Science news

• Tim Peake reckons this surprisingly useful skill has helped him the most in space

  14-04-2016 23:59
  
  Who would’ve thought flat-pack furniture could be so useful?
  
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• Butterfly migration mystery solved

  14-04-2016 23:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists solve the navigation mystery of one of nature's most famous journeys - the migration of monarch butterflies from Canada to Mexico.
  
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• New feathered dinosaur species had pretty special arm muscles

  14-04-2016 23:21 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists have discovered signs of unusual muscles on the arms of a new species of dinosaur that once fished in the swamps and bayous of what is now southern Alberta.
  
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• Obama heads to Riyadh for talks on counterterrorism, defense

  14-04-2016 22:04
  U.S. President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Ash Carter will talk next week with leaders in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Gulf region about agreements on counterterrorism and bolstering ballistic missile defense systems, a White House official said on Thursday. Obama will travel to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Salman on Wednesday and then attend a summit with other leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday. Carter will meet his counterparts just before the summit, on W
  
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• [Working Life] Orchestrating a powerful group

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Jeffrey J. McDonnell
  
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• [This Week in Science] Zika virus genomes from Brazil

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Caroline Ash
  
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• [This Week in Science] Where Pd and B meet in Suzuki coupling

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Jake Yeston
  
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• [This Week in Science] Where do all the mine wastes go?

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Julia Fahrenkamp-Uppenbrink
  
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• [This Week in Science] Surveying the solar cell landscape

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Ian S. Osborne
  
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• [This Week in Science] Making a teeny tiny engine

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Jelena Stajic
  
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• [This Week in Science] Engineering a healing immune response

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Kristen L. Mueller
  
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• [This Week in Science] Cassini detects interstellar dust grains

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Keith T. Smith
  
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• [This Week in Science] Blueprint for a macromolecular machine

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Valda Vinson
  
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• [This Week in Science] Adding fuel to the fire

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Yevgeniya Nusinovich
  
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• [Research Article] Crystallographic capture of a radical S-adenosylmethionine enzyme in the act of modifying tRNA

  14-04-2016 22:02
  RlmN is a dual-specificity RNA methylase that modifies C2 of adenosine 2503 (A2503) in 23S rRNA and C2 of adenosine 37 (A37) in several Escherichia coli transfer RNAs (tRNAs). A related methylase, Cfr, modifies C8 of A2503 via a similar mechanism, conferring resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics. Here, we report the x-ray structure of a key intermediate in the RlmN reaction, in which a Cys118→Ala variant of the protein is cross-linked to a tRNAGlu substrate through the terminal methyle
  
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• [Report] Parasites resistant to the antimalarial atovaquone fail to transmit by mosquitoes

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Drug resistance compromises control of malaria. Here, we show that resistance to a commonly used antimalarial medication, atovaquone, is apparently unable to spread. Atovaquone pressure selects parasites with mutations in cytochrome b, a respiratory protein with low but essential activity in the mammalian blood phase of the parasite life cycle. Resistance mutations rescue parasites from the drug but later prove lethal in the mosquito phase, where parasites require full respiration. Unable to res
  
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• [Report] Magnetic remanence in single atoms

  14-04-2016 22:02
  A permanent magnet retains a substantial fraction of its saturation magnetization in the absence of an external magnetic field. Realizing magnetic remanence in a single atom allows for storing and processing information in the smallest unit of matter. We show that individual holmium (Ho) atoms adsorbed on ultrathin MgO(100) layers on Ag(100) exhibit magnetic remanence up to a temperature of 30 kelvin and a relaxation time of 1500 seconds at 10 kelvin. This extraordinary stability is achieved by
  
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• [Report] Homogeneously dispersed multimetal oxygen-evolving catalysts

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Earth-abundant first-row (3d) transition metal–based catalysts have been developed for the oxygen-evolution reaction (OER); however, they operate at overpotentials substantially above thermodynamic requirements. Density functional theory suggested that non-3d high-valency metals such as tungsten can modulate 3d metal oxides, providing near-optimal adsorption energies for OER intermediates. We developed a room-temperature synthesis to produce gelled oxyhydroxides materials with an atomically ho
  
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• [Report] ESCRT III repairs nuclear envelope ruptures during cell migration to limit DNA damage and cell death

  14-04-2016 22:02
  In eukaryotic cells, the nuclear envelope separates the genomic DNA from the cytoplasmic space and regulates protein trafficking between the two compartments. This barrier is only transiently dissolved during mitosis. Here, we found that it also opened at high frequency in migrating mammalian cells during interphase, which allowed nuclear proteins to leak out and cytoplasmic proteins to leak in. This transient opening was caused by nuclear deformation and was rapidly repaired in an ESCRT (endoso
  
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• [Report] Developing a pro-regenerative biomaterial scaffold microenvironment requires T helper 2 cells

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Immune-mediated tissue regeneration driven by a biomaterial scaffold is emerging as an innovative regenerative strategy to repair damaged tissues. We investigated how biomaterial scaffolds shape the immune microenvironment in traumatic muscle wounds to improve tissue regeneration. The scaffolds induced a pro-regenerative response, characterized by an mTOR/Rictor-dependent T helper 2 pathway that guides interleukin-4–dependent macrophage polarization, which is critical for functional muscle rec
  
