Science news

• Rock ramps at North Texas park help turtles exit the water

  15-04-2016 23:43
  BEDFORD, Texas (AP) — Some turtles having a tough time crawling out of an updated North Texas pond can now use special exit ramps.
  
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• Storms raised some pollutants after mine spill, not others

  15-04-2016 23:30
  
  DENVER (AP) — Runoff from autumn storms kicked up the levels of some contaminants in a southwestern Colorado river after a massive spill of toxic mine waste, but concentrations of other pollutants declined or didn't change, researchers said Friday.
  
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• Science at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and Beyond

  15-04-2016 23:18 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Many films on the festival circuit feature science worth watching
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• The Best Time to See Mercury in 2016 Is Now

  15-04-2016 23:13
  
  For the next two weeks, we will have our best view of Mercury for 2016. Because Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, it is usually lost in the sun's glare, and thus is rarely seen. It is most easily observed when the geometry of the sun, Earth and Mercury places it high above the horizon.
  
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• Kids Versus Fossil Fuels: A Chat With a Teenage Activist

  15-04-2016 22:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Scientific American spoke with Kelsey Juliana, one of the 21 kids who are suing the U.S. government over climate change
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• This week in Zika: Assessing risk, mosquito range, a transmission first and more

  15-04-2016 21:52
  
  Several new reports document Zika infection in U.S. pregnant women, a case of male sexual transmission, the range of Zika-carrying mosquitoes and more.
  
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• Get Ready: Mars Reverses Its Course In the Sky Saturday

  15-04-2016 21:46
  
  Look up this weekend to catch bright Mars as it begins a zigzag detour across the spring sky.
  
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• US Military's Satellite-Launching XS-1 Space Plane Could Fly in 2019

  15-04-2016 21:45
  
  The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is now entering the second and third phases of its ambitious Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program, which aims to make launching satellites a daily occurrence. "I can tell you officially now that we have been funded by the [Obama] Administration for the next phase of XS-1," DARPA's Jess Sponable told applauding attendees at the Space Access '16 Conference in Phoenix last week. DARPA launched the XS-1 program in 2014 with the goal of dev
  
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• Another female calf raises hopes for endangered orca population

  15-04-2016 21:30 via cbc.ca
  
  Orca researchers have confirmed that one more calf born in the endangered southern resident population is a female.
  
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• Gene-edited mushroom doesn’t need regulation, USDA says

  15-04-2016 21:16
  
  A CRISPR-edited mushroom isn’t like other GMOs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.
  
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• 13 of the most breathtaking vines created by astronauts in outer space

  15-04-2016 21:16
  
  Be prepared to be amazed.
  
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• Viking-era woman sheds light on Iceland’s earliest settlers

  15-04-2016 20:50
  
  Viking-era woman accompanied island’s early settlers as a child from Scandinavia or Britain.
  
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• Novel polymeric materials from palm oil derivatives

  15-04-2016 20:45
  Palm oil is not a polymer; but through chemical reactions it can be converted to intermediates with different functional groups that could interact with other monomers, either through condensation reactions or free radical additions or a combination of both mechanisms to form novel materials with interesting properties and applications.
  
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• New hope for spinal cord injuries

  15-04-2016 20:45
  Stem cells have been used successfully, for the first time, to promote regeneration after injury to a specialized band of nerve fibers that are important for motor function.
  
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• Discovered genes reveal novel insights into biology of glaucoma

  15-04-2016 20:45
  New findings provide deeper understanding of the disease which affects mainly aging Asians, and open up new possibilities for the delivery of precision medicine.
  
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• Artificial leaf? Successful synthesis of ammonia using visible light, water, and atmospheric nitrogen

  15-04-2016 20:45
  By using a photoelectrode in which gold nanoparticles are loaded on an oxide semiconductor substrate, a research has worked to develop a method of artificial photosynthesis that may prove to be an excellent light energy conversion system.
  
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• Animal-inspired whiskers key to new navigation technology

  15-04-2016 20:45
  Researchers have developed artificial whiskers that allow robots to “see” the surroundings in dark and murky places by analysing the way the whiskers respond to water and air flow.
  
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• The future of precision medicine

  15-04-2016 20:40
  As medical professionals search for new ways to personalize diagnosis and treatment of disease, researchers have already put into practice what may be the next big step in precision medicine: personalized proteomics.
  
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• Too much 'noise' can affect brain development

  15-04-2016 20:39
  Using cutting-edge imaging technology, biologists have determined that uncontrolled fluctuations (known as "noise") in the concentration of the vitamin A derivative Retinoic acid (RA) can lead to disruptions in brain organization during development.
  
