Fwd: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Jul 26

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Wed, Jul 27, 2016 at 12:30 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Jul 26
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 26, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

High-voltage lithium-ion battery realized with superconcentrated electrolyte

Comet Lovejoy shows asymmetric behavior at perihelion

Study tracing ancestor microorganisms suggests life started in a hydrothermal environment

New technique can reveal subcellular brain details and long-range connections

Early controlled use of fire may have led to emergence of tuberculosis

Synthesis and characterization of encapsulated single HF molecule

Cells from same cell bank lots may have vast genetic variability

Astronomers find new, ancient source of gravitational lensing

Enzyme links metabolic state to inflammatory response to infection

New antibody drug continues to show promise for treatment of HIV

Sudden extinction of Neanderthals followed population peak

Salad days – tomatoes that last longer and still taste good

Gout diagnostic platform uses computational microscopy to analyze uric acid crystals

New genetic clues into motor neuron disease

Research team uses nanoparticles to break up plaque and prevent cavities

Nanotechnology news

	Research team uses nanoparticles to break up plaque and prevent cavities The bacteria that live in dental plaque and contribute to tooth decay often resist traditional antimicrobial treatment, as they can "hide" within a sticky biofilm matrix, a glue-like polymer scaffold.
	Dirty to drinkable: Engineers develop novel hybrid nanomaterials to transform water Graphene oxide has been hailed as a veritable wonder material; when incorporated into nanocellulose foam, the lab-created substance is light, strong and flexible, conducting heat and electricity quickly and efficiently.
	Engineers discover highly conductive materials for more efficient electronics Engineers from the University of Utah and the University of Minnesota have discovered that interfacing two particular oxide-based materials makes them highly conductive, a boon for future electronics that could result in much more power-efficient laptops, electric cars and home appliances that also don't need cumbersome power supplies.
	Self-assembling nano inks form conductive and transparent grids during imprint Transparent electronics devices are present in today's thin film displays, solar cells, and touchscreens. The future will bring flexible versions of such devices. Their production requires printable materials that are transparent and remain highly conductive even when deformed. Researchers at INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials have combined a new self-assembling nano ink with an imprint process to create flexible conductive grids with a resolution below one micrometer.

Physics news

	Realizing quantum bits In computers of the future, information might be stored in the form of quantum bits. But how can a quantum bit be realised?
	Novel state of matter: Observation of a quantum spin liquid A novel and rare state of matter known as a quantum spin liquid has been empirically demonstrated in a monocrystal of the compound calcium-chromium oxide by team at HZB. According to conventional understanding, a quantum spin liquid should not be possible in this material. A theoretical explanation for these observations has now also been developed. The results have just been published in Nature Physics.
	Researchers nearly double the continuous output power of a type of terahertz laser Researchers have nearly doubled the continuous output power of a type of laser, called a terahertz quantum cascade laser, with potential applications in medical imaging, airport security and more. Increasing the continuous output power of these lasers is an important step toward increasing the range of practical applications. The researchers report their results in the journal AIP Advances.
Plasma technology can be tapped to kill biofilms on perishable fruit, foods Seeing fruit "turn bad and going to waste" inspired a team of researchers in China to explore using atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma—already widely used for medical purposes—as a novel solution to extend the shelf life of fruit and other perishable foods.
	Pixel-array quantum cascade detector paves the way for portable thermal imaging devices The primary source of infrared radiation is heat—the radiation produced by the thermal motion of charged particles in matter, including the motion of the atoms and molecules in an object. The higher the temperature of an object, the more its atoms and molecules vibrate, rotate, twist through their vibrational modes, the more infrared radiation they radiate. Because infrared detectors can be "blinded" by their own heat, high-quality infrared sensing and imaging devices are usually cooled down, sometimes to just a few degrees above absolute zero. Though they are very sensitive, the hardware required for cooling renders these instruments less-than-mobile, energy-inefficient and limits in-the-field applications.
Improving Internet with mid-wavelength infrared With a growing number of people connecting to the Internet everyday, Internet cables are under the threat of a "bandwidth explosion."
	New furnace a step towards future collider development A new furnace arrived at CERN's Large Magnet Facility last month and is currently being installed and tested.
	Electron injector for European XFEL X-ray laser exceeds expectations DESY has successfully concluded tests of the first section of the particle accelerator for the European X-ray free-electron laser, European XFEL. The so-called electron injector, which is 30 metres long, performed distinctly better than expected. The injector already completed a whole week under operating conditions. "Having gathered much valuable experience, we are now all set to start up the entire accelerator complex," reports Winfried Decking, the machine coordinator at DESY. "This is a huge success for the entire accelerator team, together with our international partners."
Better defining the signals left by as-yet-undefined dark matter at the LHC In the quest for dark matter, physicists rely on particle colliders such as the LHC in CERN, located near Geneva, Switzerland. The trouble is: physicists still don't exactly know what dark matter is. Indeed, they can only see its effect in the form of gravity. Until now, theoretical physicists have used models based on a simple, abstract description of the interaction between dark matter and ordinary particles, such as the Effective Field Theories (EFTs). However, until we observe dark matter, it is impossible to know whether or not these models neglect some key signals. Now, the high energy physics community has come together to develop a set of simplified models, which retain the elegance of EFT-style models yet provide a better description of the signals of dark matter, at the LHC.

