Science news

• U.S. scientist dies in snowmobile plunge in Antarctica

  24-10-2016 23:41
  (Reuters) - A U.S.-based scientist was killed in Antarctica when the snowmobile he was driving plunged into a crevasse on Saturday, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) said in a statement on Monday. Gordon Hamilton, 50, a University of Maine professor in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences, and a researcher with the Climate Change Institute, fell 100 feet (30.48 metres) into the crevasse, the NSF statement said. Hamilton was part of a team camped in a heavily crevassed area known as
  
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• Genetic mutation in whale eyes may increase mortality risks

  24-10-2016 23:18
  Difficulty seeing in bright light, which can be linked to a genetic mutation, can also increase baleen whales' susceptibility to fatal entanglements in fishing gear, say researchers.
  
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• Rabies vaccine effective even after warm storage

  24-10-2016 23:17
  Rabies vaccines stored at warmer temperatures still protect against the disease in dogs, a new research study concludes. The work could lead to improved vaccination coverage in hard to reach, rural areas in Africa and Asia where electricity for cooling is limited.
  
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• Court: US agency acted reasonably to protect seals

  24-10-2016 23:08
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An appeals court panel on Monday ruled that a federal agency acted reasonably in proposing to list a certain population of bearded seals threatened by sea ice loss.
  
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• Parasitic plants may form weapons out of genes stolen from hosts

  24-10-2016 23:07
  Sneaky parasitic weeds may be able to steal genes from the plants they are attacking and then use those genes against the host plant, according to a team of scientists.
  
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• USGS: Oklahoma quake likely caused by wastewater disposal

  24-10-2016 23:06
  FAIRVIEW, Okla. (AP) — The third-largest earthquake in Oklahoma was likely triggered by underground disposal of wastewater from oil and natural gas production, the U.S. Geological Survey found in a report issued Monday.
  
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• Simple instruction sheet helps patients correctly take regular medications before surgery

  24-10-2016 23:06
  Patients may be more likely to take their regularly prescribed medications for chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension correctly before surgery when provided a simple instruction sheet, reveals a study. Taking medication correctly before surgery can improve patient safety and comfort, and reduce day-of-surgery cancellations.
  
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• Atom-by-atom growth chart for shells helps decode past climate

  24-10-2016 23:06
  For the first time scientists can see how the shells of tiny marine organisms grow atom-by-atom, a new study reports. The advance provides new insights into the mechanisms of biomineralization and will improve our understanding of environmental change in Earth's past.
  
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• Pope urges Venezuela's Maduro to alleviate people's suffering

  24-10-2016 22:58
  By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made a surprise visit on Monday to Pope Francis, who urged the embattled leader to alleviate people's suffering and negotiate with the opposition to solve his country's crisis. The private, evening meeting took place in the framework of the "worrying" situation in Venezuela which was "weighing heavily on the entire population", a Vatican statement said. It said the pope had urged Maduro to "courageously take up the p
  
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• Alan Alda asks scientists to explain energy to children

  24-10-2016 22:49
  STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Alan Alda wants scientists to answer a question for 11-year-old children: What is energy?
  
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• Frequent liars show less activity in key brain structure

  24-10-2016 22:43
  
  Brain activity changed as people lied more, a new study finds.
  
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• Women who opt for laughing gas during labor may still get an epidural, study shows

  24-10-2016 22:25
  The majority of women who chose nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to manage labor pain, ultimately decide to have an epidural, according to new research. Investigators found nitrous oxide provided limited pain relief, with patients reporting no change in average pain scores after its use.
  
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• New guidelines published for discontinuing mechanical ventilation in ICU

  24-10-2016 22:25
  New guidelines for discontinuing mechanical ventilation in critically ill adults have been published by researchers. The goal of the guidelines is to help physicians and other health care professionals determine when patients with acute respiratory failure can breathe on their own and to provide clinical advice that may increase the chances for successful extubation.
  
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• Drug use in business bathrooms in New York City surveyed

  24-10-2016 22:25
  This is the first quantitative study of business manager encounters with drug use which suggests overdose recognition and naloxone training, combined with the operation of supervised injection facilities, could save lives.
  
