Tech

A technology designed to improve CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in mosquitoes and other arthropods succeeds with a high degree of efficiency, while eliminating the need for difficult microinjection of genetic material, according to researchers.

These results could pave the way for scientists examining a wide range of arthropods -- and even some vertebrates -- to more easily manipulate gene expression for fundamental research and practical applications such as control of vector-borne diseases like Zika virus and malaria, elimination of agricultural insect pests, and potentially gene therapy for human and animal health.

CRISPR -- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats -- is a relatively new and revolutionary way to modify an organism's genome by precisely delivering a DNA-cutting enzyme, Cas9, to a targeted region of DNA. The resulting mutation can delete or replace specific DNA pieces, thereby promoting or disabling certain traits.

Current approaches in arthropods rely on delivering the gene-editing Cas9 directly to eggs by embryonic microinjection, a difficult and inefficient process that works in only a small number of species, noted Jason Rasgon, professor of entomology and disease epidemiology, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.

"In addition, microinjection can damage the eggs, and it requires expensive equipment and training to implement," he said. "These restrictions dramatically limit the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology across diverse species."

To address these limitations, Rasgon's lab developed ReMOT Control -- Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo -- a method the researchers say can deliver Cas9 cargo to a targeted portion of the genome by easy injection into the blood of female arthropods, where it can be introduced into the developing eggs via receptors in the ovary.

Rasgon explained that during ovary and egg maturation, mosquitoes and other arthropods synthesize yolk proteins, which are secreted into the blood and taken up into the ovaries. The team hypothesized that molecules derived from these yolk proteins could be fused to Cas9 cargo and delivered into the egg at levels necessary to achieve genome editing in the embryo, bypassing the need for embryonic microinjection.

In the process of testing this hypothesis in Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that can spread pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever viruses, the team identified a peptide known as P2C, a ligand that is recognized by ovarian receptors and functions in five other mosquito species as well.

To visually show that P2C could achieve uptake in the ovary, the researchers injected the peptide, infused with green fluorescent protein, into mosquitoes. They subsequently found fluorescence in more than 98 percent of primary oocytes.

For gene-editing experiments, the scientists targeted a gene that, when knocked out, results in white eye color rather than dark, providing a visible phenotype to aid in screening. They found that P2C, when bonded with the Cas9 enzyme, was able to deliver the gene-editing cargo to the ovary, where the desired mutation was achieved at a high rate of efficiency, resulting in genetically modified offspring.

The results of the study, published recently in Nature Communications, show that compared to embryo injection, gene editing by ReMOT Control is efficient and technically much easier to accomplish, according to Rasgon.

"Whereas the microinjection apparatus can cost thousands of dollars and require extensive training to use, the equipment for ReMOT Control injections costs approximately $2, and the technique can be learned in less than an hour," he said.

"The lower cost and ease of adult injections makes this method a substantial improvement over existing embryo-injection techniques, putting gene-editing capability into the reach of nonspecialist laboratories and potentially revolutionizing the broad application of functional arthropod genetics."

Boston, MA - Men who most frequently wore boxers had significantly higher sperm concentrations and total sperm counts when compared with men who did not usually wear boxers, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The findings of this study, conducted in the Fertility Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, suggest that certain styles of men's underwear may inhibit production of sperm.
 

"These results point to a relatively easy change that men can make when they and their partners are seeking to become pregnant," said Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, lead author of the study and research scientist at the Harvard Chan School.
 

The study will be published on August 8, 2018 in Human Reproduction. 
 

While previous research has shown that elevated scrotal temperatures can adversely affect testicular function, studies on whether and how different styles of underwear may impact sperm production have been inconsistent.
 

For this study, the largest of its kind to look at underwear and semen quality, researchers collected information and semen samples from 656 men who were part of couples that were seeking treatment at a fertility center. The men, who were between the ages of 32 and 39, completed a survey that included questions about the style of underwear they wore in the previous three months. Options included boxers, jockeys, bikini, briefs, and other.
 

Among the study participants, 53% reported usually wearing boxers. Analysis of semen samples showed that these men had 25% higher sperm concentrations and 17% higher total sperm counts when compared with men who did not primarily wear boxers. Men who wore boxers also had higher percentages of motile sperm, or sperm that are capable of moving through the female reproductive system and fertilizing an egg. The most significant difference in sperm concentration was seen between men who wore boxers and men who wore jockeys and briefs. 
 

In addition, analysis of blood samples collected from 304 of the study participants showed that men who wore boxers had 14% lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) compared with men who didn't wear boxers. FSH is known to play an important role in male fertility and is associated with sperm production. The simultaneous presence of lower sperm counts and higher FSH among men wearing tight-fitting underwear suggests the presence of a compensatory mechanism whereby the decreased sperm production among men in tighter underwear signals the brain to boost production of hormones that stimulate the activity of the gonads to try to increase sperm production.
 

