University of California, Davis have identified a healthy personality prototype in a recent study using a contemporary trait perspective.
	Cancer researchers identify 'Achilles heel' of drug-resistant tumors UC San Francisco scientists have figured out why some lung cancers become drug-resistant after initially responding to targeted therapies. In the process, they devised a new two-pronged approach that yields an effective treatment for these cancers in the laboratory and holds tremendous promise for the future of precision medicine, they said. The findings are detailed in a study published Nov. 26 in the journal Nature Medicine.
	Newly mapped genes may hold keys to ADHD Millions of American kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a genetic vulnerability to the disease, a new study suggests.
	Patients shocked, burned by device touted to treat pain Desperate for relief after years of agony, Jim Taft listened intently as his pain management doctor described a medical device that could change his life.
Trazadone associated with similar risk of falls and major fractures as antipsychotics in seniors with dementia As physicians attempt to decrease antipsychotic use in seniors with dementia, they need to be aware that trazadone, frequently used as an alternative, is associated with a similar risk of falls and major fractures as atypical antipsychotics, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
How to pay for national pharmacare A new analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.180897 outlines the potential government cost of a national Canadian pharmacare program and sets out approaches to shifting the funding for drugs in Canada to realize billions in savings.
	Separated Bhutanese twins leave Australia hospital "Cheeky" Bhutanese conjoined twins who were successfully separated after a marathon operation in Australia left hospital Monday, with doctors saying they had made an excellent recovery and were starting to act independently.
	Playing youth football could affect brain development Young football players may experience a disruption in brain development after a single season of the sport, according to a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
	Weight loss procedure shrinks both fat and muscle Left gastric artery embolization, a novel interventional procedure used to treat obesity, leads to the loss of both fat and muscle, according to a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers said the loss of muscle mass is concerning and underscores the importance of proper nutritional counseling after the procedure.
	Artificial intelligence may help reduce gadolinium dose in MRI Researchers are using artificial intelligence to reduce the dose of a contrast agent that may be left behind in the body after MRI exams, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
	Emotional suppression has negative outcomes on children "Not in front of the kids." It's an age-old plea for parents to avoid showing conflict and strong negative emotions around their children.
	Sexist men underestimate their power in romantic relationships Heterosexual men with sexist attitudes may underestimate how much power they actually have in their romantic relationships, which could lead to increased aggression toward their female partners or wives, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Health surrogates for older adults often don't know their care preferences When it comes to making health decisions for an older adult, what health surrogates don't know can be harmful, according to new research. While 75% of surrogates feel extremely confident in their knowledge of a loved one's preferences, only 21% of them actually know what the older patient would want in the event of a serious illness, the researchers said.
	Sequential imaging of Zika-exposed fetuses reveals most have normal brain development Ultrasound (US) imaging performed during pregnancy and after childbirth revealed most Zika-related brain abnormalities experienced by infants exposed to the Zika virus during pregnancy, according to a prospective cohort study published online Nov. 26, 2018, in JAMA Pediatrics. Some Zika-exposed infants whose imaging had been normal during pregnancy had mild brain abnormalities detected by US and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after they were born.
	How many kids have autism? US government measures three ways How many American children have autism? The U.S. government answers that question at least three different ways and says the latest estimate—1 in 40 kids—doesn't necessarily mean the numbers are rising.
	Key strategies when caring for a loved one with dementia (HealthDay)—People caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or other types of dementia should focus on four main safety issues, an expert says.
	Cancer treatments may affect cognitive function by accelerating biological aging Cancer treatments are suspected to accelerate certain aging processes in the body. A new study has found that indicators of such biological aging correlate with declines in cognitive function in women who had undergone breast cancer treatment several years earlier. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings point to an aging-like effect of cancer treatments and further connect this to cognitive decline.
	Unscrambling the egg: How research works out what really leads to an increased disease risk Science is only ever as good as the research that sits behind it.