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• The 'I's' in Team

  15-04-2016 20:39
  A new study examines teams in sports and business and looks at how adding star players or employees to preexisting staffs can negatively impact other individuals.
  
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• Extreme universe recreated in the lab

  15-04-2016 20:39
  Conditions in the vast universe can be quite extreme: Violent collisions scar the surfaces of planets. Nuclear reactions in bright stars generate tremendous amounts of energy. Gigantic explosions catapult matter far out into space. But how exactly do processes like these unfold? What do they tell us about the universe? To find out, researchers have performed sophisticated experiments and computer simulations that recreate violent cosmic conditions on a small scale in the lab.
  
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• New snakebite treatment under development

  15-04-2016 20:37
  Thousands are bitten by rattlers and other venomous snakes each year, and a new treatment may serve as a “bridge” to buy time until medical care is available.
  
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• Researchers identify enzyme link between excessive heart muscle growth, cancer growth

  15-04-2016 20:36
  Cardiology researchers have identified molecular ties between the growth of cancer cells and heart cells that suggest existing cancer drugs may be able to help those with enlarged heart cells -- a condition that can lead to heart attacks and stroke.
  
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• New method to reduce accumulation of damaging Huntington's disease protein

  15-04-2016 20:36
  There may be a new way to change the damaging course of Huntington disease, researchers report. They have shown that reducing the aberrant accumulation of a particular form of the mutant Huntingtin protein corresponds to improvement in symptoms and neuroinflammation in HD mice.
  
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• Mothers' milk and the infant gut microbiota: An ancient symbiosis

  15-04-2016 20:36
  Mothers' milk guides the development of neonates' gut microbiota, nourishing a very specific bacterial population that protects the child. Now a team of researchers has identified the compound in the milk that supplies this nourishment, and has shown that it can be obtained from cow's milk, which could result in using cow's milk as a prebiotic for infants.
  
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• Facebook Messenger Looks to Shed Bot Baggage

  15-04-2016 20:28 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The social media giant is introducing chatbots to help advertisers reach Messenger’s 900 million users
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Long-term benefits to the kidney in simultaneous liver-kidney transplant

  15-04-2016 19:02
  There may be long-term benefits to simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation versus kidney transplantation alone, new research suggests.
  
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• Toward a better nutritional facts panel

  15-04-2016 18:59
  The ubiquitous nutrition facts panel has graced food packages for many years. But can it be improved? Results from a study indicates that the answer is, 'Yes.'
  
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• New scientific evidence of sexual transmission of the Zika virus

  15-04-2016 18:59
  The ZIKA virus can be transmitted sexually, a new study has confirmed. The ZIKA virus, a member of the Flavivirus family, is almost exclusively transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes. Although Zika infection usually causes mild symptoms, it can be responsible for severe neurological complications, particularly in the infant of a woman infected while pregnant.
  
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• In these microbes, iron works like oxygen

  15-04-2016 18:59
  New light has been shed on a curious group of bacteria that use iron in much the same way that animals use oxygen: to soak up electrons during biochemical reactions. When organisms -- whether bacteria or animal -- oxidize carbohydrates, electrons must go somewhere.
  
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• Graduate student creates program that helps stabilize fusion plasma

  15-04-2016 18:59
  The description of a new method for controlling plasma rotation has been described in a new article. The new method uses feedback from sensors for real-time control of the rotation of plasma that swirls within a tokamak and fuels fusion reactions.
  
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• Clear-cutting destabilizes carbon in forest soils, study finds

  15-04-2016 18:59
  Clear-cutting loosens up carbon stored in forest soils, increasing the chances it will return to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and contribute to climate change, a new study shows.
  
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• Allergen immunotherapy found to pose no risk of infection

  15-04-2016 18:59
  Investigators have found no evidence of infections related to the common practice of injecting allergens beneath the skin to reduce the allergic response. Although the sterility of these 'allergy shots' has not been a concern, the organization that sets standards for the quality and safety of medications has proposed revised guidelines that place them in the same category as preparations intended for intravenous or spinal administration.
  
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• The genetic evolution of Zika virus

  15-04-2016 18:56
  An analysis comparing the individual differences between over 40 strains of Zika virus has identified significant changes in both amino acid and nucleotide sequences during the past half-century. The data support a strong divergence between the Asian and African lineages as well as human and mosquito isolates of the virus, and will likely be helpful as researchers flush out how a relatively unknown pathogen led to the current outbreak.
  
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• New study shows children benefited most from gene therapy for LCA, a rare eye disease

  15-04-2016 18:56
  Scientists have completed a two-year Phase I clinical trial which showed that children showed the greatest benefit from gene therapy for treatment of Leber congenital amaurosis or severe early childhood onset retinal degeneration. Importantly, 9 of the 12 participants experienced improvement in visual function.
  