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• Nanofiber coating prevents infections of prosthetic joints

  24-10-2016 22:24
  A novel coating they made with antibiotic-releasing nanofibers has the potential to better prevent at least some serious bacterial infections related to total joint replacement surgery, scientists show in a proof-of-concept study with mice.
  
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• Study links small RNA molecule to pregnancy complication

  24-10-2016 22:22
  A family of small RNA molecules affects the development of cells that give rise to the placenta -- an organ that transfers oxygen and nutrients from mother to fetus -- in ways that could contribute to a serious pregnancy complication, researchers report.
  
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• Report reveals a big dependence on freshwater fish for global food security

  24-10-2016 22:22
  Freshwater fish play a surprisingly crucial role in feeding some of the world's most vulnerable people, according to a new study.
  
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• Scientists uncover why hepatitis C virus vaccine has been difficult to make

  24-10-2016 22:16
  Researchers have been trying for decades to develop a vaccine against the globally endemic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Now scientists have discovered one reason why success has so far been elusive.
  
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• Microbe hunters discover long-sought-after iron-munching microbe

  24-10-2016 22:16
  A microbe that ‘eats’ both methane and iron: microbiologists have long suspected its existence, but were not able to find it - until now. Researchers have discovered a microorganism that couples the reduction of iron to methane oxidation, and could thus be relevant in controlling greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
  
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• Taking an EVA with the Mars 160 Crew

  24-10-2016 21:28
  
  The Mars Society is conducting an ambitious two-phase Mars 160 Twin Desert-Arctic Analog mission to study how seven crewmembers could live, work and perform science on a true mission to Mars. Mars 160 crewmember Annalea Beattie is chronicling the mission, which will spend 80 days at the Mars Desert Research Station in southern Utah desert before venturing far north to Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island, Canada in summer 2017.
  
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• Look Out Below! Landslides Spotted on Pluto's Moon Charon

  24-10-2016 21:28
  
  Look out below! Scientists have found evidence of landslides on Pluto's moon Charon. This is the first time this geologic feature has been discovered in the Kuiper Belt, according to New Horizons scientists. The landslides on Charon were spotted by NASA's New Horizons probe, which made a close flyby of the Pluto system in July 2015.
  
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• How Deadly Would a Nearby Gamma-Ray Burst Be?

  24-10-2016 21:28
  
  Despite the obvious doom and gloom associated with mass extinctions, they have a tendency to capture our imagination. But not all mass extinctions are quite as dramatic and not all have an easily identified culprit. The Ordovician extinction — one of the "big five" in Earth's history — occurred around 450 million years ago when the population of marine species plummeted.
  
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• Chinese Postage Stamps Honor Shenzhou 11 Taikonauts Now on Space Lab

  24-10-2016 21:28
  
  China's latest astronauts to launch into space have landed on a series of stamps and related postal souvenirs celebrating their ongoing mission. Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, who docked their Shenzhou 11 spacecraft to China's Tiangong-2 space lab on Tuesday (Oct. 18) beginning a month-long stay at the complex, are featured on the new postage stamps issued by the China National Philatelic Corporation, which is authorized by the China Post to sell stamp products to the public. The stamps feature the
  
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• Kerry speaks to Philippines counterpart after separation comment by Duterte

  24-10-2016 21:07
  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to his Philippines counterpart over the weekend, emphasizing strong and stable ties between the allies after comments by the Philippines president raised questions about bilateral relations, the State Department said on Monday. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry expressed concern about the tone of remarks by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has sharply criticized President Barack Obama and talked about a separation from the United
  
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• Venezuela's Maduro pays surprise visit to Pope

  24-10-2016 20:56
  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made an unannounced trip to the Vatican on Monday to meet Pope Francis, who urged the embattled leader to alleviate people's suffering to solve the crisis in his country. A Vatican statement said the private, evening meeting "took place in the framework of the worrying situation of the political, economic and social crisis that the country is going through and which is weighing heavily on the entire population". It said the pope had urged Maduro to "courageous
  
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• Dinosaurs of a feather flocked together, University of Alberta study finds

  24-10-2016 20:21 via cbc.ca
  
  Bird-like dinosaurs were social creatures and likely flocked together, contrary to the popular image of dinosaurs as solitary creatures, suggests a study at the University of Alberta.
  
