Science news

• SpaceX moon mission as daring as first voyage: Bob McDonald

  08-03-2017 23:47 via cbc.ca
  
  Elon Musk wants to take a giant leap forward with a new rocket and a similar trip around the moon during a time of political unrest.
  
  Read more

• How about some tasty woolly rhinoceros for dinner?

  08-03-2017 21:57
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ancient DNA from dental plaque is revealing intriguing new information about Neanderthals including specific menu items in their diet like woolly rhinoceros and wild mushrooms as well as their use of plant-based medicine to cope with pain and illness.
  
  Read more

• Gravitational waves pioneer Ronald Drever dies

  08-03-2017 21:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scottish physicist Ronald Drever, one of the architects behind the discovery of gravitational waves, has died at the age of 85.
  
  Read more

• Caffeine reduces oxidative stress, improves oxygen-induced lung injury

  08-03-2017 21:01
  Caffeine may protect the lungs from damage caused by prolonged oxygen therapy, such as oxygen supplementation given to premature babies, new research suggests. The article is the first of its kind to study the positive effects of caffeine on the lungs’ minute tissue structures.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• High prevalence, incidence of hypertension among rural Africans living with HIV

  08-03-2017 20:53
  About 12 percent of people living with HIV in rural Tanzania have hypertension at the moment of HIV diagnosis. An additional 10 percent will develop hypertension during the first months of antiretroviral therapy. This represents an incidence 1.5 times higher than that found in Europe or the United States.
  
  Read more

• Dampened immunity during pregnancy promotes evolution of more virulent flu

  08-03-2017 20:53
  During pregnancy, a mother's immune system is suppressed to protect the fetus, which is perceived as a foreign body because it is genetically different. A study in mice found that suppressed immunity during pregnancy creates a window of opportunity for the H1N1 influenza virus to infect the mother and to rapidly, within a few days, mutate into a more virulent strain.
  
  Read more

• Common yeast may worsen IBD symptoms in Crohn's disease

  08-03-2017 20:53
  During the past decade, the gut has experienced a renaissance as investigations focus on the role of the microbiome on human health. While most studies have focused on bacteria, the dominant microbial inhabitants in the gut, scientists used mouse studies to show the role of yeast in aggravating the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Their work suggests that allopurinol, a generic drug already on the market, could offer some relief.
  
  Read more

• Biologists identify ancient stress response in corals

  08-03-2017 20:53
  Monitoring a newly discovered group of genes in coral could predict when they are under stress and might bleach. The approach could improve conservation strategies for at-risk coral reefs, say scientists.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Ancient southern China fish may have evolved prior to the 'Age of Fish'

  08-03-2017 20:53
  An ancient fish species with unusual scales and teeth from the Kuanti Formation in southern China may have evolved prior to the 'Age of Fish', according to a new study.
  
  Read more

• Researchers identify biomarker that predicts death in sepsis patients

  08-03-2017 20:47
  The runaway immune response to infection called sepsis is difficult to diagnose, and even more difficult to treat. Now, researchers have discovered a biomarker called methylthioadenosine (MTA) that can predict which patients are most likely to die from the disease. The findings could also help determine whether patients could benefit from therapies that either enhance or suppress the immune system, paving the way for new treatments.
  
  Read more

• In battle for real estate, a disordered protein wins out

  08-03-2017 20:47
  Research findings that first had scientists scratching their heads have turned out to be 'quite revolutionary,' according to study leaders. The scientists found that in a competition between two apparently equivalent proteins, one protein wins out every time as it swoops in to claim a cellular binding target. This protein is of special interest to researchers because it can trigger cancer cells to kill themselves. In fact, the researchers now hope future therapeutics that mimic this protein may
  
  Read more

• Neanderthals 'self-medicated' for pain

  08-03-2017 19:24 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Neanderthals dosed themselves with painkillers and possibly penicillin, according to a study of their teeth.
  
  Read more

• How to super-size your memory, according to science

  08-03-2017 19:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  You can super size your memory to make it more like the brain of a world memory champion, a scientific study suggests.
  
  Read more

• Ancient dental plaque tells tales of Neandertal diet and disease

  08-03-2017 19:22
  
  Researchers have reconstructed the diet and disease history of ancient Neandertals.
  
  Read more

• Super-sized memory is trainable and long lasting

  08-03-2017 19:12
  The ability to perform astonishing feats of memory, such as remembering lists of several dozen words, can be learned, researchers report. After 40 days using a strategic memory improvement technique, individuals who had typical memory skills at the start and no previous memory training more than doubled their memory capacity, going from recalling an average of 26 words from a list of 72 to remembering 62. Four months later, recall performance remained high.
  
  Read more

• Scientists create new form of matter, a time crystal

  08-03-2017 19:12
  Scientists are reporting on the creation of a phase of matter, dubbed a time crystal, in which atoms move in a pattern that repeats in time rather than in space.
  