"Beyond providing additional evidence that underwear choices may impact fertility, our study provides evidence, for the first time, that a seemingly random lifestyle choice could have profound impacts on hormone production in men at both the level of the testis and the brain," said Jorge Chavarro, senior author of the study and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology.

Inducing labor in healthy first-time mothers in the 39th week of pregnancy results in lower rates of cesarean sections compared with waiting for labor to begin naturally at full term, according to a multicenter study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Additionally, infants born to women induced at 39 weeks did not experience more stillbirths, newborn deaths or other major health complications.

"This study is a potential game changer and will have a significant impact on the practice of obstetrics," said senior author, George Macones, MD, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study was conducted through the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network, which is supported by the NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Macones chairs the network.

"The concern has been that inducing labor -- even at 39 weeks -- would increase the cesarean section rate and health problems in newborns," said Macones, Washington University's Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Professor. "We found inductions at 39 weeks lowered, not raised, the number of deliveries by cesarean section."

The findings are published Aug. 9 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Delivering by cesarean section generally is considered safe for mother and baby. However, the procedure involves major surgery and, therefore, poses increased complication risks and longer recovery times for mothers compared with women who deliver vaginally.

Previous studies have shown that inducing labor without medical reason before pregnancies are full-term at 39 weeks poses health risks for newborns, primarily because the lungs, brain and other organs haven't fully developed. But inductions at 39 weeks -- one week before a woman's due date -- has become more common in recent years, and the researchers wanted a better understanding of the risks and benefits to mother and baby.

"Our department already is recommending induction at 39 weeks for healthy pregnant women," said Macones, who treats patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "Some women prefer to schedule an induction because it allows them to plan ahead. Of course, women without pregnancy complications can choose how they want to experience labor and delivery, and we respect their wishes."

The study enrolled about 6,100 healthy, first-time mothers-to-be at 41 hospitals belonging to the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. About half of the pregnant women were randomly assigned to labor induction at 39 weeks, while the other half waited for labor to begin naturally. Some women in the latter group were induced after 39 weeks for medical reasons.

Of those who were induced at 39 weeks, 569 (18.6 percent) had cesarean sections compared with 674 women (22.2 percent) who delivered by cesarean after waiting for labor to occur naturally -- a difference that is statistically significant.

Other health benefits experienced by women in the induced labor group included reduced rates of pregnancy-related hypertension and postpartum infections. Specifically, 277 (9.1 percent) women induced at 39 weeks experienced blood pressure problems and 50 (1.6 percent) contracted infections after delivery, compared with 427 (14.1 percent) and 65 (2.1 percent) in the spontaneous labor group.

Infants born to both groups of mothers had the same risks for complications such as newborn death, seizure, infection, injury and the need for infant respiratory support. Of the women in the induced labor group and the spontaneous labor group, 132 (4.3 percent) and 164 (5.4 percent), respectively, experienced birth complications that affected the babies' health. The difference between the two groups is not significant.

"Our findings offer healthy, pregnant women options for labor and delivery," Macones said. "However, the choice always remains theirs."

Some relationships can be complicated. Take the one between sweet potato crops and soil nitrogen, for example.

Too little nitrogen and sweet potato plants don't grow well and have low yields. Too much nitrogen, however, boosts the growth of leaves and branches at the expense of storage roots. That also leads to low yields.

"Carefully managing soil nitrogen levels is essential to obtain high yields from sweet potato crops," says Adalton Fernandes, an agronomist at the Center for Tropical Roots and Starches at São Paulo State University in Brazil.

Fernandes is the lead author of a new study that determined how much nitrogen is needed to maximize yields from sweet potato crops in Brazil.

The researchers discovered field history matters when trying to apply the optimal amount of nitrogen for sweet potato crops. Cover crops grown in the same plots prior to sweet potato crops affected how much nitrogen was needed.

Sweet potato plants grown in plots previously used to grow legume cover crops needed 35% less nitrogen fertilizer. Growing sweet potatoes after a cereal cover crop, however, was no different than growing them in a plot that had previously just had weeds.

"We show that growing legume cover crops, and incorporating them into the soil as they flower, is a simple technique that can reduce how much mineral nitrogen needs to be applied for sweet potato farming," says Fernandes.

Cover crops are often grown cyclically with economic or cash crops. They may be incorporated into the soil as green manure. They may also be left on the surface as living mulches.

Different cover crops bring different benefits to the growing relationship. Legumes, for example, can increase soil nitrogen levels. Beneficial bacteria in their root nodules pull atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. But they also decompose faster than cereal cover crops once terminated.

"That releases nitrogen into the soil earlier during the sweet potato growth cycle," says Fernandes. "We needed to know more about how different cover crops affect soil nitrogen availability for subsequent sweet potato crops."

