czwartek, 12 listopada 2015

Fwd: Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Nov 11

RESPEKT!

Blood test detects when hormone treatment for breast cancer stops working


Date: Thu, Nov 12, 2015


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 4:22 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Nov 11
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>



Webinar: Introducing COMSOL Multiphysics 5.2: http://goo.gl/sYPLfx
See the latest advancements in simulation and application design with this free webinar from this month's contest sponsor, COMSOL. Presentation includes a live software demo and Q&A session. Register today: http://goo.gl/sYPLfx
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Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 11, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Team creates a curved waveguide able to significantly bend X-ray beams
- Astronomers discover oldest stars ever seen
- First 'porous liquid' invented
- Venus' twin? Earth-sized rocky planet orbiting a nearby star
- Asteroid ripped apart to form star's glowing ring system
- Early farmers exploited beehive products at least 8,500 years ago
- Study reveals why chemotherapy may be compromised in patients with pancreatic cancer
- Plate tectonics thanks to plumes?
- Change in a single DNA base drives a childhood cancer
- Researchers detail how to control shape, structure of DNA and RNA
- Thermal sensitivity of marine communities reveals the most vulnerable to global warming
- A protein-RNA structure hints at how viruses commandeer human proteins
- Machine learning could solve riddles of galaxy formation
- Little Tally in trial, spots item highs, lows, price goofs
- Nanopores could take the salt out of seawater

Nanotechnology news

Researchers detail how to control shape, structure of DNA and RNA

Researchers at North Carolina State University have used computational modelling to shed light on precisely how charged gold nanoparticles influence the structure of DNA and RNA – which may lead to new techniques for manipulating these genetic materials.

Dendrimer technology gets a grip on cell proteins, could improve cancer treatment

Purdue researchers have devised a way to capture the finer details of complex cell processes by using tiny synthetic particles known as dendrimers, a technology that could lead to more targeted treatment for cancer.

Imitating synapses of the human brain could lead to smarter electronics

Making a computer that learns and remembers like a human brain is a daunting challenge. The complex organ has 86 billion neurons and trillions of connections—or synapses—that can grow stronger or weaker over time. But now scientists report in ACS' journal Nano Letters the development of a first-of-its-kind synthetic synapse that mimics the plasticity of the real thing, bringing us one step closer to human-like artificial intelligence.

Nanopores could take the salt out of seawater

University of Illinois engineers have found an energy-efficient material for removing salt from seawater that could provide a rebuttal to poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge's lament, "Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink."

Revolutionary new weapon in air pollution fight

People could soon be using their smartphones to combat a deadly form of air pollution, thanks to a potentially life-saving breakthrough by RMIT University researchers in Melbourne, Australia.

Physics news

Team creates a curved waveguide able to significantly bend X-ray beams

(Phys.org)—A team of researchers working in Germany and France has demonstrated a way to bend X-ray beams using curved wave guides. In their paper published in Physical Review Letters, the team describes how they created the wave guides, the parameters they used in creating them and the results of their testing.

Eight-carat diamond smashed in the name of science

At the University of Melbourne, a rare, eight-carat diamond has been smashed to smithereens in a bid to discover the secrets of its origin and a potential 'mother lode' of diamonds.

Sound waves could power hard disk drives of the future

Our need to store data is growing at an astonishing rate. An estimated 2.7 zettabytes (2.721) of data are currently held worldwide, equivalent to several trillion bytes for every one of the 7 billion people on Earth. Accessing this data quickly and reliably is essential for us to do useful things with it – the problem is, all our current methods of doing so are far too slow.

Researchers use high-performance computing to drive alloy design

The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, FCA US LLC, and the foundry giant, Nemak of Mexico, are combining their strengths to create lightweight powertrain materials that will help the auto industry speed past the technological roadblocks to its target of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

Researchers discover a new phenomenon in materials science by observing the compaction of puffed rice cereal

There's more to the snap, crackle and pop of Rice Krispies than meets the ear. A recent study by San Diego State University civil engineering professor Julio Valdes used the breakfast cereal to discover a new phenomenon in materials science: highly porous, brittle materials can deform in different ways depending on compaction velocity. Put another way, the speed at which one crushes a tube full of cereal, for example, can have implications for manufacturing or even assessing the safety of snow after an avalanche.

Discovery of a new confinement state for plasma

The National Institutes of Natural Sciences National Institute for Fusion Science applied the "Momentary Heating Propagation Method" to the DIII-D tokamak device operated for the United States Office of Science, Department of Energy, by the General Atomics and made the important discovery of a new plasma confinement state. This discovery was introduced in the November 4, 2015, issue of Scientific Reports, a journal of the British science journal Nature group, in an article titled "Self-regulated oscillation of transport and topology of magnetic islands in toroidal plasmas."

Zooplankton: Not-so-passive motion in turbulence

Physicists show that despite their limited swimming abilities, zooplankton called calanoid copepods display active, energetic behaviour in turbulent flows.

Mixing an icy cocktail to safely cool hot plasma

A shot of icy chemical cocktail - that's the promising solution to controlling hot plasmas in fusion devices, researchers say.

New Super H-mode regime could greatly increase fusion power

Meet "Super H mode," a newly discovered state of tokamak plasma that could sharply boost the performance of future fusion reactors. This new state raises the pressure at the edge of the plasma beyond what previously had been thought possible, creating the potential to increase the power production of the superhot core of the plasma.

Made to order: Researchers discover a new form of crystalline matter

Dust is everywhere: under the bed, on the stairs and even inside of plasmas. A team of researchers from Auburn University, the University of Iowa and the University of California, San Diego, using the new Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX), the first U.S. experiment of its kind, recently discovered a new form of crystalline-like matter in strongly magnetized dusty plasma.

Mirror currents in the wall make the most beautiful plasma of all

The way to increase the power and efficiency of magnetic fusion energy may be to risk running the plasma - hotter than 100-million-degrees C - closer than ever to the wall, according to new experimental results achieved by the first U.S.-China fusion research team.

Researchers open 'Golden Window' in deep brain imaging

The neuroscience community is saluting the creation of a "Golden Window" for deep brain imaging by researchers at The City College of New York led by biomedical engineer Lingyan Shi. This is a first for brain imaging, said Shi, a research associate in City College's Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, and the biology department.