Earth news

	New evidence of a long-term planetary thermostat to remove excess CO2 Scientists working in the North Atlantic have found the clearest geologic evidence yet of a planetary thermostat that counteracts the warming cause by massive amounts of greenhouse gas by absorbing CO2 into the rocky sediments of the Earth itself.
	Polar ice reveals secrets of carbon-climate feedbacks An international team of scientists has used air bubbles in polar ice from pre-industrial times to measure the sensitivity of the Earth's land biosphere to changes in temperature.
	Scholars suggest China may have reached peak consumption of coal in 2013 (Phys.org)—A small team of scholars has published a Commentary piece in the journal Nature Geoscience suggesting that China has reached peak coal consumption far earlier than most in the field had suggested. In their paper, Ye Qi, Tong Wu, Ye Qi and Jiaqi Lu, with Tsinghua University in China and Nicholas Stern and Fergus Green with the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment in the U.K., note that the world's largest consumer of coal has seen a decrease in the amount of coal that was burned in that country over the past two years and suggest that the decrease is likely permanent.
	Ancient temples in the Himalaya reveal signs of past earthquakes Tilted pillars, cracked steps, and sliding stone canopies in a number of 7th-century A.D. temples in northwest India are among the telltale signs that seismologists are using to reconstruct the extent of some of the region's larger historic earthquakes.
	Middle atmosphere in sync with the ocean Water plays a major role for our planet not only in its liquid form at the surface. In the atmosphere too, it considerably affects our lives as well as weather and climate. Clouds and rainfall are one example. Water vapor, the gaseous form of water, also plays a prominent role on Earth. It is the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, without it the Earth would be a frozen planet. For climate variations, water vapor is particularly important in the stratosphere at altitudes between 15 and 50 kilometers. How much of the gas actually reaches the stratosphere mainly depends on the temperature at the transition between the lowest atmospheric layer, the troposphere, and the overlying stratosphere. This boundary layer is called the tropopause.
	Cataclysm at Meteor Crater: Crystal sheds light on Earth, moon, Mars (Update) In molten sandstone extracted by prospectors a century ago, an international team of scientists has discovered microscopic crystals telling of unimaginable pressures and temperatures when a 50-meter asteroid (traveling 12 kilometers per second) formed Meteor Crater in northern Arizona some 49,000 years ago.
Dirty water stunts millions of Indian children: study India is home to the world's largest number of stunted children due to a lack of toilets, dirty water and poor hygiene, according to a new study published on Tuesday.
India, US hit upon Indian Ocean natural gas discovery Scientists from India, the United States and Japan have struck upon a large natural gas deposit in the Bay of Bengal, the first potentially producible discovery of its kind in the Indian Ocean.
	Measure of age in soil nitrogen could help precision agriculture What's good for crops is not always good for the environment. Nitrogen, a key nutrient for plants, can cause problems when it leaches into water supplies. University of Illinois engineers developed a model to calculate the age of nitrogen in corn and soybean fields, which could lead to improved fertilizer application techniques to promote crop growth while reducing leaching.
	New study quantifies morel mushroom abundance after wildfire University of Montana forest ecology Professor Andrew Larson recently published research estimating the abundance of morel mushrooms after a wildfire in California's Sierra Nevada.
Vineyard cover crops reduce expense, save environment Cornell researchers have advice for vineyard managers in cool and humid climates like the Northeast: cover up.
Rainforest greener during 'dry' season Although the Amazon Jungle may appear to be perpetually green, a University of Illinois researcher believes there are actually seasonal differences of photosynthesis, with more occurring during the dry season and less during the wet season. Understanding how a rainforest that occupies 2.7 million square miles of South America functions is crucial to the future health of the entire planet.
	New model is first to predict tree growth in earliest stages of tree life Land managers, forestry professionals and conservationists seek to predict how trees will grow so they can better manage existing forests and regrow forests after logging operations. Previous tree growth models can reasonably predict how trees grow once they are about 20 years old and achieve "crown closure" with the trees in the forest around them. Crown closure occurs when trees in a specific area grow wide and tall enough that their canopies connect. Now, University of Missouri researchers have created a new statistical model that accurately predicts tree growth from when they are first planted until they reach crown closure.
	Cleaner air may be driving water quality in Chesapeake Bay A new study suggests that improvements in air quality over the Potomac watershed, including the Washington, D.C., metro area, may be responsible for recent progress on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Scientists from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science have linked improving water quality in streams and rivers of the Upper Potomac River Basin to reductions in nitrogen pollution onto the land and streams due to enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
	Researchers find Chilean salt flat drains a surprisingly vast area A recent research report about one of the largest lithium brine and salt deposits in the world in Chile's Atacama Desert by geoscientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first to show that water and solutes flowing into the basin originate from a much larger than expected portion of the Andean Plateau.
Fire seasons are becoming hotter, drier and longer The fast-moving brush fire tearing through the Santa Clarita Valley this weekend is part of a larger trend: Wildfire seasons in the western United States are lasting longer and burning more land, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
	Good emissions trading programs are unique, not one-size-fits-all, new book argues Climate change is a global problem—but its solution relies on national, regional, and local policy actions. Take the issue of greenhouse gas emissions markets, which put a price on, say, the amount of carbon a country can release into the atmosphere.
Effective monitoring to evaluate ecological restoration in the Gulf of Mexico: new report To improve and ensure the efficacy of restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon - the largest oil spill in U.S. history - a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends a set of best practices for monitoring and evaluating ecological restoration activities.
	NASA gets last looks at former Tropical Storm Darby Tropical Storm Darby weakened to a remnant low pressure system in the Central Pacific Ocean today, July 26. NASA's Aqua satellite and RapidScat instrument provided a "last look" at Darby when it was still a tropical storm the previous day.
	NASA spots Tropical Storm Mirinae approaching China's Hainan Island Tropical Depression 05W strengthened into a tropical storm and was renamed Mirinae as NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the South China Sea and captured a visible image of the storm.
	NASA data show Hurricane Frank's fluctuation in strength Infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite showed a transition within Tropical Storm Frank over three days, and now Frank has become the Eastern Pacific's fifth hurricane.
	Eastern Pacific storms Georgette and Frank see-saw in strength Two tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean have see-sawed in strength today, July 26, 2016.
	Spain calls in army as wildfire reaches nature reserve Spanish troops intervened Tuesday as a wildfire near the eastern city of Valencia spread to a nature reserve after laying waste to some 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres) of land, regional authorities said.
Lead levels near California battery plant were far beyond health limits Homes, schools and a day care center near a closed battery recycler in nearby Vernon are contaminated with higher levels of brain-damaging lead than previously disclosed, with soil samples at one property as much as 100 times above California's health standard, state and county records show.

Astronomy & Space news

	Comet Lovejoy shows asymmetric behavior at perihelion (Phys.org)—Indian astronomers have recently conducted spectrographic observations of long-period Comet Lovejoy to study its gas emission. They found that this comet showcases an asymmetric behavior at perihelion and an increase in the activity during the post-perihelion phase. The findings were detailed in a paper published July 22 on the arXiv pre-print server.
	Astronomers find new, ancient source of gravitational lensing Light from a distant galaxy can be strongly bent by the gravitational influence of a foreground galaxy. That effect is called strong gravitational lensing. Normally a single galaxy is lensed at a time. The same foreground galaxy can – in theory – simultaneously lens multiple background galaxies. Although extremely rare, such a lens system offers a unique opportunity to probe the fundamental physics of galaxies and add to our understanding of cosmology. One such lens system has recently been discovered and the discovery was made not in an astronomer's office, but in a classroom. It has been dubbed the Eye of Horus (Fig. 1), and this ancient eye in the sky will help us understand the history of the universe.
	The case of the missing craters When NASA's Dawn spacecraft arrived to orbit the dwarf planet Ceres in March 2015, mission scientists expected to find a heavily cratered body generally resembling the protoplanet Vesta, Dawn's previous port of call.
	NASA team begins testing of a new-fangled optic It's an age-old astronomical truth: To resolve smaller and smaller physical details of distant celestial objects, scientists need larger and larger light-collecting mirrors. This challenge is not easily overcome given the high cost and impracticality of building and—in the case of space observatories—launching large-aperture telescopes.
	Astronomers uncover hidden stellar birthplace A team of astronomers from the University of Manchester, the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the University of Bonn have uncovered a hidden stellar birthplace in a nearby spiral galaxy, using a telescope in Chile. The results show that the speed of star formation in the centre of the galaxy - and other galaxies like it - may be much higher than previously thought.