  Read more

• New insights into how inhibitory neurons contribute to functional networks in the cortex

  08-03-2017 19:12
  Networks consist of many types of neurons, including some that send excitatory signals, increasing the likelihood of other neurons firing, and some that send inhibitory signals, decreasing the likelihood of other neurons firing. Researchers have now demonstrated that inhibitory neurons participate in finely-tuned, functionally-specific networks, similarly to excitatory neurons. Researchers suspect that abnormalities in these networks may play a role in a variety of brain disorders.
  
  Read more

• Don't relax drug approval process, experts warn

  08-03-2017 19:12
  Experts are warning that moves to deregulate America's drug approval process could see a flood of unproven and even harmful new drugs enter the market that could threaten human health.
  
  Read more

• Dental plaque DNA shows Neanderthals used 'aspirin'

  08-03-2017 19:12
  Ancient DNA found in the dental plaque of Neandertals -- our nearest extinct relative -- has provided remarkable new insights into their behavior, diet and evolutionary history, including their use of plant-based medicine to treat pain and illness.
  
  Read more

• A three-dimensional map of the genome

  08-03-2017 19:12
  Cells face a daunting task. They have to neatly pack a several meter-long thread of genetic material into a nucleus that measures only five micrometers across. This origami creates spatial interactions between genes and their switches, which can affect human health and disease. Now, an international team of scientists has devised a powerful new technique that 'maps' this three-dimensional geography of the entire genome.
  
  Read more

• The proteins that domesticated our genomes

  08-03-2017 19:11
  Scientists have carried out a genomic and evolutionary study of a large and enigmatic family of human proteins, to demonstrate that it is responsible for harnessing the millions of transposable elements in the human genome. The work reveals the largely species-specific gene-regulatory networks that impact all of human biology, in both health and disease.
  
  Read more

• Silk Road evolved as 'grass-routes' movement

  08-03-2017 19:11
  Nearly 5,000 years ago, long before the vast east-west trade routes of the Great Silk Road were traversed by Marco Polo, the foundations for these trans-Asian interaction networks were being carved by nomads moving herds to lush mountain pastures, suggests new research.
  
  Read more

• Novel compound that engages 'second arm' of immune system reduces breast tumors, metastases

  08-03-2017 19:11
  A compound able to reverse the allegiance of innate immune system cells - turning them from tumor enablers into tumor opponents - caused breast tumors in mice to shrink and withdraw from distant metastases, scientists report.
  
  Read more

• New enzyme-like tool lets chemists modify hard-to-reach spots on drug molecules

  08-03-2017 19:11
  Chemists have devised a versatile molecule-building tool for creating new drugs and other chemical products. The invention brings chemistry a step closer to an ambitious goal: being able to use techniques of laboratory organic synthesis to make the highly selective transformations of molecules that enzymes catalyze in living cells -- but without enzymes' limitations.
  
  Read more

• Bone-derived hormone suppresses appetite in mice

  08-03-2017 19:11
  Lipocalin 2, a hormone secreted by bone cells, suppresses appetite in mice, researchers have discovered. The study findings, which reveal a new mechanism for regulating food intake and blood sugar, could lead to the development of new treatments for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
  
  Read more

• Aboriginal hair shows 50,000 year connection to Australia

  08-03-2017 19:11
  DNA in hair samples collected from Aboriginal people across Australia in the early to mid-1900s has revealed that populations have been continuously present in the same regions for up to 50,000 years -- soon after the peopling of Australia.
  
  Read more

• Ancient nomadic herders beat a path to the Silk Road

  08-03-2017 19:00
  
  Herders’ mountain treks helped mold the Silk Road, an ancient, cross-continental trade network.
  
  Read more

• Neanderthals likely self-medicated, new study suggests

  08-03-2017 18:59 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists studying plaque left on the teeth of Neanderthals dating back almost 50,000 years suggest our nearest extinct relative may have had an understanding of medicine.
  
  Read more

• Readers dispute starfishes' water-swirling abilities

  08-03-2017 18:22
  Volcanic eruptions, fast-freezing water, starfish physics and more in reader feedback.
  
  Read more

• Science journalists don’t use the science of ‘nudge’

  08-03-2017 18:21
  Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the mission of science journalists.
  
  Read more

• Brain training turns recall rookies into memory masters

  08-03-2017 18:00
  
  Six weeks of training turned average people into memory masters, a skill reflected in their brains.
  
  Read more

• The protective layer of prehistoric land plants

  08-03-2017 17:48
  Biologists have discovered a mechanism in mosses that was crucial for the evolution of ecosystems on land. The investigators discovered this mechanism that facilitated the evolutionary transition of plants from fresh water to land in the moss Physcomitrella patens.
  
  Read more

• Research lab expands palette for color-changing glass

  08-03-2017 17:48
  New nanophotonics research could expand the color palette for companies in the fast-growing market for glass windows that change color at the flick of an electric switch. A team of researchers has used an inexpensive hydrocarbon molecule to create low-voltage, multicolor, electrochromic glass.
  
