The 44 confirmed planets and their approximate size class, orbits and surface temperatures. Credit: John Livingston Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-08-largest-haul-extrasolar-planets-japan.html#jCp

Confirmation of exoplanets and planetary systems may shed light on our place in the cosmos. Forty-four planets in solar systems beyond our own have been unveiled in one go, dwarfing the usual number of confirmations from extrasolar surveys, which is typically a dozen or less. The findings will improve our models of solar systems and may help researchers investigate exoplanet atmospheres. Novel techniques developed to validate the find could hugely accelerate the confirmation of more extrasolar planet candidates.

An international team of astronomers pooled data from U.S...

The LeuT-fold neurotransmitter:sodium symporter MhsT has two substrate sites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018; 201717444 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717444115

Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) have found new evidence of how certain transport proteins are working at the molecular level, paving the way for new, improved drugs to treat psychiatric disorders. The study’s findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSS) regulate signals between nerve cells, and are the molecular target of antidepressants (SSRIs like Prozac) and of various psychostimulants...

Soy protein improves tibial whole-bone and tissue-level biomechanical properties in ovariectomized and ovary-intact, low-fit female rats. Bone Reports, 2018; 8: 244 DOI: 10.1016/j.bonr.2018.05.002

Researchers 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.

Osteoporosis, decreased physical activity and weight gain are serious health concerns for postmenopausal women...

A smart wristband with a wireless connection to smartphones.
Credit: Abbas Furniturewalla

Engineers invent biosensor technology for wearable devices. Rutgers University-New Brunswick engineers have created a smart wristband with a wireless connection to smartphones that will enable a new wave of personal health and environmental monitoring devices. Their technology, which could be added to watches and other wearable devices that monitor heart rates and physical activity, is detailed in a study published online in Microsystems & Nanoengineering...