20 października 2015

Fwd: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Oct 20

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 3:44 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Oct 20
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>


Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for October 20, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Exciting breakthrough in 2-D lasers: Researchers demonstrate atomically thin excitonic laser
- Surprising source for ancient life biomarker found
- Most earth-like worlds have yet to be born, according to theoretical study
- Super-slick material makes steel better, stronger, cleaner
- Scientists gain insight into origin of tungsten-ditelluride's magnetoresistance
- IBEX sheds new light on solar system boundary
- Drug-resistant malaria could spread to Africa: study
- Internal fingerprint sensor peers inside fingertips for more surefire ID
- Study implicates global warming as a factor in increasing economic losses due to hurricanes
- Formation of coastal sea ice in North Pacific drives ocean circulation and climate
- Mysterious star stirs controversy
- HIV cure research: Scientists create two-headed protein to deplete HIV reservoir
- Tiny dancers: Can ballet bugs help us build better robots?
- Mother-of-pearl's genesis identified in mineral's transformation
- Fly brains reveal the neural pathway by which outside stimuli become behavior

Nanotechnology news

Tuneable electronic characteristics for metallofullerenes

Novel tuneable metallofullerenes are developed by a research team including scientists from the University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo.

Physics news

Exciting breakthrough in 2-D lasers: Researchers demonstrate atomically thin excitonic laser

An important step towards next-generation ultra-compact photonic and optoelectronic devices has been taken with the realization of a two-dimensional excitonic laser. Scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) embedded a monolayer of tungsten disulfide into a special microdisk resonator to achieve bright excitonic lasing at visible light wavelengths.

After 100 years, Einstein's theory stands test of time

Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary, and his revolutionary hypothesis has withstood the test of time, despite numerous expert attempts to find flaws.

Umbrella-shaped diamond nanostructures make efficient photon collectors

Standard umbrellas come out when the sky turns dark, but in the nanoworld, umbrella shapes may be the next creative way to enhance light emission. Inspired by recent work to enhance the luminescence from diamond nanopillar structures, a team of researchers in Japan has discovered that "umbrella-shaped" diamond nanostructures with metal mirrors on the bottom are more efficient photon collectors than their diamond nanostructure "cousins" of other shapes.

A 'hot' new development for ultracold magnetic sensors

Magnetoencephalography, or MEG, is a non-invasive technique for investigating human brain activity for surgical planning or research, and has been used in hospitals and universities for more than 30 years. It's just one of the many powerful technologies made possible by a tiny device called a SQUID, short for superconducting quantum interference device. SQUIDs can detect minuscule magnetic fields, useful in applications ranging from medical imaging of soft tissue to oil prospecting.

Scientists gain insight into origin of tungsten-ditelluride's magnetoresistance

Scientists recently discovered that tungsten ditelluride (WTe2) is electronically three-dimensional with a low anisotropy. Anisotropy reflects the change in properties of a material when the direction of the current or the applied magnetic field is varied.

Internal fingerprint sensor peers inside fingertips for more surefire ID

In the 1971 film Diamonds are Forever, British secret agent James Bond uses fake fingerprints as part of a ploy to assume the identity of a diamond smuggler. At the time, sham prints were purely a futuristic bit of Bond gadgetry, but technology has since caught up.

Tiny dancers: Can ballet bugs help us build better robots?

When it's time to design new robots, sometimes the best inspiration can come from Mother Nature. Take, for example, her creepy, but incredibly athletic spider crickets.

New equation bolsters multiphase modeling code

While designing models for the Multiphase Flow with Interphase Exchanges (MFiX) code, one of the National Energy Technology Laboratory's most robust computational tools, Physical Research Scientist Jordan Musser realized that an important component of energy system behavior was not accurately accounted for in the existing code. In energy systems, it is common for more than one phase of matter to interact with another, a phenomenon known as multiphase flow. For instance, during combustion and gasification, coal particles interact with gases, creating a gas-solid.

Making the (reactive) case for explosives science

A "reactive case" is a new concept in explosives science currently being tested at Los Alamos National Laboratory. A reactive case would do more than just contain an explosive, but rather become part of the explosive event itself, actually enhancing or boosting the explosion while decreasing far-field fragmentation damage. Advancing fundamental explosives science by testing entirely new ideas like this is a key component of the Laboratory's national security mission. 

Earth news

Methane from fracking sites can flow to abandoned wells, new study shows

As debate roils over EPA regulations proposed this month limiting the release of the potent greenhouse gas methane during fracking operations, a new University of Vermont study funded by the National Science Foundation shows that abandoned oil and gas wells near fracking sites can be conduits for methane escape not currently being measured.

Sunscreen is proven toxic to coral reefs

Lathering up with sunscreen may prevent sunburn and protect against cancer, but it is also killing coral reefs around the world.

Formation of coastal sea ice in North Pacific drives ocean circulation and climate

An unprecedented analysis of North Pacific ocean circulation over the past 1.2 million years has found that sea ice formation in coastal regions is a key driver of deep ocean circulation, influencing climate on regional and global scales. Coastal sea ice formation takes place on relatively small scales, however, and is not captured well in global climate models, according to scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who conducted the study.

Study implicates global warming as a factor in increasing economic losses due to hurricanes

(Phys.org)—A trio of researchers affiliated with Universidad Nacional Autónoma in Mexico, and VU University in the Netherlands, has conducted a study on the source of an increase in property dollar amounts lost over the past several decades due to hurricanes and has concluded that it cannot be blamed on an increase in wealth or construction—instead, they suggest in their paper published in Nature Geoscience, that it is due to more storms, because of global warming. Stéphane Hallegatte with the Climate Change Policy Team at the World Bank, offers a News & Views piece in the same journal edition on the work done by the team, outlining the process that was used, and highlighting possible problems with the results.

New 'geospeedometer' confirms super-eruptions have short fuses

Repeatedly throughout Earth's history, giant pools of magma greater than 100 cubic miles in volume have formed a few miles below the surface.

Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation

Beneath the Aurora Borealis an oil tanker glides through the night past the Coast Guard ice breaker Amundsen and vanishes into the maze of shoals and straits of the Northwest Passage, navigating waters that for millennia were frozen over this time of year.

Scientists find some thrive in acid seas

Researchers from James Cook University have found that ocean acidification may not be all bad news for one important sea-dwelling plant.

EU emissions down 23 percent, passing 2020 target

The European Union, the world's No. 3 greenhouse gas polluter, says its emissions fell 4 percent last year, meaning the 28-nation bloc has already surpassed its target for 2020.

Study shows that tree planting alone may not significantly offset urban carbon emissions

Around the world, from small towns to the biggest cities, civic soldiers in the battle against global warming are striving to cut carbon emissions. One oft-used strategy is to plant more trees, which suck up carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.

Climate negotiators regroup after rocky start to key talks

Diplomats crafting a global climate pact will on Tuesday try to bounce back from an acrimonious start to the final negotiating session before a UN summit to seal the ambitious deal.

Not a drop to drink

A major research collaboration is looking at how small towns in the hills of India and Nepal are coping with increasing demand for water: who wins and who loses when resources get scarce?

Intercropping for ecological and economic efficiency in agriculture

Creating a sustainable agricultural system is one of the greatest concerns facing the world today. Human population growth, degraded lands, and stagnating productivity gains are combining to produce a global agricultural emergency. Past work has predicted that crop productivity will need to double to feed a growing population of 7 billion. The solution will likely come from a combination of sources: altered dietary habits, technological breakthroughs, and more sustainable and efficient use of currently cultivated lands.

New approach to urban ecology emerges from Forest Service research in Baltimore

USDA Forest Service research is shaping a vast and still growing landscape: cities. In a book published this month by Yale University Press, a Forest Service scientist and co-authors propose a new school of urban ecology based on two decades of Forest Service research in Baltimore that encompasses cities' social, political, and ecological complexity.

NASA sees Hurricane Olaf move into central Pacific Ocean

NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites saw Hurricane Olaf move west over the longitude line of 140 degrees that separates the Eastern Pacific from the Central Pacific. On October 20, Olaf strengthened to a Category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

NASA sees Typhoon Champi near Iwo To, Japan

Typhoon Champi was near Iwo To island, Japan when NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites gathered data on the weakening typhoon.

Astronomy & Space news

Most earth-like worlds have yet to be born, according to theoretical study

Earth came early to the party in the evolving universe. According to a new theoretical study, when our solar system was born 4.6 billion years ago only eight percent of the potentially habitable planets that will ever form in the universe existed. And, the party won't be over when the sun burns out in another 6 billion years. The bulk of those planets—92 percent—have yet to be born.

Mysterious star stirs controversy

Mysterious light on a distant star could be a sign of alien civilisation, some astronomers have claimed, stirring controversy among their peers. Not so fast, said NASA.

From Great Red Spot to orange pimple—is Jupiter's superstorm finally blowing over?

It makes our most turbulent terrestrial storms look like mere pipsqueaks. But remarkable new Hubble footage shows that Jupiter's Great Red Spot – an anticyclonic storm system twice the size of Earth – is shrinking and turning orange. Is this evidence of Jovian climate change? And could the planet's violent storm finally be giving way to more clement conditions, at least by Jupiter's dramatic standards?

IBEX sheds new light on solar system boundary

In 14 papers published in the October 2015 Astrophysical Journal Supplement, scientists present findings from NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, mission providing the most definitive analyses, theories and results about local interstellar space to date.

Image: Saturn and Dione

Saturn has many, varied moons – over 60 have been discovered so far. One of the larger ones, Dione, is shown here in this image from the Cassini orbiter, pictured as it moved across the face of its parent planet.

SpaceX sets ambitious Falcon 9 'Return to Flight' agenda with dual December blastoffs

SpaceX plans an ambitious 'Return to Flight' agenda with their Falcon 9 rocket comprising dual launches this coming December, nearly six months after their failed launch in June 2015 that culminated in the total mid-air loss of the rocket and NASA cargo bound for the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

First movie of stellar-surface evolution beyond our Solar System

Astronomers from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), present for the first time a movie that shows the evolution of stellar spots on a star other than our Sun. The long-term, highly-sampled, phase-resolved spectroscopic data were made possible with the STELLA robotic telescopes on Tenerife. Over a period of 6 years the growth and fade of giant stellar spots on the star XX Tri are seen. The spots reveal an underlying magnetic cycle that has a period comparable to our Sun's but is much stronger.

Scientists publish case study on growing food in space

Scientists at Washington State University and the University of Idaho are helping students figure out how to farm on Mars, much like astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, attempts in the critically acclaimed movie "The Martian."

Image: Earth art from Australia

On Oct. 12-13, 2015, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly took a series of seventeen photographs from the International Space Station during a single flyover of Australia.

Saturn's icy moon Enceladus

n the ongoing drive to unlock the secrets of Saturn and its system of moons, some truly fascinating and awe-inspiring things have been discovered. In addition to things like methane lakes and propane-rich atmospheres (Titan) to moon's that resemble the Death Star (Mimas), it is also becoming abundantly clear that planet's beyond Earth may harbor interior oceans and even the extra-terrestrial organisms.

What is life?

"Why would NASA want to study a lake in Canada?"

Journaling: Astronauts chronicle missions

LOG ENTRY: SOL 25—Remember those old math questions you had in Algebra class? Where water is entering a container at a certain rate and leaving at a different rate and you need to figure out when it'll be empty? Well, that concept is critical to the "Mark Watney doesn't die" project I'm working on.

Technology news

A tensegity robot to clean and explore ducts

Researchers in the UCSD Robotics lab have developed a duct-exploring robot based on the principles of tensegrity, a structural design paradigm which combines components under pure tension and pure compression to make mass efficient, accurately controllable structures.

Irish court orders probe into Facebook data transfers (Update)

Ireland's High Court on Tuesday ordered the Irish data protection agency to examine whether to suspend the transfer of Facebook users' data from Europe to the United States.

Facebook Instant Articles hit iPhones

A new Facebook feature that quickly displays news stories shared by friends at the leading social network arrived on iPhones on Tuesday and was heading for Android-powered devices.

