Science news

• Global warming 'hiatus' never happened, say climate scientists

  05-01-2017 23:23 via cbc.ca
  
  A new report says there's more evidence that global temperature data from a few years ago suggesting a pause in warming was wrong. Ocean temperatures have continued to rise.
  
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• 'We're paying with our data': Why privacy can be a problem with apps

  05-01-2017 23:19 via cbc.ca
  
  The average Canadian has at least 18 apps on their mobile device according to research group Catalyst Canada: everything from fitness to social sharing to shopping and games. But is the fun and convenience worth all the personal information you could be giving away?
  
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• Hotline cha-ching? Drake helps streaming surpass U.S. digital music sales

  05-01-2017 23:14 via cbc.ca
  
  Drake helped music streaming services explode in 2016 to overtake U.S. digital music sales for the first time in history, Nielsen Music said on Thursday.
  
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• Fossil fruit from 52 million years ago revealed

  05-01-2017 22:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Fossils of ancient plants shed light on how the family that includes crops such as potatoes evolved.
  
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• Astronomers find galaxy unlike anything ever seen before

  05-01-2017 22:48 via cbc.ca
  
  Astronomers have discovered a rare type of galaxy 359 million light-years from Earth that came with a bit of a surprise.
  
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• Using fat to help wounds heal without scars

  05-01-2017 22:02
  Doctors have found a way to manipulate wounds to heal as regenerated skin rather than scar tissue. The method involves transforming the most common type of cells found in wounds into fat cells -- something that was previously thought to be impossible in humans.
  
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• New surgical mask doesn't just trap viruses, it renders them harmless

  05-01-2017 22:02
  The surgical masks people wear to stop the spread of diseases don't work well -- that isn't what they're designed for. Pathogens like influenza are transmitted in aerosol droplets when we cough or sneeze. Masks trap the droplets but the virus remains infectious. Scientists took on the challenge of improving the masks, using salt to turn them into virus killers.
  
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• Measuring trees with the speed of sound

  05-01-2017 22:02
  Foresters and researchers are using sound to look inside living trees. A new study presents methods for use of sonic tomography, which measures wood decay by sending sound waves through tree trunks. The new study describes optimum placement of the sensors to avoid aberrant tomography results for the non-model tree shapes that populate the tropics and details how to analyze the tomograms to quantify areas of decayed and damaged wood.
  
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• Arctic sea ice loss impacts beluga whale migration

  05-01-2017 22:02
  A new study finds the annual migration of some beluga whales in Alaska is altered by sea ice changes in the Arctic, while other belugas do not appear to be affected.
  
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• Anemia protects African children against malaria

  05-01-2017 22:02
  Iron deficiency anemia protects children against the blood-stage of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Africa, and treating anemia with iron supplementation removes this protective effect, new research suggests.
  
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• Ski-run surprise: Lynx stroll past crowds in rare sightings

  05-01-2017 21:11
  
  DENVER (AP) — Some elusive and charismatic lynx have been parading past awe-struck Colorado residents and visitors this winter, electrifying social media and giving biologists reason to smile.
  
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• We Remember Faces Better as Adults

  05-01-2017 21:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Brain regions involved in recognizing visages continue to develop into young adulthood
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Nerve-signaling protein regulates gene associated with Schizophrenia

  05-01-2017 20:43
  Researchers have identified a protein that regulates a gene associated with schizophrenia. The study’s findings have significant implications for schizophrenia treatment.
  
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• South American fossil tomatillos show nightshades evolved earlier than thought

  05-01-2017 20:35
  Delicate fossil remains of tomatillos found in Patagonia, Argentina, show that this branch of the economically important family that also includes potatoes, peppers, tobacco, petunias and tomatoes existed 52 million years ago, long before the dates previously ascribed to these species, according to an international team of scientists.
  
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• Scientists crack the structure of HIV machinery

  05-01-2017 20:35
  Antiviral therapy could be improved with newly uncovered atomic-level details of the structure of HIV machinery, report researchers.
  
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• Research helps explain why androgen-deprivation therapy doesn't work for many prostate cancers

  05-01-2017 20:35
  Metastatic prostate cancer, or prostate cancer that has spread to other organs, is incurable. In new research, scientists have identified two gatekeeper genes that allow prostate cancer to progress and resist treatment. Their work illuminates the mechanisms behind lineage plasticity, the ability of prostate cancer to adapt to therapy, and highlights opportunities to disrupt and even reverse this deadly process.
  
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• One part of the brain unexpectedly continues to grow in adulthood

  05-01-2017 20:35
  In humans, the part of the brain that's responsible for face recognition continues to grow into adulthood, a new study reveals. The results are surprising, since brain development is largely thought to involve synaptic pruning, rather than growth.
  