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• Laser source for biosensors: First time organic lasers integrated into a silicon photonic chip

  15-04-2016 18:56
  In the area of nano photonics, scientists for the first time succeeded in integrating a laser with an organic gain medium on a silicon photonic chip. This approach is of enormous potential for low-cost biosensors that might be used for near-patient diagnosis once and without any sterilization expenditure similar to today's strips for measuring blood sugar.
  
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• Fossil fuels could be phased out worldwide in a decade, says new study

  15-04-2016 18:56
  The worldwide reliance on burning fossil fuels to create energy could be phased out in a decade, according to an article published by a major energy think tank.
  
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• 2nd powerful earthquake hits southern Japan

  15-04-2016 18:48 via cbc.ca
  
  A powerful earthquake has struck near Kumamoto in southern Japan, barely 24 hours after a tremor collapsed houses and killed nine people.
  
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• 2nd Japanese earthquake leaves at least 6 dead, 400 injured

  15-04-2016 18:48 via cbc.ca
  
  A powerful earthquake has struck near Kumamoto in southern Japan, barely 24 hours after a tremor collapsed houses and killed nine people.
  
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• Inky's great escape was 'typical' octopus behaviour, says Alberta cephalopod expert

  15-04-2016 18:14 via cbc.ca
  
  Squishy, but not stupid — Alberta’s leading cephalopod expert on the multifarious behaviour and personality of octopuses.
  
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• Why We Know Whether a Swallow Is Frightened in a Storm [Excerpt]

  15-04-2016 18:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  What really happens on the Animal Internet
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• How monarch butterflies' compass is wired for Canada-Mexico migration

  15-04-2016 18:00 via cbc.ca
  
  How do you build a biological compass small and reliable enough to direct a monarch butterfly on its amazing 4,500-kilometre migration from Canada to Mexico each fall? Scientists say they think they've figured that out.
  
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• 'Love Handles' Transformed into Insulin-Producing Cells

  15-04-2016 17:08
  A body part that many would wish away — their love handles — can be turned it into life-saving transplant: Researchers reprogramed fat cells from a person's waistline into pancreatic cells capable of producing the crucial hormone insulin. If further testing shows that the cells are safe to implant into a person's body, and effectively produce insulin once they are there, they could one day be used to treat people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, experts say. In a petri dish, re
  
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• Skin Condition Linked to Risk of Aneurysm

  15-04-2016 17:06
  
  The effects of psoriasis go far deeper than the skin: The condition may raise a person's risk of a potentially deadly aneurysm, a new study from Denmark finds. People in the study who had psoriasis — an inflammatory skin condition that causes red, scaly patches of skin — also had a greater risk of having an abdominal aortic aneurysm, according to the study, published today (April 14) in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a r
  
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• Here's the Best Way to Apologize, According to Science

  15-04-2016 17:05
  We've all been there — after you've given what seems to you like a heartfelt apology, the other person just doesn't buy it. Well, science is here to help: An effective apology has six key elements, according to a new study. "Apologies really do work, but you should make sure you hit as many of the six key elements as possible," Roy Lewicki, the lead author of the study and a professor emeritus of management and human resources at The Ohio State University, said in a statement.
  
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• A new galaxy has been discovered orbiting the Milky Way

  15-04-2016 16:30
  
  And it’s 160,000 times brighter than the sun.
  
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• UN picks wildlife poster winners

  15-04-2016 16:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Poster competition to raise awareness about wildlife conservation gains 300 entries from around the world with winners coming from the UK, China and Africa.
  
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• U.S., allies stage 36 strikes against Islamic State - U.S. military

  15-04-2016 15:51
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 36 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Thursday, the coalition leading the operations said. In a statement released on Friday, the Combined Joint Task Force said six strikes in Syria, five of them near Mar'a, hit five tactical units and destroyed four vehicles, two fighting positions and a bulldozer. In Iraq, 30 strikes near six cities, 21 of them near Mosul, hit several tactical units, 18 modular oil refineries, tw
  
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• Forget the Enterprise — starships of the future will be small: Bob McDonald

  15-04-2016 15:46 via cbc.ca
  
  Space exploration in the future will be done by tiny spacecraft, not giant ships like the Enterprise.
  
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• Guys Give Each Other a Break on Weight (But Not Women)

  15-04-2016 15:40
  
  When judged on attractiveness, men get a pass from other men about their weight, a new study finds. Men and women both judge other women as less attractive the fatter they are, scientists have found. "Maybe some people think beauty matters more for women than for men, but here, it's that this gender difference is more at the source," said study leader Sonia Oreffice, a professor of economics at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.
  
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