Researchers have placed 2.4 million dopamine precursor cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells into the brain of a patient with Parkinson's disease, the first of seven people to undergo the experimental treatment. "The patient is doing well, and there have been no major adverse reactions so far," said researcher Jun Takahashi of Kyoto University in Japan, where the precursor cells were developed.

A liposome-based malaria vaccine is being developed that could prevent transmission of the disease by mosquitoes after they bite an infected person who has been inoculated, according to researchers Wei-Chiao Huang and Jonathan Lovell. "[W]e expect that when an uninfected mosquito bites a person infected with the malaria parasite, the blood it sucks up will carry the parasite and the human antibodies that will prevent the parasite from multiplying in the insect's gut," they write.

Footprints found in the Grand Canyon belonged to a tiny reptile that lived around 315 million years ago, according to findings presented at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology's annual meeting. The creature moved with an unusual sideways gait, making the tracks look as if two reptiles had been walking next to each other.

The city of Tenea, whose residents may have once been Trojan War prisoners, has been unearthed in Greece. Archaeologists found buildings, artifacts and portions of a cemetery dating back to between 300 B.C. and A.D. 400, according to the Greek Ministry of Culture.

A new examination of data collected by a defunct European Space Agency satellite has revealed lost continents underneath the ice in Antarctica. "In East Antarctica, we see an exciting mosaic of geological features that reveal fundamental similarities and differences between the crust beneath Antarctica and other continents it was joined to until 160 million years ago," said Fausto Ferraccioli, co-author of the study published in Scientific Reports.

Turkish researchers are developing a lightweight, bionic prosthetic hand that uses electromyography to control its movements. The prosthesis, which extends to the elbow, weighs about the same as a human arm and is battery operated.

A nonuniform pattern on ultrasound images of cystic fibrosis patients' livers indicates higher scarring risk, according to a study presented at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference. The findings suggest ultrasound screening could predict cirrhosis in CF patients, and researchers are developing predictive models.

The University of Lincoln in the UK has been awarded a $621,489 grant from the Department of Health and Social Care to further develop an antibiotic that could be used to treat drug-resistant bacteria. Researchers will use the funds to create synthetic forms of teixobactin, a natural antibiotic shown to be effective against such pathogens.

Active members of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society may vote from 8 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on October 29 to 11:59 p.m. ET on November 27 to elect their peers to leadership roles in an online election. An email from elections@vote-now.com sent on October 29 to these members contains voting instructions.

The November-December issue of American Scientist features articles on cougars making a comeback, saving Internet infrastructure from rising seas, collecting evolution, representing our oceans in aquariums, particle physics' future, and much more! Sigma Xi members should look for their digital or print editions (additional content is exclusively available on the americanscientist.org website). Nonmembers can find the magazine on newsstands or order a copy for $5.95 plus shipping fees by calling 1-800-282-0444 and selecting option 4.