Science news

• Super-Earth Exoplanet's Atmosphere Characterized for 1st Time (Video)

  16-02-2016 23:42
  
  The atmosphere of a "super-Earth" exoplanet, the most common type of world in the galaxy, has been characterized for the first time ever. Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope detected hydrogen and helium, but no water vapor, in the air of 55 Cancri e, an alien planet about two times wider and eight times more massive than Earth that lies 40 light-years from our solar system. "This result gives a first insight into the atmosphere of a super-Earth," study co-author Giovanna Tinetti
  
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• It's Complicated: Revising Dark Matter's Relationship with Galaxy Groups

  16-02-2016 23:42
  
  Galaxy clusters, containing thousands of individual galaxies, are some of the largest celestial objects in the heavens. In a new study, scientists show that the relationship between galaxy clusters and dark matter — the mysterious stuff that accounts for 80% of the mass in the universe — is more complex than previously thought. Dark matter exerts a gravitational force that prevents galaxies in these clusters from flying off into space, holding the clusters together.
  
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• Gas Cloud Flung Out of Milky Way Is Coming Back for Revenge

  16-02-2016 23:42
  
  A massive cloud ejected from the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy about 70 million years ago is now hurtling back toward the disk at breakneck speed. The boomeranged collection of gas, known as Smith's Cloud, was discovered in 1963, and scientists say it will collide with the Milky Way in about 30 million years. Smith's Cloud is 11,000 light-years long by 2,500 light-years wide (for comparison, the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years in diameter), and is speeding toward the Milky Way at near
  
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• [Research Article] TGF-β inhibits the activation and functions of NK cells by repressing the mTOR pathway

  16-02-2016 22:36 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Blocking TGF-β signaling in natural killer cells enhances their metabolism and ability to kill tumor cells.
  
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• [Research Article] ONC201 kills solid tumor cells by triggering an integrated stress response dependent on ATF4 activation by specific eIF2α kinases

  16-02-2016 22:36 via stke.sciencemag.org
  ONC201 triggers an apoptotic cellular stress response in both solid and blood tumors.
  
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• [Research Article] ATF4 induction through an atypical integrated stress response to ONC201 triggers p53-independent apoptosis in hematological malignancies

  16-02-2016 22:36 via stke.sciencemag.org
  ONC201 triggers an apoptotic cellular stress response in both solid and blood tumors.
  
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• [Focus] ONC201: Stressing tumors to death

  16-02-2016 22:36 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Two studies find that the small molecule ONC201 induces cancer cell death through cellular stress-related pathways.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Overcoming immunotherapy resistance

  16-02-2016 22:36 via stke.sciencemag.org
  PTEN deficiency in tumors suppresses immunosurveillance by increasing production of inhibitory cytokines and decreasing autophagy.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Interfering with interferons

  16-02-2016 22:36 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor agonists suppress immunopathology by targeting the type I interferon receptor for degradation.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] A fibrotic trio

  16-02-2016 22:36 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Signaling among macrophages, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts causes fibrosis in chronic lung injury models in mice.
  
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• [Editorial Guide] Focus Issue: Cell biology meets cancer therapy

  16-02-2016 22:36 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Newly discovered druggable targets and mechanisms of action for available drugs reveal new ways to kill cancer cells and personalize therapy.
  
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• 150,000 Adelie penguins presumed dead after giant iceberg blocks access to food

  16-02-2016 22:25 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists say an estimated 150,000 Adelie penguins have been wiped out on Antarctica's Cape Denison in the five years since a giant iceberg blocked their main access to food. But a scientist not involved in the study suggests they may have just moved.
  
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• 150,000 Adelie penguins die after giant iceberg blocks access to food

  16-02-2016 22:25 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists say an estimated 150,000 Adelie penguins have been wiped out on Antarctica's Cape Denison in the five years since a giant iceberg blocked their main access to food.
  