Earth news

Research finds feldspar releases potassium at a higher rate than expected with implications for agriculture

Researchers in the lab of Antoine Allanore, the Thomas B. King Assistant Professor of Metallurgy at MIT, have been working on potash alternatives for three years. In a paper published Oct. 20 in PLOS One, Allanore group postdoc Davide Ciceri demonstrates through microfluidic experiments that feldspar interacting with an acid solution can release sufficient quantities of potassium for agriculture.

Plate tectonics thanks to plumes?

"Knowing what a chicken looks like and what all the chickens before it looked like doesn't help us to understand the egg," says Taras Gerya. The ETH Professor of Geophysics uses this metaphor to address plate tectonics and the early history of the Earth. The Earth's lithosphere is divided into several plates that are in constant motion, and today's geologists have a good understanding of what drives these plate movements: heavier ocean plates are submerged beneath lighter continental plates along what are known as subduction zones. Once the movement has begun, it is perpetuated due to the weight of the dense subducting plate.

Researchers develop new way to measure crop yields from space

As Earth's population grows toward a projected 9 billion by 2050 and climate change puts growing pressure on the world's agriculture, researchers are turning to technology to help safeguard the global food supply.

Study cites gap between theory and practice in natural resource management

Natural resource agencies have embraced an approach known as adaptive management to adjust and refine their management plans in the face of uncertainties caused by climate change and the functioning of complex ecosystems.

Researchers show that global warming happened just as fast in the past as today

Climate change is progressing rapidly. It is not the first time in our planet's history that temperatures have been rising, but it is happening much faster now than it ever has before. Or is it? Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg have shown in the latest edition of the journal Nature Communications that the temperature changes millions of years ago probably happened no more slowly than they are happening today.

Commercial sea salt samples purchased in China contaminated with microplastics

Tiny plastic bits, collectively known as called microplastics, are showing up in bodies of water around the world, and are accumulating in aquatic creatures, including fish and shellfish. Now scientists, after testing a sampling of commercial products in China, have reported for the first time that they also could be contaminating something else we consume from the sea salt. Their study appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Titan takes on the big one

The San Andreas Fault system, which runs almost the entire length of California, is prone to shaking, causing about 10,000 minor earthquakes each year just in the southern California area.

Researchers study possible benefits of residential prairie gardens

Prairie gardens offer Midwestern suburban dwellers an alternative option to the traditional grass lawn. Their combination of native grasses, like tall and wispy bluestem and sideoats, and forbs, such as the colorful yellow and purple coneflowers, are a welcome addition to any lawn.

India sees clean cooking as climate action that saves lives

Kamlesh feeds the flames of a crude clay cookstove with kindling, kerosene and sunbaked discs of cow dung. She breathes in the billowing smoke, as she does for hours every day. Her eyes water and sting. Her throat feels scratchy and sore.

First supply aircraft in over six months to Europe's Concordia station

The first supply aircraft in over six months landed at Europe's Concordia station on 6 November, bringing long-awaited equipment, food – including fresh fruit – and replacement personnel.

Climate vulnerable nations appeal for harder UN goal

A coalition of nations most at risk from climate change appealed Wednesday for a crucial UN summit to enshrine a much tougher target on global warming, warning that more than one billion lives were at stake.

Astronomy & Space news

Asteroid ripped apart to form star's glowing ring system

The sight of an asteroid being ripped apart by a dead star and forming a glowing debris ring has been captured in an image for the first time.

Astronomers discover oldest stars ever seen

An international team of astronomers, led researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Australian National University, have identified some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, which could contain vital clues about the early Universe, including an indication of how the first stars died.

Venus' twin? Earth-sized rocky planet orbiting a nearby star

Scientists have discovered a new exoplanet that, in the language of "Star Wars," would be the polar opposite of frigid Hoth, and even more inhospitable than the deserts of Tatooine. But instead of residing in a galaxy far, far away, this new world is, galactically speaking, practically next door.

Machine learning could solve riddles of galaxy formation

A new machine-learning simulation system developed at the University of Illinois promises cosmologists an expanded suite of galaxy models - a necessary first step to developing more accurate and relevant insights into the formation of the universe.

Orion's European module ready for testing

A test version of ESA's service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft arrived in the US yesterday after leaving its assembly site in Italy last weekend.

Ariane 5's sixth launch this year

An Ariane 5 has delivered two telecom satellites, Arabsat-6B and GSAT-15, into their planned orbits. 

Physicist helps explain characteristics of swirling solar wind

Just a few hundred yards from the house where Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) lived in Arcetri for the last nine years of his life, the University of Delaware's William Matthaeus is working to further the world's understanding of the heliosphere – the big bubble of magnetism that holds the solar system together – and especially its turbulent nature.

Bangladesh signs $250m satellite deal with French firm

Bangladesh on Wednesday signed a $250 million deal with French-Italian firm Thales Alenia Space in Dhaka to build the country's first communications satellite, officials said.

Prospects for the 2015 November Leonid meteors

A November rain hails from the Sickle of the Lion. Hot on the heels of the October Orionids and the Halloween fireballs of the Taurid meteors comes the Leonid meteor shower. On most years, the Leonids are a moderate shower, with hourly local rates reaching around 20. Once every 33 years, however, the Leonids are responsible for putting on one of the greatest astronomical shows ever witnessed, producing a grand storm with a zenithal hourly rate topping thousands per hour.

Technology news

Shape-changing LineFORM may belong to interface future

LineFORM from the Tangible Media Group at MIT Media Lab is the result of its creators asking questions. What if we have a shape-changing material that consists of a Line? Using such material, how will interactions with computers or tools change?

Little Tally in trial, spots item highs, lows, price goofs

Missing shelf items spell lots of missed opportunities. The customer sees the store is out of animal crackers and leaves, as the store nearby will not only carry the rest of the items on the grocery list but also the missing crackers.