Fernandes and colleagues used a study site in southeastern Brazil. The site is a good match for the tropical conditions and sandy soil typical of several areas where sweet potato is grown in Brazil.

In different plots, the researchers grew either one of two legume crops, a cereal crop, or allowed weeds to grow from seeds already present in the soil. When the legume and cereal cover crops were flowering, they were terminated. The plants were incorporated into the soil.

Subsequently, the researchers planted sweet potato in the plots. They tested how much nitrogen was needed to maximize yields.

When sweet potato was grown after legume cover crops, they needed about 110 pounds of nitrogen per hectare (roughly the size of a baseball field) for optimal yields. In contrast, sweet potato crops needed more than 168 pounds per hectare of nitrogen when grown after a cereal cover crop or after weeds.

"We show that there is no reason to use a cereal cover crop prior to sweet potato cultivation," says Fernandes.

Currently, recommendations of how much nitrogen fertilizer to use with sweet potato crops do not consider the history of cultivation in the area. That can result in farmers using more or less fertilizer than needed.

"We now better understand how much nitrogen is needed to maximize sweet potato yields in tropical regions," says Fernandes. "This will help manage the application of mineral nitrogen fertilizers during sweet potato cultivation."

In addition to maximizing yields, using less fertilizer also reduces costs for farmers. That's especially important in Brazil. Much of the sweet potato crop is grown on family farms with low technology use.

Fernandes is now pairing other species of legumes as cover crops. He is testing whether they may be more efficient at providing nitrogen for sweet potato crops. He is also exploring whether combining legumes and cereals as cover crops in the same area can provide different benefits to sweet potato farmers.

Just half a degree Celsius could make a major difference when it comes to global warming, according to a new paper published by a collaborative research team based in China.

The study, which appears in Nature Communications on August 8, 2018, confirms the significance of the incremental global warming limits articulated by the Paris Agreement, an accord structured within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. A total of 175 parties (174 countries and the European Union)* agreed to work to stop global warming from increasing more than 2°C, and every effort is to be made to limit the increase to 1.5°C and prevent the last half of a degree of warming. The half a degree Celsius is so significant that it could be the barrier preventing extreme precipitation events, according to Tianjun Zhou, the corresponding author on the paper.

Zhou is a senior scientist at the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"As the climate warms, both the mean state and the variability of extreme precipitation are projected to increase, inducing more intense and dangerous extreme events," Zhou said. "Limiting global warming to 1.5°C, compared to 2°C, would reduce areal and population exposures to once-in-10-year or once-in-20-year extreme precipitation events by approximately 20 to 40 percent."

Zhou and his team combined CMIP5, an archive of comprehensive climate models, with socio-economic projections to investigate future climate changes and the accompanying impacts. The researchers specifically examined extreme precipitation events in the global monsoon region, which sprawls north and south from the Earth's equator and includes nearly two-thirds of the world population. This region is more impacted by extreme precipitation than any other land mass on Earth.

The scientists found that by reducing the global warming limit by 0.5°C, a significant number of extreme precipitation events and their impacts could be avoided.

"Realizing the 1.5°C low warming target proposed by the Paris Agreement could robustly benefit the populous global monsoon region, in terms of lower exposure to precipitation extremes," Zhou said, referring to the severe floods, landslides and debris flows that can result from excessive rain. "[Our results] are robust across climate models, different definitions of dangerous events, future greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, and population scenarios."

The researchers will continue to study the physical processes of how 0.5°C less warming affects dangerous precipitation extremes. They're also calling others to attention and action in regions that are the most sensitive to the 0.5°C additional warming.

"Among the global land monsoon regions, the most affected sub-regions, the South African and South Asian monsoon regions, are already among the most vulnerable to adverse impacts of climate change," Zhou said. "Our results call attention to more effective adaption activities in these sensitivity regions."

Study includes 133 double-blind randomised controlled trials with data from more than 14,000 children and adolescents and 10,000 adults.

The authors say that environment modifications and non-pharmacological interventions should be considered first, but drugs can play an important role in treating ADHD. The study provides information for clinicians on the relative effectiveness and safety of various ADHD drugs.

Of the drugs available for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most effective and safe for short-term treatment is methylphenidate for children, and amphetamines for adults, according to the most comprehensive evidence yet from a network meta-analysis and systematic review comparing the effectiveness and safety of seven ADHD drugs against placebo, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.

The study compared the effectiveness and side effects of amphetamines (including lisdexamfetamine), atomoxetine, bupropion, clonidine, guanfacine, methylphenidate, and modafinil with each other or with placebo over 12 weeks of treatment. However, more research to confirm longer term effects of ADHD medications is urgently needed.

