Science news

• How have Dolly the Sheep's 'siblings' fared?

  26-07-2016 22:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The prospect of using cloning to treat humans has been boosted by new evidence suggests that it can be used safely in animals.
  
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• New Speckled Venomous Snake Discovered in Cloud Forest

  26-07-2016 22:16
  
  A previously unknown, green-speckled species of venomous snake has been found lurking in the high, misty forests of Costa Rica. The snake, which lives in a remote, forested region of Central America, was long mistaken for a closely related species, the black-speckled palm-pitviper (Bothriechis nigroviridis). When two species look and behave nearly identically but are genetically distinct, it's called cryptic speciation.
  
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• Goodbye, Weasels! New Zealand to Wipe Out Its Invasive Predators

  26-07-2016 22:06
  The clock is ticking for the rats, possums and weasels that have invaded New Zealand over the past few hundred years. Before humans landed in New Zealand less than 800 years ago, precious few mammals lived on the islands — a vibrant archipelago that provided a home for flightless birds, such as the kiwi, takahe­ and kakapo parrot, as well as geckos and lizard-like tuataras. "While once the greatest threat to our native wildlife was poaching and deforestation, it is now introduced preda
  
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• [Research Article] Synergistically acting agonists and antagonists of G protein-coupled receptors prevent photoreceptor cell degeneration

  26-07-2016 22:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Systems pharmacology reveals a combination of GPCR-targeted drugs that prevent retinal degeneration.
  
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• [Research Article] RhoA inhibits neural differentiation in murine stem cells through multiple mechanisms

  26-07-2016 22:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  RhoA signaling prevents the neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells by inhibiting both the production and secretion of the BMP antagonist Noggin.
  
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• [Research Article] Binding of the cytoplasmic domain of CD28 to the plasma membrane inhibits Lck recruitment and signaling

  26-07-2016 22:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Ligand binding to the T cell costimulatory receptor CD28 releases its cytoplasmic domain from the plasma membrane to initiate signaling.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Three risk factors, one mechanism

  26-07-2016 22:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Three mutations associated with Alzheimer's disease are linked in the clearance of β-amyloid.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] How sweet it isn't

  26-07-2016 22:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Synthetic sweeteners trigger a neuronal circuit that stimulates appetite and causes sweet taste sensitization.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Boosting energy expenditure

  26-07-2016 22:00 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Amino acid-coupled fatty acids function as mitochondrial uncouplers.
  
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• Placental syndromes increase women's short-term risk for cardiovascular diseases

  26-07-2016 21:52
  The short-term risk of developing cardiovascular disease following a first pregnancy is higher for women experiencing placental syndromes and poor pregnancy outcomes, a study reports. The researchers also found a five-fold increase in health care costs for women with placental syndromes who developed cardiovascular disease as soon as three to five years following delivery, compared to those who did not.
  
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• Exploring one of the largest salt flats in the world

  26-07-2016 21:52
  A recent research report about one of the largest lithium brine and salt deposits in the world in Chile's Atacama Desert is the first to show that water and solutes flowing into the basin originate from a much larger than expected portion of the Andean Plateau. The massive evaporite deposit, 1,200 meters thick, appears to be draining an area far larger than a map-based or topographic watershed would suggest, says the lead hydrologist.
  
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• Engineers discover highly conductive materials for more efficient electronics

  26-07-2016 21:52
  Engineers have discovered that interfacing two particular oxide-based materials makes them highly conductive, a boon for future electronics that could result in much more power-efficient laptops, electric cars and home appliances that also don't need cumbersome power supplies.
  
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• Supervised self-monitoring improves diabetes control in clinical trial

  26-07-2016 21:51
  For people with diabetes not treated with insulin, unsupervised self-monitoring of blood glucose levels has not been found effective at improving glycaemic control. In a randomized trial, researchers report on a strategy where patients submit their home blood glucose results to a website monitored by a nurse or physician, who responds to guide patients. They show this supervised approach, which includes adjusted treatment or reinforcing lifestyle changes when needed, to be effective in controlli
  
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• Real-time imaging of fish gut ties bacterial competition to gut movements

  26-07-2016 21:51
  In recent years, numerous diseases have been tied to variations in gut microbiota. The probiotics industry targets gut and intestinal health by developing products built mostly around enzyme cultures and bacteria. But a new study suggests that the underlying health and physical forces of the gut are as important as the bacteria inside in shaping communities of intestinal microbiota, and offers insights into the problems experienced by humans with a birth defect called Hirschsprung's disease.
  
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• Exercise cuts gestational diabetes in obese pregnant women

  26-07-2016 21:51
  Obese women who become pregnant are at higher risk of developing diabetes during their pregnancies. New research shows this risk can be reduced with exercise.
  