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• Research is upgrading an element by stretching it

  24-10-2016 20:05
  A new family of self-assembled nanomaterials capable of storing large amounts of tensile strain, without damage to the crystalline structure, is currently being developed by scientists.
  
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• Iron-deficiency anemia in ulcerative colitis: Many patients don't get testing, treatment

  24-10-2016 20:05
  Many patients with ulcerative colitis don't receive recommended testing and treatment for the common problem of iron deficiency anemia, reports a new study.
  
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• The houseplant with a blueprint for improving energy harvesting

  24-10-2016 19:39
  For many people, nanotechnology belongs in the realm of science fiction. Researchers have solved the mystery of the blue sheen on the leaves of some begonias and have found that their chloroplasts have evolved a nanoscale light-trapping structure to help them survive in the darkness of the forest floor.
  
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• Human-made noise can affect how animals use information from scents

  24-10-2016 19:39
  For the first time, research has found that human-made noise can have a detrimental impact on an animal’s use of scent – putting them at greater risk of being attacked by predators.
  
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• Amazon rainstorms transport atmospheric particles for cloud formation

  24-10-2016 19:38
  Tracking atmospheric particles in a pristine environment will help scientists understand the impact of industrial aerosols on climate, say researchers at conclusion of a study on Amazonian rainstorms.
  
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• What proportion of cancer deaths are attributable to smoking around the US?

  24-10-2016 19:37
  The proportion of cancer deaths attributable to cigarette smoking varied across the United States but was highest in the South, where nearly 40 percent of cancer deaths in men were estimated to be connected to smoking in some states, according to a new article.
  
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• How is health-related quality of life for kids with postconcussion symptoms?

  24-10-2016 19:36
  Children with persistent postconcussion symptoms reported lower overall, physical, emotional, social and school quality of life for at least 12 weeks after concussion than children whose concussion symptoms resolved more quickly, although even those children reported lower school quality of life, according to a new article.
  
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• What the ancient carbon dioxide record may mean for future climate change

  24-10-2016 19:34
  Scientists have reconstructed the ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) record from about 300 million years ago. Their study reveals previously unknown fluctuations of atmospheric CO2 at levels projected for current century, they say. It also highlights the potential impact the loss of tropical forests can have on climate.
  
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• Zebrafish want to hang out with moving 3-D robotic models of themselves

  24-10-2016 19:32
  Authenticity is an important trait, and zebrafish take it especially seriously. An interdisciplinary team of researchers has discovered that zebrafish engage more with 3D-moving robotic models of themselves than with other stimuli.
  
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• Ice shelf vibrations cause unusual waves in Antarctic atmosphere

  24-10-2016 19:28
  Low-frequency vibrations of the Ross Ice Shelf are likely causing ripples and undulations in the air above Antarctica, a new study finds. Using mathematical models of the ice shelf, the study's authors show how vibrations in the ice match those seen in the atmosphere, and are likely causing these mysterious atmospheric waves.
  
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• Breakthrough in quantifying belief system dynamics

  24-10-2016 19:27
  It's no secret humans are social creatures with beliefs that are, literally, all over the map. What wasn't known was how those beliefs are influenced by our social interactions. Now sociologists have developed a mathematical model that describes the relationship between belief systems and interpersonal influence, and what happens when underlying beliefs change.
  
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• Ferocity of Kirkuk attack points to tough fight for Mosul

  24-10-2016 19:07
  By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Michael Georgy KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - At least 100 fighters sneaked into Kirkuk in the early hours of Friday with machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, suicide vests and a message: "Islamic State has taken over." The message blared out from several mosque loudspeakers while the militants went on a rampage. By the time they had blasted their way across the city in a brazen and complex attack, 99 civilians and members of the security forces were dead and 63 of their
  
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• Slippery slope: Study finds little lies lead to bigger ones

  24-10-2016 18:16
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Telling little fibs leads down a slippery slope to bigger lies — and our brains adapt to escalating dishonesty, which makes deceit easier, a new study shows.
  
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• 'Intentional, malicious' cyberattack led to Ontario literacy test system crash

  24-10-2016 17:54 via cbc.ca
  
  Ontario’s brand-new online system for standardized tests crashed last week, cancelling the OSSLT test.
  