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• [Report] Belowground carbon trade among tall trees in a temperate forest

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Forest trees compete for light and soil resources, but photoassimilates, once produced in the foliage, are not considered to be exchanged between individuals. Applying stable carbon isotope labeling at the canopy scale, we show that carbon assimilated by 40-meter-tall spruce is traded over to neighboring beech, larch, and pine via overlapping root spheres. Isotope mixing signals indicate that the interspecific, bidirectional transfer, assisted by common ectomycorrhiza networks, accounted for 40%
  
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• [Report] A single-atom heat engine

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Heat engines convert thermal energy into mechanical work and generally involve a large number of particles. We report the experimental realization of a single-atom heat engine. An ion is confined in a linear Paul trap with tapered geometry and driven thermally by coupling it alternately to hot and cold reservoirs. The output power of the engine is used to drive a harmonic oscillation. From direct measurements of the ion dynamics, we were able to determine the thermodynamic cycles for various tem
  
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• [This Week in Science] Transmission blocked by drug resistance

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Caroline Ash
  
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• [This Week in Science] Stable magnets from single atoms

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Phil Szuromi
  
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• [This Week in Science] Repairing tears in the nuclear envelope

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Stella M. Hurtley
  
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• [This Week in Science] Quantum effects in single hydrogen bonds

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Phil Szuromi
  
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• [This Week in Science] Modulating metal oxides

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Phil Szuromi
  
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• [This Week in Science] Carbon trading between adult trees

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Andrew M. Sugden
  
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• [This Week in Science] Bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Caroline Ash
  
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• [This Week in Science] An RNA methylase caught in the act

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Valda Vinson
  
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• [This Week in Science] A disease-causing G protein switch

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: Leslie K. Ferrarelli
  
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• [Review] Photovoltaic materials: Present efficiencies and future challenges

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Recent developments in photovoltaic materials have led to continual improvements in their efficiency. We review the electrical characteristics of 16 widely studied geometries of photovoltaic materials with efficiencies of 10 to 29%. Comparison of these characteristics to the fundamental limits based on the Shockley-Queisser detailed-balance model provides a basis for identifying the key limiting factors, related to efficient light management and charge carrier collection, for these materials. Pr
  
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• [Research Article] Flux and composition of interstellar dust at Saturn from Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Interstellar dust (ISD) is the condensed phase of the interstellar medium. In situ data from the Cosmic Dust Analyzer on board the Cassini spacecraft reveal that the Saturnian system is passed by ISD grains from our immediate interstellar neighborhood, the local interstellar cloud. We determine the mass distribution of 36 interstellar grains, their elemental composition, and a lower limit for the ISD flux at Saturn. Mass spectra and grain dynamics suggest the presence of magnesium-rich grains of
  
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• [Research Article] Architecture of the symmetric core of the nuclear pore

  14-04-2016 22:02
  The nuclear pore complex (NPC) controls the transport of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm, but its molecular architecture has thus far remained poorly defined. We biochemically reconstituted NPC core protomers and elucidated the underlying protein-protein interaction network. Flexible linker sequences, rather than interactions between the structured core scaffold nucleoporins, mediate the assembly of the inner ring complex and its attachment to the NPC coat. X-ray crystallographi
  
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• [Report] Zika virus in the Americas: Early epidemiological and genetic findings

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Brazil has experienced an unprecedented epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV), with ~30,000 cases reported to date. ZIKV was first detected in Brazil in May 2015, and cases of microcephaly potentially associated with ZIKV infection were identified in November 2015. We performed next-generation sequencing to generate seven Brazilian ZIKV genomes sampled from four self-limited cases, one blood donor, one fatal adult case, and one newborn with microcephaly and congenital malformations. Results of phylogene
  
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• [Report] Pre-transmetalation intermediates in the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction revealed: The missing link

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Despite the widespread application of Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling to forge carbon-carbon bonds, the structure of the reactive intermediates underlying the key transmetalation step from the boron reagent to the palladium catalyst remains uncertain. Here we report the use of low-temperature rapid injection nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and kinetic studies to generate, observe, and characterize these previously elusive complexes. Specifically, this work establishes the identity of three
  
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• [Report] Nuclear quantum effects of hydrogen bonds probed by tip-enhanced inelastic electron tunneling

  14-04-2016 22:02
  We report the quantitative assessment of nuclear quantum effects on the strength of a single hydrogen bond formed at a water-salt interface, using tip-enhanced inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy based on a scanning tunneling microscope. The inelastic scattering cross section was resonantly enhanced by “gating” the frontier orbitals of water via a chlorine-terminated tip, so the hydrogen-bonding strength can be determined with high accuracy from the red shift in the oxygen-hydrogen str
  
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• [Report] Nuclear envelope rupture and repair during cancer cell migration

