Science news

• Working memory as key to preventing misdiagnoses, overrepresentation of minorities in special education

  14-02-2017 23:28
  Researchers have found a link to growth in working memory and growth in English-language reading among young English-language learning students. The findings suggest better assessment and education that considers second language acquirement, and not just curriculum, could help prevent misdiagnoses of learning disabilities in minority students.
  
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• New understandings of cell death show promise for preventing Alzheimer’s

  14-02-2017 23:28
  Currently, the predominant theory behind Alzheimer’s disease is the “amyloid hypothesis,” which states that abnormally increased levels of amyloid beta (A?) peptides outside of brain cells produce a variety of low molecular weight A? aggregates that are toxic to the nervous system. These A? aggregates interact directly with target cells and lead to cell death. Scientists are now hunting for the specific mechanisms behind A?-induced toxicity to cells, or cytoxicity.
  
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• Life under pressure: Microbes in extreme environments

  14-02-2017 23:27
  Life can thrive in some of the most extreme environments on the planet. Microbes flourish inside hot geothermal vents, beneath the frigid ice covering Antarctica and under immense pressures at the bottom of the ocean. For these organisms to survive and function, so must the enzymes that enable them to live and grow. Now, researchers have homed in on what allows particular enzymes to function under extreme pressures.
  
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• How a plant resists drought

  14-02-2017 23:27
  Climate change will bring worsening droughts that threaten crops. One potential way to protect crops is by spraying them with a compound that induces the plants to become more drought resistant. Now, by identifying the key molecular mechanism that enables a plant to minimize water loss, researchers may be one step closer to that goal.
  
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• See how long Zika lasts in semen and other bodily fluids

  14-02-2017 23:03
  
  For most men infected with Zika, traces of the virus disappear from semen 81 days after symptoms begin. In other bodily fluids, Zika RNA is typically cleared even faster.
  
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• Passenger-carrying drone to fly in Dubai

  14-02-2017 22:42 via cbc.ca
  
  Up, up and away: Dubai hopes to have a passenger-carrying drone regularly buzzing through the skyline of this futuristic city-state in July.
  
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• Human gene editing therapies are OK in certain cases, panel advises

  14-02-2017 22:38
  
  A panel of experts says clinical gene editing to correct and prevent human disease should move forward, but enhancements should not be allowed.
  
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• Spread of lionfish in Gulf of Mexico is threat to reef fisheries

  14-02-2017 22:36
  As the old saying goes: "You can't put the genie back in the bottle." Nowhere is this more evident than with the spread of lionfish, an invasive, non-native species that is threatening the marine ecosystems across the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean.
  
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• One in four ER visits for eye problems aren't actually emergencies, study finds

  14-02-2017 22:36
  Pinkeye isn’t a medical emergency. Neither is a puffy eyelid. But a new study finds that nearly one in four people who seek emergency care for eye problems have those mild conditions, and recommends ways to help those patients get the right level of care.
  
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• Ice fishing as extreme sport: Burns, broken bones, concussions among injuries chronicled

  14-02-2017 22:36
  Ice fishing might seem like a benign sport – for everyone except the fish. Sitting in a cozy shanty waiting for a bite, what could go wrong? A lot, surgeons have found. The ice fishing injuries they have chronicled seem more like a casualty list from an extreme sport: burns, broken bones, concussions and more.
  
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• Scientists warned of costly impure chemicals

  14-02-2017 22:33
  Researchers are now warning fellow scientists of impure reagents that could skew results. The study found that commercial reagents, which were purchased from highly respected companies, were not pure but contained many contaminants which had a huge and potentially misleading effect on the scientists' work.
  
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• Shorter course of immunotherapy does not improve symptoms of allergic rhinitis long-term

  14-02-2017 22:28
  Among patients with moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis, two years of immunotherapy tablets was not significantly different from placebo in improving nasal symptoms at 3-year follow-up, according to a study.
  
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• Scalp cooling device may help reduce hair loss for women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy

  14-02-2017 22:28
  Two studies examine hair loss among women with breast cancer who received scalp cooling before, during and after chemotherapy.
  
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• Researchers identify new process to raise natural armies of cancer-targeting T lymphocytes

  14-02-2017 22:28
  A new culture method has been discovered that unlocks the natural fighter function of immune T cells when they are passing through the bloodstream. This allows T cell armies to be raised directly from blood that naturally recognize and target proteins that are present on most human cancers.
  
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• People can 'suppress' hay fever with three years of pollen pills or injections

  14-02-2017 22:28
  Patients blighted by hay fever could markedly reduce symptoms for several years after a three-year course of treatment, but not after two years of treatment, researchers have found.
  