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• Women may be better coders but bias exists against them, new study suggests

  16-02-2016 22:04 via cbc.ca
  
  When it comes to writing computer code, women may be more competent than men. That's according to a new study that's identified a troubling gender bias among those who write and approve software. CBC Radio technology columnist Dan Misener explains.
  
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• Gravity waves exemplify the power of intelligent equations

  16-02-2016 21:56
  
  Discovering gravity waves confirms Einstein and illustrates the power of the human mind to discern physical phenomena hidden in mathematical equations.
  
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• 'Ecologically diverse' breast cancers more likely to be deadly

  16-02-2016 21:20
  Breast cancers that are particularly complex and diverse, as judged by a test used in ecology to analyze species of animals and plants, are particularly likely to progress and lead to death, a new study shows. The test could be used in the clinic to assess how likely women's breast cancers are to be aggressive, and to help tailor treatment accordingly.
  
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• When job hunt excitement fades, the ticking clock does the trick

  16-02-2016 20:39
  Although a college senior’s job hunt may start as a fun challenge, it is external pressure and consequences that drive the search over the finish line, according to a new study.
  
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• Fossil analysis pushes back human split from other primates by two million years

  16-02-2016 20:39
  A common ancestor of apes and humans, Chororapithecus abyssinicus, evolved in Africa, not Eurasia, two million years earlier than previously thought, a new paper suggests.
  
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• Slight change to antibacterial drug may improve TB treatments

  16-02-2016 20:34
  One small chemical change to an existing antibacterial drug results in a compound that is more effective against its target enzyme in tuberculosis, researchers report.
  
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• Engineers use network science to predict how ligaments fail

  16-02-2016 20:34
  Researchers are using network science to gain new insights into 'subfailure' ligament injuries, which can lead to pain and dysfunction despite the lack of obvious physical evidence.
  
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• Beavers bring environmental benefits

  16-02-2016 20:30
  A study into the ecology and habitat engineering of beavers reintroduced to Scotland has found the creatures bring numerous benefits to the environment. Results revealed the interconnected pools created by beaver dams increased the retention of organic matter by up to seven times and the level of aquatic plant life 20 fold. Levels of agricultural pollutants were also reduced in areas occupied by beavers, with concentrations of phosphorus halved and nitrate levels lowered by more than 40 per cent
  
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• Are we losing the fight against antibiotic resistance?

  16-02-2016 20:30
  There is new evidence that antibiotic resistance breaks through environmental and clinical boundaries. The authors of a new study say the data highlights the importance of reducing antibiotic use across all sectors if we are to reduce global antibiotic resistance.
  
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• Scientists show how cancerous cells evade a potent targeted therapy

  16-02-2016 20:28
  Researchers have discovered how STAT3 behaves in immature myeloid cells known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and they believe they have found the basis for a much more effective method of using STAT3 inhibitors to stop cancer progression in its tracks.
  
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• Adderall misuse rising among young adults

  16-02-2016 20:28
  While the number of prescriptions for the stimulant Adderall has remained unchanged among young adults, misuse and emergency room visits related to the drug have risen dramatically in this group, new research suggests.
  
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• Functional biomarker for age-related macular degeneration found

  16-02-2016 20:04
  Adults whose eyes are slow to adjust to the dark have a greater risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, researchers report.
  
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• A penny for our thoughts? Copper influx key to brain cell development

  16-02-2016 20:03
  A precision sensor has been used in a chicken embryo to find dramatic differences in the use of copper between developing and fully mature neurons. The investigators say their findings reveal how brain cells quickly adjust copper allocation from a predominant use in energy production and defense against free radicals to a use in activating enzymes that make neurons neurons.
  
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• Is there enough market competition in Canada?

  16-02-2016 19:58 via cbc.ca
  
  CBC senior correspondent Neil Macdonald says Canadians "are protected from certain free-market excesses, but that coddled security comes with a price: oligopolies, in which a few firms dominate, and all the behaviour that flows from that." CBC readers chipped in, too, answering the question: Is there enough competition in Canada?
  
