Science news

• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a Hollywood blockbuster in video game form

  05-05-2016 23:51 via cbc.ca
  
  Uncharted 4 is an expertly crafted adventure with an endearing cast, even though its main plot follows the tropes of the film genres it draws inspiration from a little too closely.
  
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• NASA Facility Dedicated to Mathematician Katherine Johnson

  05-05-2016 23:50
  
  NASA honored 97-year-old mathematician Katherine Johnson today (May 5) by dedicating a building in her name at the space agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Speakers at today's ceremony included Virginia congressmen and the mayor of Hampton, as well as former astronaut Leland Melvin, who offered Johnson a Space Flight Awareness Silver Snoopy Award that had been flown on the space shuttle Atlantis. "Millions of people around the world watched Shepard's flight, but what they did
  
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• Venus flytraps use defensive genes for predation

  05-05-2016 22:21
  
  Genetic analysis suggests that Venus flytraps repurposed plant defenses against herbivores to live the carnivore life.
  
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• Scientists hope to unravel the genius of da Vinci by looking at his DNA

  05-05-2016 22:01
  
  Researchers hope to gain insights into da Vinci’s diet, health, habits, and homes before the 500th anniversary of his death.
  
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• Rivers Can Resist Floods from Climate Change

  05-05-2016 21:51 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Heavy rainstorms, tied to global warming, will not send gravelly, stony rivers raging over the landscape
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• UK enjoys hottest day of 2016 and there's warmer weather to come

  05-05-2016 21:16
  
  Clean off your barbie because this weekend is going to sizzle.
  
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• [Working Life] Learning the lessons of networking

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Peter M. Grace
  
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• [This Week in Science] Visualizing a response to light

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Valda Vinson
  
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• [This Week in Science] Too much cleaning up

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Pamela J. Hines
  
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• [This Week in Science] The nongenetic roles of the nucleus

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Laura M. Zahn
  
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• [This Week in Science] Stay on the right track

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Stella M. Hurtley
  
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• [This Week in Science] Rapid mixing to race past rearrangement

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Jake Yeston
  
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• [This Week in Science] Notch balances innate lymphoid cells

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: John F. Foley
  
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• [This Week in Science] Narrowing of the life expectancy gap

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Gilbert Chin
  
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• [This Week in Science] Identity elements limit tRNA evolution

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Philip Yeagle
  
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• [This Week in Science] Growing patterned rectangular objects

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Marc S. Lavine
  
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• [This Week in Science] Filtering out the effect of large floods

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Brent Grocholski
  
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• [This Week in Science] Faulty channels, not faulty synapses

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Stella M. Hurtley
  
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• [This Week in Science] Deciphering the histone code

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Guy Riddihough
  
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• [This Week in Science] Cosmic rays from a nearby supernova

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Keith T. Smith
  
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• [This Week in Science] Climate filters dominant species

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Sacha Vignieri
  
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• [This Week in Science] Building with designed proteins

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Valda Vinson
  
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• [This Week in Science] Building new proteins from the old

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Valda Vinson
  
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• [This Week in Science] Applying pressure to plate tectonics

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Brent Grocholski
  
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• [This Week in Science] An isotope record of magnetic bacteria

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Nicholas S. Wigginton
  
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• [This Week in Science] A bile acid assay for timely diagnosis

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Author: Yevgeniya Nusinovich
  
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• [Technical Response] Response to Comment on “Cycling Li-O2 batteries via LiOH formation and decomposition”

  05-05-2016 20:46
  We described a lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) battery comprising a graphene electrode, a dimethoxyethane-based electrolyte, and H2O and lithium iodide (LiI) additives, lithium hydroxide (LiOH) being the predominant discharge product. We demonstrate, in contrast to the work of Shen et al., that the chemical reactivity between LiOH and the triiodide ion (I3–) to form IO3– indicates that LiOH can be removed on charging; the electrodes do not clog, even after multiple cycles, confirming that solid produ
  