Technology news

	High-voltage lithium-ion battery realized with superconcentrated electrolyte (Tech Xplore)—One of the biggest challenges facing next-generation lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles is finding ways to further increase the driving range. One way to do this is by increasing the battery voltage from the present 4 volts to 5 volts. The problem, however, is that the higher voltage is usually accompanied by a severe capacity loss of more than 50% after only 100 charge/discharge cycles.
	Chemical etching method helps transistors stand tall Smaller and faster has been the trend for electronic devices since the inception of the computer chip, but flat transistors have gotten about as small as physically possible. For researchers pushing for even faster speeds and higher performance, the only way to go is up.
	Earthquake-resilient pipeline could shake up future for aging infrastructure A top engineer from the city of Los Angeles visited Cornell University this month as researchers tested a new earthquake-resilient pipeline designed to better protect southern California's water utility network from natural disasters. They ran multiple tests, including an earthquake simulation in which a 28-foot-long section of the pipe was outfitted with more than 120 monitoring instruments and buried within 80 tons of soil - an experiment that took over a month for the research team to prepare.
	Historic solar flight marks first round-the-world journey The world's first round-the-world flight to be powered solely by the sun's energy made history on Tuesday as it landed in Abu Dhabi, where it first took off on an epic 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) journey that began more than a year ago.
Biological wizardry ferments carbon monoxide into biofuel Cornell University biological engineers have deciphered the cellular strategy to make the biofuel ethanol, using an anaerobic microbe feeding on carbon monoxide - a common industrial waste gas.
	For Indigo, microbes matter in the push for plant health (Tech Xplore)—Water use for agriculture is a big issue when planners look at our future across nations.
	A high-speed motor for satellites A dizzying 150,000 revolutions per minute: researchers from ETH Zurich (Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering) and the ETH spin-off Celeroton have developed an ultra-fast magnetically levitated electric motor for reaction wheels. The high speed of rotation allows intensive miniaturisation of the drive system, making it attractive for use in small satellites.
	Students launch agricultural drone startup to help reduce farming costs Aerial Agriculture LLC, a startup company launched by Purdue University students, aims to revolutionize the agricultural industry by building drones in-house to capture multispectral images of entire crop fields. This technology could allow farmers to reduce excess fertilizer and input costs while simultaneously increasing yields.
	Has Netflix's campaign to block VPN resulted in slower subscriber growth? There have been a number of suggestions to explain the slowdown in Netflix's subscriber growth that resulted in its share price falling by 14.5%.
	The rise in cyber attacks shows we need to change the way we think about crime You are now 20 times more likely to have your money stolen online by a criminal overseas than by a pickpocket or mugger in the street, according to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics. The figures, revealed that almost 6m fraud and cyber crimes were committed in the past year in England and Wales alone – making it now the most common type of crime experienced by adults in the UK.
	Violent groups revealed on Twitter: Tool keeps track without having to geolocate the tweets New sentiment analysis algorithms developed by researchers at the University of Salamanca (Spain) are able to monitor the social network Twitter in search of violent groups. The system analyses both the messages these individuals share and how their relationships develop. Spanish law enforcement authorities have already expressed interest in the tool.
	With new method any picture or text could be inkjet-printed as a solar cell Solar cells have been manufactured already for a long from inexpensive materials with different printing techniques. Especially organic solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells are suitable for printing.
Businesses can't afford to ignore the human element of IT, study says Mood and personality play an important role in how companies should manage their IT systems, according to a new study co-authored by a researcher at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
	Chinese tech firm LeEco agrees to buy Vizio TV maker for $2B Chinese video streaming company LeEco is breaking into the U.S. TV market by buying Vizio, a manufacturer of budget-priced sets. The combination promises a marriage of hardware and content as tightly linked as your smartphone is to your monthly voice and data plan.
	Tesla on Autopilot was speeding before fatal crash: probe The Tesla electric car driving in semi-autonomous mode when it crashed and killed its driver was speeding just ahead of impact with a tractor-trailer, a preliminary probe showed Tuesday.
Big electronics makers to merge in $15 bn deal Electronic component maker Analog Devices announced a deal Tuesday to buy rival Linear Technology for $15 billion.
	As iPhone sale sag, Apple touts apps and services instead You can expect to hear a lot more from Apple about the virtues of mobile apps and online services in coming months. And for good reason: They're just about the only part of Apple's business that's growing right now.
	Twitter still struggling to grow as rivals race ahead (Update) Twitter is in danger of becoming the next internet company forced into a desperation sale if it cannot find a way to start luring people and advertisers back to its sometimes-befuddling messaging service.
	Body Talk: A new crowdshaping technology uses words to create accurate 3-D body models Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the University of Texas at Dallas, revealed new crowdshaping technology at SIGGRAPH 2016 that creates accurate 3-D body models from 2D photos using crowdsourced linguistic descriptions of body shape. The Body Talk system takes a single photo and produces 3-D body shapes that look like the person and are accurate enough to size clothing. It does this using the help of 15 volunteers who rate the body shape in the photo using 30 words or fewer. The researchers believe this technology has applications in online shopping, gaming, virtual reality and healthcare.
	Twitter dives after update disappoints Twitter shares took a fresh hit Tuesday after its quarter update showing more losses, and sluggish growth in revenues and the user base of the social media platform.
	Yahoo's Mayer: A trailblazer, but no game-changer for women Marissa Mayer was a rarity: A major tech-company CEO who served while pregnant and, later, as a mother of young children. But her trailblazing has done little to meaningfully improve the second-class status of women in tech, a more deep-seated problem that will take many years—and certainly more than one person—to fix.
	Chinese army bans Hong Kong's Pokemon players from barracks The Chinese army garrisoned in Hong Kong has warned people searching for Pikachu and other virtual monsters to stay off their premises, as Pokemon Go mania sweeps the smartphone-obsessed city.
Citing cyber 'revolution,' Obama issues attack response plan The White House warned Tuesday of a "revolution" of computer-generated threats to the U.S. stoked by growing cyber aggression by traditional U.S. foes like Russia and North Korea, and issued a color-coded response plan for the federal government to use after major cyberattacks.
Qualcomm to pay $19.5M to settle gender discrimination suit Qualcomm agreed Tuesday to pay $19.5 million to settle a gender discrimination class-action lawsuit alleging women were denied equal pay and job opportunities to their male counterparts at the tech giant.
	Cybersecurity experts see merit in claims of Russian hacking Experts who've followed the leak of Democratic National Committee documents say they believe the party's claim that Moscow had a hand in the hack, lending weight to the extraordinary allegation that the Kremlin is trying to tamper with the U.S. presidential contest.

