Science news

• Jupiter moon may have water plumes that shoot up 125 miles

  26-09-2016 23:47
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Hubble Space Telescope has spied what appear to be water plumes on one of Jupiter's icy moons shooting up as high as 125 miles.
  
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• Europa spouting off again

  26-09-2016 23:18
  
  Plumes of presumably water erupt from the surface of Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa, in images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
  
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• Nova Scotia's ancient cold-water corals protected by fishing ban

  26-09-2016 22:42 via cbc.ca
  
  Fisheries and Oceans Canada says its decision to protect more than 9,000 square kilometres of ocean bottom off Nova Scotia will have a minimal impact on the province's fishing industry and a major impact in saving ancient cold water corals.
  
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• Water spotted spurting from Jupiter's moon

  26-09-2016 22:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Nasa says jets of water spotted spurting from Jupiter's moon, Europa, take them a step closer to finding out if there is life in space.
  
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• Japan navy chief urges resumption of China port visits

  26-09-2016 21:56
  By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of Japan's navy on Monday repeated criticisms of China's pursuit of territorial claims in Asia but called for a resumption of port and personnel visits suspended for several years amid rising tensions between the two Asian powers. Admiral Tomohisa Takei said exchange visits by senior naval personnel and warships were effective in improving relationships between armed forces. "Our door is open."While criticizing China's for its actions in the Ea
  
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• Nasa's latest discovery could make finding life in our solar system a lot easier

  26-09-2016 21:37
  
  One of Jupiter’s moons is seen as among the most promising sites for life in the solar system.
  
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• Pokemon Go fervour has cooled, but the game isn't dead yet

  26-09-2016 21:35 via cbc.ca
  
  Pokemon Go was an instant hit when it debuted in July, as millions of people discovered augmented reality and joined stampedes from Central Park to Sydney. But as the hype subsides, what's next for the game?
  
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• Regulatory RNA essential to DNA damage response

  26-09-2016 21:28
  It iss essential for cells to quickly ascertain whether it's possible to repair mistakes or to self-destruct for the good of the organism. That's because cells with a damaged genome often begin to flout the standard rules of growth and become cancerous. Now, researchers have discovered a new player in this high-stakes molecular game in the form of a novel regulatory RNA they've named DINO. This RNA molecule binds to and stabilizes a well-known tumor suppressor protein called p53 that mobilizes a
  
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• Iron nanoparticles make immune cells attack cancer

  26-09-2016 21:27
  Iron nanoparticles can activate the immune system to attack cancer cells, according to a study. The nanoparticles, which are commercially available as the injectable iron supplement ferumoxytol, are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat iron deficiency anemia.
  
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• Poaching behind worst African elephant losses in 25 years

  26-09-2016 21:18
  Africa's overall elephant population has seen the worst declines in 25 years, mainly due to poaching over the past ten years -- according to IUCN's African Elephant Status Report.
  
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• Vaccine vs many common cold viruses achievable

  26-09-2016 21:13
  Scientists are making the case that a vaccine against rhinoviruses, the predominant cause of the common cold, is achievable, saying that the immune system can handle the challenge.
  
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• Tapping evolution to improve biotech products

  26-09-2016 21:13
  Scientists can improve protein-based drugs by reaching into the evolutionary past, a new paper proposes. As a proof of concept for this approach, the research team showed how "ancestral sequence reconstruction" or ASR can guide engineering of the blood clotting protein known as factor VIII, which is deficient in the inherited disorder hemophilia A.
  
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• Methane didn’t warm ancient Earth, new simulations suggest

  26-09-2016 21:00
  
  Scarce oxygen and abundant sulfate prevented methane from accumulating enough to keep Earth warm hundreds of millions of years ago, reviving the faint young sun paradox.
  
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• Hubble spies possible water plumes spewing from Jupiter moon

  26-09-2016 20:53
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted possible water plumes spewing from one of Jupiter's icy moons.
  
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• Hubble spots possible water plumes erupting on Jupiter's moon Europa

  26-09-2016 20:29
  Astronomers have imaged what may be water vapor plumes erupting off the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. This finding bolsters other Hubble observations suggesting the icy moon erupts with high altitude water vapor plumes.
  
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• Why belly fat is dangerous for the heart

  26-09-2016 20:28
  Increasing stomach fat – especially the “hidden fat” in your abdomen – is associated with newly identified and worsening heart disease risk factors, according to a study. These adverse changes in cardiovascular risk were evident over a relatively short period of time and persisted even after accounting for changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, two commonly used methods to estimate whether someone is a healthy weight or not.
  
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• Broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies pave the way for vaccine

  26-09-2016 20:28
  A small number of people infected with HIV produce antibodies with an amazing effect: Not only are the antibodies directed against the own virus strain, but also against different sub-types of HIV that circulate worldwide. Researchers now reveal which factors are responsible for the human body forming such broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies, thereby opening new avenues for the development of an HIV vaccine.
  
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• Europa moon 'spewing water jets'

  26-09-2016 20:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Further evidence has been obtained to show that Jupiter's icy moon Europa throws jets of water out into space.
  
