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Ever wonder how your favorite furry feline got its stripes? A new study of domestic cats has revealed which genes give felines their distinctive fur patterns and hints that the same genetics may grant wild cats, such as tigers and cheetahs, their characteristic coats. How cats get their stripes is a decades-old mystery in the life sciences, senior author Dr. Gregory Barsh, a geneticist at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama, told Live Science in an email. About 70 years ago, scientists began developing theories as to why and how organisms come to bear periodic patterns, like the stripes on a zebra or the squidgy segments of a caterpillar's body. In some animals, like the zebrafish, these patterns emerge due to the arrangement of different types of cells. "But in mammals, the skin and hair cells are exactly the same across the entire body, and the color pattern comes about because of differences in genetic activity between, say, cells underlying a dark stripe and cells underlying a light stripe," Barsh said. So the question of how cats get their stripes comes down to how and when various genes switch on in their cells and how those genes influence the animals' development. In short, it's complicated. But now, in a new study, published Tuesday (Sept. 7) in the journal Nature Communications, Barsh and his colleagues identified several genes that work together to give cats their coat patterns. One gene, called Transmembrane aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep), they'd identified previously, in a study published in 2012 in the journal Science. Cats that carry one version of the Taqpep gene end up decked out in dark, narrow stripes, while those with a mutant version of the gene bear "large whorls" of dark fur; the "whorl" version of the gene is most common in feral cats. To investigate what additional genes might shape the diverse markings on cats' coats, the team began collecting discarded tissue from clinics that spay feral cats; some of the resected cat uteruses contained non-viable embryos, which the researchers examined in the lab. They noticed that, at about 28 to 30 days old, cat embryos develop regions of "thick" and "thin" skin; at later stages of development, the thick and thin skin gives rise to hair follicles that produce different types of melanin — eumelanin for dark fur, and pheomelanin for light fur. Remarkably, "the developmental mechanism responsible for color pattern takes place early in development, before hair follicles are formed and within cells that do not actually make any pigment but instead contribute to hair follicle structure," Barsh said. Spotting this pattern, the team examined which genes were active leading up to the development of the thick skin, to see if specific genes directed the patterns' formation. The team found that, in 20-day-old embryos, several genes involved in cell growth and development suddenly switch on in the skin later destined to thicken and give rise to dark-fur-producing follicles. These genes are known to be involved in a "Wnt signaling pathway," a molecular chain reaction that drives cells to grow and develop into specific cell types, and one gene in particular, called Dkk4, stood out as particularly active. Related: 20 weird dog and cat behaviors explained by science Dkk4 codes for a protein that turns down Wnt signalling, and when it comes to cat fur, the tug-of-war between Dkk4 and Wnt seems to dictate whether a patch of fur ends up dark or light, the authors found. In the dark patches, Dkk4 and Wnt balance each other out, but in the light patches, Dkk4 beats out the Wnt. This finding supports a theory that computing pioneer Alan Turing developed in the 1950s, Science magazine reported. Turing proposed that animals' periodic patterns, like stripes, crop up when an "activator" molecule boosts the production of an "inhibitor" molecule, and these two molecules mingle in the same tissue; in this case, Wnt would be the activator and Dkk4 the inhibitor. Following Turing's hypothesis, Barsh's team thinks that Dkk4 spreads through tissue more quickly than the Wnt signalling travels, and that this uneven distribution generates periodic patches of light and dark in cats. What's more, a cat's Taqpep genotype — meaning whether it carries the "stripe" or "whorl" version of the gene — also dictates where the Dkk4 gene can be activated, Barsh said. "But we don't know exactly how that happens," he added. Taqpep codes for a protease, an enzyme that breaks down other proteins, but for now, the team doesn't know whether this enzyme affects Dkk4 activity directly or indirectly. As a follow-up to the embryo analyses, the team examined cat genome sequences from a database called the 99 Lives collection. They found that Abyssinian and Singapura breeds, which bear no stripes or spots and instead have a uniform appearance, carry mutant versions of Dkk4 that disable the gene. In future work, the team wants to see whether similar mutations crop up in wild cats. Previous studies suggested that for cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), at least, a cat's Taqpep genotype affects the appearance of its spots, and the same might go for Dkk4, the authors noted. Then there's the serval (Felis serval), an African wild cat that usually sports bold, black spots but occasionally grows a coat of tiny, tightly packed specks instead. Could a Dkk4 mutation explain this variation? "Our observations to date are only on domestic cats," Barsh said. "It is quite likely that the molecules and mechanisms studied in domestic cats apply to all of the more than 30 species of wild cats, but we will need to carry out additional studies of wild cat DNA to know that for sure."

