Science news

• Arctic ice loss driven by natural swings, not just humans, study reports

  14-03-2017 22:23 via cbc.ca
  
  The study indicates that an ice-free Arctic Ocean, often feared to be just years away, in one of the starkest signs of man-made global warming, could be delayed if nature swings back to a cooler mode.
  
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• Making a mistake can put your brain on ‘pause’

  14-03-2017 22:00
  
  When there’s not much time to recover, one error can lead to another.
  
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• SpaceX scrubs rocket launch in Florida due to high winds

  14-03-2017 20:15
  
  (Reuters) - Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, on Tuesday delayed the launch of a rocket set to carry a commercial communications satellite into orbit, because of high winds at its Florida launch site.
  
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• World's oldest plant-like fossils show multicellular life appeared earlier than thought

  14-03-2017 20:09
  Scientists have found fossils of 1.6 billion-year-old probable red algae. The spectacular finds indicate that advanced multicellular life evolved much earlier than previously thought.
  
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• Overuse of antibiotics brings risks for bees, and for us

  14-03-2017 20:09
  Honeybees treated with a common antibiotic were half as likely to survive the week after treatment compared with a group of untreated bees, a finding that may have health implications for bees and people alike.
  
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• Imaging at the speed of light

  14-03-2017 20:09
  Over the past few years, researchers have used lasers to manipulate the properties of target materials and make them, for instance, superhydrophilic or superhydrophobic. Now the team has developed a technique to visualize, for the first time, the complete evolution of micro- and nanoscale structural formation on a material's surface both during and after the application of a laser pulse.
  
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• Experimental Ebola vaccine regimen induced durable immune response

  14-03-2017 20:09
  A two-vaccine regimen to protect against Ebola virus disease induced an immune response that persisted for approximately one year in healthy adult volunteers, according to results from a Phase 1 clinical tria.
  
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• Cold climates and ocean carbon sequestration

  14-03-2017 20:09
  Efficient nutrient consumption by plankton in the Southern Ocean drove carbon sequestration in the deep ocean during the ice ages, a new study suggests.
  
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• Online reviews can make over-the-counter drugs look way too effective

  14-03-2017 19:48
  
  Online patient reviews put a far more misleading spin on medications than clinical trials do.
  
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• Starquakes reveal surprises about birth of stars in our galaxy

  14-03-2017 19:14
  A study of the internal sound waves created by starquakes, which make stars ring like a bell, has provided unprecedented insights into conditions in the turbulent gas clouds where stars were born 8 billion years ago.
  
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• Drug combination delivered by nanoparticles may help in melanoma treatment

  14-03-2017 19:08
  The first of a new class of medication that delivers a combination of drugs by nanoparticle may keep melanoma from becoming resistant to treatment, according to researchers.
  
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• Researchers make major brain repair discovery in fight against Multiple Sclerosis

  14-03-2017 19:07
  Scientists have discovered that specific cells from the immune system are key players in brain repair – a fundamental breakthrough that could revolutionize the treatment of debilitating neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
  
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• Flies and bees act like plant cultivators

  14-03-2017 19:07
  Pollinator insects accelerate plant evolution, but a plant changes in different ways depending on the pollinator. After only nine generations, the same plant is larger and more fragrant if pollinated by bumblebees rather than flies, as a study reveals.
  
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• What makes farmers try new practices?

  14-03-2017 18:54
  Change is never easy. But when it comes to adopting new agricultural practices, some farmers are easier to convince than others. A group of researchers wanted to know which farmers are most likely to adopt multifunctional perennial cropping systems -- trees, shrubs, or grasses that simultaneously benefit the environment and generate high-value products that can be harvested for a profit.
  
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• Topical curcumin gel effective in treating burns and scalds

  14-03-2017 18:54
  What is the effect of Topical Curcumin Gel for treating burns and scalds? In a recent research paper, investigators stress that use of topical curcumin gel for treating skin problems, like burns and scalds, is very different and appears to work more effectively, when compared to taking curcumin tablets by mouth for other conditions.
  
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• Old gut stem cells made to grow like young ones in a dish

  14-03-2017 18:54
  Intestines experience a lot of wear and tear. Without the stalwart stem cells that live in our gut's lining, our ability to absorb food would dwindle and bacteria from the digestive tract would be able to breach the bloodstream. Unfortunately, the regenerative abilities of intestinal stem cells decline with age. However, it may be possible to partially reverse aging in gut stem cells, at least in a petri dish.
  
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• Model of anorexia nervosa created using stem cells

  14-03-2017 18:54
  An international research team has created the first cellular model of anorexia nervosa (AN), reprogramming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from adolescent females with the eating disorder.
  