Chemistry news

	Synthesis and characterization of encapsulated single HF molecule (Phys.org)—Molecules are rarely found alone. In the real world, they are often networked to each other through hydrogen bonding or are bound to other molecules in the surrounding environment. One way to study an individual molecule is to trap it within a fullerene. A fullerene is an all-carbon, spherical molecule with carbons networked like the stitches of a soccer ball. The interior of the fullerene sphere is large enough to house small molecules, such as water or hydrogen gas.
	Lonely atoms, happily reunited The remarkable behaviour of platinum atoms on magnetite surfaces could lead to better catalysts. Scientists at TU Wien (Vienna) can now explain how platinum atoms can form pairs with the help of carbon monoxide.
	Animation library to increase science literacy in Victoria Addressing a strong demand within the STEM community for meaningful and accessible education tools—especially around complex topics, the project will offer valuable teaching and learning resources to schools and universities teaching biomedical science.
	Video: The world's most unavoidable carcinogen When we go outside, we expose ourselves to the most common carcinogen of all: ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight. Most of us know we should apply sunscreen to protect our skin, but some of us forget and suffer a flaky, irritated sunburn in return.

Biology news

	Study tracing ancestor microorganisms suggests life started in a hydrothermal environment It's one of the greatest mysteries of modern science: how did life begin exactly? While most scientists believe that all lifeforms evolved from a common, primitive ancestor microorganism, the details are blurry. What kinds of genes did this lifeform carry and where did it live? A new study, published in Nature Microbiology, now sheds some light on this early organism and the environment it evolved in.
	Early controlled use of fire may have led to emergence of tuberculosis (Phys.org)—A small team of researchers with the University of New South Wales and Monash University, both in Australia, has developed a theory that suggests tuberculosis may have evolved into a disease as a result of the use of controlled fire by early humans. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes how they came up with the theory and then tested it using mathematical modeling in conjunction with evolutionary genetics, epidemiology and paleontology.
Cells from same cell bank lots may have vast genetic variability In a surprise finding, researchers working with breast cancer cells purchased at the same time from the same cell bank discovered that the cells responded differently to chemicals, even though the researchers had not detected any difference when they tested them for authenticity at the time of purchase.
	Salad days – tomatoes that last longer and still taste good The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most valuable fruit crops in the world with an annual global value in excess of $50bn. We eat so many they also play an important role in our diet providing valuable vitamins, minerals and health promoting phytochemicals. Plant breeders are working continuously to supply high yielding, better tasting, more nutritious and longer lasting tomato varieties, but some of the best tasting varieties soften rapidly and can have a short shelf life.
	Some frogs may have started laying eggs on land to get way from the mating frenzy in the water It may be hard to imagine competing over who gets to kiss a frog, but when it comes to mating, a new study concludes that some frogs have moved out of the pond onto land to make it easier for the male in the pair to give sexual rivals the slip.
	Protein insights to help find heart disease cure Research led by The Australian National University (ANU) has uncovered new insights into how the human genome gets through the daily grind with the help of RNA-binding proteins, in a discovery which could ultimately lead to a cure for heart disease.
	Nottingham Dollies prove cloned sheep can live long and healthy lives Three weeks after the scientific world marked the 20th anniversary of the birth of Dolly the sheep new research, published by The University of Nottingham, in the academic journal Nature Communications has shown that four clones derived from the same cell line—genomic copies of Dolly—reached their 8th birthdays in good health. The video can be seen here.
	Real-time imaging of fish gut ties bacterial competition to gut movements In recent years, numerous diseases have been tied to variations in gut microbiota. The rapidly growing probiotics industry targets gut and intestinal health by developing products built mostly around enzyme cultures and bacteria. But a new study now suggests that the underlying health and physical forces of the gut are as important as the bacteria inside in shaping communities of intestinal microbiota, and offers insights into the problems experienced by humans with a birth defect called Hirschsprung's disease.
	Every grain of rice: Ancient rice DNA data provides new view of domestication history Rice, or Oryza sativa as its scientifically known, feeds more than a third of the globe. Yet the majority of rice crops that supply 90 percent of the world come from just two domesticated varieties, japonica and indica.
To divide or not—a cellular feedback loop enables new cells to make a fateful decision It is one of the wonders of nature: multiplying cells are able to precisely copy their genetic material, once and only once, and spatially segregate the resulting two sets of chromosomes when the time comes to separate into two "daughter" cells. Just in our blood system alone, we have about 500 million cells born in the bone marrow every minute of our lifetime. Inside each of these cells, the DNA in chromosomes has to be accurately duplicated and then evenly segregated into the daughter cells as they divide.
	Researchers discover a way that animals keep their cells identical Cancers arise in skin, muscle, liver or other types of tissue when one cell becomes different from its neighbors. Although biologists have learned a lot about how tissues form during development, very little is known about how two cells of the same tissue stay identical for an animal's entire lifetime.
	Rare white whale 'Migaloo' sighted off Australia An extremely rare white humpback whale was Tuesday spotted off the Australian coast as he migrates towards warmer tropical waters to mate.
	Did sex drive mammal evolution? How one species can become two How new species are created is at the very core of the theory of evolution. The reigning theory is that physically separated populations of one species drift apart gradually.
	Freaks and uniques—evolution's weirdest creatures Evolution helps every species carve out its own niche within our planet's huge range of diverse and adverse habitats. And sometimes the features they evolve are truly bizarre.
	Researchers find a new marine invertebrate species in the Weddell Sea, in the Antarctica The cold waters in Weddell, in the Antarctic ocean, are the site of the findings of a new marine invertebrate species –the nudibranchs Doto carinova— described in an article published in the journal PLOS ONE by an international research group.
Invasive garden 'super ants' take hold faster than ever in U.K., new research finds Three new infestations of an invasive garden ant - known for building massive colonies of tens of thousands of insects - have been found in the UK this year, with researchers at the University of York warning their impact on biodiversity could be huge.
	Japanese tadpoles relax in hot springs Japanese tadpoles can live and grow in natural hots springs, or onsen, with water temperatures as high as 46.1oC (115oF). Living in onsen may benefit the tadpoles' immune systems, speed their growth, and allow the tadpoles to survive on small volcanic islands where there are few other natural sources of fresh water.
	Newly discovered virus a prime suspect in often-fatal beak disorder spreading among birds Scientists have uncovered a fascinating new clue in the global mystery surrounding wild birds with grossly deformed beaks. A team of researchers from the California Academy of Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have identified a novel virus that has been linked to Avian Keratin Disorder (AKD), a disease responsible for debilitating beak overgrowth and whose cause has remained elusive despite more than a decade of research. This new virus—identified from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest—is being investigated as a potential cause of AKD and represents a critical step in understanding the emergence of this disease in wild bird populations around the world. The results are published today in the journal mBio.
Americans worried about using gene editing, brain chip implants and synthetic blood Many in the general public think scientific and technological innovations bring helpful change to society, but they are more concerned than excited when it comes to the potential use of emerging technologies to make people's minds sharper, their bodies stronger and healthier than ever before, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
	International search reveals genetic evidence for new species of beaked whale An international team of scientists who searched out specimens from museums and remote Arctic islands has identified a rare new species of beaked whale that ranges from northern Japan across the Pacific Ocean to Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
	Researcher discovers unique anatomical characteristic in barnacle study When it comes to long distance relationships, it seems the barnacle has it all figured out. That's because if they fancy a mate who is far away, the male can simply make his penis longer to meet the need.
	Count seals in Antarctica from the comfort of your couch Scientists are asking the public to look through thousands of satellite images of Antarctica to assist in the first-ever, comprehensive count of Weddell seals. Counting seals will help scientists better protect and conserve the pristine Ross Sea and wildlife in the area.
	Black-footed ferrets return to where they held out in wild Long gone from these parts, black-footed ferrets still appear on Meeteetse's town logo, in a bronze sculpture downtown and even on coffee mugs from a downtown restaurant, remembered for when the nocturnal weasels made their last stand in the nearby sagebrush hills.
	Honey certification project sets industry abuzz Western Australia's honey is set for global recognition following a new partnership program between the industry and Bentley-based Chemcentre which could see honey values take off for local apiarists.
	Luc Hoffman, Swiss ornithologist and naturalist, dead at 93 A wildlife groups says Dr. Luc Hoffmann, a Swiss ornithologist and naturalist with a passion for wetlands who helped create the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and many other conservation groups, has died at 93.
Protect wolves or hunt them? Western states are in the crosshairs Sheep rancher Dave Dashiell got to his feet and wiped the blood from his hands. A newborn lamb he had just delivered from a struggling ewe took one breath, then another. He laid the lamb down gently in front of its mother. "I hope he lives," Dashiell said.