Consumer Reports hits reliability of 'best car' Tesla

Two months after the influential Consumer Reports called Tesla's Model S the best-performing car ever, it pulled back slightly Tuesday, saying the luxury electric has more than average repair issues.

Apple Music boasts 6.5 mn subscribers

Apple chief executive Tim Cook said Monday the technology giant's new music service has some 6.5 million subscribers.

NSA chief looks to win allies at elite tech conference

The director of the US National Security Agency on Monday sought allies at an elite technology conference amid lingering distrust about widespread online snooping.

Tiny Irish data agency in the spotlight over Facebook case

With an office above a grocery shop and a staff of just 50, Ireland's data privacy authority makes an unlikely watchdog for hundreds of millions of European web users.

Chinese app developer apologises after Apple boots software

A Chinese app developer apologised on Tuesday after Apple kicked out more than 250 applications that collect personal data in violation of the company's privacy policies from its online store.

Laboratory researching innovative methods of lowering vehicle emissions

Air pollution remains a major health hazard for our nation despite significant improvement in the U.S. air quality since the passage of the Clean Air Act and formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. Globally, air pollution is the largest environmental risk to human health. It rivals known risk factors including smoking, alcohol use and malnutrition. Technological improvements such as catalytic converters and particulate filters have yielded immense health benefits, but many challenges remain.

NREL's enhanced scenario framework for electricity sector analysis provides cost, performance data

Projections of potential energy futures are highly dependent on the assumptions associated with specific technologies, market conditions, and energy policies. A new framework from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that includes generation technology cost assumptions and an ensemble of future scenarios is being used to improve the robustness and comparability of electric sector analysis by the lab, academia and other entities in the energy analysis community.

Just how smart can a smartphone get?

No sooner have we got our heads around the rather spooky phenomenon of targeted ads appearing during internet browsing (how did Facebook know I wanted an electric bike?), than smartphones are set to take the conversation a step further.

Toward a smarter grid

Steven Low, professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Caltech, says we are on the cusp of a historic transformation—a restructuring of the energy system similar to the reimagining and revamping that the communication and computer networks experienced over the last two decades, making them layered, with distributed and interconnected intelligence everywhere.

Printing clean energy one fuel cell at a time

With 3-D printing changing the world, one Northwestern University undergraduate spent this past summer in the lab doing his part to use this exciting new technology to create efficient and economic energy.

Wireless carrier Verizon is also in the market for eyeballs

Verizon has long been known as a home phone and wireless service provider. But it's evolving to make more money by tracking what we watch and read on our phones.

Austria authorises hoverboards... even if they don't exist yet

Hoverboards may have yet to make the leap from the "Back to the Future" movies to reality, but Austria's transport ministry has given them the green light anyway.

NY Times teams with Google on virtual reality project

The New York Times and Google announced plans Tuesday to team up on a virtual reality project which will distribute more than a million of the tech firm's Cardboard viewers.

Brands eye big bucks with 'Back to the Future' nostalgia

The dog-walking drones and flying cars of Marty McFly's fictional 21st century are still the stuff of sci-fi in real-life 2015—but savvy brands from Pepsi to Toyota have rolled out gadgets and gimmicks tapping into "Back to the Future" nostalgia.

Sony settles hacking lawsuit, to pay up to $8 million

Sony Pictures Entertainment has reached a settlement with current and former employees, agreeing to pay up to $8 million to reimburse them for losses, preventative measures and legal fees related to the hack of its computers last year.

CNN aims for cool factor with new online video service

A new CNN-funded video startup launched Tuesday, aims for the cool, young and connected audiences the cable news channel is missing.

Yahoo's revenue slips again in 3Q as turnaround falters

Yahoo's revenue is still evaporating three years into CEO Marissa Mayer's turnaround attempt, magnifying worries that the Internet company will be stuck in a financial sinkhole after spinning off its lucrative stake in China's Alibaba Group.

IBM plays down earnings miss as part of evolution

IBM's top executive on Tuesday played down an earnings miss that hammered the technology old-timer's shares, saying the company is evolving to thrive in a new age.

Sony reaches settlement over 2014 security breach

Sony has reached a settlement in a US court to pay $8 million to employees affected by a massive cyberattack, officials said Tuesday.

Ex-DEA agent gets 6.5 years in Silk Road case

A former US Drug Enforcement Administration agent was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for extortion and money laundering in connection with the Silk Road investigation.

How to spot a fake online review

Do you trust online reviews? Now that Amazon is suing more than 1,000 people who allegedly offered to write glowing product reviews for cash, you might reasonably be concerned.

A supercomputer for the 'long tail' of science

The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego this week formally launched "Comet," a new petascale supercomputer designed to transform scientific research by expanding computational access among a larger number of researchers and across a wider range of domains.

Researchers aim to make privacy second nature for software developers

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a New York University Tandon School of Engineering researcher funding for work that attempts to educate software developers on regulatory requirements related to user privacy. He hopes to thereby transform privacy protection from its current status as an afterthought in the development process to an integral element of software design.

'Green' buildings bring in more green

'Green' commercial buildings bring in the green for landlords, according to new research by a University of Guelph professor.

Expedia's travel sites to list more info on airline fees

Expedia's online travel sites are introducing tools designed to show the true cost of flying.

New report on energy-efficient computing

A report that resulted from a workshop jointly funded by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and National Science Foundation (NSF) outlines key factors limiting progress in computing—particularly related to energy consumption—and novel research that could overcome these barriers.

Launch of Kavli HUMAN Project—Big Data to provide unprecedented insights on health and behavior

The Kavli HUMAN Project (KHP) will use Big Data approaches to aggregate and analyze a variety of measurements gathered over 20 years on 10,000 individuals in roughly 2,500 households in New York City to determine how human health and behavior co-evolve over the lifecycle. The innovative design and groundbreaking scale of the project enable it to capture the dynamic interplay of biology, behavior, and the environment and how these forces impact health and disease, as described in a series of articles in Big Data.

