Science news

• Space Trivia! 'Star Trek Beyond' Stars Test Their NASA Knowledge

  25-07-2016 23:14
  
  Capt. James T. Kirk may have been able to pass the Kobayashi Maru exam while training at Starfleet Academy, but trivia questions give him a run for his money in this new Q&A with NASA. 
  
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• 'Monolith of Phobos': Q&A with Sean Ono Lennon on His New 'Cosmic' Rock Album

  25-07-2016 23:13
  
  Among musicians who have achieved wide and mainstream success, there are a few who also apply their creative chops to more experimental and obscure projects. Les Claypool, best known as a founder of the band Primus, certainly fits that musical-oddity description, and Sean Lennon Ono (son of Yoko Ono and John Lennon) has done so as well, having released a litany of nontraditional records. 
  
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• Stacking Dolls in Space: Concentric Bubbles Seen Around Star Cluster

  25-07-2016 23:12
  
  The concentric bubbles, which comprise what researchers call a triple-bubble, are actually three supernova remnants, shells of gas and dust that form following the explosion of a star. This is the first known case of three supernova remnants nesting one inside the other, said the researchers from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), who made the discovery. The shells provide a unique opportunity to study the remains of these stellar explosions, as well as the the interstell
  
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• Sally Ride, Mae Jemison Among 'Women of NASA' Proposed as Lego Minifigs

  25-07-2016 23:12
  
  Now, they are going where no man — or rather woman — LEGO minifigure has gone before: showcasing the role of female pioneers in the U.S. space program. "Women of NASA," a proposed LEGO set by a science writer and fan of the iconic toy brick brand, features LEGO minifigures in the likeness of five women who made lasting contributions to the space agency's exploration efforts. "Ladies rock outer space!" exclaimed Maia Weinstock, the designer behind the "Women of NASA" set and the deput
  
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• Five Saudi border guards killed in clashes in south - TV

  25-07-2016 21:23
  Five Saudi border guards were killed on Monday in clashes with armed groups seeking to enter from Yemen, state television al-Ekhbariya reported, citing the Saudi interior ministry. The statement did not identify the armed groups, but Saudi forces and fighters from Yemen's Houthi movement have traded fire across the border frequently during Yemen's more than 15-month-old war. Peace talks in Kuwait between Yemen's government and the Houthis to end the conflict have dragged on for more two months w
  
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• Selective sensing of harmful molecules with light

  25-07-2016 21:16
  Scientists are developing more highly sensitive devices for the detection of biological and chemical compounds.
  
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• NFL: Optimizing Monday nights

  25-07-2016 21:15
  After analyzing more than 20 years of Monday Night Football viewership, researchers have developed an optimization model that shows how its schedules could be improved despite the uncertainty that schedule makers face.
  
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• Hot news flash! Menopause, sleepless nights make women's bodies age faster

  25-07-2016 21:15
  Menopause--and the insomnia that often accompanies it --make women age faster, two new studies reveal. The work suggests these factors could increase women's risk for aging-related diseases and earlier death.
  
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• Before animals, evolution waited eons to inhale

  25-07-2016 21:15
  Time to smash the beaker when thinking about oxygen concentrations in water, at the time when animal life first evolved. Oceans stacked oxygen here and depleted it there, as a new novel model demonstrates. It may well toss a wrench into the way we have dated the evolution of the earliest animals.
  
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• New gene variants present in three percent of all ALS patients

  25-07-2016 21:12
  Variations in a gene with multiple functions in neurons are present in approximately 3 percent of all cases of ALS in North American and European populations, both sporadic and familial, making it one of the most common genetic causes of the disease, according to a new article.
  
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• 'Watching' crystal structure change in real time

  25-07-2016 21:11
  Rresearchers have met the long-standing scientific challenge of watching a material change its crystal structure in real time.
  