Medicine & Health news

	New technique can reveal subcellular brain details and long-range connections MIT researchers have developed a new technique for imaging brain tissue at multiple scales, allowing them to peer at molecules within cells or take a wider view of the long-range connections between neurons.
Enzyme links metabolic state to inflammatory response to infection An enzyme that stimulates the breakdown of fats in immune cells helps trigger inflammation, or an immune response to pathogens, a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers suggests. The findings enhance scientists' understanding of the connection between metabolism and inflammation, and may offer a new approach to treat dangerous infections such as pneumonia.
	New antibody drug continues to show promise for treatment of HIV Great strides have been made in recent years to develop treatment options for HIV, and the disease can now be controlled with anti-retroviral drugs. But a cure remains elusive and current medications have limitations: they must be taken daily, for life, and can cause long-term complications.
	Gout diagnostic platform uses computational microscopy to analyze uric acid crystals UCLA researchers have designed a portable imaging system that can diagnose gout, a condition that affects more than 8 million adults in the U.S. alone.
	New genetic clues into motor neuron disease Researchers at The University of Queensland have contributed to the discovery of three new genes which increase the risk of motor neuron disease (MND), opening the door for targeted treatments.
	Genetic factors are responsible for creating anatomical patterns in the brain cortex The highly consistent anatomical patterning found in the brain's cortex is controlled by genetic factors, reports a new study by an international research consortium led by Chi-Hua Chen of the University of California, San Diego, and Nicholas Schork of the J. Craig Venter Institute, published on July 26 in PLOS Genetics.
	Study identifies neural circuits involved in making risky decisions New research sheds light on what's going on inside our heads as we decide whether to take a risk or play it safe. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis located a region of the brain involved in decisions made under conditions of uncertainty, and identified some of the cells involved in the decision-making process.
	Study in mice suggests stem cells could ward off glaucoma An infusion of stem cells could help restore proper drainage for fluid-clogged eyes at risk for glaucoma. That's the upshot of a study led by a Veterans Affairs and University of Iowa team.
	New evidence: How amino acid cysteine combats Huntington's disease Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report they have identified a biochemical pathway linking oxidative stress and the amino acid cysteine in Huntington's disease. The findings, described in last week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provide a mechanism through which oxidative stress specifically damages nerve cells in Huntington's disease, an inherited and fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
	Novel statistical method captures long-term health burden of pediatric cancer cures Using a statistical method developed at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, investigators found that survivors of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma not only have more cardiovascular conditions than adults who did not have cancer in childhood, but the problems are more severe. The research, which appears today in the journal The Lancet Oncology, should aid efforts to reduce and better manage the late effects of cancer treatment.
Shops openly flouting tobacco sales ban near schools in China Retailers are openly flouting the ban on tobacco sales near schools in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province in South-Central China, reveals research published online in the journal Tobacco Control.
1 in 3 overweight and 1 in 7 obese in north east China (Jilin Province) One in three people is overweight and one in seven is obese in Jilin Province, north east China, finds a large study, published in the online journal BMJ Open.
	Rat fathers' diets may affect offspring's breast cancer risk The dietary habits of rat fathers may affect their daughters' breast cancer risk, a study in 60 male rats and their offspring has found. The study is published in the open access journal Breast Cancer Research. Researchers at the University of Sao Paulo showed that the female offspring of male rats which had been fed a diet rich in animal fats had an increased risk of breast cancer. A diet that was rich in vegetable fats reduced the offspring's risk of breast cancer.
Web-based technology improves pediatric ADHD care and patient outcomes As cases of ADHD continue to rise among U.S. children, pediatricians at busy community practices are getting a much-needed assist from a web-based technology to improve the quality of ADHD care and patient outcomes.
	Streetcar tracks increase risk of bike crashes, study finds One-third of bike crashes in Toronto's downtown involved the city's streetcar tracks, according to a new study out of UBC and Ryerson University that suggests that separated bike routes could reduce risk to cyclists.
Up there: Netherlands, Latvia lead world for people's height If you want to see a tall population of men, go to the Netherlands. Tall women? Latvia. And in the United States, which lags behind dozens of other countries in height, the average for adults stopped increasing about 20 years ago.
Human tests start on controversial Brazil cancer pill Human testing started Monday in Brazil on a controversial anti-cancer medicine that has been distributed in the country for years without having gone through proper trials.
Male hormone reverses cell aging in clinical trial Telomerase, an enzyme naturally found in cells, is often described as a "cellular elixir of youth." In a recent study, Brazilian and U.S. researchers show that sex hormones can stimulate production of this enzyme.
	Using virtual reality to help teenagers with autism learn how to drive Astronauts and pilots use them. So do truck drivers and Formula One race car drivers.
	'Pac-Man' gene implicated in Alzheimer's disease A gene that protects the brain from the harmful build-up of amyloid-beta, one of the causative proteins implicated in Alzheimer's disease, has been identified as a new target for therapy by NeuRA researchers.
What you need to know about bladder cancer Bladder cancer accounts for 5 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. with nearly 77,000 new cases annually; 1,100 people died of bladder cancer in Kentucky between 2010 and 2014.
	The surprising psychological benefits— and risks— of Pokémon Go Pokémon Go fever has officially taken over.
	Widespread antipsychotic use in nursing homes unnecessary, trial shows Despite minimal evidence supporting their effectiveness to manage symptoms of dementia, the use of antipsychotic drugs in Australian nursing homes is widespread. Studies showing the drugs increase the risk of stroke, cognitive decline and death have also been largely ignored.
	African children to suffer as El Nino winds down: NGO Millions of children will suffer disproportionately from the failed harvests and devastated livelihoods left behind by the El Nino weather phenomenon, Save the Children warned Tuesday.
	The power of rewards and why we seek them out Any dog owner will tell you that we can use a food reward as a motivation to change a dog's behaviour. But humans are just as susceptible to rewards too.
The resilience of brain-training hype It was definitely déjà vu in the media today. Reuters, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, and more were back on the "brain training prevents dementia" bandwagon.
Severity of enzyme deficiency central to favism The congenital disease favism causes sickness and even jaundice in patients after they consume beans. The culprit is a particular enzyme deficiency, which destroys red blood cells. Scientists from the University Children's Hospital Zurich have now discovered that, in the event of a severe or complete enzyme deficiency, patients can also suffer from an immunodeficiency. Patients need to be treated differently depending on the severity of their deficiency.
	Zika fix may be as close as a common flower and a pot of boiling water As half a million people head to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, there's more hovering over the city than the usual pollution—it's the threat of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, against which Brazil is waging war with synthetic pesticides, inspections, and transgenic mosquitos that prevent the insects from reproducing.
	Markers that cause toxic radiotherapy side-effects in prostate cancer identified A new study involving researchers from The University of Manchester looked at the genetic information of more than 1,500 prostate cancer patients and identified two variants linked to increased risk of radiotherapy side-effects.
	Vaginal birth comes with risks too – so should it really be the default option? When it comes to childbirth, vaginal delivery is often assumed to be the best thing – women have, after all, done it for thousands of years. But natural birth actually comes with risks, including tearing, haemorrhage and incontinence for the mother and injuries to the baby during labour. So why is it that the vast majority of pregnant women are only being warned about the risks of caesarean sections?
	Hospital data helps predict risk of pneumonia after heart surgery Pneumonia is the most prevalent infection after open-heart surgery, leading to longer hospital stays and lower odds of survival.