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• Study: Earth's roughly warmest in about 100,000 years

  26-09-2016 19:51
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study paints a picture of an Earth that is warmer than it has been in about 120,000 years, and is locked into eventually hitting its hottest mark in more than 2 million years.
  
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• Securities regulator should probe Yahoo over hacking disclosure, says U.S. senator

  26-09-2016 19:18 via cbc.ca
  
  Democratic Senator Mark Warner on Monday asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Yahoo and its senior executives fulfilled obligations to inform investors and the public about a hacking attack affecting 500 million user accounts.
  
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• Spinal Tap Test Gauges Sports Concussion Severity

  26-09-2016 19:15 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Biomarkers detected in athletes’ spinal fluid could hint at potential dementia risk
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Nunavut shipwreck confirmed as Sir John Franklin's HMS Terror

  26-09-2016 19:04 via cbc.ca
  
  A shipwreck found off the shores of Nunavut's King William Island is indeed HMS Terror, lost in Sir John Franklin's doomed 1845 expedition, Parks Canada confirms.
  
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• Kerry discounts Syrian suggestion of talks on unity government

  26-09-2016 18:43
  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday dismissed a suggestion from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem that his government is prepared to take part in a unity government, given its continued bombing of the city of Aleppo. "The Assad regime’s statements are almost meaningless at this point in time," Kerry told reporters in Cartagena, on a trip for the signing of a peace deal between the Colombian government and FARC rebels. "So we will have to see whether or not anything can deve
  
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• Crystalline fault lines provide pathway for solar cell current

  26-09-2016 17:55
  A team of scientists studying solar cells made from cadmium telluride, a promising alternative to silicon, has discovered that microscopic "fault lines" within and between crystals of the material act as conductive pathways that ease the flow of electric current. This research may help explain how a common processing technique turns cadmium telluride into an excellent material for transforming sunlight into electricity, and suggests a strategy for engineering more efficient solar devices that su
  
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• Yeast knockouts peel back secrets of cell protein function

  26-09-2016 17:53
  To fill in the blanks on mitochondria, researchers deleted 174 genes, one by one, in yeast. They then subjected the yeast to high-intensity mass spectrometry to measure unprecedented detail on thousands of metabolic products, including proteins, intermediate chemicals called metabolites, and lipids.
  
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• Scientists' finding supports moon creation hypothesis

  26-09-2016 17:53
  A layer of iron and other elements deep underground is the evidence scientists have long been seeking to support the hypothesis that the moon was formed by a planetary object hitting the infant Earth some 4.5 billion years ago, a new study argues.
  
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• Rising ocean temperatures threaten baby lobsters

  26-09-2016 17:53
  If water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine rise a few degrees by end of the century, it could mean trouble for lobsters and the industry they support, according to newly published research.
  
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• Photons do the twist, and scientists can now measure it

  26-09-2016 17:53
  Researchers have measured the twisting force, or torque, generated by light on a silicon chip. Their work holds promise for applications such as miniaturized gyroscopes and torsional sensors to measure magnetic field, which can have significant industrial and consumer impact.
  
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• New discovery may benefit farmers worldwide

  26-09-2016 17:53
  Plant scientists have shown for the first time how an ancient crop teams up with a beneficial microbe to protect against a devastating fungal infection, a discovery that may benefit millions of subsistence farmers and livestock in developing countries.
  
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• Excess dietary zinc worsens C. diff infection

  26-09-2016 17:53
  The consumption of dietary supplements and cold therapies containing high concentrations of zinc is now being called into question, following research that suggests it may worsen Clostridium difficile infection.
  
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• The language of senses

  26-09-2016 17:51
  Sight, touch and hearing are our windows to the world: these sensory channels send a constant flow of information to the brain, which acts to sort out and integrate these signals, allowing us to perceive the world and interact with our environment. But how do these sensory pathways emerge during development?
  
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• 'Teashirt' gene links autism and kidney problems, new study finds

  26-09-2016 17:51
  A gene dubbed the ‘Teashirt’ by its discoverers has been identified as a link between children with kidney problems and autism, in a new study which has implications for how doctors working on both conditions administer tests to their patients.
  
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• Scientists track down possible new treatment for epilepsy

  26-09-2016 17:51
  Increasing the concentration of specific fats in the brain could suppress epileptic seizures, ground-breaking new research shows. On the basis of this discovery, scientists were able to completely suppress epileptic seizures in fruit flies.
  
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• New genetic links for heart disease risk factors identified

  26-09-2016 17:51
  17 rare human genetic variations associated with risk factors for diseases such as heart disease and diabetes have now been uncovered by scientists.
  
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• Morning sickness linked to lower risk of pregnancy loss

  26-09-2016 17:51
  Nausea and vomiting that occurs in pregnancy is often called "morning sickness," as these symptoms typically begin in the morning and usually resolve as the day progresses. For most women, nausea and vomiting subside by the 4th month of pregnancy. Others may have these symptoms for the duration of their pregnancies. The cause of morning sickness is not known, but researchers have proposed that it protects the fetus against toxins and disease-causing organisms in foods and beverages.
  