  Read more

• Fish, selective hunting strategies and a delayed-return lifestyle among ancient foragers

  08-03-2017 17:48
  A unique trove of bone material from the 9,200 year old coastal settlement Norje Sunnansund in Blekinge, Sweden, has revealed that surprisingly sophisticated hunting strategies were used at the time. One key find was that the early Mesolithic humans practiced so-called selective hunting -- seemingly in order to maximize gain and preserve the local population of certain species.
  
  Read more

• Controversial 'liberation therapy' fails to treat multiple sclerosis

  08-03-2017 17:48
  Opening up narrowed veins from the brain and spinal cord is not effective in treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. The conclusions about the so-called 'liberation therapy,' which thousands of people with MS have undergone since 2009, represent the most definitive debunking of the claim that patients could achieve dramatic improvements from a one-time medical procedure.
  
  Read more

• Moving toward faster, more accurate detection of food- and water-borne bacteria

  08-03-2017 17:47
  Food poisoning is a scourge. Yet preventing it is far from foolproof. But in a new study, scientists report that they are closing in on a way to use a combination of color-changing paper and electrochemical analysis -- on plastic transparency sheets or simple paper -- to quickly, cheaply and more accurately detect bacterial contamination of fruits and vegetables in the field before they reach grocery stores, restaurants and household pantries.
  
  Read more

• Atomic resolution of muscle contraction

  08-03-2017 17:47
  Atomic images of muscle molecules in action have now been captured by researchers, giving possibility of new nanomachines.
  
  Read more

• Trauma surgeons show 'profound' racial disparity in Philadelphia gun violence

  08-03-2017 17:46
  Researchers argue for more research on firearm injury, including the establishment of a national database on incidents of gun violence. The authors point to recent research showing that in Philadelphia, gun murders and injuries are much more strongly associated with race than neighborhood income levels.
  
  Read more

• Therapy shrinks tumors in patients with multiple myeloma

  08-03-2017 17:46
  An experimental drug, LCL161, stimulates the immune system, leading to tumor shrinkage in patients affected by multiple myeloma, report scientists.
  
  Read more

• Promising lead reduces autism symptoms and more

  08-03-2017 17:46
  Fragile X syndrome is the most common cause of autism. A team of researchers, however, has provided a promising lead in battling this disease. The scientists identified a single protein that appears to be the culprit in causing many behavioral symptoms as well as molecular and cellular abnormalities related to Fragile X.
  
  Read more

• New material regrows bone

  08-03-2017 17:46
  A team of researchers repaired a hole in a mouse's skull by regrowing 'quality bone,' a breakthrough that could drastically improve the care of people who suffer severe trauma to the skull or face.
  
  Read more

• Chinese famine data shows no long-term health effects except for schizophrenia

  08-03-2017 17:46
  A systematic re-analysis of all previous studies of long-term health effects of prenatal exposure to the Chinese Famine of 1959-61 shows no increases in diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions among famine births except for schizophrenia. The analyzed studies reported that these conditions were more common among famine births. In the re-analysis, researchers compared outcomes in famine births to control groups. Findings raise fundamental questions about the design of existing
  
  Read more

• Empathy and awe: ROM ready to show Trout River blue whale to the world

  08-03-2017 17:40 via cbc.ca
  
  Three years after sitting with a knife in a pile of blue whale guts, Mark Engstrom is ready to unveil the creature to the world.
  
  Read more

• Data-driven crime prediction fails to erase human bias

  08-03-2017 16:00
  
  Software programs that predict where crimes will occur don’t eliminate bias; they exacerbate it.
  
  Read more

• Can Facebook's Machine-Learning Algorithms Accurately Predict Suicide?

  08-03-2017 15:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  The social media giant aims to save lives by quickly flagging and responding to worrying posts
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
  Read more

• Reusable sponge created that soaks up oil

  08-03-2017 15:25
  Scientists have invented a new foam, called Oleo Sponge, that not only easily adsorbs spilled oil from water, but is also reusable and can pull dispersed oil from the entire water column -- not just the surface.
  
  Read more

• A new tool for genetically engineering the oldest branch of life

  08-03-2017 15:25
  A new study has documented the use of CRISPR-Cas9 mediated genome editing in the third domain of life, Archaea, for the first time. Their groundbreaking work has the potential to vastly accelerate future studies of these organisms, with implications for research including global climate change.
  
  Read more

• New hope for treating heart failure

  08-03-2017 15:24
  Heart failure patients who are getting by on existing drug therapies can look forward to a far more effective medicine in the next five years or so, thanks to researchers.
  
  Read more

• How chemists are helping us not get food poisoning

  08-03-2017 15:24
  Borrowing concepts from medical diagnostic devices, chemists have created a simple, cheap set of handheld tests that can detect the presence of many water or food-borne pathogens. If applied in the field, such tests could greatly reduce the number of expensive follow-up tests needed to keep the food supply safe from fecal contamination.
  
  Read more

• Crocodiles and dolphins evolved similar skulls to catch the same prey

  08-03-2017 15:24
  Despite their very different ancestors, dolphins and crocodiles evolved similarly shaped skulls to feed on similar prey, new research indicates.
  
  Read more

Follow @ScienceUKnews on Twitter!