Although they are commonly prescribed for people with ADHD, the study did not include antipsychotic drugs or antidepressants as they do not treat ADHD core symptoms. The study also does not include psychological therapies used for ADHD, but the authors say that these should be regularly discussed with people with ADHD and their family members or carers, and possibly offered before ADHD medications, if appropriate, especially for children and adolescents.

"Medication can be an important tool for people with ADHD, and our study illustrates that in the short term, these can be effective and safe treatment options for children, adolescents and adults," says Dr Andrea Cipriani, University of Oxford, UK. "It's important to note that the data available only allow us to compare the effectiveness at 12 weeks, when we know that both children and adults can be on these medications for longer. More research is needed into the long-term effects of medication. Environmental modifications - such as changes made to minimise the impact of ADHD in day-to-day living - and non-pharmacological therapies should be considered first in ADHD treatment, but for people who require drug treatments, our study finds that methylphenidate should be the first drug offered for children and adolescents, and amphetamines should be the first drug offered for adults." [1]

ADHD is estimated to affect 5% of school-age children and 2.5% of adults worldwide. The disorder is characterised by age-inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity, or all of these. The annual costs associated with ADHD are substantial in many countries, including US$143-266 billion in the USA.

ADHD medications are not a permanent cure for ADHD but may help patients concentrate better, be less impulsive, feel calmer, and learn and practice new skills. Treatment breaks are occasionally recommended to assess whether the medication is still needed, but the treatment for ADHD can be taken for periods longer than 12 weeks.

Over the past few decades, prescriptions for drugs for ADHD have increased in the USA and other countries, but treatment guidelines are inconsistent as there are a few head-to-head comparisons of ADHD drugs available.

Currently, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends methylphenidate as first-line drug treatment in children and adolescents (with lisdexamfetamine as the second option, and atomoxetine or guanfacine recommended as third-line drugs), and recommend methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine as first choices in adults. Other guidelines in Europe recommend psychostimulants as first-line treatment without any distinction between methylphenidate and amphetamines being made.

This study compared the available drugs based on how effectively they reduce ADHD symptoms and improve general functioning over 12 weeks of treatment. It also studied the drugs' side effects (including blood pressure and weight loss), and acceptability was assessed according to how many people dropped out of trials for any reason.

Of the 133 randomised clinical trials included, 81 were in children and adolescents, 51 were in adults and one trial was in both. Of these, 89 randomised controlled trials included unpublished data or were completely unpublished. Drug effectiveness was reviewed in 10068 children and adolescents and in 8131 adults, while side effects were evaluated in 11018 children and adolescents and 5362 adults.

Symptom rating came from teachers and clinicians for children, and for adults these were given by clinicians.

Based on clinician ratings in children and adolescents, all drugs were more effective than placebo in controlling ADHD symptoms. But teachers only rated methylphenidate and modafinil as more effective than placebo (there was no data for teacher ratings of amphetamines and clonidine).

In adults, there was no data for guanfacine and clonidine. Clinicians rated all other drugs, except modafinil, as more effective than placebo in controlling ADHD symptoms.

Comparing all seven drugs, amphetamines were more effective than modafinil, atomoxetine and methylphenidate in children, adolescents, and adults.

Generally, ADHD drugs were less effective and less tolerable for adults than children and adolescents, and the cause of this is unknown.

Amphetamines, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and modafinil caused weight loss in children, adolescents and adults. Amphetamines and atomoxetine increased blood pressure in children and adolescents blood, and methylphenidate did so in adults.

In children and adolescents, methylphenidate was the only drug with better acceptability than placebo, and in adults, only amphetamines had better acceptability than placebo.

Taking all of the outcomes into account, the authors conclude that methylphenidate should be the first option drug for children and adolescents with ADHD. In adults, they conclude that amphetamines should be the first drug to be offered.

However, there was not enough evidence available to confirm whether lisdexamfetamine - which is currently recommended by NICE for adults with ADHD - was more effective and tolerable for adults with ADHD than other amphetamines available. In addition, although NICE recommends atomoxetine and guanfacine as third-line drugs in children, the study found these to be as tolerable or less tolerable than placebo.

"Our findings will hopefully help people with ADHD in the USA find the best treatment for them by clarifying which drugs should be first, second and third line treatments. With an increasing number of people being diagnosed with ADHD and given a drug prescription in the USA, our study provides a starting point for medication, and hopefully helps patients more quickly find a drug that works for them." says Dr Cipriani. [1]

The authors note some limitations, including that, despite efforts to include all available trials and unpublished data, they cannot rule out missing studies. They had also planned to study the drugs over the long-term (26 and 52 weeks), but were unable to do so as there was little data available.

