Science news

• Taking the field out of the farm: Growing produce in space is closer than we think

  06-04-2017 21:42 via cbc.ca
  
  A new paper has traced the history of growing food in space from its beginnings in the 1950s to today, and paves the way for colonizing even the distant reaches of space with autonomous food supply.
  
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• Ancient Arctic ice cores damaged in U of A freezer failure

  06-04-2017 20:11 via cbc.ca
  
  A coveted collection of ancient ice cores recently acquired by the University of Alberta has been partially destroyed in an "unprecedented" double malfunction in a $4-million freezer.
  
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• Common virus may be celiac disease culprit

  06-04-2017 20:03
  
  A common virus may turn the immune system against gluten, leading to the development of celiac disease.
  
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• Project Scorpio, Microsoft's upgraded Xbox, promises smooth 4K gaming

  06-04-2017 20:02 via cbc.ca
  
  Microsoft released some of the technical specifications for the upcoming, upgraded Xbox console (codenamed Project Scorpio) on Thursday, answering some - but not all - questions about what to expect when it hits stores near the end of 2017.
  
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• Curiouser and Curiouser--Octopus's Evolution Is Even Stranger Than Thought

  06-04-2017 20:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Cephalopods adapt to changing water temperatures by altering their RNA more often than their DNA, according to a new study
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• Cassini Bids Farewell before Blazing into Saturn [Video]

  06-04-2017 18:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  NASA’s plucky, dependable spacecraft will burn up in the atmosphere after 13 years at the planet
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Cephalopods may have traded evolution gains for extra smarts

  06-04-2017 18:00
  
  Editing RNA may give cephalopods smarts, but there’s a trade-off.
  
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• Take a peek inside Ottawa's new and improved Science and Tech museum

  06-04-2017 17:54 via cbc.ca
  
  The National Capital Commission's board has approved the master plan for the reopening of the renewed Canada Science and Technology Museum.
  
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• How artificial life spawned a billion-dollar industry

  06-04-2017 17:29 via cbc.ca
  
  Scientists are getting closer to building life from scratch and technology pioneers are taking notice, with record sums moving into a field that could deliver novel drugs, materials, chemicals and even perfumes.
  
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• Unusually high number of icebergs affecting shipping lanes in North Atlantic

  06-04-2017 17:21 via cbc.ca
  
  More than 400 icebergs have drifted into the North Atlantic shipping lanes over the past week in an unusually large swarm for this early in the season, forcing vessels to slow to a crawl or take detours of hundreds of miles.
  
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• Astronaut John Glenn laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery

  06-04-2017 15:19 via cbc.ca
  
  Final funeral rites for astronaut John Glenn will take place Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery.
  
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• Dissent with Modification: Soothing Evolution–Religion Tensions in the Classroom

  06-04-2017 13:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A discussion lasting as little as 10 minutes proved effective at reducing students’ perception that faith conflicts with a foundational biological theory
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• 50 years ago, contraception options focused on women

  06-04-2017 13:00
  
  Women have more birth control choices than they did 50 years ago. The same can’t be said for men.
  
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• Commercial drone users worry about ever-shrinking airspace

  06-04-2017 12:00 via cbc.ca
  
  As Ottawa cracks down on recreational drone operators, those who fly the unmanned aircraft commercially are worried their airspace may be about to shrink as well.
  
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• Great apes know when you're mistaken, study finds

  06-04-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  A study published in the journal Plos One today found that humankind's closest relatives know when a person is holding a false belief, an important step forward in understanding how our own minds evolved.
  
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• Why do some with radical views become terrorists yet others don't?

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (American Psychological Association) Since most people who hold radical views do not become terrorists, what are the factors that drive some to violent extremism? Is there a connection between mental illness and terrorist involvement? And why do some interrogators resort to torture when the body of evidence shows building rapport with suspects is more effective?
  
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• Under challenge: Girls' confidence level, not math ability hinders path to science degrees

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Florida State University) A Florida State University research team found that girls rate their math abilities lower than boys, even when there is no observable difference between the two.
  
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• Salk scientists expand ability of stem cells to regrow any tissue type

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Salk Institute) The new technique, which allows scientists to generate both embryonic and non-embryonic tissues from cultured stem cells, is a step toward growing donor organs and replacement tissues to combat aging and diseases.
  
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• Researchers create new diagnostic tool for detecting breast cancer

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Simon Fraser University) Simon Fraser University researchers have created a patent-pending, optical diagnostic probe capable of safely and non-invasively detecting early stage breast cancer.
  
