Science news

• In new Cassini portraits, Saturn’s moon Pan looks like pasta

  10-03-2017 23:30
  
  Photographs taken this week by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft provide a closer view of Saturn’s small moon Pan, which resembles ravioli.
  
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• Trump Expected to Choose Scott Gottlieb as His FDA Head

  10-03-2017 20:40 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Early tests for the agency under its new chief will include a pair of bills immediately slated for congressional renewal
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• How to grow toxin-free corn

  10-03-2017 20:00
  
  Corn genetically altered to produce specialized molecules may prevent a fungus from tainting it with carcinogenic toxins.
  
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• Mass coral bleaching occurring in Great Barrier Reef for 2nd year

  10-03-2017 17:55 via cbc.ca
  
  For the second consecutive year, mass coral bleaching has been discovered in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
  
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• Uber at crossroads, facing lawsuit, mounting criticism and growing rivals

  10-03-2017 17:05 via cbc.ca
  
  Uber has fought taxi unions and governments to survive, but the brawling culture that turned it into a global brand has also led to it spending most of 2017 punching itself in the face.
  
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• A slowdown at the sun’s surface explained

  10-03-2017 15:00
  
  Light escaping from the sun could slow the spinning of its surface layers.
  
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• Ebola vaccine shows promise for gorillas and chimps

  10-03-2017 14:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A trial suggests that an Ebola vaccine could protect gorillas and chimps from the deadly disease.
  
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• Trump's Order May Foul U.S. Drinking Water Supply

  10-03-2017 13:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Narrowing the Clean Water Rule could increase pollution in critical waters
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• MIT, Boston University working on brain-controlled robots

  10-03-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  A robot can do almost anything with the right program, and new research is developing technology to control robots through simple thought.
  
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• How crooks are getting better at imitating texts, emails from banks

  10-03-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  One Nova Scotia couple lost $3,000 after fraudsters mimicked Scotiabank's InfoAlerts text message service.
  
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• Complex synthetic life moves closer with designer yeast genome

  10-03-2017 10:48
  
  LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have taken a big step toward designing complex forms of life from scratch by constructing five new artificial chromosomes of baker's yeast, representing a third of the micro-organism's genome, or genetic blueprint.
  
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• VTT provides stepping stones towards the bioeconomy

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) As part of its Bioeconomy Transformation spearhead program, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed technologies suitable for application in new kinds of value chains.
  
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• This small molecule could have a big future in global food security

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Arizona) UA researchers have used RNA molecules to prevent a corn-infecting fungus from producing a potent toxin. The approach could save millions of tons of crops each year from contamination with aflatoxin, a major threat to health and food security especially in developing parts of the world.
  
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• The hazards of English spelling

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Linguistic Society of America) A new study of English spelling practices demonstrates that the way we spell words is much more orderly and self-organizing than previously thought. The study 'Self-organization in the spelling of English suffixes: The emergence of culture out of anarchy,' by Kristian Berg (University of Oldenburg) and Mark Aronoff (Stony Brook University) was published in the March, 2017 issue of the scholarly journal Language.
  
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• Stressed seabird parents think only of themselves

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna) To see how bird families interact with each other being stressed, researchers from Vetmeduni Vienna and University of Gdansk studied parent-offspring interactions in a long-lived seabird, the little auk (Alle alle). They increased their 'stress levels,' with the result that stressed offspringintensified begging and received more food. When parent birds were stressed, they however reduced offspring feeding their single chicks to search for food for th
  
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• Single molecule switch

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Konstanz) The progressing miniaturization of electronic components will reach a fundamental barrier at the dimension of single atoms. For this reason researchers in the field of molecular electronics aim at realizing functional electric circuits built from single atoms or molecules to explore the ultimate limit.
  
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• Research evaluates how financial criminals evade laws

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Texas at Dallas) In a recent study published online in the International Journal of Arts and Sciences, two UT Dallas alumnae examine the frequency and implications of bankruptcy fraud and money laundering. They also assess the degree of cultural and ethical differences between these acts in the United States and Europe, where the crimes are more prevalent.
  
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• Rapid blood pressure drops in middle age linked to dementia in old age

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Middle-aged people who experience temporary blood pressure drops that often cause dizziness upon standing up may be at an increased risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia 20 years later, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.
  