US Army intelligence system said down during hospital attack

The U.S. Army's $5 billion intelligence network, which is designed to give commanders battlefield awareness but has been criticized for years as a boondoggle, was not working in Afghanistan during the recent American air attack on a hospital, according to a member of Congress who has been in touch with military whistleblowers.

Chemistry news

Super-slick material makes steel better, stronger, cleaner

Steel is ubiquitous in our daily lives. We cook in stainless steel skillets, ride steel subway cars over steel rails to our offices in steel-framed building. Steel screws hold together broken bones, steel braces straighten crooked teeth, steel scalpels remove tumors. Most of the goods we consume are delivered by ships and trucks mostly built of steel.

Surprising source for ancient life biomarker found

Stanford scientists have discovered a surprising source for an organic molecule used as an indicator for life on early Earth.

Using microbes to clean up oil spills

Catherine Drennan, a professor of chemistry and biology, likes to wax poetic about the complex chemistry of microbes. "I think they're elegant and beautiful," she says. Of course, she also sees their practical applications. "I love the fact that these microbes can be used for bioremediation in hard-to-reach polluted spots," she says. "Normally, cleaning these delicate environments would upset the balance of living organisms there, but microbes offer a natural way to clean things utilizing chemistry."

Anammox synthesizes 'rocket fuel' hydrazine with special protein

Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria are known for their ability to convert ammonium into nitrogen gas without using oxygen. The chemical compound hydrazine, also used as rocket fuel and the strongest reductant on earth, is central in this process. An international team of microbiologists, including Boran Kartal from Radboud University, now describes the protein that synthesizes hydrazine in anammox in full detail. Nature magazine publishes the results on October 19.

Why van Gogh's Sunflowers are wilting

The colour of Vincent van Gogh's famous Sunflowers is changing over time, because of the mixture of pigments used by the Dutch master in his painting. Evidence for the process now comes from a detailed spectroscopic investigation of the Sunflowers version at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. A group of scientists headed by Letizia Monico from the Institute of Molecular Science and Technology (CNR-ISTM) of Perugia, the University of Perugia and the University of Antwerp, shone X-rays from DESY's lightsource PETRA III through tiny particles of paint taken from the painting. They describe their results in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. The study also identifies areas of the painting that should be monitored particularly closely for any changes.

Mother-of-pearl's genesis identified in mineral's transformation

How nature makes its biominerals—things like teeth, bone and seashells—is a playbook scientists have long been trying to read.

First synthetic model of a bacterial outer membrane will support antibiotic development

For the first time researchers from Newcastle University and the Science and Technology Facilities Council have produced a working model giving access to unprecedented information about the bacteria which is notoriously hard to study due to its size and complex exterior.

From good to bad with a copper switch

At the molecular level, the difference between Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde lies in a metal, copper. In its physiological form, the prion protein (PrPC ) is 'good' and is involved in normal body processes. It can happen, however, that because of some as yet unknown mechanism, it changes form and turns into a threat for the health of humans and animals (it is responsible for neurodegenerative diseases such as spongiform encephalopathies). According to a new SISSA study, the mechanism underlying this change is a metal, copper, or rather a particular region of the protein to which the metal binds, which acts as a sort of 'switch' that turns PrPC into its terrible alter ego.

New dental tool creates stronger bonds for fillings

Dental composites are the synthetic resins or mixtures dentists use to restore teeth to their original hardness and rigidity. Made of amalgams—mixtures of mercury, silver or tin, or composites such as silica, ceramic or plastic compounds—longevity and performance often vary, and the composites are prone to breakages. Now, a University of Missouri engineer who has developed a "flowable" composite that can be injected in a cavity and hardened through a high-intensity light, recently received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to produce this product on a commercial scale.

Biology news

Establishment of enhancer landscapes in hematopoietic cells revisited

A study from Patrick Matthias and his group at the FMI challenges a widely accepted model on how epigenome dynamics control the differentiation of hematopoietic cells. The plasticity of pluripotent stem cells was thought to be written in their genome in the form of a reduced heterochromatin prevalence and an abundance of "primed" regulatory regions (promoters and enhancers), from which the active elements to be used in later developmental stages are selected. Here, the authors show that early priming of enhancers and heterochromatin dynamics only play a minor role and that most active enhancers are generated de novo without involvement of these mechanisms. The study thus provides important novel insights into the dynamic regulation of the epigenome during hematopoiesis and possibly other systems.

Monarchs get help from unlikely source: California's drought

In California's drought, the struggling monarch butterfly may have found a sprinkling of hope.

Grain varieties chambered for sprouting susceptibility

With harvest about to move into full swing across WA's grainbelt, many farmers are nervously looking skyward, crossing their fingers and hoping the rain stays away.

Translocation efforts breathe life into rare acacias

Infrared cameras have been used to monitor crop stress for years, but a WA plant biologist recently used the technology to ensure the successful translocation of a critically endangered plant species near Albany.

Shrimp may grow faster, bigger, healthier and tastier on sea urchin droppings diet

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham appear to have found a better way to grow shrimp that is also less expensive, and the new process could hold the key to unlocking future breakthroughs in environmental science, business and medicine.

Uncovered: The engangered European roller's route between Africa and Europe

Its blue and brown-coloured plumage is undoubtedly the most distinctive feature of the European roller, a threatened migratory bird. Up until now, little was known about this bird's migration patterns and wintering. For the first time, scientists from nine countries reveal the routes between Europe and southern Africa taken by a considerable percentage of this species, which is currently in a fragile state of population. Researchers have been able to uncover this information with the help of geolocators and satellite transmissions.

Invasive birds spreading avian malaria in eastern Australia

An invasive bird species is carrying, and potentially spreading, a high prevalence of avian malaria throughout its range in eastern Australia, a Griffith University PhD candidate has uncovered.

Tiny Asian pest puts squeeze on Florida fruit growers

Victoria Barnes was about to harvest her early season avocados when the Oriental fruit fly reared its tiny head and all but shut down south Florida's $1.6 billion agriculture industry.