https://www.bbc.com/news Chinese President Xi Jinping has spoken with his US counterpart Joe Biden for the first time in seven months. A White House Statement said both leaders had "discussed the responsibility of both nations to ensure competition does not veer into conflict". This is only the second call between them since President Biden took office. US- China relations have been tense, with clashes over issues like trade, espionage and the pandemic. "The two leaders had a broad, strategic discussion in which they discussed areas where our interests converge, and areas where our interests, values, and perspectives diverge," the White House Statement added. "This discussion, as President Biden made clear, was part of the United States' ongoing effort to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC." Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the phone call was "candid [and] in-depth", adding that it had covered "extensive strategic communication and... issues of mutual concern". "Whether China and the US can properly handle their relations... is critical for the future and destiny of the world," said Mr Xi, according to the CCTV report. A senior White House official said the call came at the request of President Biden, who had become "exasperated" by the unwillingness of lower level Chinese officials to hold substantive talks with his administration. Earlier this year, high-level talks between the Biden administration and China were fraught with tension - with officials on both sides exchanging sharp rebukes. Chinese officials had accused the US of inciting countries "to attack China", while the US said China had "arrived intent on grandstanding". 'Human rights and interference' There are quite a few major issues the two economic giants clash on - with human rights and democracy a major sticking point. The US accuses China of genocide against the Uighur po[CENSORED]tion in the province of Xinjiang. It also says Beijing is trampling on democratic rights in Hong Kong with a recently introduced security law that critics say is being used to crack down on dissent. Meanwhile, China has repeatedly told the US to stop interfering in what Beijing considers its internal affairs and accuses Washington of "smearing" the ruling Communist Party. There's also the issue of trade. Both countries have been locked in a trade battle that began in 2018 under then President Donald Trump. The US had imposed tariffs on more than $360bn (£268bn) of Chinese goods, and China has retaliated with tariffs on more than $110bn of US products. Mr Biden has not pulled back on the tough trade messaging to Beijing of his predecessor - something that has angered China. Then there's the South China Sea. In recent years it has become a flashpoint between China and other nations in the region which claim sovereignty over two largely uninhabited island chains, the Paracels and the Spratlys. China claims most of the sea, but neighbouring countries which have competing claims and the US disagree. Despite the opposition, Beijing has continued to expand its military presence in the area while maintaining that its intentions are peaceful.

New command bar will make it easier to find files and access primary commands Finding the right files in Microsoft's cloud storage service will soon be even easier as the software giant is currently working on a new interface for OneDrive. According to a new post on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, OneDrive will soon be getting a new command bar later this month. We've assembled a list of the best cloud storage available These are the best cloud backup services on the market Also check out our roundup of the best portable SSD With this update, OneDrive users will easily be able to “identify the right file and access primary commands”. However, the simplified view in OneDrive's new interface will also help boost productivity as it allows users to focus on the content they're working on as they won't be distracted by additional menus. Improved sharing experience In two separate posts, Microsoft also revealed that OneDrive will also be getting a new sharing experience in November of this year. The company is updating OneDrive's Share menu to provide easy access to additional sharing options such as email, copy link, Teams chat as well as manage to access settings. However, the “Copy link” button is set to be replaced by a footer where users will be able to set permissions before copying links and sharing them with recipients. After releasing the 64-bit version of OneDrive earlier this year, Microsoft has continually updated its cloud storage service and it will be interesting to see how these visual and sharing updates pan out.

Steve Dispensa, Microsoft's VP for the Windows Management team, recently explained some of the under-the-hood changes that make Windows 11 feel snappier, more responsive, and more performant than Windows 10. The video, posted to Microsoft Mechanics YouTube channel, aims to showcase how intricately connected hardware and software are, and the steps that Microsoft took to ensure that Windows 11 improves the user experience. Windows 11 has an improved resource management system - there are now higher priority levels attributed to foreground functions (essentially, the program window you're currently focused on), reducing the amount of processing power that's eaten up by background processes. This prioritization of the work that matters to the user at that precise moment in time also extends to browsers, which are notorious resource hogs in any system: Windows now has improved its ability to pause inactive tabs, thus reducing the amount of system resources demanded from the underlying system - and improving performance on your active tab. The improvements here are nothing to scoff at: Steve Dispensa says the system can have 32% less memory usage and reduce CPU utilization by 37% due to this new tab sleeping function. Microsoft has also optimized the code that calls hardware functions, reducing the delay between user input and the actual instruction being carried out in hardware, thereby reducing idle time and improving user-perceived responsiveness. This also has a knock-on effect on memory usage and overall performance: optimized instructions reduce memory footprint and improve resource handling from idle to active states. Microsoft also deployed newer compression techniques that reduced overall OS disk usage, and extended this technique to Windows 11's update functions. Due to the new update engine in Windows 11, Microsoft promises that updates won't require as many resources as they currently do. They'll also have feature performance handling and smarter, faster update delivery that reduces the overall size of the Windows update by 40%. Finally, Steve Dispensa talked a little about how this ecosystem of improvements have led to a sleep state philosophy that's closer to phones and what Apple has done with MacOS, in that resuming from sleep now has seen a 25% improvement which leads, in his words, to a near-instant resume from sleep for most users - with the added benefit of power savings for mobile devices that comes from the ability to enter faster sleep states without compromising on the work that's being carried out.

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It's always exciting when Mojang adds new mob types to Minecraft. We've seen the recent additions of the axolotl, glow squids, and mountain goats, with more sinister creatures like the blind warden coming in the second part of the Caves and Cliffs update. If Mojang's 50+ mobs aren't enough for you, then look no further than Raptorfarian and Alexthe666's Ice and Fire: Dragons, a mod that adds a whole load of fantasy creatures into the base game. What originally started out as a project to add more dragons into the game back in 2017 has developed into a whole bestiary of monsters. The list is huge, including the likes of hippogryphs, gorgons, dread liches, sea serpents, hydras, pixies, cyclopes, trolls, death worms, and ghosts. Dragons are the highlight of the mod though, letting you train, ride, and hunt the mythical beasts. You can craft dragon equipment, find dragon eggs, and explore dragon caverns where special loot lies. It's an incredible mod. If you're looking to take it for a spin, make sure you have installed the support mods and resource packs needed for it to run, which you can find at the bottom of the mod's description. 'll chuck some pictures of Ice and Fire: Dragons below so you can see the monsters first-hand. If you're after other amazing builds from the Minecraft community, check out this recreation of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth and the resource pack that turns Minecraft blocks into Lego bricks.

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