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• Patients with depression symptoms due to chronic sinus disease are less productive

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) Depressed patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are more likely to miss days of work or school than those without depression symptoms, according to the results of a new study led by the Sinus Center at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
  
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• ORNL, HTS International Corporation to collaborate on manufacturing research

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) HTS International Corporation and the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have signed an agreement to explore potential collaborations in advanced manufacturing research.
  
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• Organic is only one ingredient in recipe for sustainable food future

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of British Columbia) Many people choose organic thinking it's better for humans and the planet, but a new UBC study finds that might not always be the case.
  
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• New research identifies New Bedford Harbor as major source of airborne PCBs

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Iowa) Sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCBs, from the bottom of the New Bedford Harbor is the No. 1 source of airborne PCBs in the neighborhoods surrounding the port, according to new research by the University of Iowa and Boston University School of Public Health.
  
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• New application of the selective laser melting method

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University) Scientists of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) and Delft University of Technologydeveloped a technology for obtaining new metal structures by selective laser melting method (additive technology of manufacturing three-dimensional objects from metal powders).New technology makes it possible to obtain a gradient microstructure of the material and create a product, combining properties of two metals. This material
  
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• NASA's aerial survey of polar ice expands its Arctic reach

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) For the past eight years, Operation IceBridge, a NASA mission that conducts aerial surveys of polar ice, has produced unprecedented three-dimensional views of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, providing scientists with valuable data on how polar ice is changing in a warming world. Now, for the first time, the campaign will expand its reach to explore the Arctic's Eurasian Basin through two research flights based out of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the no
  
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• NASA sees wind shear affecting Tropical Cyclone 11S

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Tropical Cyclone 11S appeared elongated in NASA satellite imagery as a result of the storm being battered by wind shear.
  
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• NASA gets a last look at Tropical Depression Enawo's final bow

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Ex-tropical Cyclone Enawo moved off the southern coast of Madagascar and strengthened back into a tropical storm for a brief period before weakening to a depression. NASA's Terra satellite captured a look at the storm as wind shear continued to batter the storm weakening it further.
  
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• NASA, ASU collaboration develops 3-D tissue culture models to mimic human gut infections

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Arizona State University) An ASU Biodesign Institute team has reported their latest advancement in 3-D intestinal model development. Their united goal is to develop more realistic models of intestinal tissue to thwart Salmonella, a leading cause of food poisoning and systemic disease worldwide with many varieties causing severe and sometimes fatal infections with an economic impact in the billions of dollars.
  
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• Mayo discovers high-intensity aerobic training can reverse aging processes in adults

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Mayo Clinic) Everyone knows that exercise is good for you, but what type of training helps most, especially when you're older -- say over 65? A Mayo Clinic study says it's high-intensity aerobic exercise, which can reverse some cellular aspects of aging. The findings appear in Cell Metabolism.
  
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• Information avoidance

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Carnegie Mellon University) People deliberately avoid information that threatens their happiness and wellbeing. Carnegie Mellon researchers show that, while a simple failure to obtain information is the most clear-cut case of 'information avoidance,' people have a wide range of other information-avoidance strategies at their disposal. They are also remarkably adept at selectively directing their attention to information that affirms what they believe or that reflects favorably upon them, and at
  
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• In new book, MIT linguist expands the horizons of language analysis

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) In a new book, MIT linguist expands the horizons of language analysis.
  
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• Hubble hones in on a hypergiant's home

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) This beautiful Hubble image reveals a young super star cluster known as Westerlund 1, only 15,000 light-years away in our Milky Way neighborhood, yet home to one of the largest stars ever discovered.
  
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• Floods and hurricanes predicted with social media

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Warwick) Social media can warn us about extreme weather events before they happen -- such as hurricanes, storms and floods - according to new research by the University of Warwick.
  
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• Drug use drops after ER visits used as 'teachable moments'

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan) An emergency room visit for an illness or injury may seem like a strange time to try to motivate someone to cut back on using drugs.But a new study suggests that even a half-hour chat with a trained counselor, or a few minutes using a special tablet computer program with a 'virtual therapist', can turn an emergency room trip into the basis for a long-lasting drop in a person's substance use or misuse.
  