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• Placenta-on-a-chip

  25-07-2016 21:11
  Researchers have developed the first placenta-on-a-chip that can fully model the transport of nutrients across the placental barrier. The flash-drive-sized device contains two layers of human cells that model the interface between mother and fetus.
  
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• DNA sequencing uncovers latent risk for developing cystic fibrosis

  25-07-2016 21:11
  All babies with a known mutation for cystic fibrosis (CF) and second mutation called the 5T allele should receive additional screening in order to better predict the risk of developing CF later in life, new research shows.
  
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• Bio-engineered molecule shows promise for quick control of bleeding

  25-07-2016 21:11
  Hematology researchers have developed a novel genetically engineered clotting factor that can control bleeding in animal models. If the factor proves effective in humans, it may provide a quick-acting countermeasure for surgery patients and others vulnerable to serious bleeding as a result of new blood-thinning drugs.
  
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• Scans reveal how teenage brain develops

  25-07-2016 21:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The areas of the brain involved in complex thought are the ones that change the most during the teenage years, research shows.
  
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• Geologists analyse air sample from 815-million-year-old rock salt sample

  25-07-2016 20:48
  
  An international collaboration made the discovery possible.
  
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• SPIDER shrinks telescopes with far-out design

  25-07-2016 20:00
  
  Researchers hope new approach to interferometry and photonics will replace standard telescopes and long-range cameras where room is scarce.
  
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• Spiders spin unique phononic material

  25-07-2016 19:53
  How spider silk transmits phonons -- quanta of sound -- could inspire novel materials to manipulate sound and heat, according to scientists.
  
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• Promising new drug could help treat spinal muscular atrophy

  25-07-2016 19:53
  Approximately one out of every 40 individuals in the United States is a carrier of the gene responsible for spinal muscular atrophy, a neurodegenerative disease that causes muscles to weaken. Researchers have developed a new molecule in April 2014 that was found to be highly effective in animal models. Now, testing of that compound is leading to a better prognosis for mice with the disease and the possibility of potential drugs.
  
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• Building a Moebius strip of good vibrations

  25-07-2016 19:53
  Physicists have created something similar to a Moebius strip of moving energy between two vibrating objects, opening the door to novel forms of control over waves in acoustics, laser optics, and quantum mechanics.
  
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• Flu vaccine reduces risk of hospital stay for stroke, heart failure for diabetes patients

  25-07-2016 19:37
  People with type 2 diabetes who receive the influenza vaccine may be less likely to be admitted to hospital for myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure, according to new research.
  
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• DNA analyses reveal genetic identities of world's first farmers

  25-07-2016 19:37
  Conducting the first large-scale, genome-wide analyses of ancient human remains from the Near East, an international team of scientists has illuminated the genetic identities and population dynamics of the world's first farmers.
  
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• Aging can drive progress, say scientists

  25-07-2016 19:37
  Twenty years from now, the number of retired persons worldwide will have grown by 600 million, almost double the current number. Life expectancy will have increased, bringing new economic challenges. Yet the growing number of seniors can also stimulate important breakthroughs in medicine, biotechnology, nanotechnology, cognitive sciences and robotics, say scientists.
  
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• New Zealand aims to wipe out predators by 2050

  25-07-2016 19:16 via cbc.ca
  
  New Zealand has unveiled a plan kill off every last rat, possum and stoat in the country in order to save kiwis and other birds threatened by the egg-eating predators.
  
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• U.S. government moves to regulate climate-warming airliner pollution

  25-07-2016 19:12 via cbc.ca
  
  The U.S. government has found that jet engine exhaust is adding to climate change and endangering human health, and needs to be regulated.
  
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• Nintendo shares fall as game company says Pokemon Go won't lure big profits

  25-07-2016 18:58 via cbc.ca
  
  Shares in Nintendo plunged almost 20 per cent on Monday after the Tokyo-based video game company admitted it won't see much in terms of profit from the global Pokemon Go craze.
  
