Science news

• Destination Jupiter: What to expect during the Juno mission

  05-07-2016 23:29
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Now that the Juno spacecraft is settled in orbit around Jupiter, the real work is about to begin.
  
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• Effects of supervision variables in treating ASD

  05-07-2016 22:45
  Scientists have announced study findings on the effects of variables in treating autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The evaluation provides the most up-to-date, scientifically sound evidence to CARD and other autism therapy specialists in order to provide the best treatment to those with ASD.
  
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• 'Fearsome Raisin' Ant Sports Striking Fingerprint Pattern

  05-07-2016 22:15
  
  Myrmecina magnificens, named for its beauty, lives in leaf litter on the forest floor and probably preys on tiny mites, said discoverer Mark Wong, an ecologist and independent researcher in Singapore. "Some people say it looks a little bit like a fearsome raisin," Wong told Live Science.
  
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• Dwarf Dinosaur Sported Lumpy Tumor on Its Face

  05-07-2016 22:09
  
  During its lifetime about 69 million years ago, a duck-billed dinosaur dwarf walked around with a tumor on its lower jaw, though the unusual growth likely didn't cause any pain, a new study finds. "This discovery is the first ever described in the fossil record and the first to be thoroughly documented in a dwarf dinosaur," one of the study's co-authors, Kate Acheson, a doctoral student of geology at the University of Southampton in England, said in a statement. Researchers found the fossils in
  
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• The snow leopard -- world’s most mysterious big cat -- may be more common than thought

  05-07-2016 22:04
  The snow leopard has long been one of the least studied – and therefore poorly understood – of the large cats. No longer.
  
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• Scientists isolate, culture elusive Yellowstone microbe

  05-07-2016 22:02
  A microbial partnership thriving in an acidic hot spring in Yellowstone National Park has surrendered some of its lifestyle secrets to researchers.
  
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• Researchers tally huge number of venomous fishes, tout potential for medical therapies

  05-07-2016 22:02
  A new article catalogs instances of venomous aquatic life, for the first time showing that venom has evolved 18 separate times in fresh and saltwater fishes.
  
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• Fundamental limits of invisibility cloaks determined

  05-07-2016 22:02
  The researchers' theory confirms that it is possible to use cloaks to perfectly hide an object for a specific wavelength, but hiding an object from an illumination containing different wavelengths becomes more challenging as the size of the object increases.
  
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• Eye of the beetle: How the Emerald Ash Borer sees may be key to stopping it

  05-07-2016 22:02
  This iridescent jewel beetle, responsible for the death of more than 50 million ash trees in the United States, has blazed an absolute path of destruction west since its discovery in Michigan in 2002. Recently the pest has been detected in Colorado, and just this spring it was confirmed in Nebraska and Texas. Researchers have been doing more than just watching the migration patterns -- they've been studying the creature in hopes of helping to slow it.
  
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• [Research Resource] Mapping the subcellular mechanical properties of live cells in tissues with fluorescence emission-Brillouin imaging

  05-07-2016 21:28 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Fluorescence-Brillouin imaging reveals that plants regulate the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix in response to light.
  
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• [Research Article] Ca2+ controls gating of voltage-gated calcium channels by releasing the β2e subunit from the plasma membrane

  05-07-2016 21:28 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The β2e subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels is uniquely suited to integrate G protein-coupled receptor signals with calcium channel activity.
  
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• [Research Article] An RYR1 mutation associated with malignant hyperthermia is also associated with bleeding abnormalities

  05-07-2016 21:28 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Gain-of-function RYR1 mutations cause increased Ca2+ sparks in vascular smooth muscle cells and prolong bleeding.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Predictive biomarkers for HDAC inhibitor efficacy

  05-07-2016 21:28 via stke.sciencemag.org
  High abundance of the E3 ligase FBW7 may predict therapeutic efficacy of HDAC inhibitors in ΔNp63-positive tumors.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Mixed-up Hippos don't inhibit cell growth

  05-07-2016 21:28 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The Hippo homologs MST1 and MST2 form heterodimers that do not repress cell proliferation.
  