New pop-up sensor may help robotic surgery

Robots have taken over the O.R. Today, more and more surgeries are performed from behind a computer console as multi-million dollar, multi-armed surgical robots like the Zeus or Da Vinci systems replace hand-held scalpels. These robotic systems have been shown to reduce hospital stays and the likelihood of error and infection, while increasing a surgeon's field of vision and range of motion inside the body. New flexible and soft robotic tools that can snake through twisting and hard-to-reach areas of the body offer even more promise.

World nations reach landmark deal on using satellites to track flights

World nations struck a landmark deal Wednesday on using satellites to track flights, which could prove key to preventing a repeat of the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370 in March 2014.

After poking Facebook, life ain't easy for a site named Tsu

Suppose every time you posted on Facebook, the social network tallied up the ad revenue it earned against your update and passed a percentage back to you. Of course, Facebook does nothing of the sort—but its much smaller rival Tsu.co does.

US official: Charges possible if Chinese hackers keep it up

The U.S. could consider criminal charges or sanctions against China if the U.S. determines hackers there are violating an agreement not to conduct economic cyber espionage on American industry, a senior Justice Department official said Tuesday.

Netflix hit by outage, vexing users

An unexpected Netflix outage temporarily stymied unspecified numbers of members trying to stream television shows in the United States, Mexico and Brazil.

Apple Music picks up beat on Android phones

Apple's freshly launched music service became available Tuesday on rival mobile devices powered by Google-backed Android software.

China splurges on world's biggest online shopping spree

Shoppers spent around $9 billion in the first 12 hours of China's "Singles Day" sale on Wednesday, e-commerce giant Alibaba said, in the world's biggest online shopping day.

Blocked Internet firms on Chinese charm offensive

Google, Facebook and Twitter are all banned in China, but the Internet giants' top executives are increasingly frequent visitors to Beijing as they seek opportunity and profit from the world's second-largest economy, despite concerns over censorship.

Fidelity markdown suggests Snapchat is overvalued

Snapchat Inc. is the latest startup to fall victim to fears that investors have become overzealous in valuing privately held technology companies.

Microsoft to keep German customers' cloud data in country (Update)

Microsoft said Wednesday it will give German customers of its online services the option of storing their data in Germany, addressing persistent privacy concerns in Europe following revelations about U.S. online surveillance.

Improving battery performance for Android apps

App developers could see the energy footprint of their programs on smartphone batteries reduced by participating in a program created by a Purdue-related software startup that promises to find an energy optimization plan or provide a money-back guarantee.

Facial recognition software solves Gaskell silhouette mystery

On the 150th anniversary of the death of Elizabeth Gaskell (12 November 1865), a long-held mystery surrounding the true identity of a silhouette suspected to be of the Victorian novelist has been solved.

Apple to create 1,000 more jobs in Ireland by 2017

US tech giant Apple will create around 1,000 jobs at its European headquarters in Ireland by mid-2017, chief executive Tim Cook announced Wednesday during a visit to the country.

UN urges more investment in cutting-edge technologies to drive growth

Japan, the United States but also increasingly China, are among the few nations driving global innovations like 3D-printing, the UN said Wednesday, urging more investments in fields expected to carry future economic growth.

Building taller, sturdier wood buildings

University of Alabama researchers are leading an effort that could lead to the construction of taller and sturdier wood-framed buildings in earthquake-prone areas.

New washer can accurately measure a bolt's clamping force

A piezoelectric load-sensing washer being developed by a professor and a recent graduate at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) provides a more accurate way to measure the clamping force exerted by the bolt it is on.

Microsoft agrees to store customer data in privacy-minded Germany (Update)

US tech giant Microsoft said Wednesday it is setting up centres to keep customer data in Germany, following a series of US surveillance scandals that have alarmed Europeans.

Boston Children's Hospital to tap IBM Watson to tackle rare pediatric diseases

In an initial project focused on kidney disease, Watson will analyze the massive volumes of scientific literature and clinical databases on the Watson Health Cloud to match genetic mutations to diseases and help uncover insights that could help clinicians identify treatment options.

German transport agency is testing emissions on 23 brands

Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority says it's testing the emissions of vehicles made by 23 foreign and domestic brands following revelations that Volkswagen installed software on some 11 million vehicles allowing them to fake emissions results.

Apple boss Cook says he'll resist UK government spy law plan

Tech giant Apple will resist the British government's efforts to get access to encrypted data through a new spying law, CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday.

Moscow tells Twitter to store Russian users' data in the country

Moscow has warned Twitter that it must store Russian users' personal data in Russia, under a new law, the national communications watchdog told AFP on Wednesday.

Focusing on user habits key to preventing email phishing

The cumulative number of successful phishing cyberattacks has risen sharply over the last decade, and in 2014 that figure surged past the total U.S. population.

Skype founder gives thumbs-up to European IT sector

Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom on Wednesday praised European information technology, saying 2015 had been an "amazing year" for the sector.

Amazon flies high in the Internet cloud

Amazon is widely known for its prowess as an online retail colossus, but is also thriving when it comes to sending business aloft in the Internet cloud.

High-tech means higher sales for many small retailers

An independent retailer may not look like the cutting edge of technology, but these small businesses increasingly turn to apps and sophisticated software to connect with customers.

Iraq to allow fourth mobile telecom service provider

Iraq is to allow a fourth mobile service provider to operate in the country and has invited interested companies to submit documents.

Supercomputer project to study solid-state drives under data-intensive workloads

The addition of the 800GB (gigabyte) Seagate SAS SSDs will significantly boost Comet's data analytics capability by expanding its node-local storage capacity for data-intensive workloads. Pairs of the drives will be added to all 72 compute nodes in one rack of Comet, alongside the existing SSDs. This will bring the flash storage in a single node to almost 2TB (terabytes), with total rack capacity at more than 138TB.

Studying artificial 'consciousness' could pave the way for artificial intelligence

Imagine a world where "thinking" robots were able to care for the elderly and people with disabilities. This concept may seem futuristic, but exciting new research into consciousness could pave the way for the creation of intuitive artificial intelligence.

Engineers don't just build things, they can help save the world

Engineers like to claim their primacy as problem solvers. But while this ability will always be critical for engineers, there is more to engineering than just solving problems.