	Looking for ways to measure tumour aggression Researchers at University Putra Malaysia found a relationship between some markers of inflammation in the body and the aggressiveness of certain malignant tumours.
	Researchers identify brain changes in schizophrenia patients Researchers have unlocked details revealing how brains change in people with schizophrenia and evidence suggesting that in the early stages of the illness the brain may be compensating for damage caused.
	One in five young adults in India has high blood pressure One in five young adults in India has high blood pressure, according to research presented at the 70th Annual Conference of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI). That equates to around 80 million people, which is more than the entire UK population.
	Study aims to provide clearer picture of how digital devices affect kids It's not alcohol or a drug, but cellphones and iPads are also a problem for kids, says a University of Alberta expert who has launched a new project to measure children's usage.
	Is alcohol bad for you? It depends on the drink and how you drink it Recent headlines claim that a glass of wine or a pint of beer a day shortens your life. It's enough to dampen any thoughts of a celebratory drink or two at Christmas. But those conclusions are based on a partial view of the alcohol debate.
	Congo starts first-ever trial testing Ebola drugs Congo has begun the first-ever trial to test the effectiveness and safety of four experimental Ebola drugs, the first time scientists have directly compared such treatments, the World Health Organization said Monday.
	Survey finds one in eight of five-to-19-year-olds had mental disorder in 2017 The University of Exeter has played a key role in a national survey which found that one in eight (12.8 percent) of children and young people aged between five and 19, surveyed in England in 2017, had a mental disorder.
	Children with arthritis lack vitamin D In an analysis of global research, we recently found that children with the most frequent type of arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), have abnormally low vitamin D blood levels. We also found that those living in northern countries, such as Canada and northern European regions, are more likely to have low vitamin D levels and associated active disease.
	No, crying doesn't release toxins, though it might make you feel better... if that's what you believe Crying is a big part of being a kid. As you grow older, you may find you're crying less than during childhood and adolescence.
	Sperm count 50% lower in sons of fathers who smoke Studies have repeatedly linked maternal smoking during pregnancy with reduced sperm counts in male offspring. Now a research team at Lund University in Sweden has discovered that, independently of nicotine exposure from the mother, men whose fathers smoked at the time of pregnancy had half as many sperm as those with non-smoking fathers.
	Occupational health study links air pollution and cancer University of Stirling experts have discovered new evidence of the link between air pollution and cancer as part of a new occupational health study.
	Danger in the desert What causes only a harmless cold in camels can be fatal for humans: an infection with the MERS virus. Since its discovery in 2012, the virus was detected in approximately 2,000 patients and 36 percent of them have not survived the severe lung disease known as MERS. Until now, humans are mainly infected through contact with camels in the Arabian Peninsula and human-to-human transmissions are rare. However, this could change due to the virus acquiring mutations. A team of scientists headed by Stefan Pöhlmann, Hannah Kleine-Weber and Markus Hoffmann from the German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen investigated virus mutations and found that certain mutations made the virus more resistant against the human immune system. The analysis of mutations is essential for predicting the risk of a pandemic. Moreover, the MERS virus may serve as a blueprint for other zoonotic viruses that can be transmitted from animals to humans (Journal of Virology).
	New study reveals the cause of sensory changes in starved state Korean researchers have verified the correlation between animals' sensory nerve activation and behavioral changes caused by insulin secretion in a feeding state. The result provided a clue to identify the causes of unusual sensory organ changes due to insulin-related metabolic syndrome such as diabetes.
	How bacteria and breastmilk could be our best allies against allergy and asthma There's a photo of a bright-eyed baby in a knitted owl toque. Another shows a toddler plunked down between Halloween pumpkins. And then there's the awkward smiles of the first school portraits.
	Genetic risk score for autism associated with outcome in CBT Depression is a common disorder for which cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the recommended treatment for most patients. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have now studied how genetic factors relate to differences in outcome of CBT in 894 people with depression, and show for the first time how genetic risk scores is associated with CBT outcome.