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• CBC Forum: Is there enough competition in Canada?

  16-02-2016 19:58 via cbc.ca
  
  CBC senior correspondent Neil Macdonald says Canadians "are protected from certain free-market excesses, but that coddled security comes with a price: oligopolies, in which a few firms dominate, and all the behaviour that flows from that." What do you think? Is there enough competition in Canada?
  
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• Newly identified genes impact how transplanted stem cells give rise to blood cells

  16-02-2016 19:56
  Scientists have identified crucial genes needed for successful transplantation of blood-forming stem cells. The new research offers opportunities to study further the development of therapeutic interventions.
  
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• Saudi Arabia took part in weekend air strikes against Islamic State - Pentagon

  16-02-2016 19:46
  Saudi Arabia participated in air strikes as part of a U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State militants over the weekend, a U.S. Department of Defense spokesman said on Tuesday. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who has been under pressure to shore up support from Sunni Arab allies to fight Islamic State last week welcomed a commitment from Saudi Arabia to expand its role in air strikes. Saudi Arabia has concentrated its military efforts over the last year on the conflict in Yemen, where it is
  
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• Saudi Arabia stops Yemen-bound ship carrying communications equipment

  16-02-2016 19:31
  The World Food Programme (WFP) says communications equipment that Saudi Arabia stopped from entering Yemen on one of its chartered ships last week, fearing it was meant for the Houthi militia, belonged to the United Nations. Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab coalition in a war against the Houthis and army forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in March in an effort to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. It has imposed a naval blockade to stop weapons being imported and
  
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• Europe launches satellite to help track global warming

  16-02-2016 19:12
  
  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe launched a satellite on Tuesday that will help predict weather phenomena such as El Nino and track the progress of global warming as part of the multibillion-euro Copernicus Earth observation project.
  
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• Ocean oases: How islands support more sea-life

  16-02-2016 18:34
  A 60 year-old theory explaining why seas surrounding islands and atolls are particularly productive has just been proven. The authors describe the extent to which the Island Mass Effect happens and identify key drivers in this 'positive feed-back effect,' which acts as a life-supporting mechanism. The baseline data can be used in assessing how productivity may become altered under climate change scenarios such as altered ocean circulation patterns and what the knock-on effects may be.
  
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• Enhanced levels of carbon dioxide are likely cause of global dryland greening, study says

  16-02-2016 18:34
  Enhanced levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are a likely key driver of global dryland greening, according to a new paper. After analyzing 45 studies from eight countries, researchers concluded the greening likely stems from the impact of rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide on plant water savings and consequent increases in available soil water.
  
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• How can startups become billion-dollar firms? Ottawa studying advice

  16-02-2016 18:14 via cbc.ca
  
  The federal government is studying recommendations that could help turn new Canadian tech startups into global success stories.
  
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• Let's All Chill: Antarctica's Adélie Penguins Are Probably Fine

  16-02-2016 18:09
  
  Let's give the penguins a little credit. The news reported around the world was startling — that some 150,000 Adélie penguins have died in Antarctica because a colossal iceberg cut off their sea access. It wouldn't be the first time Adélie penguins marched to new digs.
  
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• VIDEO: Why the brain is a marvel of evolution

  16-02-2016 18:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Fergus Walsh introduces the marvel that is the human brain.
  
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• Why brains are beautiful

  16-02-2016 17:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Neuroscience is getting closer to tackling mental illness
  
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• Iraqi Kurdish deputy PM says deal with Baghdad 'easy' if salaries paid

  16-02-2016 17:50
  The deputy prime minister of Iraqi Kurdistan said a dispute with Baghdad over oil sales could easily be resolved if the federal government agreed to cover the region's bloated public payroll, including the salaries of its armed forces. Hit hard by the global slump in oil prices, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) can no longer afford its own payroll, costing 875 billion Iraqi dinars (559.88 million pound) per month. "If Baghdad pays the full salaries of people who receive salaries from the
  