Dr Cipriani continues: "The lack of randomised controlled trials with outcomes beyond 12 weeks highlights the need for research funding to assess the long-term effects of these drugs. However, the evidence we have about methylphenidate and amphetamines from our study is robust, and should help inform clinical decisions." [1]

Writing in a linked Comment, Mark Stein, Seattle Children's Hospital, USA, says: "As diagnostic rates of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increase worldwide, the most common questions asked by patients are whether to start a medication, which one, and for how long... By including studies published up to April, 2017, and previously unpublished information, Cortese and colleagues' results clarify inconsistencies in earlier reviews and meta-analyses, some of which have generated much controversy... Regarding the three common questions patients ask, the extant literature meant that the network meta-analysis could derive only part answers, including general support for short-term medication use, basic guidelines about first-line medications based on age, and little to no data for duration of treatment. These results--and particularly limitations of the data obtained--call for future research that translates directly to clinical practice."

The sale of semi-automatic magazine-fed rifles, their booster accessories, and high volume ammunition, should be strictly regulated, to halt the "senseless" firearms violence that plagues the United States, say trauma surgeons in their manifesto for curbing gun injury, published online in the journal Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open.

The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Board of Managers recognises that firearm ownership is a constitutionally protected right in the US, but insists that steps must be taken by the federal government and professional bodies to protect the nation from the physical and psychological harms associated with firearm violence.

Trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans up to the age of 45. Gun injuries account for more than 38,000 deaths and at least 85,000 non-fatal injuries every year in the US, affecting "countless families and communities," says the AAST executive.

"As trauma surgeons, we see and abhor this pain and suffering on a daily basis," it says.

"The root of the problem is a complex interaction of firearm access, behavioral health, and a culture tolerant of aggression," all of which adds up to "an unacceptable public health problem."

Research, innovation, technology and cooperation are needed to systematically tackle this crisis in much the same way that these approaches have successfully driven down car crash deaths by 27 percent over the past 20 years, it says.

To that end, the AAST has produced a manifesto containing 14 recommendations for all branches of government and professional organizations to adopt "in an attempt to stem the tide of deaths from firearm violence and support safe firearm ownership."

These include:

Strengthening the criminal record checks system

Applying these checks to all firearm sales

Standardising the waiting period between gun purchase and delivery

Promoting responsible firearm ownership with safety training

Strict regulation of the sale of semi automatics, booster accessories, such as trigger activators, and high volume ammunition

Reporting all firearm sales to the appropriate agency

Obliging gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons to the police

Removing firearms from those accused of domestic violence and those threatening violence until such time as their cases have been heard/issues resolved

"We think it is imperative that we work together to make our population safe from injury due to firearm violence. These actions, while not definitive, are a start towards a safer, stronger, and more united America," says the AAST.

Researchers from ITMO University developed and tested an MRI coil providing high-resolution imaging of the whole body of a mouse. Such coils are used in preclinical testing, as well as in imaging of various body systems. The new coil produces images with three times higher resolution than standard commercial volume MRI coils. Scientist used inexpensive materials and manufacturing technology that may be adjusted for various research projects. The research was published in NMR in Biomedicine as the cover story.

Whole-body MRI is used in diagnostics and for preclinical studies of drug response assessment. Preclinical studies are typically conducted on animals, for example, on mice. Despite the small size, obtaining a high-quality image of the whole mouse is not as easy as it seems. The problem is that usually to get images of the whole body, one has to either combine the images from several small receiving coils, or use big standard coil for both emitting and receiving. In the first case, the imaging procedure becomes complicated, while in the second one, the image quality deteriorates so that it becomes difficult to distinguish important details.

To solve this problem, scientists from ITMO University have developed a new type of an MRI coil. New coil design features make it possible to get high-quality image of the whole mouse easily. First of all, the coil size is specially adapted for scanning a mouse, which helps to avoid extra noize. Scientists managed to reduce the coil size by using a metastructure with a distributed capacity. At the same time, the alternating magnetic field intensity of the new coil is much higher than the one of standard coils. This provides a higher sensitivity of the coil in the entire field of view and improves the image quality.

"Standard coils are tuned to a particular frequency using non-magnetic capacitors. They introduce internal losses, reducing the signal-to-noise ratio. This is one of the main parameters used to determine the image quality in MRI. Since our coil is self-resonant, we do not need any capacitors. We can tune the coil by changing the geometric parameters. Also, new design allows us to optimize how the coil works, increase its sensitivity and image quality. Besides, the cost of raw materials is low, and the manufacturing technology allows us to adapt the method for various projects," says Anna Khurshkainen, a graduate student at ITMO University, member of the Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Metamaterials.

According to the scientists, the work began with a numerical modeling. This helped to optimize the geometry of the future coil and choose the materials. After that, the researchers made a prototype coil and conducted experiments. "We measured the signal-to-noise ratio in different parts of the image at different distances between the object and the coil. The obtained results were compared with mathematical simulation and experimental parameters of standard volume coils. It turned out that there is an optimal distance between the image and the coil, at which our coil provides the image quality three times higher than the standard one," adds Mikhail Zubkov, a researcher at the Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Metamaterials at ITMO University.