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• Nuclear bomb debris can reveal blast size, even decades later

  05-07-2016 21:17
  
  Measuring the relative abundance of various elements in debris left over from nuclear bomb tests can reveal the energy released in the initial blast, researchers report.
  
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• Chemistry on Titan Could Lay the Groundwork for Life

  05-07-2016 20:50
  
  Saturn's biggest moon, Titan, may possess the kind of chemistry that could eventually lead to life, albeit without water, a new study finds. Titan is larger than the planet Mercury, making it the biggest of the more than 60 known moons orbiting Saturn. Now, using computer models, a group of researchers has shown that a chemical on Titan's surface could lay the groundwork for the formation of life.
  
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• Google Doodle has scientists jumping for joy as Juno reaches Jupiter

  05-07-2016 20:41 via cbc.ca
  
  Google salutes NASA with animated Doodle that shows scientists cheering as the Juno probe enters Jupiter's orbit.
  
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• Potential phage therapy virus massively alters RNA metabolism during infection

  05-07-2016 20:40
  Using metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses, a research group reveals that a bacteriophage that infects the opportunistic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, metabolizes host RNA to replicate itself inside the cell.
  
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• How we explain things influences what we think is right

  05-07-2016 20:40
  New research focuses on a fundamental human habit: When trying to explain something (why people give roses for Valentine's Day, for example), we often focus on the traits of the thing itself (roses are pretty) and not its context (advertisers promote roses). In a new study, researchers found that people who tend to focus on 'inherent traits' and ignore context also are more likely to assume that the patterns they see around them are good.
  
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• Enjoying meals prepared at home: Short-cut to avoiding diabetes?

  05-07-2016 20:40
  People who often consume meals prepared at home are less likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes than those who consume such meals less frequently, according to new epidemiological research.
  
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• Energy-dense food consumption declines after Mexico's tax

  05-07-2016 20:40
  Purchases of taxed foods declined beyond pre-tax trends following Mexico's 2014 tax on nonessential, energy-dense foods like salty snacks and frozen desserts, according to a survey-based study.
  
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• How Can the Universe Expand Faster Than the Speed of Light?

  05-07-2016 20:26
  
  Paul Sutter is an astrophysicist at The Ohio State University and the chief scientist at COSI Science Center. How can the universe expand faster than light travels? Over and over (and over and over) we're told the supreme iron law of the universe: Nothing — absolutely nothing — can go faster than the speed of light.
  
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• What Google's big changes to ad personalization mean for you

  05-07-2016 20:21 via cbc.ca
  
  Have you ever wondered just how much Google knows about what you do online? Now there's a way to find out. It's a new tool called "My Activity," and it appears at the same Google is making significant changes to how it shows you ads.
  
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• Learning about the hummingbirds and the bees in floral diversity

  05-07-2016 20:15
  The floral diversity and repeated shifts in pollination have inspired a series of scientists to study adaptive evolution in the genus. But until now many of the species relationships have been unresolved and hampered by the very thing that makes studying the genus so appealing. The rapid speciation and evolutionary radiation that makes studying adaptation in these groups so interesting have also meant the species relationships have been difficult to resolve -- until now.
  
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• Understanding forest fire history can help keep forests healthy

  05-07-2016 20:14
  Researchers have studied tree rings throughout Oklahoma and Tennessee to determine the history of fires in those areas. For nearly a century, forest fires have been viewed by scientists and the public as dangerous and environmentally damaging disasters. However, recent research has shown that forest fires are vital to maintaining healthy forests.
  
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• Some genetic causes of ALS may need an epigenetic trigger to activate the disease

  05-07-2016 20:14
  A new research report shows why, for some people, having a genetic predisposition to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may not be enough to actually guarantee having the disease.
  
