Fwd: Science X Newsletter Monday, Jul 17

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 12:30 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Monday, Jul 17
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 17, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Astronomers measure detailed chemical abundances of 158 stars in a nearby dwarf galaxy

Data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory offer clues about sun's coronal irradiance

Study reveals the mechanisms of a protein that helps moss and green algae defend against too much light

Smart design carries sound one way

Archaeologists go high-tech in 2,500-year-old Greek cold case

For moratorium on sending commands to Mars, blame the Sun

Fossil site shows impact of early Jurassic's low oxygen oceans

Self-fueling boat sets off from Paris on 6-year world trip

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin rolls out the red carpet for Mars (Update)

DRL pockets rainbow for fastest racing drone

Artificial sweeteners linked to risk of weight gain, heart disease and other health issues

Hearing is believing: Speech may be a clue to mental decline

Robot aide expands in consumer tool for luggage woes and more

A new ligand extends the half-life of peptides from minutes to days

Robots take inspiration from insects to track targets

Nanotechnology news

	Plasmon-powered devices for medicine, security, solar cells A Rice University professor's method to "upconvert" light could make solar cells more efficient and disease-targeting nanoparticles more effective.
	Breathable, wearable electronics on skin for long-term health monitoring A hypoallergenic electronic sensor can be worn on the skin continuously for a week without discomfort, and is so light and thin that users forget they even have it on, says a Japanese group of scientists. The elastic electrode constructed of breathable nanoscale meshes holds promise for the development of noninvasive e-skin devices that can monitor a person's health continuously over a long period.
	A firefly's flash inspires new nanolaser light A reinvented, low-cost laser source that stores light energy inside nanoscale disks could underpin the development of optically powered neurocomputers, reveals a simulation study led by KAUST researchers.

Physics news

	Smart design carries sound one way A new computer simulation shows the promising possibilities of the booming field of topology. Smartly designed mechanical structures carry sound exclusively one way and are immune to fabrication errors. The study has been published in Nature Physics.
	Researchers look inside dangerous blood clots with optical clearing technique A new technique that makes blood clots optically clear is allowing researchers to use powerful optical microscopy techniques to study the 3-D structure of dangerous clots for the first time. Although blood clots stop bleeding after injury, clots that block blood flow can cause strokes and heart attacks.
	First experimental observation of new type of entanglement in a 2-D quantum material Many physical phenomena can be modeled with relatively simple math. But, in the quantum world there are a vast number of intriguing phenomena that emerge from the interactions of multiple particles—"many bodies" - which are notoriously difficult to model and simulate, even with powerful computers. Examples of quantum many body states with no classical analogue include superconductivity, superfluids, Bose-Einstein condensation, quark-gluon plasmas etc. As a result, many "quantum many-body" models remain theoretical, with little experimental backing. Now, scientists from EPFL and the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) have realized experimentally a new quantum many body state in a material representing a famous theoretical model called the "Shastry-Sutherland" model. The work is published in Nature Physics.
	Lab develops way to spot defects inside hard-to-image materials It's hard to get an X-ray image of low-density material like tissue between bones because X-rays just pass right through like sunlight through a window. But what if you need to see the area that isn't bone?
	Probing physics beyond the Standard Model with the ATLAS Experiment Although the discovery of the Higgs boson by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations in 2012 completed the Standard Model, many mysteries remain unexplained. For instance, why is the mass of the Higgs boson so much lighter than expected, and why is gravity so weak?
	Quantifying the crossover from surface to bulk properties in important spintronic materials The expanding field of spintronics promises a new generation of devices by taking advantage of the spin degree of freedom of the electron in addition to its charge to create new functionalities not possible with conventional electronics. The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect (2007 Nobel Prize in Physics) is a paradigmatic example of a spintronics application. As the interface between the magnetic and non-magnetic materials is a key component of any such device, it is crucial to characterise and understand both the surface and bulk electronic and magnetic properties.
	Running light around a tetrahedron Thanks to an innovative ring laser design, geophysicists at LMU can now measure and monitor Earth's rotation with unprecedented accuracy. The new instrument in Fürstenfeldbruck will be formally inaugurated this week.