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• Billboards deliver targeted ads by identifying your car

  26-07-2016 21:41 via cbc.ca
  
  Advertisers in London, England have developed a new kind of billboard, which changes ads depending on the type of car you drive. Technology columnist Dan Misener looks at what's being called "vehicle recognition technology" — and billboards that look back at you.
  
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• How Pokemon Go found success despite not being a very good game

  26-07-2016 21:34 via cbc.ca
  
  Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm, with millions setting outside this month to become Pokemon trainers - despite the fact that, by most traditional metrics, it isn't a very good video game.
  
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• Canadian Coast Guard discovers shipwreck off Nova Scotia coast

  26-07-2016 21:31 via cbc.ca
  
  The Canadian Coast Guard uncovers several large wooden fragments of a ship believed to date back to the 19th century while trawling the waters off Nova Scotia.
  
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• Dolly's aging heirs offer good news about cloned animals

  26-07-2016 21:09 via cbc.ca
  
  The heirs of Dolly the sheep are enjoying a healthy old age, proving cloned animals can live normal lives and offering reassurance to scientists hoping to use cloned cells in medicine.
  
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• New model is first to predict tree growth in earliest stages of tree life

  26-07-2016 20:22
  A new statistical model has been created that accurately predicts tree growth from when they are first planted until they reach crown closure.
  
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• New evidence: How amino acid cysteine combats Huntington's disease

  26-07-2016 20:22
  Researchers have reported they have identified a biochemical pathway linking oxidative stress and the amino acid cysteine in Huntington's disease.
  
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• Try not to freak out when we tell you scientists believe cockroach milk could be the next superfood

  26-07-2016 19:35
  
  Researchers have good reason to believe the Pacific beetle cockroach is worthy of our attention.
  
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• Fermenting carbon monoxide into biofuel

  26-07-2016 19:17
  Biological engineers have deciphered the cellular strategy to make the biofuel ethanol, using an anaerobic microbe feeding on carbon monoxide -- a common industrial waste gas.
  
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• Nanoparticles used to break up plaque and prevent cavities

  26-07-2016 19:16
  The bacteria that live in dental plaque and contribute to tooth decay often resist traditional antimicrobial treatment, as they can 'hide' within a sticky biofilm matrix, a glue-like polymer scaffold. A new strategy took a more sophisticated approach.
  
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• Dirty to drinkable: Novel hybrid nanomaterials quickly transform water

  26-07-2016 19:16
  A team of engineers has found a way to use graphene oxide sheets to transform dirty water into drinking water, and it could be a global game-changer.
  
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• Sea ice algae drive the Arctic food web

  26-07-2016 19:00
  
  Even organisms that don’t depend on sea ice depend on sea ice algae, a new study finds. But Arctic sea ice is disappearing.
  
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• Spry Dolly Siblings Could Make Clone Skeptics Sheepish

  26-07-2016 18:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Copied animals’ long and healthy retirement may breath life into cloning applications
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Repeated experiences of racism most damaging to mental health

  26-07-2016 18:40
  For the first time, research reveals how harmful repeated racial discrimination can be on mental and physical health. The study looked at the accumulation of experiences of racial attacks over time including being shouted at, being physically attacked, avoiding a place, or feeling unsafe because of one's ethnicity.
  
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• Rainforest greener during 'dry' season

  26-07-2016 18:40
  At 2.7 million square miles, the Amazon Jungle is the world's largest rainforest. Researchers now believe the rainforest has different levels of photosynthesis, with more during the dry season. They report that more extreme droughts due to climate change could negatively affect the rainforest's ability to sequester carbon through photosynthesis.
  
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• Protein insights to help find heart disease cure

  26-07-2016 18:39
  New insights into how the human genome gets through the daily grind with the help of RNA-binding proteins has been uncovered in a discovery that could ultimately lead to a cure for heart disease.
  
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• New genetics clues into motor neuron disease

  26-07-2016 18:38
  Researchers have contributed to the discovery of three new genes which increase the risk of motor neuron disease, opening the door for targeted treatments.
  
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• Morel mushroom abundance after wildfire

  26-07-2016 18:38
  Forest ecologists recently published research estimating the abundance of morel mushrooms after a wildfire in California's Sierra Nevada.
  
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• New species of beaked whale confirmed by DNA

  26-07-2016 18:37
  Biologists have identified a rare new species of beaked whale that ranges from northern Japan across the Pacific Ocean to Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
  
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• Major new study provides important insights for effective treatment of heart failure with pEF

  26-07-2016 18:37
  The number of patients hospitalized with HFpEF is now comparable to those with traditional heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and is projected to exceed that of HFrEF within the next few years. Therefore, it has become even more important to characterize the typical HFpEF patient and uncover factors that influence poor outcomes. In a new report published in the American Journal of Medicine, researchers analyzed over five million hospitalizations for acute heart failure, which
  
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• Better defining the signals left by as-yet-undefined dark matter at the LHC

  26-07-2016 18:37
  Physicists still don't exactly know what dark matter is. Indeed, they can only see its effect in the form of gravity. Now, the high energy physics community has developed a set of simplified models which retain the elegance of the traditional Effective Field Theories-style models yet provide a better description of the signals of dark matter.
  