Currently, scientists plan to continue working on a variety of coils for various preclinical studies.

Amsterdam, August 7, 2018

Two new studies, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, offer the first comprehensive analytical datasets of Protodynastic to Old Kingdom Egyptian copper-based artifacts (c. 3rd millennium BC), analyzing the provenance of Egyptian copper. As elaborated in a methodological comment, the studies constitute an important step forward in current knowledge on copper provenance and the subsequent economic, social and cultural insights into ancient Egypt.

Advancements in scientific analyses have allowed archaeologists to reconstruct the prehistoric trade of metals around the Mediterranean in remarkable detail. However, there was a notable gap in Egypt, one of the most important ancient civilizations, due to the difficulties in accessing Egyptian metal artifacts for analysis. Two teams of researchers have overcome this challenge by using collections of Egyptian objects held in Europe, providing the first glimpse of how Egyptians sourced their metals, encouraging further research in the field.

The first study by Frederik W. Rademakers, Georges Verly, Luc Delvaux and Patrick Degryse, based on artifacts from the Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH) in Brussels, suggests predominant reliance on relatively local ore, from the Eastern Desert and Sinai Peninsula. The study carried out lead isotope and chemical analyses on a total of 40 metal samples and seven ore samples dating from the Predynastic, Protodynastic and Old Kingdom Periods. The results suggest signi?cant developments in smelting technology that may have been adapted to di?erent ore types.

“These findings are based on a very particular segment of the ancient Egyptian metal economy (namely funerary consumption) and thus only reveal the tip of the iceberg,” said Frederik W. Rademakers, PhD, Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven in Belgium. “The underlying organization of early supply networks, clearly reliant on a variety of mining and production zones, and the development of copper production technology are only slowly revealed through ongoing research.”

Archaeometallurgist Georges Verly, Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, added, “We integrated field excavation with technology and provenance studies of these museum artifacts. We aim to understand how these objects were made and used within their particular ancient contexts, with arsenical copper alloys being a specific point of interest for these earliest periods.”

The second study from four Czech institutions, led by PhD candidates Jiří Kmošek (University of Pardubice) and Martin Odler (Charles University, Prague), investigates Egyptian copper-based artifacts from the Egyptian Museum of Leipzig University in Germany, found at the sites of Abusir, Abydos and Giza. The 22 artifacts show similar production technology, but diverse origins of the metal, including an Early Dynastic Egyptian object from Abusir, high nickel metal in which is consistent with ores and artifacts from Early Bronze Age Anatolia, in present-day Turkey.

“Lead isotopes showed us where the ore was most probably coming from,” said archaeometallurgist Jiří Kmošek. “The results were quite unexpected,” added Egyptologist Martin Odler. The study confirms that special metals had circulated around the Ancient Near East earlier than previously thought.

Finally, in a methodological comment responding to the two studies, Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef, PhD, based at the J. M. Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, Tel Aviv University, Israel, indicates that despite the similar context of the artifacts, all from funerary sites, these new studies exemplify the great potential of analytical data to shed new light on various topics related to ancient Egyptian society, and encourage future research. The commentary highlights the importance of maintaining curated, shared, and constantly updated databases to the progress of provenance research.

“These studies constitute important steps forward in our understanding of early Egyptian metallurgy and raw materials procurement strategies. These and future studies can benefit from a modular presentation of interpretational insights that takes into account differences in the insights’ robustness and susceptibility to change as more data become available,” Prof. Ben-Yosef concluded.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Osteoporosis, decreased physical activity and weight gain are serious health concerns for postmenopausal women. Researchers from the University of Missouri now have discovered through a new animal study that soy protein found in food might counter the negative effects of menopause on bone and metabolic health. Moreover, the researchers believe that soy protein might also have positive impacts on bone strength for women who have not yet reached menopause.

"The findings suggest that all women might see improved bone strength by adding some soy-based whole foods, such as tofu and soy milk, to their diet," said Pamela Hinton, professor of nutrition and exercise physiology. "We also believe that soy-based diets can improve metabolic function for postmenopausal women."

Hinton and Victoria Vieira-Potter, co-author and associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology, studied the effects of soy versus corn-based diets on rats selectively bred to have low fitness levels. Rats were again divided between those with and without ovaries to mimic effects of menopause. Prior research has found that these rats are good models for menopausal women. They compared the impact of the soy diet on bone strength and metabolic function to rats fed a corn-based, soy-free diet.

