Science news

• Crack in Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf forks

  02-05-2017 22:39
  
  An 180-kilometer-long rift in Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf has forked into two branches, new satellite observations show.
  
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• Is Facebook using all your 'feels' to sell you stuff?

  02-05-2017 21:32 via cbc.ca
  
  Report claims Facebook is tracking users emotions and targeting ads accordingly.
  
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• Prestigious Killam Prize for engineering awarded to female scientist second year in a row

  02-05-2017 21:23 via cbc.ca
  
  Though there continues to be a shortage of women in science, technology, engineering and math professions, this is the second consecutive year a prestigious scientific prize has been awarded to a woman.
  
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• Sorting out memory and learning

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Mutations in AMPA receptor recycling machinery underlie cognitive impairment in an intellectual disorder and in neurodegenerative diseases.
  
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• Shutting down innate immune responses during fertilization

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  The inflammasome component NLRP14 inhibits the nucleic acid sensing pathway during fertilization.
  
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• Papers of note in Science Translational Medicine 9 (387)

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles reveal a new treatment for malaria and an adjunct therapy that may reduce the hematologic toxicity of chemotherapy.
  
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• Papers of note in Science Immunology 2 (10)

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This month’s articles show that cholesterol-based ligands position splenic dendritic cells near T cells; how synovial fibroblasts and neutrophils promote inflammation in arthritis; that type I interferon activates liver T cells in obese mice; and how the alternative complement pathway plays a role in antibacterial immunity.
  
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• Papers of note in Science 356 (6336)

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s articles highlight the importance of protocadherins in the developing nervous system and the mechanism by which plants limit the number of germ cells derived from somatic cells.
  
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• Paper of note in Nature 544 (7651)

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  This week’s article identifies a receptor that is important for phagocytosis of some tumor cells by macrophages.
  
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• New connections: Treating fragile X syndrome

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  An in vivo drug screen can identify inhibitors of the signaling pathway that is activated in fragile X syndrome.
  
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• Hyperactive locomotion in a Drosophila model is a functional readout for the synaptic abnormalities underlying fragile X syndrome

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of heritable intellectual disability and autism and affects ~1 in 4000 males and 1 in 8000 females. The discovery of effective treatments for FXS has been hampered by the lack of effective animal models and phenotypic readouts for drug screening. FXS ensues from the epigenetic silencing or loss-of-function mutation of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene, which encodes an RNA binding protein that associates with and represses the transl
  
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• Genome-wide identification and characterization of Notch transcription complex-binding sequence-paired sites in leukemia cells

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Notch transcription complexes (NTCs) drive target gene expression by binding to two distinct types of genomic response elements, NTC monomer–binding sites and sequence-paired sites (SPSs) that bind NTC dimers. SPSs are conserved and have been linked to the Notch responsiveness of a few genes. To assess the overall contribution of SPSs to Notch-dependent gene regulation, we determined the DNA sequence requirements for NTC dimerization using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) as
  
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• BMP8A sustains spermatogenesis by activating both SMAD1/5/8 and SMAD2/3 in spermatogonia

  02-05-2017 19:50 via stke.sciencemag.org
  Mutation in either of the genes encoding bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 8A or 8B (Bmp8a or Bmp8b) causes postnatal depletion of spermatogonia in mice. We found that Bmp8a, but not Bmp8b, was expressed predominantly in the neonatal mouse spermatogonia. Although most BMPs induce activation of SMADs 1, 5, and 8 (SMAD1/5/8), but not SMADs 2 and 3 (SMAD2/3), we found that BMP8A induced signaling through both sets of transcription factors. In undifferentiated mouse spermatogonia, BMP8A activated SMA
  
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• Crave Sugar? Maybe It's in Your Genes

  02-05-2017 18:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
   Specific genetic variants have been linked to the sweet tooth
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Radical idea could restore ice in the Arctic Ocean

  02-05-2017 16:00
  
  Windmill-powered pumps on buoys throughout the Arctic Ocean could help bring back shrinking sea ice, researchers say.
  
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• Here’s how an asteroid impact would kill you

  02-05-2017 13:00
  
  Most deaths caused by an asteroid impact would result from shock waves and winds generated from the blast, rather than effects such as earthquakes and tsunamis, new simulations show.
  
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• New AI Tech Can Mimic Any Voice

  02-05-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Emerging technologies in speech generation raise ethics and security concerns
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• In the world of technology, it all keeps coming back to privacy

  02-05-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Privacy is the elephant in the room, unavoidable at every turn, and too big to ignore. And it will keep coming up week after week, especially as the Internet of Things evolves from being a concept to a new reality.
  
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• How a 3D-printed piece of Palmyra landed in Toronto

  02-05-2017 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The Tetrapylon, one of the most famous structures in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, was destroyed by ISIS this year. It's since been rebuilt in Toronto, thanks to 3D printing and activist Bassel Khartabil, who went missing in 2015.
  
