Science Daily

1. 3-D Printed skin to replace animal testing

   A research team is developing a 3D-printed skin imitation equipped with living cells in order to test nanoparticles from cosmetics without animal testing.

2. Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

   The scent of blooming flowers and fresh plant life is not just a perk of springtime; it is a key driver in the survival and evolution of butterflies and moths. New research reveals how the daily cycles of plant aromas are linked to the dietary habits and evolution of the winged insects collectively known as Lepidoptera.

3. Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

   Drug-carrying DNA aptamers can deliver a one-two punch to leukemia by precisely targeting the elusive cancer stem cells that seed cancer relapses, researchers report. The aptamers -- short single-strand snippets of DNA that can target molecules like larger antibodies do -- not only deliver cancer-fighting drugs, but also are themselves toxic to the cancer stem cells, the researchers said.

4. Physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

   Physicists have made a novel discovery regarding the interaction of electronic excitations via spin waves. The finding could open the door to future technologies and advanced applications such as optical modulators, all-optical logic gates, and quantum transducers.

5. Climate change and prehistoric human populations: Eastward shift of settlement areas at the end of the last ice age

   An archaeological study of human settlement during the Final Palaeolithic revealed that populations in Europe did not decrease homogenously during the last cold phase of the Ice Age. Significant variation in regional population sizes indicate differentiated reactions nested in an overall shift of settlement areas towards the east.