	Six common gym mistakes to avoid (HealthDay)—Once you've taken all the right steps to find a gym suited to your needs, avoiding some common mistakes will ensure maximum results for the time spent working out.
	Educative input from others who have had their own suicidal experiences can reduce suicidal ideation The role of people with their own experience of suicidal ideation is an important topic in suicide prevention work. This role is corroborated by the recently conducted study, which is the largest so far with a total of 545 participants. Working with colleagues from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and Leuven University in Belgium, study authors Benedikt Till and Thomas Niederkrotenthaler from the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine at MedUni Vienna's Center for Public Health have now shown that expert interviews about suicide prevention can reduce suicidal ideation, irrespective of whether the expert in question mentions their personal experiences of suicidal ideation in the article or not.
	Could blockchain be the food chain's answer to romaine lettuce E. coli and other outbreaks? The romaine lettuce E. coli scare is over, but it's taken consumers a while to toss the vitamin rich leafy greens in a salad again.
	About half of teenagers have never talked to doctor alone, study finds About half of American teenagers have never visited doctors without a parent or guardian present, despite recommendations that such visits begin about age 13, a study led by a Chicago researcher shows.
	Ambulance call-outs for pregabalin have spiked – here's why Pregabalin (sold under the brand name Lyrica) is prescribed as an anti-epileptic and a painkiller for nerve pain. Australian prescriptions of pregabalin have risen significantly in the past five years. It's now in the top ten most expensive medications for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
	Mindfulness can help PhD students shift from surviving to thriving Undertaking a Ph.D. can be very stressful, due to a range of challenges. These include having to develop discipline expertise as well as generic skills (such as academic writing and maintaining motivation) during a largely solo pursuit.
	What if psychedelics could revolutionize the way you die? My story begins eight years ago, when I was approached by my first client requesting that I supervise her in a therapeutic session with a psychedelic medicine.
	Home blood pressure assessments are more accurate than office checks Doctors could improve the care of high blood pressure by relying more on home blood pressure (BP) checks and not so much on the less-accurate office BP assessments, wrote health care quality experts from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) in an editorial in the journal JAMA.
	Researchers advance role of circulating tumor DNA to detect early melanoma growth Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have added to evidence that measuring and monitoring tumor DNA that naturally circulates in the blood of melanoma patients can not only reliably help reveal the early stages of cancer growth and spread but also uncover new treatment options that tumor genetic analysis alone may not.
	Can Superman trigger heroic helping in people? Might people be more likely to help a stranger or donate money immediately after watching the latest Marvel film? Heroes demonstrate extraordinary courage, go to great lengths to help others, and live meaningful lives. They are inspirational moral examples for many people—but do their heroic actions trigger people to give a helping hand themselves? A new set of studies suggests this is indeed the case. Published in Frontiers in Psychology, it finds that priming people with superhero images increases prosocial intentions and behaviors.
	Smoking rates in US have fallen to all-time low, but how did they ever get so high? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls cigarette smoking "the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., accounting for over 480,000 deaths per year." The CDC just announced that smoking rates among U.S. adults have fallen to the lowest level ever recorded – only 14 percent, less than a third the rate just 70 years ago. While this decline is remarkable, it also points to a puzzle: How did smoking rates ever get so high in the first place?
	The five types of problem drinking are more common at different ages Alcohol abuse is more complicated than simply drinking too much. There may be five separate types of problem drinkers, according to Penn State researchers, and each one may be more common at different stages of life.
A sense of rhythm—why do we have it and what does it mean to us? Almost everything we do incorporates rhythm. At the University of Oslo 50 researchers from all over the world will provide us with some new answers about the meaning of rhythm for people - and possibly also develop the world's best dancing robot.
	Lifestyle diseases could scupper Africa's rising life expectancy People in sub-Saharan Africa are now living longer than ever before. A child born in the region today is expected to live up to 64 years on average. This is a remarkable increase of 11 years since the year 2000, when life expectancy at birth was only 53 years in sub-Saharan Africa.