"Prior research has shown that these rats are good models, as average American women are relatively inactive both before, and especially after, menopause," Vieira-Potter said. "As such, understanding how dietary protein sources, such as soy, can impact metabolism and bone health in these rats can help us better understand how such diets might impact women's health across the lifespan."

The researchers found that the tibia bones of the rats that were fed soy were stronger compared to the rats who were fed the corn-based diet, regardless of ovarian hormone status. Moreover, they found that the soy-based diet also improved metabolic function of the rats both with and without ovaries.

"Bottom line, this study showed that women might improve bone strength by adding some soy-based whole foods to their diet," Hinton said. "Our findings suggest that women don't even need to eat as much soy as is found in typical Asian diets, but adding some tofu or other soy, for example foods found in vegetarian diets, could help strengthen bones."

Protected riverbank habitats within areas of oil palm cultivation can play a key role in reducing the negative impacts on tropical bird numbers but need to be increased in size, new research from the University of Kent has shown.

Converting rainforests to oil palm plantations has well documented impacts on tropical wildlife, including birds. But so far there has been little research on the value natural vegetation in river areas in plantations has for nature, although these are often preserved for water management as 'riparian reserves'.

However, a new study, led by the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology in the School of Anthropology and Conservation at the University of Kent, in partnership with Universiti Malaysia Sabah, demonstrates that riparian areas can help to lessen the negative impacts of oil palm cultivation on bird communities.

The team counted birds across 28 rivers at a site in Malaysia and were able to examine their findings in relation to the width of the protected forest alongside the rivers. The study showed that large riparian reserves tend to support more bird species, with the largest ones hosting similar number as nearby forests.

Overall, the researchers found that a single river site might support around a third of all the bird species found in adjacent forests.

Furthermore, the authors were able to show that the best rivers for protecting bird populations in oil palm areas had more than 40m of forest vegetation protected on each bank, which helped provide shelter and resources for the birds. However, to ensure all the forest-dependent bird species were represented, the width of this protected riparian area would need to be at least 100m on each bank.

Lead author Simon Mitchell said the findings underlined the potential to protect some bird species within landscapes affected by palm oil cultivation

'We show that even small increases to the width could lead to big improvements for birds. This could be really important if we are to find better ways of maintaining biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.'

The researchers hope their findings will lead to oil palm companies increasing the width of riparian reserves protected in new plantations, or restoring more vegetation in old ones. Stricter environmental policies in tropical producer countries could also help improve the protection of riparian reserves.

Hurricane Hector was impressive in night-time and infrared imagery taken from NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite when it strengthened into a major hurricane. Hector recently crossed from the Eastern Pacific into the Central Pacific Ocean and strengthened into a Category 4 Hurricane.

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided forecasters with a night-time and infrared look at Hurricane Hector's clouds on Aug. 4 at 0300 UTC (Aug. 3 at 11 p.m. EDT) when Hurricane Hector became a major Category 3 hurricane. Hurricane Hector has maintained its strength with sustained winds of 120 mph and an estimated central pressure of 962 millibars.

William Straka III of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), Madison, made the images. Straka said, "Suomi NPP had an almost nadir overpass of Hector, which meant that one could see the features of the storm fairly well. Not surprisingly for a major storm, there was a well-defined eye that could be seen, along with the associated tropospheric gravity waves due to the intense convection in the I05, 11um channel. The last quarter moon (53% illumination) also provided enough moonlight to see convection in the feeder bands along with the cirrus blow off and the well-defined eye from the storm. If one zooms in to the eye, as seen in the images attached, one can clearly see that it is very well defined, with open ocean being seen."

At 5 a.m. EDT 11 p.m. (0900 UTC/or 11 p.m. HST time on Aug. 5), the center of Hurricane Hector was located near latitude 14.9 North, longitude 140.6 West. That's about 1,010 miles (1,625 km) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.

Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph (220 kph) with higher gusts. Hector is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are expected tonight and Monday, followed by gradual weakening Monday night through Wednesday, Aug. 8. The estimated minimum central pressure is 947 millibars.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) said that Hector is moving toward the west near 15 mph (24 kph) and a motion toward the west-northwest at an increased forward speed is expected through Tuesday, followed by a westward motion Tuesday night through Friday, Aug. 10.

Tropical Storm John formed quickly off the coast of southwestern Mexico around the same time as Ileana, which is just east of John. Infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite provided forecasters with temperature data that showed the cloud top temperatures in John had cooled indicating the storm was strengthening.

John formed as a tropical depression on Sunday, Aug. 5 about 320 miles (515 km) south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

On Aug. 6 at 4:40 a.m. EDT (0840 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite analyzed Tropical Storm John's cloud top temperatures in infrared light. MODIS found cloud top temperatures of strongest thunderstorms were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius) around the center. Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms that have the capability to create heavy rain.