With organic rice in demand, scientists to help farmers improve production

Organic rice is increasingly desired by U.S. consumers, but farmers know that growing the grain chemically free can mean providing a feast for insects, diseases and weeds.

The new recirculating aquaculture development environment in Laukaa gives new boost to fish farming

Recirculating aquaculture is a fish farming method that continues to gain popularity all around the world. Right now, Finland has an excellent opportunity to become known as one of the main players in the field.

Reduce elephant poaching through communal land ownership

Local communities should be more in the lead in forming wildlife conservancies in order to reduce elephant poaching in Northern Kenya. Researchers of the ITC Faculty for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation at the University of Twente concluded that after a study conducted with Save the Elephants, Kenya Wildlife Service, Colorado State University and the Northern Rangelands Trust. Establishment of community wildlife conservancies is the best solution for reducing elephant poaching in Northern Kenya, says their study recently published in scientific journal PLoS ONE.

Dog's recovery at Tufts highlights need for genetic testing, owner vigilance

The remarkable recovery of a dog nursed back to health from the brink of death by Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University highlights the value of a simple genetic test that can help owners determine if their pets are vulnerable to what in most cases is a safe, commonly-used drug.

Preserving the best qualities of 'Honeycrisp' apples

'Honeycrisp' apples are among the most popular varieties in today's fresh fruit market. The apple's explosive crispness, juiciness, and flavor have made them a new favorite among consumers. However, the apples' distinctive characteristics are at peak only when they are properly grown, picked at optimum maturity, and stored under ideal conditions. A new research study in the August 2015 issue of HortTechnology contains recommendations for maintaining consumers' interest in 'Honeycrisp' apples while preserving growers' profit margins.

Conventional, compost, organic production compared for strawberry

A team of researchers from North Carolina State University set out to provide strawberry growers in their region with information that could help them transition to more sustainable soil and pest management production practices. Their study, published in the August 2015 issue of HortTechnology, compared conventional, compost, and organic strawberry production systems in the southeastern United States, and revealed good news for growers. All three systems resulted in positive net returns, and two showed "considerable reductions" in negative environmental and human health impacts.

Medicine & Health news

DNA analysis shows that tuberculosis in northern Canada started with white settlements

(Medical Xpress)—A team of academic and governmental researchers in Canada has found that the ongoing tuberculosis epidemic in northern Canada got its start back in the early 1900's when the first white settlements were established. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their genetic study of strains of the disease found in several Inuit areas and what was revealed.

New microscopic imaging technology reveals origins of leukaemia

Scientists at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research at the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology have taken advantage of revolutionary developments in microscopic imaging to reveal the origins of leukaemia.

Researchers find new genetic variants that put heavy drinkers at higher risk of liver cirrhosis

(Medical Xpress)—A large team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in several European countries has found new genetic variants that put heavy drinkers at higher risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver. In their paper published in the journal Nature Genetics, the team describes their genome-wide association study of heavy drinkers that did and did not develop the disease and what they found in doing so.

Another dimension: 3-D cell growth opens new pathway for spinal cord repair

Griffith University researchers have opened a new avenue to advance a therapy to repair the paralysed spinal cord.

Images of pleasure and winning have unique distracting power

Images related to pleasure or winning attract attention from demanding tasks, while equally intense but negative images and those associated with losing can be fully ignored, finds a new UCL study.

Drug-resistant malaria could spread to Africa: study

A drug-resistant malaria parasite from southeast Asia can infect African mosquitoes, said a study Tuesday, boosting fears that a hard-to-cure variant of the disease could reach the world's most vulnerable continent.

HIV cure research: Scientists create two-headed protein to deplete HIV reservoir

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have created a protein that awakens resting immune cells infected with HIV and facilitates their destruction in laboratory studies. The protein potentially could contribute to a cure for HIV infection by helping deplete the reservoir of long-lived, latently HIV-infected cells that can start making the virus when a person stops taking anti-HIV drugs. Further studies in animals and people are needed to determine the viability of this approach.

Fly brains reveal the neural pathway by which outside stimuli become behavior

Every day, people act in response to countless external stimuli, activities in the outside world that result in a specific behavior. An oncoming car causes a pedestrian in a bustling city to jump back to the curb. Someone tells a joke that makes you laugh. You call someone's name causing that person to stop and turn around.

First mouse model of spontaneous depression-like episodes shows new candidate brain region

Scientists from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have shown that a mouse strain with a mutation that leads to dysfunction of mitochondria—the "powerhouses" that provide energy to cells—spontaneously undergo periodic episodes of depression-like behavior that resemble those in human. Through this research, published in Molecular Psychiatry, the scientists uncovered a link between depression and the paraventricular thalamus, a region of the brain not previously tied to depression.

MRI shows heart ages differently in women than in men

The main pumping chamber of the heart ages differently in men and women, according to a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study published online in the journal Radiology. Researchers said the findings may support different treatment approaches for men and women with heart disease.

How stereotypes hurt

Warning: Stereotypes may be harmful to patients' health.

Program for parents helps sustain learning gains in kids from Head Start to kindergarten

An instructional program for parents helps young children retain the literacy skills and positive learning behaviors acquired in Head Start through to the end of the kindergarten year, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Team-based treatment is better for first episode psychosis

New research shows that treating people with first episode psychosis with a team-based, coordinated specialty care approach produces better clinical and functional outcomes than typical community care. Investigators also found that treatment is most effective for people who receive care soon after psychotic symptoms begin.

China suffers 250,000 road deaths a year: WHO

More than 250,000 people are killed on China's notoriously dangerous roads every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said—over four times official government statistics.

Video: Innovative approach to quantifying, understanding, and managing stress

Robert Goldberg never spent much time thinking about fashion. All that changed six years ago, however, when as a visiting neuroscientist at John Gabrieli's lab in MIT's Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, he co-founded Neumitra. The Boston-based company develops wearable health sensors and analytics software that measure stress, a condition that Goldberg says costs the United States $150 billion in lost productivity and more than $190 billion in health care costs every year.

What is behind America's heroin epidemic?

For something so potentially deadly, it has some poetic nicknames: Black Pearl, China White, Brown Crystal.