Earth news

	Fossil site shows impact of early Jurassic's low oxygen oceans Using a combination of fossils and chemical markers, scientists have tracked how a period of globally low ocean-oxygen turned an Early Jurassic marine ecosystem into a stressed community inhabited by only a few species.
	Tasmania's fisheries cooked by record-breaking marine heatwave Human-induced climate change was almost certainly responsible for a marine heat wave off Tasmania's east coast that lasted 251 days and had an area of impact seven times the size of the island, a new study shows.
	New model projects an increase in dust storms in the U.S. Could the storms that once engulfed the Great Plains in clouds of black dust in the 1930's once again wreak havoc in the U.S.? A new statistical model developed by researchers at Princeton University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that climate change will amplify dust activity in parts of the U.S. in the latter half of the 21st century, which may lead to the increased frequency of spectacular dust storms that have far-reaching impacts on public health and infrastructure.
	Tiny particles increase in air with ethanol-to-gasoline switch The concentration of ultrafine particles less than 50 nanometers in diameter rose by one-third in the air of São Paulo, Brazil, when higher ethanol prices induced drivers to switch from ethanol to gasoline, according to a new study by a Northwestern University chemist, a National University of Singapore economist and two University of São Paulo physicists.
	Climate impacts of super-giant oilfields go up with age, scientists say Even oilfields aren't immune to the ravages of time: A new study finds that as some of the world's largest oilfields age, the energy required to keep them operating can rise dramatically even as the amount of petroleum they produce drops.
	Stronger winds heat up West Antarctic ice melt New research published today in Nature Climate Change has revealed how strengthening winds on the opposite side of Antarctica, up to 6000kms away, drive the high rate of ice melt along the West Antarctic Peninsula.
	Oil impairs ability of coral reef fish to find homes and evade predators Just as one too many cocktails can lead a person to make bad choices, a few drops of oil can cause coral reef fish to make poor decisions, according to a paper published today in Nature Ecology & Evolution. A team of fisheries biologists led by Jacob Johansen and Andrew Esbaugh of The University of Texas Marine Science Institute have discovered that oil impacts the higher-order thinking of coral reef fish in a way that could prove dangerous for them—and for the coral reefs where they make their home.
	Hundred-year-old law on fluid flow overturned by new research Engineers from Imperial College London have dispelled a 100-year-old scientific law used to describe how fluid flows through rocks.
	Key to speeding up carbon sequestration discovered Scientists at Caltech and USC have discovered a way to speed up the slow part of the chemical reaction that ultimately helps the earth to safely lock away, or sequester, carbon dioxide into the ocean. Simply adding a common enzyme to the mix, the researchers have found, can make that rate-limiting part of the process go 500 times faster.
Researchers know about some deadly storms early with system Researchers running highly detailed simulations using satellite images, radar and ground-based weather stations were able to predict a specific violent storm 90 minutes before it hit a western Oklahoma town and killed a man two months ago.
	Toxins in water under Tennessee power plant causing alarm Memphis residents are as proud of their sweet-tasting water as their barbecue and blues. The water—drawn from the Memphis Sand aquifer beneath this Tennessee city—is so revered that a city utility called it a "community treasure" in an online report on its cleanliness.
	Traffic pollution prevents children's brains from reaching their full potential Traffic pollution in cities can stall children's brain development and stop them from reaching their full potential, according to a Spanish study that measured air pollution in 300 classrooms.
	Newly described algae species toughens up corals to endure warming oceans Global climate change has increased water temperatures in the world's oceans, often causing mass coral bleaching and mortality, which harms not only corals, but also the vast ecosystems they support. Using innovative methods, researchers at Penn State University have identified a new species of stress-tolerant Symbiodinium, a genus of algae that occurs mutualistically with corals in a partnership that promotes the health and growth of coral reef ecosystems. The team's paper, which appears in a recent issue of the journal Phycologia, also describes the geographical distribution of Symbiodinium glynnii, how it differs from other stress-tolerant symbiont species, and its capacity to spread to places around the Pacific and live with different coral hosts.
	New assessment identifies global hotspots for water conflict More than 1,400 new dams or water diversion projects are planned or already under construction and many of them are on rivers flowing through multiple nations, fueling the potential for increased water conflict between some countries.
	Review article discusses potential role, benefits of non-rhizobia bacteria in root nodules of legume For many years, it was believed that the only nitrogen-fixing organisms of legume nodules were rhizobia. However, there is a strikingly diverse population of non-rhizobia bacteria often detected within nodules obtained from soil, revealing a complex phytomicrobiome, whose interactions likely affect the behavior and fitness of the host plant.
California climate law touted as global model faces key test California lawmakers are nearing a high-stakes decision that will decide the fate of a climate initiative that Gov. Jerry Brown holds up as a model to be replicated around the world to confront rising global temperatures.
	'It's raining needles': Drug crisis creates pollution threat They hide in weeds along hiking trails and in playground grass. They wash into rivers and float downstream to land on beaches. They pepper baseball dugouts, sidewalks and streets. Syringes left by drug users amid the heroin crisis are turning up everywhere.