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• Science News reporters answer your questions about aging

  26-07-2016 18:36
  
  Three Science News reporters will answer questions related to a special issue on aging in a Reddit AMA on Tuesday, July 26, at 3 p.m. EDT.
  
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• Effective monitoring to evaluate ecological restoration in the Gulf of Mexico

  26-07-2016 18:36
  To improve and ensure the efficacy of restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon -- the largest oil spill in US history -- a new report recommends a set of best practices for monitoring and evaluating ecological restoration activities.
  
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• Decade-long cooling cycle: Middle atmosphere in sync with ocean

  26-07-2016 18:36
  In the late 20th century scientists observed a cooling at the transition between the troposphere and stratosphere at an altitude of about 15 kilometers. Climate scientists now show that the cooling could also be part of a natural decadal variation which is controlled by the water temperature of the Pacific.
  
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• Cracking the mystery of Zika virus replication

  26-07-2016 18:36
  Zika virus, it is thought, can cause microcephaly, a birth defect where a baby's head is smaller than usual. Additionally, it is associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder that could lead to paralysis and even death. However, how this microbe replicates in the infected cells remains a mystery. Now, an international team has unraveled the puzzle of how Zika virus replicates.
  
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• Biological explanation for wheat sensitivity found

  26-07-2016 18:36
  People with non-celiac wheat sensitivity have a weakened intestinal barrier, which leads to a systemic immune response after ingesting wheat and related cereals, new research confirms.
  
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• Researchers identify protein role in pathway required for Ebola replication

  26-07-2016 18:35
  A newly identified requirement of a modified human protein in ebolavirus replication, may unlock the door for new approaches to treating Ebola.
  
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• How animals keep their cells identical

  26-07-2016 18:35
  A regulatory protein named ERI-1 helps ensure that all cells in a tissue remain identical to one another, a research team has discovered for the first time. The work involved an unusual collaboration between developmental biologists and linguists, with the latter contributing their expertise with machine learning software. The finding could bring biologists one step closer to understanding some cancers and other age-related diseases.
  
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• Study links gymnastics equipment to exposure to flame-retardant chemicals

  26-07-2016 18:34
  As the summer Olympics get underway, a new study reports that popular gymnastics training equipment contains mixtures of flame-retardant chemicals that have been linked to increased risks of ADHD, cancer and brain development delays.
  
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• Novel state of matter: Observation of a quantum spin liquid

  26-07-2016 18:33
  A novel and rare state of matter known as a quantum spin liquid has been empirically demonstrated in a monocrystal of the compound calcium-chromium oxide. According to conventional understanding, a quantum spin liquid should not be possible in this material. A theoretical explanation for these observations has now also been developed.
  
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• Can a brain scan early in a period of stress predict eventual memory loss?

  26-07-2016 18:32
  New research shows that even a brief period of stress -- as few as three days -- can cause the hippocampus to start shrinking. This shrinking of the hippocampus -- a change in the brain's structure -- actually precedes the onset of a change in behavior, namely, the loss of memory.
  
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• Royal Society head calls for 'underwriting' of research

  26-07-2016 18:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The president of the Royal Society has called for the UK government to underwrite the research of all UK-based researchers who apply for EU funding now.
  
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• Newly discovered virus a prime suspect in often-fatal beak disorder spreading among birds

  26-07-2016 18:31
  Scientists have identified a novel virus -- 'Poecivirus' -- that has been linked to avian keratin disorder (AKD), a disease responsible for debilitating beak overgrowth and whose cause has remained elusive despite more than a decade of research. This new virus is being investigated as a potential cause of AKD and represents a critical step in understanding the emergence of this disease in wild bird populations around the world.
  
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• How to sound the alarm: As hazard warnings increase, experts urge better decisions on who and when to warn

  26-07-2016 18:31
  A group of risk experts is proposing a new framework and research agenda that they believe will support the most effective public warnings when a hurricane, wildfire, toxic chemical spill or any other environmental hazard threatens safety. Effective warnings are a growing need as expanding global populations confront a wide range of hazards.
  
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• Could Trashing Junk Proteins Quash Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS and Huntington's?

  26-07-2016 18:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Scientists search for the Marie Kondo of the brain—a drug to clear cellular debris
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Survival, surgical interventions for children with rare, genetic birth disorder

  26-07-2016 18:29
  Among children born with the chromosome disorders trisomy 13 or 18 in Ontario, Canada, early death was the most common outcome, but 10 percent to 13 percent survived for 10 years, according to a study. Among children who underwent surgical interventions, one-year survival was high.
  
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