Science news

• Pocket-Sized Device Charges Your Phone with Water

  11-01-2016 21:59
  
  Swedish startup MyFC unveiled its cool technology, dubbed JAQ, here at CES on Jan. 6. The device, which is small enough to slip into your back pocket, is a fuel cell charger. It uses saltwater and oxygen to convert chemical energy into electricity.
  
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• Powerful replacement in works for climate-modeling computer

  11-01-2016 21:44
  
  CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — One of the most powerful computers in the world dedicated to climate change, weather and other earth science research will be replaced in 2017 by an even faster machine, officials announced Monday.
  
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• Unusual drug target, drug generate exciting preclinical results in mouse models of metastatic breast cancer

  11-01-2016 21:32
  A doctor treating a patient with a potentially fatal metastatic breast tumor would be very pleased to find, after administering a round of treatment, that the primary tumor had undergone a change in character – from aggressive to static, and no longer shedding cells that can colonize distant organs of the body. Indeed, most patients with breast and other forms of cancer who succumb to the illness do so because of the cancer’s unstoppable spread.
  
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• Professor brings complicated math to the masses

  11-01-2016 21:32
  It’s not easy to make confusing mathematics topics understandable, let alone interesting, to non-mathematicians, but University of Pennsylvania professor Robert Ghrist has figured out the formula.
  
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• Scientists identify protein interaction that defines an aggressive brain tumor subtype

  11-01-2016 21:28
  Researchers show how the interaction of two proteins leads to medulloblastoma subtype with the worst prognosis. They also report that they have discovered a possible treatment strategy.
  
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• Robotic vehicles offer a new tool in study of shark behavior

  11-01-2016 21:28
  The dramatic video footage of a great white shark attacking the REMUS SharkCam autonomous underwater vehicle brought some of the highest ratings to Shark Week 2014 and went viral. While the footage was unprecedented, the scientific understanding enabled by the REMUS SharkCam is just as groundbreaking and represents the first successful efforts to autonomously track and image any animal in the marine environment.
  
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• Decision making in action

  11-01-2016 21:28
  The brain prepares multiple available movements before deciding between them, according to new findings. The research helps explain how the brain initially represents and decides between competing action options.
  
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• Lion hunt raffle cancelled after protests from conservationists

  11-01-2016 21:19 via cbc.ca
  
  A professional hunter in Zimbabwe has cancelled a plan to raffle a lion hunt at a hunters' convention in the United States, following protests from activists.
  
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• 'All Hail Starman And Hero': Tributes To Bowie

  11-01-2016 20:51
  
  From the International Space Station to the Vatican, the death of singer and style icon David Bowie has drawn tributes from a wide spectrum of high-profile figures. Bowie's son Duncan Jones confirmed his loss on Twitter and wrote: "Very sorry and sad to say it's true. Fans left flowers at a mural to Bowie in Brixton, London, where he grew up, and there were similar scenes in the US where candles were placed on his star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  
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• His stress is not like her stress

  11-01-2016 20:30
  
  When the pressure doesn’t let up, men and women react differently. The root of the difference may be messaging within the brain.
  
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• 'The Martian' Wins 2 Golden Globe Awards

  11-01-2016 20:25
  
  "The Martian" won two Golden Globe awards Sunday evening (Jan. 10), just two days before the sci-fi epic's release on DVD and Blu-ray. "The Martian" won for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (yes, the harrowing tale of survival against long odds is apparently a comedy), and star Matt Damon took home the Best Actor hardware in the same category. NASA officials and researchers advised Scott and other movie team members, helping to make "The Martian" as believable and scientifically acc
  
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• Green campaigners back Italian giant's tilt to renewable energy

  11-01-2016 20:24
  Italian energy giant Enel was Monday putting the finishing touches to a corporate restructure designed to put renewables at the core of the company's strategy in a move hailed by erstwhile critic Greenpeace.
  