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• Milkweed losses may not fully explain monarch butterfly declines

  14-03-2017 18:54
  Monarch butterfly declines cannot be attributed merely to declines in milkweed abundance, researchers report. The new research reviews decades of studies of monarchs and includes an in-depth analysis of milkweed populations at the heart of the butterflies' summer range.
  
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• Low levels of 'anti-anxiety' hormone linked to postpartum depression

  14-03-2017 18:54
  In a small-scale study of women with previously diagnosed mood disorders, researchers report that lower levels of the hormone allopregnanolone in the second trimester of pregnancy were associated with an increased chance of developing postpartum depression in women already known to be at risk for the disorder.
  
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• In times of plenty, penguin parents keep feeding their grown offspring

  14-03-2017 18:54
  A research team reports that fully grown Galapagos penguins who have fledged -- or left the nest -- continue to beg their parents for food. And sometimes, probably when the bounty of the sea is plentiful, parents oblige and feed their adult offspring.
  
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• Immune molecule protects against Zika virus infection in animal models

  14-03-2017 18:54
  A molecule naturally produced by the immune system protects mice and monkeys against Zika virus infection, an international team of researchers has found. Administering the molecule, called 25-hydroxycholesterol or 25HC, to pregnant mice reduced Zika virus infection in the fetal brain and protected against Zika-induced microcephaly.
  
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• 3-D visualization of the pancreas: New tool in diabetes research

  14-03-2017 18:54
  Researchers have created datasets that map the three-dimensional distribution and volume of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The wealth of visual and quantitative information may serve as powerful reference resource for diabetes researchers.
  
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• Scientists say they are a step closer to solving chronic bladder diseases

  14-03-2017 16:13
  Scientists have begun to unlock the genetic code to understand how the lining of the bladder functions as a barrier to store urine -- paving the way for possible new treatments for chronic bladder diseases such as interstitial cystitis and cancer.
  
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• Money, not access, key to resident food choices in 'food deserts'

  14-03-2017 16:13
  While access to healthy foods is a significant challenge, the biggest variable limiting diet choices in so-called 'food deserts' is limited financial resources.
  
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• Did humans create the Sahara desert?

  14-03-2017 16:13
  New research investigating the transition of the Sahara from a lush, green landscape 10,000 years ago to the arid conditions found today, suggests that humans may have played an active role in its desertification.
  
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• Bowel cancer medication could help combat early-onset Parkinson's disease

  14-03-2017 16:13
  Folinic acid can protect neurons in fruit flies, report scientists. The study suggests that folinic acid, which is used in medications to treat bowel cancer, can also protect neurons associated with Parkinson's disease in fruit flies.
  
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• Antibiotics not effective for clinically infected eczema in children

  14-03-2017 16:13
  Estimates suggest that 40 percent of eczema flares are treated with topical antibiotics, but findings suggest there is no meaningful benefit from the use of either oral or topical antibiotics for milder clinically infected eczema in children.
  
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• Spiders eat astronomical numbers of insects

  14-03-2017 16:12
  A new study reveals some stunning estimates about how much the world's spiders eat annually: between 400 and 800 million tons of insects and other invertebrates. These eight-legged carnivores play an important role to keep countless insect pests in check.
  
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• Increase in extreme sea levels could endanger European coastal communities

  14-03-2017 16:12
  Massive coastal flooding in northern Europe that now occurs once every century could happen every year if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, according to a new study.
  
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• Growing isolation of poor helps explain changes in concentrated poverty

  14-03-2017 16:12
  Concentrated poverty -- neighborhoods where 40 percent of the population or more lives below the federal poverty level -- is back on the rise for all ethnic groups in the United States, according to demographers.
  
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• At mealtime, honey bees prefer country blossoms to city blooms

  14-03-2017 16:12
  Hungry honey bees appear to favor flowers in agricultural areas over those in neighboring urban areas. The discovery has implications for urban beekeepers and challenges assumptions that farmland and honey bees are incompatible, said authors of a new study.
  
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• Underuse of anti-clotting therapies common among patients with atrial fibrillation who have a stroke

  14-03-2017 16:11
  Inadequate use of anticoagulation therapies was prevalent among patients with atrial fibrillation who experienced a stroke, according to a study.
  
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• Two common tests aren't effective in predicting premature births, says new national study

  14-03-2017 16:11
  Two screening tests often used to try to predict which pregnant women are likely to deliver prematurely aren't effective in low-risk women, according to an American national collaborative study of more than 10,000 women. Researchers found that neither transvaginal cervical measurement or fetal fibronectin tests, used separately or together, adequately predicts preterm birth.
  