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers measure detailed chemical abundances of 158 stars in a nearby dwarf galaxy (Phys.org)—An international team of astronomers has performed detailed measurements of the chemical composition of 158 red giant stars in the nearby Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. The study, presented in a paper published July 11 on arXiv.org, is so far the largest and most chemically extensive high-resolution survey of this galaxy.
	Data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory offer clues about sun's coronal irradiance (Phys.org)—A pair of researchers with Aberystwyth University in the U.K. has used data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory to learn more about how the sun's corona behaves over differing stages of its 11-year cycle. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, Huw Morgan and Youra Taroyan describe attributes of the sun they observed over time and what they discovered about the "quiet corona" and its possible impact on us back here on Earth.
	For moratorium on sending commands to Mars, blame the Sun This month, movements of the planets will put Mars almost directly behind the sun, from Earth's perspective, causing curtailed communications between Earth and Mars.
	Astronaut Buzz Aldrin rolls out the red carpet for Mars (Update) Forty-eight years after he landed on the moon, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin on Saturday rolled out a red carpet for the red planet at a star-studded gala at the Kennedy Space Center.
	Video: Flyover of Pluto's majestic mountains and icy plains In July 2015, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft sent home the first close-up pictures of Pluto and its moons – amazing imagery that inspired many to wonder what a flight over the distant worlds' icy terrain might be like.
	The great galactic recession A simulated universe created by Swinburne University of Technology and The University of Melbourne has revealed galaxies emerging in the first billion years after the Big Bang were experiencing a recession.
	NASA listens in as electrons whistle while they work Space is not empty, nor is it silent. While technically a vacuum, space nonetheless contains energetic charged particles, governed by magnetic and electric fields, and it behaves unlike anything we experience on Earth. In regions laced with magnetic fields, such as the space environment surrounding our planet, particles are continually tossed to and fro by the motion of various electromagnetic waves known as plasma waves. These plasma waves, like the roaring ocean surf, create a rhythmic cacophony that—with the right tools—we can hear across space.
	Citizen science project discovers new brown dwarf One night three months ago, Rosa Castro finished her dinner, opened her laptop, and uncovered a novel object that was neither planet nor star. Therapist by day and amateur astronomer by night, Castro joined the NASA-funded Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project when it began in February—not knowing she would become one of four volunteers to help identify the project's first brown dwarf, formally known as WISEA J110125.95+540052.8.
	NASA Neutron star mission begins science operations NASA's new Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission to study the densest observable objects in the universe has begun science operations.
	New horizons unveils new maps of Pluto, Charon on flyby anniversary On July 14, 2015, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft made its historic flight through the Pluto system – providing the first close-up images of Pluto and its moons and collecting other data that has transformed our understanding of these mysterious worlds on the solar system's outer frontier.
	Introducing JUICE—the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer It may still be five years away from launch, and over a decade before our Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer reaches the gas giant and its icy moons, but preparations are well under way. This new artist's impression depicts the final spacecraft design, the construction of which is being overseen by Airbus Defence and Space.
	Hypersonic flight test goes like a rocket Commercialised flight faster than five times the speed of sound has been brought one step closer, thanks to a successful experimental flight featuring University of Queensland knowhow.
	Humanity's 'sustainability' is no excuse for abandoning planet Earth "Spreading out into space will completely change the future of humanity," says Stephen Hawking. It "may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. I am convinced that humans need to leave Earth".
	Space station project seeks to crystalize the means to counteract nerve poisons The microgravity conditions of the International Space Station (ISS) may hold the key to improving our understanding of how to combat toxic nerve agents such as sarin and VX. That is the hope of Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) project that is part of an initiative at the National Institutes of Health aimed at developing improved antidotes for chemical agents.
NASA communications satellite damaged 3 weeks before launch NASA's newest, slickest communications satellite has been damaged, just three weeks before its planned August launch.

