Curated News: Staff Picks

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One year after the Global Biological Standards Institute (GBSI) issued its Reproducibility2020 challenge and action plan for the biomedical research community, the organization reports encouraging progress toward the goal to significantly improve the quality of preclinical biological research by year 2020. “Reproducibility2020 Report: Progress and Priorities,” posted today on bioRxiv, identifies action and impact that has been achieved by the life science research community and outlines priorities going forward. The report is the first comprehensive review of the steps being taken to improve reproducibility since the issue became more widely known in 2012.

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A team has found a way to identify the small population of circulating helper T cells present in the blood after an annual flu vaccine to monitor their contribution to antibody strength. A technique that identifies these helper immune cells could inform future vaccine design, especially for vulnerable populations.

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Some people can pass a hearing test but have trouble understanding speech in a noisy environment. New research identifies a new mechanism for this condition just years after its discovery.

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In bitter cold regions like northwestern Canada, permafrost has preserved relict ground-ice and vast glacial sedimentary stores in a quasi-stable state. These landscapes therefore retain a high potential for climate-driven transformation.

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Genomic study in lower Congo reveals microscale diversification.

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University of British Columbia microbiologists have found a yeast in the gut of new babies in Ecuador that appears to be a strong predictor that they will develop asthma in childhood. The new research furthers our understanding of the role microscopic organisms play in our overall health.

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Alien subatomic particles raining down from outer space are wreaking low-grade havoc on your smartphones, computers and other personal electronic devices.

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Harvard Medical School researchers have successfully “listened in” on the crosstalk between gut microbes and the immune system.

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A review of worldwide studies has found that add-on treatment with high-dose b-vitamins - including B6, B8 and B12 - can significantly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia more than standard treatments alone.

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Researchers from the UGR and UMA have designed a technique that aims to model high-level data abstractions to make computers learn to differentiate the brain of a healthy person from that of an ill person by extracting the affected regions.

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Scientists estimated the number of stars disrupted by solitary supermassive black holes in galactic centers formed due to mergers of galaxies containing supermassive black holes.

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Abnormal conditions in the northeast Pacific Ocean, nicknamed “the blob,” put ozone levels in June 2015 higher than normal over a large swath of the Western U.S.

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Keeping blood sugar levels within a safe range is key to managing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In a new finding that could lead to fewer complications for diabetes patients, Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that changes in the size of mitochondria in a small subset of brain cells play a crucial role in safely maintaining blood sugar levels.

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Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have discovered a patch of land in an ancient valley on Mars that appears to have been flooded by water in the not-too-distant past. In doing so, they have pinpointed a prime target to begin searching for past life forms on the Red Planet.

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Australia could save AUD $3.4 billion (USD $2.3 billion) in healthcare costs over the remaining lifetimes of all Australians alive in 2010 by instituting a combination of taxes on unhealthy foods and subsidies on fruits and vegetables, according to a new study.

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These findings could provide new insight and understanding of congenital heart defects.

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Loss of the protein Importin 11 predicts relapse and metastasis in patients following prostate removal

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CT scans of fossils of the pre-mammalian reptile, Euchambersia, shows anatomical features, designed for venom production

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The University of Notre Dame study found that voucher expansion caused significant declines in church donations and church spending on non-educational religious activities.

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Team discovers object in the constellation Boötes with carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen.

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For the first time, theoretical physicists from the University of Basel have calculated the signal of specific gravitational wave sources that emerged fractions of a second after the Big Bang.

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A collaborative study involving Brookhaven, MIT, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro suggests the gas cloud from which our solar system formed lasted about 4 million years.

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The creature has a considerably shorter and stronger neck with larger muscles than the long graceful necks of others in its species.

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Studies abound that point to a role for plain old aspirin in keeping deadly cancers at bay. While aspirin is not yet part of mainstream treatment for any cancer, it is recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for certain adults to help prevent colorectal cancer.

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Strokes are usually, but not always, debilitating. This case report documents the extraordinary resilience of a woman in Argentina who endured multiple strokes.

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A research report published in Clinical Epigenetics, suggests that epigenetic mechanism based drugs could become one of the treatment armamentarium of future anti-diabetic agents.

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Close friendships facilitate the exchange of information and culture, making social networks more effective for cultural transmission, according to new UCL research that used wireless tracking technology to map social interactions in remote hunter-gatherer populations.

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James Cook University scientists have helped discover the remnants of a massive undersea landslide on the Great Barrier Reef.

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A compound extracted from a deep-water marine sponge collected near the Bahamas is showing potent antibacterial activity against the drug resistant bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) also called the “super bug.”

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Shakespeare said our lips were made for kissing and if you ask Texas A&M University Professor of Anthropology Vaughn Bryant about it, he’ll tell you all you need to know and more about this age-old pastime.

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Nature requires the right mix of biological ingredients to make a good scavenger.

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Inspired by the hair of blue tarantulas, researchers from The University of Akron lead a team that made a structural-colored material that shows consistent color from all viewing directions.

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For women who marry later in life, a few extra pounds may accompany their nuptials, a new study led by the University of Arizona suggests. On the other hand, older women who go through a divorce or separation may lose weight and see some positive changes in their health, according to the research.

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Sitting may not be as deadly as previously thought, with new research led by the University of Sydney ruling out sitting as a direct cause of diabetes.

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Tax collections fell in a majority of states in the second quarter of 2016, ending seven straight quarters of growth in total state tax revenue. Despite the slump, the 50-state total and receipts in 27 states were higher than before their plunge in the Great Recession, after adjusting for inflation.

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If you want to win an Oscar it is best to be an American actor in a film that portrays American culture.

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A new study probes the origins of carnivory in several distantly related plants — including the Australian, Asian and American pitcher plants, which appear strikingly similar to the human (or insect) eye.

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Aerial tree mortality surveys show patterns of tree death during extreme drought.

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Dogs share food also in complex situations, but more likely with dogs they know.

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New research shows that red-footed tortoises can remember the location of their favourite food sources and the biggest stashes for at least 18 months.

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New study points to heart disease risk factor in menopausal women that could be caught early.

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The difference between men and women with respect to their age preferences, when it comes to sexual partners, is smaller than earlier believed. A recent study shows that also men become interested in older and older women as they themselves age.

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Human empathy can even extend to dogs: Empathetic people interpret dogs' facial expressions more intensely.

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Northwestern University researchers studying the gut bacteria of Scott and Mark Kelly, NASA astronauts and identical twin brothers, as part of a unique human study have found that changes to certain gut “bugs” occur in space.

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International study of more than 750,000 people probes deeper into height than ever before

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Early predictors of anxiety and depression may be evident in the brain even at birth, suggests a study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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In April last year, billionaire Yuri Milner announced the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative. He plans to invest 100 million US dollars in the development of an ultra-light light sail that can be accelerated to 20 percent of the speed of light to reach the Alpha Centauri star system within 20 years. The problem of how to slow down this projectile once it reaches its target remains a challenge.

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New analysis supports mangrove forests, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows as effective climate buffers.

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Results of a multicenter study of 129 women with advanced breast cancer show that a blood test that spots cancer-linked DNA correctly predicted that most of those patients with higher levels of the tumor markers died significantly earlier than those with lower levels.