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• Thirsty mangroves cause unprecedented dieback

  14-03-2017 16:11
  A scientist has discovered why there was an unprecedented dieback of mangroves in the Gulf of Carpentaria in early 2016 -- the plants died of thirst.
  
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• Probiotics may not always be a silver bullet for better health

  14-03-2017 16:11
  Researchers have investigated the impact of probiotics on gut health and cognitive function. In rats fed on 'junk' diets, the probiotic medicine was able to significantly impact microbial composition in the gut and prevent memory loss. But for rats on a healthy diet, the probiotic did little to influence microbial composition and actually impaired memory function.
  
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• Mathematical modeling predicts student success, dropout rates

  14-03-2017 16:11
  A researcher has used mathematical modeling to demonstrate that negative peer pressures can spread in a high-risk setting, influencing students' decisions to drop out of school.
  
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• Leap onto land saves fish from being eaten

  14-03-2017 16:11
  Fish on the South Pacific island of Rarotonga have evolved the ability to survive out of water and leap about on the rocky shoreline because this helps them escape predators in the ocean. The new study is the first to examine the pressures driving fish out of water and shows the ocean is an enemy-filled environment for the little blennies.
  
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• How to fit in when you stand out: Don't try so hard

  14-03-2017 16:11
  When in Rome you do as the Romans do, right? Not necessarily. When it comes to fitting in with foreign cultures, 'just be yourself' might be the more appropriate mantra, says new research.
  
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• How cobras developed flesh-eating venom

  14-03-2017 16:11
  An international study has revealed how one of the world's most feared types of snakes -- cobras -- developed their potent venom. Cobras are killers in Africa and Asia, and cause crippling social and economic burdens through the number of survivors who need amputations due to the snake's flesh-eating venom.
  
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• A dangerous dance: Alberta astronomers spot star orbiting closest to black hole

  14-03-2017 16:07 via cbc.ca
  
  On the edge of the milky way, a star circles an all-consuming black hole in the tightest orbit known to man.
  
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• Vaccines do work for pandemic flu, says study

  14-03-2017 14:32
  Vaccines are successful in preventing pandemic flu and reducing the number of patients hospitalized as a result of the illness, a study has found.
  
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• Epigenetic alteration a promising new drug target for heroin use disorder

  14-03-2017 14:31
  The past few years have seen an explosion of heroin abuse and deaths from opiate overdose. But little is known about the molecular underpinnings of heroin addiction. A new study has found that heroin use is associated with excessive histone acetylation, an epigenetic process that regulates gene expression. More years of drug use correlated with higher levels of hyperacetylation. The study provides the first direct evidence of opiate-related epigenetic alterations in the human brain.
  
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• Zebrafish without stripes

  14-03-2017 14:30
  Dowling-Degos disease is a hereditary pigmentation disorder that generally progresses harmlessly. However, some of those affected also develop severe skin inflammation. An international team of researchers has now found a cause for this link. Their knowledge comes thanks to an animal that is known among aquarium owners for its characteristic pigmentation: the zebrafish.
  
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• Switching oxygen on and off

  14-03-2017 14:30
  It has become possible to control one of the most important chemical processes: switching oxygen molecules between a reactive and unreactive state.
  
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• Border-crossing bears? U.S. proposal to transplant B.C. grizzlies gets huge response

  14-03-2017 14:00 via cbc.ca
  
  More than 100,000 people have weighed in on a U.S. federal proposal that could see B.C. grizzly bears shipped south, thanks in part to Seattle-based cartoonist The Oatmeal.
  
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• What you need to know about Canada Revenue Agency's 'internet vulnerability'

  14-03-2017 13:18 via cbc.ca
  
  The CRA's electronic tax filing services have been restored, but you might be wondering how the CRA got into this situation in the first place.
  
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• The Strange World of Nighttime Open-Ocean Diving [Slide Show]

  14-03-2017 12:30 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Underwater photographer Jeff Milisen swims with animals that most people never get to see
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• T-minus 1 year until rocket launch site construction starts in Nova Scotia

  14-03-2017 12:10 via cbc.ca
  
  Nova Scotia could soon be home to a rocket launch site, after an American company announced it will build a new aerospace facility near Canso and Hazel Hill.
  
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• Climate Change Complicates the Whole Dam Debate

  14-03-2017 12:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Demolishing dams helps many fish but threatens waters where some native species shelter from drought and invasive predators
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Why do people switch their language?

  14-03-2017 05:00
  
  (University of Vienna) Due to increasing globalization, the linguistic landscape of our world is changing; many people give up use of one language in favor of another. Scientists from the University of Vienna have studied why language shift happens using the example of southern Carinthia, Austria. Making use of methods originally developed in diffusion physics to study the motion of atoms, they built a model for the spread and retreat of languages over time and space.
  
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