J.J. Abrams, 'Infinity Blade' maker join forces for new game

Two years ago, when the creator of the hit mobile game series "Infinity Blade" joked at the latest iPhone unveiling that the device would boast "lens flares that would make J.J. Abrams proud," Chair Entertainment co-founder Donald Mustard was actually making an inside reference to his top-secret collaboration with the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" filmmaker.

Chemistry news

First 'porous liquid' invented

Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have made a major breakthrough by making a porous liquid - with the potential for a massive range of new technologies including 'carbon capture'.

Innovative energy-absorbing materials have potential uses in buildings, helmets

Purdue University is collaborating with General Motors to develop a new type of energy-absorbing material that might be 3-D printed and that could have an impact in areas ranging from earthquake engineering to safer football helmets.

Microbes map path toward renewable energy future

In the quest for renewable fuels, scientists are taking lessons from a humble bacterium that fills our oceans and covers moist surfaces the world over. While the organism captures light to make food in a process called photosynthesis, scientists have found that it simultaneously uses the energy from that captured light to produce hydrogen.

Scientists plug into metal's role in the circuit of life

Molybdenum is an essential nutrient for most living species because it causes vital biochemical transformations to occur fast enough to sustain life. In humans, a genetic inability to produce molybdenum-containing proteins is fatal because a molybdenum enzyme known as sulfite oxidase is required by every cell in the body.

Quick test for the quantification of parathyroid hormone-like hormone

Parathyroid Hormone-like Hormone is a relevant protein in the biology and treatment of several malignancies. A work in Nanomedicine, headed by Nanobioelectronics & Biosensors Group led by Prof. Arben Merkoçi from the Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2) and by Dr. Carmen de Torres Gomez-Pallete group from the Fundació and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, describes for the first time the application of lateral-flow immunoassays for the detection of this protein taking advantage of paper based nanobiosensors properties.

Scientists reduce sweetener stevia's bitter bits

Good news for consumers with a sweet tooth. Cornell food scientists have reduced the sweetener stevia's bitter aftertaste by physical – rather than chemical – means, as noted in the Oct. 14 issue of the journal Food Chemistry.

A new class of ultra-stable enzyme formulations for industrial applications

It's no secret that extremophiles, or microbes that live in places like polar glaciers and toxic waste pools, may hold treasures worth billions to modern industry. For years, researchers and biotech companies have been "gene prospecting" in extremophiles, looking for DNA they can exploit to make enzymes for everything from laundry detergent to renewable biofuels. Yet when it came to heat and acid resistant enzymes, results have been wanting—until now.

No more brown apples?

The longer an apple retains its beautiful colour, the better it is – especially for the food industry. Therefore, the industry works intensely on inhibiting the "browning" of fruits. Chemists of the University of Vienna around Annette Rompel moved a step closer to this ultimate goal.

Project to develop sausages with antioxidants from berries to prevent cancer

An EU-funded research project is to make sausages, patties and other meat products healthier in the future. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and four other European research institutions have launched a joint project to reduce the risk of colon cancer – the most common cancer of the gastrointestinal tract in Sweden.

Chemical safety board could halt new investigations while it reboots

Under new leadership, the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is hitting the reset button to put its embattled past behind it. The federal agency charged with investigating and issuing recommendations on chemical accidents wants to set an ambitious timeline for completing reports, but doing so will require a hold on new cases, according to an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society.

Video: A safer way to demonstrate the 'rainbow flame' in the classroom

A chemistry demonstration commonly known as the "rainbow flame" experiment has resulted in a number of serious injuries in classrooms in recent years. The experiment is meant to show how various metal salt solutions can create flames of different colors, but it can be unsafe if teachers use highly flammable solvents like methanol or ethanol in the procedure.

Biology news

Intensive farming link to bovine tuberculosis

Intensive farming practices such as larger herd size, maize growth, fewer hedgerows and the use of silage have been linked to higher risk of bovine TB, new research has concluded.

Japan researchers find chimps caring for disabled infant

A chimpanzee mother cared for her disabled infant in the wild in Tanzania, Japanese researchers reported in a study published this week, research they hope will help in understanding the evolution of social care in humans.

Study of crabs suggests they are capable of feeling pain

(Phys.org)—A pair of researchers with Queen's University in the U.K. has found via testing, that contrary to conventional thinking, crabs appear to be capable of feeling pain. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, Robert Elwood and Laura Adams describe how they subjected a group of crabs to jolts of electricity and the ways they tested them to see if the shocks elicited a pain response.

Study shows transfer of immunity over two generations in pigeons

(Phys.org)—(Phys.org)—A team of researchers with Sorbonne Universités and Prédictive CEREEP-Ecotron Ile-De-France has found that grandmothers of pigeon chicks are somehow able to transfer immunity to a third generation, though the means is not apparent. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the team describes how they injected three generations of pigeons with a protein to monitor their level of immunity response and what they found by doing so.

The secret to safe DNA repair

Michael Hendzel knows all too well that there is little that people can do to control the stability of their genetic code. But he hopes his latest research will help impact this elusive and crucial aspect of medicine. Published in Nature Cell Biology, this research explores a previously unknown secret to DNA repair.

A protein-RNA structure hints at how viruses commandeer human proteins

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Michigan have produced the first image of an important human protein as it binds with ribonucleic acid (RNA), a discovery that could offer clues to how some viruses, including HIV, control expression of their genetic material.

Thermal sensitivity of marine communities reveals the most vulnerable to global warming

The sensitivity of marine communities to ocean warming rather than rising ocean temperatures will have strong short-term impacts on biodiversity changes associated with global warming, according to new research.

Power up: Cockroaches employ a 'force boost' to chew through tough materials

New research indicates that cockroaches use a combination of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers to give their mandibles a 'force boost' that allows them to chew through tough materials.

A 'nervous system' for ant colonies? Colony responds to predation simulation as a 'superorganism'

Colonies of ants are incredibly complex, and at the same time intensely cooperative, so much so that they are often referred to as single 'superorganisms'. But to what extent do they actually behave as a single entity?

Mapping to help preserve Broome's rare ecology

Broome householders, businesses and agencies are closer to being able to preserve fragile, unique ecological communities in the region while conserving the town's natural heritage as it develops.