Discrepancies are common between reported medical outcomes and trial registry data

Only a quarter of publications reporting on headache clinical trials were registered in an approved clinical trial registry, a new study published today in Neurology has found.

Time to look at cancer's dangerous mates

While a diagnosis of cancer naturally tends to concentrate the minds of patients and doctors alike, it shouldn't be the sole focus of treatment, says a new report from the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer (FCIC).

Elderly step up to avert falls

One in three Australians aged over 65 will have a fall this year. For an elderly person, as bones become brittle and balance less sure, a fall can cause such deterioration in their health that they may not recover.

Helmets raise risk of brain injury

The "tough-guy" image of the rugby codes is apparently admired in the NFL: no helmets and body armour in rugby. As former rugby league player Jarryd Hayne makes his transition to rookie running back for the San Francisco 49ers, he at least has the rugby reputation going for him.

Helping patients follow the script

Patients with chronic disease who risk serious illness by not taking their medication correctly are the target of a pilot study to educate community pharmacists.

The healing power of love handles

Question: when is a bit of surplus belly fat a good thing? Answer: when it can help to heal a broken bone.

Allergy drug may be effective in kidney disease

A current treatment for asthma may benefit patients with kidney disease, according to latest research at Monash University.

Is nutrition the future of brain health?

We take it for granted that our body can regenerate cells that become injured or simply wear out and die. For most of the 20th century, however, scientists were convinced that one organ—the brain—lacked that ability. Shortly after birth, they thought, our brains had as many neurons as they were ever going to have, and if we lost brain cells because of injury or aging, we were never going to make more of them.

Opinion: You can't be 'a little bit OCD' but your everyday obsessions can help end the stigma

"I'm a little bit OCD" is a phrase that's often bandied around. Perhaps you've used it to describe your excessive cleaning habits or desire for order. Some argue that the flippant use of this phrase trivialises a serious condition and increases stigma. It certainly doesn't help our understanding of the problem. But denying the obsessive-compulsive experiences that we all have may actually be increasing stigma and preventing those who are suffering from seeking help.

New study explains why you bulk up with resistance training, not endurance training

Resistance and endurance exercises affect the body very differently. These differences suggest that adapting to exercise involves many processes, but scientists have observed that one gene in particular, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator PGC-1α, controls many of them. New research in Physiological Reports shows that although both resistance and endurance exercises activate the PGC-1α gene, the adaptation processes stimulated are not the same and depend on the type of exercise.

Different memory resolutions map onto different brain locations

Neuroscientists from Radboud University's Donders Institute have shown that memories of the same events co-exist at different resolutions in the brain. Coarse and fine memory scales are distributed across different parts of the hippocampus, a brain area that plays an important part in memory. Nature Neuroscience publishes the results on October 19.

Bangladesh health successes shift chronic diseases to poor

A new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology shows that over the past decades Bangladesh observed a successful health transition while chronic diseases shifted from the rich to affect in excess also poor households. Observations over more than two decades demonstrate that the situation is actually worsening as chronic diseases frequently drag more households below the poverty line. The challenges in health service delivery and financing are huge.

Interactive game assesses children's emotional development

An interactive game which could enhance emotional awareness and regulation among young people has been developed by scientists from Plymouth University.

Don't smile for the camera when sleepy

Drowsy drivers who filmed themselves behind the wheel may have unknowingly given road safety researchers the answer to reducing sleepy driving.

UGR scientists patent an effective drug for treating breast, colon, and skin cancers

Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) have patented an effective drug for treating cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast, colon, and skin cancers. The researchers have proved the anti-tumor effects of the drug on immunodeficient mice.

Alcohol ads linked to teen alcohol brand choices

Overall exposure to brand-specific alcohol advertising is a significant predictor of underage youth alcohol brand consumption, with youth ages 13 to 20 more than five times more likely to consume brands that advertise on national television and 36 percent more likely to consume brands that advertise in national magazines compared to brands that don't advertise in these media.

Cause of viral infection of the brain mapped out

Researchers from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital have - in collaboration with international researchers - found a cause for why contracting herpes virus ends up being fatal for some people. While most people simply find that the virus causes an annoying cold sore, in Denmark it annually leads to inflammation of the brain for 25-30 people. Just under a third of these patients die despite treatment.

Female rats struggle to find their way in BPA study

Despite concerns about bisphenol A (BPA), academic and regulatory scientists have yet to reach a consensus on BPA's safety.

Transfusion with stored blood safe in heart surgery

A large registry study led from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet shed new light on the much debated issue of transfusions with stored blood. The study, which is published in the journal JAMA, shows that the use of stored blood units does not influence patient outcomes after heart surgery.

Annual vs. biennial mammography and breast tumor prognostic characteristics

Premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer following a biennial screening mammogram were more likely to have bigger more advanced tumors than women screened annually, while postmenopausal women not using hormone therapy had a similar proportion of tumors with less favorable prognostic characteristics regardless of whether their screening mammogram was biennial or annual, according to an article published online by JAMA Oncology.

Later age recommended for first screening mammogram

Among the changes in the American Cancer Society's updated breast cancer screening guideline is that women with an average risk of breast cancer should undergo regular, annual screening mammography beginning at age 45 years, with women having an opportunity to choose to begin annual screening as early as age 40; women 55 years and older should transition to screening every other year (vs annual), but still have the opportunity to continue with annual screening; and routine screening clinical breast examination is no longer recommended, according to an article in the October 20 issue of JAMA.

A new way to starve lung cancer?

Scientists have identified a new way to stop the growth of lung cancer cells, by blocking their ability to use alternative sources of nutrition. The discovery was made possible by identifying the metabolic programs used by cancer cells to fuel their growth. The findings point to possible new avenues for treating lung cancer, which is the second most common cancer and accounts for over one-quarter of all cancer-related deaths. The results of the study were published Oct. 15 in the journal Molecular Cell.

Preeclampsia associated with increased risk of heart defects in infants

An analysis of more than 1.9 million mother and infant pairs finds that preeclampsia was significantly associated with noncritical heart defects in offspring, and preeclampsia with onset before 34 weeks was associated with critical heart defects; however, the absolute risk of congenital heart defects was low, according to a study in the October 20 issue of JAMA.