Technology news

	Self-fueling boat sets off from Paris on 6-year world trip A boat that fuels itself is setting off around the world from Paris on a six-year journey that its designers hope will serves as a model for emissions-free energy networks of the future.
	DRL pockets rainbow for fastest racing drone (Tech Xplore)—The DRL RacerX has taken the title of the fastest racing drone, achieving a top speed of 179.6 miles (289 km/h) per hour.
	Robot aide expands in consumer tool for luggage woes and more (Tech Xplore)—Joshua Browder, founder, DoNotPay, has expanded a "robot" initiative to cover more categories and provide not only guidance and letter formats for communicating complaints.
	Robots take inspiration from insects to track targets The way insects visualise and hunt their prey could help improve autonomous robotic technology, according to a pioneering new study conducted by a team of engineers and neuroscientists from The University of Adelaide and Lund University.
	Ultra-high-contrast digital sensing Virtually any modern information-capture device—such as a camera, audio recorder, or telephone—has an analog-to-digital converter in it, a circuit that converts the fluctuating voltages of analog signals into strings of ones and zeroes.
	Unbalanced wind farm planning exacerbates fluctuations If European countries cooperated better in the field of wind energy, wind power output would fluctuate less. This is the conclusion reached by a group of energy and climate researchers at ETH Zürich and Imperial College London, who for the first time have combined a long-term analysis of predominant weather patterns with Europe-wide wind electricity generation.
	Rooftop concentrating photovoltaics win big over silicon in outdoor testing A concentrating photovoltaic system with embedded microtracking can produce over 50 percent more energy per day than standard silicon solar cells in a head-to-head competition, according to a team of engineers who field tested a prototype unit over two sunny days last fall.
	Team develops fast, cheap method to make supercapacitor electrodes for electric cars, high-powered lasers Supercapacitors are an aptly named type of device that can store and deliver energy faster than conventional batteries. They are in high demand for applications including electric cars, wireless telecommunications and high-powered lasers.
	Report examines automation waves that threaten upward mobility (Tech Xplore)—Remember when there such a thing as the job ladder—do great work and catch the rewards in the form of promotion, or job assurance, or higher salary, or all three in one great moving-up package?
	Indonesia limits access to Telegram app, readies total ban Indonesia says it's blocking web versions of the encrypted Telegram instant messaging app and will block the app completely if it continues to be a forum for radical propaganda and violent militants.
	Rapper Akon to buy 50% of African music download service Senegalese-American rapper Akon announced Saturday he would purchase 50 percent of African music download service Musik Bi, as the platform struggles to gain a foothold after its launch 18 months ago.
	Estonia to open world's first virtual data embassy Cyber-savvy Estonia has taken yet another step forward in global technology, as the small Baltic state is set to open the world's first data embassy in Luxembourg early next year.
	Elon Musk talks cars—and humanity's fate—with governors Tesla CEO Elon Musk warned a bipartisan gathering of U.S. governors on Saturday that government regulation of artificial intelligence is needed because it's a "fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization."
S.Africa's white enclave eyes move to e-cash A whites-only enclave in South Africa has resisted the country's multi-racial reality for more than two decades, even adopting its own paper money in its bid to promote self-sufficiency.
	US to create independent military cyber command After months of delay, the Trump administration is finalizing plans to revamp the nation's military command for defensive and offensive cyber operations in hopes of intensifying America's ability to wage cyberwar against the Islamic State group and other foes, according to U.S. officials.
	Researchers prove the security of the Vector Stream Cipher How do we know if the electronic keys we use in our devices are really secure? While it is possible to rigorously test the strength of a cipher—a kind of digital data lock—there are rarely any definitive proofs of unbreakability. Ciphers are highly complex, and while they may ward off certain attacks, they might be vulnerable to others.
	Researcher discusses the future of the electric utility Francis O'Sullivan, director of research for the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), recently led discussions about the future of the electric grid and clean energy technologies with leaders in industry, government, and academia at MITEI's Associate Member Symposium. In the wake of the symposium, O'Sullivan reflects on several of its main themes: current trends in the industry, changes in customer behavior, and innovative potential responses to the challenges facing the utility industry today.
	The future of artificial intelligence—two experts disagree Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionise our lives, drive our cars, diagnose our health problems, and lead us into a new future where thinking machines do things that we're yet to imagine.
	Is America's digital leadership on the wane? American leadership in technology innovation and economic competitiveness is at risk if U.S. policymakers don't take crucial steps to protect the country's digital future. The country that gave the world the internet and the very concept of the disruptive startup could find its role in the global innovation economy slipping from reigning incumbent to a disrupted has-been.
	The blockchain could have better security than the banks There are ways to improve the online ledger blockchain by taking some security notes from banks. If people could use both two-step verification and spending limits on the blockchain, this would reduce any economic loss from cyber attacks and in turn encourage more users.
A better approach to disease prediction through big data analytics Big data holds great promise to change health care for the better. However, much of the technology that will someday transform health care and its delivery is not yet mature enough for hospitals and other systems to use.
New research tracks global IT's shift from cost-cutting to revenue-boosting Information technology is often credited for its role in helping companies cut costs. However, new research by Professor Sunil Mithas at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business shows that information technology actually creates increased global profits through increased revenue, not through cost cuts.
	Netflix shares jump as subscriptions top 100 million Netflix on Monday reported that the number of subscribers climbed more than expected, topping 100 million worldwide and sending shares in the leading on-demand television service soaring.
	Lithuania to extradite $100 mn email fraud suspect to US A Lithuanian man who allegedly swindled $100 million (87 million euros) from tech giants Google and Facebook must be extradited to the United States, a court ruled on Monday.
Five tech tips for unplugging on vacation With summer travel kicking off, we're offering several tips on how to really disconnect from work electronically. After all, isn't taking a minute to enjoy a breathtaking view or your child's laughter more important than a corporate email? We think so.
	Telegram blocks terror content after Indonesia threatens ban The encrypted messaging app Telegram is forming a team of moderators who are familiar with Indonesian culture and language so it can remove "terrorist-related content" faster, its co-founder said Sunday, after Indonesia limited access to the app and threatened a total ban.
Somalia's internet returns after 3-week outage caused outcry Somalia's internet has returned after an outage of more than three weeks cost the Horn of Africa nation about $10 million a day, authorities said Monday.
	Judge: Govt. asked Google for too much data in gender case An administrative law judge has ruled that Labor Department officials investigating gender pay bias had asked Google for data in a way that's too broad and intrusive on employee privacy.