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• Long-term eelgrass loss due to joint effects of shade, heat

  14-02-2017 22:28
  A new study links a long-term decline in Chesapeake Bay's eelgrass beds to both deteriorating water quality and rising summertime temperatures. It also shows that loss of the habitat and other benefits that eelgrass provides comes at a staggering ecological and economic cost.
  
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• Gene variants associated with body shape increase risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes

  14-02-2017 22:28
  A study has found that a pattern of gene variants associated with a body type, in which weight is deposited around the abdomen, rather than in the hips and thighs, increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, as well as the incidence of several cardiovascular risk factors. abdominal
  
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• Flirting on the 'fly:' what blow flies can tell us about attraction, dating apps

  14-02-2017 22:28
  The photoreceptors in blow fly eyes do more than help them navigate the environment, research shows. They're also used in an elaborate sexual communication system, aiding their quest to find the perfect mate by filtering out incompatible candidates.
  
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• India set to launch record 104 satellites with single rocket

  14-02-2017 21:19 via cbc.ca
  
  India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle will lift off from southern India on Wednesday morning with 104 satellites on board.
  
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• Fossil shows pregnant momma sea monster with developing embryo

  14-02-2017 21:19
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An extraordinary fossil unearthed in southwestern China shows a pregnant long-necked marine reptile that lived millions of years before the dinosaurs with its developing embryo, indicating this creature gave birth to live babies rather than laying eggs.
  
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• [Research Resource] A high-throughput, image-based screen to identify kinases involved in brown adipocyte development

  14-02-2017 20:33 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Multiple kinases are potential targets to enhance the development and function of brown fat.
  
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• [Research Article] The host microRNA miR-301a blocks the IRF1-mediated neuronal innate immune response to Japanese encephalitis virus infection

  14-02-2017 20:33 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Targeting a microRNA that inhibits type I interferon production may be a strategy to treat Japanese encephalitis virus infection.
  
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• [Research Article] Acetylation-dependent regulation of MDM2 E3 ligase activity dictates its oncogenic function

  14-02-2017 20:33 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Acetylation ofMDM2 promotes its oncogenic function by blocking its self-ubiquitination while enhancing its ubiquitination of the tumor suppressor p53.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] When silencing mRNA, position matters

  14-02-2017 20:33 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The mechanism of posttranscriptional silencing by an RNA-binding protein depends on the position of the protein-binding sequence in the mRNA.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Tamoxifen as an immunotherapy

  14-02-2017 20:33 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Antiestrogen drugs may treat some estrogen receptor-negative tumors by limiting the proliferation and activity of suppressive immune cells.
  
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• [Editors' Choice] Pseudophosphatase as E3 ubiquitin ligase inhibitor

  14-02-2017 20:33 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The pseudophosphatase STYX prevents the substrate recognition subunit FBXW7 from binding the catalytic E3 ubiquitin ligase complex.
  
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• Tamoxifen as an immunotherapy

  14-02-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Antiestrogen drugs may treat some estrogen receptor–negative tumors by limiting the proliferation and activity of suppressive immune cells.
  
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• U.S. experts soften on DNA editing of human eggs, sperm, embryos

  14-02-2017 19:45
  
  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Powerful gene editing tools may one day be used on human embryos, eggs and sperm to remove genes that cause inherited diseases, according to a report by U.S. scientists and ethicists released on Tuesday.
  
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• First live birth evidence in dinosaur relative

  14-02-2017 19:20 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists have uncovered the first evidence of live births in the group of animals that includes dinosaurs, crocodiles and birds.
  
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• History sheds light on Amazon's rich tree diversity

  14-02-2017 18:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The rich, diverse communities of trees in the Amazon are the result of species spreading over the vast area over geological time, a study suggests.
  
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• Fossil shows that ancient reptile gave live birth

  14-02-2017 18:30
  
  A new fossil shows that a prehistoric reptile may have given birth to live young, unlike its egg-laying descendants, birds and crocodiles.
  
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• Scientists soften position on DNA editing of human eggs, sperm, embryos

  14-02-2017 18:24 via cbc.ca
  
  Although not ready yet, powerful gene editing tools may one day be used on human embryos, eggs and sperm to remove genes that cause inherited diseases, according to a report by U.S. scientists and ethicists released on Tuesday.
  
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• Mapping rainforest chemistry from the air reveals 36 types of forest

  14-02-2017 17:30
  
  Aircraft analysis of tree chemicals reveals new biodiversity in the Peruvian rainforest.
  
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• Toxins found in marine life in deepest part of Pacific Ocean

  14-02-2017 17:11 via cbc.ca
  
  Shrimp-like creatures living in the deepest parts of the oceans contain high levels of man-made toxins, scientists said on Monday.
  