Muscle relaxant or opioid combined with NSAID does not improve low back pain

Among patients with acute, low back pain presenting to an emergency department, neither the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) naproxen combined with oxycodone/acetaminophen or the muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine provided better pain relief or improvement in functional outcomes than naproxen combined with placebo, according to a study in the October 20 issue of JAMA.

Tdap vaccination during pregnancy following other recent tetanus-containing vaccine

Among women who received the tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during pregnancy, there was no increased risk of adverse events in the mothers or adverse birth outcomes in newborns for women who had received a tetanus-containing vaccine in the previous 5 years, according to a study in the October 20 issue of JAMA.

Effect of duration of storage of red blood cells transfused for cardiac surgery

Although some studies have suggested that transfusion of stored red blood cell (RBC) concentrates may be harmful, as blood undergoes several physiological changes during storage, an analysis of patients who underwent cardiac surgery in Sweden over a 16-year period found no association between duration of RBC storage and risk of death or serious complications, according to a study in the October 20 issue of JAMA.

Inherent mindfulness linked to lower obesity risk, belly fat

A study of nearly 400 people finds that those who exhibited more 'dispositional mindfulness', or awareness of and attention to their current feelings and thoughts, were less likely to be obese and had less abdominal fat than people who did not exhibit as much of that awareness.

CRE infection rate rising in young children

Children are becoming infected with the highly fatal antibiotic resistant bacteria CRE at a much higher rate than the recent past, according to a data analysis by researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The study was published in the Centers for Disease Control's publication Emerging Infectious Diseases on Oct. 14.

Growing old can be risky business

Managing money can be difficult at any age. For older adults, changes in physical condition and life circumstances can lead to changes for the worse in financial behavior, putting their well-being in danger. Now those changes have been given a name: age-associated financial vulnerability.

Dietary fat impacts autoimmune flare-ups in mice

Dietary fat may impact the severity and duration of autoimmune flare-ups, suggests a study published on October 20 in the journal Immunity. Adjusting the length of fatty acids consumed by mice altered the function of T helper cells in the gut—either intensifying or alleviating symptoms in an animal model of the autoimmune disease (i.e., multiple sclerosis).

Botox may prevent irregular heartbeat after bypass surgery

Botox—known for reducing facial wrinkles—may also prevent irregular heart rhythms when injected into fat surrounding the heart after bypass surgery, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.

People with sedentary lifestyles are at increased risk of developing kidney disease

Being sedentary for too long during the day may be a risk factor for chronic kidney disease, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

A prescription to cure Big Pharma's image problem

Time and again, major pharmaceutical companies attract negative press, with magazines like Forbes calling the industry "pill pushers" and detailing how they 'abandoned science for salesmanship.'

Researchers develop techniques to bypass blood-brain barrier, deliver drugs to brain and nervous system

Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School and Boston University have successfully prevented the development of Parkinson's disease in a mouse using new techniques to deliver drugs across the naturally impenetrable blood-brain barrier. Their findings, published in Neurosurgery, lend hope to patients around the world with neurological conditions that are difficult to treat due to a barrier mechanism that prevents approximately 98 percent of drugs from reaching the brain and central nervous system.

Researcher develops vaccine for fatal disease

Over 200 million people in 74 countries suffer from schistosomiasis and four times that many are at risk for the disease since they do not have access to clean water. A recent discovery in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) research laboratory may make it possible to reduce the number of infections from this disease.

Mechanism identified for enhancing immunological memory in helper T cells

Vaccines help prevent disease by inducing immunological memory, the ability of immune cells to remember and respond more quickly when re-exposed to the same pathogen. While certain phases of the pathway are well understood, little is known about the role of helper T cells, a "master orchestrator" of the immune response that send signals to activate the immune system.

'Big Data' used to identify new cancer driver genes

In a collaborative study led by Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), researchers have combined two publicly available 'omics' databases to create a new catalogue of 'cancer drivers'. Cancer drivers are genes that when altered, are responsible for cancer progression. The researchers used cancer mutation and protein structure databases to identify mutations in patient tumors that alter normal protein-protein interaction (PPI) interfaces. The study, published today in PLoS Computational Biology, identified more than 100 novel cancer driver genes and helps explain how tumors driven by the same gene may lead to different patient outcomes.

Team combats memory loss by enhancing brain function

A new study, led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VA) and University of California (UC) San Diego School of Medicine shows that increasing a crucial cholesterol-binding membrane protein in nerve cells (neurons) within the brain can improve learning and memory in aged mice.

Two lefts make it right: Cardiac experts find novel approach to treat heart failure

A teenage girl faced with sudden rapid heart deterioration, a man in the prime years of his life suffering from debilitating heart failure and a former NFL athlete crippled by end-stage heart failure were all successfully treated with a surgical approach pioneered by cardiac experts at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

Does living in the United States promote teenage risk taking?

Teenagers are known for taking unnecessary risks, from reckless driving to smoking marijuana, but some seek out risky experiences more than others. A new study of sensation-seeking behavior led by a researcher at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health with colleagues from Columbia University's Department of Psychiatry and the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, shows that children growing up in the United States versus Puerto Rico were more likely to seek out new and risky behaviors. Results of the study, the first to look at sensation-seeking patterns in young children and teenagers, are published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Research study validates neuroreader for accurate and fast measurement of brain volumes

A new neuroimaging software, Neuroreader, was shown to be as accurate as traditional methods for detecting the slightest changes in brain volume, and does so in a fraction of the time, according to a research study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease this month. The research validates the software program that can be used for measuring hippocampal volume, a biomarker for detecting Alzheimer's Disease.

Researchers find AKI a predictor of higher mortality rates for stroke patients

A University of Cincinnati (UC) researcher, in collaboration with other investigators, has found that ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients who suffer from acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis have higher death rates and greater odds of entering long-term care or nursing facilities after hospitalization.