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• X-ray microscope optics resolve 50-nm features while eliminating chromatic aberrations

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Osaka University) A collaborative team led by Osaka University researchers developed an optical system for full-field X-ray microscopes using two monolithic imaging mirrors that eliminates the chromatic aberrations that have previously limited microscope resolution. The mirror structure allowed an X-ray microscope system to resolve 50-nm-sized features with high stability over a 20-hour period. In addition to spectromicroscopy applications, this mirror system may also be useful for X-ray focusi
  
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• Why space dust emits radio waves upon crashing into a spacecraft

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (American Institute of Physics) When spacecraft and satellites travel through space they encounter tiny, fast moving particles of space dust and debris. If the particle travels fast enough, its impact appears to create electromagnetic radiation that can damage or even disable the craft's electronic systems. A new study published this week in Physics of Plasmas uses computer simulations to show that the cloud of plasma generated from the particle's impact is responsible for creating the damaging
  
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• WFU chemistry professor receives NSF CAREER Award for $500K

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Wake Forest University) Wake Forest chemistry professor Michael Gross has been named a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program Award winner.
  
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• Scientists find giant wave rolling through the Perseus galaxy cluster

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with radio observations and computer simulations, an international team of scientists has discovered a 200,000-light-year wave of hot gas in the Perseus galaxy cluster.
  
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• Researchers develop recycling for carbon fiber composites

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Washington State University) A WSU research team for the first time has developed a promising way to recycle the popular carbon fiber plastics that are used in everything from modern airplanes and sporting goods to the wind energy industry.
  
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• Putting students closer to explosive solar events

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (New Jersey Institute of Technology) Assistant Professor of Physics Bin Chen, who joined the NJIT faculty in 2016, was recently awarded a five-year CAREER grant totaling more than $700,000 by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
  
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• Origin of Milky Way's hypothetical dark matter signal may not be so dark

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) A mysterious gamma-ray glow at the center of the Milky Way is most likely caused by pulsars. The findings cast doubt on previous interpretations of the signal as a potential sign of dark matter.
  
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• New NMR technique offers 'molecular window' into living organisms

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Toronto) NMR Technique developed at U of T Scarborough has potential for noninvasive disease diagnosis using current MRI technology.
  
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• New coating surface for superior rust resistance with 'colorless' color

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Nagoya Institute of Technology) Electric fields can mobilize non-ionic particles to coat metal surfaces.
  
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• National Academy of Sciences members and foreign associates elected

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) The National Academy of Sciences announced today the election of 84 new members and 21 foreign associates in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.Those elected today bring the total number of active members to 2,290 and the total number of foreign associates to 475. Foreign associates are nonvoting members of the Academy, with citizenship outside the United States.
  
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• NASA to measure greenhouse gases over the mid-Atlantic region in may

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) In May, a team of Goddard scientists will begin measuring greenhouse gases over the Mid-Atlantic region -- an area chosen in part because it encompasses a range of vegetation, climate and soil types that would influence the exchange of carbon dioxide and methane between Earth and the atmosphere.
  
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• Is the blog to blame for Vladimir Putin's 2011-12 elections defeat?

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Florida Atlantic University) In the 2011-12 elections, Russia's government leaders underestimated the power of the internet and it impacted the outcome of the elections and spurred massive demonstrations in response to Vladimir Putin's stage-managing the presidential succession and evidence of widespread fraud. While the effects of internet use on political participation are well understood, the mechanisms of how this happens is unclear. A new study uncovers how social media can drive support f
  
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• Healthy housing for refugees in extreme climates

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Bath) Refugees living in extreme climates ranging from 45 degrees to -10 degrees, such as those in Jordan, could benefit from improved living conditions as a result of an international collaborative research project led by the University of Bath.
  
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• Earliest relative of Brachiosaurus dinosaur found in France

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Imperial College London) Scientists have re-examined an overlooked museum fossil and discovered that it is the earliest known member of the titanosauriform family of dinosaurs.
  
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• Deep learning helps scientists keep track of cell's inner parts

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Toronto) High throughput screens of image-based data allow a direct view of proteins' whereabouts in the cell but the lack of fast and accurate analysis tools has been a bottleneck. Scientists reveal DeepLoc, a deep learning algorithm that is faster and more accurate than the human eye and brings analysis time down from months to hours.
  
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• Bioinspired agent kills drug-resistant bacteria

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Frontiers) Microbial resistance to antibiotics and biocides is increasing, and our ability to effectively treat bacterial infections and contamination is under threat. Researchers have developed an antimicrobial treatment that can rapidly kill drug-resistant bacteria. These iodo-thiocyanate complexes caused rapid bacterial death in the tested strains, which included an antibiotic-resistant strain. They could kill both free-floating bacteria and those in biofilms, suggesting that they could be u
  
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• Astronomers confirm nearby star a good model of our early solar system

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Iowa State University) Iowa State University's Massimo Marengo is part of a research team that has confirmed a nearby star's planetary system contains separate belts of asteroids, similar to our own solar system. The star is also about one-fifth the age of our sun. All that makes this star a good model of the early days of our solar system. The findings have just been published by The Astronomical Journal.
  
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• Antarctic Peninsula ice more stable than thought

  02-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Leeds) Glacier flow at the southern Antarctic Peninsula has increased since the 1990s, but a new study has found the change to be only a third of what was recently reported.
  
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• Twitter announces 12 new live stream partnerships

  02-05-2017 02:28 via cbc.ca
  
  Twitter Inc. is expanding its live broadcasting portfolio with 12 new offerings that include WNBA games, a 24-hour Bloomberg News network and a show about gadgets from the tech news website The Verge, the company said on Monday.
  
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• Canada is 200 million tonnes away from meeting international emissions promise

  02-05-2017 02:18 via cbc.ca
  
  Canada has just 13 years to cut almost 200 million tonnes of yearly carbon emissions if it hopes to meet its 2015 international climate treaty obligations.
  
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