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• Embryo Fish Face, Cow Dung & Beetle Feet Win Small World Photo Contest

  24-10-2016 17:49
  
  In your face! A 4-day-old zebrafish embryo's dour mug nabbed the top prize in the annual Nikon Small World photo competition, which showcases often-unseen wonders of the natural world that can be viewed only through a microscope. Nikon Small World revealed the first-place photo today (Oct. 19) on Instagram — a first for the contest — at @NikonInstruments. Captured by senior research scientist Oscar Ruiz, at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the image reveals incredib
  
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• Ancient 'Frankenstein' Bug Mixed Grasshopper, Wasp & Roach Parts

  24-10-2016 17:45
  
  Scientists have recently discovered a mysterious, 100-million-year-old insect trapped in amber — and as far as anyone knows, it is unlike any other insect that has ever lived on Earth. "When I first looked at this insect, I had no idea what it was," study co-author George Poinar Jr., a professor emeritus at Oregon State University, said in a statement. Scientists working in the region have found hundreds of other well-preserved creatures trapped in amber, all from the Cretaceous Period.
  
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• Scientists Untangle Chemistry of Frankincense to Develop 'Perfume'

  24-10-2016 17:44
  
  "They are contained in extremely low amounts" — less than 100 parts per million in the essential oil for the most potent molecule, study leader Nicolas Baldovini, a chemist at the Institute de Chimie de Nice in France, wrote in an email to Live Science. The scent comes from the resin of gum trees of the genus Boswellia, and it was burned as incense in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. The oldest archaeological evidence for frankincense use dates back to the late fourth millennium B.C. Frankin
  
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• Found: Fossil Crocodile with a Mammal's Smile

  24-10-2016 17:43
  
  Chew on this: A partial skull and jaw of a small crocodile relative that lived 100 million years ago has teeth that are more like a mammal's than a crocodilian's, according to a new study. While crocodiles' toothy grins typically feature only cone-shaped teeth, this ancient crocodile relative from Morocco had more complex teeth, with specialized shapes that had pits surrounded by multiple pointed ends known as cusps. The conical tooth shape in modern crocodiles is perfectly suited for the way th
  
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• Astronomers claim mysterious signals from 234 stars could be from aliens, but the science world isn't convinced

  24-10-2016 17:32
  
  Experts say more research needs to be done to back this theory.
  
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• Venomous Snake Bites on the Rise in Kids

  24-10-2016 17:21
  
  Between 2000 and 2013, there were more than 18,000 reports of snakebites in children in the U.S., the researchers wrote in their study, which was published Oct. 20 in the journal Pediatrics. About half the snakebites that were reported were from venomous snakes, according to the study. Bites from cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) accounted for 6 percent of bites, while 3 percent came from coral snakes and 1 percent came from exotic venomous snakes, the researchers found.
  
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• Healthy Viewing: New Screen Time Guidelines for Kids

  24-10-2016 17:20
  
  Parents who are unsure of the answer can turn to a new set of guidelines put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The new recommendations outline how much time kids — ranging from infants to adolescents — can spend watching TV and engaging with other media that involves using a screen. "Families should proactively think about their children’s media use and talk with children about it, because too much media use can mean that children don’t have enough time d
  
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• UN weather agency: Heat-trapping gas surges beyond milestone

  24-10-2016 17:14
  The World Meteorological Organization says heat-trapping gases in Earth's atmosphere are growing faster than before, surging permanently beyond a troubling milestone.
  
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• Oxygen Shift May Be Key to Resetting Biological Clock

  24-10-2016 17:08
  
  A small shift in the oxygen levels in the air could act as a "reset" button for the biological clock, according to a new study in mice. Mice in the study that were exposed to a brief dip in the levels of oxygen in the air that they were breathing adjusted more quickly to a new circadian rhythm than mice that received steady levels of oxygen, the researchers found. In other words, the dip in oxygen levels seemed to help the animals adjust to the mouse equivalent of jet lag, according to the study
  
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• How Your Ancestry Influences the Inflammation in Your Body

  24-10-2016 17:07
  
  When ancient humans interbred with Neanderthals, they inherited DNA that may influence modern Europeans' immune systems to this day, a new study suggests. The research found that inflammation and other immune responses work differently in Africans than they do in Europeans, in part because Europeans have inherited some of their genetic information from Neanderthals, which were at one time the closest living relatives of modern humans. The study showed that people of African ancestry may have a s
  
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