Science news

• The science behind May the Fourth

  04-05-2017 23:28 via cbc.ca
  
  It’s May the Fourth, the day where we celebrate one of the world’s best puns — may the fourth be with you.
  
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• Internal compass guides fruit fly navigation

  04-05-2017 20:11
  
  Experiments show how flies navigate — and why this might be important for humans.
  
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• Peace and quiet is becoming more elusive in U.S. wild areas

  04-05-2017 20:00
  
  Human noise stretches into the wilderness.
  
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• Thermal processing of diblock copolymer melts mimics metallurgy

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Small-angle x-ray scattering experiments conducted with compositionally asymmetric low molar mass poly(isoprene)-b-poly(lactide) diblock copolymers reveal an extraordinary thermal history dependence. The development of distinct periodic crystalline or aperiodic quasicrystalline states depends on how specimens are cooled from the disordered state to temperatures below the order-disorder transition temperature. Whereas direct cooling leads to the formation of documented morphologies, rapidly quenc
  
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• The complex effects of ocean acidification on the prominent N2-fixing cyanobacterium Trichodesmium

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Acidification of seawater caused by anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is anticipated to influence the growth of dinitrogen (N2)–fixing phytoplankton, which contribute a large fraction of primary production in the tropical and subtropical ocean. We found that growth and N2-fixation of the ubiquitous cyanobacterium Trichodesmium decreased under acidified conditions, notwithstanding a beneficial effect of high CO2. Acidification resulted in low cytosolic pH and reduced N2-fixation rates desp
  
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• Self-organized Notch dynamics generate stereotyped sensory organ patterns in Drosophila

  04-05-2017 19:29
  The emergence of spatial patterns in developing multicellular organisms relies on positional cues and cell-cell communication. Drosophila sensory organs have informed a paradigm in which these operate in two distinct steps: Prepattern factors drive localized proneural activity, then Notch-mediated lateral inhibition singles out neural precursors. Here we show that self-organization through Notch signaling also establishes the proneural stripes that resolve into rows of sensory bristles on the fl
  
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• Selective anaerobic oxidation of methane enables direct synthesis of methanol

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Direct functionalization of methane in natural gas remains a key challenge. We present a direct stepwise method for converting methane into methanol with high selectivity (~97%) over a copper-containing zeolite, based on partial oxidation with water. The activation in helium at 673 kelvin (K), followed by consecutive catalyst exposures to 7 bars of methane and then water at 473 K, consistently produced 0.204 mole of CH3OH per mole of copper in zeolite. Isotopic labeling confirmed water as the so
  
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• Response to Comment on "Density functional theory is straying from the path toward the exact functional"

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Kepp argues in his Comment, among other concerns, that the atomic densities we have considered are not relevant to molecular bonding. However, this does not change the main conclusion of our study, that unconstrained fitting of flexible functional forms can make a density functional more interpolative but less widely predictive.
  
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• Noise pollution is pervasive in U.S. protected areas

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Anthropogenic noise threatens ecological systems, including the cultural and biodiversity resources in protected areas. Using continental-scale sound models, we found that anthropogenic noise doubled background sound levels in 63% of U.S. protected area units and caused a 10-fold or greater increase in 21%, surpassing levels known to interfere with human visitor experience and disrupt wildlife behavior, fitness, and community composition. Elevated noise was also found in critical habitats of end
  
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• Negative selection in humans and fruit flies involves synergistic epistasis

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Negative selection against deleterious alleles produced by mutation influences within-population variation as the most pervasive form of natural selection. However, it is not known whether deleterious alleles affect fitness independently, so that cumulative fitness loss depends exponentially on the number of deleterious alleles, or synergistically, so that each additional deleterious allele results in a larger decrease in relative fitness. Negative selection with synergistic epistasis should pro
  
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• Integration of CpG-free DNA induces de novo methylation of CpG islands in pluripotent stem cells

  04-05-2017 19:29
  CpG islands (CGIs) are primarily promoter-associated genomic regions and are mostly unmethylated within highly methylated mammalian genomes. The mechanisms by which CGIs are protected from de novo methylation remain elusive. Here we show that insertion of CpG-free DNA into targeted CGIs induces de novo methylation of the entire CGI in human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). The methylation status is stably maintained even after CpG-free DNA removal, extensive passaging, and differentiation. By targ
  
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• Impact of cytosine methylation on DNA binding specificities of human transcription factors

  04-05-2017 19:29
  The majority of CpG dinucleotides in the human genome are methylated at cytosine bases. However, active gene regulatory elements are generally hypomethylated relative to their flanking regions, and the binding of some transcription factors (TFs) is diminished by methylation of their target sequences. By analysis of 542 human TFs with methylation-sensitive SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment), we found that there are also many TFs that prefer CpG-methylated sequences.
  
