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Cyclin' out of gear: Malaria parasites grinding to a halt

Scientists from The University of Nottingham have uncovered the role of cyclin -- the protein molecule that drives the growth of malaria within mosquitoes.

The research, led by Professor Rita Tewari and Dr Bill Wickstead in the University's School of Life Sciences and published in the scientific journal PLoS Pathogens, could pave the way to better understanding of how the malaria parasite thrives within its insect and human hosts and lead to potential new treatments.

3-D printing aids in understanding food enjoyment

Tasting food relies on food volatiles moving from the back of the mouth to the nasal cavity, but researchers have wondered why airflow doesn't carry them in the other direction, into the lungs. Now a team of engineers, using a 3D printed model of the human airway from nostril to trachea, has determined that the shape of the airway preferentially transfers volatiles to the nasal cavity and allows humans to enjoy the smell of good food.

Parasitic fungi and the battle against coffee rust disease

ANN ARBOR--Coffee rust has ravaged Latin American plantations for several years, leading to reductions in annual coffee production of up to 30 percent in some countries and threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers in the region.

A new study by University of Michigan researchers suggests that the coffee plants themselves may hold biological weapons that could someday be harnessed in the fight against the coffee rust fungal pathogen.

Irradiated anthrax can be sequenced -- fast!

Washington, DC - November 13, 2015 - These days, mail addressed to selected government offices gets irradiated, in order to kill any biological agents, notably anthrax spores. The downside of this is that viable spores have been needed to identify the anthrax strain, which can be critical to treating those infected. But now Henry S. Gibbons, PhD, has shown that full sequences can quickly be determined from irradiated spores. The research is published November 13 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

How DNA and a supercomputer can help sustain honey bee populations

To uncover what plants honey bees rely on, researchers from The Ohio State University are using the latest DNA sequencing technology and a supercomputer. They spent months collecting pollen from beehives and have developed a multi-locus metabarcoding approach to identify which plants, and what proportions of each, are present in pollen samples.

A single beehive can collect pollen from dozens of different plant species, and this pollen is useful evidence of the hive's foraging behavior and nutrition preferences.

Encouraging motivation to benefit others can lead to more effective teams

When team members are motivated toward promoting the benefits of others, they are higher-performing and stay in their teams for a longer period, according to a new study.

Jasmine Hu, assistant professor of management at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, and her colleague Robert Liden of the University of Illinois at Chicago conducted a field study with 67 work teams from six companies in both U.S. and China and a lab study with 124 student teams at Notre Dame.

Meeting transportation needs will improve lives of those with ASD, their families

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - An integrated approach to providing access to reliable and safe transportation is needed for adults on the autism spectrum and their families, according to a new Rutgers study that offers recommendations for removing barriers to better mobility.

The first human uses of beeswax have been established in Anatolia in 7000 BCE

The current loss of bee populations as a result of pesticides, viruses and parasites has increased awareness about their economic importance and essential role in farming societies. Our relationship with bees stretches way back before modern farming, which is shown, for example, in various depictions in Ancient Egypt or, going back even further, in the prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula, as in the famous panel in the Araña rock shelter in Bicorp, Valencia.

Seniors expend as much energy as Tour de France cyclists

Well-trained seniors expend as much energy as Tour de France cyclists. New Danish research shows that age is no obstacle to performing at a maximum for a longer period of time. The Department of Biomedicine and the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen are behind this new research.

Invasive freshwater species in Europe's lakes and rivers: How do they come in?

A JRC-led article has identified escape from aquaculture facilities, releases in the wild due to pet/aquarium trade and stocking activities as the main pathways of alien species introduction in European lakes and rivers. Germany, the UK and Italy are the main entry gateways. The authors recommend tightened controls, and improved prevention and management measures in order to halt the increasing trend of freshwater alien species introductions in Europe.

Researchers design and patent graphene biosensors

Graphene is the first truly two-dimensional crystal, which was obtained experimentally and investigated regarding its unique chemical and physical properties. In 2010, two MIPT alumni, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics "for ground-breaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene". There has now been a considerable increase in the number of research studies aimed at finding commercial applications for graphene and other two-dimensional materials.

Really, what is the internet of things?

The Internet of Things, IoT, the cloud, big data...buzzwords for the modern age. But, asks Won Kim, Jaehyuk Choi and colleagues in the Department of Software at Gachon University, in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea: Is the IoT actually anything new and how does it work? Writing in the International Journal of Web and Grid Services, the team offer some answers and a high-level view of the IoT from the perspective of its architecture.

Living liver donors satisfied with donation process says study

A study of living liver donors found donors were highly satisfied with the donation process. Findings published in Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, indicate most donors would donate again, independent of any complications from transplantation.

Strong odor challenge of mercaptans

Mercaptans or thiols are a special class of organic compounds that contains sulfur functional group, RSH. Various sulfur compounds are highly demanded in the formation of new materials in photonics, optics, pharmaceutical industry, organic chemistry, and nanotechnology.

Rare facial paralysis gives researchers new insights into social interaction

Möbius is an extremely rare congenital facial paralysis that is usually bilateral and complete. The paralysis leaves the face expressionless, which makes it difficult for persons with Möbius to express emotions or indicate that they understand a conversation partner's information. This severely inhibits interaction and rapport - creating a challenge not only for the persons with Möbius but also for their conversation partners who become insecure and nervous.