Metabolite maps provide more information and can help reduce harvest losses

It is possible to make metabolite maps of living plant tissues both quickly and accurately by using laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging. Researchers at Wageningen UR describe this in their article in the scientific journal Plant Physiology. The maps are 2-D at present, but the researchers are planning to investigate whether they can also use the technique to make 3-D maps.

Biologists piece together history of deadly fungus

New research from two San Francisco State University biologists is filling in some pieces of the puzzle about how a deadly fungus arrived in California and began wiping out amphibian populations.

Contact, connect and fuse: An ultra-structural view of the muscle formation process

For an avid exerciser, a muscle pull or tear is a painful and fairly common occurrence. A sudden turn or an unusually vigorous bout of aerobics can leave one with a muscle tear that will effectively confine a person to bed for a few weeks. However, muscles do heal—a set of quiescent cells called myosatellite cells in muscles are activated by injury to divide and form myoblasts, which in turn fuse with muscle cells to repair damaged muscles. The mechanistic basis of myoblast fusion with muscle fibers is now clearer thanks to recent work from Vijayraghavan's group at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS).

Southern right whale calf wounding by Kelp Gulls increased to nearly all over four decades

Wounding of southern right whale calves and mothers by Kelp Gulls has increased from 2% to 99% over four decades, according to a study published Oct. 21, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Carina Marón from the University of Utah and colleagues.

The owls beyond the Andes: Divergence between distant populations suggests new species

They might be looking quite identical, while perched above humanised farmlands and grasslands across several continents, but each of the populations of two owl species, living in the opposite hemispheres, might actually turn out to be yet another kind. This suggestion has been made by Dr. Nelson Colihueque and his team from Universidad de Los Lagos, Chile, based on new genetic divergence analyses of the Common Barn and the Short-eared Owl populations from southern Chile and comparing them with those from other geographic areas. The study is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

Environmental groups want thorny skate on endangered list

A pair of environmental groups want the U.S. government to add a species of skate to the list of animals protected under the Endangered Species Act, touching off a drive from some fishermen who say there are already burdened with too many regulations.

Digging deeper into DNA: An efficient method to sequence chloroplast genomes

To fully understand a plant's nuclear genome, scientists must also study two other genomes found within plant cells—-in the "powerhouse" mitochondria and in the photosynthesizing chloroplast organelles. Researchers from the Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (National Institute of Agricultural Research) in Uruguay have developed a chloroplast genome-sequencing strategy to facilitate this research. The new method could unlock a wealth of untapped chloroplast genome sequence data that can be applied to evolutionary studies.

The last decade's culture wars drove some states to fund stem cell research

It wasn't what President George W. Bush had in mind. In 2001, Bush restricted the use of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, giving conservatives what looked like a major victory in the nation's culture wars.

Eliminating fungi that attack produce with oregano and eucalyptus oil

Researchers at the National University of Mexico (UNAM) have demonstrated anti-fungal in vitro activity of the essential oil of oregano and eucalyptus in a vapor phase, which have already proven effective in controlling fungi that cause diseases in fruits and vegetables.

Reconstructing evolutionary history

Biologist Angela Hancock's current ERC funded project brings the Cape Verde Islands to the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL): Research with the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana helps her reconstruct the evolutionary history of the plant and uncovers general principles of adaptation.

Medicine & Health news

Computer model reveals deadly route of Ebola outbreak

Using a novel statistical model, a research team led by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health mapped the spread of the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, providing the most detailed picture to date on how and where the disease spread and identifying two critical opportunities to control the epidemic. The result, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, matches with details known about the early phase of the Ebola outbreak, suggesting the real-time value of the method to health authorities as they plan interventions to contain future outbreaks, and not just of Ebola.

Mindfulness meditation trumps placebo in pain reduction

Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have found new evidence that mindfulness meditation reduces pain more effectively than placebo.

Researchers report effective immune suppression therapy following traumatic brain injury

(Medical Xpress)—The growing awareness of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in professional, collegiate and amateur sports has resulted in legal pressures, media coverage and medical research related to the pathology of head injuries. The problem is particularly acute in contact sports such as U.S. football, but even lower-impact sports have produced examples of the disabilities induced by even minor head trauma.

Scientists ID genetic factors that influence body weight and neurological disorders

Many neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, are marked by impaired motor skills. In addition, growing evidence suggests there's a link between some neurodegenerative diseases and body weight. A recent NIH study, for example, found that adults who are obese or overweight at midlife may be at risk for earlier onset of Alzheimer's disease.

World-first blood cancer drug trial reveals life-changing results

Researchers from the University of Leicester and Leicester's Hospitals have announced a breakthrough advance in the results of the world-first clinical trial with actual patients of a new drug to treat particular blood cancers.

New research raises questions about using certain antibiotics to treat 'superbug' MRSA

A new study sheds light on how treatment of the "superbug" known as MRSA with certain antibiotics can potentially make patients sicker. The findings by Cedars-Sinai scientists, published today in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, could have implications for managing the bug, a virulent form of the common staph infection that can be difficult to control.

Social media offers neuroscientists a treasure trove of research material

Because social media is used so pervasively in modern society to tap into people's behaviors and thoughts, neuroscientists are finding Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms to be very useful tools in a broad range of research areas. A review published November 11 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences describes some of the approaches that neuroscientists can use to gain valuable insights from social media and highlights some of the questions that might be answered by social media-based studies.

Brain circuits involved in cravings unraveled

Dartmouth researchers studying rats have discovered that activation of designer neural receptors can suppress cravings in a brain region involved in triggering those cravings.

Change in a single DNA base drives a childhood cancer

Pediatric oncology researchers have pinpointed a crucial change in a single DNA base that both predisposes children to an aggressive form of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma and makes the disease progress once tumors form.

Study reveals why chemotherapy may be compromised in patients with pancreatic cancer

A study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center may explain why chemotherapy drugs such as gemcitabine are not effective for many pancreatic cancer patients, and perhaps point to new approaches to treatment including enhancing gemcitabine's ability to stop tumor growth.