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• Dispersals and genetic adaptation of Bantu-speaking populations in Africa and North America

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Bantu languages are spoken by about 310 million Africans, yet the genetic history of Bantu-speaking populations remains largely unexplored. We generated genomic data for 1318 individuals from 35 populations in western central Africa, where Bantu languages originated. We found that early Bantu speakers first moved southward, through the equatorial rainforest, before spreading toward eastern and southern Africa. We also found that genetic adaptation of Bantu speakers was facilitated by admixture w
  
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• DeepStack: Expert-level artificial intelligence in heads-up no-limit poker

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Artificial intelligence has seen several breakthroughs in recent years, with games often serving as milestones. A common feature of these games is that players have perfect information. Poker, the quintessential game of imperfect information, is a long-standing challenge problem in artificial intelligence. We introduce DeepStack, an algorithm for imperfect-information settings. It combines recursive reasoning to handle information asymmetry, decomposition to focus computation on the relevant dec
  
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• Comment on "Density functional theory is straying from the path toward the exact functional"

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Medvedev et al. (Reports, 6 January 2017, p. 49) argue that recent density functionals stray from the path toward exactness. This conclusion rests on very compact 1s2 and 1s22s2 systems favored by the Hartree-Fock picture. Comparison to actual energies for the same systems indicates that the "straying" is not chemically relevant and is at best specific to the studied dense systems.
  
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• Branch-specific plasticity of a bifunctional dopamine circuit encodes protein hunger

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Free-living animals must not only regulate the amount of food they consume but also choose which types of food to ingest. The shifting of food preference driven by nutrient-specific hunger can be essential for survival, yet little is known about the underlying mechanisms. We identified a dopamine circuit that encodes protein-specific hunger in Drosophila. The activity of these neurons increased after substantial protein deprivation. Activation of this circuit simultaneously promoted protein inta
  
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• Anti-inflammatory effect of IL-10 mediated by metabolic reprogramming of macrophages

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that plays a critical role in the control of immune responses. However, its mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. Here, we show that IL-10 opposes the switch to the metabolic program induced by inflammatory stimuli in macrophages. Specifically, we show that IL-10 inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced glucose uptake and glycolysis and promotes oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, IL-10 suppresses mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR
  
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• Advances in engineering hydrogels

  04-05-2017 19:29
  Hydrogels are formed from hydrophilic polymer chains surrounded by a water-rich environment. They have widespread applications in various fields such as biomedicine, soft electronics, sensors, and actuators. Conventional hydrogels usually possess limited mechanical strength and are prone to permanent breakage. Further, the lack of dynamic cues and structural complexity within the hydrogels has limited their functions. Recent developments include engineering hydrogels that possess improved physic
  
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• Sea creatures’ sticky ‘mucus houses’ catch ocean carbon really fast

  04-05-2017 19:28
  
  A new deepwater laser tool measures the carbon-filtering power of snot nets created by little-known sea animals called giant larvaceans.
  
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• Your muscles can 'taste' sugar

  04-05-2017 19:19
  It's obvious that the taste buds on the tongue can detect sugar. And after a meal, beta cells in the pancreas sense rising blood glucose and release the hormone insulin—which helps the sugar enter cells, where it can be used by the body for energy. Now researchers have uncovered an unexpected mechanism of glucose sensing in skeletal muscles that contributes to the body's overall regulation of blood sugar levels.
  
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• So you clicked on that sketchy Google Docs link sent by email. Now what?

  04-05-2017 18:16 via cbc.ca
  
  A clever email phishing attack spread like wildfire across the internet on Wednesday afternoon. But this was no typical phishing attack — so don't feel bad if you were fooled.
  
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• Video Game Hall of Fame inducts Halo, Donkey Kong, others

  04-05-2017 17:42 via cbc.ca
  
  Attention Halo Nation: Halo: Combat Evolved is in the World Video Game Hall of Fame, inducted along with Donkey Kong, Pokemon Red and Green, and Street Fighter II.
  
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• Cassini spacecraft flies between Saturn and rings in close-up video

  04-05-2017 16:58 via cbc.ca
  
  NASA has released a new movie of its Cassini spacecraft as it flew between Saturn and its rings late last month.
  
