The following highlights are the top ten most viewed research highlights on the English website of natureasia.com during the past month.
24 July 2017 ～ 23 August 2017
Nature, July 21, 2017
Broadly neutralizing antibodies that can inhibit multiple strains of HIV can be generated rapidly in cows after repeated immunization with a protein that mimics the HIV envelope, reports a study published online in Nature this week. The findings may inform HIV vaccine design, although it remains uncertain whether the same approach could elicit a similar response in humans.
Broadly ne...
Original article doi: 10.1038/nature23301
Nature, August 3, 2017
Anthrax is responsible for the death of a wide range of mammalian species in a tropical rainforest according to a study published in Nature this week. Demographic models suggest that anthrax may accelerate the decline of chimpanzee populations in Tai National Park, Ivory Coast, and could result in their extinction from the park.
Anthrax is most commonly associated with arid ecosystems...
Original article doi: 10.1038/nature23309
Scientific Reports, July 28, 2017
A diet high in sugar found in sweet foods and beverages may be associated with an increased likelihood of common mental disorders (such as anxiety and depression) in men according to a study in Scientific Reports. The authors note that their findings should be replicated in other groups.
Higher levels of sugar consumption have been linked to a higher prevalence of depression in sever...
Original article doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05649-7
Nature, July 27, 2017
The transplantation or loss of healthy hypothalamic stem cells may slow down or accelerate ageing, respectively, suggests a study in mid-aged mice published online in Nature this week. Although it is known that the nervous system has a role in ageing, and recent research has demonstrated that the hypothalamus is particularly important, the exact process, which leads to the physical signs of age...
Original article doi: 10.1038/nature23282
Scientific Reports, July 28, 2017
A newly discovered species of dinosaur with a crest on its skull, similar to the casque found on the head of cassowaries - a flightless bird found in Queensland, Australia, is described in a study published in Scientific Reports. Based on the morphological similarities of the crest in both species, the authors suggest that cassowaries may provide clues to the functional role the casque played.<...
Original article doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05016-6
Nature Communications, August 2, 2017
Zika virus can enter and infect the body through the mouth, shows a non-human primate study published in Nature Communications this week, which indicates that contact transmission of Zika virus can occur via the oral route. However, the study also shows that saliva of infected animals is not sufficient to transmit the virus to naive animals, suggesting that contact transmission occurs through o...
Original article doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00246-8
Nature Communications, July 26, 2017
A gene therapy approach for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy that reduces symptoms in canine models of the disease is reported in Nature Communications this week. The research demonstrates that this approach is safe and effective in reducing muscle symptoms in this disorder.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an inherited disease that mainly affects boys and is caused by defects in a ...
Original article doi: 10.1038/ncomms16105
Nature, August 3, 2017
Ancient genomic data from 19 European and Anatolian individuals, including Mycenaeans from mainland Greece and Minoans from Crete, are reported online in Nature this week. The findings provide new clues into the origins of these two prominent archaeological cultures that emerged in the Aegean during the Bronze Age and which were first known through ancient poetic and historical traditions, begi...
Original article doi: 10.1038/nature23310
Nature, August 3, 2017
Artificial light at night may be a threat to pollination, according to a study published online in Nature this week. The authors suggest that the negative effects of artificial light at night on nocturnal pollination could spread to daytime pollinator communities.
Artificial light at night is spreading globally at an estimated rate of 6% per year and has been shown to affect the physi...
Original article doi: 10.1038/nature23288
Nature Communications, July 26, 2017
Warming of 3 degrees C, relative to pre-industrial conditions, reached by mid-century could compromise efforts to reduce ozone pollution in Europe, suggests a modelling study published in Nature Communications this week.
Ozone pollution remains an important environmental problem in Europe, but implementation of current air quality legislation is expected to result in considerable red...
Original article doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00075-9