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• Development of face recognition entails brain tissue growth

  05-01-2017 20:35
  A central tenet in neuroscience has been that the amount of brain tissue goes in one direction throughout our lives -- from too much to just enough. A new study finds that in some cases the brain can add tissue as well.
  
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• A flexible transistor that conforms to skin

  05-01-2017 20:35
  Researchers have created a stretchy transistor that can be elongated to twice its length with only minimal changes in its conductivity. The development is a valuable advancement for the field of wearable electronics.
  
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• Surprising process behind sense of touch

  05-01-2017 20:34
  Biologists have discovered a new mechanism that likely underlies how we feel force or touch.
  
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• Immune cell therapy shows promising results for lymphoma patients

  05-01-2017 20:34
  Physician investigators are working to bring immune cellular therapies to refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients. Promising results from the phase 1 portion of the ZUMA-1 study, which uses chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cells to treat b-cell lymphoma patients, have now been published.
  
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• Facial-processing area of brain keeps growing throughout childhood

  05-01-2017 20:19
  
  Contrary to scientists’ expectations, a facial-processing area of the brain grows new tissue during childhood, an MRI study suggests.
  
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• Tomatillo fossil is oldest nightshade plant

  05-01-2017 20:14
  
  Two 52-million-year-old tomatillo fossils in Patagonia push the origin of nightshade plants back millions of years, to the time when dinosaurs roamed.
  
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• Hunter-gatherers were possibly first to call Tibetan Plateau home

  05-01-2017 20:00
  
  Hunter-gatherers may have been Asia’s first year-round, high-altitude settlers.
  
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• Brave new gadgets unveiled at CES

  05-01-2017 19:43 via cbc.ca
  
  Companies are touting the latest and greatest tech innovation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Among the innovations: bots for children and magic mirrors.
  
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• Genomic data sharing is critical to improving genetic health care

  05-01-2017 19:38
  A new position statement tackles the question of how to make sense of the massive amount of genetic information being generated for better patient care.
  
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• Cancers evade immunotherapy by 'discarding the evidence' of tumor-specific mutations

  05-01-2017 19:38
  Results of an initial study of tumors from patients with lung cancer or head and neck cancer suggest that the widespread acquired resistance to immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors may be due to the elimination of certain genetic mutations needed to enable the immune system to recognize and attack malignant cells.
  
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• Ann Makosinski, 19-year-old B.C. inventor, makes Forbes 30 under 30 list

  05-01-2017 19:25 via cbc.ca
  
  A 19-year-old inventor from B.C., whose creations include a flashlight that runs off the heat of the human hand and a mug that uses heat from a drink to charge a phone, is among several Canadians named to Forbes magazine's annual 30 under 30 lists.
  
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• Another day, another eruption for Mexico's 'fire' volcano

  05-01-2017 19:23 via cbc.ca
  
  Mexico's Colima volcano spewed gas and ash into the sky after yet another eruption.
  
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• Study on sun protection behavior, skin cancer awareness

  05-01-2017 18:32
  A large international survey asked nearly 20,000 participants about their sun protection behavior and skin cancer awareness.
  
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• Radar reveals meltwater's year-round life under Greenland ice

  05-01-2017 18:32
  When summer temperatures rise in Greenland and the melt season begins, water pools on the surface, and sometimes disappears down holes in the ice. That water may eventually reach bedrock, creating a slipperier, faster slide for glaciers. But where does it go once it gets there, and what happens to it in the winter? A new study helps answer these questions.
  
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• Lung cancer patients may benefit from delayed chemotherapy after surgery

  05-01-2017 18:32
  Patients with a common form of lung cancer may still benefit from delayed chemotherapy started up to four months after surgery, according to a team of researchers.
  
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• Are tiny grazers the new hope for Caribbean reefs?

  05-01-2017 18:32
  Thirty years ago a mysterious disease wiped out long-spined black sea urchins across the Caribbean, leading to massive algal overgrowth that smothered already overfished coral reefs. Now, marine biologists report that smaller sea urchins and parrotfish may be taking the place of the large sea urchins, restoring the balance on degraded reefs.
  
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• This scientist is creating a new Japanese manga series to showcase women in science

  05-01-2017 18:31
  
  STEM Heroes aims to inspire schoolgirls to take an interest in science and technology.
  