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• Private insurers in New York state see surge in claims related to opioid addiction

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (FAIR Health) Private insurance claims for emergency room visits, substance use treatment and other services related to opioid addiction surged in New York between 2007 and 2014, well before the latest coverage mandates took effect.
  
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• Postpartum hospital admissions for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) A new study has shown that women with intellectual and developmental disabilities had nearly twice the risk of a hospital or emergency department visit with the first few weeks after giving birth compared to women without these disabilities.
  
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• Physicists develop ultrathin superconducting film

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Saarland University) Experimental physicists in the research group led by Professor Uwe Hartmann at Saarland University have developed a thin nanomaterial with superconducting properties. Below about -200 °C these materials conduct electricity without loss, levitate magnets and can screen magnetic fields. The particularly interesting aspect of this work is that the research team has succeeded in creating superconducting nanowires that can be woven into an ultra-thin film that is as flexible
  
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• Pet exposure may reduce allergy and obesity

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry) If you need a reason to become a dog lover, how about their ability to help protect kids from allergies and obesity? A new University of Alberta study showed that babies from families with pets -- 70 per cent of which were dogs -- showed higher levels of two types of microbes associated with lower risks of allergic disease and obesity.
  
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• NIH-funded research to explore economic stability's impact on HIV infection

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Chicago Medical Center) The University of Chicago Medicine's Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation (Ci3) in Sexual and Reproductive Health has launched a research initiative aimed at reducing HIV infection and transmission among vulnerable youth of color, including young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and young transgender women.
  
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• New DNA research shows true migration route of early farming in Europe 8,000 years ago

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Huddersfield) New DNA research shows true migration route of early farming in Europe 8,000 years ago, correcting previous theories.
  
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• NASA's Hubble takes close-up portrait of Jupiter

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) On April 3, 2017, as Jupiter made its nearest approach to Earth in a year, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope viewed the solar system's largest planet in all of its up-close glory.
  
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• NASA infrared imagery shows wind shear blowing Cyclone 14P apart

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone 14P gathering data in infrared light and observed that westerly wind shear pushed the strongest storms east of the center. The strong winds were shearing the storm apart.
  
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• Multinational veterinary pharm firm selects Rowan University for N. American HQ

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Rowan University) Spanish multinational veterinary pharmaceutical company HIPRA will establish its North American headquarters at the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University in Mantua Township, New Jersey.
  
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• Mount Sinai study reveals how learning in the present shapes future learning

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine) The prefrontal cortex shapes memory formation by modulating hippocampal encoding.
  
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• More than half of the racial college completion gap explained by pre-college factors

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (New York University) In an analysis of Texas students, more than 60 percent of the racial gap in college completion rates can be attributed to factors that occur before college -- factors that are beyond the control of many colleges and universities, finds a new study led by NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
  
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• Media registration open for ISSCR 2017 14-17 June, Boston, Massachussetts, US

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (International Society for Stem Cell Research) Stem cell researchers and clinicians from around the world will gather 13-17 June in Boston, Mass., to share the latest developments in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Leaders in the field will present recent findings and talk about progress in basic and translational research that is driving the development of stem cell treatments and cures for disease.
  
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• Lenvio Inc. exclusively licenses ORNL malware behavior detection technology

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Virginia-based Lenvio Inc. has exclusively licensed a cyber security technology from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory that can quickly detect malicious behavior in software not previously identified as a threat.
  
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• LA BioMed honors innovators at its 2017 Spirit of Innovation Gala

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (LA BioMed) LA BioMed will honor the pioneering work of distinguished researchers Ruey-Kang Chang, MD; Richard Casaburi, PhD, MD, and Michael Yeaman, PhD, at its 2017 Spirit of Innovation Gala on May 4 at the Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
  
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• Keys to attracting scientific talent in the health sciences

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) Social capabilities (working conditions and other benefits) can be decisive in the return of scientific talent. This is one of the main conclusions of a study carried out by a team of researchers fromUniversidad Carlos III de Madrid and the Universidad a Distancia de Madrid. This research was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
  
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• Keeping the code: How cultural beliefs affect police, court decisions

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Florida State University) Researchers found that individuals were more likely to be arrested and convicted when they adopted what is referred to as 'code of the street' or lived in areas where this belief system was entrenched in the community.
  
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• Hubble takes close-up portrait of Jupiter

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (ESA/Hubble Information Centre) During April 2017 Jupiter is in opposition: it is at its closest to Earth and the hemisphere facing Earth is fully illuminated by the Sun. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope used this special configuration to capture an image of what is by far the largest planet in the Solar System. This image adds to many others made in the past, and together they allow astronomers to study changes in the atmosphere of the gas giant.
  