	CBD in cannabis no panacea for what ails us, say experts While more research is needed, scientists say the brightest prospects for the medicinal benefits of cannabis so far may lie in more complex combinations of its compounds.
Making UK schools more inclusive places could help reduce bullying and promote well-being Led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and UCL, a randomised controlled trial tested a new approach called the 'Learning Together' programme, which involved teachers being trained to use restorative practice, as well as students working with teachers to try to make their schools more engaging and supportive places.
British Journal of Surgery article calls for men to take action on gender bias The relatively few women who have earned leadership positions in the surgical world should not be expected to carry the burden of fighting gender bias and men must actively join the effort with intentional, innovative action, argues an article in the British Journal of Surgery, co-written by the head of general surgery at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital.
	Breast implant injuries hidden as patients' questions mount To all the world, it looked like breast implants were safe. From 2008 to 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration publicly reported 200 or so complaints annually—a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of implant surgeries performed each year.
	FDA to overhaul long-criticized medical device system U.S. health officials said Monday they plan to overhaul the nation's decades-old system for approving most medical devices, which has long been criticized by experts for failing to catch problems with risky implants and medical instruments.
Improving medical device tracking a slow, imperfect process For nearly two decades, health advocates have pushed to standardize the way medical devices are tracked and studied.
	Childhood physical inactivity reaches crisis levels around the globe Children around the world are not moving enough to maintain healthy growth and development, according to a global report released today.
Zebrafish help unlock mystery of motor neurone disease Scientists from the University of Sheffield have successfully created zebrafish that carry the complex genetic change known to cause the most common genetic form of motor neurone disease (MND).
	Does teen cannabis use lead to behavior problems—or vice versa? More youth use cannabis than smoke cigarettes in the United States. In other parts of the world, cannabis use has become almost as regular as tobacco use among adolescents and young adults.
	Parents: Take a timeout before you force your child to apologize Parents who force unremorseful kids to apologize to others before they're truly sorry may do more harm than good.
Stress-induced effects on heart blood flow differ for men versus women Some patients with coronary artery disease have inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle during periods of mental/emotional stress. This condition—called "mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia" (MSIMI) - is related to the severity of plaque buildup in the coronary arteries in men but not women, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.
	Researchers find more recently diagnosed cancer survivors likely to drink, smoke Recently diagnosed cancer survivors are more likely to drink alcohol, use tobacco, and frequent tanning beds than people in later stages of recovery, according to a research team from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Minimally invasive retinal detachment has better outcomes, clinical trial findings A minimally invasive treatment for retinal detachment gives patients sharper vision, less distortion and reduced side-effects, according to the findings of a randomized controlled trial performed at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.
	Researchers study how to regrow long bone segments using 3-D printing Not all broken bones heal. But one scientist at the University of Arizona hopes to remedy that problem using a combination of 3-D printing and adult stem cells.
	Study identifies sepsis symptoms that lead to death Using patient records from 210,289 hospital visits between 2013 and 2016, Drexel University researchers have identified the specific symptoms that put patients at the greatest risk of dying from sepsis—and they're not what many clinicians might think.
	Lung disease in middle age may be a risk factor for dementia later in life Middle-aged adults with lung disease may be at greater risk of developing dementia or cognitive impairment later in life, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Some research may be encouraging ineffective prescriptions, says new study A new paper published by McGill University researchers in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that some clinical trials may promote the use of ineffective and costly treatments. That's the opposite of what clinical trials are aimed at, namely preventing ineffective and costly treatments from being taken up by physicians and patients.
	Q&A on scientist's bombshell claim of gene-edited babies Designer babies might be here sooner than anyone reckoned. A Chinese researcher who says he created gene-edited babies crossed what most scientists consider a forbidden line.
