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DURHAM, N.C. -- For more than a decade, a rare but potentially deadly fungus called Cryptococcus deuterogatti has taken up residence in the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver Island. Unlike its cousin Cryptococcus neoformans, which mostly infects patients with compromised immune systems, this fungus has sickened hundreds of otherwise healthy people.

PITTSBURGH, March 4, 2016 - Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) have devised a cell-based model of the human placenta that could help explain how pathogens that cause birth defects, such as Zika virus, cross from mother to unborn child. The findings were published today in Science Advances.

Sumatran orangutans, one of the two existing species of orangutans, live exclusively in the North of the Indonesian island Sumatra and are critically endangered. This great ape is threatened by poaching and forest loss, as its habitat is being converted for agricultural purposes. An international team of researchers has now conducted an extensive series of surveys to estimate the number of Sumatran orangutans. They discovered that about 14,600 of these animals still live in the wild today - 8,000 more than previously thought.

Animal behavior researchers at Wake Forest University have found that the highly territorial downy woodpecker interprets drumming intensity from adversaries to figure out who is or isn't a threat.

Washington, DC - March 4, 2016 - Since it first emerged more than half a century ago, a particular strain of multidrug-resistant Salmonella has spread all over the world. Now researchers have figured out why this strain, Salmonella Typhimuriam DT104, has been so successful. This new knowledge could prove valuable in combating other successful pathogens, according to the authors. The study is published ahead of print March 4th in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

A new study published in the journal Ecological Applications shows that differences within a species across geographically distinct ranges should be taken into account during conservation planning as the climate changes.

The study led by Maria Hällfors, a doctoral student at the Finnish Museum of Natural History at the University of Helsinki, and Jessica Hellmann, director of the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment, looked at two threatened species, the Karner blue butterfly in North America and the Siberian primrose in Northern Europe.

MINNEAPOLIS - Young adults with hostile attitudes or those who don't cope well with stress may be at increased risk for experiencing memory and thinking problems decades later, according to a study published in the March 2, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

SAN ANTONIO (March 4, 2016) -- Scientists from the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) in San Antonio today (March 4) published work that provides deeper insight into how the Angelina Jolie gene, BRCA1, functions in normal breast tissue and how its loss results in breast cancer.

The CTRC -- a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center -- is part of UT Medicine San Antonio, the clinical practice of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Recent research progress into how bacteria adapt and evolve during chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients could lead to better treatment strategies being developed, according to a new review by the University of Liverpool.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening inherited disease, affecting over 10,000 people in the UK. Patients with CF often suffer from a build-up of mucus in the airways, which traps bacteria and makes them more susceptible to lung infections.

The volcanic rock found in the south of Leon (Spain) experienced a rotation of almost 60º 300 million years ago, an example of what could have occurred across the entire Iberian Peninsula when, in that moment, it was still being formed. This fact is demonstrated by the magnetic signals of its minerals, currently being analysed by researchers from the universities of Salamanca and Utrecht (The Netherlands). This discovery improves our understanding of a now-disappeared mountain range that stood over what is now north-western Spain, France, and the southern United Kingdom.

A new study finds significant differences between the blood clot structure in adults and newborns, helping researchers better understand the challenges in addressing post-operative bleeding in neonatal patients. The researchers also found that the current standard of care for treating post-operative bleeding may pose an increased risk of thrombosis in newborns compared to adults, which researchers hadn't suspected.

Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have built two new nanoscale machines with moving parts, using DNA as a programmable, self-assembling construction material. In the journal Science Advances, they describe a rotor mechanism formed from interlocking 3-D DNA components. Another recent paper, in Nature Nanotechnology, reported a hinged molecular manipulator, also made from DNA. These are just the latest steps in a campaign to transform so-called "DNA origami" into an industrially useful, commercially viable technology.

A recent study conducted by Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) researchers suggests that social support from family and friends does not have an entirely positive effect on mental health but is instead a 'mixed blessing'. This is the first study that demonstrates the simultaneous negative and positive effects of social support among Singaporean older adults and has implications for policy makers.

Mitochondria are the cellular powerplant, but their functions in conjunction with B-vitamins are only starting to be revealed. When nutrient status is good, vitamin B9, folate, turns mitochondria to cellular builders. Through folate, mitochondria produce substances to make ingredients for genome replication and repair, cell membrane renewal and synthesis of antioxidants. The mechanism also includes other B-vitamins.

Rare respiratory disease gene carriers actually have increased lung function

New research has revealed the healthy carriers of a gene that causes a rare respiratory disease are taller and larger than average, with greater respiratory capacity.

The disease, alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) can result in severely reduced lung capacity due to emphysema. It is found in about 1 in 2,000 people, and occurs when an individual inherits a defective gene copy from both parents.