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• Living longer associated with living healthier, study of centenarians finds

  05-07-2016 20:14
  Those who live 95 years or more are able to stave off age-related disease, with serious sickness compressed into only a few years late in life, a study of nearly 3,000 people has found.
  
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• Elegant way of pinpointing how new drugs exert beneficial effects

  05-07-2016 20:14
  A collaborative effort by cancer researchers and chemists has resulted in the identification of a new drug target in leukemia and creation of a candidate drug that hits the target. More important, the research demonstrates a new, highly accurate way of proving how this and certain other classes of drugs work -- extremely valuable information in the risky business of drug development.
  
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• Physics prepares to feast on collider data, seeking dark universe

  05-07-2016 20:00
  
  GENEVA (Reuters) - Scientists at Europe's physics research center CERN are preparing to unwrap the biggest trove of data yet from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), three years after they confirmed the existence of the elusive Higgs boson.
  
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• Has the LHC discovered a new particle?

  05-07-2016 19:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  After its much heralded re-start last year, has the Large Hadron Collider found a new particle?
  
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• Jupiter Probe Captures First-Ever View of Moons Moving (Video)

  05-07-2016 19:56
  
  NASA's Juno probe has just given humanity a new perspective on the cosmos. In the weeks leading up to the spacecraft's arrival at Jupiter Monday night (July 4), Juno captured a stunning video of the four Galilean moons — Callisto, Europa, Ganymede and Io — circling the giant planet in a first-of-its-kind view of celestial dynamics. "In all of history, we've really never been able to see the motion of any heavenly body against another," Juno principal investigator Scott Bolt
  
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• Parkinson's Disease biomarker found in patient urine samples

  05-07-2016 19:53
  Stored samples of urine and cerebral-spinal fluid from patients with Parkinson's disease hold a brand-new type of biomarker -- a phosphorylated protein that correlates with the presence and severity of Parkinson's disease -- new research indicates
  
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• Integrated trio of 2D nanomaterials unlocks graphene electronics applications

  05-07-2016 19:53
  Graphene has emerged as one of the most promising two-dimensional crystals, but the future of electronics may include two other nanomaterials, according to a new study. In new research, the researchers described the integration of three very different two-dimensional (2D) materials to yield a simple, compact, and fast voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) device.
  
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• Professor finds positive effects from bringing physical activity to the desk

  05-07-2016 19:51
  A positive link between mood, motivation and physical activity during work and study has been uncovered by new research that studied the cognitive effects of physical activity workstations and traditional desks on student volunteers. The results of the study suggest the inclusion of light physical activity during work or study has positive effects without detracting from work or study effectiveness.
  
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• New targeted gene therapy could lead to improved treatment for emphysema

  05-07-2016 19:51
  Researchers have developed a new strategy using lung-targeted gene therapy that may lead to improved treatments for inherited diseases including emphysema.
  
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• Chemists establish fundamentals of ferroelectric materials

  05-07-2016 19:51
  Chemists are enabling the next generation of research into ferroelectric materials. In a new study they demonstrate a multiscale simulation of lead titanate oxide that provides new understanding about what it takes for polarizations within these materials to switch.
  
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• Double disaster may have killed off dinosaurs

  05-07-2016 19:49
  
  The dinosaurs were likely sent off by a one-two punch of volcano explosions and meteorite.
  
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• Ashley Madison dating site for adulterous clients reboots under new leaders

  05-07-2016 19:19 via cbc.ca
  
  The Toronto-based company that owns Ashley Madison, the dating service for people looking for partners outside their marriage, says it has a new chief executive, a new president and new measures in place against privacy breaches.
  
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• New Robo-Salamander Can Really Move

  05-07-2016 18:32
  
  With the help of X-ray videos, scientists have developed a new robot that mimics the way salamanders walk and swim. In general, scientists investigate animal locomotion for insights that could, among other things, help people recover from devastating losses of mobility, said study senior author Auke Ijspeert, a bioroboticist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. Increasingly, scientists are creating robot copies of animals to perform such investigations of animal locomotion.
  