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• The moon drives the migration of Arctic zooplankton

  11-01-2016 20:11
  
  In the darkness of the Arctic winter, the moon replaces the sun as the driver of zooplankton migration, a new study finds.
  
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• Delhi court rejects challenge to car restrictions

  11-01-2016 20:11
  A Delhi court on Monday rejected a legal challenge to driving restrictions aimed at reducing pollution in the smog-choked Indian capital.
  
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• Saudi council urges more space at hajj stampede site

  11-01-2016 20:05
  
  Saudi Arabia's Shura Council recommended Monday an expansion of roads leading to the site of a ritual in the annual hajj pilgrimage where more than 2,000 pilgrims died in a stampede last year.
  
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• Aliso Canyon methane leak emissions sky-high, pilot scientist finds

  11-01-2016 20:01
  A scientist flying in a pollution-detecting airplane provided the first, and so far only, estimates of methane emissions spewing from the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility in Southern California since the leak began on Oct. 23, 2015.
  
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• New technique for detecting illicit enhancement of racing tire performance

  11-01-2016 19:57
  A new study explores the illicit treatment of racing tires with volatile chemicals to improve function and presents a new and effective method to determine if tires have been doctored.
  
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• Study emphasizes challenges faced by marine organisms exposed to global change

  11-01-2016 19:56
  Along the West Coast, ocean acidification and hypoxia combine with other factors, such as rising ocean temperatures, to create serious challenges for marine life, a new study finds.
  
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• Legal barriers to adolescent participation in HIV, STI research need to be removed

  11-01-2016 19:56
  Parental permission for adolescent participation in research on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is not required ethically and may undermine public health interests, according to a new paper.
  
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• Ancient burial rituals prove you can take it with you ... and what you take says a lot

  11-01-2016 19:56
  Research on ancient burial tombs unlocks the mysteries of pre-Roman social status and cultural change, including urbanization, militarism and even likely shifts in drinking patterns.
  
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• Painkiller tapped to become future cancer-killer

  11-01-2016 19:52
  Diclofenac, a common painkiller, has significant anti-cancer properties, according to researchers. Like other drugs examined by the ReDO project, diclofenac is cheap and readily accessible -- and as it's already present in many medicine cabinets, it has been carefully tested.
  
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• Linking gene expression, DNA methylation in single cells

  11-01-2016 19:52
  A new single-cell genomics protocol allows researchers to study links between DNA modifications (methylation) and the activity of a gene. The method is the first to enable parallel profiling of the transcriptome and epigenome of a single cell. The researchers used the method to reveal new epigenome-transcriptome associations relevant to the regulation of pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells; The method is potentially transformative for epigenetics research, as it reveals unprecedented deta
  
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• Girls should expect poorer physics grades, new report suggests

  11-01-2016 19:52
  Secondary school physics teachers with little teaching experience handed out significantly poorer grades to girls than boys for the exact same performance. This was the conclusion drawn by a learning specialist from a study she conducted in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
  
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• Recycling light

  11-01-2016 19:50
  A team of researchers describes a way to recycle light emitted at unwanted infrared wavelengths while optimizing the emission at useful visible wavelengths. While as a proof-of-concept the research group built a more energy-efficient incandescent light bulb, the same approach could also be used to improve the performance of other hot thermal emitters, including thermo-photovoltaic devices.
  
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• Predictive staircase to leukemia revealed by researchers

  11-01-2016 19:50
  Researchers detail in a new article how they have been able to fingerprint myelodysplastic syndromes, a state for blood cells that turns into acute myeloid leukemia cancer in approximately 30 percent of patients.
  
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• Giant icebergs play key role in removing carbon dioxide from atmosphere

  11-01-2016 19:50
  Giant icebergs are responsible for storing up to 20 percent of carbon in the Southern Ocean, a new study has found. The Southern Ocean plays a significant part in the global carbon cycle, and is responsible for approximately 10 per cent of the ocean's total carbon sequestration through a mixture of biologically driven and chemical processes, including phytoplankton growth.
  