Stimulating specific brain area could help defrost arms frozen by stroke

Little can be done to help the hundreds of thousands of people whose severe strokes have left them with one arm stuck close to the sides of their bodies like a broken wing. A 30-patient study by Washington researchers, however, has found that magnetically stimulating a specific part of their brains can affect arm movements—raising hope that, in the future, a short course of therapy targeting this area could help to free the arm and restore some use of the stroke-affected limb.

First Fukushima worker diagnosed with radiation-linked cancer: Japan official

A former Fukushima nuclear plant worker has been diagnosed with radiation-linked cancer, Japanese officials said Tuesday, and an expert said the first confirmed case since the 2011 accident could be just the "tip of the iceberg".

Understanding the activation of BAT for improved diabetes treatment

Research into diabetes and obesity has made some huge strides in recent years. And one of the most promising findings is related to the functioning of BAT, home to brown adipocytes. BAT has been revealed to be a major site for lipid breakdown and glucose uptake. In fact, the thermogenic capacity of even small amounts of brown adipocytes has emerged as an attractive target for anti-diabesity (diabetes and obesity) therapies.

Assessing the combined effects of chemicals using non-animal methods

Main strengths of non-animal methods lie in their integrated use and putting into context different aspects of the hazard from combined exposure to multiple chemicals. But in order to benefit from these tools in the hazard assessment of mixtures, more guidance on their use is needed to facilitate a more widespread application.

EU Regulation on Medical Devices still poses dangers to patients' interests

The proposed Regulation on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices (IVDs) negotiations, currently at the stage of tripartite negotiations between the Council (representing Member State governments), the European Parliament, and the European Commission, still risks restricting the rights of patients and doctors to carry out essential genetic testing, says the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) today (20 October 2015) in a statement issued by a range of organisations representing geneticists and patients.

Nivolumab in melanoma: Added benefit in certain patients

Nivolumab (trade name: Opdivo) has been approved since June 2015 for adults with advanced melanoma. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy.

Ukraine launches delayed polio vaccination drive

Ukraine reported Tuesday the start of a polio vaccination drive that began only after health groups accused Kiev of being critically late in responding to Europe's first outbreak since 2010.

Trained medical interpreters can reduce errors in care for patients with limited English proficiency

For patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), errors in medical interpretation are common—especially when the interpreter is a family member or other untrained person, reports a study in the October issue of Medical Care.

Iraq cholera cases grow, spread to Kurdish region

The number of cholera cases in Iraq has risen to more than 1,800 as the epidemic spread to the northern autonomous Kurdish region, health officials said Tuesday.

Histone deacetylase 6 inhibition enhances oncolytic viral therapy

Gliomas are extremely aggressive brain tumors that are resistant to standard cancer therapeutics. Oncolytic viral (OV) therapy, which uses engineered viruses to infect and target tumor cells for destruction by the immune system, is currently being explored for use in refractory cancers.

Subway to transition to meat raised without antibiotics

Subway plans to switch to meat raised without antibiotics over the next several years after a coalition of advocacy groups planned to deliver petitions to the company's headquarters Thursday calling for the change.

New York declares war on synthetic cannabis

New York declared war Tuesday on synthetic cannabis, otherwise known as K2, responsible for thousands of emergency-room visits this year alone and far more dangerous than ordinary marijuana.

Other Sciences news

New math model represents how mind processes sequential memory, may help understand psychiatric disorders

Try to remember a phone number, and you're using what's called your sequential memory. This kind of memory, in which your mind processes a sequence of numbers, events, or ideas, underlies how people think, perceive, and interact as social beings.

The cognitive science of survey methodology

The United Nations Statistical Commission celebrates the fifth annual World Statistics Day today. Over 60 countries have joined together to coordinate activities based on the theme of "Better data. Better lives." The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds multiple research projects aimed at fostering new statistical methods and strengthening statistical systems. This article is one of two published for World Statistics Day highlighting NSF's work. News from the World of Statistics has published a guide listing World Statistics Day outreach efforts by other organizations.

Penalties don't work with insider trading

As Congress kept increasing the civil and criminal penalties for illegal insider trading, nothing happened.

​Moving​, even to more affluent areas, puts kids at greater risk for not graduating high school​

Want to make sure your child graduates from high school? Don't move.

First-borns may have higher IQ but sibling bonds are what really shape our future

First-borns are responsible, middle children are people pleasers and the youngest are attention seekers, we often hear. But scientists have failed to find any real evidence for a link between birth order and personality.

It is not money alone that motivates employees

Small signals of appreciation have a decisive influence on the output and quality of the work of employees. A field experiment of KIT economist Petra Nieken and two colleagues revealed that a combination of performance-oriented piece wage and motivating words increases the performance by 20% and reduces the error rate by 40%.

Being rich in the Middle Ages led to an unhealthy life

In the Middle Ages only wealthy town people could afford to eat and drink from beautiful, colored glazed cups and plates. But the glazing was made of lead, which found its way into the body if you ate acidic foods. This has been revealed by chemical investigations of skeletons from cemeteries in Denmark and Germany.

New study explores gender bias in academic hiring

When all else is equal between highly qualified candidates for entry-level faculty positions, professors in academic science overwhelmingly prefer women over men, Cornell researchers previously found in national experiments. But would this pro-female bias be strong enough to elevate slightly less impressive women above more accomplished male candidates?

New CEO's gender may affect company performance, study finds

A CEO succession with a gender change may amplify the disruption of the CEO succession process and thus adversely affect company performance, according to a new study by strategic management experts at Rice University and the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing. This dynamic will increase the likelihood of the new CEO's early departure, the study found.

Why corporations don't always 'learn' their way to success

Any business guru will tell you that companies achieve success by learning from their experiences in the marketplace.

Egypt fixing Tutankhamun mask after botched epoxy repair

Restorers put their work on the famed golden burial mask of King Tutankhamun on display in Cairo on Tuesday, over a year after the beard was accidentally knocked off and hastily glued back on with epoxy.

What is life really like after fighting a war?

What's life really like for soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C.? A new book by Rice anthropologist Zoë Wool takes an in-depth look at what life is like after the fighting ends.


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