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• Ostrich relative lived in North America about 50 million years ago

  05-07-2016 18:20
  The new species is named Calciavis grandei -- with "calci" meaning "hard/stone," and "avis" from the Latin for bird, and "grandei" in honor of famed paleontologist Lance Grande who has studied the fossil fish from the same ancient North American lake for decades.
  
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• How toxins activate cellular guides

  05-07-2016 18:19
  The ingestion of antibiotics often damages the intestine’s natural flora. This prevents it from keeping pathogens under control; diarrhea and intestinal inflammation are the result. Researchers have now demonstrated how the toxin CDT of C. difficile bacteria forms harmful cellular protrusions.
  
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• First Look at Air and Space Museum's New 'Milestones of Flight' Hall

  05-07-2016 18:06
  
  After 40 years, the National Air and Space Museum finally has its elephant. The proverbial pachyderm, in this case a restored Apollo lunar module gleaming with gold foil and a silverly metal skin, is now one of the first artifacts the public will encounter as they enter the Smithsonian museum's newly-renovated central hall, the Boeing Milestones of Flight. "The heart of the museum lives here," said Dailey at a press preview of the new Milestones of Flight gallery, which opens to the public on Fr
  
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• Juno's Jupiter Arrival Continues String of July 4 Spaceflight Milestones

  05-07-2016 18:05
  
  On Monday (July 4), NASA flight controllers will join mission scientists and managers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to watch as the agency's Juno spacecraft enters polar orbit around Jupiter. Oh, and it will be America's Independence Day, too. If this all seems familiar — NASA marking a mission milestone on the Fourth of July — it should.
  
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• The Brightest Planets in July's Night Sky: How to See them (and When)

  05-07-2016 18:04
  
  With a little bit of patience — and luck — you'll be able to glimpse the five brightest naked-eye planets during this month. Jupiter is in the western sky at dusk, but it's getting noticeably lower with each passing evening. During the second half of July, the two "inferior" planets Mercury and Venus (so called because they orbit closer to the sun than the Earth) briefly poke into view above the western horizon right after sunset.
  
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• Lego Minifigures on NASA's Juno Jupiter Probe Inspire Design Challenge

  05-07-2016 18:04
  
  For five years, they have voyaged through space, going farther and faster than any Lego minifigures have ever traveled before. On Monday night (July 4), the three tiny stowaways aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft will arrive at their destination, the giant gas planet Jupiter, and in doing so, will launch a new effort by the space agency and the Lego company to inspire children back on Earth to reach for the stars. "The Juno team, all the scientists and engineers that made Juno happen, are just so exc
  
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• World's 1st electric highway powers trucks on the go

  05-07-2016 18:01 via cbc.ca
  
  Sweden is testing technology that could allow trucks to drive on highways without generating fossil fuel emissions, or having to stop to charge their batteries.
  
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• Mammals diversified only after dinosaur extinction left space

  05-07-2016 18:01
  Humans' early mammal relatives likely diversified 66 million years ago, after the extinction of dinosaurs opened up space for animals such as big cats, horses, elephants and eventually apes to evolve.
  
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• Electric highway powers trucks on the go

  05-07-2016 18:01 via cbc.ca
  
  Sweden is testing a technology that feeds electrical power into trucks as they drive along a highway.
  
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• Higher consumption of unsaturated fats linked with lower mortality rates

  05-07-2016 18:00
  Consuming higher amounts of unsaturated fats was associated with lower mortality rates, according to a new study. The researchers found higher consumption of saturated and trans fats was linked with higher mortality compared with the same number of calories from carbohydrates. This study provides further support for the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that emphasize the types of fat rather than total amount of fat in the diet.
  
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• Google Doodle Celebrates Juno's Jupiter Arrival

  05-07-2016 17:50
  
  The scientists and engineers behind NASA's Juno mission aren't the only ones cheering the spacecraft's successful arrival at Jupiter Monday (July 4).
  
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