Science news

• Quasars’ distance no longer in question

  17-03-2016 22:00
  
  Astronomers now know quasars live around black holes in remote galaxies, but 50 years ago, one researcher argued they were much closer.
  
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• Kuwait security chief to Obama - we're not free-riders

  17-03-2016 21:53
  By Sylvia Westall KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait is not a "free-rider" in U.S.-led campaigns against terrorism and other threats, a senior Kuwaiti security official said on Thursday, rejecting comments by President Barack Obama critical of some U.S. allies. Sheikh Thamer al-Sabah, President of Kuwait's National Security Bureau, was referring to Obama's remarks to The Atlantic magazine last week in which he said some states in the Gulf and Europe were "free-riders" who called for U.S. action without g
  
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• [This Week in Science] Transporting the hydrogen anion

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Author: Marc S. Lavine
  
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• [This Week in Science] The spectre of untreatable infections

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Author: Julia Fahrenkamp-Uppenbrink
  
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• [This Week in Science] Linking neurodegeneration and immune cells

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Author: Stella M. Hurtley
  
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• [Research Article] The maternal microbiota drives early postnatal innate immune development

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Postnatal colonization of the body with microbes is assumed to be the main stimulus to postnatal immune development. By transiently colonizing pregnant female mice, we show that the maternal microbiota shapes the immune system of the offspring. Gestational colonization increases intestinal group 3 innate lymphoid cells and F4/80+CD11c+ mononuclear cells in the pups. Maternal colonization reprograms intestinal transcriptional profiles of the offspring, including increased expression of genes enco
  
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• [Research Article] The geology of Pluto and Charon through the eyes of New Horizons

  17-03-2016 21:36
  NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has revealed the complex geology of Pluto and Charon. Pluto’s encounter hemisphere shows ongoing surface geological activity centered on a vast basin containing a thick layer of volatile ices that appears to be involved in convection and advection, with a crater retention age no greater than ~10 million years. Surrounding terrains show active glacial flow, apparent transport and rotation of large buoyant water-ice crustal blocks, and pitting, the latter likely
  
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• [Research Article] The atmosphere of Pluto as observed by New Horizons

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Observations made during the New Horizons flyby provide a detailed snapshot of the current state of Pluto’s atmosphere. Whereas the lower atmosphere (at altitudes of less than 200 kilometers) is consistent with ground-based stellar occultations, the upper atmosphere is much colder and more compact than indicated by pre-encounter models. Molecular nitrogen (N2) dominates the atmosphere (at altitudes of less than 1800 kilometers or so), whereas methane (CH4), acetylene (C2H2), ethylene (C2H4), a
  
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• [Research Article] Pluto’s interaction with its space environment: Solar wind, energetic particles, and dust

  17-03-2016 21:36
  The New Horizons spacecraft carried three instruments that measured the space environment near Pluto as it flew by on 14 July 2015. The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument revealed an interaction region confined sunward of Pluto to within about 6 Pluto radii. The region’s surprisingly small size is consistent with a reduced atmospheric escape rate, as well as a particularly high solar wind flux. Observations from the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI
  
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• [Report] Tuft cells, taste-chemosensory cells, orchestrate parasite type 2 immunity in the gut

  17-03-2016 21:36
  The intestinal epithelium forms an essential barrier between a host and its microbiota. Protozoa and helminths are members of the gut microbiota of mammals, including humans, yet the many ways that gut epithelial cells orchestrate responses to these eukaryotes remain unclear. Here we show that tuft cells, which are taste-chemosensory epithelial cells, accumulate during parasite colonization and infection. Disruption of chemosensory signaling through the loss of TRMP5 abrogates the expansion of t
  
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• [Report] Pure H– conduction in oxyhydrides

  17-03-2016 21:36
  A variety of proton (H+)–conducting oxides are known, including those used in electrochemical devices such as fuel cells. In contrast, pure H– conduction, not mixed with electron conduction, has not been demonstrated for oxide-based materials. Considering that hydride ions have an ionic size appropriate for fast transport and also a strong reducing ability suitable for high-energy storage and conversion devices, we prepared a series of K2NiF4-type oxyhydrides, La2-x-ySrx+yLiH1-x+yO3-y, in th
  
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• [Report] Protective monotherapy against lethal Ebola virus infection by a potently neutralizing antibody