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• Hospitals put your data at risk, study finds

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Michigan State University) Lying in a hospital bed, the last thing you should have to worry about is a personal data breach. Yet recent research co-authored by a Michigan State University business scholar found nearly 1,800 occurrences of large data breaches in patient information over a seven-year period.
  
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• Hospital care standards released for delivering high-quality surgical care to older adults

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (American College of Surgeons) The first comprehensive set of hospital-level surgical care standards for older adults has been released and published on the Annals of Surgery website.
  
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• Homing system delivers drugs to specific neurons

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Duke University) Biomedical engineers have developed a way to deliver drugs to specific types of neurons in the brain, providing an unprecedented ability to study neurological diseases while promising a more targeted way to treat them.
  
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• Hearing and touch mediate sensations via osseointegrated prostheses

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Chalmers University of Technology) A new study has found that people with a prosthesis attached directly to their skeleton can hear by means of vibrations in their implant. This sound transmission through bones is an important part of osseoperception -- sensory awareness of the patient's surroundings provided by their prosthesis. This discovery sheds new light on the tactile and auditory perception of humans and can be used to develop improved prostheses.
  
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• Gold-plated crystals set new standard for natural gas detectors

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Duke University) Materials scientists and engineers have developed a sensor that is fast, sensitive and efficient enough to detect specific wavelengths of electromagnetic energy while on the move. The technology could actively scan areas for methane or natural gas leaks, monitor the health of vast fields of crops or quickly sort plastics for recycling.
  
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• For horseshoe bats, wiggling ears and nose makes biosonar more informative

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech researchers have discovered that these tiny movements pack more information into ultrasound pulses the bats send and receive, helping them locate objects around them.
  
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• EU Excellence Award for research on matter-antimatter plasma

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (IPP)) The European Research Council is awarding €2.4 million in support of the research on a matter-antimatter plasma composed of electrons and positrons to be produced for the first time in the world by Professor Dr. Thomas Sunn Pedersen at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald. He is to receive one of the coveted Advanced Grants with which ERC supports pioneering, but risky research projects.
  
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• Endocrine Society issues statement to improve detection of curable forms of hypertension

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (The Endocrine Society) A new Scientific Statement issued by the Endocrine Society advises healthcare providers on ways to spot hormonal causes of high blood pressure that can be cured with surgery or treated effectively with medication.
  
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• Device boosts interaction between light and motion

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) Novel design developed by Brazilian researchers couples light waves and mechanical waves at higher intensity levels. One of its potential applications is in telecommunications as an optical modulator, because the device can sense and excite mechanical vibration, it could be used as an optical switch, turning on or off a laser beam that passes through it far more efficiently than the modulating technologies used to
  
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• Death by insulin -- management of self-harm and suicide in diabetes management

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Bentham Science Publishers) A special issue of Current Diabetes Reviews examining the management of diabetes in special populations: Death by Insulin -- Management of Self-Harm and Suicide in Diabetes Management.
  
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• Control pest fungi in an environmentally friendly way

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA)) The St. Gallen-based Empa biotech spin-off, MycoSolutions AG, has developed a new fungal product that improves the soil and controls pest fungi in an environmentally friendly way. Wooden poles remain in use much longer, leading to cost savings of millions for operators. A 'proof-of-concept' is now available for the integrated wood preservation method.
  
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• Cognitive decline after surgery tied to brain's own immune cells

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (University of California - San Francisco) After undergoing surgery, elderly patients often experience cloudy thinking that can last for weeks or even months. At one time researchers thought this cognitive decline might be caused by anesthesia, but mounting evidence suggests that heightened inflammation in the brain following surgery is the more likely cause.
  
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• Clinical trial shows benefit of yoga for side effects of prostate cancer treatment

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) Men who attended a structured yoga class twice a week during prostate cancer radiation treatment reported less fatigue and better sexual and urinary function than those who didn't, according to a clinical trial led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. It is the first randomized trial to look at the effect of twice-weekly yoga on the side-effects and quality of life issues caused by prostate cancer treatment.
  
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• Cardiologist warns against dissolvable stents in NEJM

  06-04-2017 06:00
  
  (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso) In a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) editorial published last week, Debabrata Mukherjee, M.D., provides expert commentary on bioresorbable stents, an alternative to the traditional stents used in patients with cardiac conditions. In his editorial, Dr. Mukherjee encourages cardiologists to continue using conventional drug-eluting stents, instead of the newer bioresorbable option.
  
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