  14-04-2016 22:02
  During cancer metastasis, tumor cells penetrate tissues through tight interstitial spaces, which requires extensive deformation of the cell and its nucleus. Here, we investigated mammalian tumor cell migration in confining microenvironments in vitro and in vivo. Nuclear deformation caused localized loss of nuclear envelope (NE) integrity, which led to the uncontrolled exchange of nucleo-cytoplasmic content, herniation of chromatin across the NE, and DNA damage. The incidence of NE rupture increa
  
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• [Report] Molecular architecture of the inner ring scaffold of the human nuclear pore complex

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are 110-megadalton assemblies that mediate nucleocytoplasmic transport. NPCs are built from multiple copies of ~30 different nucleoporins, and understanding how these nucleoporins assemble into the NPC scaffold imposes a formidable challenge. Recently, it has been shown how the Y complex, a prominent NPC module, forms the outer rings of the nuclear pore. However, the organization of the inner ring has remained unknown until now. We used molecular modeling combined w
  
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• [Report] Climate change disables coral bleaching protection on the Great Barrier Reef

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Coral bleaching events threaten the sustainability of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Here we show that bleaching events of the past three decades have been mitigated by induced thermal tolerance of reef-building corals, and this protective mechanism is likely to be lost under near-future climate change scenarios. We show that 75% of past thermal stress events have been characterized by a temperature trajectory that subjects corals to a protective, sub-bleaching stress, before reaching temperature
  
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• [Policy Forum] Opportunities for advances in climate change economics

  14-04-2016 22:02
  There have been dramatic advances in understanding the physical science of climate change, facilitated by substantial and reliable research support. The social value of these advances depends on understanding their implications for society, an arena where research support has been more modest and research progress slower. Some advances have been made in understanding and formalizing climate-economy linkages, but knowledge gaps remain [e.g., as discussed in (1, 2)]. We outline three areas where w
  
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• [Perspective] When cells push the envelope

  14-04-2016 22:02
  By enclosing chromosomes within a nuclear envelope (NE), eukaryotic cells are able to segregate transcription and translation, key activities involved in gene expression (1). The implication is that maintenance of the NE as a selective barrier represents an essential aspect of normal cellular physiology. However, it also presents the cell with the predicament of how to accommodate a membrane-limited organelle that might occupy a substantial portion of the cell volume. On pages 353 and 359 of thi
  
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• [Perspective] Underground networking

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Almost all land plants, including most trees, shrubs, and herbs, form symbiotic associations with mycorrhizal fungi (1). These soil fungi acquire nutrients that they transfer to their plant hosts in exchange for carbon (see the photo). Plants in natural vegetation can acquire up to 80% of nitrogen and phosphorus from their mycorrhizal associates (2). Individual mycorrhizal fungi can simultaneously colonize many plant hosts of the same species or different species. As a result, plants in natural
  
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• [Perspective] Toward single-atom memory

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Storing information in an ensemble of single-atom magnets represents the ultimate miniaturization of data storage technology, in which two specific orientations of each atomic magnetic moment represent a bit (a 0 or 1) of information (see the figure, panel A). The inherent dilemma in using a single-atom magnet is keeping it magnetized—or, in other words, being able to hold the information in one of the bit states without an external magnetic field for a useful amount of time and at practical t
  
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• [Perspective] The straight dope on the scope of chemical reactions

  14-04-2016 22:02
  More than 100 million molecular compounds have been reported, and the many synthetic methods that have been developed are the source of this diversity. Reports of new synthetic reactions often include substrate scope—that is, how reactivity varied for molecules with the same main reaction center and a variety of different substituents at secondary positions (see the figure, panel A). However, chemists often pursue very complex target molecules (e.g., natural products), and most steps involve r
  
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• [Perspective] Tackling mine wastes

  14-04-2016 22:02
  On 5 November 2015, the Fundão and Santarém mine tailings dams in Minas Gerais, Brazil, failed, releasing 62 million m3 of sediment and water that destroyed homes, killed at least 17 people, cut of potable water supplies, blanketed more than 650 km of rivers, and flowed into the Atlantic Ocean (see the photo). The tailings dam failure, the largest ever recorded (1), demonstrates many of the diverse impacts of mine wastes. How can the potentially severe impacts of mine wastes and the risk of su
  
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• [Perspective] A scaffold immune microenvironment

  14-04-2016 22:02
  The immune system plays a critical role in wound healing, in both host defense and tissue repair. Strategies that use biologic scaffolds to support tissue reconstruction emphasize this essential contribution of representative immune cells. The findings by Sadtler et al. (1) on page 366 in this issue highlight how the plasticity and diversity of macrophages and lymphocytes support this approach to tissue repair.
  Author: Stephen F. Badylak
  
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• [Letter] Financial complexity: Regulating regulation

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: J. B. Ruhl
  
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• [Letter] Financial complexity: Accounting for fraud—Response

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Authors: Stefano Battiston, Doyne Farmer, Andreas Flache, Diego Garlaschelli, Andy Haldane, Hans Heesterbeek, Cars Hommes, Carlo Jaeger, Robert May, Marten Scheffer
  
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• [Letter] Financial complexity: Accounting for fraud

  14-04-2016 22:02
  Author: David Witzling
  
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