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Ebola virus disease in humans is highly lethal, with case fatality rates ranging from 25 to 90%. There is no licensed treatment or vaccine against the virus, underscoring the need for efficacious countermeasures. We ascertained that a human survivor of the 1995 Kikwit Ebola virus disease outbreak maintained circulating antibodies against the Ebola virus surface glycoprotein for more than a decade after infection. From this survivor we isolated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that neutralize recent
  
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• [Report] Formation of pseudomorphic nanocages from Cu2O nanocrystals through anion exchange reactions

  17-03-2016 21:36
  The crystal structure of ionic nanocrystals (NCs) is usually controlled through reaction temperature, according to their phase diagram. We show that when ionic NCs with different shapes, but identical crystal structures, were subjected to anion exchange reactions under ambient conditions, pseudomorphic products with different crystal systems were obtained. The shape-dependent anionic framework (surface anion sublattice and stacking pattern) of Cu2O NCs determined the crystal system of anion-exch
  
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• [Report] Fine-tuning of a radical-based reaction by radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine tryptophan lyase

  17-03-2016 21:36
  The radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine tryptophan lyase NosL converts L-tryptophan into 3-methylindolic acid, which is a precursor in the synthesis of the thiopeptide antibiotic nosiheptide. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and multiple L-tryptophan isotopologues, we trapped and characterized radical intermediates that indicate a carboxyl fragment migration mechanism for NosL. This is in contrast to a proposed fragmentation-recombination mechanism that implied Cα–Cβ bond cleav
  
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• [Policy Forum] Reboot Gitmo for U.S.-Cuba research diplomacy

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Cuba has about 5000 km of coastline, including coral reefs, mangrove wetlands, seagrass beds, and tropical wet forests. Long stretches of coast remain undeveloped, with relatively high levels of fish biomass and marine biodiversity in marine parks that are unparalleled in the Caribbean (1, 2). But on the eve of President Obama's visit to Cuba, we must consider whether normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba, with anticipated expansion of coastal development and return of in
  
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• [Perspective] The enigmatic tuft cell in immunity

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Helminth and protozoan parasites are the most common infectious agents of humans living in developing countries and represent an important disease burden, particularly through their ability to cause physical and intellectual growth retardation in young children (1, 2). Type 2 immune responses promote efficient expulsion of intestinal parasites such as helminths by driving a “weep and sweep” response that involves mucous production, fluid secretion, and increased intestinal motility. These sa
  
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• [Perspective] Squeezing into superconductivity

  17-03-2016 21:36
  The recent report of superconductivity in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) by Drozdov et al. (1) at a record high superconducting critical temperature Tc of 203 K and at high pressure (153 GPa) triggered excitement from both a fundamental and technological perspective. On page 1303 of this issue, Troyan et al. (2) confirm the finding by using an elegant and unexpected implementation of the Mössbauer technique at the third-generation synchrotron facility in Grenoble, France. They measured the Meissner eff
  
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• [Perspective] Quantum dynamics in the smallest water droplet

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Water plays a central role in scientific disciplines ranging from geology to astronomy to biology. Yet it is an extraordinarily dif cult liquid to understand because of its complex, ever-changing patterns of hydrogen bonds. Studies of small water clusters have provided important insights into the concerted hydrogen-bond motions that can occur in water. These studies are also crucial for developing an accurate potential function for simulating the properties of liquid water and ice (1). On page 1
  
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• [Perspective] New mechanisms, new worries

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Growing levels of resistance to available antimicrobial medicines are causing tens of thousands of deaths each year across the world (1). By 2050, the overall costs associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could reduce global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2 to 3.5% (2). One concern is the development of resistance to the carbapenem antibiotics among Gram-negative bacteria, in particular, the carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) (see the image). Enterobacteriaceae are the sour
  
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• [Perspective] Large, soft, and polarizable hydride ions sneak around in an oxyhydride

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Ionic conductivity in solids, a field initiated by Faraday (1), has led to materials that help chemists spatially separate the oxidation and reduction steps of reactions, enabling technologies such as fuel cells. Many solid oxides are good oxygen ion (O2−) conductors, but getting hydrogen ions, either protons (H+) or hydride anions (H−), to conduct through oxides has been a major challenge. A proton-conducting oxide reported in 1981 (2) marked the beginning of “oxide protonics,” a materi
  
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• [Perspective] A satiating signal

  17-03-2016 21:36
  The worldwide human obesity epidemic has provoked a great deal of experimentation to understand the biological controls of energy expenditure and food intake, two processes that together determine energy balance. Because food intake relies on feeding behavior that is determined by the brain, studies have focused on how the central nervous system receives and behaviorally responds to signals of metabolic status. On page 1293 of this issue, Lagerlöf et al. (1) report that a glycosylation enzyme s
  
