Body

Bug collecting

Amateur and professional entomologists are experts at their own version of Pokémon Go. After all, part of their job is to search for and collect rare insect species that are stored in the archives of natural history museums.

Even the director of UC Santa Barbara's Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration has gotten in on the "game." Katja Seltmann, an entomologist and parasitic wasp specialist, is co-author of a new paper that examines the North American distribution of some real-life Pokémon -- insect species in the Miridae family, also known as plant bugs.

Five ways bioengineers want to use 3-D printing

Now that 3D printing has made it easier to generate custom-made prosthetics, bioengineers are looking ahead at manufacturing actual cellular material. Such technology could be the basis for personalized biomedical devices; tissue-engineered skin, cartilage, and bone; or even working bladders. In a Trends in Biotechnology special issue on biofabrication, publishing August 17, researchers review and consider the progress made in 3D bioprinting and what might be possible in the decades--or years--ahead.

1. Made-to-Order Organs-on-a-Chip

Directly reprogramming a cell's identity with gene editing

DURHAM, N.C. -- Researchers have used CRISPR -- a revolutionary new genetic engineering technique -- to convert cells isolated from mouse connective tissue directly into neuronal cells.

Study: We understand that social media does not equal social interaction

If you worry that people today are using social media as a crutch for a real social life, a University of Kansas study will set you at ease.

Jeffrey Hall, associate professor of communication studies, found that people are actually quite adept at discerning the difference between using social media and having an honest-to-goodness social interaction. The results of his studies appear in the journal New Media & Society.

Research shows backup plans may keep you from achieving your goal

MADISON, Wis. -- When it comes to setting organizational and personal goals, making a backup plan has been seen as a sensible way to deal with uncertainty -- to be prepared if things don't go as expected.

However, new research from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison challenges that conventional wisdom and finds that merely thinking through a backup plan can reduce goal performance and actually hurt the chances of successfully achieving your goal.

New microscopy system captures 'lost' fluorescence, improving resolution

WOODS HOLE, MASS. -- Taking a cue from medical imaging, scientists have invented a multi-view microscope that captures higher-resolution, 3D images of live cells and tissues without upping the dose of potentially harmful radiation the specimens receive.

The researchers, who work collaboratively at the Marine Biological Laboratory's Whitman Center, published their results this week in the journal Optica.

Study finds Hispanic men in California need more screening for colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates in California have decreased markedly for men and women in all major racial-ethnic groups since 1990, except for Hispanic men.

Colorectal cancer rates for Hispanic men have remained relatively the same, a disparity that can be improved by greater screening, a study of colorectal cancer trends from the UC Davis Institute for Population Health Improvement (IPHI) has found.

Researchers at NIH have developed simple, sensitive, and cost-effective assays for analyzing Fragile X-related disorders

Philadelphia, PA, August 12, 2016 - Fragile X syndrome, the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability and a frequent cause of autism, is characterized by abnormalities of the FMR1 gene that are difficult to analyze. Preclinical studies of Fragile X and the Fragile X-related disorders are hampered by the lack of low-cost and sensitive yet simple methods.

Venetoclax safe, shows promise in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia

Bottom Line: Patients whose acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) had relapsed or was resistant to chemotherapy and those who were deemed unable to tolerate chemotherapy experienced responses to the selective BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax (Venclexta), with complete remissions in some, according to phase II clinical trial data.

Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

A new method cuts the cost of drug-building chemicals

The amines are one of the most important classes of chemical compounds today. Amines that contain a ring-like structure - called an "aryl" group - are used widely in pharmaceuticals, such as the top-selling drugs Abilify, Crestor, Gleevec, and Lidoderm. EPFL scientists have now developed a method to produce aryl-containing amines in a cheap and easily scalable way. The work is published in Nature Communications.

Intestinal flora effects drug response

Intestinal flora has multiple influences on human health, but researchers have revealed that it is also likely to have an effect on the body's response to drugs. Recent research from Kumamoto University in Japan strongly suggests that changes in the intestinal flora, caused by antibacterial and antibiotic drugs or individual differences between people, may have an effect on a person's response to drugs including side effects. The research focused on the changes in proteins due to the condition of intestinal flora that affect the response to drugs in the liver and kidneys.

Galápagos Islands face first-ever bird extinction

SAN FRANCISCO (August 10, 2016) -- Scientists have discovered a new species of colorful songbird in the Galápagos Islands, with one catch: it's extinct.

Quantum dots with impermeable shell: A powerful tool for nanoengineering

Unique optical features of quantum dots make them an attractive tool for many applications, from cutting-edge displays to medical imaging. Physical, chemical or biological properties of quantum dots must, however, be adapted to the desired needs. Unfortunately, up to now quantum dots prepared by chemical methods could be functionalized using copper-based click reactions with retention of their luminescence. This obstacle can be ascribed to the fact that copper ions destroy the ability of quantum dots to emit light.

Long-term health effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs not as dire as perceived

The detonation of atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 resulted in horrific casualties and devastation. The long-term effects of radiation exposure also increased cancer rates in the survivors. But public perception of the rates of cancer and birth defects among survivors and their children is in fact greatly exaggerated when compared to the reality revealed by comprehensive follow-up studies.

Surveys of corn and soybean fields reveal implications for pollinator conservation

Although corn and soybeans do not need insects for pollination, they do offer floral resources that are used by insect pollinators. So what kind of insects are commonly found in corn and soybean fields? The answer to that question can be found in a new article published in Environmental Entomology.