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• Is the Baby in Pain? Brain Scans Can Tell

  04-05-2017 15:00 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Brain waves might soon determine whether an analgesic for infants is effective 
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• 50 years ago, U.S. fell short on mosquito eradication

  04-05-2017 14:00
  
  Researchers boldly predicted mosquitoes’ demise 50 years ago. They never came close.
  
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• The Ominous Beauty of the Arctic Meltdown

  04-05-2017 12:45 via rss.sciam.com
  
  Artist and photographer Diane Tuft captures the rapidly changing polar landscape in her new book, The Arctic Melt
  -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
  
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• Big birds

  04-05-2017 06:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Super-sharp images from a US satellite are keeping track of remote bird-breeding sites.
  
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• Water, water, nowhere

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Pittsburgh) Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering have found that the unusual properties of graphane -- a two-dimensional polymer of carbon and hydrogen -- could form a type of anhydrous 'bucket brigade' that transports protons without the need for water, potentially leading to the development of more efficient hydrogen fuel cells for vehicles and other energy systems.
  
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• Warwick Research: Believe you can stop climate change and you will

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Warwick) If we believe that we can personally help stop climate change with individual actions -- such as turning the thermostat down -- then we are more likely to make a difference, according to research from the University of Warwick.
  
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• UTA team wins Brain Bowl neuroscience quiz show

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Texas at Arlington) A University of Texas at Arlington team has won the 2017 Brain Bowl organized by University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, beating out teams from Trinity University and the defending champions University of Texas at Dallas.
  
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• Unveiling the bottlenecks to discovering the root causes of rare genetic diseases

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute) A commentary paper including feedback from 40 scientists, says international cooperation is needed now more than ever; despite advances in technology and decades of research, the genetic mutations behind half of the 7,000 known rare genetic diseases in the world remain a mystery. There is international support for IRDiRC-recognized platforms, tools, standards and guidelines to streamline resources and accelerate progress for rare diseas
  
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• Trash into treasure: Sandia could help biofuel pay for itself with goods made from waste

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (DOE/Sandia National Laboratories) A recent discovery by Sandia National Laboratories researchers may unlock the potential of biofuel waste -- and ultimately make biofuels competitive with petroleum. The researchers solved the structure of LigM, an enzyme that breaks down molecules derived from the biofuel waste product lignin. This opens a path toward new molecules and new, marketable products.
  
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• Transgender patients not electing as much gender-affirming surgery as many believe, study finds

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Boston University Medical Center) Researchers from Boston Medical Center have conducted the first study in the US to determine the prevalence of gender-affirming surgeries among a defined group of transgender patients, and found that most patients did not elect to have surgery.
  
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• The final frontier of the Frontier Fields

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (ESA/Hubble Information Centre) The NASA/ESA Hubble Telescope has peered across six billion light years of space to resolve extremely faint features of the galaxy cluster Abell 370 that have not been seen before. Imaged here in stunning detail, Abell 370 is part of the Frontier Fields program which uses massive galaxy clusters to study the mysteries of dark matter and the very early universe.
  
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• The expanding influence of genomics on society

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Columbia University Medical Center) Genomics and Society: Expanding the ELSI Universe, a three-day conference on the myriad issues that spring from the ethical, legal and social implications of genomic research, will be take place on June 5-7, 2017, at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine and UConn Health in Farmington, Conn.
  
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• SwRI spectrograph to help answer some of the mysteries of the Sun

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Southwest Research Institute) A sounding rocket originally developed as a prototype for NASA's next generation of space-based solar spectrographs will make its third flight tomorrow, May 5, at 12:25 p.m. MDT from White Sands, N.M.
  
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• Swearing aloud can make you stronger

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (British Psychological Society) In the research, Dr Stephens and his team conducted two experiments. In the first, 29 participants completed a test of anaerobic power -- a short, intense period on an exercise bike -- after both swearing and not swearing. In the second, 52 participants completed an isometric handgrip test, again after both swearing and not swearing.
  