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• [Technical Comment] Comment on “Cycling Li-O2 batteries via LiOH formation and decomposition”

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Liu et al. (Research Article, 30 October 2015, p. 530) described a lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) battery based on lithium iodide (LiI)–assisted lithium hydroxide (LiOH) formation and decomposition. We argue that LiOH cannot be oxidized by triiodide (I3–). The charge capacity is from the oxidation of I– instead of LiOH. The limited-capacity cycling test is misleading when the electrolyte contributes considerable parasitic reaction capacity.
  Authors: Yue Shen, Wang Zhang, Shu-Lei Chou, Shi-Xue Dou
  
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• [Review] Nongenetic functions of the genome

  05-05-2016 20:46
  The primary function of the genome is to store, propagate, and express the genetic information that gives rise to a cell’s architectural and functional machinery. However, the genome is also a major structural component of the cell. Besides its genetic roles, the genome affects cellular functions by nongenetic means through its physical and structural properties, particularly by exerting mechanical forces and by serving as a scaffold for binding of cellular components. Major cellular processes
  
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• [Research Article] Oligocene primates from China reveal divergence between African and Asian primate evolution

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Profound environmental and faunal changes are associated with climatic deterioration during the Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT) roughly 34 million years ago. Reconstructing how Asian primates responded to the EOT has been hindered by a sparse record of Oligocene primates on that continent. Here, we report the discovery of a diverse primate fauna from the early Oligocene of southern China. In marked contrast to Afro-Arabian Oligocene primate faunas, this Asian fauna is dominated by strepsirhine
  
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• [Research Article] Observation of the 60Fe nucleosynthesis-clock isotope in galactic cosmic rays

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Iron-60 (60Fe) is a radioactive isotope in cosmic rays that serves as a clock to infer an upper limit on the time between nucleosynthesis and acceleration. We have used the ACE-CRIS instrument to collect 3.55 × 105 iron nuclei, with energies ~195 to ~500 mega–electron volts per nucleon, of which we identify 15 60Fe nuclei. The 60Fe/56Fe source ratio is (7.5 ± 2.9) × 10−5. The detection of supernova-produced 60Fe in cosmic rays implies that the time required for acceleration and transport
  
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• [Research Article] De novo design of protein homo-oligomers with modular hydrogen-bond network–mediated specificity

  05-05-2016 20:46
  In nature, structural specificity in DNA and proteins is encoded differently: In DNA, specificity arises from modular hydrogen bonds in the core of the double helix, whereas in proteins, specificity arises largely from buried hydrophobic packing complemented by irregular peripheral polar interactions. Here, we describe a general approach for designing a wide range of protein homo-oligomers with specificity determined by modular arrays of central hydrogen-bond networks. We use the approach to des
  
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• [Research Article] Autism-associated SHANK3 haploinsufficiency causes Ih channelopathy in human neurons

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Heterozygous SHANK3 mutations are associated with idiopathic autism and Phelan-McDermid syndrome. SHANK3 is a ubiquitously expressed scaffolding protein that is enriched in postsynaptic excitatory synapses. Here, we used engineered conditional mutations in human neurons and found that heterozygous and homozygous SHANK3 mutations severely and specifically impaired hyperpolarization-activated cation (Ih) channels. SHANK3 mutations caused alterations in neuronal morphology and synaptic connectivity
  
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• [Report] Uniform patchy and hollow rectangular platelet micelles from crystallizable polymer blends

  05-05-2016 20:46
  The preparation of colloidally stable, self-assembled materials with tailorable solid or hollow two-dimensional (2D) structures represents a major challenge. We describe the formation of uniform, monodisperse rectangular platelet micelles of controlled size by means of seeded-growth methods that involve the addition of blends of crystalline-coil block copolymers and the corresponding crystalline homopolymer to cylindrical micelle seeds. Sequential addition of different blends yields solid platel
  