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• Canadian file sharing search site settles with music industry for $66 million

  25-07-2016 18:47 via cbc.ca
  
  A Canadian website that let users search for music, movies and other files shared using BitTorrent has agreed to pay the music industry $66 million to settle two outstanding copyright lawsuits after a decade of legal fights.
  
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• Study identifies potential new avenue for treating Pompe Disease

  25-07-2016 18:22
  Researchers have identified a potential new avenue for treating Pompe disease, a rare condition caused by the build-up of glycogen, a storage form of sugar, in cardiac and skeletal muscle, the liver and other tissues, due to deficiency of a particular enzyme.
  
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• Increasing the odds of prostate cancer detection

  25-07-2016 18:22
  A radiologist reports that he uses magnetic resonance technology to diagnose prostate cancer with more than 90 percent success rate.
  
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• Salad days: Tomatoes that last longer and still taste good

  25-07-2016 18:21
  The precise mechanisms involved in tomato softening have remained a mystery until now. Research has identified a gene that encodes an enzyme which plays a crucial role in controlling softening of the tomato fruit.
  
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• New robot overcomes obstacles

  25-07-2016 18:20
  It looks like a bicycle chain, but has just twelve segments about the size of a fist. In each segment there is a motor. This describes pretty much the robot developed by the four bachelor students in Computer Engineering.
  
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• Patients with low risk prostate cancer on active surveillance experience good quality of life

  25-07-2016 18:19
  Active surveillance (AS) has become an increasingly important alternative to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment for men diagnosed with low risk prostate cancer. However, what is the impact of AS on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients selected or opting for this conservative form of disease management? New research found that patients on AS who were tracked for three years experienced similar HRQoL as men without prostate cancer, both clinically and psychologically.
  
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• Alzheimer's disease in HIV-positive patient

  25-07-2016 18:19
  The first case of Alzheimer's disease diagnosed in an HIV-positive individual has been documented. The finding in a 71-year-old man triggers a realization about HIV survivors now reaching the age when Alzheimer's risk begins to escalate.
  
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• Self-healing textiles not only repair themselves, but can neutralize chemicals

  25-07-2016 18:18
  Someday, chemically protective suits made of fabric coated in self-healing, thin films may prevent farmers from exposure to organophosphate pesticides, soldiers from chemical or biological attacks in the field and factory workers from accidental releases of toxic materials, according to a team of researchers.
  
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• Research opens 'black box' of malignant melanoma

  25-07-2016 18:18
  A new study pinpoints when melanoma cells metastasize in the brain months before they develop into fatal tumors. According to the research, micro-tumor cells hijack astrogliosis, the brain's natural response to damage or injury, to support metastatic growth. This knowledge may lead to the detection of brain cancer in its first stages and permit early intervention.
  
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• Novel technique to 'taste' DNA

  25-07-2016 18:18
  Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to selectively sequence fragments of DNA in real time, greatly reducing the time needed to analyze biological samples.
  
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• 1.6 million childbearing women could be at risk of Zika virus infection, study suggests

  25-07-2016 18:18
  Research by scientists in the US and UK has estimated that up to 1.65 million childbearing women in Central and South America could become infected by the Zika virus by the end of the first wave of the epidemic.
  
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• Using tau imaging as diagnostic marker for Alzheimer disease

  25-07-2016 18:17
  The accumulation of ?-Amyloid and tau proteins in the brain is hallmark pathology for Alzheimer disease. Recently developed positron emission tomography (PET) tracers, including [18F]-AV-1451, bind to tau in neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. So, could tau imaging become a diagnostic marker for Alzheimer disease and provide insights into the pathophysiology of the neurodegenerative disorder that destroys brain cells?
  
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• Researchers 'solve' key Zika virus protein structure

  25-07-2016 18:17
  Researchers have revealed the molecular structure of a protein produced by the Zika virus that is thought to be involved in the virus's reproduction and its interaction with a host's immune system.
  