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• Stand up to cancer releases nurses training modules for new immuno-oncology therapies

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Entertainment Industry Foundation) Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) released complimentary Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) training modules to equip nurses to manage the unique challenges and patient symptoms that accompany administration of emerging cancer immunotherapies. Focused on immunology and related pathophysiology, symptom management, and nursing interventions to reduce symptom distress and promote wellness, these modules meet CNE standards and each module provides 3.5 -- 5 contact hours f
  
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• Sperm study reveals testes cells that may offer fertility hope

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Edinburgh) Scientists have discovered a tiny group of cells that is critical to repairing damage to the testes. Blocking the cells prevents repair to tissue involved in producing healthy sperm, the research has found. The findings shed light on mechanisms of cell repair and could help scientists develop ways to preserve fertility, which may benefit boys receiving cancer therapy.
  
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• Scientists use satellites to count endangered birds from space

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Wiley) Albatrosses, one of the most iconic but also one of the most threatened groups of birds on the planet, are difficult to study in part because they breed on some of the world's remotest and most inaccessible islands. Scientists have now shown that the highest resolution satellite imagery is capable of 'seeing' these birds from space, allowing researchers to count their numbers on remote islands directly from satellite images without ever having to go there.
  
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• Sandia develops math techniques to improve computational efficiency in quantum chemistry

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (DOE/Sandia National Laboratories) Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed new mathematical techniques to advance the study of molecules at the quantum level.Mathematical and algorithmic developments along these lines are necessary for enabling the detailed study of complex hydrocarbon molecules that are relevant in engine combustion.
  
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• RTI finds TROSA, an innovative substance abuse treatment program, saves NC $7.5 million annually

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (RTI International) TROSA, a therapeutic community providing substance abuse treatment and job training, saves North Carolina $7.5 million every year, according to an independent study conducted by RTI International.
  
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• Researchers identify 6,500 genes that are expressed differently in men and women

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Weizmann Institute of Science) Men and women differ in obvious and less obvious ways -- for example, in the prevalence of certain diseases or reactions to drugs. How are these connected to one's sex? Weizmann Institute of Science researchers recently uncovered thousands of human genes that are expressed -- copied out to make proteins -- differently in the two sexes.
  
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• Parkinson: Weight gain after deep brain stimulation

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati) It was already known that people affected by Parkinson's disease, when subjected to deep brain stimulation, gained weight, but it was less clear why that was so. New research by the International School for Advanced Studies -- SISSA in Trieste (Italy) has now shown that the weight gain after implant has a multifactorial origin. The study monitored for the first time a group of patients before and after the intervention, assessing cognitive, psy
  
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• Optical spectroscopy improves predictive assessment of kidney function

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (SPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics) A new optical spectroscopy technique developed by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Lab promises to improve accuracy and lower costs of real-time assessment of kidney function, reports an article published this week in the Journal of Biomedical Optics. The journal is published by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.
  
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• NJIT's IBNR: Meeting challenges of understanding and healing

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (New Jersey Institute of Technology) With the formal inauguration of NJIT's Institute for Brain and Neuroscience Research (IBNR) in March, the efforts of NJIT researchers to increase basic understanding of the brain that could lead to new healing therapies for related injuries and disease will be more sharply focused and closely coordinated.
  
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• New survey reveals effects of incarceration for older Americans' work and retirement plans

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (NORC at the University of Chicago) Americans age 50 and older who report that they have been incarcerated at some point in their lives are more likely to express anxiety about several aspects of retirement, to have experienced unemployment in the recent past, and to have fewer sources of income for retirement than those who have not, according to a new national survey of Americans age 50 and older from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
  
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• New microscopic technique could help detect, diagnose metastatic melanomas

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (University of Missouri-Columbia) The fight against skin cancer just got a new weapon. Researchers at the University of Missouri have devised a new tool to detect and analyze single melanoma cells that are more representative of the skin cancers developed by most patients. The study, recently reported in Analyst published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, outlines the new techniques that could lead to better and faster diagnoses for the life-threatening disease.
  
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• New global summary of research on wind farms and wildlife

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Pelagic Publishing) Interactions between wind farms and wildlife create potential conflicts that scientists have been trying to find solutions for in the fight for a sustainable future. This new series of books from Pelagic Publishing represents the first time that the ever-expanding global literature on nature and wind farms has been brought together into one synthesis. 
  
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• New fabric coating protects your clothes, and the environment

  04-05-2017 06:00
  
  (Cornell University) When you spill pasta sauce on your favorite shirt but there is no trace of it after being washed, you can thank oleophobicity, a resistance to oil commonly applied to textiles.That resistance, however, comes at a price. The coating that makes textiles oil resistant is fluorine-based and breaks down into chlorofluorocarbon gas, a greenhouse gas harmful to the environment.
  
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