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• [Report] Submillisecond organic synthesis: Outpacing Fries rearrangement through microfluidic rapid mixing

  05-05-2016 20:46
  In chemical synthesis, rapid intramolecular rearrangements often foil attempts at site-selective bimolecular functionalization. We developed a microfluidic technique that outpaces the very rapid anionic Fries rearrangement to chemoselectively functionalize iodophenyl carbamates at the ortho position. Central to the technique is a chip microreactor of our design, which can deliver a reaction time in the submillisecond range even at cryogenic temperatures. The microreactor was applied to the synth
  
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• [Report] Slow slip near the trench at the Hikurangi subduction zone, New Zealand

  05-05-2016 20:46
  The range of fault slip behaviors near the trench at subduction plate boundaries is critical to know, as this is where the world’s largest, most damaging tsunamis are generated. Our knowledge of these behaviors has remained largely incomplete, partially due to the challenging nature of crustal deformation measurements at offshore plate boundaries. Here we present detailed seafloor deformation observations made during an offshore slow-slip event (SSE) in September and October 2014, using a netw
  
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• [Report] Single-molecule decoding of combinatorially modified nucleosomes

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Different combinations of histone modifications have been proposed to signal distinct gene regulatory functions, but this area is poorly addressed by existing technologies. We applied high-throughput single-molecule imaging to decode combinatorial modifications on millions of individual nucleosomes from pluripotent stem cells and lineage-committed cells. We identified definitively bivalent nucleosomes with concomitant repressive and activating marks, as well as other combinatorial modification s
  
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• [Report] Self-organization of river channels as a critical filter on climate signals

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Spatial and temporal variations in rainfall are hypothesized to influence landscape evolution through erosion and sediment transport by rivers. However, determining the relation between rainfall and river dynamics requires a greater understanding of the feedbacks between flooding and a river’s capacity to transport sediment. We analyzed channel geometry and stream-flow records from 186 coarse-grained rivers across the United States. We found that channels adjust their shape so that floods slig
  
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• [Report] Microtubule doublets are double-track railways for intraflagellar transport trains

  05-05-2016 20:46
  The cilium is a large macromolecular machine that is vital for motility, signaling, and sensing in most eukaryotic cells. Its conserved core structure, the axoneme, contains nine microtubule doublets, each comprising a full A-microtubule and an incomplete B-microtubule. However, thus far, the function of this doublet geometry has not been understood. We developed a time-resolved correlative fluorescence and three-dimensional electron microscopy approach to investigate the dynamics of intraflagel
  
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• [Report] Mass-dependent and -independent signature of Fe isotopes in magnetotactic bacteria

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Magnetotactic bacteria perform biomineralization of intracellular magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. Although they may be among the earliest microorganisms capable of biomineralization on Earth, identifying their activity in ancient sedimentary rocks remains challenging because of the lack of a reliable biosignature. We determined Fe isotope fractionations by the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1. The AMB-1 strain produced magnetite strongly depleted in heavy Fe isotopes, b
  
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• [Report] Inequality in mortality decreased among the young while increasing for older adults, 1990–2010

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Many recent studies point to increasing inequality in mortality in the United States over the past 20 years. These studies often use mortality rates in middle and old age. We used poverty level rankings of groups of U.S. counties as a basis for analyzing inequality in mortality for all age groups in 1990, 2000, and 2010. Consistent with previous studies, we found increasing inequality in mortality at older ages. For children and young adults below age 20, however, we found strong mortality impro
  
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• [Report] Femtosecond structural dynamics drives the trans/cis isomerization in photoactive yellow protein

  05-05-2016 20:46
  A variety of organisms have evolved mechanisms to detect and respond to light, in which the response is mediated by protein structural changes after photon absorption. The initial step is often the photoisomerization of a conjugated chromophore. Isomerization occurs on ultrafast time scales and is substantially influenced by the chromophore environment. Here we identify structural changes associated with the earliest steps in the trans-to-cis isomerization of the chromophore in photoactive yello
  