Study suggests some gut microbes may be keystones of health

University of Oregon scientists have found that strength in numbers doesn't hold true for microbes in the intestines. A minority population of the right type might hold the key to regulating good health.

Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: Mouse model offers new insights into rare lung disease

New research from an investigative team at the University of Cincinnati (UC) has identified biomarkers and potential therapeutic approaches that may hold the key to treating pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM), a rare lung disease.

Batten disease may benefit from gene therapy

In a study of dogs, scientists showed that a new way to deliver replacement genes may be effective at slowing the development of childhood Batten disease, a rare and fatal neurological disorder. The key may be to inject viruses that carry the codes for the gene products into the ventricles, which are fluid-filled compartments in the center of the brain that serve as a plumbing system. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Blood test detects when hormone treatment for breast cancer stops working

Scientists have developed a highly sensitive blood test that can spot when breast cancers become resistant to standard hormone treatment, and have demonstrated that this test could guide further treatment.

Self-calibration enhances BrainGate brain computer interface ease, reliability

A new study in Science Translational Medicine describes three software innovations that substantially improved the user experience and performance of the BrainGate brain computer interface (BCI). Researchers said the gains are a significant advance in their ongoing work to develop and test a practical BCI assistive technology that people with paralysis could use easily, reliably, independently, and on demand to regain control over external devices.

Diagnosis before disease breaks out

Many patients with serious diseases are not helped by their medications because treatment is started too late. An international research team led from Linköping University is launching a unique strategy for discovering a disease progression in its earliest phase.

First-in-class investigational therapeutic shows early promise for lymphoma patients

Pevonedistat is a first-in-class, investigational small-molecule inhibitor of the NEDD8-activating enzyme, explained Shah. "This enzyme is part of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, which is the target of a number of FDA-approved anticancer therapeutics, including bortezomib (Velcade), which is used to treat multiple myeloma and various types of lymphoma. Pevonedistat also alters the ability of cancer cells to repair damaged DNA," he said.

How mobile phones are making childbirth safer in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia where almost nine in every 10 women give birth at home after pregnancies with little or no medical support, a mobile phone app is coming to the rescue with lifesaving guidelines when things go wrong.

Outside Chipotle outbreak, foodborne illness a wider problem

Chipotle is preparing to reopen its restaurants in the Pacific Northwest after an E. coli outbreak sickened about 45 people, a high-profile example of foodborne illnesses that are more common than the public realizes, health experts say.

New research reveals combined cell therapy enhances cardiac performance following heart attack

A new study from the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute (ISCI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine finds that combination stem cell therapy, using c-kit+ cardiac stem cells (CSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can significantly enhance cardiac performance in chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy following a heart attack. This is the first time a combination of cells has been used in a large animal pre-clinical trial of established heart failure by researchers at ISCI.

More steps a day keep the doctor away

Landmark research by The George Institute for Global Health has found that exercise can save lives, with an increase in the number of steps walked each day having a direct correlation with long term mortality.

Ensuring defibrillators are accessible when heart attacks are most likely to happen

Walking through an office building on St. George Street, Engineering's Christopher Sun quickly spots a portable automated external defibrillator (AED) conveniently tucked near the side of the entrance.

Angioplasty procedure reduces need for additional drug even when blockages remain

Heart patients who had undergone an angioplasty procedure that opened only some blocked arteries tended to have a resolution of their chest pain, making it unnecessary to add another medication to treat the symptom, according to a study led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

Knowns and unknowns of US drug pricing

In the U.S. spending on drugs represents 10% of overall health care costs.(1) Together, hospital and physician expenditures account for 6 times the spending on drugs.(2) Despite a recent uptick in the rate of drug cost growth, over the past 10 years the pace of hospital and physician expenditures has exceeded prescription drugs.(2) Apparently, these facts do not make for eye-catching headlines. By contrast, the recent surge in the price of drugs targeting hepatitis C, HIV, and various cancer and orphan diseases, is salient and the focal point of media attention. For example, last month's reported 50-fold price increase of Daraprim drew the ire of politicians, policymakers, and patient advocates. Here, we unravel several mysteries surrounding drug pricing and alignment of price and value.

Medical marijuana should be held to same standard as other drugs, pharmacist says

When medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon opened their doors to sell to anyone who is 21 years or older last month, the lines between recreation and medicine were officially blurred, said Edward Bednarczyk, PharmD, pharmacy practice chair in the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Understanding the causes of type 2 diabetes to treat it more effectively

To date, no cure has been found for type 2 diabetes, the most common form of this chronic disease which affects nearly 2.5 million Canadians. Marc Prentki's research seeks to understand how the functioning of the cells of the pancreas is disrupted when this disease occurs. Marc Prentki is a full professor at Université de Montréal's Department of Nutrition and a researcher at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Centre (CRCHUM).

'Empathy gaps' causing trauma in community mental health care

Failed, traumatised, stigmatised and often left feeling worse off than when they started.

Tackling a neglected disease with math

Schistosomiasis, or bilharzia, is a parasitic disease that infects people who expose themselves to contaminated lakes and rivers. Over the past decade, campaigns to treat infected individuals have managed to bring down the morbidity of the disease, but eliminating it from entire regions will require an orchestrated approach involving the entire infectious cycle of the disease. In a study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, a group of researchers led by EPFL show how human mobility and water resource development contribute to the spread of the disease and layout challenges for the development of more effective treatment strategies in Burkina Faso.

Dentist toolkit helps in fight against oral cancer

A University of Liverpool researcher has helped develop a GP and dentist toolkit to help detect oral cancer.

New study investigating how to support people with disability to have sex

Supporting people with disability to have active sex lives is the subject of a unique study by researchers at Deakin University.

Putting exercise under the microscope

According to the Centers for Disease Control, newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes have quadrupled since 1980, when 4.5 million cases were diagnosed, to 20.9 million in 2011.

Why we look at pretty faces

Few visual impressions can be compared to humans' interest for faces. New research suggests that our brain rewards us for looking at pretty faces.

One course of antibiotics can affect diversity of microorganisms in the gut

A single course of antibiotics has enough strength to disrupt the normal makeup of microorganisms in the gut for as long as a year, potentially leading to antibiotic resistance, European researchers reported this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

What happens to your brain when you're pregnant?