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• 'MyShake' App Turns Your Smartphone into Earthquake Detector

  16-02-2016 17:43
  Seismologists and app developers are shaking things up with a new app that transforms smartphones into personal earthquake detectors. By tapping into a smartphone's accelerometer — the motion-detection instrument — the free Android app, called MyShake, can pick up and interpret nearby quake activity, estimating the earthquake's location and magnitude in real-time, and then relaying the information to a central database for seismologists to analyze. In time, an established network of
  
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• Why China is moving 9,000 people for a massive radio telescope

  16-02-2016 17:35 via cbc.ca
  
  More than 9,000 people in southwest China will need to leave their homes in order to make space for the world's largest radio telescope. Here's why.
  
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• Scientists: Think more broadly to predict wildlife climate change survival

  16-02-2016 17:14
  Scientists are largely ignoring the species characteristics that could tell them the most when it comes to calculating the probability of how well species will be able to survive environmental change, say experts in a new article.
  
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• Disease, warming oceans, rock lobster and sea star populations

  16-02-2016 17:14
  Two new studies show how diverse marine organisms are susceptible to diseases made worse by warming oceans. The first study warns that warm sea temperatures in 2015 may increase the levels of epizootic shell disease in American lobster in the northern Gulf of Maine in 2016. The second provides the first evidence linking warmer ocean temperatures with a West Coast epidemic of sea star wasting disease that has infected more than 20 species and devastated populations since 2013.
  
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• Chewing sugar free gum could save millions a year

  16-02-2016 17:14
  The NHS in England could save £8.2 million a year on dental treatments -- the equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups -- if all 12-year-olds across the UK chewed sugar free gum after eating or drinking, thanks to the role it plays in helping to prevent tooth decay.
  
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• In a U.S. first, team measures lightning-produced ozone with lidar

  16-02-2016 16:49
  Scientists have used Rocket-city Ozone (O3) Quality Evaluation in the Troposphere (RO3QET) Lidar to measure ozone produced by lightning in the United States. The research could be important to air quality prediction and assessment once it is developed further.
  
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• Good survival of 'blue babies,' children with congenital heart defects

  16-02-2016 16:48
  Over 90 percent of those operated on for congenital heart defects as children, for example, due to blue baby syndrome, are alive 20 years post-surgery. A new doctoral thesis has explored the issue.
  
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• First detection of gases at super-Earth show a light-weight, dry atmosphere - with a hint of carbon too?

  16-02-2016 16:48
  The first successful detection of gases in the atmosphere of a super-Earth reveals the presence of hydrogen and helium, but no water vapor. The exotic exoplanet, 55 Cancri e, is over eight times the mass of Earth and has previously been dubbed the 'diamond planet' because models based on its mass and radius have led some astronomers to speculate that its interior is carbon-rich. Now researchers have been able to examine the atmosphere of 55 Cancri e, also known as 'Janssen', in unprecedented det
  
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• Kill the rabbit

  16-02-2016 16:47
  Snowshoe hares arrived on tiny Hay Island, at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, in 1959, traveling by boat from Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada, with Wesley Ingalls and his nephew, Junior. The two fishermen had the idea that trapping hares would make an entertaining winter activity, when they were not fishing, and bring in a little extra money. With no competitors and few predators, Ingalls' original dozen hares quickly became several hundred.
  
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• Plant breeders, growers should pay attention to flush in fight against citrus greening disease

  16-02-2016 16:45
  New research shows that citrus trees are most likely to become infected with citrus greening disease during 'flush,' a stage in growth from the emergence of leaves until they expand to full size, but before they become thick and leathery.
  
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• Making cancer-fighting cells in the lab

  16-02-2016 16:45
  Scientists have reprogrammed human invariant natural killer T cells to induced pluripotent stem cells, which were then differentiated back to iNKT cells that showed stronger activity than the original iNKT cells. This study shows iPS cell technology can be used to recover immune cells that have weakened immune activity.
  
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