Chemistry news

	Study reveals the mechanisms of a protein that helps moss and green algae defend against too much light Photosynthesis, which allows energy from the sun to be converted into life-sustaining sugars, can also be hazardous to green plants. If they absorb too much sunlight, the extra energy destroys their tissue.
	A new ligand extends the half-life of peptides from minutes to days EPFL scientists have developed a ligand molecule that connects peptide drugs to blood-serum albumin and keeps them from being cleared out by the kidneys too soon. The ligand is easy to synthesize and can extend the half-life of therapeutic peptides from minutes to several days.
	Biosensors light up cellular signaling processes Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have converted a naturally occurring fluorescent protein from corals into a biosensor that can be used to monitor the cellular thioredoxin (Trx) system, which is a promising target for cancer therapy.
	Reduced oxygen nanocrystalline materials show improved performance Researchers at the University of Connecticut have found that reducing oxygen in some nanocrystalline materials may improve their strength and durability at elevated temperatures, a promising enhancement that could lead to better biosensors, faster jet engines, and greater capacity semiconductors.
	Studying argon gas trapped in two-dimensional array of tiny 'cages' Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory had just finished an experiment with a two-dimensional (2D) structure they synthesized for catalysis research when, to their surprise, they discovered that atoms of argon gas had gotten trapped inside the structure's nanosized pores. Argon and other noble gases have previously been trapped in three-dimensional (3D) porous materials, but immobilizing them on surfaces had only been achieved by either cooling the gases to very low temperatures to condense them, or by accelerating gas ions to implant them directly into materials.
New test paves way for potential treatments to target Alzheimer's and other conditions A simple methodology for capturing proteins implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other conditions has been developed by researchers at the University of Bradford and University of Dundee.
	When life gives you lemons, make bioplastics From your phone case to airplane windows, polycarbonates are everywhere. Several million tons of polycarbonate are produced every year around the world. However, worries about the dangers of this material are increasing because of the toxicity of its precursors, especially bisphenol-A, a potential carcinogen.
	Clinical tests show that biosensors could pave the way for a personalized antibiotherapy in the future Personalized drug therapy adjusting the dose, dosage intervals, and the duration of treatment to fit individual patients' needs is increasingly important. Frequently, medications are dosed in such a way that each patient receives the same standardized amount of a drug. Thus, clinical conditions such as overall state of health, metabolism, or other physical factors are often not sufficiently considered. A research team at the University of Freiburg has developed a bioanalytical method to measure the class of β-lactam antibiotics in human blood onsite – in the operating room, intensive ward or doctor's office, or even the patient's home. "This way, we can easily determine just how quickly the human body metabolizes a drug," said the microsystems engineer Dr. Can Dincer, who is the head of the research team.
	Russian scientists develop technology for production of transparent aluminum Specialists from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI and multi-institutional collaborators have developed a technology to produce compacts from aluminum oxynitride (ALON). They've published their results in IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering.