	Why baby boomers need a hepatitis C screening Baby boomers, adults born between 1945 and 1965, are five times more likely to have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
As hazard warnings increase, experts urge better decisions on who and when to warn A group of risk experts is proposing a new framework and research agenda that they believe will support the most effective public warnings when a hurricane, wildfire, toxic chemical spill or any other environmental hazard threatens safety. Effective warnings are a growing need as expanding global populations confront a wide range of hazards.
Researchers unveil new data and diagnostic tool at the world's largest Alzheimer's forum Two studies involving University of Waterloo researchers presented this week at the 2016 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Toronto highlight a new diagnostic tool that can identify Alzheimer's disease long before the onset of symptoms as well as the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in Ontario.
	Smell test may predict early stages of Alzheimer's disease Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), New York State Psychiatric Institute, and NewYork-Presbyterian reported that an odor identification test may prove useful in predicting cognitive decline and detecting early-stage Alzheimer's disease.
Elite cyclists are more resilient to mental fatigue As British cyclist Chris Froome celebrates his third Tour de France victory, research from the University of Kent and Australian collaborators shows for the first time that elite endurance athletes have superior ability to resist mental fatigue.
	Can a brain scan early in stress predict eventual memory loss? "My workload has shot up after my last promotion, I know that I'm stressed out," says a management executive from Delhi. "I feel anxious all the time, and since starting this job six months ago, I seem to be forgetting small things on a daily basis. Did I take my supplements this morning? Where did I put my car keys? I don't even remember what I had for breakfast yesterday," he continues.
Childhood illness not linked to higher adult mortality A new biological study by the University of Stirling has found that exposure to infections in early life does not have long-lasting consequences for later-life survival and reproduction.
	CDC updates guidelines on sexual transmission of Zika (HealthDay)—U.S. health officials on Monday updated their Zika virus guidelines, saying that pregnant women could contract Zika from a sex partner of either gender.
	Teasing out where the tokers live (HealthDay)—Whether you smoke pot might depend on what part of the United States you live in, a new survey suggests.
	Put birth control in place right after childbirth (HealthDay)—Obstetrician-gynecologists should counsel pregnant women about use of long-acting reversible contraception, such as implants and IUDs, immediately after they give birth, a leading group of U.S. doctors says.
	'Managing' elderly patients without powerful antipsychotics (HealthDay)—About 25 percent of dementia patients in U.S. nursing homes are still quieted with risky antipsychotic medications. Now, a small study suggests that managing these difficult patients, instead of medicating them, could obtain better results.
Survival, surgical interventions for children with rare, genetic birth disorder Among children born with the chromosome disorders trisomy 13 or 18 in Ontario, Canada, early death was the most common outcome, but 10 percent to 13 percent survived for 10 years, according to a study appearing in the July 26 issue of JAMA. Among children who underwent surgical interventions, 1-year survival was high.
Trends in late preterm, early term birth rates and association with clinician-initiated obstetric interventions Between 2006 and 2014, late preterm and early term birth rates decreased in the United States and an association was observed between early term birth rates and decreasing clinician-initiated obstetric interventions, according to a study appearing in the July 26 issue of JAMA.
	Task force maybe too stringent in not yet recommending melanoma screening The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced today that it doesn't have enough evidence to recommend that clinicians perform visual screening for melanomas with patients with no known special risk for the skin cancer. In an invited commentary in JAMA—the journal of the American Medical Association—Drs. Martin Weinstock and Hensin Tsao agree that the evidence doesn't meet the task force's standards, but they also question whether those standards are appropriate.
Study compares cognitive outcomes for treatments of brain lesions Among patients with 1 to 3 brain metastases, the use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) alone, compared with SRS combined with whole brain radiotherapy, resulted in less cognitive deterioration at 3 months, according to a study appearing in the July 26 issue of JAMA.
Supervised self-monitoring improves diabetes control in clinical trial For people with diabetes not treated with insulin, unsupervised self-monitoring of blood glucose levels has not been found effective at improving glycaemic control. In a randomised trial published this week in PLOS Medicine, Sarah Wild, Brian McKinstry and colleagues from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland report on a strategy where patients submit their home blood glucose results to a website which is monitored by a nurse or physician who responds to guide patients. The researchers show this supervised approach, which includes adjusted treatment or reinforcing lifestyle changes when needed, to be effective in controlling diabetes.
Exercise cuts gestational diabetes in obese pregnant women Exercise alone can reduce the number of obese, pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes, a new study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has shown.
Study links gymnastics equipment to exposure to flame-retardant chemicals As the summer Olympics get underway, a new study co-authored by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers reports that popular gymnastics training equipment contains mixtures of flame-retardant chemicals that have been linked to increased risks of ADHD, cancer and brain development delays.
Cracking the mystery of Zika virus replication Zika virus has now become a household word. It can cause microcephaly, a birth defect where a baby's head is smaller than usual. Additionally, it is associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder that could lead to paralysis and even death. However, how this microbe replicates in the infected cells remains a mystery. Now, an international team led by researchers from Tianjin University and Nankai University has unraveled the puzzle of how Zika virus replicates and published their finding in Springer's journal Protein & Cell.
	Researchers identify protein role in pathway required for Ebola replication A newly identified requirement of a modified human protein in ebolavirus (EBOV) replication, may unlock the door for new approaches to treating Ebola.
Major new study provides important insights for effective treatment of heart failure with pEF Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been particularly difficult to treat, or even describe, with definitions and terminology still under debate within the medical community. The number of patients hospitalized with HFpEF is now comparable to those with traditional heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and is projected to exceed that of HFrEF within the next few years. Therefore, it has become even more important to characterize the typical HFpEF patient and uncover factors that influence poor outcomes. In a new report published in The American Journal of Medicine, researchers analyzed over five million hospitalizations for acute heart failure, which provided much needed insights.
	Researchers find biological explanation for wheat sensitivity A new study may explain why people who do not have celiac disease or wheat allergy nevertheless experience a variety of gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms after ingesting wheat and related cereals. The findings suggest that these individuals have a weakened intestinal barrier, which leads to a body-wide inflammatory immune response.
	Regardless of age, health conditions, many seniors not retired from sex Despite societal perceptions that older adults' love lives are ancient history, many seniors are anything but retired from sex, a new study suggests.
Stereotactic radiosurgery may be best for patients with metastatic brain tumors Patients with three or fewer metastatic brain tumors who received treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) had less cognitive deterioration three months after treatment than patients who received SRS combined with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). These findings are according to the results of a federally funded, Mayo Clinic-led, multi-institution research study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Health insurance coverage is associated with lower odds of alcohol use by pregnant women Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health studied the relationship between health insurance coverage and tobacco and alcohol use among reproductive age women in the United States, and whether there were differences according to pregnancy status. The findings showed that pregnant women with insurance coverage had lower odds of alcohol use in the past month; however the odds of tobacco use were not affected. For non-pregnant women, insurance coverage resulted in higher odds of alcohol use but lower odds of using tobacco. The study is published online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Genome-editing 'toolbox' targets multiple genes at once A Yale research team has designed a system to modify, or edit, multiple genes in the genome simultaneously, while also minimizing unintended effects. The gene-editing "toolbox" provides a user-friendly solution that scientists can apply to research on cancer and other disciplines, the researchers said.