My friend recently asked me: "Why have I become so forgetful since I became pregnant?" I told her I didn't know, but that I'd look into it. She then followed with: "I was going to ask you to explain something else to me, but I totally forgot what it was."

New research finds failing to weigh emergency stroke patients leads to wrong dose of drugs

A new study has revealed stroke patients receiving emergency clot busting drugs, the correct dose of which depends on the patient's weight, may be receiving the wrong dose because the UK (and much of Europe) does not weigh patients prior to its administration.

Does psychotherapy research with trauma survivors underestimate the patient-therapist relationship?

When I first arrived at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center to practice psychology in 2001, my patients – mainly male Vietnam veterans – were leery. I had a PhD and could be viewed as an authority figure, a likely trigger for distress for those who felt mistreated by the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Gentle yoga safe in late pregnancy, small study suggests

(HealthDay)—Yoga, even late into pregnancy, appears to be safe for expectant moms, according to a small new study.

Death of a parent in childhood associated with increased suicide risk

The death of a parent in childhood was associated with a long-term risk of suicide in a study of children from three Scandinavian countries who were followed for up to 40 years, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.

Hospital readmission common after emergency general surgery

A study of patients who underwent an emergency general surgery procedure found that hospital readmission was common and varied widely depending on patient factors and diagnosis, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.

PFOA exposure in utero linked to child adiposity and faster BMI gain

Children whose mothers were exposed to relatively high levels of the chemical PFOA during pregnancy experienced more rapid body fat gain and higher body fat by age 8 than children whose mothers were less exposed, according to a new analysis in the journal Obesity.

New online tool created to tackle complications of pregnancy and child birth

Mother Nature (aka evolution) has been particularly guarded when it comes to her secrets regarding human pregnancy, which has made it particularly difficult for medical researchers seeking answers to the complications of gestation and childbirth, such as preterm birth, which is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide.

Elderly with dementia, diabetes and kidney problems risk dehydration

One in every five older people living in UK care homes has dehydration, suggesting that they are not drinking enough to keep themselves healthy. Those with dementia, diabetes and kidney problems are at most risk of dehydration - according to research from the University of East Anglia.

Study finds sexually transmitted infection affecting up to 1 percent of the population aged 16-44 in the UK

A new study strengthens growing evidence that Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The findings are recently published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Researchers improve safety, decrease risks of new blood thinners

Researchers at McMaster University and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton have successfully tested an antidote that reverses the effects of two new blood thinners named apixaban and rivaroxaban. By reversing the effects of blood thinners within minutes, this new antidote may help to save the lives of patients taking blood thinners that experience major bleeding complications.

Brain scans may help predict recovery from coma

Brain scans of people in a coma may help predict who will regain consciousness, according to a study published in the November 11, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at connections between areas of the brain that play a role in regulating consciousness.

A network of artificial neurons learns to use human language

A group of researchers from the University of Sassari (Italy) and the University of Plymouth (UK) has developed a cognitive model, made up of two million interconnected artificial neurons, able to learn to communicate using human language starting from a state of "tabula rasa", only through communication with a human interlocutor. The model is called ANNABELL (Artificial Neural Network with Adaptive Behavior Exploited for Language Learning) and it is described in an article published in the international scientific journal PLOS ONE. This research sheds light on the neural processes that underlie the development of language.

Men with Alzheimer's gene at risk of brain bleeding, study finds

A common genetic variation, ApoE4, linked to Alzheimer's disease greatly raises the likelihood of tiny brain bleeds in some men, scientists have found.

Global health team pioneers development of a new antimalarial drug screening model

A University of South Florida Center for Global Health & Infectious Diseases Research team has demonstrated a new screening model to classify antimalarial drugs and to identify drug targets for the most lethal strain of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum.

Prior oral contraceptive use associated with better outcome for ovarain cancer patients

Patients who develop ovarian cancer appear to have better outcomes if they have a history of oral contraceptive use, according to a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published in the current issue of the journal BMC Cancer.

Drug might help breast cancer patients avoid heart damage

Many cancer treatments have a dark side—they can damage the heart. New research suggests this risk might be lowered in women with breast tumors if they take a heart drug as a preventive measure during their cancer care.

Melanoma's genetic trajectories are charted in new study

An international team of scientists led by UC San Francisco researchers has mapped out the genetic trajectories taken by melanoma as it evolves from early skin lesions, known as precursors, to malignant skin cancer, which can be lethal when it invades other tissues in the body.

Reducing misdiagnosis: Time for the next chapter in improving patient safety

An estimated 12 million people in the United States experience diagnostic errors annually, but it's time for a change, , said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and RTI International in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina in a call to action.

Natural selection and inflammation may hold key to age-associated cancer risk

The incidence of cancer increases with age. Conventional wisdom blames this on age-dependent accumulation of cancer-causing mutations. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation tells another story: healthy cells are optimized for the ecosystem of healthy tissue; changes in this tissue ecosystem leave room for another, fitter "species" to emerge; inflammation frequently (but not necessarily!) associated with aging is a common mechanism of tissue disturbance that allows cells with cancer-causing mutations to out-compete their healthy rivals; this leads to a shift in the dominant population from healthy to cancerous cells.

'Sorry' doesn't heal children's hurt, but it mends relations

Most adults know that a quick apology for a minor transgression, such as bumping into someone, helps maintain social harmony. The bumped-into person feels better, and so does the person who did the bumping. It's all part of the social norm.

Adults with OCD can benefit from exposure therapy when common drug treatment options fail

Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can improve their symptoms significantly by adding exposure and response prevention therapy to their treatment regimen when common drug treatment options have failed, according to new research from psychiatrists at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Exposure and response prevention therapy is a type of cognitive behavior therapy in which the patient is asked to confront triggers that give rise to their obsessions in order to refrain from performing the rituals in response to these obsessions. The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

He was left with no scars after they reconstructed his face

Scar-free facial reconstruction is now a reality. A team led by Daniel Borsuk, a doctor at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont and a professor at the University of Montreal, recently conducted the very first such procedure in the history of plastic surgery in Canada. The hospital is part of the CIUSS de l'Est-de-l'île-de-Montréal health network. In an eight-hour operation on an adult patient, Dr. Daniel Borsuk carried out the facial reconstruction using virtual surgery and 3D models, removing a vascularized piece of pelvic bone and reshaping it to adapt it to the rest of the face before transplanting it through the inside of the mouth, with no scars left at all.