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• [Perspective] A radically unexpected mechanism

  17-03-2016 21:36
  The S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) radical enzyme superfamily plays a central role in the biosynthesis of many vitamins, cofactors, and antibiotics. Radical SAM enzymes catalyze challenging chemical reactions such as C-H bond activation (1), ring contraction (2), and molecular skeletal rearrangements (3, 4). They overcome the dif culty of these reactions by forming a highly oxidizing radical species, 5′-deoxyadenosyl (5′-dAdo·), from SAM and a reduced iron-sulfur cluster (5). This radical speci
  
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• [In Depth] Tests of blood-borne DNA pinpoint tissue damage

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Researchers are working on ways to trace DNA circulating in the blood to the tissue from which it originated. This DNA, shed by normal, dying cells and injured ones, could offer a way to detect early stages of a disease or follow its progression. An Israeli research group reports this week that its technique for tracing the origin of circulating DNA detected the expected type of cell death in people with pancreatic cancer, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and brain injuries. Other groups hav
  
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• [In Depth] Giant atom-smasher gears up to chase whiff of new physics

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Physicists at the world's biggest atom-smasher—the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European particle physics laboratory, CERN, in Switzerland—are about to start a new data run. They are eager for results. Last year, the LHC blasted out hints of an unexpected new fundamental particle—potentially the first one in decades not predicted by physicists' standard model of fundamental forces and particles. If real, the new particle would resemble the famed Higgs boson but would be about six tim
  
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• [In Depth] Five matings for moderns, Neandertals

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Neandertals and modern humans had a far richer sexual past than previously thought​, involving at least five encounters at different times and places over the past 60,000 years, according to a paper published online in Science this week. By studying the genetic legacy left by these ancient trysts—and developing powerful new statistical methods​ to analyze genomes—an international team has identified how often and on which continents modern humans, Neandertals, and a second kind of arch
  
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• [In Depth] Europe on course for a neutron drought

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Neutrons may be ubiquitous in matter, but the intense, energetic neutron beams that scientists use to probe the structure and behavior of materials are a scarce commodity. In Europe, they will soon get a lot scarcer, according to a panel of experts commissioned to assess the impact of the imminent closure of many of the continent's aging neutron reactors. The panel, known as the Neutron Landscape Group, said last week that as the aging reactors shut down over the next 5 to 10 years, the number o
  
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• [In Depth] Efforts to link climate change to severe weather gain ground

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Scientists are tying climate change to individual cases of extreme weather with increasing confidence and speed. Although people have long said it's impossible to blame climate change for any single weather event, that's no longer the case, according to a report issued 11 March by a panel of scientists for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Computer models of the climate, paired with historic weather records, are now being used to estimate whether the odds of a partic
  
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• [Feature] Voyage into darkness

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Marine biologists venturing into the polar night—the four winter months of the year when the Arctic sees no sunlight—are finding wondrous discoveries and rewriting the biological textbooks. Arctic dogma has held that the region is mostly dead in the winter, with organisms either dormant or migrated out of the polar region. But in recent journeys scientists have discovered zooplankton in all phases of reproduction, cod actively hunting for zooplankton, and six species of birds actively foragi
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Your mother's blue eggs

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Author: Sacha Vignieri
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Making the most of too much sun

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Author: Pamela J. Hines
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Beyond blank slates in the lab notebook

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Author: Jake Yeston
  
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• [Editors' Choice] A light protective overcoat

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Author: Marc S. Lavine
  
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• [Book Review] Blogging for beginners

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Although often regarded as an easy path to science outreach, science blogging requires a skill set different from that of conventional writing and has its own challenges. In Science Blogging, Wilcox, Brookshire, and Goldman have brought together some of the best science bloggers on the Internet to share their experience and expertise.
  Author: Andrew David Thaler
  
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• [Book Review] Back to nature

  17-03-2016 21:36
  Imagine a chain of uninterrupted wild landscapes spanning the savannas and forests of southern and central Africa, the woodlands of Poland and Belarus, and the tropical forests of Central and South America. By committing half of the planet's terrestrial and marine surface to nature, Edward O. Wilson believes that we can save millions of species, as well as humanity. This is Wilson's audacious proposal to stave off the coming biological apocalypse, the sixth mass extinction event, which he outlin
  
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• Michigan death after infection linked to Wisconsin outbreak

  17-03-2016 21:13
  LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Health officials have confirmed that a western Michigan resident died after contracting a bloodstream infection matching a Wisconsin outbreak.
  