	Codependence of cell nucleus proteins key to understanding fatty liver disease A new appreciation for the interplay between two cell nucleus proteins that lead both intertwined and separate lives is helping researchers better understand fatty liver disease, according to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. They published their findings this month in Genes & Development.
	Severe birth defects not as lethal as docs once said: study Parents of newborns with rare genetic conditions used to hear the grim words that the severe birth defects were "incompatible with life." Support groups and social media showing the exceptions have changed the landscape. So has mounting research suggesting that not all such babies are doomed to die.
	Two in ten Alzheimer's cases may be misdiagnosed (HealthDay)—Alzheimer's disease is often misdiagnosed, possibly causing undue stress for those who don't have the disease but are told they do, and delays in treatment for others, two new studies reveal.
	FDA bolsters warnings about class of antibiotics (HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it's strengthening label warnings on a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones because the drugs can lead to disabling side effects, including long-term nerve damage and ruptured tendons.
	'Heat dome' not budging until week's end (HealthDay)—The massive "heat dome" that has blanketed the eastern United States with oppressive heat and humidity for days will not be budging before the end of the week, weather forecasters said Tuesday.
	Roll up your sleeves: Red Cross says blood need 'urgent' (HealthDay)—The American Red Cross says it has an urgent need for blood donations, with less than a five-day supply of blood on hand to help those who need it.
	Sex-specific role for glucokinase in autonomic nervous activity (HealthDay)—Glucokinase (Gck) in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN) is involved in glucose-dependent control of autonomic nervous activity in female mice only, according to an experimental study published online July 15 in Diabetes.
	Guidelines developed for pain management in cancer survivors (HealthDay)—Guidelines have been developed for chronic pain management in adult cancer survivors. The American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline was published online July 25 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Study: Specialized brain training may forestall dementia onset for years If you're intent on keeping dementia at bay, new research suggests you'll need more than crossword puzzles, aerobic exercise and an active social life. In a study released this week, researchers found that older adults who did exercises to shore up the speed at which they processed visual information could cut by nearly half their likelihood of cognitive decline or dementia over a 10-year period.
	Witnesses confuse innocent and guilty suspects with 'unfair' lineups Police lineups in which distinctive individual marks or features are not altered can impair witnesses' ability to distinguish between innocent and guilty suspects, according to new research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
	Cord blood outperforms matched, unrelated donor in bone marrow transplant A University of Colorado Cancer Center study compared outcomes of leukemia patients receiving bone marrow transplants from 2009-2014, finding that three years post transplant, the incidence of severe chronic graft-versus-host disease was 44 percent in patients who had received transplants from matched, unrelated donors (MUD) and 8 percent in patients who had received umbilical cord blood transplants (CBT). Patients who received CBT were also more likely to no longer need immunosuppression and less likely to experience late infections and hospitalizations. There was no difference in overall survival between these two techniques. Results are published in the journal Bone Marrow Transplant.
	Historical love-affair with indulgent foods Our desire for indulgent meals may be over 500 years old. A new analysis of European paintings shows that meat and bread were among the most commonly depicted foods in paintings of meals from the 16th century.
General Mills expands flour recall after 4 more illnesses General Mills is expanding a flour recall issued over a possible link to an E. coli outbreak after four new illnesses were reported.
	More work needed to screen baby boomers at higher risk of hepatitis C In mass media and popular culture, medical research is often framed as a race to overcome a complex, seemingly insurmountable challenge, with lives hanging in the balance.
New approaches to understanding Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease In a study presented today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2016, researchers at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute have explored how some people may develop the hallmarks of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's but never develop symptoms.
First medical marijuana dispensary to open in Florida The first medical marijuana dispensary in Florida is slated to open.
	Visual side effects of immunosuppressive drugs shown in rats used for translational stem cell study A new study of the immunosuppressive treatment routinely used to prevent graft rejection in rats that serve as test subjects for human stem cell therapies to combat retinal degeneration has linked the immunosuppressive regimen to reduced visual function. This finding has important implications for interpreting the results of studies that use common rat model for translational stem cell research, as described in an article in Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
Overlooked benefit of successful healthy lifestyle programs: Improved quality-of-life The value of a healthy lifestyle isn't reflected only in the numbers on the scale or the blood pressure cuff. University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers demonstrated that it also can be measured through improved "health-related quality of life."
Substantial growth in ordering of CTA exams in Medicare population According to a new study by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, the last 13 years have seen a substantial growth in the ordering of computed tomography angiography (CTA) examinations in the Medicare population, particularly in the emergency department (ED) setting. While radiologists generally do not order imaging exams, the study, published online in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR), found that radiologists remain the dominant providers of CTA exams, with the chest being the most common body region imaged with CTA.
Russian authorities evacuate nomads after anthrax outbreak Russian authorities are evacuating nomadic reindeer herders and quarantining part of a Siberian region after an outbreak of anthrax killed more than 1,000 of their animals.
Medicaid expansion increased Medicaid enrollment among liver transplant recipients Researchers have found that Medicaid expansion increased Medicaid enrollment among people who received liver transplants funded by commercial insurance. The findings are published inLiver Transplantation.
Opercular index score: A novel approach for determining clinical outcomes in stroke A new study presented at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 13th Annual Meeting in Boston found that the Opercular Score Index (OIS) is a practical, noninvasive scoring system that can be used to predict the strength and health of the vascular network in the brain (known as collateral robustness) and good clinical outcome among stroke patients undergoing endovascular recanalization.
Workforce processes prior to mechanical thrombectomy vary widely, new study finds Mechanical thrombectomy, a leading type of neurointerventional stroke treatment where a device can remove a blood clot in minutes, is essential for people experiencing a stroke, who stand to lose 2 million neurons every minute the artery is blocked. Equally essential is access to a hospital or health care system with a successful workflow in place that can deliver such treatment.
Flow diversion improves vision among patients with paraclinoid aneurysms Aneurysms of the paraclinoid region of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the interventions used to treat them often result in visual impairment.
	Could the deadly mosquito-borne yellow fever virus cause a Zika-like epidemic in the Americas? Yellow fever virus (YFV), a close relative of Zika virus and transmitted by the same type of mosquito, is the cause of an often-fatal viral hemorrhagic fever and could spread via air travel from endemic areas in Africa to cause international epidemics. The recent reemergence and spread of YFV in Africa and Asia and the dire shortage of YFV vaccine have called attention to the potential public health threat of yellow fever and the need for specific measures to prevent infection and control spread of the virus and its mosquito carrier.
How to treat Ehlers-Danlos syndrome Dear Mayo Clinic: I was recently diagnosed with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. My doctor said there's no cure, and that it's genetic. What can be done to treat this? I have two young children. Should they be tested for it?