Biology news

	Mature cells revert to stem cells to boost tissue regeneration and repair in mouse intestines Researchers at Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School have identified a previously unknown mechanism that plays an important role in the regeneration of the inner intestinal lining. Their findings provide new insights on how this tissue, which undergoes change on a daily basis, maintains itself.
	Humans hardwired to lean to the right while kissing the world over If you lean in for a kiss on the left you may be in the minority. A new study from an international team of psychologists and neuroscientists suggest that humans are hardwired to favour leaning to the right while kissing romantic partners, which may have wider implications for neuroscience and cognitive sciences.
	Bac-for good: Bacteria passed between generations benefits you more than others Bacteria passed straight to children have more healthcare benefits than if they are transmitted via the surrounding environment, new Oxford University research reveals.
	Is this Gulf of Mexico tubeworm the longest living animal in the world? Large tubeworms living in the cold depths of the Gulf of Mexico may be among the longest living animals in the world. This is revealed in a study in Springer's journal The Science of Nature. According to lead author Alanna Durkin of Temple University in the US, members of the tubeworm species Escarpia laminata live around 100 to 200 years, while the longevity of some even stretches to the three century mark.
	Microscopy technique could enable more informative biopsies MIT and Harvard Medical School researchers have devised a way to image biopsy samples with much higher resolution—an advance that could help doctors develop more accurate and inexpensive diagnostic tests.
	Mutation speeds up sperm of zebra finches In zebra finches, sperm velocity and morphology and hence reproductive success strongly depend on a specific mutation (an inversion) on one of the sex chromosomes, called Z. This was discovered by scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen. Males always carry two copies of the Z chromosome, but those that possess two different versions of it, one regular and one inverted, benefit from an optimal sperm design. Even under the strongest selection, in which only the fastest sperm will successfully fertilize the ovum, the genetically inferior types cannot go to extinction. This is because for the ideal morphology a combination of both forms is needed (heterozygotes), which is not possible without also producing the suboptimal types (homozygotes). According to the scientists, this effect can partly explain infertility in zebra finch males.
	Size key to top speed in animals, study finds It's not quite E=mc2, but scientists unveiled Monday a simple, powerful formula that explains why some animals run, fly and swim faster than all others.
	Invasive plant species can enhance coastal ecosystems Invasive plant species can be a source of valuable ecosystem functions where native coastal habitats such as salt marshes and oyster reefs have severely declined, a new study by scientists at Duke University and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington finds.
	What makes red algae so different and why should we care? The red algae called Porphyra and its ancestors have thrived for millions of years in the harsh habitat of the intertidal zone—exposed to fluctuating temperatures, high UV radiation, severe salt stress, and desiccation.
	Material from shellfish delivers a boost to bioassays and medical tests Scientists at the University of Washington have discovered a simple way to raise the accuracy of diagnostic tests for medicine and common assays for laboratory research. By adding polydopamine—a material that was first isolated from shellfish—to these tests at a key step, the team could increase the sensitivity of these common bioassays by as many as 100 to 1,000 times.
	Snip, snip, cure—correcting defects in the genetic blueprint Gene editing using 'molecular scissors' that snip out and replace faulty DNA could provide an almost unimaginable future for some patients: a complete cure. Cambridge researchers are working towards making the technology cheap and safe, as well as examining the ethical and legal issues surrounding one of the most exciting medical advances of recent times.
	Refined DNA tool tracks native and invasive fish Rather than conduct an aquatic roll call with nets to know which fish reside in a particular body of water, scientists can now use DNA fragments suspended in water to catalog invasive or native species.
	Climatic stability resulted in the evolution of more bird species More species of birds have accumulated in genera inhabiting climatically stable areas. This is shown by a new study from Umeå University.
	Combining genomics with farmers' traditional knowledge to improve wheat production The key to produce better crops to meet the needs of the growing world's population may lie in combining the traditional knowledge of subsistence farmers of the Ethiopian highlands with plant genomics. Researchers in Italy and Ethiopia conducted research that demonstrates that the indigenous knowledge of traditional farmers, passed on from one generation to the next since hundreds of years, can be measured in a quantitative way and used with advanced genomic and statistical methods to identify genes responsible for farmers' preference of wheat.
	Team reveals the whole genome sequences of rare red bat A recent study, affiliated with the Korean Genomics Industrialization and Commercialization Center (KOGIC) at South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has presented the first whole genome sequence and analyses of the Myotis rufoniger, one of the most well-known and iconic protected wild animals in South Korea, known as the golden bat.
	The earliest stages of life might be simpler than we thought In the very earliest stages of life, mammalian cells multiply and form the embryo. New research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that this process might be much simpler than we thought. The development of the embryo can be cut down to the cell's ability to count their neighbouring cells.
Mow before you spray, and other tips for protecting pollinators in grassy landscapes With the right combination of methods, landscape managers can strike an effective balance between pest management and protecting pollinators in turfgrass settings.
New light on the secret life of badgers Previous studies have fuelled the assumption that badgers are a territorial and anti-social species, living in exclusive, tight-knit family groups, known as 'setts'. This picture of the mammal's social system led to the belief that they actively defend territorial borders and consequently rarely travel beyond their social-group boundaries. Some culling and vaccination programmes now rely on this perception, considering badger society as being divided up into discrete, impenetrable units.
	Amphibians can become tolerant to pesticides, but at a cost Amphibians can develop tolerance to pesticides, but this tolerance can lead to increased susceptibility to parasites, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Medicine & Health news