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• US not on track to meet 2025 carbon pollution cutting goal

  26-09-2016 17:37
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Unless it does more, the United States probably will fall short of goals set under last year's Paris agreement to dramatically reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases, according to a new study.
  
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• New low-mass objects could help refine planetary evolution

  26-09-2016 17:18
  When a star is young, it is often still surrounded by a primordial rotating disk of gas and dust, from which planets can form. Astronomers like to find such disks because they might be able to catch the star partway through the planet formation process, but it's highly unusual to find such disks around brown dwarfs or stars with very low masses. New work has discovered four new low-mass objects surrounded by disks.
  
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• How cancer’s 'invisibility cloak' works

  26-09-2016 17:13
  Researchers have discovered how cancer cells become invisible to the body's immune system, a crucial step that allows tumors to metastasize and spread throughout the body.
  
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• Will live streaming of U.S. election debates engage voters?

  26-09-2016 17:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Sure there are doubts about how they make editorial decisions, but with Twitter and Facebook committed to a role in the four U.S. election debates, the question is, can they draw in the unengaged voter?
  
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• Mercury’s surface still changing

  26-09-2016 17:00
  
  A population of small cliffs on Mercury suggests that the planet might have been tectonically active in the last 50 million years.
  
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• Leprosy Found in California Child: How Doctors Diagnosed It

  26-09-2016 16:59
  
  Leprosy has been confirmed in one of two California schoolchildren suspected to have the disease, according to CBS Los Angeles. Health officials were first notified in early September about the two possible cases of leprosy, now usually called Hansen's disease. The diagnosis was confirmed at the National Hansen's Disease Laboratory Research Program (NHDP) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  
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• In Shift, Most Americans Now Say President Should Release All Medical Records

  26-09-2016 16:59
  A majority of Americans now say that a U.S. president should release all of his or her medical information. The poll, which was conducted by Gallup last week, found that a slim majority of Americans, 51 percent, said that a president should release all medical information that might affect that person's ability to serve in office, whereas 46 percent said that a president should have the right to keep those medical records private. The new poll results are a change from the results in 2004, when
  
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• Lowering the heat makes new materials possible while saving energy

  26-09-2016 16:58
  A low-temperature process has been developed that has opened a window on the ability to combine incompatible materials, such as ceramics and plastics, into new, useful compound materials.
  
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• How the anthrax toxin forms a deadly 'conveyer belt'

  26-09-2016 16:58
  Researchers have built a three-dimensional map of the anthrax toxin that may explain how it efficiently transfers its lethal components into the cytoplasm of infected cells. The study suggests that the bacterial protein acts as a “conveyer belt” that allows toxic enzymes to continuously stream across cell membranes.
  
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• Drug Overdose Cluster in Canada Tied to Opioid-Laced Cocaine

  26-09-2016 16:58
  
  More than 40 people in a Canadian city were treated for an opioid overdose this summer after they smoked crack cocaine that had been contaminated with an opioid drug related to fentanyl, according to a new report. In mid-July, a hospital in the city of Surrey, British Columbia, experienced a large spike in patients needing treatment for an opioid overdose — about 11 patients per day needed treatment, up from the usual four patients per day. Most of the patients had become unconscious after
  
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• Consuming fewer calories reduces the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm, study suggests

  26-09-2016 16:58
  Mice placed on a low-calorie diet are less likely to develop abdominal aortic aneurysms, according to a new stud. The paper suggests new ways to prevent the often fatal condition from occurring in humans.
  
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• Widespread adoption of SBRT has improved survival rates for elderly patients with early stage lung cancer

  26-09-2016 16:57
  Survival rates for elderly patients who received stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) rose from roughly 40 to 60 percent over the past decade, concurrent with the increasing adoption of SBRT, according to research.
  
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• Unknown exposure to second-hand smoke associated with increased mortality

  26-09-2016 16:57
  A new biomarker has identified known and unknown exposure to second-hand smoke and confirmed a strong association to increased mortality in non-smokers, according to a new study. The results provide a more accurate way to gauge second-hand smoke exposure than questionnaires, and present a strong case for more stringent limits on smoking and increased preventive screenings for those more likely to have been exposed to second-hand smoke.
  
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• 'Muscle Memory' May Not Really Exist

  26-09-2016 16:57
  
  Muscle tissue does not have a "memory" of past exercise training, new research suggests. That may be both good news and bad news for people, said study co-author Malene Lindholm, a molecular exercise physiologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. "It's encouraging for people who haven't trained when they're young because you don't have a disadvantage," Lindholm told Live Science.
  
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• Medulloblastoma patients should receive both chemotherapy and radiation post-surgery

  26-09-2016 16:57
  The addition of chemotherapy to postoperative treatment for adults with medulloblastoma improves survival, new research demonstrates. Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common brain tumor in children, but is relatively rare in adults. Chemotherapy use in adult MB is largely based on pediatric outcomes, and its effectiveness has been unclear.
  
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