	CDC: U.S. prevalence of ALS was 5.2 per 100,000 in 2015 (HealthDay)—In 2015, the prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the United States was 5.2 per 100,000 population, with 16,583 cases identified, according to research published in the Nov. 23 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Ocrelizumab may help preserve hand, arm function in PPMS (HealthDay)—For patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), ocrelizumab reduces progression of upper-extremity (UE) impairment, according to an exploratory analysis published online Nov. 12 in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
	Lung cancer screening implementation guide developed (HealthDay)—The American Lung Association and the American Thoracic Society have established a website to guide implementation of lung cancer screening, according to an editorial published in the Nov. 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Clinical decision support system ups outpatient PE management (HealthDay)—The use of a clinical decision support system (CDSS) in the emergency department can improve outpatient management for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE), according to a study published online Nov. 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Obesity tied to increased risk for early-onset CRC in women (HealthDay)—Obesity is associated with an increased risk for early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) among women, according to a study recently published in JAMA Oncology.
	Strong painkillers increase the risk of hip fracture among persons with Alzheimer's disease People using strong painkillers, opioids, have twice the risk of hip fracture compared to non-opioid users, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. The risk was highest in the first two months of opioid use. The results were published in the PAIN journal.
Few laws to address growing issue of elderly gun owners with dementia Red flag laws allowing for the removal of firearms from people with mental illness need to be widely extended to patients suffering from dementia, according to an article in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Drug development stakeholders call for improved pharmaceutical testing Drug development stakeholders from private and public sectors, including researchers, academics, and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry and advocacy groups, have joined together to call for a significant and urgent shift to prioritize predictive, human-based nonclinical tests. Published in Drug Discovery Today, "Advancing Nonclinical Innovation and Safety in Pharmaceutical Testing" identifies the necessary steps that will lead to safer and more effective medicines, guided by a greater focus on human-based in vitro and in silico methods, which allow scientists to observe human cells, tissues, and biological processes, and their interaction with potential medications.
Is the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis for surgical procedures decreasing? Antibiotic prophylaxis regimens are becoming less effective at preventing surgical site infections following colorectal surgery, researchers at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy and Princeton University determined through a systematic review of available literature. The researchers also found that the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in preventing infection following appendectomy, cesarean section, and transrectal prostate biopsy (TRPB) procedures has remained statistically unchanged, although this analysis was challenged by small sample size.
New neurology studies a 'wakeup call' for global health Neurology experts from around the world will convene November 27 in Auckland, New Zealand, for a conference on "brain health," examining what one calls "the greatest challenge of societies in the 21st century." Among the neurological disorders to be discussed at the Brain Summit are stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and migraine and other headaches.
Survey of school nurses reveals lack of bathroom policies and bladder health education In an online survey developed by the Society for Women's Health Research, a majority of school nurses reported that the pre-K-12 schools they work for do not have written policies on student bathroom use and do not have education for students and teachers on bladder health.
	Researchers develop new surgical technique for studying the thymus Elisa Oltra, head of the Genetic Exppression and Immunity group of the Faculty of Medicine at the Catholic University of Valencia (UCV), and Alejandro Caicedo, professor of the Department of Medicine of the University of Miami, have developed a surgical process which makes it possible to place functional fragments of the thymus in the anterior chamber of the eyes of mice. Details of the research have recently been published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments.
	What's driving high pregnancy rates in Kenyan schools During Kenya's national schools exams, an alarming number of girls were reported to be pregnant or in labour, and so couldn't take the exam. In just one county, 72 girls taking the exams were pregnant while 38 gave birth before the test. The Conversation Africa's Moina Spooner asked Michael Mutua to shed light on why so many girls are falling pregnant and what measures there are to support them.
Multicenter study supports safety of overlapping orthopaedic surgery For patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery, the use of "overlapping" procedures - where the attending surgeon is simultaneously involved in two different surgeries in different operating rooms—does not lead to an increased risk of complications, reports a study in the November 21, 2018 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Proposed changes on Medicare drugs create winners and losers The Trump administration on Monday proposed changes to Medicare's prescription drug benefit that would affect people's costs over the next few years, and create winners and losers.