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• [Report] Design of structurally distinct proteins using strategies inspired by evolution

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Natural recombination combines pieces of preexisting proteins to create new tertiary structures and functions. We describe a computational protocol, called SEWING, which is inspired by this process and builds new proteins from connected or disconnected pieces of existing structures. Helical proteins designed with SEWING contain structural features absent from other de novo designed proteins and, in some cases, remain folded at more than 100°C. High-resolution structures of the designed proteins
  
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• [Report] Complement and microglia mediate early synapse loss in Alzheimer mouse models

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Synapse loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) correlates with cognitive decline. Involvement of microglia and complement in AD has been attributed to neuroinflammation, prominent late in disease. Here we show in mouse models that complement and microglia mediate synaptic loss early in AD. C1q, the initiating protein of the classical complement cascade, is increased and associated with synapses before overt plaque deposition. Inhibition of C1q, C3, or the microglial complement receptor CR3 reduces t
  
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• [Policy Forum] Why pursue the postdoc path?

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Concerns have been raised about labor market imbalances that see a growing number of postdoctoral researchers pursuing a limited number of faculty positions (1–4). Proposed demand-side solutions include capping the duration of postdoc training or hiring more permanent staff scientists (1, 4, 5). Others focus on the supply side, arguing that Ph.D.'s need better information about labor market conditions and nonacademic career options (4, 6, 7). Unfortunately, it is not clear why Ph.D. students p
  
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• [Perspective] The “cancer immunogram”

  05-05-2016 20:46
  The impact of cancer immunotherapy on clinical cancer care is growing rapidly. However, different immunotherapies remedy distinct problems in cancer–immune system interactions. What would be the most effective therapy for an individual patient? Here, a framework is proposed for describing the different interactions between cancer and the immune system in individual cases, with the aim to focus biomarker research and to help guide treatment choice.
  Authors: Christian U. Blank, John B. Haanen, A
  
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• [Perspective] Self-assembly creates 2D materials

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Self-assembly (1) of suitable molecules and of polymers is a central issue in modern nanotechnology: Once in solution, suitable building blocks should assemble in a highly precise manner to yield much larger, supramolecular objects tailored for a particular function (2). Self-assembly into one-dimensional (1D) micelles with defined length and composition has been achieved (3, 4), but on page 697 of this issue, Qiu et al. (5) describe a decisive step toward 2D systems: By combining the self-assem
  
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• [Perspective] Measuring slow slip offshore

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Tsunami earthquakes are rare events and are distinguished by an anomalously shallow source depth and slow rupture propagation speed (1, 2). They can be particularly dangerous because they generate less high-frequency seismic energy than a normal earthquake; consequently, they are not preceded by the strong shaking that would warn coastal residents that a locally generated tsunami is on the way. A better understanding of the range of slip behaviors in the offshore portion of subduction zones is n
  
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• [Perspective] Inspired by nature

  05-05-2016 20:46
  Over the past decade, scientists have made exciting progress in designing protein folds entirely on the computer and then successfully synthesizing them in the laboratory (1–5). These designer proteins had the same structure in experiment as in the model and were very stable; however, they lacked important structural features seen in protein interfaces and enzyme active sites. In two reports on pages 680 and 687 of this issue, Boyken et al. (6) and Jacobs et al. (7) use the Rosetta biomolecula
  
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• [Perspective] Hope for America's next generation

  05-05-2016 20:46
  A deluge of recent studies has shown that poorer communities suffer worse health outcomes. Among low-income Americans, life expectancy at age 40 in the poorest areas of the U.S. is 4.5 years lower than in the highest-income areas (1). In 2010, infant mortality rates in the poorest U.S. communities were over 70% higher than those in the most affluent ones [see tables S3 and S4 in (2)]. On page 708 of this issue, Currie and Schwandt paint a more complicated but encouraging picture (2). They show t
  
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