Warning signs a teen might be suicidal

What should I do if I suspect my teen is suicidal?

Medicare announces 'Part B' premiums for outpatient care

Medicare has announced the monthly "Part B" premiums for outpatient care next year.

Veterinary task force wants antibiotic resistance solutions at top of public health agenda

A national task force report on the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in animal agriculture spotlights the need to make finding solutions a top public health priority, said Willie Reed, dean of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Preventing radiation in cancer therapies to damage healthy organs

When a person receives radiation cancer treatment, he or she is exposed to ionizing radiation; to prevent damaging healthy tissue, Dr. Guerda Massillon, researcher at the National University of Mexico (UNAM), studied the properties of various materials called dosimeters that measure radiation doses.

Children's mental health survey launched

The first report on the mental health of young people between the ages of two and 19 will involve an expert researcher from the University of Exeter Medical School.

Researcher to launch project to teach Tai Chi to people with dementia

A Bournemouth University researcher has been awarded a prestigious fellowship to launch a health and wellbeing project for people with dementia.

Orchestra helps boost confidence and mood for those with dementia

A special orchestra for people with dementia has helped boost their confidence and mood, according to a new research project. The orchestra group has been set up by the Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) in Dorset to create a sense of community among participants and also includes professional musicians, carers and students.

Express Scripts sues Horizon, fight over prescriptions grows

The drugmaker Horizon Pharma is questioning its relationship with an Express Scripts business after the pharmacy benefits giant sued Horizon for about $140 million and dumped a pharmacy that dispenses its drugs.

Experts call for a new approach to reducing cases of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer survival rates have remained at an alarmingly low 3 to 6% for more than 40 years. Ahead of World Pancreatic Cancer Day, 13 November 2015, United European Gastroenterology (UEG) call for greater action from healthcare providers and governments on pancreatic cancer and new public health initiatives to raise awareness of symptoms and risk factors and ensure earlier diagnosis and an increase in survival rates.

Researchers aim to regenerate human knees and limbs by 2030

On Veteran's Day the University of Connecticut announced the launch of its new grand research challenge: regeneration of a human knee within 7 years, and an entire limb within 15 years.

Researchers building digital pathology tools to predict cancer outcomes

Case Western Reserve University researchers have been awarded two grants totaling $3.16 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create analytic software for managing, annotating, sharing and analyzing digital pathology imaging data.

Brazilian man being tested for Ebola; results in 24 hours

Brazil's heath minister says a officials are testing a 46-year-old Brazilian man for a suspected case of Ebola.

Other Sciences news

Early farmers exploited beehive products at least 8,500 years ago

Humans have been exploiting bees as far back as the Stone Age, according to new research from the University of Bristol published in Nature today.

Single tooth analysis of oldest-known plant-visiting bat fossil suggests it was omnivorous

A Stony Brook University-led team of evolutionary biologists has discovered that the oldest known nectar-drinking bat fossil, Palynephyllum antimaster, was probably omnivorous. They determined this by analyzing only a single molar of the fossil, which helped estimate the bat's skull length and infer its eating habits. Their findings are published in the Royal Society's journal Biology Letters.

New 'short-crested lizard' found in Montana

The newly described Probrachylophosaurus bergei, a member of the Brachylophosaurini clade of dinosaurs, has a small flat triangular bony crest extending over the skull and may represent the transition between a non-crested ancestor, such as Acristavus, and the larger crests of adult Brachylophosaurus, according to a study published November 11, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Elizabeth Freedman Fowler and John Horner from Montana State University, USA.

Scientists get celebrity treatment at Breakthrough Prize award ceremony

Scientists got the red carpet treatment Sunday night as luminaries from Hollywood and Silicon Valley handed out Breakthrough Prizes worth a total of $22 million.

Russia says new DNA tests confirm last tsar's remains (Update)

New DNA tests on the remains of the last tsar Nicholas II confirm their authenticity, Russia said Wednesday, after exhuming them in a bid to end a dispute with the Orthodox Church.

When a supplier becomes a competitor

The offshoring drive in manufacturing has led to lower costs and access to new markets, but it also creates a new problem for big companies if they end up competing with their suppliers.

Governments urged to engage social media in disasters

As Australia braces for another season of summer natural disasters, leading social media researchers are calling for governments to better coordinate their crisis communications.

Simple errors limit scientific scrutiny

Researchers have found more than half of the public datasets provided with scientific papers are incomplete, which prevents reproducibility tests and follow-up studies.

Colour-blindness may aid in search and rescue efforts

Long considered a minor disability, being colour-blind might offer some advantages in areas such as search and rescue and police forensics.

Parents of first-born sons and only-child daughters give more, study finds

Parents' charitable giving is affected by the sex of their first child, according to a new report released today by the Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus.

Peru's ancient city Caral inspires modern architects

Architects seeking solutions for sustainable living in the 21st century are taking notes from the ancient city of Caral in Peru, an engineering marvel built some 5,000 years ago.

More young adults are failing to launch or 'boomerang' home, study finds

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne, concluded that the changing nature of family living situations often led to avoidable conflict.

What's the best time to launch a video game?

The video game industry is a massive one, with some $93 billion in annual sales. Budgets for major titles rival those for major motion pictures. This fall's 800-pound gorillas include Halo 5 and Star Wars Battlefront. But releasing a new video game title is a more complicated business than releasing a movie because in order to buy the game consumers must first own the platform it runs on, typically meaning a console or computer or tablet or phone—so game sales interact with platform sales. (Halo 5 is an Xbox One exclusive; Battlefront is for the Xbox One and Sony's PS4.)

Britain lags behind in reducing infant mortality and child poverty

Britain has the fourth highest rate of infant mortality of all Western countries. More seriously, the high death rates of British children correlate with high child poverty and with a lack of investment in healthcare, according to research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

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