Biology news

	Effort clarifies major branch of insect tree of life The insects known as Hemiptera are not a particularly glamorous bunch. This group includes stink bugs, bed bugs, litter bugs, scale insects and aphids. Their closest relatives are thrips, bark lice and parasitic lice. But with a massive number of species, two-thirds of which are still unknown to science, these insects together make up one of the twiggiest branches of the tree of life.
	Plant root hairs form outward due to shank hardening A group of international researchers has discovered how plant root hair grows straight and long. Many studies of root hair growth have been performed, but the molecular mechanism for the suppression of growth on the sides of root hair had not been clarified until now.
	New tricks of TALEs: Discovery of a new principle of gene regulation by molecular displacement Transcription activator-like effector (TALE) proteins can be designed to bind to almost any selected DNA. Researchers now report that a TALE can displace another TALE protein from DNA in a highly polarized way – it can displace a TALE protein binding to DNA adjacent to its right but not its left side. This unusual property of TALEs has been used to increase the precision of gene expression regulation, to design logic circuits in mammalian cells, and to prevent CRISPR cleavage at non-desired DNA sites.
	Researchers uncover camouflage strategy of multi-resistant bacteria Researchers at the University of Tübingen and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have achieved a breakthrough in the decoding of multi-resistant pathogens. The team led by Professor Andreas Peschel and Professor Thilo Stehle was able to decode the structure and function of a previously unknown protein used by dreaded pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus like a magic cloak to protect themselves against the human immune system. The study was published in Nature on Wednesday.
	Transparent fruit flies The nervous system of an animal can be studied by cutting it up into thin layers—however this inevitably leads to the destruction of the cellular structures in the tissue. Analyzing complex nerve connections is then hardly possible. The far more elegant method is the so called optical "clearing" of the various tissues using chemical processes that make the animal transparent. Interesting structures in the tissue may then be selectively marked and analyzed.
	TIC236 protein found to link outer and inner membranes of chloroplast envelope A team of researchers with the Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, in Taipei, has discovered a protein called TIC236 that serves as a link between the outer and inner membranes of the chloroplast envelope in plant cells. In their paper published in the journal Nature, they describe their study of the means by which proteins are imported into chloroplasts and what they learned. Danny Schnell with Michigan State University has written a News and Views piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue.
	Gip1 structure places G proteins in lockdown Heterotrimeric G proteins are important in G protein-coupled receptor signaling, which plays many roles in the detection of various environmental stimuli, including hormones, neurotransmitters, light, smells, and chemical signals. G protein functions are regulated by interactions with Gip1, a protein that sequesters G proteins to block signaling processes. Many studies have attempted to understand the mechanism for this interaction between G proteins and Gip1; none have provided a clear explanation, until now.
	Research group suggests it might be time to build a universal genetic database A team of researchers from Vanderbilt University is suggesting in a Policy Forum piece published in the journal Science that it might be time to start building a universal genetic database. They suggest doing so would help law enforcement personnel track down criminals.
	Whether herbivores increase or decrease plant diversity depends on what's on the menu Cows eat grass. It seems simple enough. But just which kind of grass cows and their vegetarian comrades munch on can influence the entire ecosystem.
	Fine-tuning cell death: new component of death machinery revealed An important component of the microscopic machinery that drives cell death has been identified by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists.
	How ancient viruses got cannabis high World's first cannabis chromosome map reveals the plant's evolutionary past and points to its future as potential medicine.
	Researchers find that a drying Canadian delta has driven muskrat population decline Indigenous communities have used muskrat fur to make clothing for generations and the animal's meat is considered a seasonal delicacy. But it turns out decades of trapping are not primarily responsible for the animal's decline across North America.
	Natural habitats larger than Greece created to offset economic developments New data has found that natural habitats occupying an area larger than Greece have been created to offset economic developments. This data could eventually provide a basis to help improve our understanding of the benefits of protecting and preserving wildlife. Called 'biodiversity offsets', man-made conservation areas are created to compensate for economic developments and are a growing trend.