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• Air pollution in China, India accounted for 2.2 million deaths in 2015: study

  14-02-2017 16:08 via cbc.ca
  
  China and India accounted for more than half of the total number of global deaths attributable to air pollution in 2015, researchers said in a study published on Tuesday.
  
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• The mystery of the whoop whooping bee

  14-02-2017 15:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists think they have found the explanation behind sounds generated by bees
  
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• Nerve Cells That Go Out on a Limb Show How the Ability to Tweet Evolved

  14-02-2017 13:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Fresh insight emerges into the complex genetics that dictate how the nervous system wires itself for fine-motor control, which gives humans the dexterity for everything from brain surgery to...
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• The animal guide to finding love

  14-02-2017 12:00
  
  Learn to dance, keep an eye on your competition, bring a gift: Animals have some practical advice for finding a mate.
  
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• Virtual reality is too isolating to ever become 'the next big thing' in tech

  14-02-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The most popular tech of the last decade has been social. Studies show that when we check email and social media, we actually get a hit of oxytocin. That's what makes it all so addictive, and why we keep coming back. Yet VR is the opposite: it excels at novelty, but falls short on human connection.
  
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• Virtual reality is still too isolating to be 'the next big thing' in tech

  14-02-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The most popular tech of the last decade has been social. Studies show that when we check email and social media, we actually get a hit of oxytocin. That's what makes it all so addictive, and why we keep coming back. Yet VR is the opposite: it excels at novelty, but falls short on human connection.
  
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• 'This feels very familiar': Canadian scientists rally to support American counterparts fearing Trump clampdown

  14-02-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Under former prime minister Stephen Harper, the federal government made it progressively more difficult for Canadian government scientists to communicate their findings to the public. Now, American scientists are facing similar restrictions, and Canadians are offering to help their U.S. counterparts fight them.
  
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• It's not just your TV that can track your habits without consent

  14-02-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  A new generation of smart, always-on, internet-connected devices is redefining how companies collect and share user data — both the types of data collected, and who that data is shared with.
  
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• UTA researcher earns TxDOT contract to use geocells to improve pavement infrastructure

  14-02-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Texas at Arlington) A researcher at The University of Texas at Arlington is working to determine the benefits of using recycled materials and geocells to improve Texas highways.Anand Puppala, a professor in the Civil Engineering Department, is using a two-year, $360,000 Texas Department of Transportation interagency contract to test the performance of recycled materials and geocells in a highway-widening project in Johnson County, Texas.
  
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• Two from UW-Madison contribute to human gene editing report

  14-02-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Wisconsin-Madison) The National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine issued a report Tuesday focused on human genome editing. It lays out principles and recommendations for governments grappling with how to handle rapid advances in human genome-editing technology as it applies to human health and disease. Two University of Wisconsin-Madison experts served on the 22-member international committee that compiled the report.
  
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• Turning up the heat for perfect (nano)diamonds

  14-02-2017 06:00
  
  (American Institute of Physics) For use in quantum sensing, the bulk nanodiamond crystal surrounding the point defect must be highly perfect. Any deviation from perfection will adversely affect the quantum behavior of the material. Highly perfect nanodiamonds are also quite expensive and difficult to make. A cheaper alternative, say researchers, is to take defect-ridden, low-quality, commercially manufactured diamonds, and then 'heal' them. In APL Materials, they describe a method to heal diamon
  
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• Tumor-targeting system uses cancer's own mechanisms to betray its location

  14-02-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) By hijacking a cancer cell's own metabolism, researchers have found a way to tag and target elusive cancers with small-molecule sugars. This opens treatment pathways for cancers that are not responsive to conventional targeted antibodies, such as triple-negative breast cancer.
  
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• Traditional Chinese medicine in HIV cure issue of AIDS Research & Human Retroviruses

  14-02-2017 06:00
  
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) A special issue on progress toward a cure for HIV includes a description of a previously unreported study started in the early 2000s that describes AIDS patients currently ages 51-67 in good health.
  
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• To please your friends, tell them what they already know

  14-02-2017 06:00
  
  (Association for Psychological Science) We love to tell friends and family about experiences we've had and they haven't -- from exotic vacations to celebrity sightings -- but new research suggests that these stories don't thrill them quite as much as we imagine. A series of studies published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, shows that both speakers and listeners expect novel stories to be bigger crowd pleasers, but that listeners end up enjoying f
  
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• 'Tis better to give -- to your spouse

  14-02-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Rochester) Psychologists have found that the emotional benefits of compassionate acts are significant for the giver, whether or not the recipient is even aware of the act.
  
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