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• Racial differences in inpatient procedures after stroke

  25-07-2016 18:17
  Inpatient procedures are an integral part of routine stroke care. Some procedures have a curative intent to heal the patient, while others are life-sustaining procedures. A new study has found that minority patients were more likely to undergo the four life-sustaining procedures than white patients. However, the odds of undergoing IVT and carotid revascularization - those procedures with curative intent - were lower for minority patients, according to the results.
  
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• Medical students using electronic health records to track former patients

  25-07-2016 18:17
  Many medical students are using electronic health records (EHRs) to track former patients but the practice, which students report as being educational, raises some ethical questions, according to an article.
  
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• Marijuana exposure in kids rose after recreational use legalized in Colorado

  25-07-2016 18:17
  The legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado was associated with both increased hospital visits and cases at a regional poison center because of unintentional exposure to the drug by children, suggesting effective preventive measures are needed as more states consider legalizing the drug, according to a new article.
  
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• Induced labor not associated with risk for autism spectrum disorders, study shows

  25-07-2016 18:17
  Induction of labor appears not to be associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in children, a large new study demonstrates. The new finding suggests that concern about autism risk should not factor into clinical decisions about whether or not to induce labor.
  
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• 'Exceptional points' give rise to counterintuitive physical effects

  25-07-2016 18:17
  No matter whether it is acoustic waves, quantum matter waves or optical waves of a laser -- all kinds of waves can be in different states of oscillation, corresponding to different frequencies. Calculating these frequencies is part of the tools of the trade in theoretical physics. Recently, however, a special class of systems has caught the attention of the scientific community, forcing physicists to abandon well-established rules.
  
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• Are primary stroke centers associated with lower fatality?

  25-07-2016 18:17
  Does a long travel time to a primary stroke center (PSC) offset the potential benefits of this specialized care? A new study analyzed data for a national group of Medicare beneficiaries and calculated travel time to evaluate the association of seven-day and 30-day death rates with receiving care in a PSC.
  
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• What If the Moon Disappeared Tomorrow?

  25-07-2016 17:41
  
  That's right, it was the moon! The moon makes some pretty nice tides, but the Earth is also spinning on its axis. By the way, the moon is slowly getting farther away from Earth. The Earth's axis is tilted, and that tilt can change with time.
  
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• Azerbaijan top court clears Aliyev's bid to extend presidential term

  25-07-2016 17:34
  By Nailia Bagirova BAKU (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's highest court on Monday approved an initiative by President Ilham Aliyev to extend the head of state's term of office to seven years from five, a step his critics see as illegal and undemocratic. Ratifying an extension in the presidential term in the oil- and gas-exporting, ex-Soviet republic will require constitutional amendments and a referendum, the constitutional court said in a statement. A 2009 referendum scrapped Azerbaijan's two-term presi
  
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• Twitter sentiment offers clues to stock performance, study shows

  25-07-2016 17:15
  A strong contemporaneous correlation does exist between the mood of a day’s worth of tweets about a particular stock and the performance of that stock, research shows.
  
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• It's not just a good suit and strong handshake: New study identifies key factor in getting dream job

  25-07-2016 17:14
  A new study examines the influence of technology in job interviews. Overall, technology-mediated interviews resulted in lower ratings for both the company and the candidate. Within that category, video interviews received the most negative rankings, followed by telephone and computer interviews. Face-to-face interviews received more favorable rankings.
  
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• Depressed Patients Do Well with Cheaper Treatment

  25-07-2016 17:07
  Many people with depression struggle to get treatment for the condition, in part because "talk therapy" can be expensive, and there aren't enough qualified therapists to deliver it. But now, a new study suggests that a simple and relatively cheap type of talk therapy may work just as well at treating depression as the current "gold standard" treatment. The findings suggest that using this simpler therapy — called behavioral activation — on a wide scale could improve access to treatme
  
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