	Artificial sweeteners linked to risk of weight gain, heart disease and other health issues Artificial sweeteners may be associated with long-term weight gain and increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)
	Hearing is believing: Speech may be a clue to mental decline Your speech may, um, help reveal if you're uh ... developing thinking problems. More pauses, filler words and other verbal changes might be an early sign of mental decline, which can lead to Alzheimer's disease, a study suggests.
	Immune system found to control eye tissue renewal in zebrafish Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report evidence that zebrafishes' natural ability to regenerate their eyes' retinal tissue can be accelerated by controlling the fishes' immune systems. Because evolution likely conserved this mechanism of regenerative potential in other animals, the new findings may one day advance efforts to combat degenerative eye disease damage in humans.
	New study of brain circuits finds key links to symptoms of depression University of California San Diego scientists have linked specific wiring in the brain to distinct behavioral symptoms of depression.
	Genome therapy could lead to new treatment for life-threatening blood disorders Genome therapy with beneficial natural mutation could lead to new treatment for life-threatening blood disorders
	Quantifying effectiveness of treatment for irregular heartbeat In a small proof-of-concept study, researchers at Johns Hopkins report a complex mathematical method to measure electrical communications within the heart can successfully predict the effectiveness of catheter ablation, the standard of care treatment for atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heartbeat disorder. This has the potential to let physicians and patients know immediately following treatment whether it was effective, or whether they'll need to anticipate another procedure in the future.
	Brief interactions spur lasting waves of gene activity in the brain A five-minute encounter with an outsider spurs a cascade of changes in gene activity in the brain that can last for hours, researchers report in a study of stickleback fish.
	Ebola virus can persist in monkeys that survived disease, even after symptoms disappear Ebola virus infection can be detected in rhesus monkeys that survive the disease and no longer show symptoms, according to research published by Army scientists in today's online edition of the journal Nature Microbiology. The study sheds light on how the virus persists in certain areas of the body, and holds promise for the development of medical products to counter the disease in humans.
	Late-breaking mutations may play an important role in autism A study of nearly 6,000 families, combining three genetic sequencing technologies, finds that mutations that occur after conception play an important role in autism. A team led by investigators at Boston Children's Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard reports the findings today in Nature Neuroscience.
	Newly discovered gene variants link innate immunity and Alzheimer's disease Three new gene variants, found in a genome wide association study of Alzheimer's disease (AD), point to the brain's immune cells in the onset of the disorder. These genes encode three proteins that are found in microglia, cells that are part of the brain's injury response system. The study is an international collaboration of four AD research consortia that analyzed DNA from 85,000 subjects. The results are reported online this week in Nature Genetics.
	New study shows how exposure to a foreign language ignites infants' learning For years, scientists and parents alike have touted the benefits of introducing babies to two languages: Bilingual experience has been shown to improve cognitive abilities, especially problem-solving.
	New discovery in motor neuron disease and dementia could pave the way to novel treatments New discovery in motor neurone disease and dementia could pave the way to novel treatments
	Tracking the mechanisms of artery formation Arteriogenesis is a critical event - not only during development but also in adult life. Cardiovascular life-threatening events, triggered by disease, could be overcome by alternatives to existing therapies, for example by inducing the formation of new arteries. However, the mechanisms of artery formation are not well understood. A team of scientists led by Ralf Adams from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster has developed an elegant genetic approach in mice to uncover molecular mechanisms that coordinate arterial growth. Together with Tilman Borggrefe and colleagues from the Institute of Biochemistry of the Justus-Liebig University of Gießen, they found that a receptor called Notch is crucial in this process: high Notch activity directs sprouting cells of the foremost growth front into developing arteries. This is the first study in mice to show a direct coupling of angiogenic sprouting to artery formation. This knowledge from postnatal development may help in identifying new therapeutic approaches that stimulate growth of new arteries after organ injury.