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• Doctors and patients often disagree on pain treatment goals

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of California - Davis Health System) Disagreements between doctors and patients over the priorities of pain treatment are common during primary care office visits, new research from UC Davis Health shows. Patients hope to reduce pain intensity and identify the cause, while physicians aim to improve physical function and reduce medication side effects, including dependency.
  
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• Discovery in new material raises questions about theoretical models of superconductivity

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (DOE/Ames Laboratory) The US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory has successfully created the first pure, single-crystal sample of a new iron arsenide superconductor, CaKFe4As4, and studies of this material have called into question some long-standing theoretical models of superconductivity.
  
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• Could a diabetes drug be used for Motor Neurone Disease?

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Lancaster University) A diabetes drug could one day be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.Researchers at Lancaster University are to conduct a clinical trial of the diabetes drug Liraglutide, giving it to patients with MND to see whether they improve or not.
  
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• CNIC coordinates an EU project to foster partnership between researchers in academia and industry

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares) The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) coordinates an EU project to foster partnership between researchers in academia and industry. The 4DHeart project is underpinned by a €1.5 million budget spread over 4 years.
  
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• Citric acid has the potential to produce respiratory sensitisers in e-cigarette vapor

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (R&D at British American Tobacco) The use of citric acid in e-liquids needs to be investigated to further understand its potential to form potentially harmful anhydrides in the vapour.Citric acid occurs naturally in the body, is 'generally recognized as safe' in the USA, and is used in pharmaceutical inhalation products.However, thermal degradation of citric acid can occur at the operating temperatures of some vaping devices. Starting at around 175-203°C, citric acid can degrade to form
  
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• Childhood bullying may lead to increased chronic disease risk in adulthood

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Wolters Kluwer Health) Being bullied during childhood might have lifelong health effects related to chronic stress exposure -- including an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes in adulthood, according to a research review in the March/April issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
  
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• Cebit 2017: Computational biologists predict antibiotic resistances using biotech

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Saarland University) Every year, some 25,000 people die in the European Union from antibiotic-resistant, hard to treat bacteria. Although there are diagnostic methods in place to recognize such resistances in advance, these are typically very time-consuming. Researchers from the Center for Bioinformatics at Saarland University, in cooperation with the molecular diagnostics company Curetis, are developing techniques to uncover these dangerous resistances a lot faster. Their secret weapons: a com
  
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• Building on the foundations of innovation

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of South Florida (USF Innovation)) The new issue of Technology and Innovation has a special section on the 2016 NAI Conference, including articles on gender and bias in science, the history of the National Academy of Inventors, alternative rubber crops, and the next industrial revolution.In addition, this issue features the USPTO commentary, the NAI Profile, and general articles on technology transfer, seed capital programs, and education innovations.
  
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• Biodegradable packages will keep your food fresh

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Kaunas University of Technology) KTU researchers are creating biodegradable food packaging materials, which, in addition, will also keep food fresh for longer. This innovation would solve two problems at once: assist in cutting down packaging waste and in reducing the number of food-borne illnesses.
  
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• Benefits of university seed cap programs

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (University of South Florida (USF Innovation)) When seed funding for start-up companies comes from the universities where the technologies have been developed, benefits go well beyond the money necessary to conduct business. Additional benefits for the institution and community include expanded funding opportunities, hiring and retention of top entrepreneurial faculty, goal setting, entrepreneur development, economic development, and university engagement.
  
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• An utter shambles

  10-03-2017 06:00
  
  (Goethe University Frankfurt) A research group found out: household chaos has an adverse effect on emotional climate and parents' behavior.
  
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• Clean air design

  10-03-2017 02:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Russian architect Alexei Umarov thinks his HyperFilter building could be a pollution solution.
  
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• Can city 'smellfies' stop air pollution?

  10-03-2017 02:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Could smelly maps linked to the odours of a city play a role in fighting dirty air? Our environment correspondent Matt McGrath follows his nose.
  
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• Machines v hackers

  10-03-2017 01:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Security could increasingly rely on smart machines that spot cyber threats rather than on humans.
  
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• [Working Life] Fortune favors the well read

  10-03-2017 01:00
  Author: Julian G. West
  
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• [This Week in Science] To scratch or not to scratch

  10-03-2017 01:00
  Author: Peter Stern
  
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• [This Week in Science] Time for a booster shot? Open wide!

  10-03-2017 01:00
  Author: Caitlin Czajka
  
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