National Hurricane Center (NHC) Forecaster Blake noted on Aug. 6 at 5 a.m. EDT that "The convective pattern of John has become significantly better organized during the past several hours, with a large central dense overcast forming and cloud top temperatures to minus 85 degrees Celsius."

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on Aug. 6, the center of Tropical Storm John was located near latitude 15.1 North, longitude 107.3 West. John is located about 335 miles (540 km) southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

Because John is close enough to the coast, it is expected to produce dangerous ocean conditions there. Swells generated by John are expected to begin affecting the coast of southwestern Mexico during the next day or so. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said John is moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph (13 km/h) and a faster northwestward motion is forecast for the next few days. John's estimated minimum central pressure is 999 millibars.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph (95 kph) with higher gusts. John is forecast to become a hurricane later today and a major hurricane on Tuesday.

For updated forecasts on John, visit the NHC website: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Tropical Storm Ileana formed quickly close to the coast of southwestern Mexico around the same time as John, which is just located west of Ileana. Infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite provided forecasters with temperature data that showed the storm was strengthening as cloud top temperatures in Ileana had cooled.

Ileana formed as a tropical depression on Saturday, Aug. 4, south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec and about 250 miles (400 km) south-southeast of Puerto Angel, Mexico.

On Aug. 6 at 4:40 a.m. EDT (0840 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite analyzed Tropical Storm Ileana's cloud top temperatures in infrared light. MODIS found cloud top temperatures of strongest thunderstorms were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius) around the center. Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms that have the capability to create heavy rain.

The National Hurricane Center cited that infrared temperature data in their 5 a.m. EDT discussion, "A strong burst of deep convection consisting of some cloud top temperatures of minus 85 to minus 90 degrees Celsius near the center has developed during the past several hours."

Because Ileana is so close to the coast and is expected to track north along the coast, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued watches and warnings. A Hurricane Watch is in effect from Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula, Mexico. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Tecpan de Galeana to Cabo Corrientes, Mexico and a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Los Barilles to Todo Santos, Mexico.

At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Ileana was located near latitude 15.7 degrees north and longitude 101.2 degrees west.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Ileana is moving toward the northwest near 17 mph (28 km/h) and this general motion is expected to continue into Wednesday. On the forecast track, Ileana's center is forecast to move parallel to and just offshore of the coast of southwestern Mexico through Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 kph) with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected during the next day or so, and Ileana is forecast to become a hurricane by Tuesday morning, Aug. 7.

NHC's forecast indicated that Ileana is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches over coastal sections of the Mexican states of Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches through Tuesday night. These rains may cause flash flooding. In addition to the winds, swells generated by Ileana will be affecting portions of the coast of southwestern Mexico during the next couple of days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

NHC noted that nearby Tropical Storm John is going to have an adverse effect on Ileana. NHC said "Gradual weakening is expected to begin Tuesday night, and Ileana is forecast to dissipate by Wednesday afternoon or evening due to its proximity to the much larger Tropical Storm or Hurricane John located to its southwest."

For updated forecasts on Ileana, visit the NHC website: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Bottom Line: Postmenopausal bleeding is a common symptom among most women with endometrial cancer but most women with postmenopausal bleeding won't be diagnosed with endometrial cancer, findings that raise questions about how to best manage postmenopausal bleeding for the early detection of endometrial cancer.

Why The Research Is Interesting: Endometrial cancer diagnosed early is often curable with surgery but five-year survival rates plummet for late-stage disease. Accurate estimates of the frequency of postmenopausal bleeding in endometrial cancers and the risk of endometrial cancer in women with postmenopausal bleeding are needed to evaluate whether targeting women with postmenopausal bleeding for early detection is a useful strategy.

Who and When: Nearly 41,000 from 129 studies (34,000 women with postmenopausal bleeding and more than 6,000 women with endometrial cancer)

What (Measures and Outcomes): Pooled frequency of postmenopausal bleeding in women with endometrial cancer and the risk of endometrial cancer in women with postmenopausal bleeding

How (Study Design): This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. A meta-analysis combines the results of multiple studies identified in a systematic review and quantitatively summarizes the overall association between the same exposure and outcomes measured across all studies.

Authors: Megan A. Clarke, Ph.D., M.H.S., of the National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, and coauthors

Results: The pooled frequency of postmenopausal bleeding among women with endometrial cancer was 91 percent, while the pooled risk of endometrial cancer among women with postmenopausal bleeding was 9 percent.

Study Limitations: Some data were inconsistently reported and other available data were insufficient.

Related Material: The invited commentary, "Opportunities for Early Detection of Endometrial Cancer in Women with Postmenopausal Bleeding," by Kristen A. Matteson, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, and coauthors is available on the For The Media website.

To Learn More: The full study is available on the For The Media website.

(doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.2820)

Editor's Note: The article contains funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.