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• New apps designed to reduce depression, anxiety as easily as checking your phone

  05-01-2017 18:31
  Now you can find help for depression and anxiety on your smartphone as quickly as finding a good sushi restaurant. A novel suite of 13 speedy mini-apps called IntelliCare significantly reduced depression and anxiety in study participants, who used the apps on their smartphones up to four times a day. The reductions of 50 percent in anxiety and depression are comparable to results expected in clinical practice using psychotherapy or with antidepressant medication.
  
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• Hummingbirds see motion in an unexpected way

  05-01-2017 18:31
  Have you ever imagined what the world must look like to hummingbirds as they zoom about at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour? According to new evidence on the way the hummingbird brain processes visual signals you can't. That's because a key area of the hummingbird's brain processes motion in a unique and unexpected way.
  
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• Climate change could trigger strong sea level rise

  05-01-2017 18:31
  About 15,000 years ago, the ocean around Antarctica has seen an abrupt sea level rise of several meters. It could happen again.
  
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• Cancer death rate has dropped 25 percent since 1991 peak

  05-01-2017 18:31
  A steady decline over more than two decades has resulted in a 25 percent drop in the overall cancer death rate in the United States. The drop equates to 2.1 million fewer cancer deaths between 1991 and 2014.
  
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• Biologist reveals important role cities play in conservation of threatened species

  05-01-2017 18:31
  The exhaustive international trade of wildlife has pushed many species to the brink of extinction. Coincidentally, many of the same species have been introduced to urban centers or wilderness areas outside their natural ranges.
  
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• Protein associated with Parkinson's travels from brain to gut

  05-01-2017 18:30
  'Alpha-synuclein,' a protein involved in a series of neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, is capable of traveling from brain to stomach and does so following a specific pathway, researchers have discovered. This study, carried out in rats, sheds new light on pathological processes that could underlie disease progression in humans.
  
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• Partners for life? For some birds, better the devil you know

  05-01-2017 18:30
  Many birds choose partners for life -- it offers many advantages and often improves a couple's breeding output. New research reveals that for the common tern lifelong monogamy does not always lead to breeding success. Nevertheless, they don't split up.
  
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• Hong Kong hosts more than a quarter of all marine species recorded in China

  05-01-2017 18:30
  Hong Kong has a record of 5,943 marine species, according to a recent review by a research group.
  
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• Eight European countries fight against the Asian longhorned beetle

  05-01-2017 18:23
  Asian longhorned beetles (ALBs), which are harmful to many broadleaf trees, have been spotted in eight European countries to date. The city of Winterthur (Switzerland) is the first place in Europe to eradicate a large beetle infestation in just four years; elsewhere, this has so far only been achieved in over ten years. According to a specialist, the recipe for success requires systematic action against the beetles, well-coordinated control measures and active information of the public. 
  
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• E-cigarette flavours pose unknown harm risk

  05-01-2017 18:23
  Electronic cigarette users are more at risk of lung damage if they use flavourings such as menthol and butterscotch, according to a new study.
  
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• These satellite images from the Met Office give a stunning new perspective on 2016's weather

  05-01-2017 17:53
  
  The images of the Northern Lights are pretty spectacular.
  
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• Origins of Elusive 'Ghost Shark' Revealed

  05-01-2017 17:21
  
  A 280-million-year-old skull of a so-called ghost shark has helped researchers determine exactly how chimaeras — mysterious, mostly deep-sea fish with wing-like fins and pointy snouts — are related to sharks, a new study finds. The ancient skull, belonging to the 4-foot-long (1.2 meters) shark-like fish Dwykaselachus oosthuizeni, was a rare find, as this animal's skeleton is made of cartilage, which rarely fossilizes, the researchers said. An anatomical examination showed that the an
  
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• For new smart-home gadgets, the spectre of insecurity looms

  05-01-2017 17:00 via cbc.ca
  
  In recent months, hackers have bent armies of internet-connected cameras, routers, and similar devices to their will to launch crippling cyberattacks — putting the spotlight on makers of similar products at this year's CES.
  
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• Bees prefer warm violets in cool forests, scientists discover

  05-01-2017 16:14
  In new study of Missouri bees and wildflowers has revealed the reproductive patterns in wildflowers in six countries for over 40 years, and thrives on new discoveries such as how bees respond to the color of the flowers they pollinate.
  
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• Turning up the thermostat could help tropical climates cool down

  05-01-2017 16:13
  New research done in Singapore shows that slightly raising indoor temperatures and equipping office workers with smart fans saves significantly on overall office building energy costs while maintaining employee comfort.
  
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• Hot weather not to blame for salmonella on egg farms

  05-01-2017 16:13
  New research shows there is no greater risk of Salmonella contamination in the production of free range eggs in Australia due to hot summer weather, compared with other seasons.
  
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