Other Sciences news

	Sudden extinction of Neanderthals followed population peak Neanderthals once populated the entire European continent. Around 45,000 years ago, Homo neanderthalensis was the predominant human species in Europe. Archaeological findings show that there were also several settlements in Germany. However, the era of the Neanderthal came to an end quite suddenly. Based on an analysis of the known archaeological sites, Professor Jürgen Richter from Collaborative Research Center 806 – Our Way to Europe, in which the universities of Cologne, Bonn and Aachen cooperate, comes to the conclusion that Neanderthals reached their population peak right before their population rapidly declined and they eventually became extinct.
	Effects of Seattle wage hike modest, may be overshadowed by strong economy The lot of Seattle's lowest-paid workers improved following the city's minimum wage increase to $11 in 2015, but that was more due to the robust regional economy than the wage hike itself, according to a research team at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.
Companies flee audit firms who lose big clients, flock to those who win them Big accounting firms rely on big-name clients to make a profit and build credibility.
	Postcards provide link to Edwardian social media A new public searchable database provides access to a unique and inspirational treasure trove of amazing stories and pictures through what Lancaster University researchers term the 'social media' of the Edwardian era.
	Is it back to the future for human origins science or just a case of science media misleading us again? The falling quality of journalism is accelerating with the looming death of traditional newspapers and magazines.
	Israel to display ancient mummy with modern-day afflictions Israel's national museum is set to display a 2,200-year-old Egyptian mummy of a man who was afflicted with some modern-day illnesses such as osteoporosis and tooth decay, the museum said on Tuesday.
	Remains of lost Spanish fort found on South Carolina coast Archaeologists have found the location of a long-sought Spanish fort on the South Carolina coast at the site of what was once the first capital of Spanish Florida.
Research tracks interplay of genes and environment on physical, educational outcomes Over the course of the 20th century, genes began to play a greater role in the height and body mass index (BMI) of Americans, while their significance decreased in educational attainment and occurrence of heart disease.
	The impact of teaching assistantships Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are graduate students employed by a university or college to undertake certain teaching responsibilities. These responsibilities may include grading assignments, leading discussion or recitation sessions, or teaching laboratory classes for introductory undergraduate courses. Due to this broad range of responsibilities, GTAs hold a unique position that melds student, researcher, and teacher roles. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 125,100 GTAs currently employed in the United States, a testimonial to the importance of the GTA workforce in higher education. In 2005, a survey of 65 institutes of higher education in the United States found that 91% of undergraduate biology laboratory sections were taught by GTAs in research institutes. Clearly, undergraduate education is now dependent on GTAs. Considering this, I ask, how do teaching assistantships impact graduate assistants and their undergraduate students?

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