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• Five percent of Ontario residents account for majority of health care costs

  11-01-2016 19:50
  Five percent of Ontarians account for 65 percent of provincial health care costs for individual care, with the top 1 percent accounting for one-third of these costs, according to new research.
  
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• Exercise associated with prevention of low back pain

  11-01-2016 19:50
  Exercise, alone or in combination with education, may reduce the risk of low back pain, a review of medical literature suggests. The authors report that moderate-quality evidence suggests exercise combined with education reduces the risk of an episode of low back pain and low- to very low-quality evidence suggests exercise alone may reduce the risk of both a low back pain episode and the use of sick leave.
  
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• Early weight loss in Parkinson's disease patients may signify more serious form of disease

  11-01-2016 19:50
  Evidence of an association between weight loss in patients with early Parkinson's disease and more rapid disease progression has been found by researchers. While weight loss is common in Parkinson's patients, results of the study could suggest that weight loss early in the course of the disease signifies a more serious form of the neurodegenerative disorder.
  
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• Tribute to a Starman: David Bowie Mourned by Astronauts, Scientists

  11-01-2016 19:44
  
  Astronauts, scientists and members of the spaceflight industry are joining people all over the world in mourning the death of music icon David Bowie, who passed away Sunday (Jan. 10) after a battle with cancer.
  
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• Florida retirement comes early for Ringling circus elephants

  11-01-2016 19:39
  
  Ringling Brothers, America's best-known circus, announced Monday it will relocate all of its elephants to a conservation center in Florida by May, advancing the retirement date for the giant pachyderms by more than a year.
  
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• Wading into the national debate over the delivery of primary care: A basis for optimism

  11-01-2016 18:30
  There is an ongoing national debate, heated at times, amongst health professionals concerning nurse practitioners (NPs) taking on the role of primary care physicians (MDs). New invited commentary discusses this subject in a new article.
  
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• Most top-selling, over-the-counter sexual treatments unproven, some could be harmful, review shows

  11-01-2016 18:30
  From horny goat weed to ginseng and maca, over-the-counter dietary supplements sold to improve male sexual health contain a wide variety of “natural” ingredients. A review of the scientific evidence for the most common ingredients to determine if they are effective – and most importantly – safe.
  
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• Ringling Bros circus to cease elephant acts in May

  11-01-2016 18:28
  The elephant acts that have been part of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus shows for more than a century will end in May, earlier than their previously announced retirement, the circus' parent company said on Monday. Last March, Feld Entertainment said the 13 Asian elephants used in its travelling shows would be phased out by 2018. The company accelerated the retirement plan after concluding its 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida had enough barn space, water
  
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• International lentil genome sequencing effort underway

  11-01-2016 18:28
  A draft lentil genome assembly has been released by scientists that will help develop new understanding and commercial applications of this ancient crop. The development of genomic tools will allow breeders to track multiple, complex traits during their cross-breeding, which will help them develop high quality and high-yielding lentils in a shorter period of time. Improved speed, precision and breadth offered by these genomic tools have proven to be complementary to classical field and phenotype
  
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• Too much sugar? There's an enzyme for that

  11-01-2016 18:27
  The recent discovery of a glucose detoxification enzyme provides novel therapeutics for obesity and diabetes, say scientists. This enzyme, named glycerol 3-phosphate phosphatase (G3PP), plays a central role in controlling glucose and fat utilization. The research team has demonstrated that G3PP is able to detoxify excess sugar from the cells, and their discovery should lead to the development of new therapeutics for illnesses associated with sugar intake.
  
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• Turning back the cellular clock

  11-01-2016 18:26
  We do not yet have the whole story about how fertilized eggs produce the many different types of cell that make up our adult bodies, research suggests. It is widely accepted that an enzyme called Tet plays an important role, but something else seems to be at play, according to a new study.
  
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• Three glaucoma-related genes discovered

  11-01-2016 18:26
  Three genes that contribute to the most common type of glaucoma have been discovered by researchers. The study increases the total number of such genes to 15.
  