	How ancient Mayan shell decor led to a new look at freshwater mussels south of the border The ancient Maya are not particularly known for their love of freshwater mussels. Mathematics, maize, pyramids and human sacrifice, yes. But bivalves? Not so much.
	Blockages gone, fish back in post-Sandy projects in 6 states Billions of dollars have been spent on the recovery from Superstorm Sandy to help people get their lives back together, but a little-noticed portion of that effort is quietly helping another population along the shoreline: fish that need to migrate from coastal rivers out to the sea and back.
New England shrimp won't be available at all this year A small amount of New England shrimp has been available to the public despite a fishing shutdown in recent years, but that will not be the case this winter.
Virtual models provide real knowledge in the grass family The structures of flowers and other plant parts represent a rich and complex source of botanical information with great potential to answer a variety of taxonomic, evolutionary, and ecological questions. As computational approaches become ever more central to biological research, there is a pressing need to translate this information into tractable digital data for analysis. In research presented in a recent issue of Applications in Plant Sciences , Phillip Klahs and colleagues refined a method for creating high-quality, three-dimensional (3-D) digital representations of plant structures. They demonstrated the effectiveness of this technique by creating models of the flowers of three species in the grass family, Poaceae.
	145 whales die on remote New Zealand beach Up to 145 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in a remote part of New Zealand, with authorities saying Monday they made the "heart-breaking" decision to euthanise dozens that lay stricken on the shore.
	Human and lion conflict in the Serengeti Experts in conservation and environmental change at the University of York comment on the human interactions with the wildlife of the Serengeti, following the story of the Maasai Mara lion pride in the BBC's Dynasties.
	Just like humans, giraffes prefer to dine with friends, study finds When it comes to meal times in the animal kingdom, giraffes have been found to be just like us and prefer the company of their friends, according to new research by the University of Bristol.
	New biocontainment strategy controls spread of escaped GMOs Hiroshima University (HU) researchers successfully developed a biocontainment strategy for genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Their new method prevents genetically modified cyanobacteria from surviving outside of their test environment, enabling ways to more safely research the effects of GMOs. Their results were published in ACS Synthetic Biology.
	Hundreds of babblers' DNA analysed Using DNA sequences for 402 of the 452 species of the world's "babblers," an international team from China, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and the USA have analysed the evolutionary relationships among these species. Many of these species have not previously been studied using genetic methods, and this is by far the most comprehensive analysis of this group of birds to date.
	Scientists developed enzymes with remote control Scientists have developed a method to enhance the activity of enzymes by using radio frequency radiation. The method requires a special complex of enzymes and magnetic nanoparticles. The particles can adsorb radio emission and convert it to heat, resulting in the acceleration of enzymatic processes by more than four times. The method can be used to create radio-controlled biochemical systems and adjust metabolism in living organisms. The results are published in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.
	Captive breeding has a dark side – a disturbing Czech discovery of trafficked tiger body parts The rotting remains of a number of tigers, lions and cougars were recently discovered in a raid on a house in Prague. This disturbing find was the culmination of a five-year investigation that revealed an illegal trade in exotic wildlife blooming in the heart of Europe.
	Is the future of dog health in a DNA test? Information from commercial DNA tests helped reveal the genetic origins of the husky's captivating blue eyes and may even help us treat some diseases. But not everyone agrees.
	White-browed Shortwing is not 1 but 4 species The White-browed Shortwing (Brachypteryx montana) has been considered to be a single species distributed from the central Himalayas to the southeast Chinese mainland and the island of Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia. The mainland and Taiwan Island populations have recently been studied by an international team of researchers from Sweden, China, the UK and the USA. They analysed DNA, plumages, structure, songs and geographical distributions, and concluded that the continental and Taiwanese populations are actually three rather than one species.
	Small RNA renders bacteria more resistant to antibiotics Many soil bacteria are resistant to antibiotics by nature. A new mechanism for regulating that resistance has been identified by researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. In the journal mBio, published online on 13 November 2018, the team headed by Jessica Borgmann from the Chair of Microbial Biology describes a small RNA molecule that significantly affects antibiotic resistance as well as other processes inside the cell.