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• Montreal to Toronto in 30 minutes: Startup's goal with Hyperloop technology

  17-03-2016 20:58 via cbc.ca
  
  Imagine you could travel from Montreal to Toronto in 30 minutes after buying a ticket to ride inside an aluminum pod that travelled close to the speed of sound inside a low-pressure tube.
  
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• Hawaii Air Force unit getting own power grid that uses trash

  17-03-2016 20:41
  
  JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AP) — The Air Force unit that defends Hawaii skies will get experimental energy technology that uses trash to generate power and relies on its own small electrical grid — a system intended to keep the unit operating if a bomb, cyberattack or natural disaster knocks out the local utility.
  
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• Like birds of a feather, sperm flock together

  17-03-2016 20:39
  
  Studies of sperm show that they swim in groups because of the elasticity of the mucus they travel through.
  
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• Frigid Pluto is home to more diverse terrain than expected

  17-03-2016 19:52
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - The most detailed look at Pluto's surface to date has revealed an unexpected range of mountains, glacial flows, smooth plains and other landscapes, according to studies released on Thursday.
  
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• Cat stem cell trial could lead to human treatments

  17-03-2016 19:47
  
  Davis, CA (Reuters) - The past five years of Smokey's life have been unbearable. Her owner recalls when her once playful and curious kitty's behavior changed.
  
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• Genetics of 4-leaf clovers remain mysterious

  17-03-2016 19:38 via cbc.ca
  
  The shamrock is a standard symbol of St. Patrick's Day. And according to popular lore, the variety that carries that extra bit of "luck of the Irish" is the four-leaf clover. But how rare is the four-leaf variety? CBC Radio science columnist Torah Kachur looks at the genetics of clover.
  
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• Pluto's 'Unprecedented' Ice Provinces and Other Surprises from NASA's New Horizons

  17-03-2016 19:37
  
  Pluto, known for more than eight decades as just a faint, fuzzy and faraway point of light, is shaping up to be one of the most complex and diverse worlds in the solar system. Pluto's frigid surface varies tremendously from place to place, featuring provinces dominated by different types of ices — methane in one place, nitrogen in another and water in yet another, newly analyzed photos and measurements from NASA's New Horizons mission reveal. "That is unprecedented," said New Hor
  
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• U.S. says to cooperate with investigations into genocide by Islamic State

  17-03-2016 19:27
  The United States will cooperate with independent efforts to investigate acts of genocide committed by Islamic State and do all it can to bring perpetrators to justice, the White House said on Thursday. The finding announced earlier on Thursday by Secretary of State John Kerry that the militant group has committed genocide against minority Christians, Yazidis and Shi'ite Muslims "reflects the gravity of the situation," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing.
  
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• Seabird die-off takes twist with carcasses in Alaska lake

  17-03-2016 19:25
  
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Lake Iliamna in Alaska is North America's eighth-largest lake, but nobody would mistake it for the Pacific Ocean. Not even a seabird.
  
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• 7 weird and wonderful things we spotted at the Big Bang fair

  17-03-2016 19:20
  
  Turns out even if you gave up Science at school as soon as you possibly could, there was A LOT of cool stuff to see at the NEC.
  
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• Tomb radar: King Tut's burial chamber shows hidden rooms

  17-03-2016 19:01
  
  CAIRO (AP) — Radar scans of King Tutankhamun's burial chamber have revealed two hidden rooms, a tantalizing discovery that could resolve a mystery as old as the pyramids: What was the fate of Egypt's beautiful Queen Nefertiti?
  
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• Pacific islanders got a double whammy of Stone Age DNA

  17-03-2016 19:00
  
  Neandertal and Denisovan genes influence the health of present-day Melanesians.
  
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• Get your Pluto trivia down cold

  17-03-2016 19:00
  
  Eight months after visiting Pluto, the New Horizons spacecraft has delivered a wealth of details about the dwarf planet and its family of moons.
  
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• SeaWorld Ends Controversial Captive Breeding of Killer Whales

  17-03-2016 18:15 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The theme park plans to instead focus on inspiring protection of wild animals and habitats
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• How Paralympic sprinters lose speed on curves

  17-03-2016 17:56
  
  Amputee runners may lose more speed on curves when the leg on the inside of the curve is the one bearing a prosthetic, a biomechanics study finds.
  
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