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• Study reveals potential therapy targets for triple-negative breast cancer

  11-01-2016 18:26
  In cancer, cell signaling pathways are the critical chain of events that can either quash or quicken disease progression. A new study has revealed new information about how molecules called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) interact with HIF-1, a signaling pathway that is overexpressed in many cancers. HIF-1 has been shown to regulate breast cancer progression.
  
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• Insects are a sustainable source of omega-3

  11-01-2016 18:25
  Insect oil is a possible new source of the healthy omega-3 fatty acid. Insects make fatty acids by nature and can live on organic waste. A team of researchers examines which insects can best be used for oil and what their optimal diet should be.
  
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• Researchers film beautiful flower formations inside artificial cell membranes

  11-01-2016 18:14
  Every day all over the world, researchers work with artificial cell membranes. Despite the fact that they are so widely used, they still hold secrets. Now researchers reveal how beautiful flower formations bloom and wither inside artificial cell membranes.
  
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• Researchers closer to better treatment for leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea

  11-01-2016 18:14
  Researchers have obtained the crystal structure of a toxin from the bacterium Clostridium difficile ('C. diff') -- the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States. They also found that zinc is required to unleash the toxin's damaging effects in the colon. The discoveries are aiding efforts to develop vaccines and other novel therapies to prevent the potentially fatal consequences of C. diff infection.
  
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• Research raises concerns over long-term use of chromium diet pills

  11-01-2016 18:14
  Chromium is partially converted into a carcinogenic form when it enters cells, with increased risk associated with taking the nutritional supplement in high doses or in the long term, researchers have discovered.
  
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• How blue and green clays kill bacteria

  11-01-2016 18:14
  Since prehistoric times, clays have been used by people for medicinal purposes. Whether by eating it, soaking in a mud bath, or using it to stop bleeding from wounds, clay has long been part of keeping humans healthy. Now scientists have discovered the two key ingredients that give some natural clays the power to kill even antibiotic-resistant microbes.
  
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• Potential heart disorder cause, treatment identified

  11-01-2016 18:13
  A novel therapy tested scientists for treating a fatal heart disorder in dogs might ultimately help in diagnosing and treating heart disease in humans. The team also identified potential causes of inherited dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or "weak heart."
  
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• Playing american football may be a risk factor for hypertension, researchers suggest

  11-01-2016 18:13
  As National Football League playoff games are underway, a new article suggests that the toll the sport takes on players' bodies extends beyond head trauma and damage to limbs and joints. The trauma and damage associated with football participation may also be linked to elevations in blood pressure through immune system activation and inflammation.
  
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• How sensitive, accurate are routine NMR and MS instruments?

  11-01-2016 18:13
  A new article draws specific attention to the 'must know' factors, which are necessary in order to achieve reliable measurements using NMR, EI-MS and ESI-MS analytic tools in life sciences, chemistry, catalysis, material science and engineering.
  
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• High folic acid intake in aged mice causes a lowered immune response

  11-01-2016 18:13
  A study in aged mice shows that excess folic acid intake causes lowered immune function because important immune cells, called natural killer cells, are less effective. These results build upon the findings of a previous study in 2005 by the same lab that found that 78 percent of healthy postmenopausal women had unmetabolized folic acid in their blood plasma, which is indicative of excess folic acid intake.
  
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• Technique matters: Different way to make cathodes may mean better batteries

  11-01-2016 18:10
  Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, or NMC, is one of the most promising chemistries for better lithium batteries, especially for electric vehicle applications, but scientists have been struggling to get higher capacity out of them. Now researchers have found that using a different method to make the material can offer substantial improvements.
  
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• Second-generation biofuels can reduce emissions

  11-01-2016 18:10
  Second-generation biofuel crops like the perennial grasses Miscanthus and switchgrass can efficiently meet emission reduction goals without significantly displacing cropland used for food production, according to a new study. The researchers call it the most comprehensive study on the subject to date.
  
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