	Mysterious egg on ocean floor was actually a catshark, and it was moving, NOAA says A mysterious "translucent egg case" found last week off an uninhabited island near Puerto Rico has been identified by NOAA explorers as something few scientists had seen.
	A closer look at the communication packages of cells Cells communicate by sending little fat balls to one another. Wouter Roos, professor of Molecular Biophysics at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, together with colleagues from Amsterdam and Utrecht, is the first to describe the mechanical properties of such fat balls, called exosomes. By studying exosomes of patients with a blood disorder, the researchers obtained unexpected results.
	Helping to transport proteins inside the cell Researchers at the University of Freiburg report a mechanism inside cells that transports proteins to the mitochondria. Their research has now been published in the science journal Cell Reports.
	Drones offer ability to find, ID and count marine megafauna New research from North Carolina State University demonstrates that consumer-grade drones are effective tools for monitoring marine species across multiple sites in the wild. The work shows that the technology can be a valuable platform for scientists and conservationists interested in studying populations of sharks, rays, sea turtles and other marine megafauna.
Impact on the collective behaviour of animal groups Disturbance events such as human interference or predator attacks may negatively affect animal groups. Using an innovative tracking technique, researchers from the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany have demonstrated how groups of birds become less efficient at foraging together after group members had been separated for just two days. In the paper, published in the current issue of the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the biologists Dr. Adriana Maldonado-Chaparro, Mr Gustavo Alarcon-Nieto, Mr James Klaveras-Irby and Dr. Damien Farine investigated the effect of disturbance events on the ability for animal groups to perform a collective task, and the mechanisms underlying changes in group responses.
	Fishing companies lose millions of dollars every year and they don't know it Fishing companies operating worldwide are leaving between $51 billion and $83 billion in unrealized net economic benefits on the table every year due to the overexploitation underperformance of fish stocks, according to new research from the Sea Around Us initiative, the Institute for the Oceans and Fishers at the University of British Columbia, the Fish Tracker initiative and the Sea Around Us—Indian Ocean project.
	'Old-fashioned fieldwork' puts new frog species on the map Months of old-fashioned scientific fieldwork—more than 2,000 surveys of chirping frog calls, hundreds of photos of individual frogs and tiny tissue samples taken from them—has helped define the range and unique characteristics of the recently discovered Atlantic Coast leopard frog.
	The complexity of the commons: Scientists recast social dilemmas Whether it's a pasture open to public grazing or a batch of glucose colonized by microbes, a shared environmental resource is often depicted as a fixed quantity, doomed to depletion if individuals selfishly consume what they can.
	Big study of fishing communities finds good neighbors are hard to come by A study of 89 fishing communities in East Africa has found that good neighbors who agree with common proposals to improve shared fisheries management are uncommon, illustrating that the "tragedy of the commons" dilemma is alive for many fisheries facing sustainable use challenges.
	Clues sought for decline in Hawaii humpback whale sightings Researchers are convening this week to compare clues about a significant decline in the number of sightings of North Pacific humpback whales in their traditional breeding grounds off Hawaii.
	Gene-edited baby claim by Chinese scientist sparks outrage Scientists and bioethics experts reacted with shock, anger and alarm Monday to a Chinese researcher's claim that he helped make the world's first genetically edited babies.
	Sotheby's latest auction house to end rhino horn sales Sotheby's on Saturday became the latest international auction house to end the sale of rhino horn artefacts, withdrawing antique lots from an upcoming event in Hong Kong following an outcry from environmental groups.
	Scientists find italian ryegrass is resistant to multiple herbicides Herbicides have been instrumental in managing Italian ryegrass, a weed that frequently competes with perennial crops in California. Herbicide-resistant populations have become increasingly commonplace, though, including paraquat-resistant Italian ryegrass found recently in a California prune orchard.

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