	Newly identified genetic marker may help detect high-risk flu patients Researchers have discovered an inherited genetic variation that may help identify patients at elevated risk for severe, potentially fatal influenza infections. The scientists have also linked the gene variant to a mechanism that explains the elevated risk and offers clues about the broader anti-viral immune response.
	Comparing algorithms that search for cancer mutations Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) has undertaken the first-ever comparative analysis of a newly emerging category of algorithms that mine genetic information in cancer databases by focusing on internal gene structure (subgene resolution algorithms), in contrast to classical approaches that focus on genes treated as single units. These powerful data-sifting tools are helping untangle the complexity of cancer, and find previously unidentified mutations that are important in creating cancer cells.
Adrenal gland activity change under severe stress causing abnormal release of glucocorticoid stress Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study aimed to find out what the most important factors are to allow fast and flexible responses to stress, and how these factors interact with one another.
	Toddler brain development: Bacterial clues found in dirty baby diapers If you're the parent of an infant, diaper duty probably isn't your favorite part of the day. But you dutifully check the contents of each one because your pediatrician told you that color and consistency of what they leave behind can tell you a lot about their health. But what does a dirty diaper have to do with your baby's brain?
	One social hour a week in dementia care improves lives and saves money Person-centred activities combined with just one hour a week of social interaction can improve quality of life and reduce agitation for people with dementia living in care homes, while saving money.
	Drug combined with care program better at reducing Alzheimer's symptoms than drug alone Combining a specific care management program with a commonly-prescribed drug for Alzheimer's disease multiplies the medication's ability to improve daily function by about 7.5 times, stalling some of the disease's most damaging effects.
Agent clears toxic proteins and improves cognition in neurodegeneration models Researchers have found cell receptors abnormally overexpressed in post-mortem brains of those with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and that they can be inhibited in animal models to clear toxic protein buildup, reduce brain inflammation, and improve cognitive performance.
	Concerns over side effects of statins stopping stroke survivors taking medication Negative media coverage of the side effects associated with taking statins, and patients' own experiences of taking the drugs, are among the reasons cited by stroke survivors and their carers for stopping taking potentially life-saving drugs, according to research published today.
9/11 survivors may be at increased risk of heart and lung disease years later People who were exposed to the dust cloud or sustained physical injuries during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001 may be at increased long-term risk of asthma, other respiratory diseases and heart attack, according to a study published in the open access journal Injury Epidemiology.
A prescription of activities shown to improve health and well-being Gyms, walking groups, gardening, cooking clubs and volunteering have all been shown to work in improving the health and well-being reported by a group of people with long-term conditions.
	Canada should continue with separate medical stream after cannabis is legalized for recreational use After cannabis is legalized, Canada should continue with a separate medical cannabis stream to keep patients safe, argues a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)
	Peptide complex in the brain is responsible for Alzheimer's disease Members of the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine at the Lomonosov Moscow State University have determined the structure of a peptide complex formed in the brain at the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The research results will contribute to the rational design of compounds to block the progress of the disease.
	Prior dengue infection does not increase Zika disease severity Individuals infected with Zika virus after having dengue fever do not appear to become more severely ill than people with Zika who have never had dengue. This is the conclusion of a study published on June 20 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
	No chocolate milk? No problem—kids get used to plain milk A new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut has found that most students adjust to drinking plain milk after flavored milk is removed from school lunch menus.
	Mosquitos are evolving to beat insecticides – except in Australia Chemical pesticides have been used for many years to control insect populations and remain the most important method of managing diseases carried by pests, including mosquitoes. However, insects have fought back by evolving resistance to many pesticides. There are now thousands of instances of evolved resistance, which make some chemical classes completely ineffective.

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